Derek Webb and Prophecy

One great part about living near Chicago is the music scene. I was happily overwhelmed with a bevy of live music this past fall and winter. Rosie Thomas, Over the Rhine and Anathallo to name a few. More recently I've had a chance to check out some lesser known more local bands and am looking forward to some more live shows.

Another show I went to with some friends was Derek Webb. He has garnered a lot of attention for speaking out against the church. As Christianity Today writes,

"He has taught us about the church, expounded on the paradoxes of the faith life and written about freedom in Christ, all in a way that's provocative, sobering and, most of all, necessary."
(An Unfiltered Webb by Andree Farias)

After watching him perform live, with his wife Sandra McCracken, I walked away from the show feeling troubled. I agree that we need a "prophetic" voice that calls the church into repentance and reform. But Webb's message just doesn't harmonize with me. Don't get me wrong I completely agree with his critique, for example in one song,

"there are two great lies that ive heard: the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him”

Where I find myself frustrated with Webb is the lack of care spoken alongside the truth. Many of his songs end with a clear denouncement of Christian/church behavior. There is no hope or encouragement for reform.

The prophets spoke the truth, just like I think Webb does, but they always did it with the intention of bringing people back to God. In many ways, when I listen to Mockingbird (Webb's latest release) the lyrics come off as abrasive condemnation, not truth spoken in love.

Look at the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 3

20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. 21 A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God. 22 "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.

Jeremiah told it like it was but it was coupled with a call to "return" to God. In speaking difficult words there needs to be direction for where we need to return to. We can't just say, "this is wrong. This is bad." We need to provide a hope for reform that encourages people towards repentance.

I probably am being a little unfair but I figured it would be fun to share how his music has impacted me. All in all I like Derek Webb and his music. I hope he continues to challenge the status quo and does it in a way that uplifts people.

Sports and Identity

I learned an important lesson. If you want a way to get people to not read your blog than don't write anything. It is very effective. So I'll write at least 3 times this week. Thanks Rachel :)

I have a hate/love relationship with professional sports. I "hate" how we idolize athletes, pay them a gross amount of money to play a game, and provide a different judicial system for their infringements. But I love sports. I love the competition, the way it brings people together, the challenge of pushing limits and the possibility of achievement.

In one moment I am enthralled and captured by sports. But then the next moment I roll my eyes because we have ESPNEWS and a bounty of shows (PTI, Around the Horn) that talk about the same issue over and over again. (Do I really have to hear about Tony Romo and his vacation with Jessica Simpson, again?)

Something I have noticed in my own life and with friends is that we become passionate about sports. Some people become "overly" passionate. I'm sure you know the type. Their day, week, month, or year is ruined when their team looses. They go from a mild-mannered-civilized human being to a cussing-rage-filled-gladiator.

I get embarrassed when I see people defend their sports team like it is a life or death matter. I don't recommend this but if you want to know what is important to somebody, insult something they connect with.

For instance, if you insult my shoes I really won't care. Some people might but for me, shoes are shoes. I don't invest a lot in my shoes. If you insult Denison Witmer I'll be a little more perturbed because he is a musician I really respect and like. If you insult my parents I will became angry because there is some obvious identity there!

A buddy in college was, and still is, a huge OSU fan. If you criticized the Ohio State University, he erupted. Now there is nothing wrong with defending your passion and loves but we need to hold in careful balance with what we identify with.

There is a place for becoming upset and angry. Jesus did this when he walked into the temple and saw people using the temple as a platform for selling their goods. He was righteously angry because something he identified with was being attacked.

When we become irate I think we need to dissect the validity and cause of our anger. I'll admit sometimes I become overly irate when people attack my likes and passions. But day after day I shrug off the ways people misuse the name of God, marginalize the poor, and neglect opportunities to speak words of love.

Above all of the things we identify with we need to identify with God.

I'm a child of God - He is my Father - 1 Jn 3:1,2
I am Christ's friend - Jn 15:15
I am a fellow citizen in God's kingdom - Eph 2:19
I am born of God - 1 Jn 4:7
I have been adopted by God - Rom 8:15

On Call, for hope.

I'm on call right now. Working at the hospital means having my pager turned on during the 3rd shift. When I get a page I get 30 minutes to get to the paging unit.

I never sleep too well these nights. When I do get lulled to neverland there is the possibility, and a good one, the pager will wake me. It's odd but I do like the prospect of adventure and challenge that comes with the job. Of course, I don't delight in responding to traumas and deaths, but I do find appeal in having to triage and act in an unknown situation.

I'm reminded about the call to always be ready, to always be on call, in 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

This make me wonder two things. First, are we really prepared to give an answer? I hear people quote this verse as a reason for Christians to study apologetics. So when we argue with atheist we can convince them of the existence of a Creator, etc, etc. There is value in that and it is important to understand what we believe. I find it troubling that most Christians are just illiterate in reading the Bible and understanding what and why we believe.

But in re-reading that verse I am more intrigued by the latter part of the verse that often goes unnoticed, "to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

I do not get many people asking me that question. Rarely do people ask me about the hope I have.

Why do we ask certain people questions? Well, simply put, because we think they have the answer. (If my car isn't running I'm not going to ask a heart surgeon, I'm going to go to a mechanic.) Perhaps the reason we don't get asked these questions is because we don't live in a way that radiates this hope.

I don't have any conclusions but I wonder what does it mean to live with this hope?

Congratulations?

Here is a verbatim from a conversation two of my acquaintances had about a month ago. We'll call them Sue and Bob.

Bob, "So I went out the day after Thanksgiving and found some great deals!"
Sue, "Me too, what did you get?"
Bob, "Well there was this grill, marked for $2,500. I bought it for $950.00!"
Sue, "Wow! Good for you! Congratulations!" (All the others agree and applaud the buy!)

I couldn't help but laugh. Does anything seem weird about this conversation? Here my friends were congratulating and commending my other friend about his purchase. I wonder, what kind of world do we live in where we pride ourselves on our spending habits?

I don't have a problem with what he bought or how much he paid for it. But I find it funny that he was commended because of the "great buy" he found. Bob proceeded to justify the purchase based on the reason it was such a great "sale" and he couldn't pass it up! This is part of the problem, we don't need but we buy. We don't really need to spend but we justify it.

I don't know if Bob needed the grill and I probably am unfairly being cynical. But if we looked for opportunities to help others as much as we look for opportunities to save money I think the Kingdom would be closer.

So this is the New Year...

Brief Corny Personal Reflection: This was a year of change. I worked 5 different jobs, lost two close family members to death, gained two family members through birth, another gained through marriage. Finished my first year of Seminary and was so incredibly blessed with new relationships.

There are so many things God has taught me. Chief among them is that all this business does not equate fruifulness. We reap that harvest of God’s righteousness only in faithfulness. And even though my life might change God remains.

Follow Me

So this post isn't as entertaining. I hope that doesn't deter you from reading. At times short posts are just easier and other times I like to put the work into developing something.

On my drive back from Ohio I was thinking about Jesus in Mark 2. He tells Levi to "follow me," and Levi gets up, leaves everything, and follows Jesus without any questions.

Jesus makes some tough demands. Like in Matthew he says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matt. 16:24-5)

That's a pretty steep order. To follow somebody and volitionally give up your posessions, security, and life! But I wouldn't want to follow anyone else who would demand less. I wouldn't want to follow someone who only wants a part of my life, a half hearted committment, a bit of my self, a sliver of my time.

It might sound bizzare, but that is the attracation of Jesus, he requires everything.

Best of 07

I hope you like Vin Diesel representing 2007! (If you have any questions let me assure you it is there for comic relief)

I've never done a "Best Of" list so I thought of things that people seem to be interested in. Off the top of my head came, movies, music, sports and some other random things. Some e things maybe didn't come out in 07 but I discovered them this year so for me they make the "Best Of" list!

Maybe I'll get more creative and think of other categories later on. Honestly I have a hard time thinking back to the beginning of 07, it has been a long year! :)

Best Movie in Theatre: Dan in Real Life

I just saw this in the theatre about a month ago. It was surprising, well written, clever, and clean. I saw a lot of movies (thanks to my roommate working at AMC and a Cinema class at Seminary) but this one stands out.

Best Movie I didn't See in a Theatre: Stranger than Fiction.

I love the idea behind this film. Will Ferrel does a good job acting and the script is just written really well.

Best Scholarly Book I read (For a class, I don't read this stuff on my own!): Christianity in a Pluralistic Society by Leslie Newbigin.
This book tackles how Christians live in a post-modern world where truth is relative and religion has no credibility. It is a hard read but well worth it for scholarly pursuits.

Best Ministry Book I read: Engaging The Soul of Youth Culture by Walt Mueller.
This book surprised me because it isn't just about teenagers. It is a cultural look at the Western world and specifically the influence of media on youth. Mueller also engages the role of the church in transforming the culture through shared life.

Best Sports Moment: (3 come to mind)
College Football: Boise State Upset 2007 Fiesta Bowl
This game is utterly ridiculous. Huge underdogs end up beating Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime. They go for 2 points instead of the tie and win. If you aren't familiar with this than use YouTube.
College Football: Appalachian State upsets Michigan
This game set the tone for the entire college football season. It was a crazy year where the parity of college football dominated and the need for a playoff system became obvious

MLB: Players use Steroids (Shocking, I never would have thought!) Surprise, surprise, MLB players used steroids! You mean Barry Bonds didn't go from a leadoff hitter to home run champ by hard work and discipline. I can't believe it! Next your going to tell me Michael Vick was involved in dog fighting and Pete Rose bet on baseball.

Best Band I discovered this year: Sleeping at Last and Anathallo
Sleeping at Last is local for me, Wheaton, Illinois. I had one of their cd's lying around and finally listened to it on my way up to camp this summer and was hooked.

Anthallo is also local, based in Chicago. I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan but I saw them live 3 times this year and by far they are the best live band I have ever seen.

Best Music Project: Denison Witmer Happy Birthday Denison
I'm a big DW fan. On his 30th birthday he put out 30 tracks for free on http://www.happybirthdaydenison.com/ That is a generous and creative. Better yet all the proceeds, (gifts for his birthday) went to charity.

Best CD:
Sleeping at Last: Keep No Score.
Umbrellas: Illuminare.

Best Song:
Cool Hand Luke: The Balancing Act off of the CD The Balacing Act

Best Website: http://www.pandora.com/
This is a great site for listening to music where you make your own radio stations. Pandora polled people about their music tastes. So for instance if you like Denison Witmer you can make a radio station with Denison Witmer as the "root." It will then play other similar artist like Denison Witmer based on the massive amounts of people interviewed. The next artist to come up might be Sufjan Stevens. If you like the song/artist you can add Sufjan as another "root" for the radio station.

Best part is they play original and unique songs. I was listening to some Pedro the Lion and they were playing a track from a 2000 EP. It isn't like they only play the artist/band's well known songs, they play the entire gamut.

2nd Best Website: http://www.mapmyrun.com/
Too cool. Want to know how far you ran just map it out.

Best Blog: Colossians 3:16 http://www.colossiansthreesixteen.com/
I started to read more blogs this year. This guy is a machine, pouring out a blog entry everyday almost. It is described as a "Collision of theology, culture and Music." Right up my alley

Merry Christmas

Christmas has new meaning for me this year. A main reason is my exposure to infants.

At the hospital I’ve encountered some real sorrow; the devastation and pain of losing a child before and after birth. I’ve also been blessed to share in the joy of a newborn.

This Christmas break I have spent around my two 8 week old nieces. I drove them down to visit my family and spent a lot of time with them. Simply put; they are beautiful. (Look at that photo!) I have a new appreciation for parents. My sister and her husband never stop. I rarely see them spending a second of solitude, leisure, or escape. Day after day, cry after cry, burp after burp, they love these girls. It also gives me new appreciation for my parents, who had to put up with my twin bro and me.

This is the joy of Christmas, a child enter time and space to redeem humanity. The man known as Jesus Christ, was God, and born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. In thinking about this I realize an error in my thinking (imagine that!) I tend to think of Jesus as a super-human. Sure, I reason, he’s human but with an unfair advantage. After all he was perfect because he was God. It’s not hard to be perfect if you are God. It’s not hard to submit to the Father’s will if you are God’s son. But you see, it was hard. Jesus was a human.

It wasn’t like Jesus was a pre-molded human that was plopped down into the world. He was a distinct human. He was original material. Imagine this; if Jesus was born today he would be different.

If Jesus was born to a single African American mother in Chicago he would be different.
If Jesus was born to a family in Nazi Germany in 1950 he would be different.
If Jesus was born during the apartheid in Africa he would be different.
If Jesus was born during the Spanish revolution he would be different.

Take the first example. His name maybe would not be Jesus. He would maybe be a she! He would not be a 1st century Middle Eastern man. He would not look like a Middle Eastern man but more like a 20th century African American. He would speak English, not Aramaic. Read left to right, not right to left. His ministry would involve the contemporary religious bodies, not the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots. There would be no tax collectors or fisherman. There would be no Roman government. Jesus would have different quirks. Different dreams. Different hopes. Different fears. Different friends. Different frustrations. Different family traditions. Different shoes. A different diet.

But none of these worldly differences would change him. He would still be the Son of God. Still be the perfect human. Still be the way through which the fallen humanity is restored. Still be the child who brings salvation to the earth. That is why I still follow and celebrate.

Thanks Jesus. Your first trip to earth was incredible. I’m looking forward to when you decide to make another visit. Come soon.

Merry Christmas all.

Goodwill Blue Jeans

This picture is hilarious! Chuck Norris and denim; a killer combination. I would not want to get a roundhouse kick from somebody wearing those lethal jeans!

Clothes are funny. They identify people and I find it humorous how much time we spend with them. Shopping. Coordinating outfits. Critiquing each other's style choices. Somehow we justify a need for 20 t-shirts, 14 pairs of shoes, 5 winter jackets, etc. I wonder, is this really the best way to spend our money?

In high school my parents thought it was comical how I always shopped at Goodwill. Since I loathe shopping, second-hand shops bring in a tinge of fun. Regular shopping is just too easy; go into the store, find the size, try on the clothes, pay in any form.

Ah, but go to a thrift store and the game changes. You want a green sweater. First, hope they have sweaters, and green ones. Chances are it what you were looking for; unlikely. Chances are it fits; slim. And if you hit the jackpot there might be a dressing room! Depending on the tag it might be 1/2 off (I find that comical, half off clothes at second hand stores) Ready to buy it, well better have cash, a small bill, or a specific credit card. Man, all this talk makes me want to go leafing through moldy, attic, smelling clothes!!

To my point....I still shop primarily at Goodwill for clothes. Actually, I have bought one item of clothing not at a thrift store in the last three years. Beside socks and boxers that is where I go. Recently all my jeans have ripped or torn and I have had no luck finding any. I could easily find some at any department store. But I also realize I could easily go without for awhile. Yeah they aren't in the best condition but they'll do.

My logic is that I can drop 20 bucks for a pair of jeans, or maybe find three or four pairs for that much at Goodwill. Even though it isn't as convenient this is a way I try to practice good stewardship. Instead of buying outrageously marked up clothes I can just re-use what somebody else doesn't want anymore.

If it comes down to an easy $20 pair of jeans, or taking a month to buy a $4 pair, I'll gladly take the latter. Especially if I can use that $16 for other needs I might have in my life. Or better yet, I can use some of that leftover money and bless somebody. I'm convicted to try to do more blessings and less hording.

Give a Cow

I'm going to try to mix it up with this blog. A little from everyday life observations, what is going on in the world, thoughts from personal study, musings on popular culture. I have really felt a need to think more about stewardship, and in this holiday season, specifically about giving.

There are a lot of ways to spend money this season. After doing most of my Christmas shopping this year I added up how much money I spent. I don't have a lot of people to shop for, and my family doesn't ask for anything.

(Literally, they don't give me ideas, they ask for nothing, so my Mom is getting a power drill and my sister a supscription to Men's Health...i'm joking about the drill and magaine, not their obsolete requests.)

I was surprised at how much money I droped in just a few hours of shopping. I am not under the shcool of thought that Christians should absolutely not celebrate gift giving. Yes, we loose the reason for the season, but there is nothing wrong with exchanging gifts as a token of appreciation and love.

Yet, I believe we do need an alternative way of gift giving. We need a radical form of spending that aligns our priority with Jesus, not Sears and Roebucks. Think about this, according to American Research Group the average family is going to drop $859.00 this Christmas. (That is the average! Meaning a lot of poor families that spend under $100.00 are being averaged with the families who are dropping $1,500.00)

If we just took off $100.00 for each family we could do some amazing things. Here are three suggestions.

1) Feed My Starving Children. This is a great organization that provides food for malnourished children, look at these facts
$15 provides 100 meals
$30 provides 200 meals
$60 provides 400 meals
$100 provides 667 meals
http://www.fmsc.com/

2)Heifer International. What a cool idea. I was talking to a friend and their family does this every year. You can buy a cow, goat, chicken, pig, etc...that will continue to be a source of nourishment for a family. A cow cost $500, which is quite a bit, but you can give $50 as part of a team. Goats cost $100. Sheep $120.

What I love about this is that it is a gift that is so practical. A cow provides milk and as they write, "Better still, every gift multiplies, as the animal's first offspring is passed on to another family-then they also agree to pass on an animal, and so on."

The gift that keeps giving! http://www.heifer.org/

3) Probably my favorite practice during the holiday season is to just bless somebody. Take some money and give it away to somebody you know in need. I love what the Salvation Army does with the bell ringer. For me, there is a bit of a disconnect with dropping change in a bucket. But I love surprising somebody and seeing how that gift affects their life.

4) Money obviously isn't the only gift. Give time, patience, friendship, a cup of coffee, wisdom, a smile and love.

Empty Seats

I drive in my car by myself a lot. I’m guessing 90% of my driving around is in a car by myself. That is incredible inefficient. I imagine if we all carpooled or just relied on public transportation more than the world would be a much more healthy place.

One thing (of many) I miss about Scotland is the public transportation. For one thing it wasn’t that convient. Walking to a bus stop and waiting for the driver to fight through traffic was not ideal. But that is the point. We are so use to personal convenience and a customized lifestyle that we shriek at the idea of something like carpooling.

Owning a vehicle, or having a vehicle, means that we can come and go as we please. What public transportation/ carpooling does is make us accountablie to and reliable on other people. Unless I could bike or walk to my destination in Scotland I always relied on other people. Many times the buses didn’t go to my intended destination so I relied on other people's genorosity. When you come to rely on others you recognize how helpless and meager we are without others. It comes back to community.

I need an outlet

I am most unproductive, or should say, I don't grow as much, when I don’t have a ministry. I have had some kind of ministry during the past 1.5 years. I was a youth pastor for a bit and then did a summer stint as the Assistant Director at a Youth Camp. I find that when I am shepherding a flock and teaching people I am growing the most. Currently I am going to school full time and have a 15 hour week internship at a hospital.

As a chaplain about 1/2 of the work is “me” focused, as I learn about my gifts, passions, and traits to care for people. The program is a great balance between personal discovery and practical ministry. I can simply say that never before have I questioned the character, meaning, and purpose of God.

But the reason I re-started this blog is because I need a consistent outlet. (Hospital chaplaincy can be random and sporadic) I don’t expect that I will be exactly shepherding anyone during this time. But I need an outlet to get my ideas out and to get feedback. In my mind I am sharing about my life, my thoughts on God, and all for the purpose of edifying and encouraging others.

The way I am wired it is important for me to take my thoughts and meditations and articulate them. By putting them into written form it makes me conclude them. Most of the time I have these ideas but I just let them be. Or God lays something on my heart and I give it a cursory thought and immediately forget it. This blog is for me! When God impresses something on me this blog will give me a chance to explore that idea more and continually process it.

So if you like to read it, go ahead. If not, that’s fine. If I decided to do this on my own it would’t happen. By putting it on the Internet it causes me to be accountable. I suspect some people will read it and even if just one person stumbles across it once a day then it gives me a drive and pleasure!

Baseball, Idolatry, and a reluctant Prophet

So in my mind I made the connection between Roger Clemens and Old Testament literature. This is the progression of thought…

Yesterday the Mitchell Report came out, listing names of MLB players connected with the abuse of substances (HGH and Steroids). This just further makes me skeptical of professional athletes. Growing up I loved baseball. Soccer was always my favorite sport but baseball was right next to it. Each summer I looked forward to going to Pittsburgh to root for the hapless Pirates. Even though they haven’t had a winning season in 15 years, yeah 15 years, I’m still devoted.

But the cheating has started to ruin the beloved pastime. What is even more disappointing is the failure/inability to enforce any punishments because the player union. Enough said about that.

How does this connect with Jeremiah? While reading Jeremiah 10, I was pondering what are the idols in my life, and in our specific Western culture?

It is a common assertion that movies stars, celebrities, and athletes have achieved a form of idolatry in America. Professional sports have become the opiate of the people, and chief among these worshiped individuals are baseball players. I am too aware that professional sports have merged from game to entertainment. From the love of sport to the love of money. Sports are the sacred and elevated to an unhealthy point.

Idols serve a purpose, albeit a frivolous one. But they do serve a purpose for the time being. Jeremiah uses the analogy of a scarecrow (10:5). A scarecrow serves a purpose, it has a utilitarian nature. Sports serve a purpose, they have a utilitarian nature. But that isn’t what makes them idols….

Jeremiah 10:11 reads, “These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”

Using Jeremiah’s train of thought, an idol is temporary and ungodly. Idols are fleeting and have no eternal nature. They hold some power but in comparison to God, their utility is meager. So God is to be worshiped because God is all-powerful and eternal. But what also marks an idol is the way it pales in comparison to the standard of God. It is a character issue.

Part of God’s omnipotence and righteousness is God’s character. God is righteous, just, pure, holy, good. Idols are not. They fail to hold any power to redeem humanity. We worship God because the entirety of God’s character. Yes, God has more power than all idols, but that power is just another beautiful element of God’s wholeness.

Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Lenny Dykstra, Miguel Tejada, all the other MLB players…what is their character? When we look at what we elevate in our life we must ask about the character, the integrity, the fidelity, of our time, worship, and attention.

The only thing worth all that is God.

Roger Clemens and Jeremiah

So the Mitchell Report came out today, revealing MLB players who are linked to using steriods and HGH (Human Growth Hormone). So this got me thinking about the prophets in the Bible. More to come tomorrow.

Mike

New time to write

Working at the hospital has made for some great experiences. Every week I get to lead meditations in the psychiatric unit. 4 different meditations with 4 groups that each have a different psychological problems. The outpatient unit is quite independent but the ITU section is quite intense and extreme.

The one thing I love about working in the hospital is that patients there are willing to be cared for. I would rather lead a meditation in the psychiatric unit, or talk about suffering with a cancer patient, than discuss these issues in most churches. Why? Simply because these people know they are in need.

In the psych ward they know they have problems. In the rest of the hospital the patients obviously know they are in need...that's why they are in the hospital! And that is very refreshing because they are ripe for conversation and dialogue.

In the church, on a Sunday morning, in suburban Chicago, how many people there actually know they are in need? If you have a six figure salary, a cookie-cutter house, picture-perfect family, your basic physical needs met, than how do you come to the realization that you are in need?

A lot of people in the world, in the church, just don't know they are in need. The broken people in the hospital are so aware of their needs and so willing to receive care. That's why I like working at the hospital. There is a need. And it is great to get to do ministry where people know how much they are in the need of God.

More to come hopefully...

cheers Scotland

I leave tomorrow. Just in case you were wondering, yes, I am looking forward to a 7 hour plane ride devoid of reading material! As long as the movie choices aren’t Dirty Dancing or A Walk to Remember I think I’ll survive.

I’ve been meaning to write this entry for a long time. There are a lot of things I could mention, fond memories, highlights, etc…but those have all been captured in past entries of this blog.

I anticipated that I would have mixed emotions upon returning to the States, and I was right. However, I did not expect to find it so hard leaving Scotland. To be honest, there is no place I am really able to deem “home.” Sure, I tell everyone I am from Chicago, but, in reality, I have only spent a few months there every year for the past four years.

More or less, Naperville, was my parents home and just a long stopover for the summers (where I spent two of them hardly in Naperville) and breaks. Bluffton (Ohio) is more of a home to me because of the amount of time spent there, but, I have obviously graduated and moved on. Charlotte (Michigan) ceased being home to me when I graduated high school, although my fondest memories are in the Great Lakes state. So….what does this mean?

I am leaving a place where I have become very comfortable. I have a big group of friends, a flat that I love, a job I enjoy, a city I can’t get enough of, and a church I feel at ease with. Those are a lot of things to be giving up. When I move to Lombard I am going to an area where I really only know my brother, sister, brother-in-law, and a few random acquaintances. Whereas all my friends here are close and near, in the U.S. they are scattered across the Mid-west and even from coast to coast.

This isn’t to say that I don’t want to return. I am just realizing how much I will miss Scotland.

Things I’ll miss…

Fish and Chips
Bicycle lanes
Strong Currency
Mild winters
Football (soccer)
Friends
Pubs
Pickle spread
The Scottish accent


There are more, but that is more or less just a random list

Well, I think that is all for now. I am not sure if I will write in this blog anymore. It is just as popular to make in fun of blogs as it is to write them! I admit before I poked fun at blogs but justified this one because I was away from many friends and family. However, I realize this is a good way to keep in contact with people and let them know what is going on in my life. I won’t commit to retiring it yet; rather, it might just slowly whiter away. However, I hope that I post some more entries and let you know how I am adjusting to a strange weird lifestyle in the U.S.A.! Thanks for reading my ramblings this year.

long overdue

The reason I have not wrote since July 25th is because this is only the second time I have been online in the last two weeks. I thought I would get a chance to catch up on some things when I came back to Edinburgh, but that hasn't been the case.

Quick filler on what has been going on....

Mel and Eric came and visited for a couple of days, actually the day after I flew in from Glasgow I went back to Glasgow to pick them up. We had a great time and took in a lot of the city.

The day they left I put them on a train and then helped move one of my friends into his flat. An all day chore!

The next day I went car shopping! Not for myself, but with another friend. So that was an experience, the first time I've ever done that and in Scotland no less. Not really anything to write home about but we heckled down the price! That night my small group had a nice dinner/sending off party for me.

I worked the following days, Saturday I went on a day trip to St. Andrews. When we got back at the city around midnight we went to a show for the Edinburgh Festival.
Let me say that this city is offically crazy, there are so many people here and so many things going on.

Yesterday I got up and went into the city to watch a small show and then walked up the Royal Mile. The best thing is people will come up to you and try to sell their show, I was able to get a couple of free tickets for things this evening!

I saw an interesting drama about American humour and then was able to score some free tickets to a one man comedy play. Both were quite interesting and good!

Every public building, pub, open space, Edinburgh University room, hotel function space, open courtyard, coffee house, church, (whatever!) has a play, drama, comedy, music, art display, street performer. They estimate that at peak times there is a show starting every 6 seconds!

You can walk down the street and on one side there is a guy playing four games of chess, two guys on one unicycle, a small parade of Chinese dancers, and a group of Irish blokes singing accapella. The atmosphere is great and amazing!

All that being said I really haven't stopped since I came back. There are so many things I need to do but a lot of things I would rather do in terms of entertainment.

After going to shows yesterday we had a going away BBQ with my co-workers and this morning we managed to squeeze in 9 holes of terrible golf, although the weather was great.

More to come hopefully, I fly out next Tuesday to Ireland and then on Wednesday from Ireland to the U.S. Time is running out, but I'm making due.

Mike

A long post...take some time and read!!

So this is my chance to write a fairly long entry. I am still in Germany although Dan and Ben have left for their final conference in Amsterdam and then are heading to the United States for good. We had some scheduling conflicts so I am here hanging out in Germany for two days by myself.

It is nice and odd to be in a town where absolutely no body knows me and where I have no responsibilities! I was able to fill the day with a nice run, a trip to the supermarket for some groceries, an hour bike ride, a trip to a coffee shop (where I had a hard time but was able to order an ice coffee), a lot of reading (a lot of reading), some cleaning up, some writing, and took considerable time making my meals (egg tortilla=good, homemade banana pancakes=not so good!)

Tomorrow I am heading to Wittenberg to see the stomping grounds of Luther. It is a quick 30 minute train journey and since I have the time I’ll be able to engross myself in the all the fanfare the museum and town proclaims about the reformer.

The following day I fly back to Edinburgh and attempt to get back on my schedule. It has been very strange to be in countries the past 2 weeks where no body speaks English as a first language. I miss being able to understand simple conversations or being able to read newspapers and signs.

I was going to save the details of my travel for later since I hadn’t told my family about my travels yet. However, I can’t get the phones to work here and I have the time to write.

On July 10th, Dan, Ben and I set out for our trip. To summarize we would go to a city or an attraction and then at night find a campground to sleep at. There are a lot of campgrounds and each night it only cost us around an average of 7-8 Euros. That included a bathroom and a shower at most places. Since I am on the subject of the campgrounds it should be mentioned that it was always fun looking for places to stay. Some of the campgrounds were quite typical, some RV’s, a lake rope off for swimming, a little shop to get some food. But the best were the campgrounds that were isolated. We found one in Germany that was pretty much a guys backyard that lead to a dock with a spectacular view of the German Alps. The following night was at a campground in Austria that was pretty much a football field that smelled of waste!

Ok so where did we go and what did we see and what did we do? Everywhere, a lot, and travelled! I don’t want to list places and countries in an effort to impress people. However, that being said, I will mention our rough circle to give you an idea.

We headed from Germany through Holland to Belgium. We hit France briefly, just for one town and spent a significant amount of time in Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Austria. We went through the Czech Republic on our way back just to make a quick stop in Prague.

We did visit a lot of big cities, but as we predicted before the trip, a city is a city. There are only so many churches, statues, and waterfronts you can look at. Sometimes we would have a purpose when going into a city, (like Munich to visit the main site of Oktoberfest or Luxembourg City to see the walls ) which made it meaningful. However, other cities, like Prague and Vienna we didn’t have anything in particular to do, so we left in a hurry.

The best part was the scenery and of course the company. I would mess up the names of places but we were able to go swimming in some great lakes, hiked some nice trails, we explored small castles, big castles, and became experts at going to bed around 10 and up before 7!

There are a lot of little events I could share but will keep it down to just two. First, while in Belgium I sliced my finger in the car with a knife. We wrapped it up and decided to just press on into Luxembourg. When we got to the campsite the lady told us to definitely go to a hospital. So from the time I cut my finger to getting to the hospital it had been about 6 hours! Let me say this, the hospital in Ettlebruck, Luxembourg is great! I forgot my insurance card but they didn’t care. Within an hour I had 7 stitches in my left index finger and was out of there! They weren’t sure about making me pay but I would have felt guilty dodging it and it will give me a chance to use my insurance at least once this year!

Second event, we were rear ended in Austria by a man who claimed to be a musician and was happy that Dan and Ben were working for a Christian organization. He was on the phone and we were stopped in traffic when he rear ended us. The trailer hitch save our car, expect for a little crack, but his car took the brunt of the damage. We exchanged info but nothing else happened. Although the half empty bottle of beer in the car made us suspicious!

Ok this is a lot and I will write more tomorrow since I will have the time. Until then, chow

back

I am back from my trek with Dan and Ben around Europe. I would say more but I haven't spoken to my family yet and I suppose they deserve to know some of the details first. I have two more days left here in Berlin and then I am flying back to Edinburgh. Some family visits and then I fly back to the United States....


Hmmm... I feel some deep reflection coming on but I will wait until tomorrow to write more and share about my ventures in Europe.

Stay tuned

quick post

I have wanted to write more but just have not had the chance. Everytime I get online I have been doing research for trying to find tickets back home and preparing my travels.

Tonight I leave from Glasgow and fly to Berlin. So I will be gone from July 9th-July 27th! Dan, myself, and another volunteer working with Dan are going to do some exploring. We don't have any hostels booked and we don't have an exact route to follow. We are just packing a station wagon, a tent, some belongings and hitting the road. It sounds like one of those soul-searching-deep-meaningful explorations. However, it is more of a chance to see the world and spend time together.

The best way to get a hold of me will be via e-mail. I'm sure there will be internet cafe's that we can use. We will be visiting Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Belgium, and some other places!

When I come back I only have 4 days of work before I start to wind things up here. I hope to write more in detail when I return. Until then, take care

Mike

time is coming to an end...

what's new?

Well I am posting less and less, it's not because I'm getting lazy, rather I am just busy. This past weekend I went to the Isle of Skye with Lauren, Amanda, and Danny. The weather was amazing and Skye is an outdoor paradise. We went hiking, seal watching, and rented a little paddle boat. All in all a really good weekend. I've had a chance to do some new things here in Edinburgh. I went to a church service and gave my testimony which went rather well. Because the World Cup has been on I have had a lot of opportunities to watch matches, not only at work, but with friends. On Saturday I am going to a friends wedding and my first formal Scottish Cehdhli. July 9th is fast approaching, (when I leave for Germany again) and then I come back on the 25th. I'll have some family visit and then I fly back home in Mid-August. The reality of my time here is becoming more real but still appears quite distant. Another flatmate left to go home so it is down to 2! Four more volunteers will be gone at the end of this week! That's all for now.

hi

Well I have a lot to tell, too much to tell on this blog. I'm back from Germany, which was great. The best part was just hanging with Dan and the other volunteer Ben. I loved being able to relax, grill out every night, try some German beer and bratwurst. We went into the city a couple of times to watch the games and to do some typical tourist type things (see the gate, the memorials, parliament building) Berlin is a crazy city since the World Cup is in the country. I loved just walking around and seeing people from different countries supporting their team.

The weather was perfect and I can't wait to go back in July when us three are going to drive around Europe for about 2.5 weeks.

Unfortunately the U.S. wasn't able to have any success in their game. I waited 4 years for that game and they decided to play terrible and got thrashed 3-0! Oh well, they can still advance but they need a big wins against Italy!

My trip back was eventful because the plane was delayed due to a stewardess getting sick. My train stopped on the tracks because a guy committed suicide by jumping off a bridge onto the rail.

I love the fact that everyday there are 3 football games on! We have a television at work so I ended up seeing all the games yesterday, whereas on my days off I don't feel like sitting and watching that much T.V. (although some of the games are so good i can't pass them up!)

No longer am I here then I am away again. Next weekend I am heading up to the Isle of Skye with some of the volunteers. If the U.S. advances in the World Cup I'll be spending the one day searching for a place to watch to football matches! Then the following week I leave for the Europe trek.

That's all for now

I don't have much to say, other than it is warm and beautiful here in Edinburgh. That's right, I said warm!

More than anything I am looking forward to leaving for Germany on Sunday. I'll be gone for about 10 days visiting Dan and of course there is a little tournament there known as the World Cup.

I realize I should of scheduled my flights to cover more days that the games are going to be played. Initially when I booked the flights they were sky high in prices so I had to take what I could get. For some reason the prices came down but it was too late! (Actually my flights got cancelled and I got money back, but because I had already booked train tickets down to Newcastle I rescheduled for the same days.)

Also, I don't know if I mentioned this yet. I might have. But I am planning on going to Northern Seminary in the fall. I have heard back from all the schools and sent my confirmation in to Northern. So that's me!

Mike

...

A busy and exciting week-weekend. On Tuesday Danny and I did some pitch n putt before going out to eat with some friends and bible study. On Wednesday we had the great idea of going for a long bike ride, unfortunately this was by the sea. Although it provided for some great scenery it started to rain and rain hard! We had to stop at a little port side hotel and wait out the weather.

Here in the UK they have a 2 for 1 deal at the cinemas if you have an Orange phone. (Orange is the service, (like Verizon) not the color of your phone!) So a bunch of us went to see the movie Brick. I really don't want to bother with the Da Vinci Code since everyone says it's rubbish.

On Thursday I had a short day of work and that night Danny and I, along with two other workmates went to an award dinner for Adult Learners in Scotland. It was pretty posh, the food was great and the Four Tops performed. I love how they introduced the Four Tops, "Ladies and gentlemen, hailing from the United States..." As if they were so exotic!

On Friday everyone from our flat headed over to the Isle of Arran. We had to drive 3 hours, jump on a ferry, and do the return journey all in the same day. We traveled a lot but it was nice to finally get to one of the Isle. The bus service wasn't as good as expected so after we visited the main town we hitchhiked up to the next village that was miles away! It was great that an old man in a truck was willing to give four strangers a lift!

On Saturday our flat again took off for a day trip down to Berwick Upon Tweed, which is right on the England border. It is a picturesque English town and when we arrived there was, of all things, a motorcycle show! The girls weren't too enthusiastic, but Danny and I spent a good time there while they shopped. The contrast of the show and the environment was too funny. By the shore there were a couple of old guys with their fiddles and pints, just playing some traditional music. Their efforts were drowned out by the punk rock band, roaring engines, and buzz of the tattoo laden diehards!

That night about 10 friends came over for another poker night. I ended up 3rd again, which doesn't count for anything. Actually if you win it doesn't count for anything, since we play for the banter and whatever pride one can put into playing a card game!

Yesterday I covered a shift at work after church and so far today it has been pretty relaxing. I was suppose to go golfing with Jp and Danny but just didn't feel up to it. If the weather holds we might get a quick BBQ in at Nicks flat.

I leave for Germany on Sunday, so I'm getting excited! Although I have quite a few things to wrap up before I head off.

It is a bank holiday in England today, but that is a close to any holiday I am feeling, as people state-side are celebrating Memorial Day. Eat a hamburger for me!

Mike

A post

Well it hasn't been a long time since I last wrote but long enough. A lot has happened and I am straining my brain to try to remember all the stuff I've done. So I'll just write some one liners that describe what I've done lately

-Went to South Queensferry (which doesn't mean much to you but it's a nice village and is famous for being the home to the Forth Rail Bridges)

-Went to Falkirk with some friends to buy a car (there is nothing in Falkirk, they have a Division 1 football team but other than that, nothing)

-Went to this little pub right on the Sea that is about 10 minute walk from our flat. (I don't know why we never went there before, my flatmate has a friend here so we took him to this pub and the place is perfect, you can sit over the water)

-Helped Danny move all his things into his new flat (this took a long time!)

-The previous weekend, (before this last one) I watched a lot of football with friends.

-This past weekend I worked. It was a good three days and because we had so many staff members working I organized some outings for the residents. We played Snooker (that was a first for me) and took the guys to the cinema!

-Church was good on Sunday, I worked an early shift and then went to the evening service. It was nice to go to church without the responsibility of having to play the guitar.

-One random funny thing, I went to the gym and a guy sat on a swiss ball and bounced up and down on it for about 10 minutes. I had to leave the weight room because I was laughing so hard. Imagine a short guy, with a shirt that doesn't quite cover his hairy belly, bouncing on a swiss ball....well I thought it was funny.

-Tonight I have house group and I am really desperate to be a tourist today. I have spent too much time in the flat or around Leith instead of going into the city centre. Sometimes you just want to walk around the Royal Mile and the Meadows and be a tourist!

On Thursday I am going to this fancy awards show because Danny received an award and was allowed to take one guest. I guess the tickets cost 50 pounds but we are getting in free!

On Friday me and some friends are going to the Isle of Arran and then on Saturday heading out for another day trip.

How are things otherwise? Well the weather lately has been awful and I'm looking forward to going to Germany come June 4th. I have heard back from 2 of the 3 seminaries but will wait to make my decision until I hear back from all of them. That's all for now

Mike

-Played 18 holes of golf at our church golf outing (didn't do well!)

what's the good word?

So my trip to the Leisure Centre was a little nicer than I thought. It was hands down the best gym I have ever been to. It is situated in the Carlton Hotel just off the Royal Mile. The equipment was nice and so were the machines but the best part was the pool, sauna, tropacarium, steam room, and free food they give you after working out.

On Wednesday Danny and I played boules in the afternoon. Boules is an old persons game but we like it because it's cheap and relaxing. It was quite funny because there was a tournament going on at the same time which included women all over the age of 60. They kept asking us if we wanted any tea and if we understood the rules. What was even better is there was one old chap sitting on a bench watching Danny and I play. Let me tell you he was getting into our game. He would stand up, clap, or do a fist pump whenever we had a good boule! It was great!

Instead of watching the UEFA cup final I actually played football that evening. The game with the residents was cancelled so I played with the City Mission. Afterwards we caught up with the member of staff at his going away party.

Work the past two days has been eventful. Yesterday was especially fun because we were finally able to take the residents to play football on a proper pitch. Then when we came back Danny and I took a couple of guys to a church for a dinner/storytelling/music ministry. It's hard to explain but one of the performers would tell a story and then the other would play his guitar right after. It was a really unique and powerful event.

I have this weekend off which is nice because the following weekends I am either working or busy. Today there are a couple of football matches I am going to watch with friends. Then later on tonight we have a birthday party to go to. Sunday I'll be spending my time at church and doing worship. I think there will be a round of golf sometime before Tuesday comes!

That's all for now, enjoy the weather wherever you are.

I don't have much of anything to write. I just wanted to put some sort of update in here for this week. Nothing out of the norm or exciting has happened this week. Last Friday was the first of many "going" away parties for my co-workers. There is one tomorrow night and another on Saturday. I worked Sat-Mon and I am pretty tired from the long hours. One of the guys I work with has free passes to probably the nicest leisure centre in Edinburgh so I am heading over to his flat pretty soon and we are going there for the afterternoon. Tonight I have house group and tomorrow before the going away party friends are coming to my flat to watch the UEFA final.

Nothing more I can think to tell...!

Mike

nice weather

It is a great day outside, the kind that makes me glad I'm not working inside!

Saturday ended up being as good as predicted and Sunday was really enjoyable. Danny and I went to the improv again but it wasn't near as good as previous times. Because the guys on stage act off the audiences suggestions there is always the chance for some poor sketches.

Worship went well on Sunday night. It has been a challenge because the congregation is spread out in terms of age. There is a decent amount of young adults, a large gap, and then a decent amount of older folks. We have been introducing new songs every week and sometimes the powerpoint doesn't work or the congregation doesn't pick up on the songs so we end up doing a duet of worship!

Last night Danny, J.P. and I went to the Celtic match. The season is over and they already won the league so the atmosphere wasn't electric. However, it was still great to go to a professional club match and they won 2-0.

Today J.P. and I went out for some golf. Golfing here is so cheap and when we are able to do 9 holes in 90 minutes then I can't pass it up. I shot a 41 which is good but disappointing because I was at 30 going into the 8th hole.

My flat is getting empty since flatmates have been moving out/ going back home. There are only 3 of us left and another flatmate is leaving in mid-June.

This month is busy in terms of my time here but the coming months I'll hardly be in Scotland. In June I head over to Germany to hang out with Dan for about a week and then I'm back to Germany for 3 weeks in July to drive all over Eastern Europe!

I don't have too many pressing issues here at the moment. I'm just playing the waiting game to hear back from the different schools I was accepted to. I should probably take a look at my bike and fix it. It has been a blessing to have the bike because I would much rather ride it than take the bus. I went out for an hour bike ride before work on Wednesday morning and was having problems with the gears. Edinburgh is quite hilly, so the bike gets abused, especially when I take it onto any trails.

That's all for now, I have a rare free evening so I'm going to get together with 2 friends and go out and listen to some live music! Take care and drop me a line.

Mike

Good day

I have a good day planned so I'm going to tell you about it. I was able to snag a computer here at the library, early in the morning, but that makes it nice so I can try to connect with some people.

When I go back to the flat Danny and I are going over to friends house and out to a pub to watch the Chelsea v Man United football match. Then we are going back to "The Manse" (one of the volunteer flats) to play some table tennis and games. Then, this excites me more than it should, we are going to grill out. The weather is finally nice enough and I'm always in the mood for some burgers and hot dogs, (even though I don't like hot dogs and don't eat a lot of burgers I think it is just the familiarity/memories/atmosphere of grilling food) Then we are heading back to our flat where loads of people are coming over to celebrate...? Well we don't really have anything to celebrate, Danny is moving out so we were thinking about calling it a "leaving party" but he's still staying in the area. We don't need an excuse to have people over we just want to socialize, so it will be a good time!

What am I up to

I had a good work weekend. It was nice to get back working with my team but those 3 days in a row really tired me out. Yesterday I was able to relax and Danny and I both had work off so we were able to hang out. On Friday there is a Bethany talent show and we had to go out and track down some costumes. I won't tell you what it is because if I can get some pictures on Friday night it will tell the story much better!

We had house group again last night and we are still going through the book The Pilgrims Progress. It's a good book and if you really sit down to digest the metaphors then a page can take easily an hour to get through.

I'm getting better at swimming! I remember ages ago I wrote about these old ladies passing me when I went to the pool, but I went to the gym yesterday and felt much better about my ability to keep up with the old ladies!

The weather here is really warming up which is definite bonus. It made it so much easier to get up this morning and go out for a run. It's nice that I live so close to the sea and I'm able to run along the waterside. Months ago I would never venture that way because it was so cold.

When Josh was here he was able to figure out how to use our VCR. Danny and I are forever grateful because we were able to tape the Champions League Match last night while at House Group. We came back and made some incredible oven chips and then watch the match.

This morning we went into work to get interviewed by the city's Care commission. They just asked us some questions about the type of work we do and our procedures/standards/practices.

This afternoon we are going to get 9 holes of golf in with J.P. and then we were invited to Lauren's for some food tonight! I can't pass up some free food especially after a short round of golf!

What else is happening...? Well I work the next two days (9-9 of course) then this weekend we are having a bash on Saturday at our flat, on Sunday we are going to this great improv comedy downtown, then worship on Sunday night, and we'll see what Monday brings.

I'm back

Well the parents are back in America and I'm back in Scotland. We had a great time together and it allowed me to do some things I wouldn't have been able to do by myself. We went up to the Highlands, which was amazing, spent a couple days in London, and saw everything from a Broadway musical (very good) to eating grilled salmon (also very good) and just enjoying quality time together (also very very good!).

Life has been non stop this past month. Josh was over here during the first week and then I was on night shift and then Mom and Dad came over to visit. I realize I have not worked a "normal" day shift at the House in over one month. So tomorrow I am going to get back into a standard work routine.

It looks like May is also going to be pretty busy. Some of my friends and I scored tickets to the Celtic vs. Kilmarnock football match on May 3rd! I can't wait, it is near impossible to get Celtic tickets but we lucked out. Also on May 7th I am going to see the Blues Brothers as part of a late Birthday gift. My flatmate and very good friend moves out at the end of this month. It's a bummer because we are quite close and our flat is getting really empty. After he leaves it will just be myself and the two girls.

But we are going to have a moving out party sometime next week. It's more of a celebration because he was able to get a permanent position working at the House. We still do church and work together so not too much is changing.

I'm sure there is a lot more I could write on but nothing is coming to mind. It will be good to connect with some friends here I haven't seen in awhile. We are planning on some more "poker nights" and "watching football on a big screen via a projector" nights just so we have an excuse to socialize.

That's all from me for now

My new skill

Well it is the last night of night shift and I bet you are wondering what my new skill is. Prepare yourself but I think I have developed an...Acute sense of smell. Yep, it is my superhero power.

I went out running before my night shift just like a couple times earlier this week. But this run was different! Immediately out of the door I could smell that the grass was cut by our neighbors. Ok, no big deal, but as I jogged through the stairwell I could definitely tell that our other neighbors were having curry for dinner.

Immediately outside I could smell tar, and when I rounded the corner one block later there was a truck laying some tar down. I then passed a girl and I bet if I asked her if she shampooed and conditioned she would have said yes. I could definitely smell some kind of raspberry hair product.

Before I turned that corner I could smell smoke and of course there were a couple of blokes puffing away outside the pub. And of course the worse was when I could smell the puke from the little five year old who let it loose right in front of me on the sidewalk!

What does this amount to? Probably nothing at all but I thought it would be nice to have a funny post about my new superhero power.

Another random note is that we watched "Supersize Me" tonight on night shift and it just reinforced the reasons why I haven't ate a hamburger at any fastfood place for 10+ months.

The joys of technology...again!

I wrote another long post, and again it disappeared. So I will try to remember what I wrote but it just won't be the same!

It has been a hard night of night shift. Not only did I not sleep much but the residents have been very unsettled. I can't divulge too much info but I have been too busy feeling like a babysitter.

What's new? Nothing much, I have had a couple of interviews over the phone with seminaries and felt they went well. I've been accepted to Asbury, Northern, and Denver and I am just waiting to hear back about some scholarships and seeking God's will in the decision.

My mind has been on my return to the States. A combination of seeing my brother and the fact that my parents are coming soon is making my return feel close. I have four months until I return and I remember what I felt like 4 months before coming to Scotland, anxious and excited. Also since the family is moving around a bit I'm curious as to how much life will have changed when I return. I suppose that it is to be expected as I embark upon the next step of life.

I realize that every stage in my life has always had a defined timeline. For instance, in school you move from year to another. After high school I went to college for four years. Then I came here for a year of voluntary work. I know seminary will take me 2-3 years. I just wonder what life is like without a timeline since I have always had a schedule to follow! Oh well, I'm in no hurry to grow up :)

That's all folks

Pictures and more...

I just read my post from yesterday and for some reason the text gets jumbled in some places. I'm not sure why but I do sincerly apologize. I slept better today but it is still hard to sleep with the sun out. When I went for my run before work I felt a twinge of spring coming on. The school next door to our flat had just finished getting the grass cut. So there was a weird mixture of cold mild Scotland air and fresh crisp grass smell.

Here are some pics of me and the bro in London, Edinburgh and Dublin.

The joys of technology...

My post yesterday would have been much longer but I lost half of it due to some computer malfunctions. So I should add on to what I posted earlier but I don't have too much in terms of what is going on here in Edinburgh.

Instead I am going to use this space to just aimlessly reflect. I never intended to use this blog as a way to give bits of wisdom. One thing I don't like is when I come across blogs where the author is smugly using 50 dollar words and clever phrases. Sometimes it appears that people are trying so hard to be "deep," or "post-modern" or "relevant" that it can be a real turnoff. So the following musing aren't any attempt to verify truth or how funny I am, it's just what I'm thinking about at 4:04 am!

Some things we could all do without...

The fees charged to go inside Cathedrals. Josh and I didn't bother going into Westminster Abbey or St. Patrick's cathedral because they were charging £5 a head. Just imagine the people who first worshiped in the churches. They would think itabsolutelyy absurd that anyone would have to pay money to enter thebuildingg. Moreover, why should there be a price to pay if visitors want to go into asanctuaryy that was built to glorify God?

Another thing we could do without...

Some reality television shows. I'm sure this show has already hit the States but I just saw itadvertisedd a couple days ago. It is called "Beauty and the Geek." The show is setup where a "geeky" guy has a date with a "beautiful" girl. I'm not sure of the rules and format but somehow it is worthy of being televised. Theecommerciallportrayedd this poor guy asincrediblyy awkward and how he really isn't qualified to be in the presence of all these woman. It made me sick to my stomach. Some producers are sitting in a room deciding that this guy isn't worthy to date these girls. In the first place whatmakess the guy so unqualified? Because he acts different then other people? And secondly what makes these girls so elite? Because they are good looking by some worldly standards? I thoughtaboutt writing to the network but I think this rant will do, I'm sure they'll get back to me after reading my blog :)

Some things we could do with more of in the world...

Michael J Fox, I miss his shows/movies. I was never a big fan ofspinn City, that being said I don't think I ever bothered to watch an episode. However, I love Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, and that show he was in where he was named Alex (see I'm a big fan)

G Rated Movies by Pixar.

Remote control cars and ska music. That is purely childhood memories right there. I loved my remote control cars and ska music needs to make a comeback because I miss it.

Ok, that's enough of nothing. Hope you enjoyed.

Mike

Back in Edinburgh

Today I was pretty much a zombie because I am once again on night shift. I actually went out of my way to ask for a week on night shift so I can have the entire next week off when my parents come to town. The only problem is getting in a routine. Yesterday evening I arrived back from Dublin in the evening, went to church, and then attempted to stay up late in order to get on a night schedule. It went pretty well but it just leaves for a lot of free time during the day walking around in pj's and waiting to get tired so you can take another nap.

Other than that this past week was awesome. Josh came over and we conquered the United Kingdom in great fashion. We met up in London, chilled there for a couple of days, came up to Edinburgh, and eventually went over to Dublin. We made some great memories from hot dogs and macaroni, sleeping in airports, walking all over creation, playing football in hurricane weather, and just catching up with each other. His flight back was delayed but from what I heard the airline put him up in a Hilton and gave him $ for food, so I don't have too much pity :)

My time here is flying now. Soon my parents will be over to visit and after I am done enjoying their company I am down to 3.5 months left. It is hard to believe that I have been here for so long and yet at the same time my mind is constantly occupied with my future. This week, actually tomorrow and Thursday I have some interviews via the phone for potential scholarships. That means I have to wake up before I go on night shift and answer questions for about 90 minutes! So any prayer would be greatly appreciated.

I don't like to mention too many people by name so I'll just say "congratulations" to a friend of mine who got engaged this past week. That makes me feel old when friends from 15 years are getting married.

Quick update

I realize my post are getting less frequent but I've been busy. I fly out tonight to London to meet my bro for some good ol quality time together. I can't remember what I have been up to lately but off the top of my head I know that I have played some football, starting running more as I get ready for this half-marathon, been working, and same old same old. I'll try to update again next week but Josh and I are going from London to Edinburgh to Dublin so we are going to be busy!

I'm waiting for spring

A lot has happened. I don't know how it happens, but I look at the date and realize I haven't updated this in a long time. My time in the Highlands with my flatmates was great. However, I was really battling to stay healthy and when we came back to Edinburgh it set in. That Monday I was able to catch up with normal life (not working night shift and being back home) but on Tues. and Wed. I had to leave work early to go home because I was too sick.

I took advantage of a laptop we had at our flat, and the fact that I was stuck inside, to write up a lot of scholarship applications. On Friday I played tourist guide to one of the volunteer's friend and then worked over the weekend, which wasn't too bad. Saturday was chilled but Sunday was absolutely busy as could be. Our team has been short of staff and at times I feel quite strectched. Monday was good because one of the guys on my team got promoted, so we went out after work, as is our custom, to relax and socialize.

A lot of reason to celebrate this week, two of my friends have birthdays (today and tommorrow). This afternoon we are going to the driving range and then out to a movie to celebrate. On Saturday after my morning football match we celebrate the other guy's B-Day by going to a traditional Scottish dance, where guys wear kilts and there is a band with bagpipes! Fun fun!

Of course Friday is St. Patricks day so I have to be extra vigilant at work! The guys at the House like to be clever and sneak in alcohol so I'll be on the lookout.

A week until my brother comes so I'm getting mightily excited. We are going to see London and Dublin but most importantly we get to see each other.

Other random notes, my legs really hurt. I ran about 8-9 miles yesterday and am feeling it. I had to go around town this morning to pick up some gifts and decided to use my bike, the only problem is that makes my legs hurt even more!

Oh yeah, if all goes as planned when I go to Germany to visit Dan I'm going to run in this half-marathon http://www.geocities.com/schoenmaeker/marathon_0606.html. It will be excellent!

!

Ok so I'm not being too productive with all this spare time but I figured I would give you a picture of where I am typing from.

In the past 4 days I have slept 12.5 hours. I haven't been sleeping well as I adjust to this night shift pattern.

tomorrow at 2 pm, (it is 2:48 am now) I am heading up to the Highlnds with my flatmates. It is going to be lots of fun but we are also being cautious because it has been snowing a lot up north. I'm excited to finally see some munrows (mountains) and do a little bit of hiking.

unfortunately I have not accomplished all I set out on Monday. I have a lot of essays to write for different scholarships and I am no further along then I was last week at this time. It feels like I'm procrastinating on a paper, which brings me back to college (not that I ever procrastinated, just the feeling brings me back :) ) But I have deadlines and have made outlines so I am aiming to finish it within a week, which is ahead of schedule.

Probably my favorite website is relevantmagazine.com. In terms of music, approach to Christianity, articles, advice, (etc), it takes the cake for me. The poll they just put up on their website could be the greatest use of the Internet ever. Take a look
Poll

What Christian pop-culture icon would you rather see in a reality TV show?
Carmen
Sandi Patty
The Power Team
Gerbert
The guy from McGee and Me


That is my childhood! I don't know what the Power Team is, but Gerbert, McGee and Me were fixtures on our television. Sandi Patty reminds me of our tape deck in one of our DustBuster vans, and Carmen, well Carmen is just too cool! Think about it, he was a Christian singer and he didn't even sing, he just talked into the microphone with music in the background! My vote is with Carmen

Here are some more photos. Two are views from my flat, the others are from Stonehenge (obviously!), the Roman Baths in Bath, and a church in Wiltshire, England.

Take a picture, it will last longer

Here are some more photos. I would include the photos I have with my friends but I think it's probably best not to. (They aren't paranoid, it's just that I want to respect their privacy) By the way, the picture of me in Brussels, I'm holding a jacket behind my back which is why my shirt is bulging out to the side, I'm not pregnant. :)

Random Photos

Again, because I am at work and even though this computer is ancient I was able to upload some random photos. Some of these are over 5 months old and the ones I'll include this week will be really random, but enjoy nonetheless!

I am working right now...

on Night shift. We now have broadband at work and because it is 2:30 in the morning and everyone is asleep, (except me and my co-worker) I am just sitting in the office being a vigilant keeper of the gate! It sounds easy and I suppose it really is. Since 9 pm I have kept busy with various tasks but most of them have been completed so now I am just watching the time go by.

It is a good chance to read, relax, pray, and think. Since I am doing 3 nights in a row I have 5 days off immediately after. My flatmates, all four of us, are heading to the Highlands this weekend. It is suppose to be incredibly cold but I don't care. I can't wait to get up in the mountains and take in some of God's original creation. One of the members of staff has a cabin up North that she is so kindly allowing us to use for free. It will be a good time to bond and see some more of Scotland.

The weekend went well but this past day was strange. On Sunday I slept in and then went to my Manager's church at 4 in the afternoon. They were having "Homelessness Sunday," so staff and ex-residents from Bethany were to lead the worship service. I was able to play the bass and was blessed to hear some testimonies of people who have undergone incredible conversions.

Because I was preparing for Night shift I stayed up until 7 in the morning. I would have been happy with staying up until 4 but I was a real trooper! However when I finally went to bed I only slept until 1 pm. Not good! I went for a run to try to tire myslef out but that didn't work too well. The rest of the day I felt either really tired or really awake. So I spent my afternoon leading up to work just trying to figure out if I wanted to be in bed or not. It doesn't help that I'm feeling a little under the weather, which I can blame on Danny because he has been sick of late. So I have about 6 hours to go and I'm feeling pretty groggy.

Better get some coffee!

The exciting conclusion

I read my last blog and boy am I glad! I would have forgot to tell you about the exciting conclusion of my night...

I went to Bible Study. That's about it!

The last 3 days I have worked and am pretty tired. 2 twelve hours shifts don't seem too bad, but the third one in a row really exhuasted me. Right now I am feeling pretty tired because I had to get up early to fiddle around with our gas in the flat. It was leaking last night and I got up early to mess with the main valve thingy watchamacallit. I am no Bob Veila but it's fixed now.

Also I'm feeling a little groggy because I just ate so much food. I went out to do some grocery shopping, which is always a hassle for me. I pick grocery stores on far ends of the city so I can get the excersise on the bike in between. But it takes me forever to shop becaues I am so tight with my money! I try to squeeze out every penny. Anyhow after biking around and doing some shopping I came back to the flat with the plan to eat! Since Bluffton I have lost some weight, actually a decent amount, and since here I have just stayed the same. So I am trying to make an effort to put at least some of it back on but it is going to be a battle :)

Tonight is Mexican Movie night!!!! Chips, salsa, beans, tortillas, rice....Really just an excuse to eat, talk, and maybe watch a little bit of a movie! Tomorrow is....Poker Night!!! Again an excuse to talk and socialize around a table of cards.

Last night we had to re-match of staff versus residents. If you remember before the score was 3-3. Well this time we played on a smaller pitch, with 6 players a side. Let's just say we were a little more motivated this time, the scoreboard read 18-2, staff.

Well I need to do laundry, get a shower, meet up with some volunteers to say "hi," and then maybe get a nap in this afternoon.

Also I worked myself into a starting role on our football team, so I am the starting right back for Edinburgh City Mission. (This is big time you know!! :)

Mike

Going places

I went to Glasgow today with Lauren. It was a fun, cheap trip, until we were coming back on the rail. She forgot her Young Person's Rail card so they charged her full price for a return ticket on top of the ticket she already bought. I had my Young Person's Railcard but when they issued it to me they only gave me one part of the card. So I too had to pay the extra 10£ on top of the first ticket I bought. What makes it worse is that thepublicc transportation here hasn't figured out how to use things like computers. So there is no database (although each railcard is assigned a unique number) that records your purchase and what not. So for Lauren she couldn't get a refund because you have to have your card with you. For me, well, it is even worse. Because they didn't give me part of my railcard at the time of purchase it is invalid. So now I have to buy another railcard on top of paying the extra money for the ticket to Glasgow.

This isn't the first time this week that I have had problems with travel plans. We were complementingabouts on the way back about how well we did to go to Glasgow and back, get some food, visit Museums and Cathedrals for 8£ total, and then that happened. Oh well, that's the way it goes I suppose!

So what has happened as of late? I had the weekend off, which was relaxing. Saturday I played football in the morning and then went to a friends house to watch football and eat pizza. That night was really boring, which I really enjoyed. It was the first night in a long time where I didn't havanythingng to do, and I enjoyed jusreadinggn and watching the Olympics. On Sunday I went into work to work on seminary applications, that evening Danny and I led worship again. It is quite commitmentnt to lead worship because it takes up half the day. We are leaving the flat around 4 and returning around 9, but it is well worth it.

I have Bible Study at church here in a bit but don't know if I'm going to bother. I left the flat at 10 this morning and haven't been back yet. I'm still quite happy with work here. I thought my schedule would make for exhausting days and long shifts, but I have actually enjoyed it a lot. I have still managed to find time to exercise everyday. This morning I went for a good long run, yesterday I lifted, the day before played football, etc... I was getting really bored with just running everyday so I have been happy to have some variety as of late. My chances to play football are picking up and since I can use to gym for free now it adds a change of pace. I actually find it easier to get up and exercise at 7:30 in the morning when I am about to work a 12 hour shift.

So I might go to Bible Studay but I might not...If you can't tell right now I am trying to make up my mind and weigh the pro's and con's via writing this blog. There are obviously very view con's, but it is a very basic Bible study. It is very introductory and shares stuff like, "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the 4 Gospels, they each give an account of Jesus's life and ministry." But it is still good for getting discussions going...

I have 3 days of work in a row because I am doing 3 days of night shift next week. The shift patterns are difficult to understand sometimes but the way it goes is I work 3 days, off 3 days, then I work night 3 days, and then I'm off 4 days. That's not the norm. But it works out well because in two weekends everyone from my flat is heading up to the Highlands. It will be a good time for us to bond and relax.

Well tune in next time I write to find out the dramatic conclusion to whether or not I went to Bible Study!

P.S. I apologize for the poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Things happen

I like to do things. Moreover I like to busy, and when working a 2 day on 2 day off schedule that means for big chunks of free time. I always seem to worry about getting things planned for my days off so I'm not bored. However, I have no reason to worry because things just seem to happen!

Like last Thursday, I had nothing planned. The night before my pastor phoned to say he wanted to meet for lunch. Then I saw there was a cool exhibit at the museum that took up my afternoon and at night Danny ended up coming home from the conference early so we caught a movie.

On Friday I found out that now my work gym card gets us into the gym for free! So I used that in the morning and came back to find some of my co-workers got the day off. So we went for a drive/walk (sounds kinda of corny, but it was fun) to Crammond (imagine a fishing village), then watched a football match, made some awesome dinner, and then Danny and I headed to friends flat to say, "hi." We actually did more then say "hi," we played Jenga! (I lost once)

And then we had work. I wonder how numb I am becoming sometimes. When I first came here I was far more affected by situations. We had a resident refuse to leave the building and I was the only male there so I had to calm him down. The only problem was he was completely wasted and the police had to come. Of course the police then let him out of their custody and he returned 1 hour later so we could re-live the excitement.

What I find humorous at the House is how the residents try to pull the wool over my eyes. I walked into one flat and a guy was sitting on the couch but probably thought he was sitting on Pluto. I knew he had been smoking grass not only by the way he looked but by the fact I could smell it. It didn't help that he started the conversation and talked for 20 minutes straight about how Mark McGwire (baseball player) was the guy that his dad said he knew.

Even when I was leaving work the next day, Sunday, I ran into a lady on the street, drunk and carrying her child. The kid had a 6 inch slice in her head and was bleeding everywhere. So I walked her up to the closest drop in center.

Monday was a nice day at work but I was just reminded how blessed I am by my co-workers. We went out after work and just spent a good time chatting away. Yesterday, I was pretty lazy. Well I say lazy but I did a 1.5 hr bike ride then hiked on the crags for a little by myself. In the afternoon I went to Bethany Hall and worked on the computers so I could set up my FASFA.

Today, I went for a swim. I'm getting better, the old ladies aren't passing me by anymore! Danny is around today as well so we just chilled in the flat for a couple of hours. I'm heading back now to go to a friends flat for some food and then we are catching a movie.

It's a nice day out and I'm looking forward to the coming weeks. March 1st I head up to the highlands with my flatmates. Late March Josh is coming over and all of our travel is finally finalized! And just yesterday I booked my flights to Germany for the World Cup and to visit Dan.

Alright, that's life on this side of the ocean. Hope you had a good valentines, I spent mine with my house group reading the Bible, so I spent it in the presence of Jesus! Beat that :)

This was hard...

Well I have been meaning to write for about one week. A lot has happened, like always, yet I just can't seem to get around to writing. I have had the last 4 days off and I haven't touched the new Donald Miller book I have and haven't even scratched in my journal.

So here are the highlights of my past week and a half

-Learning to drive stick/ learning this on the left side of the road
-Playing football
-Celebrating my birthday with the volunteers
-Going golfing on my b-day
-House group, leading worship
-Big screen, movie night, at our flat
-Keeping the projector last night so I could watch the Steelers win a Super Bowl!
-Eating Bannana pudding! (yum) Eating Birthday Cake (yum!)
-Playing 9 games of pool for really cheap at a pool hall that made me feel like I was in some low budget film!
-Losing all 9 games of pool and therefore relinquishing any bragging rights I had beforehand

I have spent the pass two days mostly filling out applications and forms for Seminary. It takes a lot of work and coordination to mail stuff all over the world for references, transcripts, and what not!

My birthday was cool, the volunteers came over and we went out and listened to some music. It was a guy on the guitar and his mate on the drums. He was pretty good and I started to predict the songs he was going to play and actually got two right in a row! A Beach Boys and Beatles tune!

There is so much to write and so many things I could share but I just don't know where to begin. It seems like I'm just getting comfrotable here in Scotland and realize that I have to start preparing for moving on. I think that is one thing that makes this year difficult. I have known all along that it is temporary, so it is hard to commit fully to anything. That being said, I was don't regret my choice at all. I have made some incredible friends and had some great experiences!

I am excited for my upcoming travels, my bro is coming in late March. In June I'm going to visit Dan in Germany. Late July will bring more travels with Dan. June and August my parents and sis/bro-in law are going to cross the pond!

Work has been going well and my 4 days off have been nice. I am actually writing this at work, we now have broadband here and I decided to come in on my day off to use the computer. I have actually been writing seminary essays for the past 2 hours and decided this would be a good break.

Until next time...cheers!