The Miracle Blade III

I started desiring very good, sharp knives a couple months ago because I've enjoyed cooking so much. So Maris and I were lured into the Miracle Blade III (The Perfection Series) infomercial. They weren't giving me the deal I desired so I hung up. Within five minutes they called back and gave me what I wanted. So my friend, Jitsuya, and I decided to put these knives to the test to see if they did what they claimed to do. Much to our surprise they did follow through with their promise. The video's not the greatest but it gives you an idea of the miraculous miracle blade. If you're in the area let me know and I'll put them to work and slice up a great meal for you. Thanks for reading...

Jambo!

You have got to check out these pics of our latest family member. Please visit her (then you'll get to see us as well).

Jambo

KSU (45) vs. TX (42)

This was the only game I've watched this football season. Maris and I were given tickets Saturday afternoon. Here's that story. My roommate, Mark, from my sophomore year at K-State is up in Chicago going to seminary. His grandma, Mertyse, was sick so he called me up to have me bring over some of my fancy cooking for her and her non-cooking husband, Fred. So in my resourcefulness I brought over some of my mom's cooking that she had given me that very day. I was invited in to the warm couple's home and shared some nice conversation. They invited Maris and I over for some wine some time which presents an ethical dilemma in and of itself (ask me why if you really want to know). As I left their home I thought to myself, "That's nice. It's almost like we have grandparents here in the Li'l Apple too." Later that week Fred called me to see if we wanted tickets to the KSU womens' basketball game. We couldn't attend because we were too busy dining with some Japanese friends that evening. The next morning, however, we were able to accept tickets to the major KSU upset of the year.

What an awesome game to be at. The tickets were in the north endzone which wasn't crowded at all. However, it was a bit frigid. There are benefits to close knit community, warmth being one of them. We stood by silent Texas fans and watched every extra point and field goal sail over our heads. When the final buzzer sounded I was glad to have our camera to record such footage as this
crazy video.

There's more where that came from. Perhaps I'll get that out to you as well if there's a desire.

Maris and I are pondering why people so readily worship at a football game but fail to worship God Almighty. These folks go crazy for this stuff. That's what's on my mind. Thanks for reading...

work day with friends

Can you see the irony in this picture?

Eid Ul-Fitr Pictures

Here's some pictures of me and friends at a KSU event to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Just click on it and view the slideshow.

Eid Ul-Fitr Celebration

I might try to see if we can have a KSU sponsored educational event about Christmas because our community seems to have been flooded with many people who don't truly know the reason for the season.

On Authority

In our day and age there is a resistence to any kind of authority. I've thought about this a great deal before. Why is there that resistence? There are many reasons I'm sure but a new thought popped into my head the other day as I was leaving my humble abode on Green Ave. Here 'tis...
Why in the world would we reject the leadership of someone or some people that have been put in a position by others? Why do we know what's best? Do we really think that if we were to do it our way somehow it would be better than their way? What makes us so much better? We probably don't really think we're that much better decision-makers, we want control.
Moreover, we probably question the leaders' intentions towards us. Now why would we question others' intentions? Well, probably because we recognize that our own intentions are selfish most if not all of the time. So we project our own selfish intentions onto others. This is probably a safe projection because we all share in this humanness. So where does that leave us? We need to have a shared goal. If we have a shared goal then it is best for the whole community if we are each selfish. If my personal good is within the communal good then we're good to go.
How does this happen? My answer is that the common goal must be rooted in the glory of God or else we will fail as leaders and followers every time. I won't unpack that here but will stop for now.

my wife is beautiful

What a wonderful smile!

The Cracked Pot

There once lived a water carrier in India. He used two large pots for his task. He suspended a pole across his neck and attached a pot at each end of the pole. One of the pots had a big crack in it while the other pot was perfect. The perfect pot always delivered a full portion of water from the stream to the master's house, while the cracked pot arrived only half full each day.
For two years this water carrier made the same journey. The perfect pot became proud of its accomplishments. The cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. Finally, one day by the stream, the cracked pot spoke to his owner about his bitter failure, "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize that I have only been able to deliver half my water to your house. There is a crack in my side which causes water to leak out. Because of my flaws, you don't get full value from your efforts."
Then the water carrier replied, smiling, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
On that trip from the stream, the cracked pot looked around.
"Did you notice there are flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" the master commented. "That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we passed these spots, you watered them. Now for two years I have been able to pick those beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty to grace his house."

the supremacy of Christ in a postmodern world

By supremacy of Christ I mean the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. By postmodern I'm not exactly sure what I mean if you know what I'm saying. Us country folk here in the Midwest tend to be behind times for some reason. So I want to help some young thinkers out there grapple with some present issues. Maris and I are going to a conference at the end of September that addresses the issue of postmodernism. Check out some of the videos for this conference here.

Unfortunately you can't attend the conference because it's SOLD OUT!

Let me know your thoughts...

it is not the critic who counts

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt
"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
check out Teddy's mugshot here: http://www.jimpoz.com/quotes/images/speakers/tr.jpg

I've been thinking about this quote recently because I can be a critic at times. I'm trying to discern the difference between godly discernment and ungodly criticism. I ask You, Oh God, for wisdom because I lack...