Category: Stuff (Page 9 of 65)

Sometime last year I came across the blog Prodigal Jon. I can’t remember where I first linked to him. But the guy is a really good writer. That’s good because that’s his profession. But he was thought provoking (and still is). He even mentioned a comment a made in a post here.

He recently started a project called “Stuff Christians Like“. It’s an obvious off-shoot (ripoff?) of “Stuff White People Like“, but he affirms this by saying that that is one of the things that Christians like to do. They like to take things from culture and try to spin them for some other purposes. But his is strictly humor. And they’re quite good.

Here are a few highlights:

• Dropping Phrases Like “Wake Up” During a sermon
• Kid that makes out with girls from other youth groups
• Rob Bell
• The Side Hug

I hit the road this morning. I’ve been thinking of running the Double Decker 10K later this month. So I’ve ran a few times on the treadmill. But this morning I took it to the streets.

And how quickly did I remember how different treadmills are from pavement! Especially with hills. Plus I ran about double the distance that I have on the tmill. I always want to quit early (way early) on a treadmill. It seems quite boring. But if you’re out on the road, I just run until I get back usually.

But now I have a few weeks to get ready for the run.

About a year ago I got swamped with some camera envy and an overwhelming desire to buy a digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR). That means one that you actually change the lens on for different purposes.

I used to really be into photography when I was in high school. I bought myself a good one w/ some summer job money and worked for about two years for the local newspaper shooting mainly high school sports. I had a few different magazine subscriptions to photography magazines. But there were no websites or message boards to check out because the internet didn’t exist yet. And if it did, my Commodore computer wouldn’t access it.

But I’m thinking I’m close now to taking the plunge again. I’d like do a little of everything at first I think. But I now live in a place that is absolutely rich for photographic opportunities. I think my oldest daughter will start up soccer again in the fall. There are two school systems and a university here in town with tons of sporting events. Lots of people live in and around the area that might eventually want something taken of them. And I want to see what I can do.

I had been trying to decide between Canon and Nikon. Then I thought I’d settled on the Canon 40D. But some recent advice came that I should consider going with the 30D and spend the price difference on an extra or better lens…

But in the near future I hope whoever reads this will get to see a little photographic genius. But first I gotta find it! And if anyone has any advice, I’d love some! I’ve been reading quite a handful of photographer’s blogs lately and even asking them some Q’s.

I’m trying to get a new theme working on here. I’m testing two of them out. Both need some tweaking. So if things look crazy or latin shows up in different places…. Bear with me.

I’d been doing so well at posting frequently. And for really no reason at all I’ve not posted in a week.

But lots has happened. And I think I have lots of pictures to give out as time unfolds.  But here are a few updates:

• It snowed. It snowed a lot for Mississippi. Not quite enough to build a suitable snowman, but enough to have some snowball fights and cause some crazy traffic conditions.
• It also snowed enough to make us cancel the Family Day @ The Clay Canvas. So we will have to reschedule that for April.
• I preached last weekend. Because of the time change and spring break there was not a lot of folks there. Either that or they knew I was preaching. But I spoke on how Jesus saves us to live a life serving Him for now. He doesn’t just save us to wait around for Heaven to get here.
• We have started seriously looking at building a house here in Oxford. It’s daunting. But could be great once all is said and done.
• I got to play disc golf twice at the UM disc golf course. I have come to realize that I have some improving to do. But it was good to spend some time w/ friends throwing around some plastic.
• A doctor’s visit tells us that things seem to be on track with the coming baby. We are about 2.5 weeks out.
•  After is snowed it got hot. Go figure. It’ll get cold again.

That’s a week at a glance.

If you’re in town, we’d love to have everyone come. Sounds like it might be a cold day!

The image below is clickable.

If you were doing something different in life than what you are currently doing, what would it be?

Now I’m glad and quite happy where I am and what I’m doing. But there have been times I’ve been asked that question: “If you were not working in a church, what would you be doing?”

That’s a great question. I don’t know that I have a definitive answer for any of it. But here are some possibilities:

1. Habitat for Humanity: Now this might be too narrow of a job. But one summer while at Mission Fest my group was working with Habitat For Humanity. We were building a house in Jackson in a neighborhood that probably isn’t the safest. And it was amazing work. I’ll admit that I’m not the handiest of handy men. But we built walls and framed windows and put up roof trusses and slung hammers all day long. And I didn’t want to quit! When I work, I really like to take breaks. But I was usually the last one wanting to quit. It was so awesome to see at the end of each day visual proof of the work done that day and knowing the impact it was making.
2. Photographer: I actually want to jump back into it no matter. But I worked all summer after my sophomore year in high school to earn $$ to get a nice camera. Then I got a job at the local newspaper taking photos of the high schools sports in the area. I loved photography. I learned to develop my own film and print my own pictures and everything. I loved knowing that from start to finish the creation was 100% me. And when I’d take some photos to school and show people…and whey they liked it because they saw themselves or people they knew and thought it was a great photo…it made me swell up inside because they liked my work. And now that Addison has been playing soccer and some involvement still in local sports I started to get a major itch again for photography. It’s an itch that I think I’ll have to scratch soon. As a career though, I don’t know if it would be sports or portrait or photojournalism or wildlife or just a fat combination of it all. But I could see myself loving it.
3. Work at a book store: I know it might sound lame. But it could be cool.
4. Foreign Missions: I have always lived in Mississippi (except for the summer at Camp Ozark). And I think that getting outside of your “comfort zone” can/will stretch you in a big way. And to go international and live life missionally whether it’s actually doing “church work” or getting a secular job and serving your community by being grace and mercy just as Jesus was…it has a major draw to it. When we moved from Amory to Clinton a few years back, my mom breathed a sigh of relief that we only moved three hours away. She was thinking we might move to a different continent. And who knows, maybe we will someday.
5. Camping Ministry: I worked each of my college summers as a camp counselor. Loved it.
6. Film/Video maker: I’m not sure why or how, but there’s an allure there too.

Anywho, those are a few things I’d consider as possibilities if I were doing something completely different.

So..if you were to have a different job, what would you like to do/be?

If all goes as planned, then in a little more than nine hours I’ll no longer be a home owner. The closing for our house is at 8am. So there is only one more night (possibly two) in my home here in Clinton.

So tomorrow is a day of loading everything up and driving it across the state.

A lot of memories here. And it’s still a great, great place.