more pictures from labtop.

This is professor steve mann in one class

this is april and cory from my apu classes that i hangout a lot with and shoot the breeze as we talk about God



This is april and katie after the 20's small group that i am helping get going on Sunday nights. This group has been an amazing place of ministry in its three weeks so far. I also still volunteer with the jr. high ministry and lead a small group that is amazing! This week will be a big spending week. Last minute flight details for New Zealand will be set. I will be getting my digi camera fixed and i will be camping in Yosemite for a couple of nights this weekend. Fun busy times!

Ode to Daydreamers

Do you ever have those times where you are reinacting something in your head and actually physically reacting to your daydream completely oblivious to your surroundings and the people around you. i remember one time in college where i walked by and having a really awkward "hi" with a friend. As i continued to class i was reinacting how i could've nodded or said something funny or responded to that friend. I didn't realize what i was doing until a friend coming up to me from an adjoing sidewalk woke me up by saying, "Brent... what are you doing?!?" Well actually... i was making a really stupid hello face to my invisible friend... Yeah, try and explain that one to my friend! Well just yesterday as i was walking to Ralphs i was excited about seeing some friends that night after work. As i was thinking about the night i let out a"yeeaaaahhh!!!" and started to laugh as i was thinking about the future night. The family getting into there car 20 feet in front of me all turned and looked at me with a puzzled face. ummmm... yeah... awkward ...wasn't talking to you. I said a little hi and was oUT! haha. Great moments.

Some Things i have thought lately:
How awesome is it that TODAY i have a new chance to truly live out who i want to be.

I watched some Jews walked by and thought, "how sad is it that they are going to hell." This thought disturbed me since i have no clue what there core beliefs are.
So i went to Shabbat(Jewish Sabbath)
Just talked to a rabbi the other day. It is interesting that in the same way we think the had it right until they missed Jesus, the Muslims think that we missed Muhammed the next prophet to reveal truth to us. THe Jewish culture intrigues me. I am thinking about starting to read through the Old Testament with no presuppositions of Jesus and to see how it would tell me to live to kind of see how Jews and people before the NT would see how to live. THen i want to read the New Testament and truly try and see what Jesus brings to the table. I know there will be a lot of historical/cultural background and traditions that i will miss, but i think it will be fruitful. I have always approached the Bible with Jesus(which is not bad, it is probably correct theologically), but i am excited to see what Jesus Brings to the table when you read through the Old Testament and see the state the world is in before the New Testament instead of just assuming that Jesus was completely obvious to everyone before the New Testament. It will be interesting to approach the bible with the idea that this is what God has revealed for me to know starting with the OT and going from there. THe journey will be sweet. I am starting in Genesis again.

Life in San Diego

Life has been crazy but good in the last little while. My digital camera is getting repaired so the only pictures i have were taken from my labtop. The first one is of my friend Cory who has become a good friend over the last month or so through the 2 grad classes i am taking at the branch of Azusa Pacific down here in San Diego. The other picture was taken at the break of one of my classes. The girl in the back, April, is the other good friend i hae made from my classes.



My life has changed since the summer time. I am planning on going to New Zealand in the next few months with Dan Eggenschwiler. Until that time i will stay out in San Diego for this semester and finish my two graduate classes until December. I am currently working at Ralphs grocery store bagging groceries and pushing carts and helping out with the jr. high youth program at Canyon Hills Community Church. The new Jr. high youth pastor just came in a week and a half ago and i am just volunteering for a month or so to help the transition go well at the church. I am also helping start up a young adult group while i am still at the church. My schedule is packed but not. You know how that goes. I have work at Ralphs everyday but Tuesday and Sunday. I have class Monday fro 6-10:45 & Tues 6-9:30 and Youth group Wednesday night. I play indoor soccer some Friday nights and on Sundays i am helping lead the Singles group. While pushing carts at Ralphs i spend most of those 2 hours a day repeating and memorizing Philippians in my head. It is good stuff. God has given me some amazing conversations with fellow workers, friends, and random people i meet. God is using this time to prepare me for New Zealand and the future and although there are still times of ambiguity and questioning and feeling like there is not enough time in the day, the Lord continually seems to send me reminders to sustain and strengthen me. There is way more to be said about my life and i am hoping to get back into the habit of blogging. Especially as i head off to NZ soon. That is my life, this is my story...
Quick side note: I have loved dancing by myself in my free time. I always have... but there is such a beauty in it.