Screamers and Gummy Worms

Retiring the blog

2010-12-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

well after 5 years and 356 posts i am retiring the blog! I think she had a good run and lasted longer than most blogs do. Now now dont be sad cause i also have some good news! I HAVE A NEW BLOG! im joining my boys Ryley and Joe and have moved the blog to mixtapesandmemories.wordpress.com so move on over there and keep following me as i talk about...well really nothing haha!

-bent ;)

ps click on the title of this post and it will take you to my new blog!

New Blogs

2010-11-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hey guys a couple of my friends have started new blogs that are worth checking out! They are also under my links!

Ryley Heppner

http://dayoldmusings.wordpress.com/

Joe Kraftchick

http://joeneology.wordpress.com/

Both are close friends of mine and have started new blogs. Theres some sweet stuff that they have posted and worth checking! so do yourself a favor and take a break from facebook and check out their blogs!

Some Words From Grits

2010-11-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Some spoken Word from a Grits album that i thought was pretty chill! check it!

See it's not that you ain't fine
It's just that I ain't interested
Yep you guessed it I'm the result of a love that never lasted cause lust was always present. I was hoping by the way I dressed and ignored your previous attempts that it would be evident that sweet talk leaves a sour taste in my mouth and there's no substance behind the shallowness of your arrogance.
Yo-Coach gives me the impression that you think I would find it a privilege that you extended a compliment my way. All I can say is your affirmations or confirmation's not revelations that I'm the one to be pursued--brother I thought you knew.
Yeah you're fine but good looks and tight gear won't get my time nearly as fast as a man who's got enough insight to see beyond my Coke-bottle figure and enough vision to make me believe without “priority's” not a bed buddy but a soulmate.
Time's a tickin I have no more to waste on little boys or Usher-like confessions. But that Mac-daddy garbage you just recited you're my carnal curse not a spiritual blessing. Fine men before your time taught me this lesson and now I'm the one teaching you how to treat me and those young girls who are following unknown that a fine man makes them no less beautiful or deserving of
Better
More
God's best
No less
I'm sorry about this for sounding rude
Next

-bent ;)

Prayer-Hans Urs von Balthasar

2010-11-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Im currently in a class on prayer and according to my prof this book by Hans Urs von Balthasar is one of the most important books on prayer ever written!

"The word which God addresses to us is a word of love: he utters it in a loud, manly voice in broad daylight, almost menacing, causing man to start out of his dreams and take notice of what he hears-yet it is also a word whispered in the night, soft and alluring, beyond comprehension, a mystery incredible even to the strongest faith, which no creature, however long he lives, will fathom. For this voice from eternity whispers and breathes right through everything that exists in the world, all intramundane values; and, without depriving the things of this world of their meaning and value, it lends them a bottomless dimension, exploding whatever is closed, relativizing whatever seems ultimate, revealing hidden depths in what seems simple, sweetening pain and bringing reconciliation to what is tragic. Now, renunciation can mean boundless enrichment; death can mean plunging into eternal life; admitting that we are lost and guilty can be the act by which we throw ourselves into the arms of the Eternal Mercy and know ourselves saved."-Hans Urs von Balthasar

Now that is a lot to take in but here is what i think we need to pay attention to. God is speaking to us, he is initiating conversation, he starts prayer! We need to realize that God is speaking to us and once we realize this our lives should look a bit different. How we see things in our life should be viewed as God at work in our lives, as we continue to talk to him because he first spoke to us!

-bent ;)

Wishery

2010-11-09T11:45:00.001-08:00

Id say that this one is my fav!

-bent ;)

Expialidocious

2010-11-09T11:41:00.001-08:00

Good ol Merry Pops!

-bent ;)

Gardyn

2010-11-09T11:32:00.001-08:00

You gotta check this guy out, if i had a garden id do the same thing!

-bent ;)

My bros Video

2010-11-07T15:08:00.001-08:00

here is a video my bro made, check it out!

-bent ;)

Support from friends

2010-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

So something that i have been learning a lot about as of late is the importance friends play in the lives of their dating/married friends. The problem that any couple will face is not suddenly disappearing off the face of the earth when they start dating. This has been my experience with a few of my friends. they start dating and then i never see them again. Of course there are a lot of problems with this one being that if the relationship goes south then they suddenly re-appear out of no where again! However i think there is a healthy approach to friends who are in relationships and that is support.

There clearly needs to be time management within dating/married relationships so time can be appropriately spent within both friendships and relationships. However i dont think there needs to be such a clear separation from these two. Both the girl/boyfriend needs to be supportive of the others friends and our friends NEED to be supportive of their friends relationship.

I didn't take this as seriously until i entered into a relationship. the need for support and prayer is crucial from friends. wisdom, advice, encouragement are all needed from friends in support of a relationship. AND friends also need to be honest and tell their friends if they are spending too much time with their girl/boyfriend or if they feel neglected. They also need to be up front if they think the relationship is unhealthy or destructive.

These are just a few thoughts I've had over the last few weeks. This of course needs to be taken most seriously with our friends who are married. Marriage is a huge commitment that we constantly need to help our friends with. If you attend a wedding it means you are their saying you will support this marriage and help make sure that teh marriage is glorifying to the LORD and help it not end in divorce. I dont know much on the subject clearly, just some thoughts. :)

-bent ;)

Old Spice

2010-10-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Just thought i would share a couple more videos! ha im sick and dont want to do homework so this is my video blogging day! :)

I'm on a horse (moo)....cow

-bent ;)

Brooke Fraser-Something in the Water

2010-10-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Brooke just came out with a new album and i really enjoyed this song! maybe you will too! :)

ACOUSTIC VERSION!

-bent ;)

Resistance

2010-10-12T15:57:00.001-07:00

There are always things that we wish we had time for, wish we could get done, have always wanted to do, or just have always wanted to change! According to Steven Pressfield (author of The Legend of Bagger Vance) in his book "The War of Art" the reason why we dont do these things is because of RESISTANCE! Here are a few of his thoughts on the matter.

"There's a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don't, and the secret is this: It's not the writing part that's hard. What's hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance."

"Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance."

"The following is a list, in no particular order, of those activities that most commonly elicit Resistance:

1. The pursuit of any calling in writing, painting, music, film, dance, or any creative art, however marginal or unconventional.

2. The launching of any entrepreneurial venture or enterprise, for profit or otherwise.

3. Any diet or health regimen.

4. Any program of spiritual advancement.

5. Any activity whose aim is tighter abdominals.

6. Any course or program designed to overcome an unwholesome habit or addiction.

7. Education of every kind. (soooo true)

8. Any act of political, moral, or ethical courage, including the decision to change for the better some unworthy pattern of thought or conduct in ourselves.

9. The undertaking of any enterprise of endeavor whose aim is to help others.

10. Any act that entails commitment of the heart. the decision to get married, to have a child, to weather a rocky patch in a relationship.

11. The taking of any principled stand in the face of adversity."

"Resistance's goal is not to wound or disable. Resistance aims to kill. Its target is the epicenter of our being: our genius, our soul, the unique and priceless gift we were put on earth to give and that no one else has but us. Resistance means business. When we fight it, we are in a war to the death."

"Resistance has no strength of its own. Every ounce of juice it possesses comes from us. We feed it with power by our fear of it. Master that fear and we conquer Resistance."

So those are just a few words from Steven Pressfields book that i thought were great and worth reading! congratulations if you read em all! :) you are one of the few! you did not give into RESISTANCE! ha!

All of this being said i want to encourage us all to not live normal or boring lives. seriously lets live the lives God has called us to live, because if we do i promise you it will not be normal or boring! Why get to the age of 80 and look back and have a big list of "i wish i dids"? start living your life NOW. do what you have always wanted to do NOW! pursue your dreams NOW! LETS NOT LET RESISTANCE WIN! GO AND LIVE YOUR LIFE!

ok im done, have a great week! :)

-bent ;)

People are funny

2010-10-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

I love good humor, i wish i could meet this man, check it out its an actual court case that took place today i believe.

A most extraordinary trial is going on in the High Court at the moment in which a man named Chrysler is accused of stealing more than 40,000 coat hangers from hotels round the world. He admits his guilt, but in his defence he claims that – well, perhaps it would be simpler just to bring you a brief extract from the trial. We join the case at the point where Chrysler has just taken the stand.

Counsel: What is your name?

Chrysler: Chrysler. Arnold Chrysler.

Counsel: Is that your own name?

Chrysler: Whose name do you think it is?

Counsel: I am just asking if it is your name.

Chrysler: And I have just told you it is. Why do you doubt it?

Counsel: It is not unknown for people to give a false name in court.

Chrysler: Which court?

Counsel: This court.

Chrysler: What is the name of this court?

Counsel: This is No 5 Court.

Chrysler: No, that is the number of this court. What is the name of this court?

Counsel: It is quite immaterial what the name of this court is!

Chrysler: Then perhaps it is immaterial if Chrysler is really my name.

Counsel: No, not really, you see because...

Judge: Mr Lovelace?

Counsel: Yes, m'lud?

Judge: I think Mr Chrysler is running rings round you already. I would try a new line of attack if I were you.

Counsel: Thank you, m'lud.

Chrysler: And thank you from ME, m'lud. It's nice to be appreciated.

Judge: Shut up, witness.

Chrysler: Willingly, m'lud. It is a pleasure to be told to shut up by you. For you, I would...

Judge: Shut up, witness. Carry on, Mr Lovelace.

Counsel: Now, Mr Chrysler – for let us assume that that is your name – you are accused of purloining in excess of 40,000 hotel coat hangers.

Chrysler: I am.

Counsel: Can you explain how this came about?

Chrysler: Yes. I had 40,000 coats which I needed to hang up.

Counsel: Is that true?

Chrysler: No.

Counsel: Then why did you say it?

Chrysler: To attempt to throw you off balance.

Counsel: Off balance?

Chrysler: Certainly. As you know, all barristers seek to undermine the confidence of any hostile witness, or defendant. Therefore it must be equally open to the witness, or defendant, to try to shake the confidence of a hostile barrister.

Counsel: On the contrary, you are not here to indulge in cut and thrust with me. You are only here to answer my questions.

Chrysler: Was that a question?

Counsel: No.

Chrysler: Then I can't answer it.

Judge: Come on, Mr Lovelace! I think you are still being given the run-around here. You can do better than that. At least, for the sake of the English bar, I hope you can.

Counsel: Yes, m'lud. Now, Mr Chrysler, perhaps you will describe what reason you had to steal 40,000 coat hangers?

Chrysler: Is that a question?

Counsel: Yes.

Chrysler: It doesn't sound like one. It sounds like a proposition which doesn't believe in itself. You know – "Perhaps I will describe the reason I had to steal 40,000 coat hangers... Perhaps I won't... Perhaps I'll sing a little song instead..."

Judge: In fairness to Mr Lovelace, Mr Chrysler, I should remind you that barristers have an innate reluctance to frame a question as a question. Where you and I would say, "Where were you on Tuesday?", they are more likely to say, "Perhaps you could now inform the court of your precise whereabouts on the day after that Monday?". It isn't, strictly, a question, and it is not graceful English but you must pretend that it is a question and then answer it, otherwise we will be here for ever. Do you understand?

Chrysler: Yes, m'lud.

Judge: Carry on, Mr Lovelace.

Counsel: Mr Chrysler, why did you steal 40,000 hotel coat hangers, knowing as you must have that hotel coat hangers are designed to be useless outside hotel wardrobes?

Chrysler: Because I build and sell wardrobes which are specially designed to take nothing but hotel coat hangers.

HAPPY 50th FLINTSTONES!

2010-09-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

Well its the 50th for the ol Flintstones so i thought i would post some classic videos!

I remember loving this movie and always wanting to watch it! haha except it got kinda scary at one part if i recall correctly

not that i would endorse this but it is very funny! haha

-bent ;)

Being an RA

2010-09-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

haha you HAVE to check out this video especially if you have ever been an RA! is it bad that i have talked like this before? and said pretty much all of these things before? this in many ways sums up the life of an RA hahahahahaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUJniTi9kLY&feature=player_embedded

-bent ;)

Blue Like Jazz the Movie

2010-09-28T11:25:00.001-07:00

So check out this site, it will give you all the info you need! its pretty cool actually! i think i may invest my 10,000 so Don will come and hang out with me! how cool would that be? haha

http://www.savebluelikejazz.com/

-bent ;)

Ok Go-White Knuckles

2010-09-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Well they have done it once again! if you didn't know i love music, art, creativity, and DOGS! haha these guys gave me all my favorite things at once! nice work guys nice work!

-bent ;)

The best thing to happen to the internet, but the worst thing to happen to my productivity

2010-09-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

http://gearpatrol.com/blog/2010/04/29/super-mario-bros-crossover/

just copy this link into your browser and all your wildest dreams will come true. make sure to let it load, it may take a bit but it is well worth the wait!!!

-bent ;)

Reading the Bible

2010-09-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking lately about reading the Bible (sounded like a good idea so i think ill go for it). i was wondering about the way in which we do our devotions and read through God's word! I have always had this pressure to read through the Bible in a year and make sure that i get a good amount done each day. Almost like its a game or something. Now there is of course nothing wrong with this style or approach to reading God's word, however we need to be careful at how we approach this style. what is the goal in getting through the Bible within a year!? Is it an accomplishment? is it to say you have done it? is it a competition? or is it to draw closer to God and to learn more about Him?

I wonder if instead of trying to "get through" the Bible in a year if it would be more helpful to study the Bible in greater detail in a year, regardless of reading the whole thing or not!

In his book on Prayer Richard J. Foster writes, "It is important for us to resist the temptation to pass over many passages superficially. Our rushing reflects our internal state, and our internal state is what needs to be transformed. Bonhoeffer recommends spending a whole week on a single text! Therefore, my suggestion is that we take a single event, or a parable, or a few verses, or even a single word and allow it to take root in us."

The Bible is far more than just a good read! 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

I guess one of the reasons i love blogging is so i am able to start discussion and help myself and others think of how we do things. so i am just wondering if we have a proper understanding of how we should be reading God's word. Please post your input on the topic, either for or against or something i dont care! just let me know your thoughts! :)

-bent ;)

The End is Near

2010-09-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

well im back in full swing of School for my 2nd last semester! its so crazy to be back and reflect on the past three years i have had here. i feel as though i just showed up as a freshmen with a long goatee, rooming with jon and nate, afraid of my classes, and not knowing what a syllabus was! ha but here i am in my final year, having a room to myself and my brother here with me down the hall!

im really looking forward to what this year has to bring. in the past few years i have strived to meet goals that i have set before myself, trying to attain a certain level of knowledge and overcoming certain sins in my life. not that these things are wrong but i have realized that they usually end in heart ache. i get through a year not overcoming sin or becoming a "better person" but exhausted after trying to fix myself. this year my outlook is a bit different.

I have had this amazing sense of peace given to me by God. i am in a place of complete comfort and reliance on him, and i am no longer striving so hard to become better or different, but just happy for what God has done for me and is doing for me. If i want to change i need to let God change me and give him freedom to do so not the other way around. if i make demands to God to do what i think is best and what i want it will end poorly, just as it has for me. im learning more and more that God makes the change in me not me.

so this year i am missing my close friends, i am sad that its my final year, but i am ready for God to work in me and im glad that he has given me a peace for this year. i have no goals, i have no expectations, i have God and thats all i need.

-bent ;)

The Holy Spirit

2010-08-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

Just a few thoughts for you on the Holy Spirit. Ive been going through "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan with Pastor Henry and i came across this and thought it was interesting.

"I honestly believe that most of us-while we might SAY we want to be led by the Spirit-are actually scared of this reality. I know I am. What would it mean? What if He asks you to give up something you're not ready to give up? What if He leads you where you don't want to go? What if he tells you to change jobs? To move? Are you willing to surrender to Him, no matter where He wants to take you? Am I?"

"Did God lead you where you are? A lot of people in my church and in my travels tell me, 'I believe that God has called me to Simi Valley.' Or Wichita. Or New York. Or wherever. That could be the case. But it could be a cop-out because you like where you live. You have a good job. The school district is safe and has high ratings. It makes sense that you are 'called' to be there, right?"

Being led by God can be a scary thing. One story that i will always go back to was God leading me to Briercrest. I remember attending Youth Quake and not wanting anything at all to do with Briercrest and the environment there! I was dead set on CBC and was going to join Blake, Calvin, Joe, and Ryley some of my closest friends! Yet God had a different idea and asked me to go to Briercrest. I ended up going and having the worst month of my life, not knowing anyone, not knowing what a syllabus was, and wondering why on earth i decided to go to this flat land away from my friends and family. However things changed after that. I got to know a crazy amount of amazing people that have encouraged me and showed me what it really means to follow God. I would never go back to change a thing and im so happy for that! Thank you God and thank you Brady, Jon, Mel, and Shayna for making these past 3 years some of the best years of my life!

-bent ;)

Proverbs Sermon

2010-08-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

PROVERBS

Here is the (an edited version) sermon i preached at the Grand Forks Gospel Chapel, I hope it can bless you in some way, I know that Gad used me in various ways that morning and im thankful to preach from His word and give all the credit to Him since He helped me!

So as we go through the O.T. books it is important to keep these passages in mind:

2 Timothy 3:16-17:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

1 Corinthians 10:11:

“Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

Luke 24:27, 44:

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He (Christ) explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. He said to them, “this is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

A. INTERESTING FACTS

A proverb is often a short, compact statement that express’ truths about human behavior. It is often used in similes or metaphors, which can make it more powerful and vivid.

The Fear of the Lord is mentioned 16 times, (1:7, 1:29, 2:5, 3:7, 8:13, 9:10, 10:27, 14:2, 14:26, 14:27, 16:6, 19:23, 22:4, 23:17, 24:21, 31:30) within the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs give wisdom for: relationships, parenting, time management, prudence, limits, humility, money, learning to listen. (To just name a few).

B. AUTHOR

The Primary Author of Proverbs was King Solomon son of David and Bathsheba.

Along with Proverbs, Song of Songs (which I am not allowed to read until I am married) and Ecclesiastes can also be attributed to Solomon. It is also possible that Solomon wrote a couple of the Psalms as well. (72 and 127).

We know that Solomon must have been the primary author because the Bible says so:

Proverbs 1:1 “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel”
Proverbs 10:1 “The proverbs of Solomon”
Proverbs 25:1 “These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah”

Solomon was mentioned many times throughout the Old Testament and we learn a lot about him within the book of 1 Kings.

1 Kings 4:29-34 “29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.”

Let me remind you that Solomon was not the sole author of Proverbs. A few more names pop up within the book of Proverbs. In chapter 22:17 and 24:23 The titles read “sayings of the wise” Chapter 30 is attributed to Agur son of Jakeh and finally 31:1-9 to King Lemuel who is not mentioned anywhere else in the O.T. and many would agree was a non-Israelite king. Also chapters 25-29 are Solomon’s proverbs collected by Hezekiah.

C. DATE

Because Proverbs is a collection of writings from various authors there is a wide range of dates of when certain proverbs were written and when they were all collected to make the book of proverbs. I would suggest that the book of Proverbs was finalized around the fifth century B.C.

D. BIG PICTURE OUTLINE

1-9 The superiority of wisdom
10-21 Main collection of Solomon’s Proverbs
22-24 Sayings of the wise
25-29 Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s Proverbs
30 Sayings of Agur
31:1-9 Sayings of King Lemuel
31:10-31 The ideal wife

E. THEME

The ingredients for living a full life is rooted in the fear of the LORD.

F. SENTENCE SUMMARY

To have fear in the LORD is wisdom and leads to known positive effects and to defy it leads only to unhappy consequences.

G. KEY VERSES

1:1-7 “1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; 3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

3:5, 6 “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

H. THE BATTLE

1. Wise vs. The Fool

There are countless examples of what is in store for the wise and what is in store for the fool.

2. Woman Wisdom vs. The Adulterous Woman

There are many verses within Proverbs that depict wisdom as a female,

3:13-15 “13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.”

Which is the exact opposite of the adulteress women talked about in

5:3-6, “3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. 6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
Her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.”

3. World Wisdom vs. Biblical Wisdom.

There is a lot of so-called wisdom out in our world today. We are told how to be wise by so many different things in our culture. However if you truly want to be wise and live life to the full, the Bible and certainly the book of Proverbs will show you how to do just that!

I. MUSIC

Prov 25:20 “Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.”

Prov 29:6 “An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.

J. CHRIST IN PROVERBS

Though Christ is not specifically mentioned in the book of Proverbs I would argue that there are connections to HIM within the book of Proverbs.

The first one is the example of wisdom Jesus was. He applied the book of Proverbs directly to his life and teachings.

Mk 1:21-22, “21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Mk 6:2, “2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.”

The Greek word translated as "parable" (parabole) in the New Testament is a translation of the Hebrew word for "proverb" (masal). In other words, Jesus was a teacher of wisdom.

Proverbs 8 is a chapter that would appear to talk about Christ and or Wisdom. The arguments can go either way. Some verses within this chapter seem to speak clearly that this is in fact Christ,

8:27, 34, and 35 “27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep. 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. 35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.”

This clearly sounds like Christ

However other verses make it a challenge to say this is Christ,

8:22, 24 “22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old 24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water.”

This passage seems to imply that wisdom being spoken of is part of the creation and, of course, Jesus is not a created being.

I personally would not be quick to say that Proverbs 8 is talking strictly about Christ, however many who are far wiser than I would disagree with me, I’ll let you be the judge. Either way it is important to note that there is Christ like qualities within this chapter.

I think one of the most helpful passages on Christ and Proverbs was actually written by Paul in Col 2:2-3 which says

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

“To say that the crucified Christ is the Wisdom of God is to say that he is the key to the meaning of the whole of the created order, and therefore the source of true wisdom, wherever that is to be found”-Colin Gunton

I would say in conclusion on the matter of Christ in Proverbs, is that the wise man chooses Jesus and his gospel whereas the fool chooses the empty idolatry and folly of this world.

K. SO WHAT!?

1. God does not call us to be lazy.

Proverbs talks a lot about being lazy and the outcomes for that. It can be very easy to be lazy in our culture. In the world we live in I can communicate with people all over the world or right in town without leaving my room. Never have we had so much access to communication and technology. This I believe has created a problem of laziness. We spend time together in front of TV’s, we talk through texting and emails, and we spend countless hours playing computer and video games. If ever there was a temptation to be lazy it is now. Don’t get me wrong there is a lot of good in technology, I just think we need to watch how much time we invest in technology vs. how much time we invest in others!

2. God calls us away from adultery and toward wisdom

Something that I have spoken on many times back at Briercrest is sexual purity. Proverbs clearly states that sexual impurity leads to death and destruction! There is nothing good for us there. Lust and pornography is taking us by storm and is killing Godly men and women. God says right in Proverbs what results in these actions and tells us there is something far better for us all.

3. Life is a challenge

Lets face it, life is hard. Talk to anyone who has ever lost a loved one, has ever dealt with addictions, or who can’t afford things like food and a roof over their head! Life isn’t easy. However there is hope in wisdom, and true wisdom is Christ! Wisdom is the fear of the Lord, if you didn’t catch it the first few times. Proverbs, helps us navigate through this thing we call life. Wisdom is the journey of the well-lived life, navigating successfully in God’s Creation.

N.T. Wright says, “Learning to navigate this world wisely, and to grow toward complete and mature human life in and through it all, is the challenge we all face.”-N.T. Wright

4. Fearing the Lord is essential when living a life for Christ.

If we want to be effective in the work that God has for us on earth we need to know what it means to fear the Lord. I would say that this has been lost in our culture. It can be so easy when we live in comfort to not know what the fear of the Lord truly means. Is God our friend? Yes! But he is so much more than that, I think we have leaned too far to one side and we have lost what it truly means to fear God, and according to Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is ESSENTIAL!

Our lives should be lived in awareness of the LORD of creation and in reliance on his generous providence.

-bent ;)

5 Things Marriage Is Not!

2010-07-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Here is an article I read today that i think applies to a lot of our lives today (if your close to my age that is).

The fantasy of marriage looks a lot different from reality. Here's a wake-up call.

Marriage is like a tube of toothpaste: You get the best results when you start squeezing at the bottom. (Insert your own marital hanky-panky joke here.) The most successful marriages start with a solid foundation. That foundation is built on many things—mutual interests, shared beliefs, selflessness, and, of course, love—but the biggest problem going into many marriages is that those basics are often held back by unrealistic expectations.

All of us know someone for whom marriage didn't work out. We've all heard the statistics. First marriages have a failure rate of more than 40 percent. Second marriages end in divorce 60 percent of the time. This is particularly true of the generation whose parents married (and subsequently divorced) in the 1970s.

We think we know what marriage is because we've seen it on TV. It's Monica and Chandler, all candles and sex and witty banter. It's the end-of-the-day slow dancing of Cliff and Claire Huxtable. It's the tuxedos and pigtailed flower girls and white chiffon spectacle of The Bachelorette on ABC. Then, when everything doesn't turn out exactly as we dreamed, we look for an out, blame it on irreconcilable differences, and scrap the covenant.

The differences aren't the problem, though; our irreconcilable expectations are. Let's look, then, at some of those predetermined ideas and dump marriage out of its box. Here's something you should know before you say “I Do”: not what marriage is, but five things it isn't.

1. A cure for loneliness

In a society where we're plugged in twenty-four hours a day, where "community" is more often used to describe your Facebook friends than an actual neighborhood, people long to connect intimately with someone.
We see couples everywhere—in restaurants, on TV, on the bus or train or sidewalks on the way to work—and feel like something is missing in our lives if we're alone. As humans, we have an innate need to belong, and we expect a spouse to provide that sense of acceptance and intimacy and comfort. We're Jerry Maguire looking for a soul mate, someone to whom we can say, "You complete me."

Best case scenario, that's what a good marriage will provide ( i disagree no man or women will ever "complete" you). But I know couples in loving relationships who remain lonely. Why? After all, they've found a perfect mate who has taken great strides toward fulfilling their need for intimacy. But that's a heavy load for one person to bear, despite the stories Cameron Crowe tells. Lonely single people become lonely married people. If your goal in marriage is to satisfy your need to belong, your next stop may be heartbreak.

2. An escape from boredom

In 1991, U.S. News and World Report reported that half of U.S. workers said the reason they have a job—aside from needing to earn a living—was to keep from being bored. What does this have to do with marriage? Plenty. Some couples get married to shake off boredom. Life becomes dull, and it's easy to convince yourself that a serious relationship will make the day more bearable. It's something else to do, the next step after graduating college and getting a job and exploring the dating scene. When you get married, you expect built-in happiness. Automatic entertainment. Regular conversation. At least you'll have someone to watch TV with.

Unfortunately, this fails to account for the true cause of boredom, which isn't necessarily an external lack of stimulus, but rather an internal one. You're not bored because you've seen every episode of The Real World: New Orleans thirty times. You're bored because you can't come up with something better to do after watching it the first time. It's not my fault you're bored, nor is it MTV's fault. It's yours.
Getting married in order to generate a little excitement in your life is a terrible motivation. Why? Because once the merry-go-round stops—once the novelty wears out—you'll immediately start looking for the next ride.

3. A rowdy sex romp

As the old experiment goes, put a penny in a jar for every time you have sex during the first year of marriage. Then, beginning at the start of your second year, take a penny out every time you do the horizontal two-step. Chances are, a couple of years later, you'll still be pulling pennies.

Does the sex stop after twelve months of good lovin'? No. Not by any means. But is every night a page out of the Karma Sutra? Nope. Despite what guys think, your wife won't always want to wear that see-through teddy. Elastic and lace just aren't that comfortable in some places. And ladies? Keeping the romance alive is hard work for us guys. Sometimes we just want to watch SportsCenter.

Still, with communication and sensitivity, sex can (and should) remain a vital part of marriage. It's the ultimate bonding activity for a couple to share. But remember it's not the only activity. Don't expect marriage to be a fifty-year honeymoon of libido and lipstick.

4. A means to a makeover

How many times have you heard this? "He's not really interested in the stuff I like to do, but that'll change once we get married." Very few marriages that launch from that pad end up happily ever after.

If there's anything you should know about marriage, it's this: saying "I do" may change your legal relationship, but it doesn't change your character. Don't enter a marriage expecting to remake your husband or wife into someone else. You can't. People have baggage, stuff they've wheeled around behind them since childhood. It's been with us so long, very few have the willpower to drop it before entering the wedding chapel. The flaws go with you.

Don't marry someone for who they might become. Marry them for who they are right now.

5. An easy transition

There's a reason romantic movies end, rather than begin, with a wedding. It's because that's when the hard stuff starts. For anyone who's lived on their own for any length of time, the space between singleness and marriage is a wide one. It's a difficult transition for many.

"I wasn't ready for all the changes," a friend of mine once told me about his first few months of marriage. "I could deal with moving into her place and giving up my furniture—it was pretty much crap anyway. But what surprised me was having to deal with her emotions. When you're dating, you always see her best face. Once you get married, you see everything."

Women don't have it any easier. Many secretly wince at the notion of placing their fate alongside that of another, worrying that the role of wife might eat into their sense of individuality. There's no way around making these adjustments. In order for the marriage to last more than a week or two, you'll have to find a way to cope. Don't be taken by surprise; expect a few hiccups going in.

Let me get a head start by ending with this disclaimer. We've been discussing what marriage is not, but here's what marriage is: Marriage is wonderful. There is no better way to make it through life than with a partner who loves you despite your morning breath, despite your stinky Converse All-Stars, and despite your failure to clean coffee stains. Marriage is deeply satisfying, incredibly fulfilling, and loads of fun. It makes the harsh edges of life a little softer. It brings joy and hope and laughter. But it's not easy, and it's not something to rush into without thinking.

So: Know the benefits. Know the challenges. Know your potential mate. Get your expectations right. Then, jump in with both feet. You're gonna like it.

Jason Boyett is a blogger and author, most recently of O Me of Little Faith (Zondervan). This article was adapted from The Pocket Guide to Adulthood (Relevant Books).

Surviving Church as a Single

2010-07-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

This man is brilliant, check it out.

#550. Surviving church as a single.
-By Jon Acuff

Single adults, I have failed you.

Although I’ve written a handful of ideas about being single at church, I’ve never really done that topic justice.

So today, I created a list of all the different stereotypes and challenges singles have to navigate when they go to church. From the “get married right this second” friends to the “this guy has a pulse and so do you so maybe that’s enough in common to fall in love” friends, it’s all here.

And I can’t take credit for it. I read your comments about real things that have happened to you at church, got ideas from my single friends, and received a great email from a pastor named Jeff. I took it all and created a point based scorecard.

Ready to play?

The Surviving Church as a Single Scorecard

1. Your church doesn’t have a singles ministry. = + 1 point

2. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s combined with the college ministry which creates opportunities for conversations like this:
Student: “My roommate bought a microwave for our dorm room. I love being a Freshman!”
Single: “My 401K is underperforming.” = +2 points

3. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s a triad that combines college, single adults and divorce recovery. = + 3 points

4. Your church has a singles ministry but it’s the dreaded quad, combining college, single adults, divorce recovery and retired widowers that refuse to move to Florida. = +4 points

5. Someone pays you the world’s most backhanded compliment, “I just don’t understand how someone as great as you isn’t married yet.” = +1 point

6. Someone told you, “If you stop looking for love you’ll find it.” 2 points for each time you’ve heard that.

7. At church, people give you weird looks if you refuse to sit in the “singles” section of the sanctuary. = +1 point

8. When people introduce you, they say, “This is Matt, my single friend.” = +2 points

9. When people introduce you they feel compelled to list out your accomplishments, “This is Sally, my single friend who owns her own home, drives a luxury sedan and has a very, very stable job.” = +3 points

10. Your friends that have been married for 15 minutes act like they suddenly don’t remember anything about dating and therefore can’t give you any advice. “It’s been so long since I dated, things have changed so much. I’m just out of that whole scene.” + 2 points

11. People are constantly volunteering you for things because, “you’re single, you’ve got so much free time.” = +1 point

12. People at church act a little surprised when they ask you, “How are you doing?” and you respond with, “Things are great right now. I love my life!” = +1 point

13. Married friends try to live vicariously through you, asking questions like, “What did you do this weekend? Road trip? I bet you went on some crazy cool, singles road trip, right?” = +2 points

14. Someone you just met for the first time said a sentence like this to you, “If you want to get married, you need to ______.” = +2 points

15. Whenever married friends call you at noon on a Saturday, they start the conversation by saying, “Did I just wake you up?” = +3 points

16. You assume that if you don’t get engaged by final exams of your senior year in college you’ll never get married. = -2 points

17. You’ve secretly always wanted your own cat but are afraid that ownership of a single kitten will become some sort of gateway drug to becoming “the cat lady.” = – 2 points

18. You’ve ever given an impassioned, enraged monologue on the injustice that men who are single get to age gracefully and be considered “bachelors” while women are instantly judged as “crazy cat ladies.” = – 3 points

19. You’ve got a “don’t perpetuate the cat lady stereotype,” monologue locked and loaded at all times and have already stopped reading this post so you can put it in the comments section. = – 5 points

20. Someone has quoted the “it’s not good for man to be alone” Bible verse to you. = +2 points.

21. When friends invite you to their church they start the invite by listing both the quantity and hotness of the singles that go there. = +1 point

22. That friend was named Jon Acuff and he said, “No one in Atlanta should ever involuntarily remain single with so many awesome single people at North Point Community Church.” (I’ve said this a lot. My bad.) = + 3 points

23. Your married friends tip toe around you during February because they think you’re too delicate to handle the completely made up holiday, Valentine’s Day. = +1 point

24. You are too delicate to handle Valentine’s Day and have been known to describe it with a rich tapestry of words no Christian should even know exist, never mind actually say out loud. = + 1 point

25. The person that leads the singles ministry at your church got married in 1964. = +10 points for each decade they’ve been married.

26. Someone told you, “Maybe you need to focus on being more like a Proverbs 31 woman.” = 2 points for each time it wasn’t sincere encouragement.

27. You didn’t know you were supposed to be unhappy as a single adult until you went to church and found the singles ministry to be akin to a support group. = +3 points

28. Upon hearing that you went on a first date with someone, your single friends at church stop inviting you to the single events because “you’re in a relationship already.” = +2 points

29. Upon hearing that you went on two dates, your married friends at church start telling you, “I’ll be praying that this is the one!” = + 3 points

30. Your best friend of 15 years gets married and then suddenly acts like a magical gap has opened up between you and decides that until you get married too you can’t be close again because you just don’t understand each other anymore. = +3 points

31. To justify giving a four week marriage sermon series to a congregation that is 60% single, the pastor throws out one blanket statement like this at the beginning of the series, “And you single people listen up to this too, this well serve you well when you get married too.” = +2 points

32. You set your alarm to “not going to church today” after the first week of the marriage sermon series. = – 2 points

33. The only time your married friends invite you over is when they need a babysitter. = +3 points

34. Someone throws the “Paul was never married” card on you. = +2 points

35. Friends assume that the only qualification that matters to you when it comes to finding a date is that she’s available and set you up with people you have nothing in common with. = +2 points

36. You’ve ever said the rhyme, “I’m a bachelor til’ the rapture.” = – 1 point

37. During a prayer at church celebrating wedding anniversaries, the person praying says a special prayer for all the people that are still single and lonely. (True story) = +1 point

38. You have a friend that feels like creating a dating profile on eHarmony is a sign that you might not be trusting God enough to provide a soul mate. = + 1 point

39. You’ve developed highly sensitive, “They’re about to throw the bouquet” radar and know exactly when to leave a wedding. = +2 points

40. Instead of saying that you’re “single” your friends describe you as “Not married yet.” = +2 points

my total=47

-bent ;)

Another Blog!

2010-07-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

hey guys i just wanted to let you know that The Gospel Chapel now has a blog that various people (including myself) will be writing on! so go check it out, im not sure when it will be updated but its worth checking out even just for updates! :)

-bent ;)

the blog can be found at helpingpeoplefollowjesus.blogspot.com

Views on God

2010-07-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

It became very apparent to me this week that many people have very different views on God. I'm not exactly talking about those outside of the church, that goes without saying. I'm talking more about the views that fellow believers have within the church. This likely seems dreadfully obvious to most people, but I have realized how drastically different many believers think about God and view God.

This then lead to myself thinking what makes my view of God anymore accurate or correct? I believe to a certain extent your feelings and view of God will be shaped by your past experiences and i have talked about this here before, but how do we base our view on God accurately when we take into account our past and how we were raised?

The answer i believe and im sure you know where i am going with this is the Bible. Anything we know about God has to be rooted in His word. I don't believe it would be fair to judge God's character or how one views God simply on experience. It would be too subjective.

However in the end we can all be far too subjective on God's word. you can have a congregation of 200 people, get them all to read the Bible and come up with 200 different views on God! How can we come up with an accurate view of God? Is it even possible? Is it even worth attempting? Or do we even need to do so?

These are just a few thoughts i had this week and i thought i would get them down before i forgot, let me know your thoughts, i have no conclusion! :)

-bent ;)

Anyone remember these guys?

2010-07-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

SECRET EATING!

I'll scare your dad!

-bent ;)

Grad Sunday

2010-07-02T12:40:00.001-07:00

Here is an edited version of what i preached on for the Grads for Grad Sunday. I believe it is something not only grads need to hear but everyone needs to hear, including myself!

GRAD SUNDAY

Graduating from high school means freedom and firsts. For the most part, your entire life you have been told what you can and cannot do. And this is for the most part a good thing. But for the first time you no longer have to do what you are told. You call the shots. This is the first time you don’t have to go to school, the first time you can choose where you want to live, and most terrifying of all the first time that you don’t have to go to church! Now that you are getting older and able to leave your father and mother you are now able to make more of your own choices. And this is where I believe so many of us have made mistakes.

2 Timothy 2:1-3 says “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Life after high school does not get easy. One of the hardest years of my life was the year after I graduated. I haven’t lived that long so I'm sure there will more hard times ahead. But the years after graduation are years of some fairly big transitions. Lets be honest growing up in your parents house and coming to church and youth group can be pretty easy. And it can be very easy to fake a spiritual life. It is terrifying how many people I grew up with in youth group live what seemed to be deep authentic spiritual lives graduate and then never step into a church or mention God’s name again.

My challenge to you is similar to what was written to the Church in Laodicea. Revelation 3:15-16 says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Christ detests a Laodicean attitude of compromise, one that seeks easy accommodation and peace at any cost. With such a condition, he must deal harshly. To be a Christian means to be useful to Christ. So my friends are you being useful to Christ?

The book that was given to the grads talks about making your life count. "If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn't cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn't tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you'd seen. The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you'd feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo. But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to feel meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either."-Donald Miller

We have one life to live. You don’t get another crack at life on this earth. You can spend your time on earth being useful to Christ and others, or you can spend your time on earth being useful to only yourself. The tricky thing about life, especially when we are young is to believe that we have nothing but time on our hands. It’s easy to believe that there will always be time to serve Christ LATER, or go to church LATER, or to work on sin in our lives LATER. The problem with this theory is of course no one on earth knows when his or her time is up. God has given each of us a different amount of time on this earth and for every one of us in the end it’s not that long at all. Job 8:9 says “for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow.” So another question I have is, what are you doing with the small amount of time you have on earth? Are you serving Christ and others, or are you serving yourself?

These next five years are going to be hard on your faith; it will be very easy to fall into temptation and to turn from God. I know this because I have seen it happen every year with every grad class and I too have been tempted. Lets stop this trend. The LORD is not looking for fakers, as talked about in Isaiah 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” The LORD is looking for those who are willing to serve Him authentically through the good times and the bad.

So will you choose to serve Christ and make your life count? Or will you serve yourself? The choice is yours and it will be the biggest choice you have to make. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Grads, may God bless you and keep you close. My prayer is that you will hold tightly to the Scriptures and lean on God for your future.

-bent ;)

Sunday Music

2010-06-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

no its not sunday, but im sticking with the title anyway! This is one of my new favorite songs! John Mark McMillan wrote "How he loves" simply amazing! hes also at Creation Fest! i will for sure be seeing him!

i like the more full version that you can get on itunes but this one is still pretty sweet!

-bent ;)

Life is a wreck

2010-06-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take long for anyone to realize that life is a wreck, its a mess, everyone and everything is pretty well screwed up, or so it seems! we turn on the TV we see pain, we read the paper we see destruction in various ways, we we drive a car and it breaks down...all the time!

"The sheer quantity of wreckage around us is appalling: wrecked bodies, wrecked marriages, wrecked careers, wrecked plans, wrecked families, wrecked alliances, wrecked friendships, wrecked prosperity. We avert our eyes. We try not to dwell on it. We whistle in the dark. We wake up in the morning hoping for health and love, justice and success, we build quick mental and emotional defenses against the inrush of bad news, and we try to keep our hopes up. And then some kind of crash or other puts us or someone we care about in a pile of wreckage. Newspapers document the ruins with photographs and headlines. Our own hearts and journals fill in the details. Are there any promises, any hopes that are exempt from the general carnage? It doesn't seem so."-Eugene Peterson, Working the Angles.

It all seems so hopeless, so pointless, so...sad! Everyone on some level has struggles in life, everyone of us has some sin that we cant seem to overcome! it can seem so utterly depressing!

This i think is one of the many reasons why Jesus was/is so appealing, hes not a wreck! he was consistent and whole. that being said we made a wreck of him, we took the one and only thing that was not screwed up and beat it to a pulp! how hopeless can we get?

it almost seems that we as humans cannot handle something or someone that is not a wreck. Adam and Eve couldn't. The Israelites couldn't. The Pharisees couldn't. And we can't either. Does it ever bother you when people are doing really well on any level at all. we seem to become jealous and upset because it isn't us that is doing well. or when someone is doing well especially spiritually it can be so easy for us as humans to be annoyed by that person and think of them as a "goodie two shoes." it would seem that on some level, somewhere within us we hate what is good or that which is not a wreck!

However (and thank the LORD) there is hope, there is freedom, there is LIFE! "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."-John 10:10

It can be cliche or obvious but it is the simple truth. Freedom from this wreck of a life is found in Jesus. man alive i don't know how people get by in the life without HIM. i could never do it.

Having this hope and faith in Christ of course does not mean that life wont be hard, or that the world around us will stop crumbling. but on a certain level it does help give us some understanding of this world, we can see it in a new light and know that this world is messed but Christ is not finished with it yet, and there will be restoration! And above all else we have Christ to rest in for his "yoke is easy and his burden is light."-Matthew 11:30

-bent ;)

This will be the last June 16 2010 you will ever live

2010-06-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

i was thinking last week while i was helping with a funeral here at the church how fragile life is. this of course is likely the thoughts of anyone who ever attends a funeral, especially when its the funeral of a young person.

Larry was 62 when he passed and it was sudden, one day here the next day gone. i got thinking about how i use my time and i how i spend my days. it hit me that i really will only be young once. this is truly the only time ill be 22. ha this is an obvious observation but one that i don't really observe all that much. what am i doing with my life?

i had the honor to help with Youth Quake in a major way this year and the theme was "Make it Count." this was one of the greatest themes for YQ i have seen and it turned out very well (im bias of course). but the theme probes a very crucial question, are you making your life count? what does it really mean to make your life count anyway?

im starting to grow tired of spending my days collecting stuff so to speak and using my time for movies media and what not. i dont believe that these things are evil but i do believe that these things can result in my time being spent on things of little importance. could i not be doing something more useful? is there a friend that needs to talk? is there someone i can pray for? could i be out in the fresh air enjoying God's creation? perhaps.

I guess what i am getting at is i don't want to waste this one chance i have to glorify God and do "Kingdom" work that i have been given to do. this however does not mean that i never watch movies or play video games or whatever else but it does mean that i take account of how i spend my time and try to use my days wisely!

this is the last June 16 2010 you have, what did you do with it?

-bent ;)

Things that are awesome part 1

2010-06-03T22:49:00.000-07:00

Grow For It is tomorrow and im looking forward to it, hoping that all comes together and that most importantly we can honor and glorify God. but as i thought of Grow For It i thought of other awesome things and started making a list in no particular order, enjoy!

1. Grow For It!
2. Maylong
3. Battalion 3739
4. Weddings
5. Screamers
6. Hot Tubs
7. Friends
8. Hanging out with friends in hot tubs while drinking screamers!
9. Rain when its sunny out
10. Meat
11. Coke
12. God (at least according to the song)
13. Music
14. Falling asleep to Fleet Foxes, Iron and Wine, or City and Colour
15. Listening to Jars of Clay while its raining
16. Youth Quake
17. Aquatic centers when your a kid
18. The grapes around the Martens pool that you can eat while you swim!
19. Pines
20. Water slides
21. Adam Sandler movies
22. Youth Group
23. Listening to MxPx, P.O.D., DC Talk, and The OC Supertones at youth group
24. Briercrest
25. Kissing girls (im guessing)
26. Seeing someone get kicked or hit by any object in the crotch
27. Water fountains
28. Hawaiian Punch
29. Pallet Fires
30. Flip Flops
31. Goldeneye for the N64
32. Creation Fest
33. Road trips
34. Pretending to be sick to skip school
35. Winning things
36. Dancing to Sufjan Stevens songs
37. Saying NO to drugs
38. Lego
39. Jedi battles
40. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
41. When God gets his paintbrush out and reminds us who is in control
42. Eating cookie dough when Mom isn't looking
43. Impressing a girl on purpose or by accident
44. Seeing a guy make a fool of himself, thus making you look a lot cooler
45. Free stuff
46. Tasty Treat
47. The falls
48. Snow at Christmas
49. Freestyle rap battles
50. Grand Forks

-bent ;)

Sunday Music

2010-05-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Future of Forestry is a band that has been below the radar but is a band i thoroughly enjoy! They are on the same label as Edison Glass, Jon Foreman, and Fiction Family. This is a new song from there 2 part EP "Travel"

-bent ;)

Deas Vail

2010-05-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

If your looking for new music then look no further. A great band who signed on with Mono vs. Stereo a label ran by Matt Thiessen of Relient K. have a good day!

-bent ;)

Rebuild

2010-05-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

Nehemiah 3:28-32

28 Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29 Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. 31 Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; 32 and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

I just started reading Nehemiah today and after finishing chapter 3 the word rebuild and start again came to mind. the entire chapter talks about certain people and what they were personally working on to restore the wall in Jerusalem. These men got together to use their gifts and talents to help each other and honor God.

this is a great story of redemption and starting over. it is a great reminder to me that no matter how far i fall God is ready and willing to help me start over which is a very comforting thought.

where are you at today? how far do you think you have fallen from God? let me assure you its not as far as you may have let yourself believe. STAND UP! BRUSH YOURSELF OFF! START AGAIN! You will fail again, you will be hurt again, and you will fall. What matters is what will you do after you have fallen? will you rebuild the wall? or will you let it crumble?

-bent ;)

HOME

2010-05-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

well i have been home for 6 full days already and i feel like i have been here for months! me and Jason rolled up saturday at 2am and unpacked our lives here at Grand Forks. its a bittersweet thing leaving Briercrest but i am overjoyed to see mountains again! along of course with my family and friends. i started my new job as a youth pastor here on Monday and im settling in and trying to figure out how i am going to get everything done this week (blogging seems to be a good choice). i am planning this friday night and well pretty well every friday with the help of the youth leaders team. i have been encouraged greatly by everyone i have come across and everyone is excited to have me here which is great! im looking forward to the next 4 months and hope to do well with God's help and strength. anyway thats all i have for ya today, i got work to do! seeya soon!

-bent ;)

Sunday Music

2010-05-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to Alexi Murdoch by my dear friend Brady. Alexi did the music for the movie Away we Go! enjoy!

im GF now, looking forward to a great summer!

-bent ;)

The Art of Saying Goodbye

2010-04-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Something that has been apparent to me as i get older is the fact that i am having to say goodbye to people more and more. today however marks the first day where i will be saying goodbye to friends that i will likely not see in a very long time!

over the last three years i have grown close to three very important people in my life, and today is the day that those three people will be leaving this small and strange town, and they will not be returning. i find myself still here taking a great class on the pastoral epistles and preparing myself for another year here next year without these people.

the great thing about saying goodbye however, is that I know without question that i will see them again. its great to know that without a doubt I will see them in Heaven! that being said im also excited to see them in years to come! how great will it be when the four of us will be able to re-unite and catch up on life again! who knows where we will be then! who knows when that will even be?

at any rate this day still is very saddening to me, and to be honest it can be tricky to handle. i am realizing now that instead of being depressed about it, the proper response is to be thankful for the time God has given me with my friends at a place like this! But for now i think its ok to be saddened, however life goes on and i am very excited for the time that is before me in GF with my close friends and family waiting for me there! ill see you soon!

-bent ;)

Farewell Shayna, Melissa, and Jon thanks for the good times!

Sunday Music: Dustin Kensrue

2010-04-25T23:49:00.000-07:00

Hey guys sorry its late!

hes the lead singer to Thrice! have a good one!

-bent ;) 5 days!

Such Great Heights Acapella

2010-04-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

This is a video of a guy who i went to school with here at Briercrest! there is not one instrument in the entire song! its pretty rad!

-bent ;)

I want one!

2010-04-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

haha so this is super cool!

sorry for all the videos, when i have something somewhat constructive to say ill let ya know! GO CANUCKS!

-bent ;)

ps can someone please grab a playoff towel for me? ill pay for it when i get home on the 30th!

Sunday Music

2010-04-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

hey so im totally stealing this idea from Don Miller, hope he doesn't mind. every Sunday ill try to post some cool music that you should check out! For the first Sunday i thought i would recommend a guy by the name of Aidan Knight. My friend Matt introduced him to me and i think hes pretty great! have a great Sunday!

-bent ;)

some amazing videos! have fun!

2010-04-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

anyway have a great saturday! im back to the books! 13 days!!!

-bent ;)

Charles Barkley is hilarious

2010-04-15T09:19:00.001-07:00

so as a follow up to the last post check this video out! it would be better if you watch the video on my previous post!

have a great day! i have a Canadian history exam at 3:30 so thats why the posts are videos for awhile! 15 days!

-bent ;)

Tiger

2010-04-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

check out this new ad by Nike, its very interesting.

i think one thing i have learned about humanity through the whole Tiger Woods ordeal is that it is impossible to know the hearts of men, that being said however i also think that men and women show their heart through certain actions. any thoughts?

-bent ;)

Some laughs for a rainy day!

2010-04-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

so this is one of the funniest things i have seen all month! I have no idea what that one dude is wearing on his head but it definitely makes it funnier! enjoy!

-bent ;)

The effects of media and pop culture

2010-04-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

So today i am representing the stereo typical twenty-something of our generation. I am sitting in a coffee shop, drinking a coffee, wearing plaid, and blogging. im not sure plaid fits but it seems to be a bit more trendy these days! basically i just wanted to point out that todays blog post is coming to you from a coffee house and I'm super trendy today! anyway...

Something that i have been thinking a lot about as of late is the effect that media and pop culture has on my life. basically the effect of most of my entertainment. i haven't really come to any conclusions but i thought i would list the forms of media, technology, entertainment, and pop culture that i find to fill my days with and consider how they may effect my life.

~TV~
This form of media is basically non-existent as i live in a town that prohibits me owning a television. that being said however i have found a loop-hole that allows me to watch TV on my computer thanks to Joe Kraftchick introducing me to a product called Slingbox. owning this device i have only ever really used it to watch the Vancouver Canucks. in fact that is all i have used it for. and since i live in sask the games start at 8 or 9 allowing me to catch almost every game! outside of the Canucks i watch the Amazing Race once a week with group of some of my closest friends and House every Monday nights.

Overall i would say that my Spiritual life has not been effected in a negative way by watching the Amazing Race or the Vancouver Canucks as both of these are family friendly shows. i suppose the problem would come into play when i started putting these shows above my relationships (including God) and school work.

When it comes to the show House if i am going to be perfectly honest there are many episodes that would not be family friendly. the problem however is i have no idea how it would effect my life in a negative way. the obvious answer again would be if i were spending more time with the show House then God and friends etc. then it would be dangerous, but how is this effecting me in the way of my brain and how i may be desensitized to the things i see and hear? in the end i imagine it cant be great, what do you think?

~MOVIES~
Now this is one that i have been feeling especially convicted about. where is the line when it comes to movies? if i ever see a movie with any kind of nudity i find there is a clear line where i will not continue watching or watch again. however if i watch a movie where an orc or even a human head is cut off in war, or a man is shot in the face it doesnt bother me in the least, in fact i tend to gravitate towards these action style films. i find swearing especially out of context has really been bothering me as of late too. if i look through my movie collection i find that there would be a good number of movies that may need to find their way to the garbage can.

again what would the effects of this be on my life? i cant imagine they are very good. can we say that certain things will effect certain people differently? can we justify these movies by saying we need to stay relevant to be able to witness better, especially when we are working in youth ministry? i would have to say NO! when it really comes down to it the people you come in contact with wont write you off because you haven't seen certain movies, its your heart that really matters. (kind of took a rabbit trail there).

again im going to conclude that certain movies will harm me on some level, what that level is i am not sure. any thoughts?

~Music~
this one is a real tough one for me. i grew up through grades 1-7 listening to Weird Al and my parents collection which included ACDC, Pink Floyd, Police, etc. once i hit youth group i was introduced to MxPx and P.O.D. by Joe, Nathan, Dan, Owen, and Ryley. i listened to nothing but Christian music! in the last 4 years or so i started expanding even more listening to some secular stuff and i am now referred to as the Music Machine!

all of that being said my rule of thumb has always been if there is an "Explicit Lyrics" label on the front i will not buy the album and if a song has even one swear in it i will not continue to listen to it! now as i continue to listen to more and more bands (itunes is now at 6400 songs) i am realizing that some lyrics though they are not swearing are clearly inappropriate. where is the line? i would say with confidence that music has had the least effect on me but again it is really hard for me to judge that. what are your thoughts when it comes to music?

so i ended up writing way more than i thought i would on this topic but i would love to hear what you think when it comes to living a Christian life and watching movies, tv, and listening to music! till next time keep your dog on a leash and never talk to strangers that offer you candy!

-bent ;)

Amazing day!

2010-04-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

so today has been absolutely amazing for me! last week i entered a competition for writers in the school. we had to write on why briercrest was important to you and why you came, so i did and i ended up winning! the prize was a $1000 scholarship from the school! im so stoked its great to be able to knock off more debt! anyway have a great day sorry for lack of posts, i have a 15 page paper to write and im working to finish it by saturday! have a great easter weekend!

-bent ;)

on being single

2010-03-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

i read this article the other day and thought it was pretty rad. its about being in your 20's and being single while your friends are getting married. check it out.

Glow-in-the-dark Putt-Putt, laser tag, make-your-own ice cream sundaes and skee ball. A teenager’s dream, right? The funny thing is, these activities are not a part of a teenybopper’s weekend schedule—they are actual events I have attended as an adult in singles’ ministry. While I have been reluctantly traipsing through dark, musty rooms clutching a laser gun, some of my married friends have been hosting dinner parties, having cookouts and building face-to-face community. Although I might have left with a Chinese yo-yo bought with my skee ball winnings, my married friends left with a deeper sense of belonging.

Because I’m single, is it assumed that I automatically enjoy perpetual icebreakers? Am I not ready to graduate to the land of sophistication and supper clubs, or is this just the fate of a woman who has failed in the dating department? Somehow, these self-deprecating ideas don’t mesh with what I know to be true about the way God loves me. So, how then, does a single person navigate through this season, finding appropriate amounts of community while not subjecting themselves to feeling as though they are stuck in the land of lock-ins? My answer to this has been intentionality.

I have been diligent about being intentional with this time that I have been given. As Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 7:7, “I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.” Paul is saying that single folks have a gift and like any gift, it needs to be used for the glory of the One who created them for that very purpose. Think outside of the box on this one.

While meeting someone for coffee and having deep, God-centered conversation could be the way you choose to use your time, don’t believe that it is the only way to do life with others. If you are an athlete, work out with someone regularly and be a constant source of friendship for them. Are you an artist? Take art lessons and get into the lives of the other people in the art community- people that you might not otherwise have gotten to know. Use your gift of free time as a single to do just what Paul suggests, “spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him”.

Although I live to cross things off of my daily “to do” list, resolution making and goal setting have never been things that come naturally to me. They are too long term and require too much accountability and discipline. While that is true, goal setting also gives this cautious soul the courage to do something that once seemed daunting. It challenges me to seek out my passions- things that might fall by the wayside because of other seemingly more important things like church sanctioned activities. Make the secular sacred through your intentionality and to God be the glory!

-Lauren Sheehan

this is Ben now. I think it can be a very difficult time of life, being single in your 20's (and beyond). your friends are starting to graduate from college, get jobs, and most of all they are getting married. its easy to think that when your at this time of life and your friends are getting married and are in serious relationships that they are somehow moving on with life and you are not. i would challenge this idea. if your married and you have friends who are single don't treat them as though they are lower than you, or that they cant participate in grown up stuff, treat them with respect and dont treat them as an "other." its a tough balance for sure! my good friends Blake and Raelene do a great job at not making a couples cult, but involve me and some of my other single friends to share in community with them, usually eating together, sharing stories, and laughing together! so if your single keep your head up it isnt the end of the world and it is not attractive to have a pity party about it, keep working for the Lord and like the article says, use the gift of singleness to glorify God!

can you keep up?

2010-03-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

well it seems im on a bit of a streak so i thought i would keep it alive! especially since more people read my blog than i thought haha! so list style once again here are "Bens rules for living" (i hate lists and formulas, if anything this is for comedic value)

1. Always treat girls nice and open doors for them, not because you HAVE to but because you WANT to

2. If anyone ever welcomes you into their home and feeds you, treat them with high respect and never assume you can now eat there anytime you want, every meal they feed you is a precious gift that should not be taken lightly

3. Everyday tell someone in your life why they are important to you, if you only have a few people who are important to you then continue to tell them why and ask yourself why you dont have more friends...

4. get fresh air

5. scare people, its entertaining

6. dont be a picky eater at someones house, even if you dont like it suck it up!

7. watch a movie with tom hanks in it

8. draw a picture for your mom

9. learn something new once a year

10. write what you are learning and experiencing in a journal

11. listen to music that came out at least 10 years before you were born

12. dance, especially at weddings

13. make up fun words that really dont mean anything you bunch of jobens!

14. take pictures, its a great way to access your memory

15. listen to vinyl once and awhile, it sounds cool

16. form your own opinions and be careful who you let put thoughts into your head

17. remember

18. if your dating be happy, if your single be happy

19. if your dating dont lord it over your single friends and pretend your somehow more mature...its annoying

20. travel

21. eat at joes

22. stay active

23. take a break

24. read books from every century (if possible)

25. listen to live music

26. support your friends but be honest with them

27. eat a peperoni cheese stick from shell

28. go fishing with close friends, its relaxing

29. The average adult laughs 15 times a day; the average child, more than 400 times a day. so start laughing more! if you need help with this find more people who are funny

30. learn all you can from children, they generally live fuller lives than most of us

-bent ;)

things i should know by now

2010-03-23T13:01:00.001-07:00

so post 3 in a row. i love writing and i want to continue to do so even if it through blog style. so being 22 i find that i am at a very transitional time of life. i am no longer in high school however i am not married or have my own place. so as i grow i want to shoot to be disciplined in many areas of my life and continue to learn as much as i can. thinking about this i have made a list of things that i should/need to learn by now! (so in no particular order here they are)

1. Drive standard

2. Tie a tie

3. Do my own taxes

4. Cook for myself

5. Skate

well that it really, maybe this summer i can take some of these things off my list! anyway thats all i have for you lovely people today! have a great tuesday!

-bent ;)

My real life vs. my internet life

2010-03-22T18:40:00.001-07:00

so i find that i have two lives, the real world life and the internet life. the real world life i have patterns and rhythms that work pretty good and i would say 350 days of the year i love my life! i try my best to live within the season of life i find myself in, for example. I am a 22 year old guy who lives in a dorm going to college. i am single and i am in my 3rd year of my youth min degree hoping to become a youth pastor in the near future! this is the season of life i am in i am not married therefore i should not try to live within the season of married life, i dont have kids therefore i am not in that season of life! ya dig?

so my real life usually includes: getting up out of bed after about 10 mins of debating skipping class. showering brushing teeth etc. pack my bag for a full day of classes usually with books and computer and water. then every mon and wed i head to canadian history at 830am with Brian Gobbett which is a lot of fun! then i head to chapel and usually do school work after lunch till supper. i leave every evening to myself and others. i find this to work very well for me, i get lots of work done and i am rarely sick, tired, or stressed. in the evenings i try to see guys from the dorm or other friends on campus. we truly have an amazing opportunity to meet amazing people here and i dont want to let that pass me by! weekends i spend all day friday and saturday in the lib working on stuff and then doing fun stuff in the evenings! and every sunday this school year regardless of my work load i take all day sunday off to read and pray and usually listen to some Matt Chandler sermons! i have found this to be truly amazing for my walk with God and just my general health and stress!

in a very similar way my internet life tends to have a certain pattern and style to it. for example (and this is completely pathetic) there is a routine that i have when i log into the ol interweb. my homepage is Donald Millers blog so i usually start there and read some of his new posts, then i get jealous because his posts are far superior and actually have depth. i then do a run through of my favorite blogs, both battalion blogs, my brothers blog, joes, megan and peters, pines, candaces, and so on.

after i make my rounds through the blogs i head to the canucks web site and check news and schedule. i then proceed to nhl.com where i check standings and stats. i hit up jesusfreakhideout.com for music news, relevant.com for random news and articles, check my emails, and then end at facebook where i see how people are doing and send emails.

so as you can see both "worlds" have a general pattern to them. however i find myself wondering if this internet world is ever healthy for me. i love to write so i use this blog as a way to do that. i really enjoy watching canucks so i check up on them, i enjoy great music so i check out that, i value people and relationships so i stop by on facebook. however is any of this of any use? does it do me any good? i often wonder if it would be healthy to cut back on my internet world and integrate more useful activities into my real world.

perhaps instead of checking facebook a couple times a day it would be better to pick up the phone and call a friend or maybe take some one out for some drinks (non-alcoholic of course). maybe instead of checking up on canucks it would be better to actually get out and play sports or head to the gym. maybe instead of checking up on new music it would be better to grab a friend and talk music and perhaps play some music, using the talents and creativity that God has blessed us with!

all of these suggestions are of course very counterproductive since i have spent the last 30 mins writing up this post, but these are just a few of my thoughts i would love to hear what the 5 of you think (my guess is that my Mom, Dalton, Ryley, Candace and Lance reads this blog, which i think is awesome!). anyway hope you guys are doing well, i cant wait to get back to GF and see you all! have a great week and smile because its monday and its the start of a new week! :)

-bent ;)

The Life of Dalton "New Toothbrush" Special Edition

2010-03-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

"I hope this never happens to me!"-Dalton Erixon while watching the movie "The Proposal"

well my friends it has been far too long since i have been able to write about my good friend Dalton. not living with Dalton anymore makes it a lot harder to come up with new material but Dalton has visited the village of Caronport twice this school year so i thought i should use some of what happened for a new post!

"I had an extreme pita once...IT WAS EXTREME!"-Dalton Erixon on deciding where we would eat that night

I feel that when Dalton visits me my health is affected in many negative ways. for one we go on burger runs as often as humanly possible. i dont know if i have ever had so many big macs in one week in my entire life! to make matters worse mcdonalds coupons came out while dalton was here. on top of this i end up playing hours of video games and staying up far too late...needless to say dalton makes my life more like a typical college guy's life should be!

Like i said me and dalt played hours of video games and we really only played one game, NHL 10. now playing NHL 10 with Dalton is one of the best things in life. every time i talk to him he brags to me about how much better he has been getting at the game...well ill let you be the judge on this one because throughout the week we kept stats on the games so i could post them on the blog!

~Ben and Dalton's NHL 10 Stats~

Game #1 Ben-1 Dalton-2

Game #2 Ben-6 Dalton-0

Game #3 Ben-6 Dalton-1

Game #4 Ben-2 Dalton-4

Game #5 Ben-3 Dalton-0

Game #6 Ben-7 Dalton-1

Game #7 Ben-4 Dalton-0

Game #8 Ben-3 Dalton-2 (this one Dalton was the Western all stars i was Vancouver)

Game #9 Ben-3 Dalton-0 (This one Dalton was historical Canadians i was Vancouver)

Game #10 Ben-6 Dalton-0

Game #11 Ben-2 Dalton-0

Game #12 Ben-0 Dalton-3 (This one Dalton was the western all stars i was Vancouver)

Game #13 Ben-7 Dalton-1

Game #14 Ben-5 Dalton-0

Final Stats Ben 11-3-0 Dalton 3-11-0

man that was good times! hope you still want to play me in the future Dalt!

"I'll find that girl, I'm pretty good at finding girls!"-Dalton Erixon when trying to find a girl in last years year book.

one of the things Dalton wanted to do while visiting was to go down to the government office in Regina and get his first passport. this whole event was amazing! first off the Daltonator got 3 passport sheets just in case he messed one up, not bad thinking really. As i did some homework dalton worked on his papers in my room, the entire time all i could hear was him getting mad and losing his mind because he either messes the forms up, or he didnt know the answers to the questions. on one sheet he wrote his phone number as 250-442-442 and then he yelled. on another form he was trying to figure out what his mothers middle name was, after he finally figured it out he wrote it down and then realized that the form wanted to know his mothers maiden name not middle name! in the end he botched all 3 forms up and we had to get him new ones, i never realized that this would be so difficult.

after we finally handled the forms we went to moosejaw to get passport photos taken in wal mart, we then were going to head to regina but dalton left some information out of his forms and didnt realize it until we were in moosejaw. we then proceeded to the local library where dalt had to get to a computer and find this information and how to get to the passport place in regina!

after all of this was taken care of we finally arrived and dalt started to fill out the last of his forms and i put my information for him as well. he then sat down with a guy who highlighted the parts that were done wrong, which turned out to be half of his form. after this man dipped daltons forms in highlighter ink dalton was infuriated and decided to forget the whole thing! so in the end the mission was a failure but we did end up going to old navy and future shop, so that was fun! oh and we went to wendys to mix it up from our regular mcdonalds runs. triple baconator and large frosties never tasted better!

anyway i hope you enjoyed this special edition of "the life of dalton." i miss you already dalton and i wish you were here year round! thanks for spending the money to fly out and visit us! there will always be a bed for you if you ever want to come back! love ya man!

-bent ;)

p.s. dalton did in fact buy a new tooth brush and it was "the best toothbrush experience of my life"-Dalton Erixon

Lunch with John Calvin

2010-03-08T10:37:00.000-08:00

so yesterday i had the opportunity to drive a good friend of mine, John Ottens to a small church where he was asked to preach. We drove for about 2 hrs and ended up in the small town of Woodrow Sask. at a small MB church. not only did i have the honor to drive, talk, and listen to John Ottens preach, but i was able to sit down and eat with John Calvin. John Calvin is an 82 year old man who shares in this unique community of believers, in the small church of Woodrow!

after attending and eating with this church this is what i learned. Small churches are very refreshing! i believe a lot of us especially Briercrest students are used to a very "high end" style of church. and by this i mean, large congregation, big band, and highly technology based sunday morning services. this in itself is not a bad thing but being able to attend a church service of 15 people, have worship lead by a girl doing vocals and a man playing the piano, and then having a time where the congregation was able to share praise and prayer items out loud to each other holds a lot of beauty that a lot of us have either forgotten or never experienced. it was very interesting to see such a tight community come together for church on a sunday morning and then sit down and eat and laugh together! this is something that i hope we dont lose over time even if its on a level with the bigger churches we may find ourselves in!

-bent ;)

Do you fear God?

2010-03-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

like are you actually afraid of God? i dont mean this fear/respect thing, i mean like actually terrified of God? is that a proper response to God? being afraid? The Bible talks a lot about the fear of God but what does that really mean? click the title of this post and check out the video, Francis Chan is the man!

-bent ;)

Coolest video of 2010

2010-03-05T13:11:00.001-08:00

man this is pretty rad

it worth checking out here it goes by these guys on you tube as well! and the original music video for this song is sweet too!

-bent ;)

My life to date

2010-03-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

-a recent picture of me in the lib...procrastinating

sometimes i feel like i should start my posts like a captain or something...

"Pirate Captains log March 4 2010"
The seas were rough today, like a cat in a blender the seas were not happy with us. we had to lose a lot of our possessions as well as one eyed billy...no one really liked him anyway, he more or less just creeped us out. on top of all of this i found out today that im out of toothpaste...lets just say ive seen better days.

ya that would be cool!

actually you know what else would be cool?

to write my blog like this.

line by line like Rob Bell does in his book. it makes it seem...more...

epic

ha ya that would be fun too! but ill likely just do the same way i usually do, bad grammer and misspeld wrds everywere!

anyway things have been good here! im done YQ which is great! my fam was here which was awesome! i was able to spend some quality time with all 3...4 of them ;) and my bro is coming next year which is awesome! we are going to kick like 1998 and live in the same room again haha!

im doing well in my school work, i have a MOD on monday which means 8 hr days talking about adolescent issues, so it will be mostly depressing but thats alright!

on top of that i have started taking note (during the week) of what i love to do, what i loathe to do, and what im good at! i saw a sweet video on this at Kevn Fawcett's house and i have been inspired. so far this is what i got.

I loathe this
-Meetings
-Worship Practice
-Getting up in the morning

I love this
-Writing
-Reading
-Youth work (both school and for my future position at the GC)
-Preparing for working on t-shirts this summer
-Spending personal time with fiends

so not much really but its a working progress. i think i would really enjoy pursuing more writing and getting better at that! theres this cool writing seminar thing that Don Miller did that i would love to get my hands on http://www.intotheelements.com/

so ya focusing on strengths instead of weaknesses its a cool idea that would be good for you to look into! anyway have a great weekend!

-bent ;)

stuff im listening to as of late
-Bossa Nova
-Julie Fader
-Northcote (check out wheels)
-the new Toby Mac

Hug-e-gram

2010-02-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

this is terrifying. i think a lot of us waste our money on things that we really dont need or maybe never really use in the end...this however tops them all! the sad thing is this is real and people are buying these...all i can say is "you could do better" (Creation Fest Quote)

-bent ;)

ps YQ is over, i hope to be doing more posting so stay tuned!

When February Rolls Around I'll Roll My Eyes

2010-02-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

well Feb is here and i haven't really posted anything, or much of anything in 2010 at all! sorry! but it has been busy, actually i hate that excuse we only really make ourselves busy with things we want to do, so i just have been lazy how bout that? ha! saying your too busy for things seems to be a lame excuse to me! everyone will fill there lives with things they want to do and busy themselves with what they want to be busy with! so dont tell me you dont read your Bible, do school work, see people because your too busy you just dont care as much! ha hows that for a wed afternoon?

anyway life has been good, im ready for more sunlight but sask is pretty beautiful right now with snow and fog and well as beautiful as sask can be i suppose ;) YQ starts friday and my entire family will be here tomorrow which is awesome! i also found out that Sammy J (my brother) will be in my room for YQ so thats cool too! YQ stuff has been crazy as i am painting and building like mad! but it is all coming together! Sid Koop is here today which is cool and i am very excited to hear him speak over the weekend. one of my best friends Melissa Lampard threw me a wicked birthday party monday night with all my friends! it was so cool! and on sunday i went with the dance group from the school on a trip to Regina where we dressed up, had dinner, went bowling, watched a movie on a projector, and went salsa dancing! ha it was awesome! i am now 22 which really doesnt seem that much older, unlike turning 18, 19, or 20 even 21, 22 just seems like a boring age to turn haha but im ready for another year! :)

after reading "The Letters of Margaret Butcher" for Canadian History i am realizing more and more that my blog is much like her letters back home to England while she was living in BC, i write to update my friends and family about my life! its like im sending letters...but now that i think of it it would be way cooler to receive actual hand written letters than to read a blog and for that i am sorry!

anyway that is about all for now hope life is treating you all well wherever you may be at!

-bent ;)

what i am listening to as of late (if you care)
-Elliot Brood
-Welcome Wagon
-M. Ward
-Blink 182 (going back in time a bit)
-The Airborne Toxic Event
-Manuela

22 years later

2010-02-14T12:39:00.001-08:00

being 22 is an odd age, its a continuation of transition. I feel too young to be in full time youth ministry, not quite ready for marriage, and because of the other two not yet ready to live and pay for my own place! but when does that time come? i mean i only have one more year of school! its very exciting to see where i will be at when i turn 23, i will have a BA in youth min and no clue as to what come next and im stoked for that! since i was born it seems that pretty well every year of my life has been planned, SCHOOL! for the first time in a year i will have the choice to do whatever i want! travel? work? cure cancer? who knows!? all i know is that im very excited for 22, to continue to grow and prepare for 23! thanks to all for the birthday wishes! and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! :) if you have that special someone make sure they know they are special to you, if you dont then continue to prepare yourself for that special someone!

-bent ;)

the end

2010-02-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

well my friends today i announce to you that 2010 has been a great year! ha did you think i was shutting down the blog for a second there? dont be crazy! life here at briercrest has been amazing! me and jay are keeping the GF name strong here at school, we are both working hard getting the school ready for YQ!!! me jay and some great friends went to switchfoot a few weeks ago and it was amazing! i was literally one foot away from the band!! they played in a small pub and went through their entire new album track one to twelve, and then they played some of their greatest hits. for 20 bucks it was well worth the money! ive been working hard at getting school done and trying to make decisions on my near future in ministry! life is good and exciting! and now for a cool video!

Death Cab for Cutie - Little Bribes from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

have a great week!

-bent ;)

Beard by Summer

2010-01-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

well i have been tossing around the idea of growing a beard by summer, im not sure if i can even do it but we'll see i guess! this video definitely has inspired me! :)

week one picture

-bent ;)

Garfield-Garfield

2010-01-15T15:56:00.001-08:00

hahahahahahahaha

-bent ;)

Homeward bound?

2010-01-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

well it seems as though the holiday season is coming to a close! it has been a great break from school life, but i am ready to get back at er once again! Books and papers bring it on! me and the Jay man will be heading out saturday morning driving to Lethbridge, then sunday finishing the trip back to Briercrest for semester 2! seeya soon!

-bent ;)

Resolutions

2010-01-06T13:20:00.000-08:00

heres a great link to some sweet tips for 2010 http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/current-events/features/19696-resolve-this copy and paste this, or simply click on the title of this post!

-bent ;)

The first post of 2010

2010-01-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

I started writing this blog on January 29 of 2006, i was 17 and i looked like this...

4 years later its January 4 2010 and i now look like this...

times have changed indeed. i still love to write and i would say my writing has improved over the years but along with that i would say that i have improved in character over the years as well, and this through God's help. looking back on my life and talking with friends over this holiday season about the past it is very obvious that i have done a lot of very stupid things. some i regret others i would do again for sure!!! (hot tub in Fernie, some will catch on to this).

I now look at my life and where i am heading and i would say i am very happy with how things have been going. i have a great family, great friends, a loving church, and a great relationship with God. i am as single as i was when i started this blog in 06 which is great too! who doesnt enjoy the single life? actually dont answer that! ha! im starting my 6th semester next week leaving me with 2 more to go after this one. i will graduate at age 23 with a degree in youth ministry (Lord willing) and will start yet another chapter in my life. overall i am very excited with where God is taking me and i cant wait to see what else he has in store for my life.

as for 2010 i hope to continue to lose weight (a year of fast food fasting), grow closer to God (reading my Bible everyday), and continue to write more (working on a small book and this blog!). i cant wait to see how much i have changed in another 4 years and i encourage you to look back at some past photos of yourself, even a few years ago, and see how much you have changed. i am not only referring to physical change (some of you will not want to see that anyway) but more of a change in your personal growth. if there has not been much change start doing something about that TODAY! never a better day then today to start this! if you have changed a lot i hope it has been for the good and i encourage you to continue to do so! until next time...

-ben ;) in 2010.

P.S. new years resolutions can be a great way to start the new year (i never really take the seriously but i should change that). anyway if you need an idea for 2010 why not try to quit something. just quit doing one thing, im sure everyone has one thing in there life that they can do without, that they would be better off without. find out what that is and quit it by 2011! God bless you all as you seek to do so! check out Donald Millers blog on the subject at http://donmilleris.com/ he has some great insight that is worth reading. :)

Ben, Joe, Ryley, Jason, and Dalton's New Years Shaker 2.0

2009-12-30T10:38:00.000-08:00

well this is round two for our new years party in Grand Forks! im very excited for this because Steve nettleton, Brady Vanleenen, and Derrick Vanleenen are all making their way out for the event!!! so come on by for video games, poker, fire, movies, and food! seeya soon!

-bent ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-25T09:12:00.001-08:00

i think i did the same post last christmas but you just cant beat Charlie Brown! have a great christmas, and if you are actually visiting my blog on christmas day i am both honored and confused at the fact that you are spending your time here!!! ha go spend some time with your family, call your grandma, see some friends, read your Bible, and thank God for all that he has done!

a great christmas movie, enjoy some laughs!

-merry Christmas!!!
-bent ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!

2009-12-24T21:14:00.000-08:00

get your snuggie on, grab a charlie brown christmas, or a white christmas, or its a wonderful life, or some classic, get some hot chocolate and have yourself a merry little christmas eve. also listen to this jem, this one goes out to Lance the biggest stryper fan i know!

-bent ;)

Home

2009-12-23T13:37:00.001-08:00

well there is nothing like home, at least for me. i think it is a said thing when i hear of guys from my dorm afraid, worried, or hating the fact that they have to go back home. home should be a safe and fun place where family and friends are to encourage and lift you up so you are ready to get back to whatever life may be for you! thus far from my list i have played video games, watched movies, slept all day, looked at mountains, played LOTR, went to GC, and saw (some of) my GF hommies. its been a great break already! im looking forward to seeing Joe, Ryley, and Blake and Raelene, Christmas, New Years, and of course the BTLN Alumni night! anyway hope your break is going well, stay strong and take er easy if you can! :)

-bent ;)

Captain Pajama Shark

2009-12-15T16:47:00.000-08:00

Well i basically need to make it to over 61 posts for this not to be the shortest amount of posts in one year! so heres a fun video!

-bent ;)

My life to date

2009-12-10T07:54:00.001-08:00

Well things have been going pretty good as of late! I have now completed all my classes and only have 4 exams left to write! 2 on saturday, 1 on tuesday, and then my last one on the next saturday! this means i have about 10 days until i am back in GF! i cannot wait to get back and relax after this semester! overall i think this semester has gone very well and i was able to get through it by God's grace. looking back i am very thankful for this semester and i hope next semester is just as good.

I was able to go to vancouver for 5 days for a YS conference held there. the road trip was super long and i will never do something like that again. the convention was amazing! i met up with ryley and basically just stuck with him the whole weekend which was awesome! we got to see some amazing speakers like Duffy Robbins, Mark Yaconelli, and Sid Koop! i was also able to catch up with a lot of my old briercrest friends and even Joe and Heather stopped by! overall the trip was worth it and i loved it but im still a wreck from the road and im trying to salvage some life to study for my exams.

other than that its been life as usual here in sask. lotsa snow, -25 during the day, -35 at night. Jason is doing well and i have been able to hang out with him a lot as well! as you can see there is a pic of the two of us at the Briercrest christmas party! anyway thats about it for today i am going to get to work! have a great day!

-bent ;)

10 things i want to do when i am in GF

2009-11-26T18:07:00.000-08:00

so if you cant tell im getting good and ready to be back in GF, to help this process i have made a list of things (in no order) that i want to do while im home!

1. Btln alumni night!

2. Spending an entire day doing nothing but playing video games (rock band included)

3. Go with the fam to see lights around town then watch polar express and drink smoothies and or some hot drinks!

4. See the church fam at GC

5. See all my GF hommies

6. Have a New Years party!!!

7. Celebrate Christmas

8. Stare at mountains

9. Sleep all day party all night

10. Play LOTR's

-bent ;)

Just some more vids!

2009-11-25T14:37:00.000-08:00

hey thought i would post a vid so you cant say i never post on this thing! this made my day, my favorite part was when the bear says Galalao. kinda reminds me of ryley and his new love for the actual song

-bent ;)

a general note to the public

2009-11-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

well its been awhile once again so heres the low down.

1. I have been doing well in miracle month (it takes a miracle to get through due to overwhelming amounts of work)

2. No shave november has been well, but proof again that i am not able to grow a beard as of yet! (see pic above)

3. I am heading to vancouver wed dec 2 till the 6th for a YS convention. there i shall be reunited with some old friends from school and a very close friend Ryley J Heppner

4. I received a free sweater in my student box that i absolutely love. i have no idea who it was from since the only note in it said it was for me and the note was typed! my favorite theory is that it was from a single girl, but i have reason to believe otherwise! :)

5. 25 days and i will be back in GF. this marks the longest consecutive time away from home!

6. Lions are out but canucks are looking better (even after a 1-0 loss last night)

7. I finished a 10 pg history paper on st patrick over the weekend and learned he didnt drive snakes out of ireland or use the shamrock to explain the trinity, sorry mom

8. I have one more paper to write and then all my work for this semester is done!

9. it has not been cold nor has there been snow in sask yet, this makes me very happy

10. i have had 3 dreams about me coming home, one in which i realized half way home that i was in fact going back too early and had to turn around to finish writing exams!

hope all is well back in GF or wherever you happen to be reading this!

-bent ;)

REEEEEEEEEEMIIIIIIIIIIIX!

2009-11-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

one of the best movies ever made? i would say yes!!!

RUFIO! RUFIO! RUFIO! lookey lookey i got hookey!

-bent ;)

Why we write about ourselves

2009-11-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

So if you hadn't guessed i am a huge Don Miller fan. i was reading his blog the other day and stumbled upon this, and laughed because its basically talking about personal blogs as well! check it out!

"If writing a book about writing a movie about a book you once wrote about yourself (A Million Miles in a Thousand Years) isn’t the ultimate act of narcissism then doing a 65-city book tour promoting said book must be. I’ve never been more tired of any human being than I am of myself these last few weeks. It’s endless talk about why I wrote a book and why it’s important. Each night I give a presentation and two days each week are filled with radio interviews in which I explain why this book matters and why people should part with twenty bucks to read it. It’s a sad existence, but the truth is, with blogs and twitter and facebook, it’s just a commodified life that most of us are already living, that is to process our lives to be openly praised and criticized by neutral onlookers. So why do it?

Here are a few confessions and observations and justifications regarding the act of writing about yourself:

1. Confession: There is something in me that wants to be known by others. I share my life to have other people read about it, put down the book, look me in the eye and say “you exist.”

2. Confession: Half the time, if not more than half, I am full of bullcrap. I share what will make me look good. If I am vulnerable, I share just enough vulnerability to be perceived as vulnerable, rather than to actually humiliate myself so that others can talk more openly about their own insecurities. I also leak in my accomplishments, and I’ve become a master at it. I don’t even know I am doing it half the time, and the other half I strategically list my accomplishments so that they come off as dismissive or “in passing.”

3. Justification: By exploring my own feelings about life, I am actually exploring the human condition, and in writing I try to find something interesting about “us” rather than “me” and so by reading about me, people are actually reading about themselves. I believe this is actually true of the memoirist. If they really wrote all about themselves, nobody would care.

4. Justification: More people can engage a first-person narrative than a preachy sharing of principles.

5. Justification: I didn’t make myself, I’m not taking credit for my existence, so what’s the difference between talking about myself and talking about somebody else?

6. Observation: I’ve actually known a few memoirists, and I’ve found them to be very humble people. Usually. And I’ve met even more people who write preachy books, and I’ve known them to be arrogant. Maybe if they talked about themselves more, they’d realize they’re just grunts like the rest of us. Also I think some of these people are actually afraid to have you know about their real lives. It’s fun to be human, I think."

I think there are some good points in this as people everywhere are continuelly writing about themselves! maybe just maybe you can learn something about yourself through something posted here, or maybe your annoyed that i continue to write about myself and life here in sask! ha either way thanks for reading! :)

-bent ;)

40 years of Sesame Street

2009-11-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

in honor of 40 years of Sesame Street i bring you these!

great song, prolly like it more than the original! ha!

Man what a freak! C is for Canucks thats good enough for me!

i want a shirt like that guy has with the huge collar for christmas!

gotta love paul simon! sweet dance moves!

-bent ;)

The Importance of Rest

2009-11-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

Something i have been thinking a lot about as of late is the idea of Rest or Sabbath! growing up i never really practiced keeping a sabbath, setting aside a day, keeping it holy! the bottom line for every single person on this earth is that we are busy! we are too busy to go do this, too busy to see this person, too busy to get fresh air, too busy for REST! i realized that if i continue living this life of busyness now its only going to get worse when i have a full time job and possibly a family! if i cant learn to rest and have a sabbath now while I'm single in college how will i ever learn? if my response to everything and everyone in my life is "I'm too busy" then my life will slowly get more and more stressful and i will burn out far too often and in the end be useless to everyone around me! so i decided that its high time to start practicing rest. once a week usually between lunch and supper i will do nothing but rest. I'll pray, read scripture, listen to sermons, read books that are not books for my classes, write, blog, even play some xbox. I have no commitments, no work, no nothing! even if a paper is due on monday i will not work on it, instead i have to be responsible and make sure to get the work done on saturday! so my challenge to you is to seriously ask yourself if you are getting rest! are you taking a sabbath? maybe its something you should consider! even if its 20 mins a day or something, you need it! below are a few things i read on the subject that i found helpful! read up if your not TOO BUSY! ;)

If you refuse to rest, it will catch up to you, which means rest is not an option—you will rest. It will either be something you learn to do on your own or something you learn through a heart attack or some kind of emotional breakdown. I think most of us would prefer choosing the scenario rather than just letting it happen dramatically.

You need to catch the early signals of rest deprivation if you are going to learn how to establish a good work/rest rhythm. They are things like: mental fatigue (having difficulty concentrating or trouble thinking flexibly), irritability (you’re noticeably more defensive, argumentative or angry), anxiety (feeling of restlessness, insecurity or a general sense of worthlessness), apathy (the “blahs,” you just don’t care anymore, nothing seems interesting or fun) or just plain ol’ exhaustion (you fall asleep sitting at your desk or standing in the subway).

Rest that comes from reflection is a beautiful thing. A Divine gift. Unpack it. Hold it. Treasure it. Use it well and life will grow sweeter. Harold Kushner writes of restful reflection: “In a world where not everyone will do great deeds or achieve great success, God has given us the capacity to find greatness in the everyday. Lunch can be a hurried refueling; the equivalent of an auto racer’s pit stop, or it can be an opportunity to savor the miracle that dirt, rain, seeds and human imagination can work on our taste buds. We just have to be wise enough to know how to recognize the miracle, and not rush headlong past it in our search for ‘something important’ … The good life, the truly human life is based not on a few great moments but on many, many little ones. It asks of us that we relax in our quest long enough to let those moments accumulate and add up to something.”

Decide to fight for and enjoy the “rest” of your life.

-bent ;)

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years "What do we want?"

2009-11-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

"I was watching the movie Star Wars recently and wondered what made that movie so good. Of course, there are a thousand reasons. But I noticed that if I paused the DVD on any frame, I could point toward any major character and say exactly what that person wanted. No character had a vague ambition. It made me wonder if the reason our lives seem so muddled is because we keep walking into scenes in which we, along with the people around us, have no clear idea what we want."

-bent ;)

REMIX

2009-11-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

heres a jem by white stripes Jack White! ha enjoy!

-bent ;)

A Million Miles In A Thousand Years "Fear"

2009-10-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

Chapter 18 "An Inciting incident"

My friend Mike knows an ugly guy who dates beautiful women. He dates them for a while then moves on to other beautiful women. Mike looked at me and asked, "You know how he does it?" Mike said the way the guy did it is he didn't care whether he got rejected. He said only about one out of ten girls actually went out with the guy.

I don't want to date a bunch of beautiful women, because the pretty ones can be annoying. they stamp their feet and clench their fists because they can't have whatever the equivalent of a pony happens to be. But I do think there was something to what Mike was saying, that the great stories go to those who don't give in to fear.

The most often repeated commandment in the Bible is "Do not fear." It's in there over 200 times. That means a couple of things, if you think about it. It means we are going to be afraid, and it means we shouldn't let fear boss us around. Before I realized we were supposed to fight fear, i thought of fear as a subtle suggestion in our subconscious designed to keep us safe, or more important, keep us from getting humiliated. And I guess it serves that purpose. But fear isn't only a guide to keep us safe; it's also a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life.

-bent ;)

UPDATED LINKS

2009-10-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

ok so i re did the links on the side of the blog. i added every blog that i think is still active and alive, if this is not true tell me! also let me know if there are blogs im missing! along with that i added some of my fav web sites, relevant and garfield are both worth checking! well anyway have a good one!

-bent ;)

Update

2009-10-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

ok so i am on my way to making the blog look a bit better trying things out! anyway it should be readable now! so a small update, i just finished a Youth MOD (a MOD is a class packed into a week, so 5 8 hr days), it was a great MOD with Ron Friesen from CBC who was pretty rad and had a lot of wisdom! the class got me super jacked on doing youth min and i cant wait to actually get out and going, which is crazy cause within 3 years or so i could be working full time in a church!!! i have some big visions and dreams for youth ministry especially in GF so we will see what God has in store! aside from that i am now registered for the YS conference in vancouver dec 3-6 which will be great and i will receive 3 credits for it so thats great! the tentative plan is to leave Caronport nov 26 stay in gf till monday, then go to abby see joe and ryley, then on the 3rd go with ryley (who is also attending) to the conference! anyway life has been great and im excited for the days to come! keep it real

-bent ;)

Reconstruction

2009-10-29T23:27:00.003-07:00

ok as you can tell i am in the reconstruction stages right now! i hope to have it cleared up by friday night! ha so i apologize please hang in there!!! :)

-bent ;)

Deep Thoughts Part 2.5

2009-10-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

ok so i guess i need to make some clarification due to some confused readers. here is a revised version

what would happen if everyone in the world who pray today stopped? i understand that the idea of those who pray dont pray enough as is (casting crowns anyone?) but i mean (for thought provoking sake) what would happen if everyone whos prays in the world stopped doing so?!?!?

-bent ;)

a good dose of Reuben

2009-10-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

some new stuff from John Reuben, im not sure what is really going on in the vids but i like the songs!

-bent ;)

Deep Thoughts Part 2

2009-10-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

What would happen if the entire world stopped praying?

-bent ;)

Video of the week

2009-10-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

check it out its pretty sweet but you need to let the video load! copy and paste the link!

http://www.inbflat.net/

-bent ;)

Youth Quake 2010 MAKE IT COUNT!

2009-10-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

Well as promised here is all the info you need for this years Youth Quake!

Theme-Make it Count! i really like this theme, really touching on the fact that we do only have one life and we need to make it count while we are still here!

Side Speaker-Brian Pengally speaks on life as a christian and dealing with homosexuality. he was here last year and i heard a lot of good things from his sessions!

Main Speaker-Sid Koop a guy who is well known around North America, and even in GF! he spoke at Grow for it a few years ago and it was awesome! we got the honor of having him for the kick off last night and he had a lot of great things to share already! Sid is a rad guy and im very excited for what he has to say come Feb!

Option Session 1-Dustin Kelm an extreme unicyclist, who has a butt load of awards. i saw him in 06 and it was a sweet show! 6 foot unicycle, juggling, off road stuff, its pretty rad!

Option session 2-Refined Undignified a great hip hop dance crew from our very own school. i have been able to watch their show every year for the last 5 and every year i love it more! i have gotten to know a couple of guys who run the show and been able to hear their stories and where their hearts are at which has been a huge a blessing for me!

Worship-Matt Maher, an amazing worship leader who has helped Chris Tomlin write as well as play along side Mat Redman. i dont know a lot about Matt but i have heard only great things! it will be great to see what he has to bring this year! he wrote your grace is enough if that helps anyone! :)

Opening band-GROUP ONE CREW, ha Sam i have been trying to keep this from you for 2 months! haha these guys are pretty awesome, i got to see them at creation and they had a sweet show! im actually very excited to see these guys take the stage for Youth Quake!

Main Band-KUTLESS, my very first Youth Quake featured these guys playing and that was my intro to them. i was actually very pleased and enjoyed their music. i picked up their cds and followed them for some time. since they started (right around that YQ i went to) they have sold over a million cds, a big part of it coming from their "strong tower" worship album, which is surprisingly very good! i got to see them last creation fest and i really enjoyed myself and im hoping for a similar show, rock and a good blend of worship! they just put out a new worship album (tuesday oct 20) so im excited to hear them play it this Youth Quake!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLHE4P-B2FA (you will have to copy and paste this to see any vids by them they wont allow me to post them! i recommend you do so!)

so there ya have it the 2010 line up. now all this being said i am calling out to the people of Grand Forks to get their butts out here and enjoy this weekend with me and jay while we are still students here! Youth Quake is an amazing time and everyone should go to at least one in their lives! its a great chance to check out the school and visit me and Jay! so if you dont come this year (Lance cough cough Battalion nation cough) you have to come next year! the choice is up to you! i know that the youth group goes to Rush cause it is easier and more convenient and wicked awesome dont get me wrong, but as one who has been to both, there is something Youth Quake has that Rush doesnt, and thats a sweet community that comes around Youth Quake and makes it what it is! the whole town is Youth Quake for the weekend! so for me and Jay at least think about it! Mom and Dad im sending you the promotion posters pass some of em along to the youth group and battalion! and i hope to see you there! ha! peace out!

Youth Quake!!!

2009-10-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

well it is here the YOUTH QUAKE KICKOFF! tonight at 7:00! which means nothing to anyone who reads this cause its here at Sask, but it does mean that tonight (wed night) i will post all the info you need to know about this years Youth Quake, including the bands, speaker, and theme! so check it out tonight, register tomorrow and ill see you all in feb! :)

-bent ;)

why i write on this in the first place

2009-10-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

well life has been cruising at full speed here at school! ive been working hard trying to stay on top of my school work, while helping with Youth Quake and being an RA in the dorm! so far its gone very well but these next 2 weeks are going to be crazy! i have a 4th year youth MOD with Ron Friesen from CBC! im stoked for it but i have A LOT of work to do! i also have to finish reading the confessions of st. augustine and write a paper on it due wed and a mid term in sociology for thursday! on top of that this wed night is the Youth Quake Kick Off!!!! which has been a lot of work and will take a lot more of time over top of my school work! so here we go! haha! anyway life has been going great amongst all the work!

on tuesday the school put on a contest called gotchya, where every student who enters is put on a list and you have to hunt down the person below you on the list with an elastic and run from the person above you. this goes on until one person is left. last year i made it till the first hour of the game and was out, this year i have lasted 4 days putting me on the top 15 left. today the girl who is after me chased me into the bookstore (which usually is a good thing) and cornered me, lucky for me i looked death in the eyes and laughed! i quickly grabbed a bible and blocked her shot and ran! i havnt seen her since! i felt like jason bourne or something! ha anyway me and jay are still both in and are trying desperately to stay in!

well thats about it for now hope all is well with you.....Mom ha (assuming she is my last reader nowadays! ;)

-bent ;0

Deep Thoughts with Ben Jepsen Part 1

2009-10-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

The best kinds of cinnamon buns are the free ones. Unless of course you have to choose between a free one with poop on it or something and one that is sold for 1 penny, then i guess the 1 penny cinnamon bun would be better. But a general rule, the best cinnamon buns are the free ones.

-bent ;)

Toy Story 3........

2009-10-13T15:33:00.001-07:00

well, my old toys are still in the day care so dont feel that bad for leaving them behind as i went to college. all i want to know is who replaced Ernest for the voice of the Slinky Dog?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKP-9BtBNEQ

-bent ;)

happy thanksgiving!

2009-10-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

hey so its very hard to find a video for thanksgiving....this is the best i could find! hope your day is filled with relaxation and thankfulness! let us not forget what we should be most thankful for, our Lord and Savior!

-bent ;)

ps send me some turkey and stuffing in the mail!

A Million Miles In A Thousand Years

2009-09-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

My all time favorite author hands down is Donald Miller. Last week i ordered his new book "A Million Miles In A Thousand Years" and it came in today! i am very excited to start reading this book, however it is very hard to do so when i have 8 other books that have to be finished in a month! ha none the less i wanted to share with you the very first page of the book!

"If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn't cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn't tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you'd seen. The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you'd feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo. But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to feel meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either."

-bent ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY To My Brother and Father

2009-09-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

so september is full of birthdays, to a lot of people who are very close to me! but of all these birthday's the people who are closest are my brother and father! so i thought i would write up a quick note for the two of them!

Sammy
I still remember when you were a very very very small dude! i was 4 when you blessed us with your presence here on earth, and i was happy to have a brother and not just a annoying sister (jokes jokes). i remember having my own room growing up in the old house by black night and being very happy about this, but we all grew up and bethany got her own room and soon enough we had to share a bunk bed in the new house! this at first was annoying but was soon a blessing! i will never forget the time you fell off the top of the bunk bed head first, didnt cry, was confused, got back to bed and went to sleep! ha or when you started eating the foam from my mattress! what a weirdo! none the less good times! i soon was able to have my own room and this was sad for the both of us, but really i only moved like 20 feet haha! we continued to grow and share some great times together, going to youth group and battalion and pines! pretending you were bowser, beth was princess peach, and i was mario (i always got to be the good guy and i always won haha!) anyway i guess what im trying to say is i have had countless memories with you and i look forward to many more! you have a big heart, you love people, and most importantly you love God! keep going strong, follow your dreams, and start spreading the gospel through rap and mixing!

Dad
Yes your getting older, yes you may not be able to do as much as you were once able to, yes you can still beat me in an arm wrestle, and yes i love you very deeply. we have no doubt had a lot of memories, father and son camp out, hockey games, field trips, coaching my basketball team, the list goes on! when i talk to a lot of my friends i realize that many of them either dont have dads, or they wish they didnt! i have been truly blessed having you as a dad! learning important things like how to catch a fish, how to drive a car, how to give, how to laugh, how to have fun, how to enjoy life! but most importantly how to have a relationship with God and be a man of God when the church seems to need them most! as i continue to grow i honestly hope i can be half the man you are! i hope you enjoy your day (even though i cant play rock band with you, i guess sam will have to do!) and through the pain i know you feel every day in your body i hope your heart doesn't hurt but rejoices because you know you are not only loved by your son but by God! I love you very much and i can't wait for more memories to come!

-bent ;)

Mahna mahna

2009-09-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

do do da do do

-bent ;)

Fleet Foxes

2009-09-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

one of my new favorite bands! enjoy!

-bent ;)

I'm bored/I'm not going back to school guide

2009-09-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

i read this in Relevant and thought it was pretty rad so i thought i would pass it along! heres a list to all of you who say "I'm bored" or "I have no idea what to do next" some ideas from Relevant, some from me! :)

1. Get a JOB!
Ya it can suck to work but we all need to do it, thats life! i understand its hard to find work these days, but in my opinion its just gonna take some creativity now!

2. Free Lance
Something we can take from Ryley's book, make some business cards with your name, number, email, what you can do, and start getting them out there! maybe someone needs their lawn mowed, or someone needs you to clean their office, or improve their web site, or someone needs you to take photos for their business, just use your gifts and get out there!

3. Get some sweet skills
I've always wanted to learn how to paint! why not go down to a local community college, or somewhere where cheap classes are offered and finally learn how to make sushi, or play guitar!

4. Travel
The world is big, go check it out! or if you cant afford to then explore your home town more!

5. Catch up some TV
Not very productive but nothing beats some good ol ALF!

6. Start a non profit organization!
Why not? ha it may be easier than you think! check it out at wikihow, 502c3.org, startinganonprofit.com, irs.gov

7. Sell lemonade
All the cool kids are doing it!

8. Go on an adventure
Take pictures and write as you go! i mean like a month or more adventure!

9. Fight forest fires

10. Make up recipes

11. Learn to swallow swords

12. Count cards in black jack

13. Audition for a play

14. Read

15. Sell art

16. Try to get your original music onto itunes

17. Train for a marathon

18. Go hunting

19. Run a spelling bee

20. Colour

21. Get on E-harmony

22. Become a high school janitor

23. Start a pez dispenser collection (Go Dad!)

24. Hitchhike somewhere

25. Write

26. Throw pots

27. Whistle at pretty girls

28. Make a cake and leave it at a girls door

29. Have a garage sale

30. Make a short film

31. Design a website

32. Pick up trash on the streets

33. Start a blog

34. Rent every Jackie Chan movie

35. Tie Dye some clothes

36. Grow a beard (please guys only)

37. Shave your head

38. Babysit some kids

39. Take someone out for coffee

40. COME VISIT BEN AND JASON!!! :)

I would love to hear from anyone who did any of these things! you can never say you have nothing to do now! keep it real!

-bent ;)