Excuse me sir but there is a tree in your way

Some of you may have heard of a show called “So You Think You Can Dance”, well Jen and I are absolutely addicted to it. If you have never heard of the show here is a quick synopsis. It’s sort of like American Idol but for dancing, young adults/kids (18-30 maybe) are in a dancing competition. However, this is not your ordinary dancing competition. Like any dancer they have there own style of dancing, but in the show they are given one of the many styles to dance i.e. the waltz, hip-hop, free style, contemporary, the samba, salsa, disco, & many more, some I don’t even know the name to. They have roughly 5 hours with the instructor and then about a week to learn it. The things these people can do with there body is just amazing. I’ve tried some of it and well the results were not good to say the least. Anyways if you have time I highly recommend it, at least give it a shot. Dad because I know how much you like disco I post a video of one of there disco routines at the bottom.

Today Jen made our covenant membership today with our church which was awesome thing to do. Travis, who doesn’t want to be called pastor, gave each of us as much time as wanted to give our testimony and then at the end he asked the church to stand in agreement for our membership. Jen talked about her past before she met me and her life in college and I talked briefly about being born and raised Jewish and I also talked briefly on Romans 11 where Paul speaks directly to the Jews. If you read Romans it almost as if Paul stopped talking to the Romans to speak to the Jews. He tells them that they’re still God’s chosen people and that Christ is who they were waiting for.

This afternoon Travis, Kendra, Jen, & I went back to the White Water Center. Travis & I mt. biked the other trail at the center and Jen & Kendra walked. I basically rode straight up a mountain and got my butt kicked. Think of a fast ride down a hill and riding straight up a wall….yeah I lost my spleen somewhere on the trail. It is so amazing the things we can do here, next weekend Jen and I are going to go to some mountain (Jen thinks it Crawford) to hike it. I was talking with Jen how we can’t do nearly as much of the things we do outdoors back in Florida. There was the beach, a few parks, and did I mention the beach.

Work is going great still. I’m still trying to get my number changed over it’s been one headache after another. Moving in general has been a headache. Actually not moving, but more or less customer service with other companies.

Dear Time Warner and Cingular if you are by some chance reading this your customer service is seriously lacking the service part.

Till next time kids.

Practice Makes Permanent

Well this weekend was quite a busy one. Jen and I finished unpacking finally….at least for the most part. I go t the surround sound and TV hooked up and Jen went to a cat show (has not one thing to do with moving). Saturday morning Jen, Mike and I went played frisbiee golf in addition to hiking. Frisbiee golf or Disc Golf and the professionals call it is basically just like golf, but you use frisbees.

Sunday we finished up our Discipleship I class and next week we will give our testimony in front of the congregation. One of the things that Travis kept hitting on in relation to churches in America was “practice makes permanent” and as I reflect on that I realized that is very true. This was the illustration he shared with me when first started going to church.

Every time this woman made ham her husband noticed that she would cut off the end of the ham and finally after many years of not knowing why he finally asked his wife. “Why do you always cut off the end of the ham”? She said “honestly I don’t know why it’s something my mother always did when she would cook ham”. So she called her mom and asked her “Why did you always cut off the end of the ham”? She said “honestly I don’t know why it’s something my mother always did when she would cook ham”. So she called her mother who was still alive and asked her “Why did you always cut off the end of the ham”? She said “I always did it because the ham didn’t fit in my pan I don’t know why you kids still do it.”

When this happens the churches are ever more like the Pharisees that Jesus spoke out against in His time on Earth. We begin to become religious and forget about grace that Jesus has given us.

Funny story time. Travis, the pastor, his wife, Kendra, Jen and I went to the US National Whitewater Center Sunday after church, which by the way is the official training site for the US Olympics. Travis and I went mountain biking riding of course and Jen and Kendra went walking on the trails (6 miles). On with the story, there are these ginormis power lines that run through the trails that I suppose are used to transfer power to sub-stations. They’re so big you can actually hear the humming of the power, pretty cool and scary at the sametime. So Travis is riding in front of me and he slows down to get readjusted on his seat and his hand gets shocked, shocked so bad that he hits his front brakes and flips over the handlebars. Apparently, this is a common problem in this area because a lot of people are getting shocked in this area. I’m not sure why this happens, but everyone I’ve talked to said it’s not that bad kind of like static electricity.

The Adventures of Moving.

Here we go again. Jen and I began the moving process again. I picked Jen up Friday from work and we began moving. For the most part we have moved everything, but we still need to do some unpacking….ok a lot of unpacking. It was a blessing that we were able to stay with Jen’s parents while we got situated, but it feels great that we are in our own place. The apartment is very nice and very much handicap accessible. When we originally signed the lease we were not told that it’s a handicap accessible apartment which means all of the doors are big enough to fit a wheel chair and we lose our garden tub. However, the fan pull string is still up near the ceiling and the string for the blinds our way out of reach….so I don’t understand that. Funny story I got to know my neighbors all to well the first morning….5:30 morning, which by the way I ought to inform them that their bed may need to be lubricated.

Jen and I began Discipleship classes with our church. I don’t want to turn this blog into a place for Christian Theology because there are more then enough of them floating around online. But churches of American can learn something from this!

The Discipleship Class is made up of three different classes the first class, Entrance – what the church believes, what is sin, and what salvation is and is not, it is required if you are to become a member of the church. The second class is Identity – who you are in Christ, and the third one is Spiritual Gifts – What are your spiritual gifts and how can you best use them in the church. After one takes Discipleship I they sign a covenant with the church and then you can give a statement in front of the church. Now I said churches of American can learn something from this because joining a church is easier then joining a social club. Typically all it requires a raising of a hand at the end of a service, you walk down an aisle, say you’ve accepted Christ, and your in like flynn. Becoming a member of the body, the church, it is to be taken seriously not flippantly which happens far too often. Example, the last the church Jen and I were in we had a family join the church just the way I explained above and then less than six months later they were looking for another church. I’ve heard stories of people wanting to join a church just “in case” something happens, but do not desire to serve the body.

So is this fire insurance, do people believe that when Jesus comes back and He will see the membership then pat you on your back, or do they believe that church membership equal salvation…seriously? So if the church is the body shouldn’t we all be doing something? Just as with our own body shouldn’t all of our parts be functioning?

Another thing churches are not doing is disciplining. Too often are people joining churches and then the church does not know what to do with them. Usually though it’s read your Bible and pray. That’s great and I do not disagree with that. On the other hand, that should not be the only thing and that is what the Discipleship classes are for.

So Jen and I are excited about these classes and being able to take them and this Sunday we will finish out Discipleship I. In addition to Discipleship I I’m taking another course offered by the church. It’s titled “Making of a Man of God” our pastor along with another pastor created this three year program for men of God who want to go beyond serving and into leading within the church.

So that is all for now kids and until next time don’t swim after one hour of eating or you will cramp up and drown.

Oi Veh!

Dear North Carolina Vehicle Inspection Team. Because I am man that cannot hate an individual. I am writing you a harsh note, which you will never see because it is on my blog. Still the fact remains I strongly dislike you and your vehicle inspection laws. The End (for you Jen)

Finally after a month of putting it off I had my vehicle inspected for the state. I am fighting off the tears as I write this, but I was putting this off so I could get the most use out of my 180.00 window tint. The state said my tint was too dark (It was legal in Florida) and I needed to take it off.

Some new news, Jen and I have found an apartment and we will be relocating this week…yay for us. It’s 2 bedroom/2 bath and we’re excited. This weekend we will be moving, that is July 10, 2007 all day *hint hint* so if anyone wants to come help please feel free. I will provide adequate drinking water and possibly food at the end.

Also, because me and Jen are cutting back everywhere so we can get this apartment I am taking up a collection so I can continue to mountain bike. Please feel free to send your tax deductible charitable gifts to the current address you have for me. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated and honored. I miss you all and can’t wait to see everyone. Till next time cats.

Spiderpig, Spiderpig

So things are going alright, but could be better here I suppose. Jen and I will be looking to move out from her parents house within the next month or so. No, we did not sell the house, actually it’s been quite difficult for me to adjust to living there and it’s affecting me and Jen. Jen and I looked over our finance’s and we should be able to do it we’ll just need to cut back on some area’s of our life. However, at this point thought I don’t care, I rather go into foreclosures on the house then me and Jen fighting. Right now I’m so sick of that house back home and Jen and I praying that there’ll be a localized tornado/hurricane that comes through and totally destroys the house.

The other day I had an offer for a youth pastor position in another church. After talking with Jen, my pastor, and The Lord I felt it wasn’t time. My heart was not into and I don’t believe the Lord wants me to go yet. Actually, when I spoke with the pastor to tell him thank but no thank you he tried to make me feel guilty for not accepting.

The other night I was able to go to Transformers with Jen and that has to be the greatest movie of all time. That’s right AFI even better than Citizen Kane. I was blown away by the special effects and just how cool it was to see my childhood cartoon come to the big screen. Before Transformers I saw the greatest preview for a movie. Honestly, I don’t think I have ever seen a whole theater wet themselves from laughter: Spiderpig