Book #4 -- Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel

When I orginally added this book to my reading pile I thought that it was an inside look into ministry life based on the title. I had paid no attention to the sub-title, "Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God". While there is a great deal of sharing about ministry life, that is not the focus of the book.

Craig uses his transparent and honest style to mark a path through many of the big hangups that Christians face. With chapters like "I can't stand a lot of Christians", "I hate prayer meetings", and "Sometimes I doubt God" the reader is led places that most are at the very least wary of going in today's culture.

At the end of the book I personally felt hope. Hope because I can see some areas of my life that need addressing and it can be done. Also hope because I realize that many of the doubts, fears, and concerns I have and have had in the past are actually shared experiences rather than something weird.

When we recognize that it is a lie that we are odd and no one is like us we can step to freedom. The key is having the guts to stand up, speak up, and unite with other believers (who have their own issues) and walk toward personal victory in Jesus. No more going it alone, no more trying to do it on your own without God. Being honest with yourself, God, and others around you is the way to pull your head from the sand.

This book may not be for everyone; it takes a willingness to face the man in the mirror to get the most from the book. Thankfully Craig has written in an honest, open style that intives rather than bashes the reader into those personal journeys.

National Treasure 2

I made a rare trek yesterday with my wife and daughter to the movie theatre to check out National Treasure - Book of Secrets. We really enjoyed the first one and I was hopeful that the second would deliver as well. What we observed is that it IS possible to make a good action/ adventure film without gratuitous amounts of swearing or sexual content. And apart from one scene (in the Oval Office of all places) the new film was up to the task.

Will this film win Oscars? Doubtful. We we entertained? Absolutely! The addition of Ed Harris as a sympathetic bad guy was great. And like any good thrill movie we are left with the big question; what the heck was on page 47? Could be a lead in for future films or could be just a clever plot twist, we shall see. Although many reviews have been less than stellar, I wonder what they are comparing to. Are many of the plot twists, gags, and adventures redone from other films from the genre? Yes, but it delivers all that it promises. It does not pretend to be too serious.

We don't spend the time or money to often go to the theatre but I would recommend this film for the whole family, except maybe for the littler ones who might be scared by some of the action sequences. I relay hope this film does well to send a message that family movies do not have to be really corny (see my coming review of Underdog) or a cartoon. The Goofy short film at the front of the main film was hilarious as well. Big thumbs up for this one.

As an aside: If you have not checked out the digital projection at Encore cinemas in Elkhart you really should the next time you go out. It is amazing the difference!

Book #16 -- The Dip by Seth Godin

I finished this book almost a week ago and I just never wrote my review/ thoughts. I picked it up after seeing several recommendations for it. Most all of Godin's books have been well received and recommended so I thought I would give it a try.

One of the first things that hops out at you and the author points out as important is that the book is short (80 pgs.). Godin states that it is important to make your point quickly and stay with one main message to your audience. A great lesson for teachers in any venue.

The point of this book is to in a simple way provide people with the tools to recognize what type of situation you are in (cliff, cul de sac, or dip) and empower you to know that sometimes keeping at it has great rewards, in other circumstances it is OK to quit; with the idea that you will be better equipped to win at something else. Godin believes if you cant be the best in what you do you should quit and find what it is that you can strive for being #1.

I resonated with the message of this book with where I am in life right now. The cool thing about these principles is that they are not just for professional life they can be applied to all areas of life. The idea of being a "jack of all trades and master of none" just may not be the badge of honor that we seem to bestow it.

The real test comes in being able to recognize (this is actually the easy part) what each challenge is and then having the insight and courage to quit those things that do not make us win in the end. Taking the time to realize that quitting does not make you a loser if you quit the right things for the motive of being able to focus that energy into those things that you want to be t he best at.

So what are they in you life? Do you want to be the best Dad, husband, employee (fill in your occupation here, teacher, Christ follower, leader, minister, kite flyer, or whatever else you might be able to think of. It's a matter of priority. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. Even of you feel that you have a solid handle on the directions life is currently taking you it could be a useful tool.

Elkhart Co. Fair in review...

I was hoping to get to this one a bit sooner (like while the fair was still going) but when the schedule is pressed blogging gets pushed WAY down the priority list. What follows is merely my humble opinion on the parts of the fair that I was able to take in.
Entertainment:
Not a long list here. Saw a few of the harness races the first Saturday. One of our boys picked the winner all three times. That is a power that could be used for evil.
The kids got wristbands on Thursday because the $1 ride night was rained out largely Wednesday evening. I did not personally ride any rides this year but the kids seemed to enjoy themselves. In the I'm getting old category; this is the first time in my life's memory that they did not have the Zipper ride. It was fun to watch my kids enjoy some of the oldies like Tilt-A-Whirl.
The tractor pulls were Thursday and I was able to catch almost all of them. The massive, multi-engined, or jet powered ones are cool but my favorites have always been the 2 and 4 wheel drive pickups. They did have the semi tractors this year, which were fairly disappointing; save the first one with the sparks. I took quite a few pictures and when I have a chance to sort through them a bit will be posting some of my favorites.
Due to the overlap with Camp we were unable to check out the rodeo or demolition derby.
Dog Club:
This portion was definitely an up and down thing. We went into the fair with fairly good hopes of high showings; Chili was really seeming to get it, even the off-leash stuff. In both Agility and Obedience demonstrations he started off strong and got distracted midway which led to disasters. In Showmanship things went smoother but a couple minor things cost Caleb in the end. He finished 1.5 points behind the winner. The important thing is the discipline and confidence building that comes out of these experiences. Ribbons are nice but character lasts.
Food:
Let me quickly begin with my main beef about this year's food: WHERE HAVE ALL THE CURLY FRIES GONE???? The places that have always had the fresh made curly fries have gone to the pre-bought bagged seasoned ones -- not the same. It seemed to be the year of the onion blossom (we never got one though) everyone had them it seemed. I'll quickly run through what I and my family deemed the best this year: (in no particular order)
Neddermans: although I personally never visited the "steak tip man" this year, he was there and as always had a line of people waiting. My family made a couple visits.
Flappers and More: right next to the steak man is probably my favorite newer booth. They have been at the fair for a couple of years and they are great for their food and especially their value. Pulled pork sandwiches, Pig wings, and my favorite: Southern fried wings are on the agenda here. You get 12-14 of the fried wings for $5.
Dairy Bar: Year in, year out, you cannot miss getting a custard from here
Giant Tenderloin: raised the price but still a full meal. The patty is nearly the size of the paper plate it is served on.
Bounthans: This is almost always one of my favorites because I love Chinese and they have a great value and big portions. Fried rice, entree, and an egg roll for $7. This year it was just OK.
Nelsons: They win for best surprise this year in my book. For $4 they make a large wrap sandwich with their chicken (mmmmmmmmmmm), lettuce, tomato, and cheese.
We spend a lot of time at the fair so good value is something we look for; it's getting harder to find all the time, but it is out there. Another good year -- not the place to hang out if you are trying to lose a few pounds though.

Movie reviews X3

I've watched 3 movies in thge past 24 hours - that's about 3 more than in the last month I'm sure. All part of my effort to actually capture my days off. Here they are

World Trade Center
I went into this one a bit leery because of Oliver Stone. I was waiting for the conspiracy theory; it never came. This is just a story about a group of guys doing what they did because it was the job they chose and they wouldn't have had it any other way, no matter the outcome. Also some good reminders of what the families of civil servants go through every day. I like it when a movie isn't what you thought it would be sometimes. I'd recommend it for sure: A-

The Guardian
This one borrowed on the ried and true Top Gun formula of the young guy coming in and earning his stripes being taught by the older and wiser leader and learning about love from a girl. That aside it was pretty well done. It gave a fair glimpse into the life that the rescue swimmer faces. These guys are really heroes. Not one to buy, but not a waste of time either. B+

Jarhead
I got this one from the library because it was one that I thought would be interesting. It got some Academy Award nomination last year, but was not that popular with the people. I can see why. There is a hoplessness in this film. The feeling that all we will ever do really amounts to nothing. Very frustrating to watch. The most redeeming quality I found was how training for an opportunity that may/ may never come. Life is like that, we need to be prepared no matter what happens. We can't sit and complain about circumstances when we don't get overselves ready for them. Jamie Foxx is a pretty incredible actor as well C-

The Reaping

Corey Mann posted this link for a trailer for an upcoming movie called The Reaping. I've watched it twice now and I'm interested in seeing where they go with this on theological, social, and sprituality fronts. I'm not holdong my breath that it will make Christ followers look too good. We'll see. Below is how the movie is described.

Hilary Swank plays a former Christian missionary who lost her faith after her family was tragically killed, and has since become a world renowned expert in disproving religious phenomena. But when she investigates a small Louisiana town that is suffering from what appear to be the Biblical plagues, she realizes that science cannot explain it

Any thoughts????