Family/Friend Friday --- The Future of Blogging

Well, I started this about 9 months ago to keep family and friends updated and share some stories from the past and videos from the present. As we begin a new year, I need help with the future of this blog --- I need to know what family and friends want to to write about, not write about, how often to blog, etc, etc, etc. So I'll take the next few weeks off and come up with a plan for 2009. So please put all suggestions in the comment box. Some possibilities:

Media Monday --- stuff going on in the world and thought/discussions on it

Funny Friday --- some of my favorite joke and funny videos

Who's Who Wednesday --- interviews with some of my family and friends so you can get to know them better

None of these have been decided yet, which is why I need your suggestions! Until I start blogging again in 2009...Let me know what you want to hear about...

Theological Thursday --- What Child Is This?

Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior...the day that God sent His only son into the world to die for our sins (John 3:16). Why is that so important? Heaven is a perfect place, and none of us are perfect (Romans 3:23), so none of us deserve to go there (Romans 6:23a). This child's future death on the cross is our only hope for salvation (John 14:6). We can't do it by our good works (Ephesians 2:8), it is a gift from our loving God (Romans 6:23b). So as you reflect on the birth of Christ this year, remember that His birth was followed by His death so that you might have eternal life through a personal relationship with Him. A far better gift than those discussed on Tuesday's post! So what child was this...a child that would not only change lives but change eternity!

And as I have been reflecting on the Christmas story this year, I've noticed how backwards we are in our culture today. The Magi traveled many miles (possibly 1,000's) and responded to the Christ Child with joy, worship, and gifts. Today, people expect God to look for them, explain Himself, prove who He is, and give us gifts. He has already given us the greatest gift of all --- shouldn't our response be more like that of the Magi?

Enjoy your celebration of the birth of our Savior!

What's Up Wednesday --- Decmeber 24th

We are leaving today to head to Pennsylvania to spend Christmas with family. There will be the final 2 blog posts of 2008 on Thursday and Friday this week and then I'll take a few weeks off and decide what 2009 blogging will look like (and you can offer suggestions on Friday and all next week in the comment box for Friday). In the meantime, here is another fun holiday you can celebrate...Tossmas:

Time Warp Tuesday --- Best Childhood Christmas Gift

When I was 13, I knew exactly what I wanted to save money for --- a Go Kart. My friend Mark had one, and we were tired of taking turns and wanted to ride the trails together! So for the Christmas of 1988, all I wanted was money. I had it set in mind that if someone bought me a gift that year I would return it to add the cash to my Go Kart fund. I had it all figured out that I could save every penny I made (including asking for money rather than chocolate when Easter rolled around) and have my Go Kart by my birthday the following summer.

Every year for Christmas Eve we went to my aunt's house in Punxsy. I was thrilled when I got money from some aunts, uncles, and grandparents....and no presents. It was exactly what I was hoping for! When we returned home that evening, I opened the door to find a Go Kart sitting on our living room floor! My dad was able to buy a used one, which ended up being a wise thing as I would run that thing through mud, snow, over jumps, through puddles, etc.

On Christmas Day, I got Mark and we rode through the snow and on the trails behind our house for a good part of the day, and I loved it! The trail behind our houses was probably 1/4 mile long, so it wasn't long before we got bored with it began venturing out through the alleys, roads, etc. We would ride about 3 miles up the alleys to the elementary school --- until one day a policeman pulled us over and said if he caught us again he would fine us and take our Go Karts away! In any case, this was my favorite childhood gift and served me well until I turned 16 and upgraded to a car.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD GIFT? (Add it to the comment section).

Magical Monday --- Magicians-In-Training

This week we have to say goodbye to 2 of our neighbors --- Victor and Victoria (pictured above playing a board game in our apartment on Saturday). They are from Cambodia and their dad just graduated from seminary last week. They have been in our building for the past 3 1/2 years.

Both of them are aspiring magicians! Every time I see them, they want to learn a new trick. I have been impressed with Victor and how quickly he can learn a trick and begin to fool people. Unlike most kids, a single trick can keep his interest for a long time. After we practice together and he gets a trick down, he'll go knocking door-to-door to show anyone who is willing to watch.

Victoria is younger (only 4 when they moved here, but now she is 8), and she also learns fairly quickly...although she has a REALLY hard time not telling everyone how she did it hahaha. Every time I would go out on my Trikke, sit outside, take a walk, play tennis, etc --- she would always appear out of the blue and be ready to participate in whatever it was I was doing no matter how dull. She was even excited to help fix our burnt out headlight in the car!

They are great kids and we'll miss them a lot! But who knows...we may see them again someday on stage!

Family/Friend Friday --- Final Day of Work

Well, today is my final day working at Ashland Seminary. I am still an "employee" until December 31st, but all the offices will be shut down over the next 2 weeks for Christmas and New Years. I really enjoyed working at the seminary...especially because of the people I got to work with! Two of my favorite co-workers were Jill and Renae who worked out front in our building. Renae (on the left in the video) is the administrator for the entire building and the whole place would fall apart without her. Jill (on the right in the video) has been my assistant for Pastors of Excellence for the last 3 years, and gets most of my job dumped on her now! Does that mean she can boss herself around???
-
We've had a lot of fun times together...eating steak dinners at Malabar Farm, playing Ping Pong at Mohican Resort, Having Ice Cream Socials in the Hallway, Making Comic Strips Out of People in the Building, Sneaking Free Lunches from Other Departments Using Our Building, etc --- All during work time! (hmm...no wonder they don't need me anymore!).
-
The best memories I recall was Jill's surprise birthday party we had (I think she is the only employee in seminary history to actually be surprised!), and the day Jill went home early, and Renae and I rigged up her desk chair to collapse the next morning when she came into work (which it did). In any case, since our building is separate from the main seminary campus there were many days it was just the 3 of us (and Paul joined us to start a new program about a year ago which you will see him on the Christmas gift in the video as well as Gene --- the head of our building). Yesterday I was blessed (and Jen got to come to) with a "surprise" (about 25 people told me about it) going away party by, of course, Jill and Renae. Here they are opening their Christmas gifts...

Theological Thursday --- Mistakes in the Nativity

This time of year, many people put up a nativity scene like the one above to reflect the birth of Christ...but there are several things that may not be theologically accurate in the way we think about Christ's birth and the events and time-line surrounding it. Consider:

1) The Season --- Although we celebrate Christ's birth on December 25th, the day was only selected to give Christians a reason to worship the true God back in the 4th century while Pagans had celebrations for theirs (which was around 12/25). We know that shepherds would not have been out at night during the winter, and since Luke 2:8 says they were the night Christ was born, we know He wasn't born in the winter. Many scholars place the month as either April, or more likely, September. So there would not have been snow as indicated by the nativity in the above picture!

2) The Wise Men Part A --- Nowhere does the Bible say that the visitors bringing gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh where men. It only calls them "Magi" which is probably a sect of priests (which would make them men), but Magi could also refer to "Medes" so we can't be sure none of them were women. So if your nativity scene has all men surrounding the birth, it may be theologically inaccurate.

3) The Wise Men Part B --- Nowhere does the Bible say that there were 3. Church tradition named the Magi as Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, but that is nowhere in the Bible, and even if those names are accurate, there is no telling if they were the only 3 Magi there. We know they brought the 3 gifts, but those gifts could have been brought by 2 Magi, 50 Magi, 17 Magi, etc, etc...we really don't know. So if your nativity scene has exactly 3 Magi, it may be theologically inaccurate.

4) The Wise Men Part C --- Nowhere does the Bible say that the Magi were even at the birth of Christ (it actually says the opposite). Matthew chapter 2 starts out by saying, "After Jesus was born" the Magi went to King Herod in Jerusalem. King Herod then decrees that all infants under the age of 2 should be killed (Matthew 2:16) which indicates that Jesus was no longer a newborn and at least several months have past. So if you have the Magi in your nativity scene at all, it is most likely theologically inaccurate as they didn't come until several months later.

5) The Wise Men Part D --- Nowhere does the Bible say how much of each gift was brought to Jesus by the Magi. Although each gift does have theological significance (which maybe Jen will talk about on her blog), they are also very valuable. But why is that important? Well, in Matthew 2:13-18 we find Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus running to Egypt to avoid Herod's child killing decree (which lasted until Herod died about 2 years later). How in the world could a poor family like Mary and Joseph afford to hide in Egypt for 2 years? Those gifts were important!!! Though very valuable, to survive on them for 2 years would require a lot. So if your nativity scene has the Magi holding only "tiny" gifts, it may be theologically inaccurate.

6) The Outdoor Manger --- Nowhere does the Bible say what the "manger" was like. The phrase, "There was no room for them in the Inn" (Luke 2:7), is very much misunderstood. The Greek word used in this verse is κατάλυμα and the only other place in the Bible it is used is Luke 22:11 and is the "guestroom" being prepared for Jesus and His Apostles for the Last Supper. An "Inn" is used in the story of the Good Samaritan (who put the injured man up with his own money) and that story uses a different Greek word --- πανδοχεῖον. So most likely Joseph and Mary were denied a stay in a guestroom (not an Inn like the Super 8) and had to stay in a separate part of the house with the animals (hence the manger) --- which Mary would have been required to be separated from the others due to her "uncleanliness" from bleeding from childbirth (Leviticus 12:1). In any case, if your Nativity has a shabby log shack like the one above, although they were still a far cry from deluxe accommodations, your nativity may be theologically inaccurate.

So just some thoughts about what we traditionally think about the birth of Christ vs. what the Bible says. But one thing is clear in both the Nativity Scenes we use today and what the Bible says...there was a baby born that day that would change the world (and that's what is really important to this story!!!). Come back next Thursday (Christmas) and find out who was born and why He was so special.

Anything I missed? Disagreements? This is my longest post...anyone actually read this far?

What's Up Wednesday --- December 17th

1) I am officially done with Hebrew 1 and got an "A-" for the class (probably better than I deserved). Looking at some of my old assignments, it is a good thing I wasn't the one that translated the Bible into English or we would be doing and believing some crazy stuff! Hebrew 2 which will run from Jan 5 - March 15 will be my final class and I will graduate with my Master of Divinity.
-
2) Trying to out do my dad and brother-in-law Ron (see Friday's post about my Trikke) Jen decided to do a head-first dive down about a dozen steps at the Grove City College Chapel. At first she was just sore, then she was convinced she had internal bleeding, so we went to the Dr.'s who said she is fine. I only saw the tail end of it, so unfortunately I cannot give her an accurate score and she'll have to do it again.
-
3) The magic show on Sunday went well and they asked me to come back again next year (if possible). I also have a magic show this week on Friday night.
-
4) My dad is still recovering from his fall. Although thankful he did not have to go through surgery, he still has a lot of pain. They moved their month-long Myrtle Beach vacation from the month of January to the month of February. If anyone needs a last minute Christmas gift for him, he'd love a gift certificate to the ambulance company to pay for his trip from DuBois to State College.
-
5) This is my final week of work at the seminary. I am officially done on December 31st, but since we are closed down the final 2 weeks of the year for Christmas, Friday will be my last day. Check out this Friday's blog post for a video about the people in charge around here!

Time Warp Tuesday --- A Trip to Radio Shack

Last week during my magic show, my sound system decided to die. Fortunately the place I was performing had its own system I could plug into, but I knew my upcoming show over the weekend did not have its own and I needed to get one. So Thursday night I went to our local music shop and did some wheelin and dealin and traded my broken system (which he will attempt to repair) for smaller one at a discounted price. While I was trying my stuff out at the shop in the new system, I realized that I had the wrong adapter for my microphone system (it was giving it too much power) and needed to get a new one of those too...but the music shop did not have any.

So Friday I headed over to Radio Shack for a new adapter. The salesman looked over everything they had and wasn't completely sure which adapter would fit. He ended with, "Well, I am pretty sure this one might work...you can take it home and try it and if not, bring it back". Well, I had to leave that night for a show and didn't have time to mess around so I asked if I could bring all my stuff into the store to try it out there and if it worked I'd buy it, and if not I would look somewhere else or try and different one. He agreed.

So I lugged all my stuff in and set it up, and the adapter worked perfectly! Then I had to take down all my equipment and take it out to the car. During this process, I am not sure if the salesman was done for the day, went on break, or was in the back...but in any case he wasn't around anymore. I took the adapter I had tried up to the new salesman at the check-out to pay for it. He took a look at it and said, "Oh, this is an open product...you get it for 1/2 price". I explained that I was the one who opened it just to try and make sure it worked and that I said I would buy it full price if it did. He responded, "Our policy says if the box is open at check-out we can only charge 1/2 price". So I got a pretty good deal.

Now I'm thinking...we could really use a big screen TV. I think we'll go to Radio Shack, but we better open it up in the store first and try it out there to be sure it works before we lug that thing home!

Magical Monday --- The Sword-Thru-Neck

Those of you that have seen my show probably remember my head box...the box that an assistant would place their head in and 9 swords would be thrust into the box with the finale of having the person's head disappear. Well, that trick is on its last leg (and hopefully someday I can pass it down if any of our nieces or nephews really get into magic), so I have replaced it with a "Sword-Thru-Neck" trick. It is much smaller and easier to carry...I am just looking for the right jokes and ways to make it fun. Here is a clip from yesterday's show...if you are wondering what happened to the boy that starts the trick out, he had second thoughts about midway through the trick...

Family Friend Friday --- The Trikke

Above is a video of Jen's sister Julie riding my Trikke. I bought it on e-bay soon after we moved to Ashland as a fun way to exercise. You basically propel yourself through your body movements...its a cross between a scooter and roller blades. After some practice you can climb small hills as well (but forget about those Pennsylvania hills!!!). In Ohio, we have the perfect landscape for a Trikke. As Steve would say, "I stood on a speed bump to get a view".

Riding the Trikke requires 2 rules...(1) Do Not Slam on the Brakes and (2) Do Not Let Any of the Wheels Go in the Grass. Breaking either of these rules will end in disaster. There is a huge list of neighbors, family, friends, etc who have fallen off for ignoring these two important rules. Most memorable were 2 family members:

Ron --- Jen's sister Joni's husband jumped on and almost immediately allowed the back wheel to touch the grass, and he did quite a nice belly dive over the front handle bars and onto the cement. I could only give him a 9.5 out of 10 though since he didn't quite stick the landing. My only regret is that I wasn't filming cause I'd be collecting my $10,000 from America's Funniest Home Videos right about now.

My Dad --- On a visit to Ashland, my mom and dad wanted to try out the Trikke. My mom stayed on flat land and went in little circles. My dad decided to be braver and climbed the only hill in Ashland. As he started down the hill, the path branches off a few times, and of all choices he could have made as far as which path to take, he chose the only one that led to a set of steps. As soon as he saw the steps, he broke rule #1 and slammed on the brakes causing a nice front somersault over the handle bars and into the grass. He also didn't quite stick the landing, but I'll give him a 9.7 (slightly edging out Ron for the gold) because of higher technical difficulty on the launch.

Anyone want to try for a 10?

Theological Thursday --- Ten Minas

Well, I was going to begin a series on Christmas for my Theological Thursday, but something else happened this week that was very encouraging that I wanted to share:

Back in the beginning of August, I was teaching in a class at church about the treasures that God has blessed us with. It was tied into the story of the 10 minas (about 3 months wages) out of Luke 19. The main point of Jesus' parable is that we are to not squander what God has given to us (money, talent, gifts, etc) and all of them should be used for His glory. In a parallel parable in Matthew 25, Jesus gives out different amounts to each person, but the one who only has 1 mina has just as much of an opportunity to invest it for God's glory as the person with ten.

I ended the class that day with a challenge...what can you do with "a little mina". I gave everyone in the class $5.00 and instructed that this was to be prayed about and used in a way that would impact the Kingdom of God (I know, I know...all our money should be used in this way, but this was more of a symbolic "what can you do with only $5.00 if you are completely focused on God with it" kind of thing). So class ended that day and we all went about seeking direction for the maximum impact we could make with such a small amount.

So one day a "pop-up" came on my computer screen at work...this was very strange since all our computers block pop-ups. It was a site for "prison pen pals". It had a database of 1,000's of prisoners from across the nation and their address in prison. I knew that this was what God wanted me to do, but how would I pick which one(s) and what exactly would I send?

After several weeks of praying, I settled on two people from the site that God led me to. Several years ago I purchased a case of "More Than a Carpenter" books by Josh McDowell and still had several copies left over (I had already handed out the majority of them). In any case, this book very clearly presents the Gospel message...and best of all I got them for only $1.50 each so it fit within my tiny budget. Along with the book, I sent a long letter giving my own testimony and that I was dedicating myself to pray for them every single day for a month (which I did).

On Monday I received a card from one of the prisoners I sent the book to in California named Chena. In it she talked about how she was going through a "dark valley" at the time she received my package and how much she needed it. She said she had accepted Christ and was Baptized (though not real clear if that was before or after the book). The best part is many of the other prisoners saw the book and letter and are anxious to read it as well!

That brings me to the point of my post (which I haven't completely processed yet)...what if I treated all my money this way? What if I treated all the gifts and talents God has given me this way? What if all Christians did the same? Who knows...Chena may be a prison chaplain someday and impact 1,000's of lives --- maybe somebody who borrows the book from someone who borrowed the book will be the mother of the next Billy Graham...with the power of God, there is really no boundaries and as I felt very led to these particular prisoners, I have no doubt amazing things will come as a result.

If all this can stem from just $5.00, what could happen with $50.00? 500.00? 5000.00? Isn't it worth giving it all to God for His glory?

What's Up Wednesday --- December 10th

A lot going on this week...
-
1) My dad got some great news...no surgery! He went from being in the emergency room in DuBois (thinking his replacement and knee bone was a complete mess) to being sent to State College by ambulance for the possibility of emergency surgery to being told the replacement was fine but the bone needed surgery Tuesday morning. Then, with further X-rays and tests they found that the bone was fusing and healing cleanly by itself. What an awesome God we serve!
-
2) Our job interview went great, and we loved the place! They kept telling us we would find out on Tuesday if we got the job, but at the end of the second day, they let us know they were interested in us pending background investigations. So as long as there isn't anything I don't know about Jen's past, we should be in good shape...but as always you don't want to bank on anything until the papers are signed.
-
3) As part of this background check, we have a private investigator coming to our house tomorrow. We were thinking this would take place sometime in January, but he called on the phone and said, "I'm coming to your place..." --- not really a question whether he could or when we preferred him to, but more of a "you better be home" kind of thing.
-
4) Tonight I have my Hebrew 1 final exam. That will give me 144 credits. 148 and I graduate with my Master of Divinity! I only have to take Hebrew 2 winter quarter and should graduate on March 15th.
-
5) The magic show on Monday night went great! It was for one of Jen's bosses at the health department (who is part of a private physicians practice). He isn't too happy that we may be leaving Ashland soon...and Jen's other boss is actually making some calls trying to find me a job and trying to keep us here.
-
6) We will be going to DuBois this weekend...my cousin Troy is getting married on Saturday.
-
7) I was also able to schedule a show on Sunday while we are in DuBois for a Christmas party.
-
8) In the midst of all this, I have a retreat going on this week for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. It is held at a resort about 30 miles away and I have been traveling back and forth each day (I get a call at 9:00 am each morning to get a list of things I need to bring down).
-
9) There is a "Woot Off" going on today...so Joni you better get your "Bag of Crap"! As you saw from Monday's video we got over $100 worth of stuff for only $3.

Time Warp Tuesday --- The Cats

Growing up my great-grandma always had cats. When it was time for her to move out of her house and into a small apartment, she gave me one of them. My first job was to pick a name for the cat. After thinking long and hard, I decided to call him "Kitty". Kitty was an outdoor cat (except in the winter) and would follow me everywhere I went. In the morning, Kitty would walk down to the bus stop with me and sit there with me until the bus came. He was very friendly and loved to sit on people's laps and was always purring.

It wasn't long before Kitty took an interest in a stray female cat in the neighborhood which we also adopted. My name for that cat..."Kitty Kitty". Kitty Kitty was also very friendly and loved to sit on people's laps and purred a lot as well (but she never followed me around the neighborhood like Kitty). Neither of these cats were ever mean...and they went through a lot with visits from little kids, the mauling by kids at the bus stop, etc.

One day my uncle Mikey came for a visit and we were out on the porch. He asked if Kitty and Kitty Kitty were nice cats, and of course I said yes. He reached down to pet Kitty Kitty and she immediately bit him on the hand. So after having her tailed pulled, being swung around in the air by kids, sat on, etc, etc, etc over the years, I guess Kitty Kitty had enough. Either that or Mikey had just performed the greatest trick I had ever seen.

Magical Monday --- Another Bag of Crap

We were able to win another "Bag of Crap" from Woot for $3.00...if you've missed previous posts, you can get anywhere from a Big Screen TV to complete junk. Most people get a box full of stuff worth about $100 (last time we received about $25 worth of stuff...a "GoDuster" worth $20 and bath salts worth $5). I happened to be in front of the computer when this item came up a few weeks ago and it sold out in less than 3 seconds (as always). Here is what we received...

***Please pray for my dad this week as he fell while he was hunting and broke his knee (he just had both replaced last year). He is currently in State College waiting for surgery (probably tomorrow). I will update on "What's Up Wednesday".

Black Friday

In my hometown (DuBois), you have to be part of Black Friday to believe it! Even the years I've spent in Pittsburgh...the after Thanksgiving shopping there has nothing on DuBois. Maybe it is the fact that DuBois has 50,000 people jammed into 5 stores where as Pittsburgh has 200,000 spread out in 200 stores. In any case, DuBois on Black Friday is not the place to be!

For some reason I let Jen talk me into driving her to some stores on Black Friday while we were in DuBois last week. The video above only tells 1/2 the story...the inch by inch travel time...the 1 hour drive to go 1 mile...but this was taken around 2:00 PM. You multiply this by 100 and you get the 6:00 am to 10:00 am craziness!

Growing up when I had no money, I would go out on Black Friday only if I would save at least $100. That amount has climb significantly over the years and now stands at $500. But several years ago, there was a computer I wanted at Walmart that would save me a bundle. With the store opening at 6:00 am, I journeyed out of the house around 5:15.

Big mistake! The Walmart parking lot was already completely full, as well as the McDonald's lot on one side, and the bowling alley lot on the other. The line wound all the way to the back of the main lot further than I could see. By the time I got parked and made my way to Walmart it was 5:55 and the store would be opening soon. With the size of the line, I knew it would be hopeless in getting my computer unless I came up with some sort of plan.

So here's what I did...my grandma used to work in the fabrics department there, and I would drop her off or pick her up for work at a little used side door. I figured I would just go stand in front of that side door and act like I was waiting for it to get unlocked (figuring nobody would unlock it) and then just "merge with the traffic" at the main door, knowing it would be way faster than standing at the end of the endless line.

About 10 seconds after I stood at that door, a sales associate came. I thought I was going to be told to go to the end of the line, but she unlocked my door. I was the first one in the store! I went straight back, grabbed my computer, and thought this was going to be the world's fastest in-and-out in Walmart history! Unfortunately the main doors had been opened as well by now and within seconds I was surrounded by 1,000's of people! Shoulder to shoulder...you just couldn't move! It took almost an hour to drag that computer back to the front of the store and check out.

So that's a summary of Black Friday in DuBois and my "mini triumph". Hopefully Jen will tell you on her Blog someday the Black Friday at Sears in DuBois that made her cry --- she fell victim to the DuBois madness! Above all, Black Friday in my hometown requires patience. As I talked about yesterday, advent is all about patience and waiting...but thankfully Black Friday falls just before advent and does not apply. hahaha

Theological Thursday --- Advent

This week began Advent --- The anticipatory waiting for the birth of the Messiah. Waiting is very difficult in our culture. We have E-Z Pass toll booths that you don't even need to slow down for on the highways, extra windows at the fast food drive thru to get you on your way faster, self check-out lines at the grocery store (as if we can do it better and faster), "Jiffy" Lube, "Quik" fill, online shopping, faster internet, 7-minute abs workout (now condensed to 2-minute abs), my personal favorite from Pensacola, FL...the drive-thru funeral home (pictured above), etc, etc, etc. Point is, our culture hates to wait!

I wish our churches would put more value into Advent as we eagerly wait and look forward to the day of Christ's birth. It is a much needed slow-motion in a fast-forward culture! Nobody understood this better than 2 people in the Christmas story --- Simon and Anna (Luke 2:21-40). Both were very old and had waited many years for the day that Messiah would be born. As Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, Simon immediate grabbed Him and began praising God (vs. 28-32). This also shows amazing patience in Mary and Joseph...after all, what would you do if some guy grabbed your newborn and starting swinging him around?

So this Advent season, don't be afraid to slow down and wait. As the culture wants us to be busier than ever over the next 20+ days, keep in mind the charge of the Psalmist to wait for the Lord above all else (Pslam 27:14). Here at the seminary, many of our foreign students laugh at our Nativity Sets...little baby Jesus is in the manger even though it isn't Christmas and He "hasn't been born yet". One of their many cool traditions is to set up the Nativity, and keep baby Jesus out until Christmas morning --- and that is something they wait for in anticipation every year. Shouldn't we do the same?

What's Up Wednesday --- December 3rd

1) Jen and I will be traveling to Pennsylvania tonight for a job interview on Thursday and Friday. There are blog posts that are completed and scheduled for tomorrow and Friday, so even though I won't be around, be sure to still check out those day's post!
-
2) After our interview we plan on stopping to see Jen's sister Julie, husband Keith, and their 3 kids. Congratulations to them as we recently found out they are expecting their 4th. If they can keep up this pace, 10 years from now, they may have a baker's dozen!
-
3) Sunday night we have our advent service at the church. Check out tomorrow's Theological Thursday for more on advent.
-
4) I have a company magic show Monday night for a Christmas party. This will be the first of 3 scheduled for the holidays.
-
5) Next week (Mon - Thurs) I will be running a retreat for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes senior staff. They are coming from all over the country, so please pray for their safety. This will be retreat #2 of 6 for them.

Time Warp Tuesday --- Thanksgiving 2008

Magical Monday --- The Long Distance Trick

Here is the "old" version of the trick. We updated it to have someone select an "invisible card" (basically just naming any card they want) and by calling my uncle Mike (also a magician) he is able to name the card.