Chris Warren

Graduate.

2010-07-18T21:38:00.000+04:00

Dear reader,

If you still have this blog listed as my primary address, I regret to inform you that I have moved again.

www.anothersoul.com

... and I graduated from Judson University recently, that was cool. :)

Because I have imported these posts to my new blog address, this blog will cease to exist soon. Update update update.

School is NICE

2007-09-16T12:24:00.000+04:00

Hey! Update your RSS Readers, and start checking out my other site. I will be posting there. Not here.

I love you still.

OTHERSSTEAL << Click There.

Life Update

2007-08-15T22:40:00.000+04:00

Hello dear reader.

I've neglected all of you. I have not written. I'm not sorry about it.. it just hasn't happened. I do miss all of you.

So, here is the update of the blog, for your consumption.

I have moved. Tucson is but a heartbreaking memory. Chicago now fills my vision, my thoughts.

I'm out here in Elgin, IL (its a suburb - like Marana, but without the cowfolk...). For those that don't know, I will be attending this fall at Judson College with a focus on Inter-cultural studies. Tuesday, I start a new position with an old friend. I will be in the Mobilization department here at International Teams.

New Direction

2007-05-20T00:53:00.000+04:00

http://otherssteal.blogspot.com/

Pushin' Back.

2007-05-11T02:41:00.000+04:00

So.

I haven't blogged since I have been home. There are a few reasons for this, but the most prominent in my mind is this.

I feel like this outlet is too self absorbed for me. I am hyper-aware of this. When I am updating frequently, I would check my stat counter to see how many people were logging on to check out what I had to say. Comments from people would drive me, even if it was only one. I'm tired of being a self absorbed person.

I want everyone to know that I am adjusting back to America. Its been a slow and cumbersome process, and the only thing that has aided it has been good friends. Friends who I am safe with. Friends who would listen if I wanted to talk about Russia, or Spain, or Greece, or Christianity, or Missions. Friends who would listen if I just wanted to talk about baseball, chicken, and the price of gas.

Thanks to everyone who has been a part of this over the last few years. But, for now. I am done.

But -- Look forward to something different. When I finish wrapping my mind around whatever it is that I want to do. I will let you know. It will not be here at chriswarren.blogspot.com. It will be a bit different, but it will still be me. Just hopefully to a bit less of a degree.

Love,
Chris

2007-03-06T20:48:00.000+03:00

:: gone ::

I left Santiago this morning.

I flew to Liverpool. Where I proceeded to board bus number 500 which took me directly to Lime Street Station. I met a nice old lady named Stella who served as a tour guide while I was on my way. She even got me oriented in the right direction at the train station.

I boarded the 12:15 with Burger King to go... just in time to depart for London. I slept most of the way.

I am settled into my hostel for the evening. Going to go have a beer, and try and catch part of the football match between Liverpool and Barcelona tonight.

Ok. 2 Minutes left at the internet cafe. See you soon loved ones. Goodbye to those in Santiago whom I didn't see before departing. I will see you soon too.

Using mobile phones for smarter things.

2007-02-27T22:55:00.000+03:00

No, I don't mean smart phones.

I mean... More capabilities though. But, I don't mean in the way of desktop-esque apps, and improved mail capabilities.

I mean... Get with the times.

Check out this article about how McDonald's is teaming up with DoCoMo for improved usage in Japan.

Pay for your Big Mac from your phone. Or, board a train using a barcode stored into your phone. !! Get with the times America!! Quit with the social networking crap (although, I know it makes money), and give me something a bit more useful then MySpace on my phone. ºRetchº

--

In other news. Today is my last day at Cafe Terra Nova, it is in fact... The last day under our [IT] ownership. The documents have been signed, and the money has changed hands. I close up in an hour, and that is all she wrote.

Jake (HT: Matt via the Terra Nova Blog) has some pics up.

Thanks for playin.

Fresh? Not so much... but there is music!

2007-02-23T07:21:00.000+03:00

I know that I should have something fresh up here.

If for anything to either fry up the dead fish that is Jesus Camp below, in order to re-hash it a bit... Or, to bury that stinky piece of rotting flesh once and for all.

Either way... In order to move along in the name of 'constantly improving,' here is your post.

I've heard the new Kings of Leon album coming out 'soon,' I love it. No comment on how this material came into my possetion...

I'm also checking out the new Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? Its a little too industrial pop for me, but the lyrics are worth a listen. If you have recently been in a breakup... Check it out. The entire album seems to be the singers struggle with his relationship with his wife. (HT: Relevant Mag)

This was the find of the week for me. Wireless power. Now, does anyone have a timetable on when I can pick this up at Radio Shack? (HT: LifeHacker)

I love you all. No seriously, my heart is large enough for all of you to drown in my ocean of emotion. At least come check out the beach, you'll def go for a swim then.

Why I am not a Christian.

2007-02-08T15:56:00.000+03:00

How was that for an attention getting title? Am I doing better at headlines??

Seriously though.

I screened the first 40 minutes or so of Jesus Camp last night. I was physically ill. I had to stop and take a walk. It was late, and I ended up walking into the old city and having a beer at a pub where I ran into some of the exchange students.

But, the overwhelming feeling I had was - If this is my religion, what the heck am I doing? What the heck are we doing? I had this overwhelming feeling: if this is it, I am out. I'm cashing in my chips, giving away my winnings and walking away. I will never play this game again.

I talked a bit with Jacob and Matt this morning about it, but neither one of them has seen the film yet. I want to finish it so that I can reflect on it as a whole, and not just a piece - but right now, there is little desire to finish it.

Has anyone seen the film? What are your thoughts on it? How does that affect your personal journey? What about politics?

My head is swimming with questions.

Bienvenidos a Terra Nova

2007-02-05T20:07:00.000+03:00

(Chris is not in this clip, in case you were wondering.)

Outlet Village

2007-02-01T22:31:00.000+03:00

“I need to eat a salad,” said the woman, steam rising from her magenta lips. “It’s freezing. A person could, like, die out here or something. I should’ve bought those Diesels, don’t you think? I bet I could’ve fit into them by Christmas. It’d be something to shoot for.”

“So you go take a steam and a sauna,” said her husband. “You’ll come out feeling like a million bucks.”

“The steam room makes me retain water.”

The man grunted and looked down at his cell phone. They were standing in the Outlet Village parking lot, their legs nearly hidden behind shopping bags. The outlets were designed to resemble a medieval hamlet, sans slop pails and the Plague, and with colorful brand-name logos in place of coats of arms. Beyond the village rose wave upon wave of wooded, snow-covered hills bare of foliage save for the hemlock, spruce and pine sprinkled throughout. Looking up into this wilderness, the woman’s mascara-rimmed eyes narrowed; she might have been surveying a wasteland of yellow brimstone. A red van pulled up, the husband and wife climbed inside while the driver retrieved their bags, and they sped off onto a narrow road that wound between the trees. As the couple watched the outlets disappear from sight a look of disquiet came over them...

[read the rest of the article here at adbusters.org]

Then, come back here and lets talk about it.

One person.

2007-01-30T22:30:00.000+03:00

Funny how days go.

When I started typing this...

There was only one person in the cafe. One. He's deaf. Sooo... I built a little play list on the iTunes... Productive I know.

I also cleaned every table, every menu, every dish, and was about to sweep when some people walked in. Wow. Now, there are six of us (I'm including myself this time).

Yay, I have something to do!!

... And I broke a cappuccino glass today, part of it is now embedded in my middle finger, do you want me to show you the finger?? Wow, I crack myself up.

I like numbers.

2007-01-29T20:54:00.001+03:00

Spur of the moment cafe stats.

22 people total.
2 in the bathroom.
14 laptops.

Its hard to write stats, because as soon as you write them. They change.

The people:
25 people in total.
1 in the bathroom.
4 Americans.
2 Germans (I would guess).
1 Swede.
2 Deaf People.
I know 5 peoples names.
3 people are new to me.
The rest I see nearly everyday in this cafe.

The interwebs:
14 laptops.
2 public use computers.
1 employee use computer.

The drinks:
(in no particular order)
2 normal teas.
1 Special Vanilla Infusion tea.
3 Heineken Cañas. (Small beers from the tap.)
3 Hot Chocolates.
1 Room temperature bottled water.
1 Double espresso.
3 Coca-Colas.
1 Coca-Cola Light.
1 Sprite.
1 Short espresso (solo corto).
1 Grande Cafe.
6 Cafe con leches. (The standard cafe drink.)
1 No drink - Pastry only.

Misunderstandings today:
1 - The girl was looking for work. I thought she was asking for a cafe to go. I don't need to explain anything else. It was awkward.

Things broken today:
0 - This is bound to change.

Noia.

2007-01-29T04:35:00.000+03:00

Sundays we get off. Well... actually, we simply choose to remain closed on Sundays. Last Sunday Jacob, Matt and I went for a hike. It was great. Jacob's camera was out of batteries when we got to the top to take pictures though! Doh!

Today we went to nearby Noia and walked around the city and explored a little bit. It was a bit eerie at times, because it was Sunday, everything (almost) was closed, and there wasn't many people around until we made it down by the bay.

I have loaded a bunch of shots up over at my flickr page.

You can see all my photos from Spain so far here. Or click here for a slideshow.

I took an online Spanish test today... Like the kind you would take before being placed at a University... I scored a 224. It put me in Spanish 102, but if I had scored a 226, I would be in Spanish 103!! Two weeks on the job... or two semesters... hmm. I'll take it again in a week (if you remind me) and post the score and the link then.

And... I almost forgot...

Broken on Saturday -

2 Specialty Heineken Glasses.

Brings the total to 9. Monday is a new week.

Poco y poco...

2007-01-25T03:20:00.000+03:00

So, little by little the Español is a comin'. The worst is trying to type English or HTML code on a keyboard... The symbols I need are all in strange places.

New pics over at my flickr.

I don't know how many things I have broken since I have arrived in Santiago... lets count.

1 - Glass from picture frame.
1 - Black umbrella (I helped it along, it was already hurting).
1 - Large coffee cup.
1 - Old footstool.
2 - Porcelain tea strainers.
1 - Super delux Coca-Cola glass.

7 - My total brokeness. In less then two weeks, amazing!

Ok... I need to run to bed. Tomorrow I have to go shopping for the cafe (I'll try and take some pictures), and work on the public use computers... They are are gummed up with garbage programs. Programs like... MSN Messenger and eMule. Who installs this junk?

Scot McKnight - Emerging.

2007-01-22T21:59:00.000+03:00

I have been following McKnight's blog over at jesuscreed.org for a while. Ok, like, three months maybe.

He caught my eye a while back when Jacob put a link to him over at 4peregrinos.com. He recently had an article published in Christianity Today expanding a bit on that article which caught my eye.

5 Streams of the Emerging Church.

I think that Dr. McKnight does a good job of fleshing out a broad base of what and where emergent is and is headed. If you are an evangelical who has already discounted the emerging movement as nonsense, you probably won't change your thoughts. But, if you simply don't know what the emerging church is, or has been little informed, it will serve as a good comprehensive base to start off of.

I am hesitant to call myself "emergent," yet, I am. What I am reading is pacing with my thinking. My own individual observations, my own individual experiences. I have been discontent for years with church, church business, preaching in general, worship in general, church politics... Pretty much everything having to do with my conservative Baptist faith. I do not mean to call names, or point fingers, because I don't feel offended by one person or entity specifically. This discontent stems from a desire to know my Lord better, to know Jesus better.

Its also come from a questioning of certain fences that have been set in the American Christian faith... More on that in the next couple of days... Again from Scot McKnight.

No comprendo.

2007-01-19T22:10:00.000+03:00

So, I sit here at the cafe, on a bit of a break. Really between mini rushes. Nothing like the mornings I used to suffer at 'bucks (and may suffer yet again soon). The people are pretty chill for the most part. They drink coffee because they enjoy it, not because they will run someone off the road on the way into the office if they don´t have their quadruple venti extra foam vanilla latte in less than three minutes in the drive through surrounded by addicts like themselves.

No, the people here come to socialize, to use our FREE wifi (a newer concept here), soak in our song choice.

Occasionally -- They come in to ask questions. That is where I struggle, you see... I don't speak Spanish. I never have, I never took a class in high school or college, never had a friend who forced me to try and learn a few words. Just a minute ago, a couple of girls came in and ordered a couple of cokes. Then, they started asking a questions about the cans of coffee that we sell. I don't know the words to help them, I want to, its my nature to help people, but I hit a veritable brick wall when trying to converse with these people.

No comprendo.

Those are the words I say the most. Well, maybe behind 'cafe con leche' and 'coca cola.'

It seems dead for a Friday night. I mean, c'mon, I am blogging for crying out loud. But, people here don't really go out until 11, 12... They stay out later too. A cafe (like us), can only stay open until 2am, but a pub can stay open until 6am. So, now, would be the calm before the storm if we were a pub.

More later... I have to serve some drinks.

Battle Cry: Casulties of War [culture]

2007-01-14T21:41:00.000+03:00

This vid points out some glaring statistics among American teens. Catch the stat about truth being relative.

... brought to you by Ron Luce, and the good people at Acquire the Fire. [/sarcasm]

Viva España!

2007-01-13T03:52:00.000+03:00

I am in Santiago de Compostela now. I arrived here last Tuesday and have been settling in a bit. I am trying to learn as much Spanish as I can, as fast as I can. I am blessed to be able to stay with the Swains. Their daughters (4 and 2) both speak varying degrees of Spanish because they both attend a Spanish pre-school in a local Catholic Church. Its amazing to see one of them switch into Spanish when around other Spaniards. Its amusing to see them reach for a word to describe something - and come up with the Spanish word in its place. When asked what the English word is... a sheepish "I don't know..." follows. Abi asked me yesterday - "Chris, why don't you speak Spanish?"

Why don't I... I wish I did.

Dosvedanya Rossiya.

2007-01-07T23:46:00.000+03:00

:: car wrecked on new years ::

I leave tomorrow.

Hard to believe that six months have passed - to the day, since I came to Russia.

I won't be back in the US until March however. I am heading over to Spain to help out with the team in Santiago de Compostela. I hope to make a longer entry about it soon, but the team there is in need, and is close to my heart. Check out Matt or Jacob's blog for a video of the cafe there, and to get some insight into what's happening with them.

Tomorrow night I will be in Madrid, and flying on to Santiago the next afternoon, hopefully this time on Tuesday I will be loading up some photos from Madrid.

The photo above was snapped on Jan 4th - the car wrecked on New Years day. It stayed in the very spot it crashed for five days. On the edge of the intersection, sticking out into a traffic lane, in the way. The morning of the sixth, I came out, and it had been pushed up onto the sidewalk, on the other side of the intersection. And tonight, it was still sitting there on the sidewalk. Crazy.

Newness.

2007-01-02T01:58:00.000+03:00

[thanks to matt for the video. see you soon.]

I was searching my archives recently, and I found this post. Its from about a year ago, and I want to highlight one part, mostly for myself.

I was born a dirty peasant. Into a peasant family. When my family broke apart, my earthly father found the way to be reborn and become a servant of the King. Before too long, he showed me and my sister, and we followed. I was born into the Kings family November 9th, 1990. Since that day, over 15 years ago, I feel like I have been in training. God has wonderful plans for me, I have no clue what the King wants for me, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will serve. My life is His. This is comforting when I think about it, but, how often do I actually think about it? Not often enough, that is for damn sure.

I made some resolutions on Christmas Eve while I was at church. I have never made resolutions before and been serious about them. I wrote them down in my journal. I wrote an entire entry about how Christmas is different here, (The short version is: 25th of December is a normal day, gifts are exchanged on New Years, Orthodox Christmas is on 7th of Jan.) reflected on the birth in a new way. My resolutions meant something to me.

But, that night, I feel like a dark cloud came and parked itself over my life. It began to rain, and the temperature is dropping without the sun. I know it will pass. In the meantime, I am still shivering, wet and cold, in the shadow of this cloud.

I have not felt the warmth of the sun. I don't feel like having resolutions anymore.

This is the prayer I wrote at the end of my reflection on Christmas, before the the rain came: Father. Come quick. But, until you come, help me to love and live better - indeed - like you would. Amen.

Bombs, Bombs, and Baby Jesus

2006-12-25T02:18:00.000+03:00

Wars and Rumors of Wars.

Warplanes in Somalia.

Jesus, come quick, forgive us all.

Merry Christmas to all the soldiers across the globe. I am praying for peace.

... in other news. My heart is broken.

On being not spiritual.

2006-12-22T02:03:00.000+03:00

So here I am posting a link to a nice article. A refreshing drink of water if you will.

Read what William MacKinnon has to say here.

Then come back here and tell me what you think. Maybe if I am up to it, I will post a follow up with my input later. [via iMonk]

Also... in other... randomness... The SCP have a Christmas podcast up that is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit. If this podcast doesn't get your yuletide endorphins excited, you might be dead.

No, really, its pretty full of cussy-ness, so yeah, some of you will be offended if you listen to it. Yeah, in fact. Don't listen it if you consider 'crap' an offensive word, because you might crap your pants. And, if you do listen, and you get offended, don't say I didn't warn you! Do your worst Steve and Josh!

Tagged: Religion,SCP, Thoughts, The Road

Cologne to Brazil. The worlds getting smaller.

2006-12-15T01:11:00.000+03:00

I thought this was pretty amazing!

Seriously... A security system that alerts his cell phone, so he logs on and sees this crook on his webcam, calls the wife who calls the police and gives them details like, where in the house the crook is... and they bust him, they catch him red handed.

Go read the article, I was impressed.

Tagged: The Road

Secretary-General Kofi Annan

2006-12-12T12:03:00.000+03:00

Its his goodbye speech. His final farewell so-to-speak. Where can Mr. Annan go from here? I don't think he has broader political agendas, so he is not going to hold anything back as he steps away.

He quoted Harry Truman to us as he was calling for action.

"As Harry Truman said, 'We all have to recognize, no matter how great our strength, that we must deny ourselves the license to do always as we please.' States need to play by the rules toward each other as well as toward their own citizens."

Read that again.

The first half is Truman, the second Annan. We must deny ourselves the license to do always as we please. We need to play by the rules.

The US is enthusiastic of the next SG Ban Ki-Moon, I would guess because he is from South Korea. We were enthusiastic of Annan 10 years ago. Is the US the one missing the point of the UN? Are we not doing enough to help this multi-national body protect our world? Nations, people, and environment?

What about Darfur? What about Africa? What about Iraq?

What do you think about all this? I'm simply hurt and confused.

oops: forgot the link to the whole story.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/12/11/annan.speech/index.html

Tagged: Politics, Thoughts