Let wonder replace worry

Princeton: Wednesday

Just a half day today with the afternoon and evening free. A big group of people are heading to New York City to try their luck with broadway tickets. Since I rented a car for the week, I was able to spend the afternoon exploring New Jersey.

I was flipping through the channels a month or so ago and saw a show about diners on the Food Network. The guy just happened to be eating "hash" in a little place not too far from Princeton. I've never had that before, so I headed over there and gave it a try. It was good, definitely different, but good. Then I headed to a mall that has one of Nicole's favorite stores. We discovered it in Tampa on our honeymoon and have stopped in them all over the country ever since. (There are none in Washington.) Now, I am going to get to bed early. Tomorrow I'll be on campus for 13 hours. It is going to be really good. Long, but good.

Princeton: Tuesday

I enjoyed talking with Tony Jones this morning during his course titled "Is the emergent church post youth ministry. I got the impression that he often says things with the purpose of making people both uncomfortable and mad in an attempt to promote conversation. I was a little surprised that I thought he was right on with most of his thoughts on dispatches from the emerging church. I have added his new book to my reading list.

The rest of the day was great. My extended seminar on "Going viral for Jesus" kicked off this morning. The time flew and I am excited to continue that conversation tomorrow. I also took a seminar on reading the New Testament in the context of a group. I've got some ideas on how to use those tactics in my high school bible studies.

We only have a half day tomorrow with the rest of the day off to explore New Jersey. I'll take some of that time to write some reflections on the lecture series from this week.

I'm also going to try to remember to take some pictures. I am horrible at that.

Princeton: Monday

After flying all night, I made it to Princeton this afternoon with just enough time to check into the hotel, jump in the shower, and get over to the campus for the opening worship service.

Great discussions so far today. Karl Barth's vocation theology has already come up twice and we are just getting started. I've decided that I am going to tackle Church Dogamtics IV.3.2. I could not get enough of hearing about that today.

I've got a full day tomorrow. I am looking forward to Tony Jones tomorrow morning asking the question "Is the Emergent Church Post-Youth Ministry." That should get some discussion started. Also my extended seminar "Going Viral for Jesus" kicks off in the morning for the next 3 days. That is going to be amazing.

After traveling all through the night, I am exhausted. Its almost 9:30 and I am calling it a night. Although this 42" Plasma TV in my hotel room may make it hard to go to bed. I am staying at the Hyatt Place Princeton. It is a very nice Hotel. I could stay for awhile. 

More tomorrow.

Off to Princeton

I'll be heading down to the airport in a few minutes and spend the night and tomorrow morning traveling to Princeton, NJ for the 2008 Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry.

Last year, I flew into Newark, NJ from Florida where I was attending another conference with the church staff. I caught the train at the airport and rode right into Princeton. This year, I found it cheaper to fly to Philadelphia, PA and rent a car for the week than flying back to Newark. I am excited to have a car this year so that I can spend some time exploring the east coast.

I am really excited about the forums this year. I've signed up for a couple of courses that I think will really challenge my thinking and view of how I am doing youth ministry. I'll share those impressions here throughout the week.

I am kind of bummed to be leaving Nicole and Jaxson though. I have almost completely stopped traveling since he was born and the couple of times I have had to travel they came with me. But knowing people at church who are deployed for a year at a time really puts me being gone for a week into perspective.

Check back for my impressions all week.

The Things that Carried Him

I just spent a half hour reading one of the most gripping stories I have read in awhile. It is a long story from Esquire Magazine that is definitely worth your time. Link.

It is the story of Joe Montgomery and his trip back home after he was killed in Iraq. I personally know 3 guys who have been killed over there (one a former youth group student) and I had no idea of the care, honor, and respect they receive on their final trip home.

It will make you hate war and at the same time, make you love and be proud of your country.

I would have never thought those 2 things could exist together in the polarized world where we live.

Dove Awards

When I got home from youth group last night, Nicole and I stumbled across the Dove awards on the Gospel Music Channel. The sad thing is that neither of us knew we even had the Gospel Music Channel. We did not watch the whole show, but I did have one observation.

Toby Mac stills dresses and acts the same way he did when I first started listening to DC Talk somewhere around 1990. I've always liked him as an artist, but for the couple of minutes I saw him on this Christian award show, he came across like a middle aged youth pastor trying to sit at the cool kids table at the local high school. With the students feeling sorry for him because no one his age should dress or talk like he is attempting and other adults wondering why he is trying so hard, because it is all clearly an act.

His clothes and his slang were really cool in the early 90s, but not any more. I guess no one around him has let him know this yet. I think he could act 43 and still be a cool guy, a great performer, and an amazing singer.

Oh well, I still like the guy and enjoy his music. And if there did happened to be a DC Talk 20 year reunion tour this year, I'd be there in a second.

MacUpdate Promo

I am thinking of getting in on the MacUpdate Promo. Even though I only have need for a few of the applications, buying them separately would cost me more than the $65.

I am not too excited about Parallels though. I tried it last year, but I tend to like Boot Camp even though you have to restart the machine to switch platforms. Maybe I could sell it or something. I think I'll take a shot at using everything else.

Seinfeld

I used a clip from Seinfeld during Middle School Youth Group tonight and only 2 students knew what the show was. I explained the characters before showing it. Sure, they were not even in school when it went off the air, but man it made me feel old.

They all did enjoy the clip though.

Jaxson Pics

I just added some pictures of Jaxson to Facebook.

Check them out if you are interested.

Comfortable airline travel?

With me taking a red eye across the country in just a few days, this story was pretty exciting for me to come across.

Delta and Northwest (which may soon me one company) will be upgrading all of their seats to be more comfortable and have more room.

They are talking about this happening in 2010, so I know it is going to do nothing for my red eye next Sunday night/Monday morning, but I think if the seats looked like this, I would not be dreading the night nearly as much.