Velvet Elvis...

These days I'm reading through a book called "Velvet Elvis," by Rob Bell. Since cracking the cover on this book I've been moved by deep thoughts, and great emotions; the two components of a wonderful book.

I wanted to take some time and journal some of the thoughts Rob Bell has expressed (the ideas that jumped out at me). Of course my taking the time to condense some of the book for you should be no excuse for not going out and finding a copy for yourself to read. I'll tell you, Rob Bell is far better able to express his ideas through written word then I'll ever be.

First off let's examine the idea of a trampoline and a brick. The trampoline is fun and inviting, I mean who wouldn't want to get on a trampoline and jump around (it's freeing). The brick wall is hard and it's only purpose is to keep people in or out (depending on which side you find yourself on).

Rob Bell takes the illustration of the trampoline and brick wall one step further. The trampoline has these wonderful devices called springs that give depth to our jumps. Bell says that the springs can be a wonderful metaphor for our christian doctrines. To Bell the springs aren't God, or even Jesus, they just are the doctrines that give depth to our experience of God.

Now a brick wall is made of brick...duh!!! Now using a metaphor of the brick wall each brick could be a doctrine. Each brick could represent a doctrine that we use to experience God with. Now here's the problem with the brick wall, you can hardly take out any doctrine or re-examine a doctrine without the wall crumbling down. If that wall is your faith (and it seems so solid) just remember that it's hard and uninviting and most of all it's not very flexible.

The trampoline on the otherhand is designed for flexibility. The springs stretch and move with ease. If ever a question were to arise over a certain spring "doctrine", that spring could be removed and examined without the function of the trampoline being hurt (you can still jump on a trampoline with a spring removed).

Like I said Rob Bell says it better. I encourage everyone to pick up a copy of this book and challenge yourself and your ideas about faith.

The question I'm asking myself today is, "Is my Church composed of doctrinal bricks? Is it hard and unyielding? Does it say to people you can't be on the "in" unless you fall inline with each hard doctrine? Or is my Church a trampoline? Are my doctrines flexible enough that others can jump without knowing all the answers?"

I should say, Rob Bell places great emphasis on questions. He writes that the mystery of God is one that evokes our questions. We are more able to experience God when we question, even when we question God (in reverence).

There is a quote from the back cover of "Velvet Elvis" that I like:

We have to test everything.
I thank God for anybody who is pointing people to the mysteries of God.
But those people would all tell you to think long and hard about what
they are saying and doing and creating.
Test it. Probe it.
Do that to this book.
Don't swallow it uncritically. Think about it. Wrestle with it.
Just because I'm a Christian and I'm trying to articulate a Christian worldview
doesn't mean I've got it nailed. I'm contributing to the discussion.
God has spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?

Water Heaters...

The following entry is only a personal theory and should seriously be taken with a grain of salt, okay, maybe salt of the equivalent in the Great Salt Lake.

My theory is that if you must begin your day with a cold shower the day will only proceed downhill from there. Nothing good follows a cold shower. Cold showers are a form of 19th century torture that could be considered under the following of "cruel and unusual punishment".

Last week I experienced a series of misfortunate events (to borrow a phrase). Each day's events followed a short and unpleasant cold shower. The cold shower was a direct result of my water heater malfunctioning.

Since Saturday my water heater is in proper working order, and I'm happy to be again basking in a warm shower each morning. With the return of the warm shower my unfortunate events have evaporated and I'm now back to normal day status.

Without any of the gory details of last weeks events you'll have to take my word on the cold shower theory. Then again if you've ever had the misfortunate to experience your own cold shower I'm sure you could sympathize with the idea that starting your day with a cold shower doesn't bode well for the rest of the day.

So, I wish you all the best and may warm showers greet you each morning.

Happy Anniversary...

Happy anniversary to me!! It was one year ago today that I wrote my very first blog. Why don't you back and read it : )

What about ME...

This afternoon my Aunt Barbie emailed me two pictures of my young cousin Maddie. The email was entitled something like..."this is happiness." I wanted to share with you all both pictures and then point out a little problem I'm having.

Okay this first photo is pretty cute. I mean Maddie's doing well she's got herself a man with a truck (all you girls out there feel free to say "awwww" at this time).

I'm looking at this photo a little closer, and I think to myself, I need to be pulling Maddie aside and talking to her about the facts of life. The fact is Maddie has allowed herself to be taken in by a man who drives around in a Chevy. A Chevy!!! I want to know what's next, you find her pulled over on the side of the road making out in a Chevy...NEVER!!!

On My Day Off...

Luck for me, both my roommate (Emily) and myself had Tuesday off from work. And what a beautiful day it was too, much too nice to stay indoors. We opted for a walk in the park and an afternoon drive up into Little Cottonwood Canyon here in good ol' Utah.

The park was Wheeler Historic Farm, which meant we got to see farm animals. I always like visiting there it reminds me a good deal of home. It's also a convient place to visit since it's only a half mile from where I live.

On this particular day I brought my camera with me and managed some nice photos of the antique farm equipment that they showcase at Wheeler.

Of course this picture is just a small sampling of the pictures I have available of the antique machines. It just so happens that I'm now on a dial-up connection, and it's much to long of a download to be showing you more pictures. SORRY.








As I mentioned earlier, after the park Emily and I went up into Little Cottonwood Canyon. It was absolutely gorgeous up there. There's the rough rock, pine trees, snow (we still have some snow), and wonderful views. It's all too much to describe in words, I guess I'll have to be patient and show you another picture (here goes the long download process).

Okay, after what seems like an eternity later I have this picture up of a hidden waterfall that Emily and I found near Moss' Ledge. It was a short little walk and an absolutely spectacular view of rushing water.

Oh, and to your left is that snow I was telling you all about earlier. See thar's snow on them there peaks : ) Of course it was also in the upper 80's on this particular day and I had my shoulders pretty well burned to a crisp (lack of insight and sunscreen on my part), but there is snow.

Burgers and Fries...

....we're not saving lives!!

That pretty much sums up my job at Chili's. Well atleast one would think that's what my job is all about. It should consist of me taking someone's order and then serving them up their food...simple as that.

It's just not so. It's all our American Culture of absolute customer service. As a society we've breed a distinct group of persons that take the idea of customer service to an extreme. It's these persons that irrate me to no end these days.

They tend to be overly critical and demanding in what they deem as good customer service. And here I am trying to make a living by living up to their expectations. Let me tell you it's exhausting.

Personally, I feel that my customer service skills are well tuned and the average person enjoys my service. The fact of the matter is that a good number of people going out to eat these days aren't the average person, they're the critical and demanding type I mentioned earlier. They have this inate belief that if I haven't given them five star service then their dining experience was less than enjoyable.

Let me just say once and for all, to all of you out there that have ever been frustrated over the fact that you've had less than desirable service (compared to your standards), it's burgers and fries we're not saving lives...Chill Out!

Love...

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - ae 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate," Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "My mommy loves me more than anybody . You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine-age 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt." Chris - age 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image) Karen - age 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"