My Cheese

Switch Over

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:07:00 +0000

I was looking at subscription statistics and it looks like some people still subscribe to this site. I no longer blog here. My new site is here.

ericbrown07.wordpress.com

I wanted to give you a heads up that there have been problems with old unused blogger feeds that will spam you. If you still subscribe here, you might get spam. So you might want to go ahead and switch over. Just to warn you... Hopefully you haven't been spammed already.

I probably won't post on this site ever again. See you at the new site.

Vote or Die!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:18:00 +0000

I think everyone would agree with me that “Vote or Die” was probably the greatest (and most effective) slogan in history.

I only thought it would be appropriate to remind everyone of the importance of taking the time to vote. Your voice can and will be heard! And if it is not, you will surely die. So make sure you take time this week and vote.

Until next Wednesday, you can cast your vote at the Wesley Foundation. The candidates are:

The Incumbents - A&W Root Beer, Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke, and Diet Dr. Pepper

The Challengers - Sprite and Orange Crush.

After carefully considering the platforms of each, I have made my decision to officially endorse A&W. I know I am not usually very vocal about political opinions, but this is such an important decision for the future good of Wesley that I could not in good conscience keep quiet. A&W offers the most promising potential for future Wesleyites. Nothing else even comes close. So when it comes time for you to cast your vote, make sure you include A&W. Also remember that fewer votes increase the value of each, so you don’t need to vote for all 5. Include one or two other favorite candidates if you must, but make sure you support A&W, and encourage everyone you know to do the same!

I would also like to invite you all to join us this Wednesday, February 27th, 2008, at the Wesley Foundation for the A&W campaign rally. There will be A&W floats, events, music, and special guest speakers, and of course, the Root Beer will flow like wine, whatever that means. So don’t miss out. Come have a good time and learn all about why you too should support A&W with your vote.

Join our group to add your support! We can’t wait to see you on Wednesday!

I've switched to Wordpress and will soon stop blogging here! Check out the new site here:
ericbrown07.wordpress.com

Love Day

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:44:00 +0000

Yo. It's Valentine's Day. Today's not about flowers and chocolate and diamonds and cheesy Batman cards. It's not even just about "relationships". Today is about Love. Not just romantic love. But also brotherly love, friendly love, family love, neighborly love, love for even your enemies, and most of all, God's love. Think about Love today. Think about who you love, and who loves you. Take joy in Love. And thank the Lord for giving us Love. Go tell somebody you love 'em today!

Peace, Valentinos!

I've switched to Wordpress and will soon stop blogging here! Check out the new site here:
ericbrown07.wordpress.com

ZOMG! LOST!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 05:07:00 +0000

ZOMG! I am Lost!
This game is amazing and takes very little effort and the rewards are infinite! And I never exaggerate at all! But seriously, go sign up now and play! You won't be disappointed!

www.lost.eu/71e77

The Cheese Revamped!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:12:00 +0000

It is done. I have completed phase one of the blog redesign. I switched over to Wordpress and I think you will find it more personable, easier to navigate, and more pleasing to the eyes. I invite you to join me for a new cheese feast! Enjoy!

The New and Improved Cheese!

C.S. Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:26:00 +0000

In my time since graduating, I have spent many hours in this incredible new phenomenon known as the "blogosphere". New technologies and advancements in web design make it easier than ever to link across hundreds of inter-related subjects within the world of blog writing. I have a few blogs that I read regularly through Google Reader, and I often follow links within those blogs that lead me to even more material. I have spent a lot of time in the last month browsing the blog world, mostly focusing on discussions of Christian faith. Today it hit me what a broad and lasting impact C.S. Lewis has had on the world.

The name I encounter the most on the web, other than current political candidates or Super Bowl stars, is Clive Staples Lewis. The guy is all over the place. People refer to his works and commentary on his works, quote him, list Lewis scholars and apply his wisdom to their lives.

I became a Lewis fan in the summer of 2005. I picked up Screwtape Letters from a bookstore in June and was instantly hooked. I went on to read The Great Divorce, Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength within the next year, and have since read The Abolition of Man, Till We Have Faces, The Four Loves, and The Weight of Glory. I am currently on the last of 7 books in the Chronicles of Narnia series. C.S. Lewis is one of the brightest and most enjoyable authors I have ever encountered. His nonfiction works are a great resource for a better understanding of the Christian faith, but his fiction works are even better. Narnia is a really cool allegory while also standing as just a fun series to read. The Space trilogy is my favorite. Lewis crafts a universe that is both intriguing and educational. I enjoyed reading the books for pleasure, but at the same time they spoke deeply about human nature and meaning in life. I think this combination is what has made Lewis so influential for so many people. I would venture to say that he may be the most widely read author among English-speaking Christians, and because of his style, his appeal extends beyond the religious community as well.

I just came to this realization today about his influence and decided to share my thoughts. It is inspiring to know that he was just going about his life, doing what he did best. He wasn't trying to be a literary and theological giant. But he has become a great figure in Christian literature. If you haven't read any Lewis yet, start now. It will be well worth your time.

Sellin' the 'Burban

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:15:00 +0000

We are selling our family suburban. It has been a great vehicle over the years. I will miss it. Many memories in that beast. If you or anyone you know is interested, let me know. We are asking $3200 or best offer for it. I have personal interest in the sale because some of that money will go toward fixing some stuff on the Exploder (which is miraculously still functioning pretty well - going on 13 years!) so I can keep driving it 'til the cows come home.

If by chance you are interested in buying a 1995 Ford Explorer instead, let me know, cause I wouldn't mind driving the suburban. That thing is a hoss on the road.

Here's the 'burban! Let me know if you are interested.

Wordpress

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 07:20:00 +0000

One of the things I hoped to do once I had some time after graduating was learn more about web design. I have been slowly picking some stuff up and have some ideas I want to try out. Blogger doesn't quite give me the flexibility I would like, so I've decided to switch to Wordpress for a while. I'll be switching over soon, once I get it set up. Hopefully I will be able to upload or transfer all my previous posts, as well as consolidate and organize things a little better. I will post the link here when it moves.

Change is coming.

That sounds dramatic. Awesome.

The Bible. For realz.

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:54:00 +0000

I finally have a resolution. I am going to do this.

I fail. We all fail. Perhaps you have already failed at keeping your new year's resolutions. I did not make any this year because I have never kept one. I always fail. If you are a Christian, you have failed at being Christ-like, just as I have. If you haven't, you must be Jesus, and I am thrilled that you would take time to read my blog. Please leave a comment.
But is the fact that we all fail a good reason not to try? I declare it is not!

I have a very high view of God's sovereignty and grace. I believe that I stand on this earth only by the grace of God, my creator. I live in a situation where my needs are met by the grace of God, my provider. I am surrounded by people I love who also love me by the grace of God, the source of all love. I have a mind capable of deeply pondering great mysteries of life by the grace of an omniscient God, who is the greatest mystery. And I realize any way that I become more like Jesus will be by God's grace alone. However, I believe God's grace works through our efforts. Or perhaps it is better to say his grace guides and fosters our efforts. How then can I make an effort to be more like Christ, encouraged and shaped by God's grace?

One way is to know better what it actually is to be like him. Since we can't follow him around and mimic his every move, our best bet is to read and follow the example of those who actually did. I strongly believe the Bible is the greatest (although not the only) source of revelation from God we have today. And I can witness, along with millions of others around the world and through the pages of history, to the transformative power of the Word of God. Some passages have filled me with unspeakable joy at God's undying, unconditional love for me and his people. Others have struck me dead with realization of my own desperate need for God's grace. Hebrews 4:12 describes it very powerfully: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." God has worked through the scriptures in my life, and I have seen this in other people as well. But -

But - what if we really, really, really submersed ourselves in it? What if we really started taking seriously our call to be Christ's lights in the world? What if we became so obsessed with what Jesus said and did that it became as much (or more?!) a part of our hearts and minds as the lyrics to the entire Jack Johnson album or the rankings of all the Aggie sports teams or the size of our savings account and our interest rate? I don't deny that we can learn things about God through other sources, like songs and trees and roller coasters and tennis matches and spinner rims. Well, maybe not spinner rims. But these pale in comparison to the power of God's word. Whether you believe God moved the pen in the writers' hands to say the exact words recorded or you think think the bible was just written and assembled by people relaying their own conception of God, these New Testament guys were writing about freaking JESUS! The dude who was the absolute perfect representation of God on earth, the greatest revelation of God's character that has ever existed in all of human history! First and second hand accounts of his life, death, and ministry to the world. He only entered into a small part of the world for a short span of time and then passed on his ministry to a sad excuse for a fan club and said "make disciples of me around the world." 2000 years later, we are still trying. Kinda sorta. But Jesus sent these folks on a mission. A real mission. And they had his life to go off of. They had just followed the guy around for a couple years, watched him heal and feed and love thousands of people, die just as he predicted and then come back to them. I'm sure they were both stoked and freaked out, but it was most certainly real to them. We don't get that. But we can come close, seeing it through their eyes, if we really saturate ourselves with the Bible. This is my resolution.

I have tried to read the Bible before. But never in a very structured or strategic way. I don't think many of us have, even those of us who have read great amounts of scripture, and because of this we have all missed out a lot on seeing Jesus as clearly as we can. I came across some links to a couple versions of a different sort of approach to the bible that I believe can change that. I'll tell you straight up. I'm not gonna read the whole bible this year. In fact, I may only read 10 or 20 "chapters" from a couple of books. But as I completely immerse myself in a few books, they will be as much a part of me as anything, and hopefully that will truly impact the way I love God and love his people in this world.

Resolved: to read a book of the Bible.
Resolved: to re-read that book of the Bible.
Resolved: to repeat ad nauseum.

By God's grace, maybe I won't fail on this one.

Blog-O-Rama!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:08:00 +0000

Hey guys, have no fear. The New Year is here. You know what that means... Time for my 7th Annual Blog-O-Rama Awards. You have probably never heard of them. But that is only because there were no awards given in the first 6 years.
For those of you new to Eric's Blog-O-Rama Awards, here's how it works. I pick awesome (or lame) blogsites. I give them awesome (or lame) awards. You click the links. You partake in their awesomeness or their lameness, respectively. Then we feast on cheese and grapes. Also, feel free to comment on the awesomeness or lameness of these sites. If your blog is selected for an award, I offer you my congratulations! I also offer you my most valuable advice. Take everything I say with a grain of salt. Because salt makes stuff taste a lot better. And we all know we don't get enough sodium in America. So without further ado, or even further adon't, here are the awards for 2007, only a few days postmortem.

Eric's 2007 BLOG-O-RAMA Awards

~ Best Travel Blog - the tiny mite The photo travel maps on this site are freaking amazing!

~ Funniest Links and Pictures - Goat97 Gotta recognize the man who introduced me to "How Many Five Olds Could You Take in a Fight?" And without this picture, my Christmas would have been incomplete.

~ Most Inconsistent, Yet Profound Enough to Keep Me Constantly Checking For Updates Blog - live. love. learn. repeat. It seems like twice a year I suddenly understand life again. Give us some more rhetorical meat!

~ Best Religion/Church Blog - Church Marketing Sucks This site is a breath of fresh air for anyone involved in church. Great perspectives and discussions here on church publicity.

~ Best "Life Updates" Blog - c'est la vie de laura The internet is great for keeping up with people who leave the country, especially when they consistently blog about their life.

~ Best Fictional Characters/Official ROTFL Blog - My Etchings You MUST read about Eugene, Chauncey, and the Mall Santa!!

~ 2007 Blog of the year - David's Bucket I have followed David's blog since he was our speaker at a retreat a little over a year ago. It is a great model of a well-designed blog with a nice mix of enjoyable links and stories, funny bits, and deep reflections on life and faith, one that I have tried to model my own after, only without the technological, theological, or humorological skills that David possesses. Great stuff.

Games #1 - Jungle Pong!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:13:00 +0000

As promised... The "Game-tastic" Series. I give you Jungle Pong.

WARNING! This blog post contains awesome content that may not be suitable for the boring at heart.

Jungle Pong is an amazing "indie game" which which is great for a big group of people, especially if those people have a lot of energy to burn. There is much chaos, mayhem, and bloodshed in this game. Just kidding. Mostly. There is a small chance of injury or property damage though, as I can attest to from my personal experience, but only if you go overboard. The game involves hitting a ball, reacting quickly, sprinting, and potentially even some diving. The main difference from standard ping-pong is that players run around the table and instead of hitting the ball before it hits the ground, let it bounce on the ground once before hitting it back onto the table. I did not make up Jungle Pong, nor did any of my friends, but once I played I was hooked. This is how you play.

The object of this game is to be the last player left standing. Players are eliminated by scoring a number of points determined before the game (usually 3-5). Thus, the goal is to not score points.

All you need is a ping-pong table and ball, one paddle for each player, hard ground (tile or cement rather than carpet) and at least 2 people. The game can be played with or without the net, but the net does add another aspect to the game and often makes it more active and exciting.

Before starting the game, everyone should number off to establish play order. This is most easily done by forming a circle around the table. Each player will always hit after the same person - Player A, then Player B, then C, etc. This order will only change when players are eliminated from the game.

To play, the first player (A) will serve the ball to the second player (B). There are many variations on serving, but what matters is that the ball hits the table at least twice and goes directly across to Player B's side. Player B will then let the ball bounce off the table, bounce once on the ground, and then attempt to hit the ball back onto the table before it bounces again. If he is successful and the ball bounces at least once on the table, player C will then do the same, running around the table to wherever the ball hits the ground and hitting it back onto the table.

There are a number of ways to score points. If a player does not hit the ball before it bounces a second time on the ground, he receives a point. If a player hits the ball back toward the table but misses and the ball hits the ground before hitting the table, he receives a point. If the player hits the ball back onto the table and it "dies", or stops still on the table, without falling and bouncing on the ground again, he receives a point. All surfaces are in play - the ball may bounce off the ceiling, a wall, random objects, etc.

When a player is eliminated, the player who hit to that player each round will then serve it to the player next in order. For example, when Player B is eliminated, Player A will serve to Player C. Play then continues in this order and is similarly changed each time a player is eliminated. The game is over when only one player is left. This is the winner. Commence rejoicing!

There are all kinds of variations on Jungle Pong. Many people play without the net. Some require the server to serve off a bounce from the ground. Some rules allow for changing the ball's path by blowing it or shaking the table. Interference can be counted as a point if you so desire. I once played extreme obstacle style with all kinds of random objects on the table. We have played using shoes and books instead of paddles. Once, when we had paddles and a ball but no table, we created "Yogi-Pong," using a picnic table, which gave us 2 levels of excitement. We have often experimented and gotten creative with the game. Jungle Pong is a grassroots, word-of-mouth kind of game. It evolves as it spreads and grows. There are probably just as many house rules and fun variations for Jungle Pong as there are groups who play it. Everyone should develop their own style.

My personal favorite was invented on a weekend retreat. As a spoof of another of our created games (Trans-Dimensional Risk - check back later this week), we called it TDJP - Trans-Dimensional Jungle Pong. We had an amazing outdoor set up of three tables in sort of an L-shape - two lined up lengthwise and separated by about 8 feet, and the other around the corner of the building and perpendicular to the end of one of the tables, about 10 feet away. Also, instead of mesh, these tables had wooden boards across the middle as the "nets," which would make the ball shoot back way faster than normal when you hit them. One of the tables was very warped and the ball would sometimes roll all the way to the edge and then roll back to the middle and stop. Another amazing aspect of TDJP was the ground itself. We were playing on a wooden deck made of wooden planks. Sometimes the ball would shoot off sideways, requiring a quick dive to keep it from flying off the deck. It was pure exhilaration.

Here's a pretty decent demonstration of basic Jungle Pong by some random dudes on YouTube.

I highly recommend Jungle Pong.
5 stars.
Go play. Now.

Good times in San Antone

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 06:05:00 +0000

I probably made it sound like I had a lousy time at the Alamo Bowl. Even though I left once again feeling entirely frustrated at the Aggies' complete and utter bowl futility, I had an excellent time. Since my dad is a Penn State alum, we decided this father-son rivalry match close to home was a must-see game. So the old man and I drove up to San Antonio Saturday morning and joined the masses of maroon sprinkled with navy blue on the Riverwalk. We also met up with a few friends of mine (all Aggies, whoop!) and had a good time in the city and at the game. Other than the frustration of the loss (which is losing its sting as I am getting more used to it with our consistent 'bad-ness'), it was a great weekend. We got practically no sleep, watched a bunch of football and bowl "pageantry" (the PA announcer's favorite word ever), saw Joe Paterno in his historic 500th game with one team (a milestone that will never be repeated), heard a mariachi band play the Aggie War Hymn, and had a lot of fun with friends. It was definitely a very memorable trip.

Remember the Alamo Bowl...

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 05:26:00 +0000

Awesome. Yet another bowl loss, putting us at a glorious 0-3 in the post season in my 5 years since becoming an Aggie. At least we kind of showed up for this one. Props to JoePa, partially for outcoaching the Ags (not really that hard to do with Fran... er, Darnell calling the shots), partially for showing class and not blowing the yell leader's "deathbed" joke way out of proportion, but mostly for sprinting onto the field before the game and walking unassisted up the steps to accept the trophy on the stage. 81 years old, 42 seasons as a head coach, 500 games. Congratulations on a great game and an incredible career. Keep on truckin', old fella!

Ok, I tried. But I can't even pull off eternal optimism after that game. We were leading 14-0 in the second quarter and had all the momentum. Then of course, Darnell decided to call Fran for advice on 3rd and 20-something. "How bout a screen pass to Goodson behind the line of scrimmage?" Fran suggested. "Great idea!" replied Darnell, forgetting that the first down marker was 20 yards past the line of scrimmage. Then Mr. Goodson once again tried to switch directions 15 times on a busted play, in the process fumbling away the ball and the Aggies' hope at finally breaking their bowl jinx. But alas - the Aggies seemed to find second life in the 4th quarter with an 8 minute drive to get them inside the 5 yard line on 3rd down. J-Train's time to shine, right? Right...?
Wrong. Darnell must have called Fran again. "Think about it," reasoned Fran. "Jorvorskie only converts on 3rd and 4th down about 90 percent of the time. That leaves you with a 10 percent chance of failure. Think about it Gary. Think about it hard."
So 260/270/290(??) lbs of pure momentum stood on the sideline while McGee sat down with the ball. Good job Fran. Thanks and Gig em.
The Aggies are undefeated in games where J-Train gets 15 or more carries. Jorvorskie ran the ball only 10 times against Penn State. Yes, they contained him most of the night. Yes, they would have been expecting him to take the 1 yard plunge at the goal line. But I seem to remember a good 45 times when teams have stacked the box to keep him out of the end zone and it still didn't matter.
Even though he was (supposedly) not on the sideline, this game was a perfect microcosm of the Franchione era. When the game is on the line, give the ball to the player with the best chance to make an impact play in the given situation. On 3rd and long, you pass the ball, not run a draw. On the goal line you let your bruiser pound it up the middle. When you need a 70-yard pass at the end of the half, put in the quarterback who can actually throw it that far. When you are losing by a touchdown with 2 minutes to play, you go for it on 4th down. If the players come up short there, encourage them to come back with their best the next time. Give credit to the defense. At least they will have stopped your best. Please, Mike Sherman, take note! We want to win, but more than that, we want to stop beating ourselves. We are tired of shooting ourselves in the foot. It's football. We need that foot.

The Reason for the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Good, glad we got that cleared up. Forget the family. I just want my dang laptop. Hope my relatives are reading. ;)

Wow... I actually just stooped to the level of a winking emoticon. How embarassing.

Final Exams Alarming for Some Students

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:53:00 +0000

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007, 8:21 am. Room 103, O&M Building, Texas A&M Campus, College Station, TX, U.S.A., North America, Earth.

There I sat, calmly working through one of my very last final exams as an undergraduate student. Short answer #2 down, 3 more to go, then my essay - BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE - the freaking fire alarm goes off!! In the middle of my final! Seriously? SERIOUSLY?!?

We had to walk, as a class, to the library, where we finished our exam. I saw someone in the library mouthing "what the crap?" when we walked in. It must have been a hilarious sight for everyone studying in there. 40 students walk in together and sit down at adjacent tables with the prof watching carefully.
Somehow, I didn't lose my train of thought too much, and I did pretty well. I think I could pull out an A in that class.

I still would like to know what the heck happened in the O&M Building this morning.

Well, I have two more finals to go, then I am finished forever! (with undergraduate, at least...) Glorious! Hopefully, no more alarms!

Gametastic!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:15:00 +0000

Over the next few days/weeks, I plan to share a series of some of the most incredibly creative games and sports ever played. Some of these I helped invent, some I helped improve, and others I have just thoroughly enjoyed. But these games have gotten me through nine semesters and a summer in the incredibly exciting town of College Station. People always seem to think there is nothing fun to do here... well, we make our own fun, and I daresay it trumps the entertainment of some of the more "happenin" places I've been.

Check back soon to learn all about such instant classics as:

Jungle Pong
Trans-Dimensional Risk
Swansketball
Empire
and many more!

Whether you are looking for some fresh ideas to keep you entertained or just wondering what anyone could actually do in Aggieland, make sure you read up on these. They could change your life. Just kidding. But seriously.

Waste Time, Give Free Rice!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:11:00 +0000

Whoever said wasted time had to be a bad thing? Now, thanks to the good folks at Poverty.com, you can mindlessly drift off into cyberspace and help eliminate world hunger at the same time!!

FreeRice.com has already raised over 2 billion grains of rice (anyone know how much that is worth?) in just over a month online.

Apparently, this is part of a wider project to raise money for international aid. It is amazing, actually almost sickening, to look at the data on how much various countries give (1% = 1 cent of aid per dollar of income):

2006 International Aid Donated
COUNTRY	Aid as % of income	How close to the 0.7% goal
Sweden	1.03	Already reached goal
Luxembourg	0.89	Already reached goal
Norway	0.89	Already reached goal
Netherlands	0.81	Already reached goal
Denmark	0.80	Already reached goal
Ireland	0.53	Scheduled for 2012
United Kingdom	0.52	Scheduled for 2013
France	0.47	Scheduled for 2012
Canada	0.30	No schedule yet
Australia	0.30	No schedule yet
Japan	0.25	No schedule yet
Italy	0.20	Scheduled for 2015
United States	0.17	No schedule yet
		Source: OECD

America is by far the richest country in the world, yet we are also by far the most selfish. What do we spend our money on? Not helping others, that's for sure. I confess that most of my money has been spent the last few years on gourmet food, gas, and entertainment. Only a small portion of my money goes toward essentials. Yet I still hoard it for my own personal "gain". Let's face it - we are all pretty selfish with our money.

But it doesn't have to stay that way. We can start right now. Find yourself a good cause or two. Spend time learning about it. Spend time talking about it. Pray for the ministry or service provided. And give money to support it, in whatever ways you can.

So, next time you get bored, don't head to your favorite game site or surf Digg for random stories - instead, check out FreeRice.com. As an added bonus, you can improve your vocabulary and make people think you are smarter than you really are! See if you can beat my score. I'm at 41 and counting...

Bless ME, god...

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 07:29:00 +0000

Why do I take so much in my life for granted?
Better question: Why do we take things in our lives for granted so often?

I find it ridiculous sometimes when I reflect on my life how much I take for granted many of the amazing gifts God has put in my life. Relationships, education, money, even simple things like food and shelter.
Not everyone is blessed like I am. I have amazing friends and family. I get to study a subject I love at one of the world's greatest institutions. I am extremely wealthy by the entire world's standards. I get to eat pretty much whatever I want, whenever I want. Even during this "homeless" phase of my life, I can still find shelter almost anywhere I like.
Yet I often live like I am unblessed. I treat people I love like crap, like I only love myself. I shrug off my opportunity to learn and succeed in college. I do the minimum amount of work necessary to get by. I don't pay attention to my finances and waste way too much money. I am a horrible steward. I say a quick obligatory prayer before many meals but rarely actually give thanks for the amazing abundance of food in my life.
Shelter may be the one thing I am beginning to truly appreciate, now that I have at least partially experienced life without it. Perhaps I should fast more. Maybe I should stop spending money altogether. Should I shut myself off from people for a while? What, in fact, is the solution for the other areas?

How can I become a more thankful person? How can I begin to truly appreciate all I have in life? How can I start living in a way that glorifies God through these blessings rather than forsaking God by glorifying the gifts above the Giver?

It starts with prayer. I have found it always does. Anytime I encounter a tough issue in life. It starts with prayer. Sometimes that almost sounds like a cop-out. Maybe it is. Maybe that is me saying I don't want to put in the effort. But I don't think so. I think that is me realizing that it doesn't matter how much effort I put into it. I am still going to fail again when I try it on my own. If I try to make myself be more appreciative, I will probably fall into the trap of pride when I succeed, then guilt when I fail. Yet with prayer, I believe God can mold me and help me live in a spirit of thankfulness and remain humble. I believe that when I start taking things for granted again, God will gently nudge me. Not with guilt, but with reminders of his love. It happens in everything I face. I have no doubt God will work his grace in this area of my life as well. God's grace replaces our fruitless efforts. Grace, in essence, becomes our efforts for us. It is where our strength to press on again and again comes from. And God's grace arrives through prayer.
So, please join me in my prayers. Not prayers asking some self-created god to bless me some more. But prayers that the God of grace would take away my selfishness, my complacency, my pride, my guilt. Prayers to increase my gratitude, to live out love, and to refocus my heart. Prayers for all of us to do the same. Thank you.

Why I Miss Cross Country

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:25:00 +0000

As a former hardcore Cross Country runner, this story really hit home. Ouch.

(watch from 1:30 to 2:30)

I can tell you right now that finishing a race with just a cramp is hard. That girl broke her freaking leg!! And still finished! Wow!

I really do miss the days of cross country when I actually had that kind of determination. I don't seem to have that in anything anymore.

But uh... I don't miss the pain. I think I'll pass on a shattered leg.

Consistency

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:03:00 +0000

Trying to learn consistency.

In everything.

I figure a good place to start is with the blog. I have always wanted this to be a consistent thing, but it is really easy to just ignore it or forget about it when other stuff seems more entertaining at the time. Which is a problem in my life and in our culture that transcends just my neglect of this blog.

We often neglect commitments or even refuse to make them simply because it is not the most immediately gratifying option. I do it with school, with work, with ministry, with relationships, with every aspect of my life. I am an incredibly uncommitted person at any given moment. Often, when I really need to get something done, the TV or internet or some other form of mindless entertainment calls and I get sucked into the trap. How can I get out?

I am beginning to see that a huge step toward commitment is consistency. Having a consistent schedule helps me manage my commitments and takes away the stress and guilt of always feeling like I am neglecting something important. Yet almost anyone who knows me can attest that I have one of the most inconsistent schedules known to man. I feel the need to develop a more disciplined schedule.

I love uncertainty. Being spontaneous gives me great joy. And I don't want to take all the spontaneity out of my life. But I do feel the need for more discipline. More consistency. More commitment. Without it, life becomes chaotic and the purpose and significance of everything becomes distorted.

So here is my resolution to become more consistent. I will try my best to WTHO this blog/cheese dealymabobber as a first step. I also resolve to put myself on a regular sleep pattern and devote myself to certain hours for school and study. The rest I believe will begin to fall into place.

Can I cash in on this??

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:24:00 +0000

My blog is worth $1,129.08.
How much is your blog worth?

Unrestrained JOY!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:40:00 +0000

I have no idea where this came from. I just experienced pure unrestrained joy. I actually experienced it. Have you ever experienced joy? Truly? It's crazy to even try to get my mind around it. I don't think I can. It is not a thought or an idea. It's not really even a feeling. It transcended everything and for that brief moment I actually was joy. I had this sense that right now, I simply am JOY. For that brief, yet eternal moment, joy was all that existed.

I take back what I said. I do know where it came from. It came out of the midst of two years of struggle. Two years of doubts, frustrations, pain, confusion, uncertainty, failings. Two years with mere glimpses of joy. Two years of battling laziness and pride and greed and anger and lust and bitterness and jealousy and deceit. For two years my heart has broken over all that is ugly and evil and painful and wrong in this world. For two years I have cried out for answers to life's toughest questions. For answers to life itself. For two years I have tried with all my might to find God in everything I see, while much of what I have seen seems so opposed to the God I had come to know in the previous twenty years of my life.
All of life became a quest for life's answers. Everything appeared as a question. Anything that at first seemed to give an answer gave rise to another question. Life became a never-ending maze of questions. Life became philosophy, theology, search. Life became a quest for life itself.

And just now, I saw it. A sign in the maze. Not directing me left or right. A simple message - look up. Above the maze, I saw God smiling down at me. Not pointing me which way to go. But just smiling at me with uninhibited love. A love free from all constraints. I saw God loving me. Loving me not because of any good I have done, and not withholding that love in the least because of any wrong I have done. I saw God loving me because He wants to love me. And I received joy, even became joy, directly from the source of true joy.

This is the best I can do to describe my moment of joy. I mean, I just experienced JOY straight from God! How can I even begin to put that into words?! This is simply a metaphor - I had no such "vision" of God. More than seeing, more than anything my physical senses could tell me about God, I sensed His love and joy in me. As some of my recent doubts and struggles and longings came together, I was pointed to this one amazing, and for me, undeniable, truth of God's love. And for a moment, I experienced it wholeheartedly. And now I realize I am still here in the maze, still trying to understand. I am still wrestling with the issues that confront me in the world. I am still confused about nearly everything. But one thing has become crystal clear to me. God is here. God loves me. There is joy here. There is joy ahead. There are most certainly more struggles, pain, and doubt ahead as well, but in everything, I am convinced more than ever of the truth of Romans 8:38-39:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I don't think my words can do justice to what God has done in me tonight. But they don't have to. I don't know what this means for my life ahead. As I said, uncertainty is still present in nearly every aspect of my life. But I do have an incredible reassurance of God's love as the driving force in my life. "Oh the glory of it all!!"

Hair Today, Gone to Alaska Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:25:00 +0000

Kristin is a genius. Absolute genius. She should negotiate political treaties or something. She recently gave me an unbelievable idea that can make everybody happy. Here's the breakdown:

I am 98% sure I am finally going to Alaska. The BSM is taking a mission trip to Nome, Alaska, over spring break to do all kinds of service and mission work there during the Iditarod dogsled race. I plan to go tomorrow to sign up for the trip and put down my $300 deposit. It is almost definite now that I will be going. However, the trip, like all mission trips, requires money. I need to save/raise around $1200 for next spring break. So I have been thinking of ideas for fundraising.

...ALSO...

I have long hair. It's no secret. If you haven't seen me in a while, check out facebook. If you don't have facebook, borrow someone else's. If you don't know anyone with facebook, you are probably not reading this, so don't worry about it. I have not cut my hair since early April. In 2006. That is 18 months of growing out my hair. I also have not shaved this entire calendar year. My last shave was December 30th, 2006. I set out with Chad to devote my hair through the Nazarite code (Numbers 6 of the Old Testament) for an entire year.

Some people... ok, a lot of people, don't like my shaggy, scruffy, ancient biblical look. I don't know why. I think it looks awesome... But anyway, they don't like it. At times, I don't even like it. Long hair can be annoying. But I made a commitment last December to not cut or shave any hair until January 2008. And I have fully intended to keep that commitment.

However, I have been planning some way to dedicate my hair to a good cause at the end of this time. It will not be long enough to donate to Locks of Love, so I have been pondering for a while how I can make good out of my hair. Chad and I came up with the idea to raise money through our hair - by auctioning off the haircut. Whoever pays most gets to cut it however they like. This seemed like a pretty good idea, and I decided it could help me raise money for Alaska.

Then Kristin told me her idea. (She is one of the people that would really like me to cut my hair, by the way...)

For every $10 donated for my Alaska trip, I will cut my hair one day earlier. As of right now, the cut date stands at Jan. 1, 2008.

This is a please-all idea. I love it. I raise money for the mission trip. I still keep my vow to devote my hair to God - it is going to be a means to serving God in Alaska. Other style-conscious people get to make me cut my hair sooner. Raising $300 dollars will get my haircut to the beginning of December, in time for graduation (which my mom would LOVE!).

Things To Do Before I Graduate...

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 07:17:00 +0000

So recently I have been thinking a lot about how I'm like... graduating soon. Weeeeeeird! And as I think about that, I think about stuff I haven't taken advantage of enough here on campus. Things I want to take advantage of before I graduate. Such as:

Trite or lesser-known Traditions... walking through Koldus and not stepping on the seal... laying pennies at Sully's feet before my tests... eating 7 grilled cheese sandwiches at Sbisa and yelling "PICK IT UP" and banging hullabaloo on the tables and throwing Sbisa balls at people... watching the Corps step off from the Quad before a football game... going to an Aggie ring day as a spectator... saying "Howdy" to random people on campus... just being an Aggie in general before I am gone...

Taking a ton of pictures of my college experience... I want pictures of all the places that are significant to me from A&M in some way... Walton... Sbisa... Kyle Field... all the standard "tradition hot spots"... Wesley... the SCC... camping out... ManHouse... The Casa... the Clunker... just taking pictures nonstop...

Other random stuff... read books at the Library (pleasure reading)... play ping-pong at The Commons... eat at all the campus restaurants... swim at the Rec... study in Academic plaza when it is warm but not hot with a nice gentle breeze... play something out at Simpson Drill Field... check out the art galleries on campus... study with people from class... set my hammock up somewhere... explore every building and every park... sit in the MSC flagroom and listen to the piano...

I might add more stuff on here as I think of it.

Additions... eat a Super Monster at Freebirds... feed ducks at Research Park... play frisbee golf

WHY Live Homeless?

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 07:10:00 +0000

***(posted from "Home Sweet Homeless") ***

"Why would you actually choose to live homeless?" I have been asked this question more times than I can possibly even count. Most of the time I actually am left feeling overwhelmed by the question. The truth is, I don't even fully understand at times why I am doing this. I have had many different ideas flow through my mind over the last few years as I have planned this out. It has taken me a while to try to bring them together into a somewhat coherent explanation of why I am willingly taking on this lifestyle. Even after reading this, many of you will still probably think I'm odd, crazy, stupid, lazy, arrogant, insincere, irrational, or just overly ambitious. I confess I am probably a little of all those things. All I claim is that this adventure is important to me and is something I am called to right now. Let me attempt to explain why I'm going homeless...

1) Save money. I am gonna save a buttload of money doing this. I had cheap rent before, but even so, I will be saving over $200 a month between rent, utilities, etc. Since Wesley will be my main place to hang out during the day, I am more likely to eat meals there, saving money on food, too. I won't exactly be making a lot. But I'll be spending even less. I am gonna be able to actually save money this year. Wow.

2) Have an adventure, say "screw the plan". One of my profs used to talk about how everyone had the good old "5 year plan" or whatever. He would always say "screw the plan". I agree. Who says I have to have a house to be happy or successful? Why? I disagree. Plus, moving out into the unknown is a huge adventure. I love the unknown. It is ridiculously scary sometimes, but it's exciting! Nietzche once said, "Live dangerously! Send your ships to uncharted seas! Build your cities on the slopes of Vesuvius! The key to getting the most out of life is to live dangerously!" I don't necessarily agree with Nietzche on most stuff, and that whole Vesuvius thing didn't work out too well... but it is definitely inspiring. It is true, a risky life is definitely gonna be more exciting than a sheltered one. Not necessarily better. Maybe for some people like me. But certainly more exciting. Homelessness is definitely not the norm, but that is cool with me. I know it will be a great adventure!

3) Get some cool stories for later in life. I have always enjoyed great stories. I love to hear about my dad's cross-country bike/hitchhiking trip. I love to hear my great grandmother talk about her days growing up in the 1920s. I love hearing inspirational stories, funny stories, all kinds of stories. And I am excited about someday gathering my grandkids around and telling them all about when I hiked through pure untamed wilderness in Arkansas and when I spent the night in a swamp and when my football coaches thought it would be funny to put me up against all the huge fast guys and I got clobbered and smothered into the ground. And now... when I lived homeless on campus by my own choice.
Also, I am pretty sure my life calling is in full-time ministry, and one thing that has always helped me connect with God and better understand how others connect with him is through outrageous stories. Hearing of bizarre adventures or crazy activities people did and how they found God in that is something that has always enlivened my daily life of worship. Some people seem to have a ton of these crazy stories and through them they are able to communicate God to people in a relevant and significant way. I am trying to live life to its fullest by going out and creating some of these stories.

4) Learn what "Home" really means to me. I hope to come to a greater understanding of what it is to have a home and what that word signifies. Is home just a place to sleep? A place to come and relax after a long day? A place to connect with family or friends? Is home something essential to survival? Is it a basic human need? Why? And is home the same for everyone? How is it different for me? I have no answers to these questions yet. But I am excited to learn through this experience. I guess you could say I am developing a "philosophy of home". Cool.

5) Make faith real, not just a word. Faith and hope and trust in God are all easy things to talk about. It is easy to have faith in a concept. It is easy to have faith in spiritual things. But to make that faith practical in everyday life is quite another issue. I want to learn to be always depending on God. Depending on God to provide some sort of shelter or protected place to sleep each night, especially the weekends when everything on campus is closed. Depending on God to keep me focused with school and work in spite of distractions. Depending on God for rest for my soul when I have nowhere to go to get away. Depending on God to sustain me emotionally through difficult times without a home. I want my faith to be real. I want to understand how Paul could endure persecution and sleepless nights and constant moving from place to place because of his faith and hope in Christ. I want this experience to make my faith alive in me, so that when I speak about my faith, my life and my emotions and all that I am will testify with my voice and point to Jesus as truly all-sufficient.

6) Endure through tough times, flesh out Christ through simple living. In Colossians 1, Paul says, "I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church." This is a passage I have struggled with many times. How the heck can anything be "lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions"? The entire rest of the new testament seems to point to Jesus' suffering as being fully sufficient to cover all sins. So what does this verse mean? I believe, thanks to some helpful interpretations from various theologians, that what is "lacking" is a living human example of Christ's afflictions. People who were around Jesus got to see him actually living out all that he taught about suffering. But all who came later did not get to see that. They were going on the witness of others who had. And later, on the secondhand witness of others who had heard the gospel of Christ's afflictions accompanied by a disciple of Jesus living that out. When people see Christians truly willing, even desiring, as Paul does in Philippians 3:10-11, to share in Jesus' sufferings, it fleshes out the concept of God's grace shown through Christ's afflictions.
I know there will be tough times in my homeless experience. I am not doing this because it will be easy or comfortable or fun. I am doing this because I know it will be challenging, sometimes painful, but always worth it. I am doing this because Jesus is real to me. He was a real man who willingly suffered in all kinds of human ways for the redemption and restoration of people. I want to flesh out that out to people. I want God to use me to show that he can truly be sufficient - that I don't need a house or apartment, I don't need a place to lay my head. As I have pondered this, "home" seems to be one of the greatest fundamental needs of all people. If I can faithfully put aside even this need in order to passionately follow Jesus, I know it will flesh out God's grace in a real way, at least for my own spiritual growth, and hopefully for others as well. I hope that God will teach me, as well as others, what he taught Paul so long ago - "My grace is sufficient for you."

So there you have it. The basic summary of why I am living homeless. It has begun. It will continue. I hope you'll follow me along on this great adventure God has placed in my path. Please keep me in your prayers, and keep encouraging me to update the blog. Also, always feel free to comment. Feedback is always nice...