In my own words

The end..

2009-03-19T10:02:00.002-05:00

Well, this blog is dead... has been for a while. Not sure if it was ever really alive.

Anyway, I will not be updating it anymore. Henceforth I will be blogging at our church blog BentonCentral.wordpress.com

You can also access it through our website, Bentoncentral.org

Thanks for taking the time to check it out...

Brian

Facebook for yourself

2008-11-24T09:25:00.001-06:00

ning.com is a social network creation tool. It is pretty cool. You can create your own social network around any intrest group of your choice. Churches, Ideologies, sports teams, social clubs, whatever you want. It is kind of like your very own facebook. Pretty cool stuff. And it's free.

only 11 more months..

2008-10-29T09:11:00.002-05:00

OK, so this is the countdown for catalyst from this year. They don't have one up for 2009 yet, so we will just have to pretend...

cat-a-lasting

2008-10-17T12:01:00.001-05:00

so, Catalyst in Phatlanta was off the hook. If you are not familiar then cruise on down to catalystspace.com and check it out. Good to see lots of friends there. Craig Groshcell (lifechurch.tv) is freakin amazing. Very inspiring. I love getting filled up on God's word and God's people for a weekend like that. Besides, where else can you hear Franklin Graham speak and see the world champion "popper" (a form of break dancing) on the same stage on the same day.

Mirror Image

2008-10-07T09:16:00.003-05:00

When I look in the mirror I don't see who I want to be, I see who I am.

I can walk around all day feeling like I look pretty good, only to look in a mirror and big zit or a huge cow lick sticking up. I am often that way spiritually too. I guess that is what Jesus meant when he said to remove the plank from your own eye before removing the speck from someone elses.

I see myself as either as the best or worst version of myself. But when I look in the spiritual mirror (the word and the spirit of God) I see that I am usually somewhere in the middle. The middle ground is where i struggle to grow and be humble. But I guess that means that the word of God and his spirit are the very catalyst of change in my life. Which is probably a good sign.

on turning 29

2008-10-06T11:11:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I turned 29. My sister told me that from now on I can tell people I am "plenty-nine". I don't care much about getting old, though I do like birthdays. But I always remember something my buddy D-ride told me. "Jesus didn't start his ministry until he was 30." That means I got 1 more year to get it figured out. LOL.

So anyway. I am glad to be the age I am, when I was young I wanted to be older, alot of older people want to be young. But I feel like I stand on the threshold of life. In my 20's I have grown alot. I look back at some things i said and did at 20-21-22, that shock me that I was so immature. I guess time tempers you. I know less now that I did then, but feel much more secure in it.

I am just glad that now I spend each day KNOWING that I am wrapped in the grace of God.

The Return

2008-10-06T11:02:00.001-05:00

Well, I am back.
2 years ago I stopped bloggin because it was the last thing I needed to be doing. But now I am at a much better place and have the time and energy to get back into the blogosphere.

Things are well in Ken- tuck tuck city.

sorry for the silence

2006-11-29T10:15:00.000-06:00

I am back. And I hate murmuring. I know why God hated it so much. People talk bad, then the person involved comes you to ( or you go to them) and it get's cleared up. Then, months later, someone is mad at you and as you talk them, they say, "Well, so and so told me...." And you realize that though so and so is OK with you, their talking bad months ago has become a cancerous murmur spreading on and on. There is almost no way to totally put an end to it. And so you correct the persons misinformation and tell them to go back to the source and see for themselves that it has been corrected. Then you walk around wondering, who else is murmuring. GARBAGE! And God's people should be above it.

And I should be too. I am renewing my commitment not to murmur and talk behind people's backs. It is GARBAGE!

The BIG game

2006-11-16T10:30:00.000-06:00

Well Ladies and Gents...

THIS IS IT! Saturday, the national title before the national title game. Ohio State at home versus the Michigan Wolverines. I am most def pulling for the Maize and Blue. And I think it is a lock because if you look at strength of schedule who has Ohio State really beat? Those Catholic kids from South Bend are about it. I think Tryo Smith is gonna find out what it feels like to be mauled by a Wolverine!!!

GO BLUE!

A little less than serious..

2006-11-10T11:50:00.000-06:00

The vending machine in the picture has no cheetos, snickers, or honeybuns.. Only Ipods.

Spotted in many Airports, the Ipod vending machine seems to be the hot new thing. I just don't know how the people buying them can carry around $249 worth of change all the time....

Also here is the Ibelieve. It is a cap & lanyard for your Ipod shuffle to make a bold faith statement. Some people call it more "Jesus Junk". I acctually think this is kinda cool. Not that I would wear one or ever own a shuffle...

"Ephphatha!"

2006-11-02T09:54:00.000-06:00

The title of this post comes from the Aramaic word Jesus cried in Matthew 15/Mark 7 when he was healing a deaf/mute man. The word means "Be Opened", and he says it after he spits and touchs the man's ears and tongue. In Mark 8 he spits on a guys eyes and touches them he heal his blindness. On other occasions he just speaks a word, sometimes from miles away, and a person is healed. At least once he even healed by someone just grasping at his cloak as he passed. No formula for others to imitate, to magic spell or utterance to emulate, simply compassion and faith coupled with the power of God. Now that is miraculous.

The history of Halloween

2006-10-31T13:56:00.000-06:00

The celtic pagan holiday "day of the Dead" was celebrated in barbaric Europe on November 1. As Christian missionaries came in they had a practice of renaming (and thus redifing) pagan holidays, rituals, places, and events in light of Christian religon. Thus the day was renamed as, the now mostly forgotten, "All Saint's Day." Over time the night before ASD became as the eve of the hallowed (holy or saintly) day, or Halloween. Over the centuries children celebrated it by receiving treats (some say these were originally treats people left to apease the dead spirits...). But it was not until the last 50-75 years that it became commerciallized and universally recognized with death, demons, devils, and decadence.

Be Safe Trick or Treating.

not as smart as I thought I was...

2006-10-20T10:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend in which I said something I'd like to share with you all.

I used to think I was one of the smartest people I knew. I don't anymore. I read some of these blogs out there and it is crazy how deep and smart some of them are. Some are about spiritual things, some are about social positions, and some I don't even agree with. But for the most part the random ramblings of alot of people are deeper than my most comptemplative moments. My head hurts just thinking about it.

For example, a guy I knew in high school as a so so Christian now works on staff at a church. I ran across his blog the other day and was totally astounded by the level of depth, passion, and intelligence he displayed. And every day he was posting like that!

Goodbye to my pride. This year I realized how much of a sinner I am and how much I am made of weakness, not strength. I am not the center of the world. Maybe that's a good thing.

Dig me new ears...

2006-10-17T13:17:00.000-05:00

The great scholar Eugene Peterson points out that we have classically mistranslated Psalm 40:6 as

"you have given me open ears"

Instead of the literal,

"Ears you have dug for me"

The first translation is not so much wrong, as it misses the point of the metaphor out of fear that people won't get it. But really isn't that a beauftiful image. We are unhearing of the voice of God because we have heads with no ears, or our ears are filled with the garbage of this world. So along comes God and in his great wisdom he pulls out the pickaxe and DIGS US NEW EARS so that we may hear his voice again! The context of the verse is descriptions of the people makeing sacrifices and offerings, longing to expierince the God they had read about in scripture. But nothing they could do would allow them to hear his voice without ears.

I pray that God will dig me new ears to hear his voice today. Dig out the garbage of this world, or church tradition, of politcal correctness, of sinfullnes, and slothfulness, of personal promotion, and let me hear you anew.

27 Lamentations

2006-10-05T10:26:00.000-05:00

I am 27 today. Wow, I am old. And, as Dale pointed out once, I am still 3 years from the age that Jesus started his ministry at. So I guess it is OK that I don't have it all together yet. I guess I have untill I am 30 to get it all figured out.

Alright, just a really cool passage from Lamentations 3:31-33

"For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailling love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men."

Man, does that not sum up God's character or what!

Coast to Coast Blog Post

2006-10-03T11:37:00.000-05:00

remember when space ghost was really big? I never got into it, but It was funny that all these high school and college aged kids were so crazy about this corny cartoon how, in my opinion, looked too much like Batman (the animated adventures rendition). I wonder what ever happened to space ghost?

musta done something right.

2006-09-26T11:51:00.000-05:00

As a new parent you often wonder if you are doing the right thing. You doubt yourself alot because you want to raise your child right to love God and honor him in their life.

Well, this morning my daughter grabbed her picture bible and said "Hi Gi-Gi", which is her way of saying Jesus. Then she kissed his picture on the Bible and hugged it saying, "Mmmm-mmmm" as she hugged. I guess we are on the right track afterall.

200GB Ipod Nano

2006-09-22T11:16:00.000-05:00

I found this great DIY project online for expanding your IPOD nano to 200GB. It is a little bulky though, and the Maxtor 200GB HDD reduces the Nano's batery life to 14 minutes, but other than that, IT IS SWEET!

Almost Famous

2006-09-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

A close friend (thanks Micheal) sent me a blip about discovery channel doing a special on inventions that changed the world. The Ipod is one of them. They wanted pics of people with their 1st & 2nd generation Ipods. So I snapped off a few of me and my 5gb, 2nd gen, with the wheel that actually spins, and sent them in. It looks like they may use them. So I may be famous (along with my pod)!!! Cool! Anyhow, it won't air untill the end of November, so I will keep you posted.

ps. I have the entire audio Bible on my Ipod. You can get it for free (or on Cd for $15) over at www.Audiotreasure.com It is the world English Bible. It's good stuff.

Tuesday is the new Monday

2006-09-19T11:21:00.000-05:00

I am off on Mondays. So when I come to work on Tuesday it takes me forever to get my wheels spinning and acctually get some stuff done. I guess that is because for me it IS Monday morning. No, I am not one of those grumpy in the morning, I hate Monday people. But it always is an effeort to get things moving (then once they start moving, I can't ever get them to stop! AHH!).

Well, I better get crackin!

Not just a shopkeeper

2006-09-14T14:16:00.000-05:00

From "Working the Angles" by Eugene Peterson

"The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with a shopkeepers concerns-- how to keep the customner happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street, how to package the good so that the customers will lay out more money. Some of them are very good shopkeepers. They attract a lot of customers, pull in great sums of money, develop splendid reputations. Yet it is still shopkeeping, religous shopkeeping, to be sure, but shopkeeping all the same. The marketing strategies of the fast-food franchise occupy the waking minds of these entrepreneurs; while asleep they dream of the kind of sucess that will get the attention of jouirnalists."

Ouch, tough words. I think they are true. Peterson is trying to call back "the called" to their calling. He difines the work of ministry as prayer, scriptural study, and ministerial counsel. He claims that has been the definition of 1900 years up until this century. I am insterested to see what he says next... what do you think?

cell phones

2006-09-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

what kind of cell phone do you use?

in the last year and a half I have had a..
samsung flip phone (no camera)
a Sierra Wireless VOQ Smartphone (Windows Mobile 3 and a QWERTY keyboard)
A Handspring Treo 600 (Palm powered, QWERTY, and 640x480 camera)
and a Cingular 2125 (my current phone, windows mobile 5, 1.3 mpx camera)

The reason I have had some many is that I have been trying to get them used of Ebay, but then they stop working withing 6 months. My 2125 is pretty sweet. It manages my calendar and contacts (sync's with outlook on my PC) has a great camera, 1 gb of memory on a card, and can even view powerpoints. But I miss my QWERTY keyboard, it is soo slow to type with T9.

All of this and trying to be a good steward too. My life seems like so many contridictions sometimes,
any other smartphone peeps out there?

Sidewalk

2006-09-01T13:58:00.000-05:00

I built a sidewalk this week. It is 75 feet long with 2 curves. It was with old brick from a torn down building that I pulled from the rubble. 70 year old brick with no whole in it. It was real beat up. It looked cool. I lined the sides of the walk with these 8"x16" paving stones I got at lowes for 64 cents each. I got a 1 ton load of sand, and garden lights to line it. After about 12-15 man hours it was done. Total cost under $200. If we had it paved it would have been $2400 just for the cement.

I love doing stuff like that. I love working with my hands and the feeling of accomplishment when you create something of enduring value and beauty. And let me tell you, this sidewalk is beautiful.

Post a comment and tell me what you have built lately...

Picture Perfect

2006-08-30T13:19:00.000-05:00

This is the time of year I go from feeling like a horrible youth minister to a great one and back again all in a flash.

After summer fades and school starts back I always tend to sit down and get down about my performance in helping these kids to grow spiritually. I feel like alot of what I do is superficial and don't see much real growth. Even worse I see kids jump into school with two feet and get back in those same old patterns, habits, and cliques all over again. I blame myslef for not "getting through to them" better. And this time of year the moral always seems low, the complaining high, and you loose your best leaders to college.

Then I start working on our fall slideshow. Aside from the fact that I do it in Imovie and it stimulates my creative self, it has a great deal of merit on it's own. As I put up picture after picture of smiling kids at activities thoughout the year I am flooded with great memories of fun and spiritual growth. I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude that I get to do this job. I see things at their best and am reminded how good they can be.

Of course I know that each day shown in those pictures had it's own troubles. 10 seconds after the flash faded the smiles turned to insults and jokes and who knows what else. But at least for a brief, fleeting moment I saw a glimpse of something eternal.

locked out

2006-08-29T10:10:00.000-05:00

this morning I got locked out of my house. I hate when that happens. You feel soooo stupid. When I was a kid and I got locked out I used to crawl into one of the window wells for the basement and kick the window frame. This would work because the window was on a hinge and was held shut by a bent nail. I would then crawl throught onto the washing machine and into the house. This morning I had to get out my trusty Dewalt cordless drill (thankfully the shed was unlocked) and go to work unscrewing things until I could get in.(any more detail than that and you could all get in my house!) Thankfully it worked.

The feeling of frustration I had this morning is a very unique one. It is a feeling I only get when there is a problem that needs an immediate solution and there seems to be no solution available. I have felt this spiritually before too. It is like that feeling you got in 5th grade at camp when you were walking in the woods after dark and realized you were lost. You are scared, confused, alone, and you feel an urgent need to punch something. Then you realize that you are acctually only 50 feet from your cabin. WHEW!

Bellybutton removal

2006-08-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the dermotologist and has a mole in my navel removed. It is not expected to be problematic but it needed to go. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but DANG! it hurts like heck! I could barely sleep, It is hard to walk up straight, it is crazy. There are 5 or 6 stiches in there holding my navel together.

I always find it funny how much little things control the whole body. Like one time I broke my big toe and had to walk on the side of my foot. Within a day my whole body ached all over and was all out of wack from walking funny.

It really makes me wonder about the little things in my life. What is the trickle down effect of my attitude, my joy (or lack their of), my patience, and my peace? What effect does this have on my life, and the lives of my wife and daughter?

I guess what I am asking is, who am I in light of who I say that I am? The question of wholistic integrity, it always haunts me. I guess it haunts me because I have trouble being an integrated wholistic person. Do you?

2006-08-24T09:45:00.000-05:00

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1959

Apple insider is reporting that their are rumors coming from inside apple about an upcoming apple iphone. They also have applied for some patents in areas that lend themselves to MP3-cellphone technology. A bunch of folks online have been talking about his for a while and come up with some cool renderings of what it could look like. Here is one.

I used this in class to get the teens excited about the next new "gotta have it" device. And then we talked about contenment. What funny is that most of the kids were pretty wary of it because they said the price was too low. Man those kids are sharp sometimes.

I think I will stick with my first generation monochrome 5GB Ipod with the click wheel that acctually spins...

Whos money is it anyway...?

2006-08-23T09:53:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading a book titled "Revolution in World Missions" by K.P. Yahannan. The book goes into great detail about the 3.8 billion people in Asia living in desperation povety, the vast majority of whom have never heard the gospel. The author believes that God has blessed those of us on this side of the world with more than we need so that we can learn to give sacrificially in order to meet the need of native missionaries taking the gospel to people in the 10/40 window. The book is stunning, shocking, and incredibly thought provoking. He talks about native missionaries in India who are sleeping in ditches at night and starving for days so that they can use their support money to buy the gospel literature needed to help teach people the gospel. He challenges us to spend each dollar in light of eternity.

And 2 days ago I bought a $2000 lawn mower.

Where do we begin? Where do we end? Where do we go from here? We give a few hundered dollars a year to the lord's work and pat ourselves on the back for the sacrifice, but don't think twice about dropping several thousand on a new car. My soul hurts to think about it. Thoughts?

A New Day

2006-08-22T11:36:00.000-05:00

I have never really liked blogs.
To much personal info given, to many pictures shared with others, they kinda scare me. Acctually I like reading other peoples, I just don't want all that info about me floating around.

But this, friends, is a new day. I start this blog in annominity. No name, no personal details, just my thoughts. Don't ask for pictures, the only one I post will be art. But hopefully this will be a place where I can share some glimpses of what I see God doing in the world and in my heart.

thus it begins...