It's fall break time!

I've been on fall "break" for about 5 hours so far. Here are the things I have to accomplish before the "break" is over.

#1. Rest. If I can find time to do it, I'm going to take advantage.

#2. I have to start and finish a paper for Systematic Theology. I think I'm going to write it on the different views on the problem of evil. I spent an hour in the library today looking for books, and I've found some great stuff. Obviously, Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, John Frame, and Wayne Grudem will take one side of the debate. I found some Christian Science literature that will take another side, basically arguing that evil is an illusion and does not really exist (okey dokey?), and then Buddhism/hinduism/brahamanism (?) will be another side. I found a Harvard translation of Buddhist literature, and they basically argue that evil is a result of karma (deeds). So if evil happens to you, it's because of something you've done. God has very little to do with it. So I'll be working on that all week.

#3 I need to read at least half of Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students. It's a great book filled with great advice for ministers. It's just a lot of difficult reading. If I'm productive I'll get about half of it read.

#4 I won't forget my Hebrew. I don't have any assignments over the break, which is probably more harmful than anything. My best intentions are to continue to drill and review over the "break" but we'll see how that goes. If I don't do anything, it's going to be ugly when we have to go back.

#5 Celebrate the Fightin' Texas Aggie butt kicking we put on tceh (see a few posts down). Yes, finally, I have included my token friday college football plug. The game is on regional coverage by ABC. Which means if you're in non-Big XII states (like me) you'll have to find someone with ESPN gameplan to catch the game. I'll either be at the Kentucky A&M Club gathering, Buffalo Wild Wings on Shelbyville Rd, or sitting in front of my computer watching it on Gameplan for $22. If our defense shows up, we'll win by two touchdowns. If we play normally, who knows what will happen...

It's the biggest game for the A&M program since the Cotton Bowl in 2004... we all know how that turned out! yikes!

BTHOtt!!!!

There is a fountain

Today in chapel, a couple of people sang a beautiful hymn called "There is a fountain." I must have heard it before because it sounded so familiar, but I can't really remember the last time I heard it. I'll publish two of the verses here. I will be playing this song at WOW (worship on wednesdays... not a theogically sound name, i know) very soon.

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath the flood
Lose all their guilty stains

E'er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply
Redeeming love has been theme
And shall be 'til I die

Another Friday and What I will not discuss

Another friday and another post. It couldn't get any better than this. There are many things upon which I might rant and rave, and there are other things upon which I might humbly comment.

I've resolved not to talk about the debacle that occurred in San Antonio last weekend. I promise I won't draw the parallel between an unnamed coach not going for two last year against Clemson and subsequently losing by one point on a last second field goal, and this year going for it on fourth and inches on your own 30 with two minutes to go with a four point lead and practically asking to lose the game...... (how many prepositions can you fit in one sentence?)

I've resolved not to talk about how if we do lose to LA Tech this weekend, I may be forced to actually follow the NFL this year. And I surely won't talk about what texas tceh (i know it seems as if i spelled tceh wrong, but turns out, i was spelling it wrong my whole life... check out the classic non-photoshopped pic at the end of this post) might do to us next weekend because our linebackers are soft and our defensive backs play scared.

Please people, there are more things going on in this world than college football. For example, my mom and wife and grandparets and health teacher and everyone has always told me that spinach is good for you. They tried to explain (unconvincingly) "Come on! It's not going to kill you!" Well, as it turns out, I was right all along.

Helen and I are ready for a break. Luckily, in Kentucky, they have these things called "fall breaks." What an invention! I remember at A&M we got out of school for MLK, Thanksgiving, that "non-religious" friday right before that "non-religious" Sunday in the Spring somehow affiliated with pastels and a giant rabbit, and also Spring Break. Rain or shine, electricity or no electricity, we even went the afternoon of September 11, 2001. But we do get a fall break here, and we're excited. Unfortunately, our fall breaks are not the same week in October, which means I'll be researching and writing a position paper during mine... Helen's will be more eventful because the Magnusons will be coming to visit and we are so excited about that too!

Sooner or later, I will comment on some things of some worth, but until then, please enjoy the aforementioned ITT tceh picture.

Until next time.... keep on keepin on.

the new clock rules

First, let me say that I love college football. This is a great time of year, and it gets better when we get into conference play and perennial powerhouses actually play real teams instead of high schools. (yes I realize last week #1 and #2 played... although #2 hardly looked like #2, thanks and gig 'em... but that is the exception rather than the rule.

All that to say, September, October, November and December are good months for TV on saturday. But there is something I must speak against. Of all the things lacking in college football, the NCAA picked one of the least important to fix. They could have decided that it is ridiculous to have a math formula determine who plays in the national championship, and decided to create an eight team playoff whereby the national champion would be determined. It works in high school, I-AA, the NFL.......... why can't it work in Division I-A? (I think it has to do with money, bowls, and sponsorships, but I can't put my finger on it.)

Or what about car dealerships (allegedly) paying players (allegedly) truckloads of money for (allegedly) very little work? maybe the NCAA could spend some time investigating that? (Rhett and bob... i'm looking in your direction)

No, the NCAA decided theyd throw us all a curveball. I know, let's completely ruin everyone's end of game strategy by messing with the change of possession clock rules. In case you haven't heard, the clock now starts on the whistle after a punt or other change of possession. also, the clock now starts when the ball is kicked on kickoffs, rather than when the ball makes contact. Why? With regard to football, I can't figure it out. But I do know this. TV wants nice little 3 hour packages so they can play afternoon blockbusters (allegedly) with no name actors that no one cares about.

So, I found this little website that you can use if you are as opposed to this as I am.

Sign this petition at www.wehatethenewclockrules.com and blog about it. Because that's about all we can do, since the NCAA is a dark overlord who will not be challenged.

That's it. I feel better.

it's friday, time to laugh

my last class of the week is over at 950am on fridays. so to kind of let out a sigh of relief... here's some of comedian mitch hedburg's finest. (took this from aaron keyes myspace.) enjoy!

"When someone hands you a flyer, it's like they're saying here you throw this away.""

I like rice. Rice is great if your hungry and want 2000 of something."

"I was going to get my teeth whitened, but I said screw that, I'll just get a tan instead."

I was at this casino minding my own business and this guy came up to me and said your gonna have to move you're blocking a fire exit. As if there were a fire, I wasn't gonna run. If you are flamable and have legs you are never blocking a fire exit."

"An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. You would never seen an Escalator temporarily out of order sign, just Escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience."

"I was walking by a drycleaner at 3a.m. and there was a sign that said Sorry, we're closed. You don't have to be sorry. It's 3a.m. and your a drycleaner. It would be ridiculous for me to expect you to be open. I'm not gonna come by at 10 and say, hey I was here at 3a.m and you guys were closed. Someone owes me an apology."

"When you go a resturant on the weekends and it's busy so they start a waiting list. They say Dufrane, party of two, table ready for Dufrane, party of two , and if no one answers they'll say the name again, Dufrane, party of two. Bu then if no one answers, they'll move on to the next name. Bush party of three. Yeah, but what happened to the Dufranes, No one seems to care, who can eat at a time like this? People are missing. You people are selfish. The Dufranes are in someone's trunk right now ,with duct tape over their mouths and they're hungry.That's a double whammy! We need help! Bush search party of three. You can eat once you find the Dufranes."

"I wish I could play little league now. I'd be way better than before.

"Every time I go and shave, I assume there is somebody else on the planet shaving as well, so I say, "I'm gonna go shave too."

"I would imagine if you understood Morse Code, a tap dancer would drive you crazy.

"I want to be a rebellious McDonald's owner. Cheeseburgers... NOPE... we got spaghetti!

I bought a seven dollar pen because I always lose pens and I got sick of not caring.

I had a bag of fritos, they were texas grilled fritos. These fritos had grill marks on them. They remind me of something, when we used to fire up the barbeque and throw down some fritos. I can still see my dad with the apron on, better flip that frito, dad, you know how I like mine.

I use the word totally too much. I need to change it up and use a word that is different but has the same meaning. Mitch do you like submarine sandwhiches? All-encompassingly...

On a traffic light yellow means yield, and green means go. On a banana, it's just the opposite, yellow means go ahead, green means stop, and red means, where'd you get that banana?

You know they call corn-on-the-cob, "corn-on-the-cob", but that's how it comes out of the ground. They should just call it corn, and every other type of corn, corn-off-the-cob. It's not like if someone cut off my arm they would call it "Mitch", and then re-attached it, and call it "Mitch-all-together". T

he next time I move I hope I get a real easy phone number, something like 2222222. People will ask, "Mitch, how do I get a hold of you?" I'll say, "Just press two for a while, when I answer, you'll know that you've pressed two enough."

got to write these jokes. So, I sit at the hotel at night and I think of something that's funny. Or, If the pen is too far away, I have to convince myself that what I thought of wasn't funny.

want to get a job as someone who names kitchen appliances. Toaster, refridgerator, blender....all you do is say what the crap does, and add "er". I wanna work for the Kitchen Appliance Naming Institute. Hey, what does that do? It keeps crap fresh. Well that's a fresher....I'm going on break.

at my hotel room, my friend came over and asked to use the phone. I said "Certainly." He said "Do I need to dial 9?" I say "Yeah. Especially if it's in the number. You can try four and five back to back real quick."

This shirt is dry clean only. Which means... It's dirty.

It's very dangerous to wave to people you don't know because what if they don't have hands? They'll think you're cocky.

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.

I think foosball is a combination of soccer and shishkabobs.

If you had a friend who was a tightrope walker, and you were walking down a sidewalk, and he fell, that would be completely unacceptible...