I want to be a spartan

I saw the 300 this weekend. I dont need to tell you i thought it was great. I'm devoid of anything thoughtful or spiritual that i feel the need to spew onto the masses, so i'm defaulting to violence and testosterone. I don't know how to spell testosterone. Anyways, if you're a guy, go see the movie, i'm pretty sure you'll love it. Violence, honor, and violence. It's a great movie, unfortunantly there are a few sex scences that prevent it from being a wholesome family event.

Mexican Food

I like Mexican food alot. I have a good friend who likes mexican food maybe more than I do. Naturally, when we hang out, Mexican food is usually involved. We were eating at one of our favorite places last night, and I was reminded something about good friendships. They are like a mirror; they reflect who we are in our good points and our bad ones. I don't always think about things before i say them (a promising trait for someone who wants to preach). Flash back to fajita nachos and bbq shrimp. I said something stupid. She didn't laugh. In fact, it's something that's been bugging her in our friendship for awhile. So we started to talk about it, and it turns out that something i thought was harmless had been creating a wedge in the relationship, making it hard for there to be health, and even making it difficult for her to trust me. I don't take alot of things seriously, but close friendships are pretty important to me, and i sat at the table speechless. (something else that doesn't happen alot) And hurt. I had no idea any of this was going on. I apologized, and we had a great dinner. But when i saw a reflection of who i was, i wanted to vomit. The reason God calls us into community is because 1.) we need it. and 2.) it helps us grow spiritually. We need people that love us enough to help us. I'm not talking about being overly critical, but encouraging us to be the people that God wants us to be. I know the kind of husband and father I want to be, but i have habits, bends, and issues that stand in the way of who i am now and who i hope one day to be. Thankfully i have friends who risk comfort to point out the junk i need to clean out and friendships strong enough to create the safety for that kind of risk to be taken. It's not pleasant, i still feel crappy about being a jerk to someone i value so highly, but i would have felt alot worse if my junk would've gone unchecked and eventually jacked up not only that friendship, but all those after it.

The Craig Miller Theory

I live amongst celebrities. I mean, on a daily basis, i'm surrounded by them. I've heard it said before, but it finally clicked the other day. I was in the verrrry trendy part of Dallas called uptown this past weekend for a birthday thing (uptown is populated by guys with a ton of cash, and impossibly attractive young women who are dating the cash...i'm sorry i meant to say the guys with cash, that was a slip, men are shallow while women are deep, sincere, and only care about personality) and in the midst of the yuppie expanse, I realized the mastadon stunning accuracy of the Craig Miller theory: I live amongst movie stars. The Craig Miller Theory was spawned on the Dunham and Miller Morning Show (KTCK 1310 AM) here in Dallas. Craig observed one day while talking about the atrocious driving habits of Dallasites that most people exist as the stars of their own movie. Every life experience is simply a part of the plot, and the rest of exist as supporting actors. Maybe this is just a dallas thing, but it is readily apparent that I live in a city of people whose world (and everyone in it) revolves around them. And don't get me wrong, the movie stars provide as much entertainment as they do annoyance. From the guy working his bluetooth while his beamer caromes down 75 blaring Dave Matthews "Ants Marching" to the emo/rockers who are vehemently rebelling against society and conformity by staunchly expressing their indiviuality (while all dressing and speaking exactly alike......) these self-absorbed stars and starlets make us laugh. The Craig Miller theory is far less funny and far more dangerous when it creeps it's way into the church. At seminary, i've seen countless guys whose "ministry" is simply another medium to brodcast a show about themselves. As Christians, we make God our supporting actor, or director. We live in a culture that is feeding us the idea that everything is about us, and we are choking on it. I see it in my own life as much as I do anywhere. The show isn't about us, it's about God, and as Christians, we are called to model that through a lifestyle of radical, sacrificial love and holiness. It's hard for me to model a life that demonstrates the creation is ulitmately about God when I keep putting myself first. The church is dying because we are making church what it does for us instead of what it can do for God. I'm not suggesting the church shut down production of the movie, we just need to keep in mind who the main character is.

what am i doing

I've never been big into blogging, probably because i'm marginally computer illiterate (sometimes i need our it guy to help me check my email) and probably because I just never really spent a ton of time infront of the computer. The underlying narcissim of writing one's own thoughts with the vain expectation that others will read them and give a flip isn't lost on me, and is probably a subconcious motivator for me, an only child dripping with narcissim. I really got turned on to it when I started reading my fellow intern Chris "Purple Zebra" Freeland's blog. At first I wasn't too sure about it, but I like reading what he has to say, and get alot out of it. Hopefully any overflow of my cranial porridge into this blog will be worth the time it's taking to do this. We'll see what happens.