Questioning the gender

there has been all this news about them questioning the girls feminity on the news lately...

What i wonder is why people are questioning people like this guys masculinity instead!

This is all in good humor, i actually think this guy is scarily talented honestly.

A Different View of Things

I find the differences interesting between living in the US and New Zealand.

A recent article in the NZ Newspaper read:

Telecom board defends CEO's 'shameless' salary package

It seems more common for the NZ newspapers to scrutinize over bigwigs' spendings like where the Prime Minister spends his vacation, what flight seats government officials sit in, etc.

This might simply be the fact that i read the paper over here, because i know there was a public criticism of owners flying their personal jets to meetings during this economic crisis, but i guess i kinda smirk in amusement at titles like this one above and think:

I think i would've probably heard more a US report of admiration of how rich this guy was, the hard work he has put in, and the wonderings of how others of us could be that way rather than a feel of tyranny about the man's salary. Otherwise, i am not sure it would've even made news as a big deal, since it seems the big guys are obviously just going to get paid more.

I haven't dived into the article, but yes, this man get paid A LOT! More than i can imagine anyone ever needing...

But i guess i can see both points of view: I feel like the easy Christian argument is often "accumulating wealth=bad and living economically=good" but i am not sure it is that simple.

I feel like i could state almost if not as good of a biblical case for accumulating wealth that is spent wisely and generously as i could for living sparingly without ever accumulating much.

As for me, i guess i have just assumed i will never have to deal with the problem of too much wealth as a pastor, honestly.

As for this guy, this may be a case of total greed or not, i don't know how the man personally spends that money.

i just found it to be a great springboard to discuss the tension i feel living between these 2 cultures.

Balding at 25: Sad Days...

I am officially a Master of God

I mean that is what a Master's of Divinity actually means, right?!?

I haven't gotten my final grades yet, but I turned in my last official assignment yesterday as long as i get passing grades. How Sweet is that!

3 Things that are Huge about This:

1. I have my dad to thank for encouraging and supporting me in making finish my masters possible.

2. I have been blessed to be constantly poured into and i am excited to pour into others.

3. This is the first time since i first started having to balance a job and university in 2002 that i feel like i can give my undivided attention to the task of solely ministry over the next year!

What does it mean to be Catholic

A Hindu acquaintance mentioned he was interested in girl who said she was Catholic, and since he had just found out i was a Christian he asked me, "What does Catholic mean?" He had no idea what mass was and lost interest after about 3 or 4 sentences since it was just a casual conversation.

What would you say?

I have to admit, i am embarrassed in my thinking that i don't think i did the situation justice with my answer. My mental dilemma was I didn't know whether to start with the differences about Catholic and Protestant which seems to be my usual approach or to describe more the positive similarities and possibly the gospel.

I started off describing Mass, or a more traditional and formal worship service.

I then for whatever reason mentioned the Pope and the idea of the papal bul which has led to differences in belief about Mary's sinlessness... (don't think it was necessary)

I could see i was losing him so i came around to an all encompassing statement:

"They believe in God and in Jesus Christ as the answer to the world's problems." (i was kicking myself for such a disjointed answer but happy i at least ended it there.

It is amazing how wide of a range of conversations i have about God from these inquiries to how to forgive when someone doesn't want to to what was Paul's actual point in writing Galatians :)

Good times.

Give you a few glimpses into my Australian and US Home Visit

I went to Hillsong Conference 09 in Sydney Australia

This is some of the random fun in Australia after the conference.

If you have ever wondered what it looks like to surf on a big lake...

this is Evy and Tash on a smaller clear day in July on Lake Michigan when i first arrived in the US

I didn't get a lot of footage but these were the videos i did have from the Family trip to North Carolina

It was mentioned that i didn't have any videos of Kylan. Sorry... but here's a picture. He made a great beach bum sleeping in the heat of the beach.

The Day before heading back to New Zealand we got to play basketball with my friend Taylor at my dad's church gym. This was the deciding game and my dad hitting the game winning three over my brother in law Brandon. Nice. I think my victory dance was rather modest, don't you?!

The Bromance and awkward Turtle...

If you get a chance check out this article from USA Today (Click here).

Its Funny. It is discussing the UCLA (the University of Southern California) slang that is common today at least in the USA or at UCLA and other college campuses.

These were some of the main words from the article:

Awkward turtle: Comment made in an awkward situation, normally not addressed to the one causing the awkwardness.

Bromance: Extremely close platonic friendship between two males.

Epic fail: What a mistake! What a failure! Oops!

Fro-yo: Frozen yogurt.

Man crush: Guy that a guy believes he'd have a crush on if he was a girl or gay.

Sister from another mister: Very close female friend who resembles a close sibling in feeling

Skrilla: Money

Spit game at; spit some game at: To flirt with (someone), try to get (someone) interested in you.

My dad found this in the newspaper a week ago and it was funny getting to explain to him what the awkward turtle was or why the word bromance makes me smile. : )

Sometimes California seems like a dream...

Watching my friends on facebook going to the fair and surfing and on boats and everyone in their bathing suits looking fit and tan in California seems like a dream sometimes. When you live in it, it just is... You love it, but you don't think much of how different you are from others. From the other side, i am not hurting, but sometimes i look at the pictures and places and just wonder or dream of what it would be like to be back in certain places again...

Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19

I am look into making a trial podcast where i can weekly put out a thought or lesson that i have been working on.

This is a trial clip following up a study i did on a sermon on the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19 awhile ago.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/9/3/2564128/The%20Rich%20Young%20Ruler%20in%20Matt%2019.mp3