The Album

Right now Krista and I are in Bend Oregon @ a Motel 6. Yeah ... this Motel 6 has a wireless connection.

It also has very thin walls.

But none of that has anything to do with this post.

I just wanted to make you aware that the OC Christmas album is out. Check it out at this web address:

http://www.bombardmentsociety.com/ocxmas.html

Andy and I wrote Braveheart, but there's quite a bit of ... well ... you'll see ...

Saddleback Mountain

5700'- Check.
(no, it doesn't sound that high UNLESS you live at sea level)

And the view wasn't that bad either ...



Dan and I took some bear spray after a near miss with a mountain lion on our last attempt. We stopped midway just to practice our quick-draw skills. They're sharp.

Sometimes you just see it.

Life is truly amazing, and I am blessed.

The Climb

This past Saturday Dan and I attempted the summit Saddleback Mountain on our mountain bikes. We didn't quite make it to the top partly due to weather and partly due to the fact that we're old and out of shape. I'll tell you this much, I have not been as cold as I was on the top of that mountain in a VERY long time.

We plan to make another attempt, and next time we WILL make it to the top. We're also planning to bring some mace. According to some guy in a Land Rover, we just missed a mountain lion that was stalking another rider. Apparently the lion came out onto the fire road and was walking right toward the biker when the guy in the Rover came around the corner and started honking. Man, I would not make a ride like that alone.

Whelp ... peace all, and let me know if any of you want to make the second attempt with us in January!

In Honor

This week we send off the papers to form our LLC (Limited Liability Company). Stuntman Clothing will live! The TM is looking good, and we're moving forward.

In honor of the occasion ... we present you with this fine site, which you may find entertaining. Enjoy.

Laugh Yoga Nothin!

The plan to check out laugh yoga (see last post), was interrupted by one of the greatest surprise birthday parties in history. Thanks to my wife for putting it together and to all of you that made the trek.

It truly was a surprising, wonderful and joyous day from the balloons to the frisbee to the pizza, presents and games.

More than anything, thank you for being friends that bless me, humble me, and make me more than I could ever be on my own.

I am blessed and so very thankful!

... and breathe

I think my head is finally above water now. It's not quite the end of the quarter, but the worst of the papers, test, and projects are finally over.

So, what am I going to do with my small bit of spare time? Laughter yoga ... I just saw it on TV! They meet every week in Laguna Beach. Classic.

CSM

Last weekend Krista and I took a group of 9 high school students into inner-city Los Angeles, which by the way is not nearly the full name of the city, and worked with the Center for Student Missions.

It was an amazing weekend. We had a chance to be in worship and prayer from Friday until Sunday, and we did it with some of the most needy, spiritually attuned people you could ever hope to meet. We sang praises with "grandpa" on a street corner, we broke bread, we prayed together, we got on the ground (the cold hard ground) and reminded ourselves of what real need is ...

The list goes on. It was the body at work. We experience church, not the planned 60 minutes of liturgy, but the life of faith lived out in fellowship with the Lord and his people. It was the church gather and the church moving both at the same time.

It was beautiful.

Thank you to those of you that prayed. Thank you to those of you that joined together with us physically. Thank you Jesus.

I remember

My dad used to make us read poetry on the way into school. He would bring the book and drive at about 45 down the freeway just so my older brother and I had more time to read. You can image how excited two high school guys were about that. (On occassion the book of poetry would disappear, but they always seemed to print more for dad to buy.)

Anyhow, I came across this reading the other day. I remember this poem, and this guy reads it well. So, this one's for you dad.

The Cremation of Sam McGee

New Car

Well, crap. We did it. We've got a new car that better last us about FOREVER. We post about 40k/year on car per year; so, we got something we thought would last the next bunch of years, a Honda Civic. I'll stick some photos up later.

In the end ...

Is our goal to come to the end and arrive at death intact, well-groomed, at peace, content and happy? No. We are called to arrive tattered, torn, weary, and yet joyfully satisfied saying, "I have carried my cross, and I have known the suffering, and I have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

And then we truly begin ...

Prayer for the Road

What follows are the lyrics to the song that is played at the close to every service at our church. Without any further remarks, I would really like to hear some of your reactions to the lyrics alone. (If you attend the service and see it as part of the tradition, then please refrain from comment. I'm really interested in what fresh eyes see.)

May we be blessed as we go our way
May we be found in safety and love
May grace and compassion find their way to every soul
May this be our blessing Amen.
(repeat Amen ...)

What does this song say to you? How would it send you out week after week?

I plan on leaving this up for a bit. I don't know how often this blog gets read, but I'm really curious about your thoughts. So, I wait.

Halloween Cookies

So, we made some cookies (read: Krista made some cookies). Anyway, while the base-coat of icing was being applied Krista asked me to go to the store to grab a few things. She needed a tip to do the faces, some garlic, and some vanilla pudding. So, I hopped on the skateboard and went to the store.

I came back with an icing tip, some garlic, and a pack of vanilla pudding. The only problem was that I brought the kind of vanilla pudding that was already mixed, not the powder. (read: crap). As a result Krista then headed to the store (read: luckily we were short some tin foil that she also needed) and I was left to make the faces.

Hence, among other things, a pirate cookie.

(Note: we have since managed to successfully procure both the foil and pudding mix.)

Moving on ...

We've recently decided that it's time to let one of our aging cars go. We're sad to see it go, but it's time.

(If you have a free, working, car let us know!)

:)

Why not throw in some laptops?

On the way back from Mexico I snapped these photos. They were taken in the entry way to a Von's grocery store.
What ever happened to gumballs and sticky-hands? Remember when you thought you were dropping some serious coin when you were buying the $.25 gob-stopper? I'm pretty sure when I made regular use of the grocery store vending machines I didn't even know what a credit card was.

Dead Bird

Whelp.
Here's the cat surveying some of the carnage. Like I said, the pictures don't really do it justice. So, I just picked one. The bird's feathers went around the entire table and back out the door.

Pets, rodents, birds, and kids?

People say that owning a pet is a preamble to having kids. If so, I'm not sure that we'll be leaving the doors open for our children to go outside. Why you ask? Well, yesterday Krista left the screen door open for a few hours and our cat, Zep, took full advantage of the situation.

Zep is known to do battle with mice and even the occasional rat. He's also been known to leave the carcass of said animals just outside the screen door. He's also been known, at least on one occasion, to bring the not-quite-dead rodents inside just to get a rise out of us (it works). So, again I say, Zep took full advantage of the screen door being open.

The thing is, mice and rats are generally pretty "clean" animals to kill. What I mean is that there's not a lot of fur that gets spread around, nor is there much blood at all (sorry if this make some queasy). So, where's the fun in killing that sort of rodent inside when Krista and Jeff aren't around to freak out? Answer. There isn't any.

Knowing that, Zep got creative. He found himself a bird. Based upon the physical evidence (a trail of feather throughout a decent percentage of the apartment), Zep captured the bird and immediately brought it inside to "do battle." Most of the bird's feathers were strewn throughout the entryway, dining area, and into the kitchen it what proved to be a definite line. You really could tell, and picture don't do it justice, where the bird was brought in, where it was put down, and where the various stages of battle took place. (I'll post some pictures of the event later, but they really don't do the fullness of the scene justice).

Anyhow, true to form, Zep deposited the bloody and mostly bald bird back outside on the patio. Thanks a lot for that cat.

Did I mention that all this comes directly on the heals of a huge flee infestation (I hate flees)? We've spent the last two weeks evicting and eviscerating flees thanks to the very same cat being outside.

So, I say to you, if pets are a preamble to kids, our kids WILL NOT be going outside. Ever.

Hmm ...

- How do you kill Harold Crick?

- Further support that hampsters should make a come back as popular pets.

- It cost HUNDREDS of dollars to replace an airbag, which is why you should always be patient with people crossing the street.

- Finally, for those of you still looking for a costume for halloween, I suggest a ninja. Once you get your costume, work on mastering this trick.

Did you know ...

That Paul's letter to the Thessalonians was actually written before the first Gospel? I didn't, but I do now.

Weird to think that Paul's foundational teachings were floating around before Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

It's also weird that the story that Paul tells about his own life is often different from the story of his life that Luke writes in Acts. Why do you think that is?

Remember

We are called to love louder than this. If we cannot, we should not be surprised that the church in this country is shrinking.

... there is more to be said here, but not right now.

Creation

If you have seen the contemporary version of the creation story through Cory's blog, it's worth checking out. (He's right, though, it's pretty geekish.)

K and the Girls

K and the Girls
Originally uploaded by crotty.

Sally, here's Spring preview. (I hope.)

Overheard

I don't mean to dwell on divorce at all ... but I just overheard one of the ladies in teh office say, "It sure would be nicer for everyone if people didn't get divorced." She was referring to the excess paperwork it creates. It's amazing how far the ripples of such things go. It's tough.

Sadly, not surprising

When the divorce rate goes up in the United States, toy makers report that the sale of toys also rise. (a reported fact)

So, what are we trying to buy?

burn(ed) out

i just had lunch with a guy I met through some classes at Fuller. He just quit his job as youth minister of a church in the area, which is a relative term around LA meaning somewhere within a 30 minute drive. Anyway, he was running a ministry that was reaching a lot of kids in a way that seems pretty darn healthy, but the church was unable to handle it. So, they started to run the rumor mill, and eventually he just couldn't handle it. It's sad.

Why is it that we, as Christians, often have such a hard time dealing with issues face to face. What are we afraid of? Do we really believe that loving in the sake of Christ means that we never approach someone in a confrontational manner (see Luke 19:45,46)? What happened to tough love? Are we afraid to give grace ... or are we afraid that if we really start confronting people they might make us confront ourselves? (I think it's the latter.)

cubicles

For all of you that have known the joy ...

It's been a few years since I've had to be in a cubicle, but I remember how sterile it was. Of course, we weren't allowed to call them cubicles; we had to call them carrels. Why? Well, because then maybe we wouldn't notice they were really cubicles.

Anyway, this one's for all you cubicle-bound folks.

Origami - YES!

This is some of the best usage of origami that I've seen in a VERY long time. For those of you that don't know me; I'm a huge fan. In fact, I think there should be competitive origami. You know; head to head origami action. They do it with cooking; so, why not IRON ORIGAMI? It's not that much more ridiculous. Right? (don't answer that)

quotes

"The acknowledgement of our weakness is the first step toward repairing our loss."
- Thomas Kempis

"The path of sorrow, and that path alone, leads to the land where sorrow is unknown."
- William Cowper

Owning our weakness and our brokenness is difficult and sorrowful, but until it is owned it cannot be given away. Until it is given to Christ it cannot be redeemed; we cannot be free.

... that I am still working on ... and it is hard ... and it is good.

bitter sweet

It's been a great summer of ministry, but it is becoming more and more apparent that Krista and I need more time and space to be ministered to ... how do you do that ... where do you go? I could say more, but will refrain for the time.

Picture of ministry coming soon.

nothing ...

I am entitled to nothing ... I think that's what makes the grace that fills that void-of-deservedness so infinitely incredible.

mississippi sign

mississippi sign
Originally uploaded by crotty.

This is not how they used to sell things. In a weird way, I think I like it ...

it's like the marketing people are finally showing you exactly what they've been doing behind all the cute pictures and catchy slogans.

I might like this guy ...

A synopsis of Moltmann: The mission of the church is not to perpetuate itself; it exists to perpetuate the Kingdom of God. Sometimes we forget the church does not exist to be self-serving (unto collective self or to the individuals therein), but it is to be serving the world and the kingdom.

stuntman

We've finally made the leap onto the Federal TM website! That means that we're counting down the days until we get an official nod or shake. Hope for the nod!

You can go here to check it out. You have to type "stuntman" as the search term, then you'll see everything people are trying to TM. We're in the mix under "stuntman." When you find us ... you'll see the flaming logo!

luchadors

luchadors
Originally uploaded by crotty.

Here's the two guys that I took down to Mexico to vist the Orphanage and meet the FPC students. There is absolutely no need to wonder why I like them.

indian girl

indian girl
Originally uploaded by crotty.

There is much work to be done for these people.

Update

1. Krista is safely back from her trip to Thailand and India. It was tough and good.
2. I am writing this from a new Powerbook. YES!
3. I almost rode my bike into a bobcat a couple days ago. Not cool.

2x

I had to write a paper on a movie for class and I didn't really feel like watching a 2-plus hour movie. So, I watched it at 2x the speed. Technology rules.

The OC meets the Inner City

Last weekend a co-leader and I took nine junior high girls into inner-city LA to do some ministry. I had no idea how the girls would react to the realities of city life.

They were awesome. God was awesome. And we will go back!

For those of you that were praying, THANK YOU!

Amazing

This kid's story deserves a look. After all, he was on pace to score 200pts.

Code Police

Yesterday Krista and I saw the Code Police handing out a ticket to some poor guy. The ticketee had no car and did not appear to be drunk. In fact, he seemed pretty, well, normal. It got me to thinking ... who are these Code Police of Pomona, and more importantly ... what are the mysterious codes they enforce?

These code police were clearly not regular police. They had a truck, not a cruiser. They had nowhere near as extravagant of a utility belt as regular cops, and they just didn't have the really cool badges.

So, the question is this ... Pomona Code Police - institution or fraud? Will investigate.

(you know what they need a code for ... feeding pigeons ... that should be illegal. Clearly pigeons are doing quite well already ... If that's what the code police were ticketing the guy for, then I support them and their work regardless of whether it's a fraud.)

Leftovers 2

Make sure you get to the leftovers before the mold does

... otherwise you're setting yourself up for some mild depression.

Leftovers

There's just something comforting about having some leftovers around the house.

birds and barn

birds and barn
Originally uploaded by crotty.

snapped this on the way home from Christmas. In the larger version you can see the millions of canadian geese when you zoon in.

offering blog

I mentioned before that we've started a new service at LNPC. We've thrown together a blog if you're at all interested in keeping up with what we're doing topically, feel free to check it out.

www.theofferinglnpc.blogspot.com

Enjoy.

Genesis chapter 2

We're three weeks in to the new service, and I think I'm beginning to touch on something that I want to get a better grasp of ... I'll try to get it out.

The first night of the service was awesome because one lady was able to be vulnerable; she was able to say what God was doing in her life at that moment. We don't do that during church all that often. We do group prayers, and occasionally we remember someone that was ill or injured that has recovered. We seldom, however, rejoice together, as a body, over what Christ is doing in our lives. That's what I want to hang on to; I want to remember to give space for people to share the transformational moments in their lives.

If we don't give the space for those moments, then our worship is often limited by the praise we offer in song and the truth that is often a verbal proposition/proclamation with little practicality attached. That means we have the full capacity to completely miss any transformation. We can leave feeling like we've sung our praises and have a "truth" to try to apply to our lives, but we RARELY get a chance to hear whether anyone has tried to live it (let alone whether God has actually met anyone in it).

Isn't it those moments that our Christian forefathers used to build altars to remember? It wasn't the truth, but the transformation. Right?

Don't get me wrong, I see lots of worth in what DOES go on in a worship service ...

It is good.

I had one of those weeks where, by the end, you just wish you could curl up in a ball and stay in that ball until ... well ... maybe springtime. It was humbling, hurtful, weird, and just plain tiring.

I'm still processing a lot of it, but I can say that the weekend made up for the entire week. Shannon Roark is here visiting (we're trying to talk her into staying, though), and the new worship service at LNPC kicked off. Krista, Shannon, and some others spent over 20 hours putting this room together, and it looked awesome. The night was supposed to be a dry-run before the actual kick-off next week, and we didn't expect many guests. There was, however, one lady, an angel if you ask me, that did show up.

She had walked past the partially decorated room earlier in the day and saw the decorations. Not knowing what was going on she checked around and found out what we were doing and when. So, she showed, and she cried. She spent most of the 1.5 hours crying ... just thankful for the worship. God was there, and her tears of joy were my healing. It's amazing how God works. After a terrible week, I found joy in a sisters thankful tears.

It is good.

Next week she plans to come back with her kids (in their pj's if necessary) and intends to bring some of her clients from her wholistic healing business. She thinks they might find healing during that time ... I sure did.