My bro and sises

Great book about the theology of Evolution!!!!!

I'm reading this facinating book right now and it is perty sweet. So check it out especially all you up tight fundys. I was just reading some of my previous posts and my god, I can not punktuate, or spell to save my life. But like I said in a previous post it is simply because I am too postmodern for the rest of the world:) Nothing really interesting going on in my life at the moment other that my wine and cheese party goin on this evening. I've latley been kinda gearing up to move out. On that note let it be known that I hate moving. It is such a hassle. I move on average every 6 months and the one thing I appreciate is that every time I move I lose approx one tenth of all my stuff, either cuz I don't want to move the damn thing, or I just forget, or throw it away on accident. I look at it like my tithe:) Oh and in older news I don't think that I mentioned that I got a Sony PSP. (Chad I bet your ssssssoooooo jealous :) ) It is the best purchase of my life better than food. I mean even the Bible says you shouldn't live on bread alone.............and when you can't afford bread, because you bought a sweet ass PSP, somehow the pulsing electronic soundtrack of Ridge Racer is louder than the growls of your bellly. Oh and sorry for all of the obscenities and misspelled words.

Cheese Fricken Party!

Como suple Vuh, all you french bitches! I'm having a wine and cheese party on sun. at 5pm and everyone is invited. It is to be a simply marvalous event, hosted my myself and my good friend Sara D. Good times are guaranteed by all......and if you notice your not having a good time then you can drink more:) Anyway other than that, my new anouncements thus far are that I'm going to be moving in with a couple swell friends of mine until I can find a house to purchase. Looking for something under $100,000 close to US127, any suggestions let me know. Went to my dad's bible study the other night and got ridiculed for not believing we're going to heaven when we die. That was interesting, especially when one of the guys read the verse in I think I Timothy about not believing in strange teachings. And then I brought up the fact that he was twisting the Bible around and back in forth it went. But it might have done some good, afterwards one of the guys that wasn't talking at all comented on how this was the first nonconforming bible study they've had. I'm such a heathen:) O well, sorry for being honest and asking questions. Peace

Hello again

Hey another exciting, heart racing entry. First some random stuff.....the new Sony PSP is super cool if you have one you are very blessed (yes I'm still obsessing over it), then......I'm really in a bind in my mind....ooo that's good (ya'll can use that rhythm) in regards to whether or not I should go to college, or just take a bunch of classes in areas that I want to study, mainly theology type stuff. I've been thinking about degrees within the ministry. I just can't justify getting into debt thousands of dollars just to feel "equipted" to do ministry. (and by the way I misspell stuff on purpose, that's how postmodern I am, if you don't like it then YOU use spell check.....damn it!) Why can't I be a "minister" and be respected as a person without the $40,000 piece of paper? Thats all for now cuz I'm getting kicked out of the coffee shop. Peace in my heart, please God

Another exciting post

Hey one and all and welcome to another riveting blog entry by me. News today is that I decided to stay in Lansing and go to school rather than Grand Rapids.....reason? Because it is so much cheaper for one and for two I got an offer from my employer I coulnd't refuse. I'm still interested in the "ministry", but the question is to what capacity. I've been thinking a lot lately about the whole "religious system" (here it is in quite a long digression; Graduate high school, dick around for awhile "feel" "God's call", go to collage, get into massive amounts of debt, go to seminary, get into more massive amount of debt, graduate, get "employeed" by a "church", and spend the rest of your life providing religious goods and services to the masses of "consumer Christianity") and how that compares with just "being" the church in everyday life. Caring for the poor, helping your neighbors, gathering with friends to discuss theology over beer, and mucho other stuff is what I think I would like to do. Now how to go about it is the other question. I realize there is space within the contemporary church structure for "pastors", "priest's" etc. to change things but I don't think I'm domesicated enough to be one of those people, God bless'em. Anyway that's whats on me mind. If the one person reading this has any advice I would gladly accept. If there is no one reading this then, God please e-mail me your thoughts on this subject. Well until next time, "kick the tires and light the fires"

stupid church people

hey check out these podcasts! really good stuff!!

God is real!!!! In case you didn't know and want to take my word for it.

I've got a pretty funny story that I have to share with you all. This past weekend I was up north on our lake in a little town called Lewiston. It was night and we were having a bonfire in front of the lake. My family decided to call it a night and go inside for bed, while I decided to stay out and enjoy the beautiful night. I'm sitting in the chair admiring the black sky and lake, looking up at the stars and finally say to my self, "self you should lay on the ground so you can get a better view of those awesome stars". I thought this was a pretty good idea, so I lay on the ground and I"m having this really spiritual moment looking up at the stars watching a comet, and just talking to "god". Then I get frustrated and tell "god" that I wish I knew if "he" was for real or what like how am I supposed to just believe "he's" out there and "he" loves me blah blah blah.....so I say "god" if your real you have to show me I mean give me a sign, show me something really cool, show me the stars all lining up saying "HELLO MIKE" or something. And then all of a sudden I feel this wierd tingling in my pants, first on my legs and then around the "holy of holy's" and then instead of tingling I feel itching and slight pain, and it becomes apparent to me that my pants are filled with ants. So I go inside and inspect the situation and sure enough ants have filled my pants. At that moment I felt really close to God, He is really has got a sense of humour. I doubt God all the time, but it's times like this that "knowing" He's around, isn't as important as our interaction together. I told God that He got me good and went to bed smiling myself to sleep:)

Happy Independence Day

Had a lovely two day weekend up north with my parents and sister. The 3rd was absolutely beautiful, a perfect day. Other than that life continues this week as usual. Well thats about it. I don't really have anything else to say but wanted to post something so you don't think I forgot about this thing. Peace

dreams/reality; Case in point

Ok weird thing. Last night I had a dream of this girl, Kristin, that I went to England with last year. I dreamt that I went over to her house and talked with her and her parents. Today I took my lunch break early for no reason and went to the book store. While I was reading a book I hear someone say, "Mike", "hey Mike". And who is it, but Kristin's mom! Very weird. This type of shit happens all the time, and it has no meaning other than coinsidence I quess. Anyway my sis graduated from Douglas J Salon today and I'm very proud of her. I'm on my way out the door right now so peace party people!!!!!!

between faith and fantasy

Where am I? Who am I? this is the question that has been on my mind the last couple mornings, in those waking minutes between dreams and whatever this is. It seems to me that I have been so bent on making my faith logical or proving to myself why I believe what I believe, that I have forgotten how little is truely logical. I've been reading the bible and really getting caught up in the stories of our great God and the people he loves, and what a whore the people he loves are.....none the less he loves anyway. These stories seem real to me, just as my life seems real to me but I have such a loose hold on it all. Imagination and fantasy are harder than you thing to seperate from reality. I find freedom here in loosing my fake control on my world and leaving it up to my dreams.....to God's dreams.

Apple's new iProduct

This is halarious!!!!!1

Great podcast!

This is pretty cool! Makes me want to go out and buy a PSP. If anyone reading this would like to buy me one I would be forever indebted:) http://catholicinsider.com/scripts/praystation.php

What a weekend!

This weekend was amazing. I meet with my friend from Toronto, Christina and Dean L. at the Irish Pub. Enjoyed some very good theology over ale:) After that I went to the last party at the Seymour house, so sad. There I drank too much and meet some very cool people. This couple I met were especially cool. We talked about spirituality and I explained my constantly evolving view of Christ. They seemed to really enjoy this alternative perspective of the "christianity" they had heard before. They were such an encouragement to me because they were interested in spiritual things, which is something you don't see much anymore. Most people are interested either, in opposing anything religious or spiritual, or being simply religious and fake. I find myself sometimes swinging between these extremes, God help me. But anyway all in all it was a tremendous weekend, besides trying to recover from a night of heavy drinking:) Peace people

No title

Listening to Sufjen Stevens new album it is truly beautiful. I've been listening to N.T. Wright all day at work, my brain is smushed with things to ponder. No matter how many times I listen to his lectures I get something new out of them. Met with my parents missionary friend from Niger yesterday. Boy did he have some interesting stories. There culture is so different over there. Apparently from what he was saying, the mission organization struggles to find trustworthy people to work within the organization because in their culture if there is some money sitting around and they have a relative that is sick and in need of medical services they will just take the money to pay for it, even though the money does not belong to them. The mission organization sees this as immoral, but I've been thinking that since morals vary from culture to culture, how right is our "western-Christian" morals? Are they superior to morals in a Muslim nation? Or a Hindu nation? Etc. I think the problem that arises in poorer nations is possibly their lack of understanding/respect when it comes to ownership. But is ownership Biblical? Aren't we taught to share liberally? ie. if someone asks for the coat off your back give them your shirt as well etc. What did Jesus own? What did the apostles own? I realize that we live in different cultures but think about the underlying ideology off property and ownership. It's me trusting in my possessions, looking to what I have as some form of identity. I am in no way justifying stealing but if Christ's Kingdom principles were implemented we would have no reason to "steal" and if someone did "steal" from us it would make little or no difference, because if they needed it we would give it anyway. In the Nigerian culture if someone needs a tool, money, food, etc. he'll ask you for it and your obligated to give it. The missionary described them as not seeing longterm solutions to problems, but only immediate ones (ie. the example above with the money). He said this is why it is hard for the culture to "get ahead", because commerce in our western culture requires "ownership", "property" etc. Without these "getting ahead" financially is impossible, but is that so bad?

My cool sister

Coffee with Lu

Always great to see Lu. She is one of my dearest friends......lovely...yes lovely.:)

My lovely friend lu

Walter Brueggemann Speech!!!!!!

Walter is the man!

Finished Moving!!! Thank Jesus!

I just finished moving my mom and her four kids into their new apt. Thanx to my friend Josh we blew all the stuff out of the Uhaul in like 2 hours. Other than that I'm just gearing up to move to Grand Rapids and start school at Calvin College in Aug. Debating between pschology and religious studies. I'm going to try and visit with my friend Dean and Lydia in G.R. tomorrow (my spelling rules:)) I downloaded some new Imogen Heap last week and it is sweet sweet ear candy:) Has anybody checked out Bjorks new project yet? It's sooooo beautifully scary. I still wonder if anyone is reading this shit:) TTFN

Bjork's new project

Check out Bjork's new project. http://unit.bjork.com/specials/dr9/
Super stoked!!!!!