Has Costco gone too far?

I used to joke with people that Costco would soon be selling anything they could think of ... from homes to cars. Well, I must admit, they out did themselves on this one.

Harry Potter Gone Wild

I'm not sure if the scientist have looked into it, but I think some rogue Hogwarts students might be behind the mysterious, German, exploding frogs.

help

Will someone gently remind me why it is that I pay a lot of money to take midterms?

$10,000

If I had floorboards in my house and an old magazine then I might be able to afford that hike in ice cream prices.

$3.99

... for a 2 scoop sunday at 31 flavors? Inflation is not okay.

You're kidding. Right?

So, here's what I want to know: Do you think this guy is serious?

If you're not sure after watching, then check out his web site.

out back

night tree close
Originally uploaded by crotty.

the spotlight out back makes for some cool lighting

next steps

So, it looks like the possibility is pretty high that both Krista and I will be working next quarter. That means we'll be making more money. What's the first thing we intend to do? ... Sign up for one of those time-share pitches where you have to have a certain income to get through the door. Once you're through and if you can say no a lot ... you get free stuff. On the table for us will be two free round-trip tickets to Cabo!

Mexico, here we come.

Think about it

What's interesting about today is that people rarely seem to doubt the power of God; instead, it's his character that they doubt. Comments?

Gravity

is annoying in the morning.

Mass Trans

Earlier tonight Krista and I took the rail downtown to have dinner with my pops. We spent more time waiting for the train to start moving than we did on the train. That being the case, it's just no wonder that the people of LA love their cars. It'll be fun to see what kind of effect the rising gas prices have on that fact ...

A point?

So, here's something related to the last post ...

I come from a Christian home where I was aware of Jesus at an early age. You could say that I've spent most of my life in the shadow of the cross. That's been a huge blessing, but as many of you know, such things are often taken for granted.

What does this have to do with Jesus' desire for honesty rather than neatness? Well, I have lived a relatively "neat," though far from perfect, life. So, I have rarely, truly felt desperate for Christ. Since emotion doesn't and shouldn't drive my faith, this is not entirely bad; however, it can open the door to apathy.

This is why I need people in my life that have walked long and dark roads to come to Jesus. I need to see there faces when they discover the living Christ. I need the depths of their joy that spring from Jesus' working in the depths of their brokenness to remind me, to inspire me. Isn't that the body at work? Didn't the woman run from the well and minister? She sure could minister to me ... to many of us that are Pharisaic and orderly in our faiths ...

She was a mess, and I need her in my church to inspire and humble me!

Matt 21

Between classes at Fuller, some time in Mexico with the Spokane group, and Krista's thesis I've had some things to think about. It seems that many people in the Christian faith are looking to make the faith nice. I don't mean just kind, I mean orderly and, well, without failure. In other words, people want things to be clean.

Well, I just don't think the church can be clean when it's doing things right. After all, where there are sinners, there is often a mess.

More importantly, the creation of a clean church does not seem to be a goal of Christ. The inference of the parable of the two sons, the story of thomas, and of the boy with the evil spirit (Mk 9) all seem to suggest Jesus would rather have honest people reaching for him than "clean" people who don't think they need him.

So, we should expect the church to be a mess. If we're doing things right, it should be hard work. We should have to remind ourselves of why we do it, of the cross.

I'll make a point later ...

mexico

Krista and I visited the 'ole youth group in Mexico this weekend. God is so good. Pray for them!

easter egg hunt

egg iris
Originally uploaded by crotty.

We try to make it a bit challenging when we hide the eggs.

good word

A prof got me thinking about this today:

In John 20:21 Jesus says, "As my Father has sent me, I am sending you."

So, the question is how far is it from heaven to Bethlehem, Earth? How far was Jesus sent? This, then, moves me to wonder how it is that the church can keep building fortresses and inviting people in. If that is how Christ practiced ministry, he would have simply continued to shout to us from heaven; things would have been left at the law. He was sent, though, and he came.

Then I should go too, right? What does that mean for a church that's institutional? How does it learn to go again? How does it learn to become relevant again ... or better yet ... how does it become incarnate to the world?

I think I'll leave it at that for now - just a lot of questions.

bubba

bubba
Originally uploaded by crotty.

I don't know how to spell his name, but I can sure tell you what it's like to be in his crosshairs. frightening.

Jury Duty

I'm off to jury duty ... let the good times roll.

Easter

First, Happy Easter.

Now a thought:
Mary clung to Jesus after he called her name. Then she ran from the tomb to tell those that she knew his resurrection would mean the most to crying, "I have seen the Lord!"

Today, I said, "that sure was an off video they opened the service with, but the music was great."

I'm pretty sure Mary was closer to the mark.

Don't get me wrong, I love that the Lord is risen. I rejoice, but I am sometimes so petty in the midst of it.

Note to Cory: Thanks.

christ risen

christ risen
Originally uploaded by crotty.

What does it mean to you?