Holiday Loot

High-brow optimism aside, we still exchange many gifts in our family, and I received some very nice goodies for Christmas. Some of the hightlights include; Mute Math’s concert DVD Flesh and Bones Electric Fun, the Band of Brothers Box Set on DVD, the The Godfather Trilogy on DVD, U2′s Remastered 20th Anniversary Edition 2-CD release of Joshua Tree, and a sweet new coat.

What were your favorites?

Filed under: Band of Brothers, Christmas, Culture, Godfather, Movies, Mute Math, Presents, U2

Accountability Group

A couple of friends of mine from our Tuesday night men’s group have started an email accountability group. Last week we discussed how easy it is to backslide in our faith, and one of the ways we came up with helping the situation was to email each other first thing each morning with how we’re doing in our walk. We’ll share a thought or scripture that hit us the previous day. We’ll share prayer requests. We’ll also share if we’ve been slacking. It’s been quite refreshing. It’s also fun to see who’s going to be the first to initiate the emails. It’s always someone different.

I encourage you to find a couple friends and do the same!

Filed under: Accoutability, Band of Brothers, Faith, Friendship

11 Million

So I’ve been watching the Band of Brothers series with a group of guys every Tuesday night for the last couple months. Last night we watched Episode 9: Why We Fight. It’s the point in the war when the American troops discover the Nazi concentration camps.

This is the second time I’ve worked through this series, and both times I get to this episode and it stops me in my tracks. I can’t fathom how something like this could ever happen. How one person, much less an entire group of people, could be so evil. And it always angers me to realize that there were people looking the other way as this was going on, simply to save their own skin.

But would I be any different? Easy to say while safe behind a computer screen. But what if I was faced with this type of decision in my lifetime. What would I do? I hope that my convictions reach a point where that won’t be a hard decision.

Let’s never allow ourselves to forget that this happened, and be aware that these things are still going on.

“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” —Edmond Burke

As a Christ Follower, apathy is NOT an option.

Filed under: Apathy, Band of Brothers, Darfur, Evil, Good, Holocaust, Humanity

Band of Brothers

I am so excited about the future of our Men’s Group! We have such a great group of guys who have dropped all sense of poserness, and are just real with each other. Yesterday we kicked off our intersession period with some great discussions. In a couple weeks we are going to dive into the Band of Brothers series. Each week we’ll discuss a little bit about what it means to be in a Band of Brothers, then we’ll watch an episode and discuss it afterwards. If you happen to be in the area, please join us every Tuesday @ 7pm at 133 E. Chicago Blvd. in Tecumseh.

I am convinced that men hold the key to the worlds problems. If men stepped up and started being the men God intended them to be, and took seriously their call to be involved in their families lives—especially their children’s—the world wouldn’t have 90% of the problems it has.

It’s time we stepped up to the plate men!

Filed under: Band of Brothers

The Surreal Life

So it turns out that Aaron is NOT a 14 year old girl or a sexual predator. Just the same ole’ guy you see and read on his blog.

From my best guess, Aaron and I crossed blogs sometime in early December of last year. Despite him living in Buckeye country, I have really enjoyed his insight and inspiration over the past few months. We even started a joint venture together.

It’s probably not ironic, but rather divine, that the venture we started was a venture concerning brotherhood. It’s also probably not ironic, but rather divine that yesterday I had to make a trip for work to, of all places, Columbus, Ohio. And that the frequent traveler himself happened to be in town. And that the place I had to go was literally 5 minutes from his house. Or that the company van I used to drive down there (3.5 hours one way) only had a cassette player, and it just so happened that I had just placed some cassettes on my desk to transfer to CD from a Men’s Conference I had attended 10 years ago about being men of impact.

So I spent the day listening to these tapes, and meeting with a brother. We both must have decided long ago that we wouldn’t be posers. Instead we would share honest thoughts on our fears, laugh about our pasts, and share in each others victories.

As I walked into his house yesterday and met Aaron, his wonderful wife and beautiful girls, I was awed by the community that God has designed. I still have no idea how people survive without it.

Filed under: Band of Brothers

Local Drywallers Unite

Our friend Ryan needs some help finishing his basement before the rugrat gets here. I think we can get it done, don’t you?

Filed under: Band of Brothers, Construction