Movie review: Doom

I (Tim) rented Doom for $1 at the McDonald’s Redbox on Saturday night. When you rent a movie based on a video game, you do not expect Shakespeare. However, I did expect it to be better than it was. Doom is dumb and boring. Most of the movie was spent having underdeveloped characters (Marines) wandering around in the dark with a blond woman giving pseudo-scientific answers to why everyone is turning into an evil monster. The audience of this movie wanted to see one thing: monsters being blown apart by big guns. There was one sequence where they showed the first person shooter perspective and that was super cool. Unfortunately, it was three minutes long and was about the only cool part of the movie. Otherwise, there was hardly any action in this action movie. Do not bother with Doom.

Sweet scene: First person shooter perspective

Turd in the punchbowl: The rest of the movie

Tim's thoughts on a beautiful April day.

These are my thoughts today.
• The new Plumb album, “Chaotic Resolve” is amazing. Out of the 4 Plumb albums, this is easily the best. It has the rock of the first album with the real life lyrics for which Plumb is known. This is as good as anything on mainstream radio, and if there is any fairness in the entertainment industry, this album should receive awards and airplay. Do yourself a favor and pick up this album.
• Heidi and I watched two movies recently. Both were terrible, but for different reasons. The first, a Sixth Sense rip-off called Stay was well acted and directed with style, but made absolutely no sense. We watched it with Chris and Zong and when the movie ended, we all said, “what the heck?” It was not even like Memento where everyone would talk about it afterwards, we just agreed “that was dumb” and moved on. The other movie that Heidi and I saw at the cheap seats was The Family Stone. If this movie was supposed to be a comedy, then it was not funny. If it was supposed to be a drama, it was not dramatic. It succeeded in being a chick flick, in that all the males cried the whole movie and everyone that was single at the start was dating someone at the end. Please do not waste your time with either film. (Heidi does share my opinion of both movies.)
• I forget to put on the blog that the HR position that I really wanted went to someone else. It bums be out, but life goes on. Work has been more interesting lately, so that is good.
• Yesterday Heidi and I enjoyed the good weather by running on the Greenway. We did not stay together the whole time, but it worked out well. Running with Heidi is the most fun way to go running. I sure do love my wife.

Dog People

The past few days Heidi and I have been watching Sully, her brother's dog. He is a nice dog and it has been fun to walk him and have him around the house. The only problem we have encountered so far is sleeping. We stayed a couple nights at Heidi's parent's house with Sully and he insisted on sleeping on the bed with us. Mostly at or on my feet. That would not be a problem, except that he is a big dog. Big enough to hog a section of the bed and keep us from a decent night's sleep for several nights in a row. Aside from that, he is a big dog trapped in our upstairs apartment, and he kind of reminds me of the dirty polar bears at Como Park. I feel bad for a big, strong animal reduced to freaking out at the squirrels he can see through the windows. All in all, this has been a good experience to help us realize that, at least for now, we are not dog people.

Birthday party!

Hey everybody, we are having a little, spur-of-the-moment birthday party for ourselves this Friday at 7pm. Would love to see you if you can make it - everyone is welcome! Call for directions :)

Spring

Today is officially the first day of Spring. And my birthday. (Heidi's) Happy Spring and happy birthday to me :)

winter blues

Ugh, Tim and I are both sick. Full-fledged colds, yuck. I even went out and bought a thermometer. Too bad we don't believe in calling in sick. I don't work today, but Tim is at the office. This time of year is the worst, it's cold, grey, snowy, and everyone is sick with something. And it's tax season!

I am ready for spring. Technically, the first day of spring is Monday, my birthday. Tim's bday is next Friday. Who thinks we should have a party?????

Snow Day!

Living in Minnesota with the brutal winter normally have, you would think there would be the occasional snow day. We have not had one in years. Today we finally got one. At least I (Tim) did. I woke to about 8 inches of wet snow covering my car and everything else. Heidi had gone to work a couple hours earlier. So I called the office several times and there was no message about the office being closed. After cleaning off my car, I ventured onto the extra slow freeway and somehow made it to the office without incident. Upon entering, the first person I saw informed me that the office was indeed closed. (Information that would have been helpful earlier.) I headed back out to my car and made my way carefully to Starbucks to see my wonderful, beautiful wife. When I walked in she had just started her half hour break. We hung out during her break, then I settled in with a coffee and did my perspectives homework. On the way home I swung by the McDonald's Redbox to return Walk the Line and pick up a couple more movies. Heidi came home and is taking a nap now. I already watched The Longest Yard and tonight we'll watch The Island. We plan to hit the Y for a little exercise as well. What a great day. There are real benefits to living in the great white north.

reflecting on the week

We had a quick (and yummy) dinner with some Youthworks friends tonight (thanks Kari and roomates!) and now Tim is at Park Avenue to hear auther Ron Sider speak. So I am taking a few moments before I dig into some homework to reflect on the week.

This has been an extremely rough week for me. Lots of homework, some family stuff and a few commitments in the midst of some severe headaches. At some point this week, I realized that I have been living each day in survival mode. Just trying to get through the day, the week, the month, etc. When I get up in the morning, my first thought is ok, I just need to get to work and make it through my shift, then I can close my eyes and rub my temples.

Well, as I began to think about this pattern of "functioning," I could see it for what it really is, a way that I was working in my own strength and giving up my joy b/c of the trial of my circumstance.

I'm not very good at asking for help, but I need some help right now. Please pray for me. Pray that God would strengthen me and give me what I need to "show up" for my life right now. To get out of bed in the morning and go to work. And to praise Him for His goodness to me. This week has been a heady (no pun intended) reminder that I am still in a battle. I know who wins, but I could use some reinforcements right about now.

Too small?

So I'm checking out at Super Target this afternoon and the checker, in her thick Indian accent (always funny), comments on the good deal I found in a sweater for $3.75. I respond with "yea, it was such a good deal that I didn't even try it on!" She says, "what size did you get?" I answer "a small." She says "oh?" and she looks me over and says, "you might need a medium."

What?! I don't believe I asked her for her oppinion on that matter! Well, miss checker-lady, it's fits just fine, thank you very little!

So next time you're at Target be careful what you converse about with the checker b/c they just may subtely call you fat! Or at least fatter that you think you are!

Tim's thoughts for today

• My interview for the HR position went well. I feel good about my chances. Thanks for praying.
• I watched The Second Chance again last night with my Guy’s Group. My hopes for this film to be a sleeper hit like Napoleon Dynamite and propel the director, Steve Taylor, to stardom will probably not be realized. However, it is still a darn good movie and I cannot wait for Steve to make another one. If you have not seen it yet, I would encourage you to check it out.
• Three of my favorite Broncos players gut cut from the team yesterday. Mike Anderson, the former Marine and 27 year old rookie of the year was one of my all time favorite Broncos. Trevor Price, the defensive lineman who mauled the Chiefs on Monday Night Football and was a popular player. Last, Jeb Putzier, the tight end who caught passes in the middle of the field and got hit more than anyone else. I’ll miss them.
• The class that Heidi and I are taking, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, sure is good. There is a lot of homework each week, but I am learning a ton and Heidi and I have had some great conversations from the reading. I would encourage you to check it out.
• I love my wife. She is the greatest.

I need a craft fix

Ugh! We have been so busy lately. I hate being busy. I like down time and I (Heidi) haven't had any time to do anything even remotely crafty in ages. I need a fix! So the next time any of you has a craft party, invite me and maybe, just maybe I can go. But probably not. At least send me photos of your own craft projects and I can live vicariously through that. If any of you know my sweet and wonderful old roomate, Am, you know that even if I didn't have time to be crafty, I could live vicariously through her amazing mad skills in that dept. She's even better than jailbird Martha Stewart!

A sweet opportunity

I (Tim) have an interview on Thursday, March 2, for a transfer to a position with Human Resources at my present employer. This would be a great career move and allow me to use my gifts more. I am excited for this and want it bad. If y'all could be in prayer for me, my interview is at 1 pm cst. Thanks.

Why they always gotta mess with me?

Last Tuesday while I (Heidi) was hard at work training someone in on the espresso bar, some guy snuck into the back room and stole my credit card and some cash from my purse. He went into my locker, into my purse and into my wallet and then put it all back as it was, minus the goodies. Then he snuck back out and tried to steal our tip jar, which we caught. But after that he spent a good minute trying to explain to me that he had done nothing wrong. Ugh. Why do these crazies always seem to show up in my life? Fortunately Starbucks reimbursed me for my loss and I cancelled my credit card. Crazy. Just another Tuesday.

Movie review: The Second Chance

When I (Tim) heard that the multi-talented Steve Taylor was making a movie, I got excited. He was an innovative musician for many years and one of the more creative people in the world of Christian media. His debut as a feature film director did not disappoint. It is a gritty, realistic portrayal of urban ministry and complacent mega-churches. So gritty, that I am sure some Christian audiences will be offended by it. (There is a moving scene that deals with people who have an attitude like that.) The acting by Michael W. Smith was passable, but jeff obafemi carr was outstanding. I expect to see more of him. Steve did a nice job in the director’s chair, as well as one of the writers. It is so nice to see Christians portrayed as flawed people seeking God’s will and trying to do the right thing. This is a powerful film that deserves our attention. I hope it does well in the box office and that Steve makes more movies.

Sweet scenes: the basketball clinic “Oooo! Larry Bird!”
The staff meeting
Pastor Jake’s speech at the Rock

Turd in the punchbowl: A few subplots needed fleshing out more and the acting was a bit weak in a couple places

What made her different

Before I met Heidi, I went on a lot of first dates. Not many second dates, though. In fact, I was rapidly losing hope that going on dates would result in finding a wife. There were plenty of good Christian women in my life, but nothing ever worked out. I told people that all the women I had gone out with were missing one essential element. That, of course, was her liking me back. I realize now that I was wrong about that. The missing element was her giving me a chance. (Rent the movie Hitch for an in-depth study of this concept.) The thing that made Heidi different was that she did not just write me off right away for one reason or another. She let me hang around long enough to win her over. I am grateful for that.

Since today is Valentines Day, I wish to declare on this blog how much I love my Sweet Baboo and how fortunate I feel to be married to her. Life is indeed good.

Letter to the Editor

Below is a letter to the editor that I (Heidi) sent to Christianity Today Magazine. We subscribe, but I'm not a big fan of this usually watered down publication. This is, of course, only my humble opinion. Let me just say this is a very mild responce in comparision to my initial reaction to reading the report from Luis Palau. I needed about a week and a half to simmer down enough to write it! If any of you have read my entries, you know I have a special burden on my heart for the persecuted church. I'm a stickler for fact when it comes to what Christian brothers and sisters are facing around the world for their faith. I'm not usually one to complain, or seek to make my piece heard in situations like this, but I could not stay silent. So for what it's worth, read on:

"I was shocked when I read the report of Luis Palau’s visit to China in the February issue of CT. I don’t question the validity of Palau’s experience at the registered church he visited, but I’m concerned that his comments may serve as further justification for the majority of the Western church to remain inactive in response to the persecution facing the body of Christ in China. Palau’s experience is in direct contrast to that of thousands of believers there who are counting the cost daily of living for Christ. I hope we can take this opportunity to remember our family in China (Hebrews 13:3), and educate ourselves; that we might bear witness to their testimonies of faithfulness. Please pray for the Christians in China; they pray for you!"

A rock star's heart for Africa

Normally, when a rock star speaks out on an issue, I roll my eyes and make a snide comment. Not so with Bono. In my humble opinion, the U2 frontman, despite his rock star status, has earned the right to speak. This speech was at the National Prayer Meeting and he was sharing his heart for Africa. My heart for Africa has increased greatly since Heidi and I committed to moving to Senegal for full time ministry. Bono said some great things and I would encourage you to follow the link and read the transcript of his speech. I would love to hear your thoughts on what he had to say.

Here is the link: http://www.data.org/archives/000774.php

Talking about the weather

Minnesota is a place of weather extremes. It can be miserably cold here in the winter and miserably hot in the summer. The one nice thing about the weather is that you always have something to talk about. No matter where you are, you can always start a conversation with, “sure is cold, huh?” That, and “the Vikings sure did choke something fierce on Sunday, huh?” I have no idea how people in places like Florida strike up conversation. I guess there is always, “the Jags, Dolphins, or Bucs sure did choke something fierce on Sunday, huh?” But how do you start a conversation when it is not football season? The nice thing about growing up in Colorado was that the weather changes incredibly fast so you were guaranteed something to talk about. Of course, there is always, “the Broncos sure did put a beat down on the Raiders, huh?” I guess God gave us weather so we have something to talk about. And football.

Time for a blog about something other than football!

I'm not sure where all my time goes these days, but things have seemed incredibly busy lately. I'm still adjusting to my new 5am schedule at Starbucks and I usually end up sleeping an extra 3 or 4 hours on my day off sleeping in order to have the strength to make it through the week. (prayer point: please pray that God would continue to provide me with adequate energy. I am so thankful that His power is made perfect in my weakness!) We're also taking a class called Perspectives which requires a lot of additional time. While this class is a part of our training for M:MM there is still a lot that needs to be done, or at least started!

Life gets so busy and it's easy for me to get overwhelmed, especially when I am tired and not feeling well. I have been meditating on parts of scripture where Jesus calls us to cast our cares upon him and take up his burden, while laying our own at his feet. In the midst of the crazy lives that we have built for ourselves, God wants us to set ourselves to seek Him, to dedicate time each day and focus on nothing but Him. I pray that today, we would all be able to enter into this.

Tim's thoughts on the much loved Broncos

Only one team can win the Super Bowl. That means that 31 teams do not win it. Only 4 teams play in the conference championship games. That means that 28 teams watch from home. A true fan of an NFL team is only truly happy when his/her team wins the big game. Nothing else is good enough. I need to remind myself that the Broncos had one heck of a great season and that I should not think about the awful game at the end. For most of the season, the much loved Broncos had everything go their way. Opposing defenses dropped interceptions, fumbles rolled into Broncos player’s hands, Broncos defenders were in the right place to make a pick, and running lanes opened at the right time for most of the season. During the AFC Championship game, none of those things happened. Everything went wrong for the Broncos on that day. Our defense left receivers open all over the field, our offense never found a rhythm, and Plummer had his worse game of the year. Sometimes you just cannot put your finger on why things happen in football. Maybe this was payback for the Patriots having their worst playoff loss in 5 years in Denver the week before. Oh well. After all, it is just a game. (Did I really just say that?)