Just a few Ramblings…

Been a bit slow here in the rambling department.  But for those who may have been missing their quota…

• Austin had his appendix out this past week.  A couple random thoughts from that experience.
  -Nothing moves very fast in the medical profession.
  -Hospital food REALLY is as bad as people say.
  -If you want to be bored out of your mind, head to the hospital.
  -There are definitely strange (ok, different) people in the ER after 10 pm at night.
  -Eating a Burger King chicken sandwich and fries at 10:30 PM on an empty stomach is a bad idea.
  -Hospital gowns are not exactly engineered correctly.
• Austin’s baseball team came and visited him at the hospital along with their parents.  They brought his 2nd place trophy  along to present to him as he missed the Championship game due to his emergency surgery.   Lots of talk in the “Christian” world about community, but I gotta tell you, when those folks walked into the room, it was amazing.  That’s community that can’t be coerced, programmed, manipulated, or forced.
• A girl was in the ER in the room next to Austin who had… get this… super glued his eyelids shut.  Seriously.
• I’m starting to wonder if the church in America is not replicated the world of academia.  Here’s the deal. We have a bunch of people who are now experts, coaches, and consultants who aren’t actually in the day to day practice and grind of ministry.  We’ve made an industry out of ideas and concepts while forsaking the actual realities of practice.  We’ve lost a couple more in the last few weeks to this phenomena.   Going into coaching and consulting is not a remedy for burnout or boredom.
• Really lovin’ me some country music right now.  Must be the weather or something.  Before you completely mock me, take a listen to Urban’s new album.   Great stuff.
• My vacation reads for next week in So. Cal.

1. An Unlikely Disciple

What would happen if a student at one of America’s most secular colleges spent a semester at Reverend Jerry Falwell’s “Bible Boot Camp” for young evangelicals?

The Unlikely Disciple answers that question, following Brown University sophomore Kevin Roose during his semester as a new transfer student at Liberty University, the world’s largest evangelical Christian college.  Hoping to connect with his conservative Christian peers, Roose leaps across the God Divide and embeds himself among Liberty’s 10,000 undergraduates, who call themselves “Champions for Christ.” At Liberty, he sings in Rev. Falwell’s church choir, takes classes like Evangelism 101, and makes surprising discoveries about the true nature of America’s culture war.   (from Keven Roose’s webpage)

and just for fun  2.  The Big Bam: The Life and times of Babe Ruth by Leigh Montville.

• Tried to watch Jimmy Fallon last week on the Late Night… it was horrid and dreadful.   I actually felt bad for the guy.   I’m wondering how many weeks they will let it go before NBC cancels the show.  He was really good in Fever Pitch though.
• Starting a new five week series this week @ The Crossing were calling “Fortune Cookie Faith”… it’s a quick look at some key biblical principles in the book of Proverbs.  Got some great stuff planned to tie in with the theme and hoping everyone will read a Proverb a day throughout the month of June.  Great series as we head into summer.
• Starting a four week series in July tentatively called, “15 Minutes”.  The idea is to unpack the narratives of some obscure or little-known characters in Scripture.  Any ideas?
• Did you know that you can check out 50 items at a time per library card?  That means our family of four could have 200 items from the library at home.  Wow, no wonder they never have that book I want when I request it.
• Kids have been out of school two days… and they’re bored already.  It’s going to be one of those summers.
• Tried to celebrate National Donut Day, but didn’t realize that Dunkin Donuts no longer actually MAKES their donuts in the stores.  I guess there is some big donut factory that ships them out… which is why there are never any of the good ones.  As I said earlier this week, “Dang you, Mr. Dunkin”.
• Saw UP last weekend with the fam.  Really good movie, but not for little kids.  Nothing inappropriate, just not designed to hold their attention (ala Toy Story or Cars)  A lot of deep, meaningful stuff in the movie — go see it!
• The thing that stinks about the NBA (among many things) is by the time the Finals get here, everyone is pretty exhausted of basketball.  I mean March Madness was like eons ago and Preseason NFL is right around the corner.  Wrap it up already.
• Headed to San Diego next week. Can’t wait to have some Casa de Pico in Old Town and hang out on the beach.  It has to be my favorite city, but as they say, “never move where you vacation.”
• Only 202 days until Christmas.  Looking forward to it.

~ by Lee Coate on June 6, 2009.