Musings from Crown Alumni

2011-08-22T00:27:00.003-05:00

Jen D., Jolene and I just spent the wked together in OH. It was good. It was interesting how we have each changed, and developed, and grown throughout the years.

That's all. Just interesting and mostly good.

Cheers.

Stay WELL.

2011-05-08T11:52:00.002-05:00

Seven years. Next year, it'll be twice as much time away from school than in it. Should I take the hint and stop this jabbering? I guess we'll see.

An interesting thought - it turned out that if you had attended my wedding, you had nearly a 10% chance of having a child within the following year. Now to be clear, if you were male, the likelihood dropped dramatically. So, really, if we assume about a fifty-fifty breakdown of wedding guests male to female, then the forty-or-so women in attendance had a 1 in 5 chance of a new baby. That's pretty wild.

When Monika and I realized this, the other day, I said it gave me great comfort hearing of all these new children being born, because I felt like my Social Security is more guaranteed with each little life anew. If we run into population shortages in the near future, maybe Monika and I should just have another wedding. I'm sure that's a logical solution.

Well, I can't decide if I should stop now or just keep going (because who really even knows this is here anymore).

I'll stop. Next year will be here soon enough. More distance and time and more complete unknowns. What is a person to do? Worry less about Social Security, probably.

2010-05-08T12:28:00.002-05:00

I just can't help it. And, it just so happens that this year, our anniversary falls on a Saturday. Although I'm quite sure nobody has even pulled up this page in a year or two. Facebook, you scoundrel. I used to type a whole lot more.

So, I'll be seeing some people from school here in less than three weeks. I can't believe I'm the one getting married. Really, I have no other news than that. And maybe I'll learn to keep these anniversary posts short. But, just so you know - I plan to post on here, so that it still has a reason to exist. Otherwise, this blog will go to the elephant graveyard, I guess.

Oh, and the class of 2010 is graduating today, too - isn't that crazy? Okay, I've gotta run. (footsteps heard in a quiet room, then a door swings shut and locks with a click)

2009-05-08T15:04:00.002-05:00

I'm sure nobody's surprised - it is the only way I know how to do this. Five years ago today, we graduated from college. It's amazing how that coincides with the five-year reunion. I hope we have a good turn-out. I trust it will be awesome, regardless of how many people can make an appearance.

It's nearly been a year since anybody wrote on this thing. Facebook killed the alumni blogger, no doubt. We know about people getting married or having kids or living on the other side of the world. But somehow it seems even more transient than this. Of course, this is linear. Blog on top of blog. Thoughts buried by more thoughts, ad infinitum. I guess Facebook tends to be less than linear - profile pictures that swap each other out, photo albums and status updates, links... I still find it to be rather deceptive in nature - the thought of being connected to people in such a way - it's almost like dating a person who lives 1,600 miles away. But, the future arrives, regardless of our chagrin. Jobs come and go. Apartments are eventually replaced by houses. Children sprout up like coddled weeds (I'm not calling your kids weeds... am I?). I guess I'm just stalling. Why? I don't know.

I doubt it's news to anybody, but I'll be returning to live in Minnesota. I have already left my home of four years - the Pacific Northwest, with its temperate climate, snow-covered mountains and beautiful ocean scenery. I'm at that inbetween point (most people call it Wyoming), with a non-stop 30 mph wind and green-brown prairie grass making me think limbo doesn't sound very different. Some of life includes patiently waiting for the next thing. I'm waiting to see my girlfriend again. Tomorrow she is the photographer of the next graduating class. In three weeks, she'll be here to see me, and make my quiet return to Minneapolis, hoping to find a job and a place to stay. The rest of the story is too detailed for this venue, even with my previous record of blogblabbery. So, just expect that I'll try to return on our anniversary, every year until the robots shut down this blog, or I have more important things to do than fill internet pages with words that nearly no one will care about.

I hope to see you next month. Or maybe next year.

-Hubka

2008-05-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

I'm sure you can't be surprised by the timing of this post, though I am always surprised that nobody else seems to notice it like I do. We graduated four years ago today. Mathematically speaking, you could fit a half-dozen new Norton children in that amount of time. Our lovely mother-blognea created this place for us, and here we have been, like children who only come home when they are called to dinner or bed.

It was great seeing Lenny's Cinco de Moustache on Monday. My own celebration was referenced in terms I'd rather not relay here, but it was still a good celebration. I think JD was in on the festivities too. Now Babyface Hubka goes to work with a cold chill on his cheeks, and it's a little bit like graduating (the feeling of loss, that is). That was a long time ago, wasn't it?

I really don't have much to talk about. I'm looking for plane tickets in a vain attempt to show for a younger Mann's wedding next month. Don't get your hopes up, either of you - it's just too expensive. It would be a great excuse to be back, but I might have to save up if we're at all serious for a 5-year here all too soon.

It's official, regardless of how you reckon it. We've lived longer away from school than in it (a few of you don't count, working there afterwards). I'll try not to call out every anniversary from here out, or worry that a month will pass without a post. Four years is a long blog, by today's standard. I'm sure I'll see most of you sometime soon.

Sincerely,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Hubka

2008-03-10T22:37:00.002-05:00

I met him.

I know, I was as surprised as you are. I was at The Guthrie (for reasons I will explain later) on a Wednesday afternoon, when a glance at the two people coming out of the elevator caused me to do a double take. In an effort to seem cool and important to the person I was with, I tried not to stare or run over to meet him. Fortunately, my companion already knew them and soon I found myself talking with him. Well, if "talking" means standing silently while the three of them talked, while my inner dialogue ran rampant: "Is it him, or is it not? I can't tell. It sure looks like him, but he doesn't talk like him...I think it's him, but maybe it's not..." As though he was reading my mind, he turned to me, extending his hand, and said, "I'm Brian, by the way." Inner dialogue: "It is him." I realized that he was still shaking my hand and I hadn't actually said anything out loud, so I looked him in the eye and said, "I'm nobody."

I'm really great with first impressions. Luckily, he laughed saying "Well, I'm nobody either." Unfortunately, my rambling inner dialogue unleashed itself verbally, and it all came pouring out of my mouth: "I just meant that I don't belong here. I mean I don't work here or anything. I'm just here for an interview, so I'm not important or anything..." I just couldn't stop because I knew that nothing I said was making sense, and I felt like I needed to just keep going until it got better. But it didn't. So gave up, and he diffused my silliness by just saying, "Well, good luck with the interview. I hope it all works. out."

Which brings me to my news: It did work out.

I am officially the new Literary Intern at The Guthrie. I started last week! Those who know me well know that this is something I've been wanting to do for years now, so it's very exciting that it has finally become a reality. Of course, I'm still working full-time apart from The Guthrie, so it's been busy, but I know in the end it will be worth it. I just need to find some time to sleep...oh, I'll worry about that later.

So, I know it's been a long time since I've blogged, but if you ask me, it was worth the wait.

(I apologize that this is a re-run post from my personal blog, but I blog so rarely these days that I need to get double the mileage out of my posts!)

2008-02-15T09:26:00.003-06:00

I don't want to post over Brad's awesome news, so make sure you scroll down and read his post! A Crown brother needs our help. Some of you may have received this already, but I wanted to make sure that everyone saw this. Aaron needs our help!

The following is from Aaron Krienke:

As most of you are aware, I am a finalist for the hit TV Show “Deal or No Deal”. I am waiting to hear back from the producers. This could be soon, but I need your help in making this possible. In an effort to persuade producers to actually put me on the show, I’ve put together a 10 sec survey (It’s super quick). Basically all I need is 1,000 supporter’s names by March 1, 2008. So it’s important that you fill this out immediately! Note: This does not guarantee I will be chosen, but will only increase my chances of not being overlooked.

Also, another key to success is getting as many names as possible. So please send this link to as many people as possible that would want to see me on the show. I’m not a huge fan of forwards myself, but this time I absolutely need your help or I won’t gather enough names.

Note: Also, if you currently are a student at Crown College, please make sure to enter your home city & state instead of using St. Bonifacius, MN.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Nceo7Ivqy_2fWZvRorG5Lsvw_3d_3d

Again, thanks for your support! Hopefully, you’ll be seeing me on a future episode of Deal or No Deal.

Just take a minute and fill it out. it seriously is SO SHORT! 3 questions: name, city and would you watch if he makes it on (you better say yes)

2008-02-07T04:57:00.000-06:00

Venice. thanks guys.

and that web address is old. www.theburn247.com is the new one.

i was going to say something about ash wednesday-- but now it is the thursday after. shall i delve into some metophical prose about that in relation to geckos. hmm. ok im done. out. but dont even envision me slamming the door, because the imagery should not include that.

2008-01-30T02:13:00.000-06:00

does anyone have any connections/ friends in italy? i know someone who is in the airforce over there and simply needs some people connections. thanks. hope you are all well, are you?

check out www.burn24-7.com get involved. you won't regret it. promise.

take care.

jas

2007-12-10T21:44:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! For anyone who will be in the Twin Cities on December 23rd: We are having the 7th Annual Christmas Party Extravaganza at 7:00 and everyone is invited! Because my roommate is getting married the day before (and our house will be torn apart), we will be having the party at my parents' house, as is tradition. Let me know if you'll be around and want any more details.

Merry Christmas!

2007-11-27T22:31:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to think of something to put on here for a while, and it just came to me, like inspiration, I guess. And then I realized I couldn't remember how to post on here any more. I haven't actually posted on here since August. That's ridiculous for me. Great for the general readership. I'm up to a nearly every day post on my blog, but I realized how good this is for general info blogging, and not for rambling, meandering nothingness that tends to sprinkle from my fingers into this keyboard and onto this screen. But I am not here for an update of any sort, except to say that I'm no longer in love with my boss - my ideal little work world was shattered in the course of a morning not a few weeks ago, and it cannot be returned to the perfection that was my first office job. No big deal. Just part of growing up, I guess. Being jaded, that is. And grumpy. Turns out I'll be great at both of those. I was actually going to say something... Oh yes.

For the sake of the Denver-area transplants who might actually end up reading this by accident, I thought I would remind them that I will be in Cheyenne from the 18th until Christmas Day (in fact, I fly out Christmas Day, so the routine see Hubka off to the airport after dinner thing probably won't jive with family plans). I don't know when I am going to make it down to say hello (I fly into Denver that Tuesday night, 8 or 9 p.m., I think, so I didn't think anybody would be up for saying hi that late, and I'm probably heading straight home anyway, but let me know about any ideas). Probably Wendesday, Thursday, or Friday. I'll be calling Wakefield to try and coordinate what's happening, but I thought somebody might see this and try to get the wheels turning that much sooner.

Or maybe you Minnesota people would remember how much you miss me, and in that fondest of sentiments you would make a trip out to the Rockies just to see old Hubka. Of course, if that was the case, you could always make a trip out to the Pacific and enjoy much better weather, but all this is based on an unlikely assumption.

On a side note, do you realize that in another four months, we will have spent more time away from college than we spent in it?

Maybe to open things up a bit... Lynnea, what have you been reading lately (or, if you're not Lynnea, substitute your name and give a good answer, even though it seems generic and useless, and I refuse to fall prey to my own plea)? I hope all is well, wherever you guys are now.

2007-11-10T14:40:00.000-06:00

She's a Canadian now...
Or at least she's trying to be. I thought it was about time that I gave a little update on Krista's wedding, since I feel like it's been the main focus of the last 10 months. And, as usual, my method of giving an update is by posting as many pictures as I can without being too much of a blog-hog.

In brief, the wedding was beautiful, which everyone says about everyone's wedding, but perhaps I was a bit partial to this one...
The fact that this union also means that Krista and Tyler are relocating indefinitely to Canada gave an extra layer to the usual emotions experienced at a wedding, and there were plenty of tears shed by all (even the bride herself).

The only hindrance that threatened the goal of a smooth wedding day was that Krista decided at the last minute that she wanted the best man to cut his hair. And she wanted to do it herself. On the morning of her wedding. Our leisurely morning of coffee, Erik's homemade Swedish pancakes, and experimental hairstyles quickly turned into a hectic afternoon when we realized that Jimmy's last-minute haircut put us about 2 hours behind schedule.
This wake-up call jolted the 20 (or so) of us hanging around the house back into action, and we quickly got back on schedule. But I think that the extra stress was worth it. Check out Jimmy's "after" picture...

After the minor setback, everything was perfect. A few Canadian jokes cracked by the officiant (my dad) lightened the mood of the ceremony enough so that everyone stopped crying, Krista was breath-taking bride, Sarah Ebner was a stellar wedding coordinator, and the reception was so fun that Krista and Tyler were actually the last ones to leave.
Of course it made me excited for my own wedding, mostly because I won't have to do any of the planning she did for hers. Krista's words of wisdom: "Lynnea, whatever you do, don't have a traditional wedding." Got it. And now she's off in Canada, and we're all missing her terribly, but we're simultaneously thrilled that she and Tyler finally tied the knot after all these years. And I'm sure Canada won't keep her forever.

2007-10-31T10:39:00.000-05:00

I hate to use this blog to promote my sons blog, but I just thought you needed to see this! I must say, I picked it out myself! Way Fun!

2007-10-30T13:55:00.000-05:00

So another quick update in my life. I found out yesterday morning that I am going to finally be the father of a little boy! I have been hoping beyond all hope that this one would be a son. Someday I will write about the desire I felt and still feel to pass on to a son what God has made me. But I do not have time right now.

2007-10-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

hi all...its been a long time for me. well...update...i have a new blog going...and by i, i mean we..bethany and i. my shift key doesnt work. thats a lie. I am lazy.

www.globalenkurbagement.wordpress.com come see what the kurbi are doing to save the world. ha. no really...check it out.

2007-10-18T09:21:00.000-05:00

So a quick update for you all. (You all seems to be a much smaller number then I remember) Last Saturday I ran and completed my first ever Marathon. It was slow and painful, but I finished. It was probably the greatest personal accomplishment of my life. So I thought I would share that with the blogging world.

2007-10-02T15:42:00.000-05:00

Hubka! Company's coming!! I didn't know how else to get a hold of you...your area code isn't 406 anymore, right? Brad'll be here this friday...i was told to get a hold of you so that we can plan a good evening...call me! Hello blog world...congrats Ms. soon-to-be-no-longer-Erickson!

Josh

2007-09-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

Though many of you have probably heard, it's about time that I make the formal announcement here: I'm engaged! Erik and I have a long and hilarious history involving a too-good-to-be-true summer when I was 17, seven years of silence, and a shocking letter followed by the reunion that has led us this point. Engagement, that is. You can read about the proposal here if you'd like.

We are having a small family wedding in Tamarindo, Costa Rica in May. It will be a low-key event, on the beach at sunset, and we are SO excited. When we get back from Costa Rica, we will have a big reception to which you are all invited, of course. So start getting me those addresses!

Other big news: Krista is getting married in only three weeks! Though I am excited for her, her marriage means a big move to Ottawa, Canada, for an indefinite period of time. (Coincidentally, one of my roommates also recently got engaged, and is moving to Canada in December. What's the big deal about Canada, anyway?) Krista's move will be a big loss, but it's about time she and Tyler tied the knot.

I'm still working at Huntington as Director of Education, not much news there.

That's all for now!

2007-09-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

Wow! I have not checked thing thing in a long time. Unfortunately I don't appear to be alone. I just wanted to give a quick update of my life. Jessica and I are expecting child number 4. I am 26 years old and I will have 4 children 3 1/2 years of age or less. The doctors are unable to tell me at this time what the gender of baby 4 will be, but I am convinced that it will be a male. I must convince myself of this to make it through the day. 4 daughters would be "fun." (please note that the previous line should be read in a sarcastic way)

Other then that life is amazingly a lot like the last time I posted. Everything is going sweet. I should get back to work. Talk to you soon.

2007-08-01T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hey, can you Minneapolis people let the rest of us know you're all good? I hope so.

2007-07-26T23:58:00.000-05:00

So, who else took the alumni survey? I don't even want an umbrella, and I'd like to be able to show how my total income in the first two years out of college was less than their lowest demographic standard for income straight out of school. Why an umbrella, anyway? Why not snowshoes, or a can of Off!, or a lifejacket, or a Jesus action figure? And how the crap does Crown have my new address? I realize I know people there (I just talked to a Crown employee last night for over an hour. She is lovely, as always), but nobody that would update an address. Speaking of alumni and addresses, Lynnea, you've got less than two years to plan - how's the reunion coming? Speaking of reunion, Duerkop, write a brotha' back, huh? That goes for you too, Miller. Wait, I see the pattern. You're all edging me out, aren't you? First at Introverts Anonymous, now here. Sorry, still no pictures. Wait! I just figured out - there's no screwy software to download anymore. Oh man, you guys are in for it now! I'll be faster than a Josh Mann book cover, more powerful than a Duerkop shower curtain, able to add pictures in a single bound.... I just ran out of that one, but here is my niece, over a month ago, the first time I held her when she was just twelve hours old. I'll get some better pictures of her because she's cute and I'm not. Now this is a whole new blogging world. Alumni blogger, here I come.

2007-06-22T12:07:00.000-05:00

Sorry, no pictures from me, but I had to jump on here and tell everyone that as of this morning, I am officially Uncle Steve. Isabelle Hubka may some day go to school with Caden Folkestad, though I don't see them showing up and just being roomates - the days of the Hubka-Folkestad room have come and gone. I haven't even seen her yet, but I'll get some pictures as soon as I can, though posting them here may prove too much for my meager blogging abilities anymore. I'm a bit more excited than maybe I should be since I really don't think I'll be having kids of my own, or at least not for a long while, so this is as close as I get, and it's pretty fun. I've gotta get back to work. Hope all is well with everyone.

2007-06-18T12:38:00.001-05:00

Words fail me...the best preaching book I had never heard of until a week ago, seriously this book has changed my life. Employed as a leader, communicator, pastor and needing to constantly and consistently communicate ideas, vision, truth, etc this book has explored the underpinnings of why you still remember certain ideas from decades past yet aren't sure what you had for breakfast today. I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts...and unlike the Myth of a Christian Nation, I'm actually reading this one...you guys really should know me better than to think that because I'm suggesting commentary on a book means I've actually read it. :)

2007-05-31T00:01:00.000-05:00

It has been so long since I've been on here, and look at everything I've missed! New birth. New books. New blogs. Where have I been? Oh yeah, working. I don't know if I've kept everyone up-to-date on much lately, but I have taken a position as the Assistant Director at a Huntington Learning Center, and I love it. It is very challenging and fulfilling and the time flies by. That being said, I don't know how long I'll last because the crazy hours are starting to wear on me. We'll see.

The big news around here is that Krista finally graduated, which is very exciting since I feel like she should have graduated years ago. I made the trek out to good old River Falls, WI to see the terribly long and boring ceremony, like the good sister I am.

It's interesting to see Krista all sentimental about leaving her friends and moving on, etc. because it feels like yesterday that we were all doing the same thing after our own graduation. Then we started this blog in hopes that we'd keep in touch, and hey, look at us now! Three years later and there's still some semi-regular activity on here. Congratulations to us.

2007-05-27T23:29:00.000-05:00

Duerkop...and others...your thoughts on our former neighbor to the East Greg Boyd's book, "The Myth of a Christian Nation?"

2007-05-26T17:45:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys, I deleted this post on accident. My bad.
Caden Glen Folkestad was born on May 25th at 11:58pm. He and Katie are doing awesome! We are really excited! More pictures at chrisfolkestad.blogspot.com

Later!
Chris, Katie and Caden

2007-04-28T16:18:00.000-05:00

Well, the month has nearly passed without a word, so I'm going to tell a short story here to bring a little bit of Portland to all you folks out East (except Josh and Brad).
Last night was the largest regular swing dance in Portland, so after work I wandered downtown trying to waste two hours until the dance started. As it's own random story, between the end of work and dinner, I bought two sets of tenor banjo strings and tried on a fedora (?) that had a $250 price tag that scared me into putting down the hat and quickly walking out of the store. But I thought I was getting hungry, and I've been wanting to find a new place to eat downtown since everything is a very expensive, trendy place or must otherwise have frightening cartoon murals to make up for an economical price tag. Example: I ate at an Indian restaurant the week before last, and I lost twenty dollars to a very small, metal bowl of a half-dozen pieces of lamb in a curry sauce and a plate of rice, and a chai tea. It was ridiculous. The other place I eat at regularly downtown (usually before my Sunday night dance) is called The Pita Pit, which has cartoon murals of all the animals you would be eating in their pita wraps - a T-bone steak with eyes, arms and legs, standing beside a leg of lamb, a chunk of ham, a moronic looking chicken and somehow a more deficient turkey on the other bookend of the meaty crew. On the other side is a car driven by a pita with a very big smile, probably because it is filled full of cartoon meat from the other side of the wall. I wouldn't go in that place if it wasn't cheap and pretty darn good (they make a great gyro pita with a cucumber sauce).
Just two blocks from The Pita Pit, I was intrigued by the name outside the very small restaurant: "Rice Junkies" Also, I have for some time wondered exactly what bento is, or what it has to do with, so I wanted to satisify my curiosity. I entered the store and realized almost immediately that I had made a mistake, but I have a social foible that make me more embarrassed to leave a store after entering it than staying and dealing with my bad choice. And this is before I noticed the cartoon murals on the walls of this tiny place. There was seating enough for maybe sixteen people - the fact that it seemed empty while being tiny should have been just one more signal flare of trouble ahead. I ordered a chicken bento with teriyaki sauce on white rice and a small foutain drink. Six bucks. Not too bad, not great, though. So I filled my drink and sat down, and really only drank in the frescos around me. On the largest bare wall direcly in front of me was a confusing assortment of images. I decided to the left was a black bean of some sort, complete with arms, legs, and eyes (as is customary in downtown Portland) holding one side of a trampoline, the other anchored by a grain of white rice (black arms, legs, and eyes) rescuing another piece of white rice from falling direcly from some unknown travesty. Beside the heroism was two smiling tomato heads atop blue and purple, respectively, body-building physiques squeezing the innards out of a vegetable wrap of some sort, for what purpose I do not know. Atop the wall over the window into the normal world, a hamburger was being murdered by similar rice and bean peopel with green lances with the obvious written below the scene: "Death to Fast Food", or something like that. Below the powerful written word was a Roman amphitheater, the lady tomato seated on a throne, the stands filled with rice and beans, and in the middle, Mr Tomatohead holding a bowl of rice like Atlas. If these confusing, violent, archaic images weren't enough, I looked behind me. Yes, there were rice and beans riding cartoon chickens (less cartoonie than Pita Pit, which feels like the barnyard part of the Garfield TV show), jousting or trying to kill an egg that happened to be standing in the middle, frightened for obvious reasons. I mean the strangeness of all the images, not the thought of it all being over because that sounded quite nice. And then dinner finally came- three pieces of chicken that would have been better had they been rubber chicken atop a bowl of rice with teriyaki sauce. I didn't even finish eating it. At least I had a drink, right? No, it was fifty cents for a refill, which I saw only after I walked back up to get a refill. Twelve ouces of soda cost a store owner about ten cents. If the cup cost another dime, the owner just made $1.30 without doing anything, really, and they want another fifty cents? Needless to say, I left Rice Junkies rather disgruntled about my bento experience. Luckily I had five hours of good dancing to make up for it. I'd tell you all about that, but it's not as funny and probably not even half as interesting, so I won't bore you any more than I already have. Three years gone and my best story is a crappy dinner in cartoonland. Hopefully I'll have something better to write about soon. We'll see. Catch you guys soon... maybe in May?

2007-04-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

hello crown kids.

just a stop in. a fervent wave. several hugs. how are yous? and meaning it... ((chris, im glad you and katie are venturing over to wisconsin. its a good place. ha. yes, im bias.))

i am still in denver. living. loving. being. and it is good. i sort of didn't like this ghost town at all at first, but it is pretty much growing on me as i am learning appropriate street names and stuff.

shoot. well. thats it for now.

burn twin cities: 24 hr prayer for the cities is quickly approaching. look it up. go if you can. i went to denver's and wow. they have a myspace page. BURN statrted out of tulsa and now it is expanding and beautiful. i have contact infomation if anyone is interested/ able to do a worship set throughout the time period. this is an amazing movement, one of intercessory and worship to our maker. i encourage you to look into it. ((there is also a burn southern wisconsin, which will be in racine.)) i don't know the dates off head but i know they are soon.

ok. your turn. and ill be back.

2007-03-31T15:43:00.000-05:00

Not That I Care, But...
Just read this article on WCCO and wondered what you guys do. Do you get paper or plastic when you go to the grocery store? Or, are you really friends with Al Gore and bring your own bag? Like I said before, I really don't care, I concider myself bisacual.

for me... usually plastic, it is easier to carry.

Chris

2007-03-30T20:04:00.000-05:00

This used to be very easy, now it's a little daunting. I actually was waiting for Duerkop to post some pictures and a quick something about he and I visiting Anne and Molly in the Northeast. I have never successfully posted pictures, so I'm not ready to learn new tricks now. I retell a little bit of our trip on my blog, which is linked on the right there.
It's no wonder nobody does this anymore. This is hard. Most of my stories are either about dancing or something from work, and without the handy use of the flow-chart I created for my roommate, it's hard to navigate through the dozens of names I reference concerning dancing. Work, is simple enough, but difficult to translate. I mean, Amber winked at me the other day. That was a highlight. Meaningless to everyone but me.
To make Duerk happy, I'll just mention that right now I'm listening to Johnny and June Carter Cash, "Jackson", and it's making me smile a bit. Before that was "One bourbon, one scotch, one beer," though not the original version. I've also been stuck on Alison Krauss lately. In a musical way. And probably other ways... it's me after all.
I think I have trouble writing anymore because I was with some friends a few weeks ago, and this one guy mentioned how much he couldn't stand people who detailed their lives in the blog world because it was impossible keep up or stay interested, not realizing that I could nearly be labled as such. So I've tried to ease back from the narcissism that keeps me blogging with a regular frequency. I don't know if anyone else has come across this thought. Probably everybody did a long time ago and I'm just the last to jump aboard and shut up. I can't even elaborate a very simple premise clearly on here anymore. So, here's my last clear thought before hunger and necessity cause me to leave in search of dinner (Lebannese, I hope): Until I have a good story to tell, I won't be back here filling up space because of non-blogging anxiety. I hope the community get a little more lively as summer rolls in.

2007-03-29T11:13:00.000-05:00

Well I don't have any exciting news this time, just wanted to have you guys check out what I did at youth group last night! Lets just say I am trying the things I never did because I was scared of getting fired! Check you my blog here. I will also be updating my address and phone numbers when we make the big move in just over a week!

Posts don't have to be earth shattering!

2007-03-29T10:04:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been far too long since we've had a real post, although we have been meeting our monthly quota of comments. And now I'm going to be a huge hypocrite and not post anything of length or content...

I just want to make sure that no one else is having trouble posting since we switched over to the new blogger. I had to delete and reinvite Steve, so if anyone else can't post, please let me know, and I'll hopefully be able to fix it for you.

Other than that, life is good. Very, very good. I've been working at Hungtington Learning Center, which began as a part time job while I was in grad school, and has developed into very meaningful, full-time work. It's the perfect type of teaching to do because I get to work with such a wide variety of kids and adults, and teach many different types of subjects (I'm talking English, Reading, Phonics, ACT and SAT prep, etc. here, not Math or anything else I'm clearly not qualified to teach. Although I did teach one section of ACT Science in a pinch...). Anyway, it's great, and I'm lucky to have stumbled into it.

I've gotten into the habit of waiting to post until I have some sort of new development or news to share, which doesn't happen too often, so I'm going to work on that. Hopefully you'll be hearing from me more often from here on out. But I guess I should be careful what I promise.

Okay, your turn.

2007-03-07T22:30:00.000-06:00

Its about time!

Sorry about being so slow in getting you the not so breaking news. Katie and I accepted a new job at St. Croix Falls Alliance church in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. We will be moving there right after Easter. I had to tell the youth tonight, wow, that was hard! But it was a relief.

I was crying, they were crying and one 7th grade punk was going to all the girls and saying... "Its going to be ok, come and give me a hug." Totally macking on the girls! A seventh grader macking on seniors.... It was priceless. Totally reminded me of Steve!

Anyway, we are packing up, moving, hopefully buying a house and having a baby all in the next 2 months. CRAZY!

2007-02-27T19:10:00.000-06:00

Hey Guys, I have some very exciting news! Its true. However I cannot share it with you until at least Thursday night. If you know me well, you probably know what I am talking about. Its fun, scary and exciting all at the same time!
I guess I will just talk to you when I can.
Later

2007-02-12T09:47:00.000-06:00

It happened again last night. I was dancing with Nate Lindholm's sister. So, since this really messes with me to keep having weird Crown connections out here while I'm dancing, I'd prefer that any of you with close relatives or older siblings or any other weird connection with swing dancers in Portland please let me know so I won't lose my dancing abilities because I meet a girl with some strange connection to Crown. Okay, that's all I've got. I don't know of that makes any sense. I had a long night, and I'm back to dancing tonight, Wakefield's here this weekend, and I'm not terribly excited for this workday so far. I guess I have a cute boss. That's good enough for me. Catch you guys later.

2007-02-09T23:06:00.000-06:00

Hello, long lost Crown family. Well, I've been waiting until I had a better handle on my life to write about it, but I've since decided that my life will always be in a perpetual state of transition...so I might as well stop waiting.

There are some undeniably exciting things going on, though:

1. Most importantly, Krista and Tyler finally got engaged! I was about to type "it's about time," but then I remembered that she's only 22, so she's not exactly past her prime. They've just been together for so long that it's exciting to see them make things official (although, the government is making things very difficult on account that he's Canadian). They're hoping for October, but it really depends on how long it takes to get a fiance visa.

2. I'm moving to Minneapolis in three weeks. Not exactly a big move, distance-wise, but it is a landmark event because it's the perfect location and the perfect house and I can't wait. So please visit.

3. I am in the midst of deciding between three very different jobs, each of which could take me in very different directions. The problem with getting a degree in English is that it is such a broad field; that means that I'm not really qualified to do any one thing really well like when you're in a more specific field (i.e. nursing, education, etc.), I'm just trained in some skills (writing, reading, editing, etc.) that could apply to many different areas. It makes the job search very confusing, but I think I've got it narrowed down. More details later (this is the whole transitional thing I was talking about).

That's about it for now. 2.25 years until the five year reunion! I hope you're getting ready...

2007-02-08T23:34:00.000-06:00

Taking my cue from Brad, I figure I can leave a notice here that I'll be in Minneapolis in a month. Not that anyone's hopes got up, but I need to explain, obviously. I'll be traveling back from Connecticut after visiting Anne, Molly, and a couple of Duerkops to boot. My layover is just over two hours in MSP, around 7 p.m. the night of March 12th. I would totally go through security all over again just to see any of you guys for ten minutes or whatever. Otherwise, I'll just hang out like old times in the airport. Just a thought.
Actually, you could just wait and see if I can get to either Kyle's wedding, or Krista's wedding. I'm gonna try for both, but I can't guarantee anything. Okay, I'm tired, and I have nothing to say, so I'm done.

2007-01-25T20:36:00.000-06:00

My word, if Chris is posting tumbleweed pictures, I obviously need to do something. So I'll tell you about my night last night. Normally on Wednesday night, I find myself hanging out with a "home community", pretty much just a bunch of us from my church listening to Velvet Elvis or having a truly random potluck and watching our friend's 16-month-old speak better sign language than the rest of us. But, that's a normal Wednesday night, and last night was not normal. I opted to go to a dance. I had just received an e-mail about this dance yesterday afternoon, and I felt more like dancing than hanging out with people, so I headed out a little before 9. Yep, the dance was supposed to start at 9, and I sat in my car until I watched the first people walk in around 9:30. And when I walked in, we totalled five distinct persons. So I asked a girl to dance (three girls, two guys, and I am considered one of the guys in this case for those of you wondering), and it turned out she owned the place we were dancing at and she was leaving for Mexico the next day, and she was the cause of the random dance. I thanked her and tried to dance my best, but I'm not the greatest dancer, so the song ended with me just a little relieved. The one girl that was not dancing that first dance came up to me and asked me to dance. So I did. It's rather impolite not to. And we danced for about an hour, me with this girl named Crystal, and this other guy (picture M. Night Shamalyan meets Gumbie with really weird shoes [they're black and look like those running shoes with the middle part of the sole cut out]) still dancing with the other girl, and the owner just sitting behind a computer, apparently putting together a playlist of songs for the four of us to dance to. The girl I danced with was cute, and nice, and good at blues dancing, but swing wasn't her forte, so my knees hit hers from time to time and my toes found hers in the non-footsie sort of way. Not my worst night of dancing ever, but still , four people dancing, one DJ, in a small dance hall that seemed gigantic when it wasn't crowded... I finally gave up on there being an actual dance by 10:30 and went home to bed.
(Tumbleweed)picturethat!

2007-01-20T15:44:00.000-06:00

Today I logged onto this blog, and this is all I saw... I think that the tumble weed is the universal sign for NOBODY IS AROUND!

The crown blog silent? What's next? Hillary Clinton as President?

2007-01-12T13:29:00.000-06:00

Look what I did! It seems I made a boy! Gabe, you might be able to make girls in pairs, but me, I can make a boy! Better luck next time!
Chris

2007-01-01T12:21:00.000-06:00

This is a holiday tradition of sorts. Me writing on New Year's, that is. I looked back on last year's post, and it was depressing, so I'll try not to be depressing this year. A year before that was just stupid. I'm trying to get better. I don't know if anybody notices. The life of a maturing writer - nothing like my life. So, what happened this year, besides Saddam Hussein being executed (didn't see that one coming three or four years ago).
Not as many weddings or new children, I guess. Now we have a set of Wakefields, a couple of Bjerkases (I know not many of you were as close to Justin as me, but I have the wedding invitation on my fridge, so I thought it should be added), a Mrs. Bubek, and a small army of Gabe's offspring. Lynnea has an MA, I have a real job, Duerkop has a new job after his not so perfect election (politics are so strange). My last two college roommate bachelors are set to be married in the following year. We're expecting a little Folkestead here sometime, and I will be an uncle by summertime it seems. Next year looks to be a bigger deal than this one. I mean, who knows how many 18-year-old Australians are in your future? They always make things fun for a very short while.
As I always have trouble doing, I'll try to just say it simply - Happy New Year.

2006-12-23T00:27:00.000-06:00

So when do you officially become an adult? I first thought that it was 18. You could sign yourself out of high school and they couldn’t do anything about it. You can also, buy cigarettes, go to R-rated movies by yourself, and gamble. Then, I thought it was 21. You can then drink alcohol legally. This must mean that you’re an adult. Yet, when I was 21, I was still relying on my parents for so much while I was in college. When I finally moved out of my parents house, 4 months after I graduated from college, I thought that I was now an official adult. I lived on my own, paid my own rent, and had a real grown-up job. That was over 2 years ago. I realized tonight, at 24 my relatives still do not consider me an adult. They still lump me in with my parents. My cousins, who are younger than me, get their own Christmas cards. So, why don’t I? My conclusion… I’m not married. Two of my cousins are married, and they are the only ones that received their own Christmas cards. The rest of us unfortunate children were lumped in with the parents, whether we own our own house or not. So, do we become an official adult when we get married?

2006-12-21T10:22:00.000-06:00

I know that this is late notice, but I am having a Christmas Party Extravaganza at my house tomorrow night at 7. Everyone is invited, so if you'd like directions, just e-mail me. Hope to see you there!

2006-12-10T14:44:00.000-06:00

A note from the administrator (that would be me. Strange, I know): A couple of years ago when I set up this blog I limited the ability of readers to comment to only members of this particular blog. At that time, many blogs were being targeted with Spam comments, and I wanted to prevent that on our site. From a combination of non-members requesting access to post comments and a noticeable decrease in the amount of Spam comments I've noticed on others' blogs, I've decided to open up the comment section to all registered blogger users.

I think that this will help us to see who all is out there reading as well as continue to drive the conversations that are sparked from the posts on this site. So, if you are reading this and are not a member of this blog, we want to hear from you! And if are reading this and are a 2004 graduate of Crown and are not a member of this blog, let me know! Way back when I had some trouble trying to invite the whole class to the blog and I believe that about half of the class was unintentionally left out.

I can hardly believe that in May we will have had this blog for three years already. I had no idea what to expect when we began it, but I think that the fact that it is still going speaks to the desire of those in our class to continue to hear and learn from each other long after graduation. Well done.

In other news, I defended my thesis a about a week and a half ago, and it was scary. Then I presented my thesis to the graduate faculty and graduate student body on Friday and it was scary. The final draft is due on Monday (yes, that would be tomorrow. Procrastination, anyone?) and then I graduate on Friday! Finally. More news later, I posted a couple of pictures from my essay presentation of my family (since I have no children of my own like you all (that wasn't a complaint, just an observation)) for no relevant reason, but only to make this blog slightly interesting. Oh and one more thing: I am having a graduation open house this Saturday (the 16th) from 3-7 at my house, and anyone is welcome to come. That's all. Really. I mean it this time. Oh, and one more thing....gotcha.

2006-12-04T20:34:00.000-06:00

Sorry to all, this is a real post, actually one I did on my other blog, but I thought it appropriate to share here. And if you haven't responed to Brad's note about being up for Christmas, I don't want this to push that out of the way, so go down and check it out so Brad has plenty of people to see, because I know it sucks to be there and have everybody thinking they'll catch you sometime... meaning sometime at the five-year-renunion. Okay, enough intro. Josh, if you're out there - this one's for you. Maybe not, but it is cool that you're out there. Okay, aaaand action-

Last night was a dance like most I go to, except pretty busy since the venue was closing permenantly, and the dance was free, so there was barely room to really swing dance. I noticed a friend of mine I hadn’t seen since August, and so I danced with her a few times, then with her roommates who were along for the ride. The night was alive with normalcy.
I was actually heading back toward my friend to ask her for another dance when I came face-to-face with another girl, complete stranger, but I just had the compulsion to ask her to dance. Her face lit up and she said yes as we pushed through the crowd to get somewhere with enough room for me to disappoint her. And we were moving back and forth, stepping and turning and not doing much of anything exciting when she asked if I had been dancing for a while. I said not really, just the last few months mostly. She asked me when I started. I said I actually started dancing in high school, then I didn’t dance in college, then I picked it up again when I showed up out here.
She said, “It sounds like you went to a small Christian college.’
“Yeah, I did. You?”
“Yep.’
“Where?”
“Minnesota?”
“Which school?”
“Crown-”
I stopped dancing. My mouth dropped, my brow furrowed, my eyes narrowed.
“When did you…?” I tried to ask. She didn’t look younger than me, for sure.
“I graduated in 2000.”
“I graduated in 2004.” She realized when I stopped dancing that I was a Crownie, too. It was a little less shocking for her, but not much. We were standing in the middle of a crowded dance floor, nearly yelling above the music. My mind was stuck in a land of unreality. It made no sense. This couldn’t happen. I tried to get my mind to work again. I tried to think of the oldest student I knew.
“Did you know Michael Patrick.”
It was as though I had confirmed the intimate connection we had. She was thinking too. I started to say Andy Stumbo, but only got Andy out, and she said McCuen (not sure how to spell his last name). My legs started working again, my only at a beginner level. I was mostly shuffling back and forth, not even trying to turn her, spin her, wow her in any way. My mind couldn’t escape Crown enough to dance, really for the rest of the night.
The song was over, and almost awkwardly we parted ways for a while.
I waited for a bit and asked her again to dance. I told her I’d really try to dance this time and not rack my brain for people we’d both know. We mostly talked about Portland and how I ended up out there. It turned out that this girl, Elisha, knew my friend Ariel that I had just seen earlier that night. They went to church together. Elisha grew up C&MA, like nobody does in Portland.
After the second dance, I wasn’t getting any better. I wandered over to Elisha in the corner of the room; probably the last thing she wanted was conversation from someone by all practical accounts a stranger. I asked her if she knew Anastasia Gianoulis. I told her about Scott and Christina. I asked her if she knew Dr. Donelson. I told her about Molly. I seriously wanted to hear about Crown from her. It’s like hearing stories about your parents from their long lost friends - the place you know back and forth seen in a different time by a different person. I wanted to get her number, not like I usually want to get a girl’s number, but because I serioulsy wanted to sit and have coffee and talk Crown. It was like this human-sized piece of that stone building just fell in front of me, and I wanted to enjoy the connection that was there, but I couldn’t. Elisha seemed much less interested in me than I in her. I couldn’t ask her for her number without it being the wrong message. So I said goodnight, told her I was sure we’d run into each other again, and left - confounded like I haven’t been ever in my life.
What just happened? I couldn’t remember her last name, or I would have some people do some research. I still got this weird feeling about it this morning while getting on the train into the city. This is ridiculous. Nobody goes to Crown and ends up out here without me knowing it! Nobody!
I do sitll want to catch her and talk Crown. It sounds stupid, I know. Most Crownies just stay so close to home that they can’t miss it like I do. They could drive a half-hour and see it isn’t home anymore, and leave satisified. I just have to dream, and remember, and imagine. That’s the best I can do.

2006-11-29T00:19:00.000-06:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20061128/ts_csm/acolleges

Just found this interesting, and pertinent to what we left and our alma in her present state. The final thought made my eyebrows raise and I think that may be the problem.... what do you guys think?

2006-11-25T16:36:00.000-06:00

I suppose Steve is right (not a phrase I frequently use, by the way): It’s about time I write a real blog. I’ve been avoiding writing anything because I feel like there are so many uncertainties going on right now, and I’ve been waiting until I have something concrete to say before I blog. But I have now realized that it is the nature of life (especially my life) to be confused about what is coming next. So here’s what I know: I turned in my thesis, I defend it on Friday, followed by two weeks of revisions which my committee will hopefully find satisfactory and then…I graduate. Finally. Beyond that, I have no answers. But despite the confusion about the pending future, life is good. Very good.

Last weekend Krista, Kristy Folwer, Sarah Ebner and I all went down to good old O-town for Lenny and Piper’s wedding. We were looking forward to a beautiful wedding, fun with old friends, and a rockin’ (oh yes, I said rockin’) dance. We were not disappointed. Reverend Wakefield brought tears to our eyes, and JD and Swanny DJ’d with the grace and skill of professionals. Most importantly, we made it back without breaking down in Story City, an event which made the last Omaha wedding an occasion to remember for more than one reason. Seeing everyone made me excited for our 5-year reunion, which by the way is shaping up to be quite the affair. Don’t miss it.

2006-11-18T00:19:00.000-06:00

Jambo from Tanzania! I have a week left in Africa, and I am loving my time here! It has really been great! If you get a chance, head over to chrisfolkestad.blogspot.com and check out my blog. I have an interesting story about an elephant and myself. If you have a second, send up a quick prayer for us. Thanks guys, I will report more when I return home. I am preaching tomorrow at church!

Talk to you later
Folkestad

2006-11-17T00:13:00.000-06:00

I realized that I haven't actually posted since September, and I feel ashamed. So I put on Stairway to Heaven, and I'm hoping not to overshadow or disrupt what has traversed here lately, but I don't want to worry anyone, like Gabe.
I made the classic Better than Sex cake recipe for my Home Community group, all of whom shorned the name to sex cake, making it more like a nickname than a delicious dessert. In all things that I do, what I imagined and what I actually accomplished were in discord. I ran out of the spray-can whipped cream with about 1/8 of the cake left to frost. My Kit-Kat crumbles came out as either dust or mouth-sized chunks. My roommate comment that the sweetened-condensed milk pooled on the edges of the cake looked like snot. Still, it tasted like it was supposed to, better than-getting dumped by your Australian sex cake-sex cake. That was wrong, I know. I'm trying to decide if she would be offended if she saw that. I, of course, would simply be pleasantly suprised to be referred to as sex cake. Enough of that.
Oh, by the way, the actual story of Aladdin in 1001 Nights is quite different than the Disney version. Woah now, Walt Disney! That's all I have to say. Who doesn't want to have a Moroccan sorceror's brother posing as an old hermit-type woman trying to kill Aladdin, only to get stabbed in the chest? Oh, and the story takes place in China, unless the people who translated my version misunderstood Arabia for China. They also say wroth and waxed like somebody's gonna make it illegal before they finish writing the book. Just ask me if Aladdin had three wishes or not. So much for literary accuracy in cartoons.
A week from today will be the first paid vacation of my life. What you all have taken for granted for three years is an utterly new delight to me. This of course, assuming I don't get fired in the next four days of work.
So enough about my odd life, with work and Arab literature and missing Australian sex cake- or whatever I'm trying to say while offending not just a few of you. When's Lynnea really gonna blog again? That's what I should devote all my blogging to - being the woman before the evil judge (not that Lynnea is evil, or a judge, and I'm not a woman [though that's been contested before in public]). Ah, you know what I mean. Somebody come visit me. Brad never ended up up here, so somebody's gotta get here so I can show off the west coast. I've gotta go to bed. Friday means we can wear jeans to work. Lucky me.

2006-11-04T17:00:00.000-06:00

I am really sorry for the flury of posts by me, but I wanted to let you know that I will be blogging of my trip to Africa. I have already started actually. I will be leaving on Wednesday and returning on the 27th. Feel free to stop by and comment. It would be great to hear from others while I am there. check out my blog at chrisfolkestad.blogspot.com!
It just might inspire me to continue blogging, who knows!
whatever....
Chris

2006-11-02T21:58:00.000-06:00

Based on the overwhelming response and "Ada boys" I recieved from the C&MA post, I thought I better get the other exciting news to all of you as quick as possible. And... based on the fact that I leave for Tanzania, Africa in T minus 5 days, (That is HUGE news in its self), I better get it out.

Kate and I decided that Gabe was just having too much fun being like the only parent figure on this blog, so we decided to join in the fun. Kate is due sometime in May. Fairly exciting stuff! For the few of you that I have talked to in the last couple months and said there was no news on any babies for us, I kinda lied. We just wanted to make sure all was well before the info was worthy of the blog.

So there you have it. I was licensed for the CMA, I am spending the next 3 weeks of my life in Africa, and I am the soon to be dad to the coolest kid in the world. Life is full of high blood pressure moments, and it looks like mine are just starting.

Happy times at the Folkestad home.

2006-11-02T15:50:00.000-06:00

So I do not have chapter 2 ready yet. Unfortunately it has become a much longer chapter then I was hoping for, but more on that later. I just wanted to post some pics of my amazingly beautiful kids.

2006-10-31T22:51:00.000-06:00

So it is official. It only took 2+ years, but I finally took my llicensing interview for the CMA and by some miricle, they accepted me. I have now joined of the likes of Robbie, Gabe, Wakefield, Kyle and whoever else I am missing. Yeah!
Seriously though, I am excited about it and glad it is over (the interview). I know that most of you check the blog faithfully waiting to see if there is any new news from Menahga and I respect that. I will be posting some more exciting news later this week. So stay tuned for that.

2006-10-20T09:48:00.000-05:00

So Steve wants a good post. Well, stop reading if you think you are about to get one. (That is assuming you read the first part of the line after seeing who posted) I do not have any great theological conundrums to write about, but I have a fun story.

Invader Chapter 1

Last Sunday morning, after I finished taking a shower, I was walking to our laundry room to look for some clothes to wear. (You probably pegged me for the type to put out my clothes the night before... well if you did you pegged wrong) I was walking in only my towel, but this was okay because I was the only person awake in the house. I found no appropriate clothes for church so I on my way back towards my bedroom when out of the corner of my eye I little blur of brown shot across my floor. Instantly I feared the worst. I feared that I might have... gasp... a mouse! I ran out of my kitchen and quickly found a pair of shoes and my glasses. My shoes would protect me from harm and give me a weapon for squishing. My glasses would help me confirm there was actually an intruder in my house. I crept back into the kitchen, to the place where the blur was heading. To my despair I saw clearly that a mouse was indeed in our house and headed down our stairs into our unfinished basement. I watched him turn out of sight and new that with all the junk we had stored down there he was gone. I was never going to find him. I went into the room and told my wife. This is never fun information to bring up to the spouse. We both talked about getting mousetraps and whatnot and I proceeded to go about my day. About 15 minutes had passed when, fully clothed, I was walking with my daughter Alyssa into the kitchen. (Obviously everyone was now awake) We both stopped when out from under the stove a mouse shot out and began running around our floor. I calmly explained to my daughter what the little creature was as she looked on with curiosity. She really wanted to go touch it, but it ran back under our stove. I told her to go tell mommy she had see a mouse, and when she left I grabbed a dustpan and began the hunt. My fingers had barely grasped the pan when the mouse ran out from under the stove once again. He looked at me the mighty hunter and proceeded to run along the baseboard of our cupboards towards the steps that lead downstairs. I chased him but I was not expecting to actually get him because mice are fast dang-it! However this mouse made a mistake... a fatal mistake. He turned back and ran towards me along the baseboard. I recognized this was my chance. My heart was pounding as I moved in and got ready for the kill. I was considering a retreat, mice are pretty scary creatures, but I pressed on because I had a family to save. I speedily put my dustpan on the ground tight up against the baseboard, effectively stopping him in his tracks. He ran smack dab into the pan so I twisted it, flipping Mickey over a foot into the air. He landed on his back and seemed a bit dazed and confused. He lay there helpless on the ground. A lesser man might have let him off the hook, but not this man. I quickly drew my dustpan into the air and brought it down with the power of Thor's hammer...Smack!!! Direct hit. I remove d my weapon to find I had committed mousicide...I killed Mickey mouse! Before my wife or children come into the room I grabbed a Ziploc baggie and scoop up the lifeless body. I seal the bag (this is an important step in killing mice because it assures you they will be dead) and throw it out onto our porch. I walk back with my chest puffed up and a masculine smile upon my face. I tell my wife of my conquest and that it is safe for the family to return to the kitchen. I killed and I liked it! This is the fourth mouse I have killed with my own two hands. The other three were at my in-laws house. I am becoming a professional at this act of eliminating mice. I was excited feeling like I had one, but a nagging thought kept ringing in my ears…was this the same mouse that ran downstairs? That answer would come a few days later.
Chapter two of the Invader will be out next week

2006-10-11T09:39:00.000-05:00

It is presently snowing outside my window. It is way too soon for that, but I guess I don't get a choice in the matter.

2006-09-30T18:17:00.000-05:00

You know how I feel about posting twice in a row, but this is too big to be quiet about. I have a job(s) in Portland, and I'm moving down there over the next two weeks. I put in my two weeks at work today, and I dropped off my month notice to my apartment complex, so it's been one of those big-deal days today. I get to live with a Michael-Patrick-like guy that goes to my church in a house for significantly less than I pay for my stupid apartment. And my new job is full-time, and not six days a week, and not nights, and not making picky people's sandwiches. Of course I won't eat as much, and it will actually cost me money to eat Quiznos now, but I'll be making enough to actually pay for it, maybe. And I'll be less than two miles from my girlfriend's campus! I get a girlfriend, a job that's not best suited for high schoolers, I'll be living in a house and maybe riding some mass transit to work, or something. I'm so grown up. I know all of you have been doing this for like six years or something, but I'm slow and awkward, so it would take me this long to be an adult by nature of income and living situation.
Not as fun as my usual blogs, I know. I've gotta go clean my apartment. My young lady might be stopping by, and I'm waiting to unload crumbly/lazy Steve on her until later. Well, she's seen lazy, but untidy, that can wait. Just like love, and patience. True patience waits. Sorry, I didn't sleep much, thinking about quitting my job and stuff like that, so I'll find somewhere else to drop all this stupid until one of you guys has something important (or not) to talk about on here. Later.
P.S. Kurbis - can you explain Australian rules football to me? Ms. Australia herself has me watching games, and it's confounding, so if you have some time, please help me seem less like the unathletic loser I am, at least in front of the girlfriend. Thanks.

2006-09-23T16:17:00.000-05:00

Figured I'd make good on a promise, though I don't have a lot of time.

1. One book that changed your life – In the Presence of Fear by Wendell Berry

2. One book that you've read more than once – Camus, The Stranger

3. One book you'd want on a desert island - Complete Shakespeare, Oxford Compact Edition, The Tempest would then become #2

4. One book that made you laugh out loud – Chesterton, Orthodoxy

5. One book that made you cry – Giacomo Leopardi, Selected Poems

6. One book that you wish had been written – Stephen Hubka's Doctoral Thesis on philosophicalegonomicescoterians.... right.

7. One book you wish had never been written – The Beginning of the End, Tim LaHaye

8. One book you're currently reading– Anthem, Rand, and wanting to finish Freakonomics.

9. One book you've been meaning to read – Orlando, and Last of the Mohicans.

2006-09-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

Any updates on my life center around books these days, since the only thing of importance that I've been doing is finishing my master's thesis. Boring, I know. There are a couple of other exciting things going on, but everything's so up in the air right now, I'll just wait and post about it when things are more certain. So for now, everyone should take a few minutes and follow Brad's lead: He posted this list of "one book" sentences on his blog and asked others to do the same. I think it's fascinating to see what others value in books (cause I'm a nerd like that), so here's my list and I'm looking forward to seeing others... (no pressure).

1. One book that changed your life – Robert Coles’s 5-book Children of Crisis series

2. One book that you've read more than once – I’m currently reading The Professor’s House by Cather for about the 16th time…

3. One book you'd want on a desert island - Writing the Sacred Journey by Elizabeth J. Andrews

4. One book that made you laugh out loud – Flannery O’Connor’s The Complete Stories and Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

5. One book that made you cry – Wasted by Marya Hornbacher, Lucy Gayheart by Cather, and Center of Winter (also Hornbacher)

6. One book that you wish had been written – Anything with the words “By Lynnea Faith Erickson” on the cover

7. One book you wish had never been written – I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and most math or science-related books I was forced to read in college (don’t kill me, Tyler).

8. One book you're currently reading– (see answer #2), but I’m also working my way through Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Calvino’s Cosmicomics, and Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir (William Zinsser, ed.)

9. One book you've been meaning to read – Oh my, those weighing most heavily on my list (for obvious reasons) include Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow and Joyce’s Ulysses. One of these days.

(Yes, I know that I cheated by listing more than one book for most answers, but it would have taken me about ten times as long to try to narrow it down). Your turn!

2006-09-07T01:05:00.000-05:00

Well, Kurbis is getting fiesty, and I do have some big news. Hopefully it'll be solidified a bit better tomorrow night, but... I'm going to tell the story from the beginning. Some of you may have already heard about this because I was too excited not to send some random e-mails, but if this is the first you've heard, don't feel left out. Or do, and give me a call. Or give me money. Wardrobe suggestions. Anything really.
I went dancing last Saturday after a grueling split shift at work. In less time than it takes the average person to competently fill out the first page of their taxes, I was home, showered, changed, and walking into an Elk's Lodge to have a good night. There weren't more than thirty people there. I danced with a few different girls. Whatever. Then I noticed two girls off to one side of the room. Cute girls. You know how I feel about cute girls. I asked the first one to dance. She was pretty darn good. The next song, I asked the other one. She said this was her first swing dance and she was still working on the basics. We had a good dance, the song ended, and I thought I was socially required to keep cycling through the other dozen girls there when this one particular girl asked if we could just keep dancing. I, of course, said no. Ha! I'm not that stupid. For the next two hours, I danced almost constantly with this one girl, and we talked, and the music would stop, and we'd be standing talking, and another song would start and she would say "can we dance and talk at the same time?" and she smiled a lot. I'll admit I was a little smitten. Oh, and she's got an Australian accent with about half her words (grew up in Australia), so that's hot. And she goes to a small Christian college in Portland, almost the same size as Crown. Yeah, she's a tutor. College sophomore. I asked her for her number with some awkward adage about going out for coffee. She gave me her number. She left. I drummed on my dashboard almost the entire drive home.
Luckily the story isn't over. I called her yesterday (held off as long as I could), we talked for a long time (and you know what that means if it's me saying it), and we're going out tomorrow night. Now this is how dating is supposed to work!
Oh, I guess that's not a good subject to keep this thing rolling. What can I say that's antagonistic enough so that Kurbis is happy? I'll write a syllogism:
Hilary Clinton is all evil.
Hilary Clinton is a Democrat.
Democrats are all evil.
I love this logic stuff. I'll try another and really get Kurbis going.
Duerkop is good.
Duerkop is a Republican.
Duerkop is not Hilary Clinton
Therefore Duerkop is not in it for his own glory.
Let's try one more:
Hubka is really excited about his date tomorrow night.
Hubka is not taking Hilary Clinton out.
Hubka is happy about that.
Bill Clinton is not.
Hubka forgot the rules of logic.
Hubka does not care because he has a hot date tomorrow night.
Therefore, Hubka is done writing.
Kurbis, it's your turn.

2006-08-28T13:48:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Gabe! You are one of the greatest people I know with a B-day today!

Chris

2006-08-26T21:46:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm trying to deliver on my promise. I gues a couple of episodes of Laguna Beach is enough to make me want to be a deep and whole person again. It makes me laugh sometimes, though, so it's worth a show now and then.
Gabe, you've really got some important stuff to say. Seriously. You tossed up that thing about selfishness, and that's dead on. I want to defend myself, and I will point out some things I think that we can admit are situationally different in our lives, but no one can defend themselves against the charge of selfishness because there is only one source. It seems to be the standard plague of humanity, but it is very obvious, even with us, or at least, with me. The thought's been rolling in my head ever since you wrote about it. How selfish am I? The thought itself shows the state I'm in. Let's just look at one another, though, circumstantially, and see if we notice some leverage behind our states of mind.
Gabe, you and I are, for all practical purposes, the same age, with the same educational background. You have three forces I can see from the get go that offer you the opportunity to be selfless or selfish in very evident ways: First, you are married. Plenty of selfish people are married, in fact, most married people are probably very selfish. It can't work very well, but our base nature wins by ease and comfort and who knows what else. You can offer insight here that I cannot. I just know, you have a blatant choice as a husband to act with only your interests in mind, and then anywhere along a gradiant towards being selfless.
To the contrary of your position, I have no significant other. I have been in two months of dating relationship time in the last eight years of my life, so I have no other person's gravity truly pulling my wants, needs, or time in any significant way.
Second, you are a father, which must be mind-blowing. To be a parent and to be selfish really are two opposite ideas. I guess I mean to be a good parent.
I, on the other hand, get scared at the thought of actually having offspring. I see other people with their children, and it terrorizes me. You can't choose your childrens' lives for them. They can be awful on their own volition, or they can be awful because you screwed them up. The closest thing I have to responsibility over another being's life is working itself at present: I am dog-sitting. That is slightly annoying. I have to stay home here with a fuzzy dog when I had originally wanted to catch another dance tonight. His well-being over my desires. And Gabe, you must live your life like that. It's shocking.
Third, you are a pastor, and so to be a good one which I just assume you are, you have to be selfless. There's no such thing as a good selfish pastor. I think I've known selfish pastors before. Your job envokes the imagery of giving up your life to spend with lesser creatures for their greater good. So you have one more part of your life where you get the up front, obvious choice of being selfish or not.
In my job, I can't say I'm selfless, but I've known other people in my work, and their level of selfishness far exceeds mine. Isn't that the best way to know you're a good person- by all the bad people around you? In the "business world", if there be such a thing, where I work against my better judgment or desire, looking out for your own interests are the main goal. Actually I feel like an outsider while working at the business level. We do things for the sake of profit, profit pays my wages, so why would I complain about how we make money? But that's the goal, despite mission statements (hideous things that infiltrated churches and our mater) and anything else. The business world seeks to endlessly make a greater profit, does it not? It's not feeding people that are hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless - business are not made doing those things. I'm off topic.
My point was, I have all these things, singleness, childlessness, independence, ect. to give me opportunity to be selfish. I am applauded by my culture for making it on my own, for taking up space and paying taxes and letting other people do the same without my interference. Well, I think I'm applauded. Maybe I'm just making that up. As I said, I can't excuse my bad choice(s), just explain the things that surround it and wonder why it isn't differnt ( me and them). I wonder who else out there feels and lives the same way. It was just good catching your words on the matter, though I think your position makes it less murky about making those choices.
Onto the other matters, which you and Kurbis have been chatting about so brazenly the last few days. You said well that we should enjoy this discussion and try not to let emotions trouble our friendships and care for each other. Your are a wise man, Gabe.
I agree most often with Kurbis in his forceful enutiation of viewing Scripture. You are right to worry that we could leave the Bible, to forsake rather than worship it, and it is good to hear someone be concerned about our connection to it. I was at the point of giving up on all things biblical actually in the last months of school. Things just didn't line up how I thought they should. I realize that's a very self-centered viewpoint, but to right now, I have no other. I was simply raised with this very exact picture of the Bible, the Word of God, the infallible, unalterable, gleaming authority that had never even fluttered in the wind. It was that first crumbling edge of that New York building when I was in Gospel of John, trying to clarify some gospel stories that seemed similar, yet different, yet too similar to be different. I felt my questions about these things were glossed over, and I suddenly realized what I had done for years to other people when they had questions about the Bible. Maybe it was just punishment for what I had done, but it was a frightening feeling of freedom, not one I wanted and not one I would return to for any reason. It was this picture of the Bible that I had, where it answered my questions like a textbook, where I studied it like a textbook (taking notes and looking for clues in words that I didn't even think about the fact that they were translated and not going to be unerringly important), and in the end, it felt like one that I had read and known and then had other things to move on to. I was arrogant enough to think I knew the Bible, and in a simple sense, I did, like a person can know algebra or all the state capitals. It's one thing to know about geography, it's another to be on a journey and feel geography beneath you.
I say all that to point out that my view of the Bible had to change, or I was going to give up ever thinking of it as important. And my view did change, a few times. I think when I stopped trying to get the Bible to save me from myself, and started seeing the lives the Bible talks about, the personality of God that didn't need the Bible but used it anyway, every screwed-up person from cover to cover living real lives, feeling real pain and joy and choosing and choosing again... I understood a little better that I couldn't dissect two words in Ecclesiastes enough times to unlock the Nostradamis-code that would solve my questions. Familiarity was not godliness. Scripture memorization wasn't the way to prove I should be chosen. I don't know, maybe none of you have really done this walk to the edge of the abyss and come back thing, if the abyss is not believing anything in the Bible anymore. Maybe you all have and I'm the only one stupid enough to try and put it into words without getting in trouble with his Bible-college classmates.
I'm going to pause here to point out a philosophical conundrum - what we call our experience. You can be Plato and talk about another real world of the ideal, or you can be Spinoza and raionalize your way to a deity without a feeling or sensation between, but I fail to see what we each have that is not, simply put, our experience. Memory, imagination, sensation, anticipation, constipation (sorry, had to try and be funny). Any way you cut it, unless you can talk with Kant about pure reason, we're running on our experiences, and experiencing our memories of experiencing, ect, ect. Some philosophers, while off the mark on some big things, really hit things well with experience as their base assumption.
And the only thing I'm going to open up at the end here is a little picture of another world happening simultaneously with ours. One of my close friends shared a small Evangelical community experience with a dozen other people in Ireland last year. She just received an e-mail outlining why one of their friends had recently joined the Catholic Church. This should make you feel liking giving each other a hug:
"There is a theology of baptism. Anglicans and Catholics have similar views, Baptists (Evangelicals, for our discussion) reject these views. There is a right answer to 'what does baptism do?, what is it for?' and the rest are pious frauds or even devilish imposters. It is not acceptable to just beignorant. The Spirit is speaking."
And things get hairier:
"The Church is the foundation of the truth, not theBible. Yes the Bible is authoritative but it isn't the final word. (anyone whocan show me where it tells us in the Bible that the Bible is the sole rule of faith, i will happily give a reward) The Church decided doctrine entirely on their own authority in the early Church. Look at Acts 15. Why did they do this? Because Christ had promised them that the Spirit would guide the Church - HIS Church in ALL truth. (John 16:13) Not just some ofthe truth - no ALL OF IT. And that the gates of hell would never prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18) Sounds like Jesus is saying that the Church will never err, doesnt he? Well if the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church like Jesus said he would, then is there any reason to believe that the Church would fall into error?...There is no notion of error, the Church is infallible because it is being led by God the Holy Spirit." Just like Saul and David and the Israelites and Abraham. That's weird, oh, I just started being sarcastic. Anyway, let me know if anybody's gonna be Catholic now and save us all from our failure to be saved through a Church and not through Jesus.
Most of the e-mail outlining the problems of not being Catholic use puctuated Scriptural quotations, and then a fierce tirade against Luther as an anti-semite. It's like we're back in the 14th century and we're excommunicating each other all over again. At least we're not there yet.
I just realized I didn't really talk at all about our main subjects, per se. So, I really am emergent, wanting to tell a story, not so interested in philosophical debate, or at least, not so good at it anymore. Oh well. I just set myself up for a few shots, anyway. Please do not call and try to walk through the bridge illustration with me over the phone. I guess if you are a cute girl and you ask me to dinner afterwards, you can take me to a B'hai temple for all I care! Ha! You guys wish you knew if I was joking or not. Okay, I'm done. Catch you all later.

2006-08-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

Sorry for posting two times in a row. I have another repsonse and our comment section was getting terribly hard to read. Steve, quite dancing and get in the game!

One last note before my response. I hope all reading this do not make me out to be some cranky old foundationalist who needs to pick a fight to feel like I am defending the truth. i am having so much fun with this and hope we can keep it light-hearted and fun.

Kurbis,

Thanks for he reply. I agree wholeheartedly that the church has aligned themselves with a political party that has its holes in it. I think the emergent church has raised a great issue in Evangelical Christianity's blind trust in “a party”. And to that extent it is frustrating to see the atrocities happening while Christians are ignorant to the outcomes. However, saying a political party represents evangelical Christianity is a bit of a generalization. I loved your sentence: "We are not American Christians. Rather we are Christians sojourning in America." The inability of comfortable Christians to see this is to our shame.

I would also agree that evangelicalism is extremely guilty of marrying Bible to culture. I could give you many personal frustrations of cultural tradition infecting the church. My issue with the emergent church is they are simply contemporizing the problem. I am not trying to speak on behalf of the infallibility of evangelical Christianity, because I am well aware that does not exist.

The one area that I still get confused about in your logic is your understanding of the Bible. You state, "Fifth, Jesus promised us the Spirit, not a book." That is a great comment, but it comes from the very book that is being discredited. I agree that there is truth outside the pages of the Bible, but your very argument uses the Bible. How would you know what was promised except through reading the word? Is this not the same example of the atrocities stated in history? Aren’t you taking bits and pieces to make a viewpoint valid?

The reason I say it is more then a simple matter of trust is because I can agree that God can exist in a man's heart without words on a page. But I get concerned when people feel the need to take away the words on the page that are so useful and powerful to explain who the God is that is living in the heart. It is not a matter of trust, but a reaction to the attitude that takes away stock in the Bible. If God works through people who have only partial sections of scripture or none at all, the praise be to God. However, that does not mean we should get rid of the books importance when we have been blessed with it in its entirety.

2006-08-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

Well here it goes. I am going to try and respond to some of the Emergent conversation that Steve has raised. First and foremost everyone reading should this should pick up the book called "Becoming Conversant with the Emergent Church" by D.A. Carson. His insights are coming from the other side, but I think that they paint a great picture of some of the worries with the emergent church philosophy.

I am in the middle of reading a new kind of Christian and I have yet to read a generous orthodoxy. So my argument is clearly a work in progress.

I am going to respond to quotes from your blog, please take this for the fun debate I am hoping it to be and not any kind of personal attack or intent to show superiority.

Quotes of Steve:
1) "I think Miller intentionally shows that the Bible by itself is not why he knows Jesus or is part of the Christian Church."
Response: I would agree that this is a idea Miller gives, but what I fear is that he has not supported the Bible enough in his writings to have a normal everyday person feel that it is force behind all we know about God. It does contain absolute truth and in a culture that tries to get away from that concept it would have been a helpful reaffirmation. I do not doubt miller's understanding of the Bible, but he leaves the door to open for others to easily dismiss its importance. I feel like this is a area of concern for many churches in the emergent mode. I do not think that this is universal, but there are churches that are shying away from the greatness of God's word.

2) "Miller is also writing to a more general audience than just evangelicals, and so when we reference the Bible as an authority, it is meaningless to most other people. Experience is something everyone can relate to, and that's a good place to start."

Response: This seems to be a very hypocritical argument for the emergent church. Just before this quote you quoted a passage by Mclaren where he talks about the irony of using extrabiblical words to justify our belief in biblical authority. However I think that the emergent church is focusing on peoples experiences in just the same way. The claim would be that it is culturally relevant. It may be a good place to start, but only if it is to form relationships in order to show people the truth about the Bible. Without the Word of God how can we know anything about Christ? If we do not come back to the Bible or we claim that the Bible is not the ultimate authority then Christianity becomes a club to join and a crutch during hard times for people and stops truly being truth that can change lives.

3) "My experience"

Response: This may be the scariest statement that I continue to hear from the emergent church. Carson gives a great idea about this in his book. According to Carson modernism started with the famous philosophy from Descartes: "I think therefore I am." Carson talks about how this changed the landscape of Christianity and philosophy because it took the focus off of God and put it onto man. We became the beginning in our philosophies and not God. This infiltrated Christianity and continues to bear witness in our local church. Carson therefore calls postmodernism Ultra -modernism because he says it is a continuation of the belief in self as the determinator of our worldview. In essence the weakness of Modernism is the weakness of postmodern culture. We are too self focused. I know that the emergent church is much better at meeting the needs of the needy, but do they do it because God wants them to or because it makes them feel good? Don Miller talked about getting past this, but then he encourages you to find a church where You feel at home. Does this seem contradictory to anybody else?

Final comment:
Steve, when I read about your experiences in the local church it breaks my heart. I hate to hear about how self absorbed the church is today. I could not agree with you or McLaren more in the fact that many churches are covering over for their lack of true faith. I loved your idea about people on a ship covering holes. I have felt that way many times . The difference for me is in the reaction to the news. I want desperately to fix the holes without jumping ship. I get concern that the emergent church as a whole is not truly fixing the holes in a ship. To me the greatest hole in the local church is the problem with our self-absorbed attitudes. I do not see this corrected in the emergent philosophy.

A few thoughts .

2006-08-11T17:04:00.000-05:00

Gabe, I said I'd give you a good reply, and so I've got a few hours, so I'll give it a try. Cute, I know. Didn't mean that to be so corny.
Your concerns are very interesting to hear since my connections have most often been with people either finding themselves connected with emergent thought or even further past that, so to hear an "in-the-church", traditional view is good. I can only speak for myself on these things, but you probably wouldn't be suprised to find how many people pop up and say the same things. That's how I felt when I read Miller and McLaren. What I had been thinking about for years, completely unable to solidify and verbalize, they wrote down and went even further. I was part of the same church all four years of school, and as far as emergent existed back then, the River was at least on the edge of Canaan. It had the most basic direction and interest as I would later discover in Miller and McLaren, but even so, I spent my last years at Crown very... unsatisified. Much of that had and still has to do with me. That's fine. But there were too many things in our culture, in the basic social and religious culture I grew up in, that really bothered me to just shrug and go along with quietly.
By the time I was quitting grad school, I was on the verge of quitting church, for good as far as I could see. I wasn't okay with the systems, the norms, the necessities and the surface treatments that I encountered in a lot of churches. Nobody seemed interested in the whole thing, either in terms of fixing or even just questioning. It was like people knew there were leaks in the ship, but we were almost told to just stand on a leak if we saw it and then just stay there rather than ask the question if the ship was more important than the voyage. I'm being purposefully vague. But, amid my preparations to part with the formal church structures that I knew about, I happened to hear about a book from Kyle that he said I would love.
Kyle was one of the few reasons I kept with things as long as I did. You know him as well as I do, and the kid has no streak of perfection or some undeniable, superhuman ability that should push him across the universe ahead of the rest of us. But there he was, in a little church plant, with a bunch of people that didn't know about how to get dressed up for church or how to argue about music or how to set mission trip fundraising goals. Or at least, that's how I imagined it from the stories he told. And so we'd talk about church, about the Bible, and about how these people were actually getting to know Jesus, most of them emerging from AA meetings and still not prepared for a Sunday morning gathering so formal and rigid. And so I still had a glimmer of hope in me concerning the Church.
I read BLJ. I felt like I was writing it as I was reading it. Then my girlfriend gave me A New Kind of Christian, and it went deeper. Then we broke up, but that didn't change anything, not in this realm. I actually got to watch her from a distance, to see how these ideas affected her life (she had grown up in a very conservative, southern Baptist church, and to hear the biases and traditions given to her by this very specific culture were frightening). Then I left Montana and only just recently came to a place where I could talk with her again, and not yet about things so personal as this.
I showed up here in Washington over a year ago, and for six months I attended a church, bustling and bright, thousands of people strong, polished and shiny new in their recently errected church building out on the edge of town. The lead pastor was young enough, encouraging and real. But... it wasn't my church. Not in six months, and I'm pretty sure not ever. Now, the emergent conversation says that I'm supposed to be fine with this, that each church has its purpose, some being more active and living than others, but I am not supposed to be troubled by the ones I can't understand or agree with. So, I won't detail my real troubles with this former church I attended. Let's just say, I tried the programs, the small groups (one for the entire six months with not a single relationship to show from it), the Saturday seminars, and I was back to square one. I was a face in the crowd, and this church couldn't get together without having a crowd.
I went to one last young adult outing, only having a conversation with the leader of the group who was leaving for California, otherwise I spent the night by myself, and I realized that, despite a real effort on my part, I hadn't made a single friend in six months of weekly seeing these same people. They said the right things, they prayed very zealously, and they talked about the Bible a lot, but they couldn't break away from their picture of their little group enough to let in a stranger. I never went back.
I did some church hopping. I've never been the sort that can do it successfully. Actually, it was easier now because I was ready to put up with very little glossy crap in order to find a real fit. I walked in and out over several services, usually before the sermon was over. Everybody was standing on the holes and talking about their kids soccer games and new evangelism classes and the sound mix. I was glad to slip in and out.
One Sunday morning in the beginning of December, I caught sight of a sign on an elementary school about a church with a really weird name: "Renovatus". I told myself I had to try it, but I was scared these people were going to be so corny I wouldn't be able to breathe. I mean, who came up with that name. It was almost like Imago, but just weird. And it looked tiny. I drove into the parking lot, took several deep breaths, and walked in the doorway. There were weird paintings up, Christmas lights on draperies, and a guy wearing a Vote for Pedro shirt. I really did feel at home instantly. The first person that walked up to me used the phrase, "a church for people who don't like church", and he was right. It was awkward. The pastor wasn't smooth, he wasn't unbelievably deep or even someone I could completely relate with, but he certainly was there out of love. I met nearly the whole church that day. I also encountered one of our norms, that being, nothing. Our weeks don't look very similar at all. I can only remember one real sermon in style and length. There are constant glitches and troubles, and nobody cares that things aren't neat and perfectly timed. That night, the first night I went, I was invited to a white elephant gift party. I went with some dollar DVD's from Target, left with candy canes and a pezz dispenser, and a group of people that I knew, and that acted like they wanted to know me. They've faked it this long.
Now that was a really long introduction to my experience reconnecting with the Church through an emergent community. I figure I can go from there and try to reply to Gabe's worries.
BLJ doesn't have a thesis because life doesn't have a thesis. It's an academic idea that has infiltrated Christian thought to a point that the two cannot be distinguished: by that I mean rationalism and Christianity. I think our education pushed us towards finding things that weren't necessarily there a lot of the time, and this thesis search is one of them. Just think of the title (it comes from this passage, page 100): "There is something quite beautiful about the Grand Canyon at night. There is something beautiful about a billion stars held steady by a God who knows what He is doing. (They hang there, the stars, like notes on a page of music, free-form verse, silent mysteries swirling in the blue like jazz)..." Find a thesis in jazz, or in the sky, or in humanity, or God. Not very possible. Not very necessary.
Reaction against the present state of most American evangelical churches could be a resistence to authority, a failure to submit. Luther had a reaction against the church of his day. Was he failing to submit? Or was his questioning necessary, the outcomes troublesome, but our place in the world maybe better off because of it? I'm not saying we're on the verge of some great movement. I'm saying that just because any part of the church has been around for a while doesn't give it the right to claim itself as a necessary route to God. A great deal of churches act like the buildings they reside in - once build, maybe added onto once, but unable to grow and change, and unable to die and give room for the next generation to grow up, free from their burden, unable to pass on wisdom and insight without shackling the young with their tendencies, tastes and shortsightedness. We think of the Church as we think of God, and our failure to let the church be a body, where cells die and new ones grow to take their place has given us great cancers that are much worse than young, immature organs.
I think Miller intentionally shows that the Bible by itself is not why he knows Jesus or is part of the Christian Church. Cults actually seem very connected with certain parts of the Bible. Think of Mormonism. I think McLaren gives a very clear exposition of biblical authority in A Generous Orthodoxy.
"The Bible, (Paul) says, is good for equipping people to do good works... Interestingly, when Scripture talks about itself, it doesn't use the language we often use in our explanations of its value. For modern Western Christians, words like authority, inerrancy, infallibility, revelation, objective, absolute, and literal are crucial (his emphasis, not mine). Many churches or denominations won't allow people to become members unless they use these words in tehir description of Scripture. Hardly anyone realizes why these words are important. Hardly anyone knows about the stories of Sir Isaac Newton, Rene Descartes, the Enlightenment, David Hume, and Foundationalism- which provide the context in which these words are so important. Hardly anyone notices the irony of resorting to the authority of extrabiblical words and concepts to justify one's belief in the Bible's ultimate authority." (p.164)
Miller is also writing to a more general audience than just evangelicals, and so when we reference the Bible as an authority, it is meaningless to most other people. Experience is something everyone can relate to, and that's a good place to start.
I'm really excited that people are ready to ask serious questions about the whys and hows of church in our culture. If some people break away from a Sunday-morning, steeple and tie-wearing crowd to find a group of Christians who know them and spur them on, I'm up for it. I think it's been time for some change for a while. Do I think the average church out there is wrong or evil? Nope. But the assumption that the old way is the right way cannot help us when it seems quite clear that a whole lot of us have lost the way. Maybe that's not the case. I just see an incongruity between the Church (in the Bible, in history, thinking long term and pulling together many different forms and heritages) and your average American church, and the solution can't be staying the same.
And that was really long. I've got to get ready for work. Hope this gives you the other side, Gabe. We'll see if I stepped out of bounds (but there isn't any for us emergent people, right?). I'm funny. Where's Bob when I need him? Montana, right. I remember.

2006-08-10T01:53:00.000-05:00

I do have a reply to Gabe the babe, worried about those of us finding ourselves in the emergant conversation, but that's not why I'm writing. This is a follow-up on my apartment situation, a short story of the last two days of my life, aptly entitled "My lease is up by November!"
A bit more than twenty-four hours ago, I was planning how to pack my entire apartment and find a new place to live by Friday because of a single letter left on my doorstep yesterday afternoon. The letter stated that owed rent in the amount of nearly three hundred dollars and was required to pay the amount of move out in three days. I read the letter over and over again, trying to understand where this came from, where the amount came from, anything. My brother was out at a concert last night, so I couldn't get ahold of him to ask if I could bunk at his place for a few weeks while I tried to figure this out. I called my friend Matt. He lives in Portland, and we might move in together when my lease is up, so I asked him about the house we went to check out last week. His offer was accepted and it would be his by the first week in October. He said he thought everything would be fine, and I said I hope so, but I was still really aggrivated and confused.
I guess I need to explain why this seems so unbelievable. My rent is direct debit, so the only month's rent that I've paid myself was for May. I knew that my rent was due at the beginning of the month, but I saw that just the day before, all my rent and utilities were taken out of my account, just like that had in previous months. If I wasn't in control of paying my rent, how could I be short on paying? And the amount they wanted wasn't a round number, like half of my rent or anything like that. I was so out of it that I didn't eat anything and resorted to pencil sketches of Montana mountains to try and calm me down. Around eleven I decided to look back through my account statements to see what had been taken out. I found a glitch. All the way back at the beginning of May, the direct debit amount was $200 short of my total rent amount. So there's that much. Then I figured it could be utilities, but the rest of the total amount was more than a month's worth of utilities. More than two months, even. I was ready to really give them an earful the next day about how this wasn't my fault and how I knew I wasn't going to renew my lease because of crap like this.
I went down to the rental office this morning. I simply asked the worker what this (meaning the letter) was, and she was more confused than I was. I had to actually explain to her where I had found the direct debit that was short two-hundred dollars. Then there was utilities that weren't taken out, and the rest was a late fee. I got a lot of apologies, and I stayed pretty placid. I mean, I still owed money, but the letter shouldn't have showed up, and the whole thing seems to be a crappy mess that makes me glad I signed a six-month lease. I get paid on Friday, so my apartment gets their money and I am not delinquit on rent like I thought I was. Still, if I had been without that much money back in June or July, I wouldn't have bought this computer, and I would have been more careful with my spending. It's kind of a big deal, and I'm still a little annoyed about it. Don't tell somebody they have to pay money or move out in three days with no prior notice or explanation. Not as funny of a story as I thought. Had fun swing dancing tonight. Actually ate two meals today, if you consider a Tony's pizza and cranberrie cocktale juice a meal. My stomach may agree with you here soon enough. Gabe, you'll get a good, thoughtful reply from a foundationless existenialist here soon enough. In the meanwhile, you should pick up the more formal and connected picture of emergent thought in Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christian or A Generous Orthodoxy. The man speaks my language. Might be language of a heritic to some, but if they're going down, me too. Gotta go. I actually work tomorrow.

2006-08-08T14:11:00.000-05:00

Blue Like Jazz my thoughts:

This book presents itself to the postmodern crowd unlike any book I have ever read. It is witty and entertaining, random and yet connected, and it connected with my life experiences to a point that it became scary. Donald Miller talked about love and showed from his unbelievable life experiences how he has found a new more authentic way to live for Christ. This was a great read, but when I finished I was left with some major concerns.

1) What exactly was he trying to say? People have asked me what the thesis of the book is and I cannot give them an answer. The book is so postmodern that it is almost indefinable. This leaves me with a feeling of emptiness. It is heartfelt and entertaining, but does it truly make a point?

2) I have some real issues with the reactionary attitude that Mr. Miller exhibits towards everything. I feel that he found a new church paradigm more because he could not submit to any that currently existed. I know he makes it out to be this amazing encounter with Christ, but his attitude seems so attacking of everything that he has been around. It leaves me to lack confidence in his experience. (And his experience is all he gives for his authority)

3) Experience seem to be the defining authority in his life. How very postmodern of him. He references the Bible now and again, but he is definitely not trying to show how it has been the reason for his life change. This makes me very uncomfortable because there are a lot of cults in the world that have been started by the same means. (I am in no way calling Donald Miller a cultist or anything like it, but his means of reasoning lack validity in my book)

4) I fear that Mr. Miller has opened up doors and reactions that he did not address or is not prepared to address. I feel that a lot of what the book was written about was great to read, but the attitude and encouragement of getting out of foundational and traditional churches scares me.

I did find this book interesting and the chapter on relationships was excellent for me to hear. I read it because I have heard of so many people who love this book and I wanted to read it very critically in because of Don's affiliation with the emergent church "conversation" as they like to be called. Please feel free to rip me as much as you want for my negative views.

Wakefield, I left you a message hoping we could get together. I would love to hear about your experience in the church plant and how this book has helped you. Gimme a call bro.

2006-08-07T00:18:00.000-05:00

I didn't mean to abandon you, I really didn't. I had no idea that I had orphaned you as much as I did, but you have to realize that I have been out of civilization for the last two months. This means I've had no cell phone service and very little internet use. Yes, I've been at camp. And though Silver Lake was in the city, Northwoods is in the middle of nowhere, so I basically dropped out of existence for a short time. It was great, actually. And now that I am back, the adjustment back into normal life has been a bit of a shock. I have way too many voice mail messages waiting for me on my phone, a stack of unread mail, and about a thousand e-mails to respond to. Such is life, I guess. At the last minute I decided to accept an invitation from my bosses at camp to attend a Bible Leadership Institute on a scholarship from them, but it started the day our camp season ended. So after the last camper was gone and the last cabin was cleaned, I loaded my stuff onto a bus (with no AC in 99 degree heat) and sweated my way down to Chicago to spend 10 days studying the Word and decompressing after the summer of camp. Between the craziness of the summer (that will have to be a book someday, no room here) and the leadership camp, my life has of course been completely turned up-side down, and although I don't really know what that means quite yet, I am excited about it. So that's that for now. Thanks for keeping this thing going in my absence. I'll try not to stay away so long in the future, though I'm glad I was missed.

2006-08-04T13:59:00.000-05:00

Hubka is back! Now where is everybody else?

So I just finished reading this little book called blue like jazz. It has terrified me. I am very interested to hear what others who have read it think. I have soe ideas that I would like to share, but I want to see read what others thought of it. Why? Cause I'm a jerk like that.

Lynnea...Lynnea...Come back to us!

2006-07-31T01:26:00.000-05:00

I said I would be back, and so I am. I thought I'd just say a little big about dancing on Friday night. The evening coordinator happened to be a girl that met my sister-in-law a few weeks ago. The Friday before last I went with her and a Multnomah student to a swing dance in downtown Portland. I was ready to go again. Two nights ago it was myself, this girl Erin, and my brother and sister-in-law. So the stage is set. As we drove down, my brother relayed to me the story of his latest purchase: A heavy-bag (he believes he's going to be a boxer now), and how I'll be helping him hang it in his garage. I wasn't really thinking about the fact that this would be the first dance he and I ever attended together, even counting two years of sharing schools which sponsered dances. We arrived at Norse Hall (the same place I went dancing a year and a half ago while visiting here) to a very empty parking lot. I wasn't worried because the previous week brought together more swing dancers than I cared to share a floor with. Around the building we walked, Erin stopping to pet a black cat, me sauntering ahead to the sound of a live big band. And things became more interesting.
First I should explain Norse Hall. It's at least as big as half of the Crown gym. Maybe as big as the Old Gym. Square, with nordic flags stretching from the walls that reminded me of growing up in a C&MA church. Plenty of room for a few hundred people, and a good dancing floor besides.
The man at the door asked us if we were members of Norse Hall. We said no. He asked us if we were Norwegian. I looked at Dave, and his Slavic face went quizzical. The doorman finally said that we should just say yes and get the discount, and then sign our names and pay the fee. So we did. But we were already noticing the peculiarity. Not the emptiness of the hall, though it was empty and we were over an hour after the first lesson and beginning of the dance. No, we were outsiders, not because we weren't Norwegian, but because we weren't ready to join AARP. There were just over a dozen couples, none younger than mid-forties, most into their sixties and seventies. And us. Great.
Now, I am automatically intimidated at a dance, usually by people my own age. This was a new feeling of inadequacy, and I don't often have those. New ones, I mean. These people had been dancing longer than German had been reunified, or even split apart. So they were pretty good, mostly, and the best part, they danced a lot slower than our peers, so I watched closely and caught some new moves. Erin noticed, surprised I could learn dance moves in a few minutes of watching elderly couples. Also, things were more relaxed since nobody really danced with anyone but their spouse (except in my case). No worries about asking some stranger to dance. Besides, it takes a long time to watch a girl to make sure she only dances with guys worse than me before I can ask her. I did dance with my sister-in-law. And the dance instructor, the youngest person there at a balmy 40-something. She snatched me from the side of the floor and kept saying "just dance" with a thick slavic accent.
Now, it's one thing to dance when you know what you're doing, somewhat. Totally different when they throw a half dozen different types of dance at you. We did swing, but Erin and I worked on a little cha cha, I tried to remember the tango, and then Erin tried to teach me to waltz. We had plenty of room usually (sometimes any of the four of us youngsters would stand out in the middle of the floor and not have any feeling of obstuctionism [if that's a word]) and I discovered I could totally do it when my eyes were closed. We were gracefully sliding across the floor when Erin slammed into a sixty-something woman who didn't give a very understanding look at my learning predicament. I didn't waltz much after that.
I guess this was all much funnier telling the story to Anne this afternoon.
Who's up next? I didn't come back here not to try and rally the troops to take another hill in the war against apathy and time and space. We're fighting a lot, time and space being most of the physical reality we live in. Fight. Blog. Banjo. Yes.

2006-07-28T19:32:00.000-05:00

Just short of three months away. I would have left forever if I thought I could sneak away quietly. I needn't explain my absence in detail. I haven't been too busy. I've been reading the blog since I had my password changed, and only last night did I retrieve the ability to log back on, so here I am to assure everybody that I'm alive... that's about it. In between I've seen most of you, well, some of you, not the last few people to actually blog, but probably most of the people that just read the blog. Now I have internet access at my apartment, and this might be back to normal again for me. Or, I might not be able to divulge my everyday life on here anymore. I don't know yet. So, I too wonder where our beautiful mother blogger may be, but I know what it's like to think you need to leave things be for a while. Hope everyone is doing well. Maybe I'll be back here soon enough. I'm going swing dancing tonight. We'll see how that goes. Maybe I'll have some good stories.

2006-07-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

Where are you Lynnea? I think that I know what it would be like to be an orphan. This blog family was started by one person and that was Lynnea. She was the mother of the Crown bloggers. She took care of us and nurtured us and taught us that we could communicate even though we were far apart. She recruited a father for us named Steve. He kept us laughing and showed us how to properly write about our lives and issues. It was a magical family...until now! Our mother has abandoned us for who knows what. She has left her little infant bloggers out on the street and refused to join in the family she so lovingly created. This has also come at a time when pops has decided he is to good for us and his personal life is no longer worth sharing at our level. We are abandoned, helpless children waiting for our folks. But we wait in vain. Some of us post adorable pictures of our lives and yet no response is made. Some of us post telling stories about life, but still our parents are silent. Where are you mom and dad? Why have you left? We miss you! ;)

2006-07-21T08:34:00.000-05:00

Boring!!!

2006-07-05T16:01:00.000-05:00

We have had such a lull in the posting. I really do not have much to say, but I wanted to post some more pictures for all to see.

2006-06-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

I can only assume that Steve H is dead. He has not blogged since 4.30.2006. Please join me in our prayers for our dear lost friend Steve. We will forever miss his witty remarks and interesting outlook on life as a single man. Rest in peace Steve.

BY THE WAY... in a land of democracy, why have you not yet voted for JOE MAUER? go to mlb.com and vote for him. I would even vote for Barry Bonds if he was batting .392. Anyone that good should be starting the all star game!

2006-06-20T23:49:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys, since nobody else is talking I thought I would share real quick about the mission trip I just returned from with my Youth Ministry.
We went to Sabinas Hidalgo, Mexico for a week. We stayed and worked at the Cosa Douglas Hogar Orphanage as well as held a VBS at a local church. It was a defining moment in our ministry, as well as in some of the lives of our teens.
While there, I was reminded of God's faithfulness in my own life. How God has provided for my every need at the perfect time. I was also challenged by our devotion time each morning. We studied from the book "The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn. If you have not read the book, pick it up. It is a quick read, but it is POWERFUL.
I don't want to take up too much space here, but I do want to share the defining quote that came from one of my student leaders. We were preparing to hand out clothing in an extremely poor area of Sabinas when our van broke down. As we were waiting for the van to get fixed my student had a "God moment" as he called it. He shared with us that night his thoughts. He said, "I looked at the houses and the kids sitting in the road. They had nothing... I wanted to run out to them and give them all the clothes, food and money we had.... But then God stopped me... He reminded me that if all I do is give them stuff, they will be no better off. Unless we give them Jesus, they are no better off." As a youth pastor, that is the kinda stuff I live to hear. I didn't have to preach, I didn't even have to plan some overnighter. God spoke, and my student hear Him.
If you have an opportunity to go on a mission trip. Do it. I have never been dissapointed.

Enough of me rambling, sorry about that! Tell you what, take a 15 minute break from whatever you are doing, and go vote for Joe Mauer for the all star game! www.mlb.com now get out of here and go VOTE. Your vote may not count in November (sorry Nate D) but this one does cound and it is important. (ok I know that the November votes are important too, just need to see mauer in the all star game.)

For what its worth
Folkestad

2006-06-02T23:17:00.000-05:00

Its finally over. My student Matt Roth, wen t home to be with the Lord to day at 6:22pm. It has been a long two weeks, but finally the stuggle is over. Matt has taught me how to die, but more importantly he has taught me how to live. We can learn a lot from a 14 year old. Praise God it ended today, and his new life started!
Having the experience of loading your student into a body bag and zipping it shurt is a tough thing to do. Tough, butit brought a great sense of closure to it as well. It is tough to see someone so young, so helpless. As we wheeled him out every nurse we passed stopped and had a tear run down their cheek. Even the funeral director was crying as we walked out. Tough Stuff.
But through the tough stuff also comes the great stuff. I will be speaking to 500-600 young people at his funeral who are ready to hear a message of God's redeeming love. hunderds of people are walking around town with "Son-Shines for Matt" T-shirts on. And when people ask what does that mean, we are able to share about how Matt gave his life to Christ at Sonshine last summer. God is not done with Matt's story. It is just begining.
Thanks for those who said a prayer for Matt and I. It has been a tough time, and it doesn't get any easier. I leave with 12 of Matts friends from youth group on Tuesday morning at 6:04am for Mexico. God truely has great timing. Again, God is so good.
Thank you for listening.
Folkestad

2006-05-15T13:23:00.000-05:00

KAYLA ANN NORTON has finally arrived. She is 7.7lbs, 21 inches long. Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

2006-05-04T22:41:00.000-05:00

2006-05-01T15:45:00.000-05:00

The fact that Steve has no idea what I do besides school tells me that I have not been posting often enough...So here's an update (my "updates" basically consist of the same info over and over, but it's better than nothing). At this moment I am trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel we know as spring semester. The light? Summer. I'm teaching Merchant of Venice right now, which I love, and I have only one week of teaching left before finals. In two weeks I will be officially done with all of my course work at St. Thomas. This summer I will be presenting a paper that I wrote on Willa Cather's symbolic use of hands in her fiction at the annual 2006 Cather Symposium at U of Neb. Lincoln. Those who know me well are aware of my slight obsession with Cather, so I was incredibly excited to be invited to the symposium. The rest of my summer will be spent as assistant program director at Northwoods Camp. (This is the new location of the camp I spent many years lifeguarding at, Silver Lake). I'm a but nervous, but it will be a good experience for me. Tyler, Krista's boyfriend, is going to be the head male counselor, so I feel better knowing that there will be someone there who is competent and has more experience in the programming realm than I do. Krista, by the way, is going to spend three months in Sicily teaching swimming lessons on a naval base this summer. Of course I'm not jealous at all.

So that's life. Teaching, studying, working at the health club, training for a marathon, etc. I went to the Gospel Jamboree last night and that was a blast from the past. That's all for now, I'll try to post more regularly, you all should too. If you get a chance, of course, no pressure. Okay, I'm done. Bye!

2006-04-30T18:31:00.000-05:00

Lynnea, I do need your help, brunette or not. I have asked said person (coumelissagh coufergusongh), and said person (I won't cough again) said she wanted some more details about said wedding. Tell me what you need to ease your schedule so you can coordinate some things here; like if you need somebody to grade some papers or... I just realized I have no idea what you do besides school... buy some shoes (I'm saying that wincing)? So, take Molly (she wants to chat with said person) and have some coffee or ice cream with a former fellow grad student of yours, and let's help Steve witht he unpossible! Yeah! I feel like I'm rallying some troops to charge a hill on Okinawa. It is just about that doomed of a mission. Okay, I've gotta go play tennis with my brother.
BTW (that's right, isn't it?), I'm in a new apartment, normal by all standards. So, everybody should come visit me. I've got space to fill, and all of you coming at once would do just that. I'll even cook in my normal kitchen. Really going now. Lynnea, I'm gonna call you soon. That goes for the rest of you, if anyone can help in this matter. Geronimo!

2006-04-26T21:27:00.000-05:00

I hate to be the "Debby Downer" of the blog, but I have an update on my student Matt. Matt was sent home from the hospital today. The tumor they removed less than a month ago is back, and they found more throughout his body (I don't know exactly where or how many). They sent him home so that he could live out the rest of his time (a couple weeks) at home with his family.

If you guys could keep Matt, His family, and myself in your prayers I would really appreciate it. I will be spending some time with him tomorrow. I am hoping that this gives me an opportunity to share the gospel with his parents.

Thanks for the prayers and encouragment that you guys have given me the last couple weeks. The emails and phone calls have been appreciated. This is definatly a tough time for our student ministry.

In other news, we are building me a new office at the Sebeka Church. I will finally have my own office! This is going to be great! Can't wait! I am also coaching the 7-8th grade baseball team which is a BLAST! Kate is doing great and helping me a TON as we plan our mission trip.

One last thought. The last couple weeks, with Matt's cancert, and other situations, God has began to show Himself to me. Its an amazing thing that no blog could ever explain. Its my prayer that God will do the same to you. We warned, sometimes, it hurts.

Folkestad

2006-04-16T17:34:00.000-05:00

You know I usually avoid blogging twice in a row and wasting your time, but I thought my story of yesterday was worthy of the space.
I was scheduled to move into my new apartment at 10 yesterday morning, or that's what they said when they called to reschedule my move-in time. I woke up at 7 and finally got out of bed at 8, getting some things packed but realizing that most everything would have to wait until after I checked into my apartment and signed the lease and all that. I managed to throw several boxes and suit cases in my car sometime near 9:45, and so I left my brother's house, no longer a resident. It didn't occur to me at the time as any sort of omen or prophetic notion, but I did manage to hit most every light on my way to the apartment, and so I showed up at 9:58 in a bit of a frantic mood. Of all things, I didn't want to make a bad first impression. The apartment office was eerily dark, but the open/close sign was on open, and their normal operating hours on Saturday start at 9. I knocked, stood in the rain and the cold for a few minutes, looked closer at the door and noticed a sign. It said the office wouldn't open until 12 because of the Easter holiday. I was a little confused but assumed that simply meant that they wouldn't staff the office, but of course they wouldn't have me show up two hours early when they weren't going to be there. I called the office and left a message. I got cold and wet and angry. Sometime before 10:30 I got in my car and started reading, because thankfully my backpack was right beside me and I'm starting out Camus' Myth of Sisyphus, so I read about philosophical and physical suicide, about Shopenhauer and Kierkegaard and Chertov and Husserl, and then I got cold in my car. It was only in the thirties out here. So I drove to the nearest grocery store where I assumed there'd be a Starbucks, but there wasn't a sign outside saying there was a Starbucks, so I just kept going to find the closest coffee place to warm up at.
I ended up about two blocks from work at a tiny coffee place. I drank my chai and read more Camus, and noticed that one of the workers had hair like Rachel Martin, only darker. By 11:30 I got hungry and went over to my store. My poor boss was being chewed out by some tire technician, and so I ate quietly in the corner, and then read for a few minutes. As the clock neared 12, I cleaned up and got in my car, just to notice my phone vibrating in my pocket. Couldn't open it fast enough, but it was my apartment complex. I drove back, which took less than five minutes. All was good, right. I'll just move in and be happy.
Well, then I asked to switch my lease from a year to six months, and in doing so lost over a hundred bucks in incentive money, but that wasn't the worst of it. Suddenly, instead of not needing a dime with me on the move in day (as it had said on a slip I was given after paying a move-in fee earlier), I owed the entire rent for May (because I don't make enough money for them to trust me to pay my rent). The problem is that I don't even have a working checkbook any longer because, really, who writes checks. Get with the times, you Amish freaks. So I had to drive to my nearest credit union locale and get a cashier's check, and then drive back. It was nearing one o'clock. Finally, I'm paid and I've got my keys and parking permit and a move-in sheet. I'm ready for home.
I pulled up to my parking space, and of course somebody's car was there. Not unreasonable, just unhelpful. Oh well. Then I got into my apartment. Through the front door there was a door that seemed off center and very strangely set. I thought it was a hall closet. It turned out to be my bathroom. Something seemed odd about it. My bathroom was like a cathedral, echoing with my footsteps and seeming terribly empty. It needs a washer and dryer to fill it out, anyway. Oh well. Then I ventured into my living room. The heater had no cover. Actually, none of the heaters in the house had covers, and the one in the kitchen was missing. Great. And then my kitchen counter-top seemed strange. Half of it was cut and lowered. I would have to kneel down to make any use of this space. It suddenly occured to me where I was. I was in a handicapped accessible unit. The giant door, the empty space between the toilet and bathtub, the lowered countertop, the missing heater covers. Actually, that was just because somebody forgot to put them back on, and I apparently don't have a heater in the kitchen. Or the heater is called the oven. Fine. That's fine. Oh, and my giant misplaced bathroom door can't fully open, instead it runs into the hallway wall, as well as it swings out. It wasn't until this morning that I discovered the final strike against me. My showerhead sits square with my chin. You can always get a good shower from a shower head at any good height above you, but resolving the issue of having the shower head too low is not a similar issue. So, all that to say, my excitement about moving into my own aparment has been significantly diminished over the past 24 hours. But I'm really glad I decided on the 6-month lease. So, I've got another move to look forward to. This one is by Halloween. Yeah.
In other news, a certain Crown professor has yet to call me or e-mail me or comment on here about getting ahold of a certain Crown alum about a certain Crown wedding with a certain dance... need I further myself here or shall I simply call again? Ah, I haven't gotten to talk to her in a week or so, so I guess it's no big deal. I'll just leave you with one thought: Most philosophers die alone, most accountants die rich, and most dogs die happy. I guess you need a degree for accounting. Goodbye, all. I'm going home to my giant doors and lowered shower head. Struggle is good. But so is ease every once in a while. I'm really going now.

2006-04-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

WOW! I found this old picture of Chris and Myself from Big Sandy Camp. This is before our senior year of high school. WOW! Chris, what is with your left hand?

2006-04-04T19:07:00.000-05:00

Seabiscuit is going to be smashed into glue with this one. I'm just writing because I had a conversation with an unnamed person who, without ever reading my original "questions" blog, repeated with frightening precision, my main concerns and elaborated on said concerns in a way that reminded me how much we left that carcass to rot in the back of my mind. I know you all don't want to deal with this anymore, and not that there's anything to deal with, but I just wanted to put it on here again that my mind is not stilled nor my fingers halted with anything we can do here, which is just talk and get tired of each other. Why am I writing, then? Just to point out I'm not the only crazy out here wondering about things. Sorry I'm feeling vague and awkward again.
Oh, Lynnea, are you planning to go to Wakefield's wedding? If so... let me know. You could very much help me out with an interesting thought Adam tossed my way... and that's all I have to say about that. But there will be dancing, and I have to use every advantage I can get to... use my advantages (just imagine me mumbling the rest of this). So, since I've pretty much used ellipses to death and really wasted your time, I'm going to go now, having completed my mission in life. Wait, I haven't written the great American novel. Completed half of my mission in life. Toodaloo.

2006-03-30T21:14:00.000-06:00

UPDATE on my student Matt..
Matt had surgery yesterday to remove the tumor from his brain. The surgery went well, but it was very intrusive. The tumor was down in the brain between the right and left lobe, so they had to work their way down. I talked to him tonight, but he is heavily medicated and in some real pain.

His first two tumors have been on the surface of the brain, so the recovery had been quick. This one looks like it will take more time. When I talked to him, I am not sure that he knew that he was talking to me. It was good to hear his voice though. Tomorrow they will discuss treatment options with his family. It will be interesting to hear what they decide.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for Matt and his family. And thanks for praying for me too. It is great to watch as God works. Hopefully I am able to speak to his family when I see them on Tuesday. I am looking forward to seeing Matt then.

I will keep you updated, but I will try not to fill this blog with this somber stuff. Thanks for letting me share here.

Folkestad

2006-03-27T23:43:00.000-06:00

As Menahga Turns
Some of you may remember be talking last year about a student of mine with a Brain tumor. He had it removed for the second time last August. Well... He went in for a checkup and found that it has again returned. Unfortunatly, the last surgery was a last ditch effort. This is not good news that it returned.
I don't know that I am equipped or ready to deal with this. Some people ask me why I am in ministry, or why I would want to continue at a church. I guess this is a reason. You can minister and be affective and not be a "paid" person at a church, but for me, if I didn't have it as a ajob, it would fall down on my priority. My life moves fast enough now, if I had a different job, these kids lives would take 3, 4, 5 or lower prority in my life. This may not make sense to you, but it is how I feel tonight... Matt is dying.... Who is gonna be there for him? His dad?.... He died when he got so drunk, tried to break into the community pool and cracked his head on the concrete. The rest of his family, yeah they are there for him but they don't have Christ. Tonight I can say that I am there for him. Its gonna hurt, but that is what I can offer him. And I its something I can offer him that I don't know if I could if I had a different job. I should stop talking.

I appologize for the nature, lack of proper writing style, and anything else about this blog, but its how I am feeling tonight; angery, confused, sad, helpless, and grateful for where God has brought me. Those are weird feelings to be feeling at the same time.

For what its worth...
Folkestad

2006-03-26T15:04:00.000-06:00

Okay. Here I am, posting. I spent the last week in California visiting Kristy Fowler, Sarah Bubna, Bradley James, Kristin Rich, and others. I suppose all of that Crown alumni interaction satiated my need to check the blog as regularly as I usually do, and now I feel terribly out of the blogging loop. Now I'll try to plow my way back in.

I guess I kind of feel like I haven't been able to post until I post some sort of stance on the whole Crown discussion that has been taking place on this blog, and the problem is, I don't really know if I have one. A stance, that is. So if you could just give me a bit more time to process things... I'll write about it soon.

So for now, take this for what it's worth: I've decided not to continue teaching at Crown after this semester. It's official now, I met with all of the necessary people to let them know, and their overwhelming support made it clear that this is the right move. It has just become very clear to me that teaching is for me, but Crown is not the place for me to do it. Right now, anyway. So I've decided to take the next semester that I would be teaching and focus on presenting papers at various conferences, trying desperately to get some essays published, and possibly applying to Ph.D. programs. Those are things that are so difficult to focus on when spending 90 hours a week prepping, teaching, and grading. So, that's the plan, and I feel really good about it.

Let's see, what else is new...Not much, I guess. I'll try to check back in more often than I have been lately. I'll write more later. "Later" is a relative term, though...Right?

2006-03-21T22:36:00.000-06:00

Since I have no intoxicating elements coursing through my veins except the sugars from a Cadberry Creme Egg, I felt I could pass along a fun convergence of lives that occurred tonight in my hometown. The Crown Choir was performing in Cheyenne, so there were Duerkops and Donelsons and Hubkas all in one room, and not one of them were either myself, Molly, or Nate. My parents said hi to Dr. D. Brook was up from Denver hanging out with my best friend, and even Rachel (Martin) Krueger was there. I don't know how often that sort of thing happens when the choir is on tour, but it was fun to hear about tonight. Well, I won't do anything else to blab my way out of your endearing hearts. Too late. All the rest of you living in Minnesota, hang out with each other for my sake. And talk me up to anybody cute and brunette and well educated... hint hint. Oh, and female, in case that part wasn't implied. Bye.

2006-03-21T15:13:00.000-06:00

Steve, I don't want to know if alcohol was involved. Either way that last post was extremely entertaining. Congrats on the salaried position.

Chris, I am so excited about our date. There may be a snag that evening, but I am trying desperately to iron it out. I will let you know.

Lynnea, you need to post for Steve's sake. Do it, do it, do it... nothing like a little peer pressure.

Brad, I reserved my longest section for you. I sensed that you were a bit offended by my last post in which I called you out for advertisements on the blog. I hope that you know it was only a facade. I was trying to look cool in front of my internet friends. Truth be told I would follow your heart anywhere. I would follow it to the moon and back. I would follow it to the depth of the seas. I would even follow it into a woman's bathroom if for some reason it broke all the rules and went in there. Please continue to post advertisements for me to follow your heart. Because I WILL!

2006-03-19T01:10:00.000-06:00

I can't look at the St. Urho picture with Gabe anymore. So, after a little celebrating last night, and on the verge of another Irish carbomb tonight after my first Blue Moon, I figure I'll get enough in me to really toss down something great here. It was exactly a year ago today that I started working at Quiznos, and I have been offered a salaried position by my boss sometime in the coming six months, barring any legal trouble or the oven catching on fire because seventeen-year-olds send paper plates with cookies on them on the little wire conveyor belt perfectly unaware of paper's general flamibility. Yeah, I'm feeling that Blue Moon. My face is a bit warm. My brother's college friends are all over, playing Xbox golf when not watching basketball. It makes things loud and slightly obnoxious, just like you should imagine my voice when these words fly through your head.
Okay, since my defenses are down, since there is truth in wine, I'll just admit I want to hear from Lynnea sometime, but that's because I'm only acting like I don't care about all that stuff I puked up a bit ago.... that's metaphoric. I haven't actually puked, not from alcohol, not ever. I meant my diatribe v. the new administration and their policies. The one I'm most worried about now are these Leadership scholarships, because I would have gotten a lot of money had they existed when we were there since I'm hot and smart. Wait, I'm hot, and smart.... why am I single? Probably because on a Saturday night I'm blogging to you people instead of getting Stella's groove back. I really don't know what that's supposed to mean, since I don't know a Stella. I really don't have anything to throw down here. I'm just freaked out by giant statues with grasshopers on pitchforks, and Gabe since he's really got all the heart head and home stuff that my life seems to lack. And I'm freaked out by our mutual silence. I'm so insecure. I just want to hear people's voices, even if it's in my head while reading their comments about simmering down and not worrying about things.
Well, I just tossed down the Guiness with the shot of Irish Creme, and I'm a little bit more dixxy than I was. I really can't even look at the computre screen just because it's a bit too bright for me to stare out for very long. I hope there's no permenant damage. I actually feel very aware of everhything, if that makes sense. So, being aware of everything, looking very hard at the three pictures of leaves that grace my brother's wall, feeling my head slide back and forth much faster than I thought it would, wow. Oh, and V for Vendettea isn't that greate except for Natalie, I mean just very hard to take seriously with Guy Forks and all that stuff. A bit overdone, tha'sall I can thinka nd I think this is the feeling that most people want when they're trying to get a boxx. Woah. Tingly fingers. That's sweet. I wonder how much more would get me to drunk. Dodon't worry. I'm not drunk yet, I don't think,l just not in a plce where I can look at the screen without feeling a bit weird. Well, what a journey we're all on, eh? IJ gotta get going because I think that I've alraedy lost all your repsect tonight, or removed the illuision of respect that I put there because I thought.... oh crap, who knows? Maybe I did this whole thing intentionally without alcohol just to be funny. I don't think I'm that good. Sorry for wasting your time and this space. I'm feeling pretty normal again. You all miss me, and you know it. Oh, to close, Bailey's is a good supplitmenat to Guiness, andI want other people to write bacues I'm ovbiously not getting anywhere after a few bverers and some crazy times with my brothers college rooomeates. I could fix the spelling mistakes, but I don't want to and maybe it's just a trick, anyway. You'll never know, eh? This wa sfun. I'm already home, so I'mnot driving. Peace out homie. This can't be funny. Where's some Crown rules to guide me now? Mabye that's not funny. Or not. Somebody write! Remember, remember the fifth of November.

2006-03-17T08:46:00.000-06:00

Here I am with Mr. Urho. Yes that is a pitch fork impaling a grasshopper. Happy Saint Urho Day

2006-03-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Urho's Day Everyone!
I am just curious to see if Steve actually knows who St. Urho was and why he is remembered by the Finland people. It will be interesting to hear his history report!

On other news, Kate and I are heading out to Cali on Monday for a Youth Conference. It just so happens that the World Baseball Classic is the day we fly in, so we also go tickets for that. It is going to be a much needed break from Menahga and Sebeka. We are really looking forward to it. Plus, it will be a really great conference. (and much better weather too!)

Thats all for now,
Folkestad

2006-03-05T00:36:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm a day late, and for that I apologize. I could jump on here only to lament my managerial misgivings made by my maidenly maddenin.... It's late, and my mind isn't what it once was. Like I was saying, I have enough downers in the week dealing with 17-year-olds who tell me to live a little and lighten up, or simply play the classic freeze-me-out game popular in the third grade (and again in the seventh and eleventh, for some reason), or I could recount our oven fire that had my heart racing towards it's final bu-dump, but instead I'll relay my week's pleasantries.
One was some renewed contact with a young lady, to remain nameless here, who is stunning in every possible way I have discovered... I hope to receive a copy of her master's thesis here soon, if anybody needed a hint (and if you still don't know, ask Lynnea). So, she makes me smile in the face of oven-fires and heart-dampening teenagers.
Another was just a few minutes ago, watching the latest Wallace and Grommit cartoon with my family. It was lovely, though racier than any other Wallace and Grommit show I'd seen, so somewhere between a Pilsbury girl's floor and Andy Burton. No offence, Burton, you're just not racy.
Third, Thursday, which happened to be National Cute Girls Come to Quiznos Day. Sophie from Radio Shack came in, and I told her she was missed, and she rather enjoyed that one. Well, I could keep going, but let's just say it eased the tensions in my mind brewing with the young ladies I had to deal with behind the counter.
Connected with Thursday, today. One of the girls, one from Hollywood Video around the corner, came in again tonight, and so she might have gotten a little extra attention... and then I needed to rent Curse of the Were Rabbit, so I returned the courtesy call to her humble abode. She smiled at me a lot. So, I've got to return the video at some point. It's probably just a lot of hot air from my end, but what else can I do here but try and please Gabe the Babe?
Oh, and I talked to Molly Jane today, and it was lovely, and today was her birthday, and that's lovely. I'm sure she misses you all. Well, if that makes you feel better, than definitely believe it, but if you don't care, then she probably doesn't, and if that's a problem then you'd better take it up with her because I'm not the one that I'm telling you I'm missing you. How's that for confusing? Final question: How do I get a cheap ticket to New York (no interesting offers involved, or livestock shipping, either)? I hope this give you all something to take your minds off of what you're supposed to be doing. I do that in real life, too.

2006-03-03T12:41:00.000-06:00

I can't handle it! I check the blog and the last entry date doesn't change. Everyday for a week now I have checked and nothing. (Get a life you say? Shut up I say! Seriously, Shut up!) I blame Steve. He posted with intelligence and made us think. That always seems to clog the blog. However, I am at an impasse. I cannot truly blame Steve, because this blog has remained strong due mostly to his many hilariously insightful posts. If it were not for him I probably would not check it nearly as often. What am I trying to say? I need the details of your lives. Give em up.

On to other news. I am getting a rare speaking opportunity tomorrow. I am the keynote speaker for a father daughter banquet at a church in New Prague. Sounds pretty impressive. It's not. The banquet attendance will be 20 and I am filling in because the first guy cannot make it. It is big news to me, but in reality not that big of a deal.

Still other news. I have had an amazing year reading my Bible. I have made extremely large amounts of time to read it and have been amazed by the results in my life. In Isaiah 55 it talks about the Word of God going out and not returning void. It compares this with rain coming down to earth and nourishing the earth before returning back to the clouds. In essence it means reading our Bibles has a somewhat unexplainable nourishing effect on our lives. I have found this to be true. If you are not daily in the Word, then I think you are a fool. If simply reading it contains so much benefit for our lives. Why would we not? Just a thought.

2006-02-24T22:33:00.000-06:00

I'm still formulating some thoughts, and I will post soon. I promise. But until then, here are some pictures from the inaguration for your enjoyment.

2006-02-14T22:23:00.000-06:00

Well, how to get a collected, direct sort of thing going here with my thoughts is more difficult than I originally imagined. Before I get into all this, though, I should like to say that you should thank me for taking time out of my tirelessly romantic Valentine's Day just to talk about unromantic things with everybody. If anything, I wanted to get one of those e-cards from the NBC website that have Steve Carrel and the other Office people on them. But I'm lazy, so instead, I'm just going to write a thoughtful blog. Right, like I can do that.
I'm trying not to do what Kyle always complained about while we were still in school, namely fearing doomsday scenerios simply due to most of us being absent from Crown. I want it clearly understood that I know things change and I don't expect Alma to be the same as when we were there. Also, most of what I am pointing out or questioning is simply conjecture. So now that I'm done undercutting my entire argumentative base, let's continue.
I feel that the "pan-eudemonia" of the Crown student body is at stake due to leadership styles and decisions. There, I said it. I think what we knew and felt from the administration during our years, the support and direction, is becoming a place where there's plenty of Christian-coated talk while the people that make Crown deep and real seem to be edged out. Like I said, conjecture. So, maybe it's just reading about Scott's resignation that finally made me really want to know what's happening. I don't think this is an overnight thing or that suddenly Crown students are now just vanilla-plain college students, ones with enough pocket change to pay the tab, but otherwise completely unrelated to what we were. I know the students are still there, having cheesy floor events, running to Holiday and complaining about Ratledge tests, but it's like they're being pointed down a different road than we were. How can I be more specific?
I'll admit, some of my concern stems from my own simple stories involving the past and present presidents. Some of you know, but maybe not everybody, that Rick was my pastor for seven years before he was my VP of Academics. He was Pastor Rick before he was Dr. Mann. Even after I was at Crown, we churched together for my four years. I'm just pointing this out so that you can follow my train of thought when I tell you a simple story. Oh, and unlike most of you, Dr. B and I had never been formally introduced, and I still don't think he knows my name, not that I need him to, but that weighs into the story (some of you have heard this, but I think it's worth retelling).
It was Christmas a year ago. I was at school for the Bach-Jahnke wedding, sitting in Miller's office chatting about who knows what. Dr. Mann ducked his head in first, telling Miller something, and then he noticed I was there. He said hi, and proceeded to leave. Dr. B was a few steps behind him, poked his head in the doorway, and after acknowledging Mr. Miller, he proceeded to ask me how grad school was going. He knew I was in grad school - he remembered somehow. And then he took the time to see what was happening with it, time out of his busy day to just be two people that can be some sort of connected. My pastor of eleven years, the father of two very close friends and in some ways my boss for several years of tutoring, didn't pause for that reconnecting moment that took place between me and Dr. B. I think that pause was very important, and I fear it might be those simple pauses that might be lost on the next generation. I know that the few times I had the pleasure of chatting with Scott, I felt that pause, that reality, that care, and without some major figures at school that once gave us that sense of interest and compassion, I don't know how the student body can feel at ease with all their issues, spiritual or academic or financial or relational, whatever. And so, the question is, who is there with students, pausing with them just so they can have the confidence and security necessary to continue with day-to-day struggles that could be glossed-over in an all-smiles, hustle and bustle atmosphere? Lynnea, I know this is your employer, these issues concern your superiors and your coworkers, ect. I don't want you to feel like any of my concerns can or should be a reflection of you. You know I feel the student body is in better shape even with you there part time. It's the upper-levels of the school, the rudder and not the hull that I'm pointing to as troublesome. Is this more specific? I really don't know what any of this is supposed to accomplish, but that's part of my point. Accomplishment, goals, tangible results aren't always something we need as humans. Sometimes we need to talk about how we feel (now I'm just sounding like an idiot). I'm done. But I definitely want to know what everybody else is thinking on these things. You all know I'm a glass-half-empty sort, seeing the worst stuff when it's not really bad at all. Take that into account when you guys tear me apart for thinking such wasteful things, or whatever. I really don't know how those of you that regularly finger-walk all over this thing think, but the few people I have talked to have made similar comments and points as I just did, only with specifics and first-hand knowledge. So, to finish up, alls I'm saying is sommin's not right. Or at least, that's how it feels... to me.... right now... I think. Really, done.

2006-02-10T17:06:00.000-06:00

I just had a conversation with the elder Bubna of the three brothers, and as always he brought me back into Minnesota just enough to have some questions for us all, not that anyone has ever or will ever answer my questions on here, but if I can be nothing but rhetorical, what else can I be? The last time I walked the campus, our campus, was months ago, in the days leading up to Scott's wedding, and so I have no direct information, just hunches and feelings gathered in conversations, and I'm beating around the bush, I know... I mean, if Kyle still read this, he'd be the first to jump on me and freak out at the idea of worrying that our alma mater is... well, of course it's differnt, I don't mean to sound like the sort of person that thinks it would never change, but change seems to bring with it troubling things. I can't do anything but be vague because I really don't know how else to put this out there, especially since many of our blogging friends, long lost or not, still are employed by mother nourishment herself. Wait, is it nourishing, or sending.... whatever. So, since I haven't yet asked a question, if anybody would like to give me some general low-down, not that I have any right to it any longer (there are some people who think we need to leave each other alone, in that the only information permissible to uninvolved parties is the pleasant type); I really don't know why this is so difficult to ask. It would be easier for me to ask Robbie how my ex-girlfriend is doing, but that's because Robbie wouldn't ever find out since he's in a worse spot with her than I am, at least I think. But, that's the best equation I can give you guys. I just want to know what's going on, how things are going, ya know, for brevity's sake. I mean, her name weighs heavy on all our diplomas, so what she does and where she goes is at least of some interest, right? Good, the awkward stuff is out of the way.
I'll have to get some pictures today because it is my last day with a beard. I told everybody I wanted to look older, but nobody told me at work that I wasn't supposed to have one. I mean, my boss has a mustache, so I figured if that's okay, how could some hair around the chin be any different? But, some regional Quiznos corporate guys were in the store today, and I think it worried my boss, so he said it was no big deal, but I told him I'd say goodbye to 23 and hello to 18 all over again. If it wasn't for our 17-year-old engaged Russian-born new girl commenting that I looked really old (a compliment from this young lady, who otherwise likes to refer to me as "ma'am"), I would probably have been none-the-wiser on the corporate policy. And when I say, I'll have to take some pictures, I realize that those pictures are not for you, because who wants to see me with a beard? Okay, enough blabbing. I leave everybody to their busy lives, just leaving a quick note that my first visitor since the Josh Mann wedding will be out here, and his name is Adam Wakefield, and I'm way pumped to see the kid. Who else wants to come? If you come out here, you'll probably stay, because that's what I did, and I still don't have that many friends, a good job, or any general respect for my work or home life. Last question: If you were all of the following things (single, female, smart, cute, 18-35), do you think you'd find something wrong with dating a guy that simply worked in food service? Yes, your answer might offend me, but that's okay. I just can't create a parallel situation in the opposite (if I were to pursue a young lady who had a job similar to mine, if that would be an automatic disqualifier, as though it were some sign of personal failure or whatever else). I've written long enough. Who else wants to get on here? You can complain about Valentine's Day. I would, but The Office did it for me. And I want a Dwight bobblehead. Sweet. Later.

2006-01-31T14:53:00.000-06:00

For those who don't get regular Crown emails, here is some news today that would interest most of you.

From: Scott Stinson
Date: 1/31/2006 11:40 am
Subject: With a thankful heart

Here it is ... ANOTHER Scott email … without a doubt the toughest one I have ever written.This is to let you know that I resigned as Campus Chaplain on 1.27.06. I will be around for a few weeks to help with transition before leaving. I am sad that I have not even gotten to know some of you and I know I have missed out because of that. Others of you are some of the dearest in the world to me and I am so grateful for how you have enriched my life. This has certainly been one of the toughest (maybe the toughest?) decisions of my life but I believe it is necessary at this time. I had fully planned on finishing this semester but recent days have led me to believe that it would be better for the college and for me to leave now. I apologize if I cause disruption.
One last thought … I don’t do good-byes very well so if I botch that up please don't take it personal. Thanks for your time, thanks for encouraging me, and spurring me on throughout the years. In Christ, Scott

From: Rick Mann
Date: 1/31/2006 11:58 am
Subject: Supporting the Stinsons

Dear Crown family,
It is with sadness that we hear the news of Scott Stinson’s desire to move on from his role at Campus Chaplain. His ministry has meant so much to our campus and our family. Some of you may not have known that my wife, Cheri, served together with Scott and Elaine Johnson last year as a Spiritual Care Coordinator. Our son, Josh, a Crown graduate of a couple of years ago collaborated with Scott in some student initiatives called Struggle and Offerings.

We want to support Scott in his decision to depart at this time. Scott is a dear saint, a man of integrity, a person who has supported my leadership, and one who listens to God and so let’s honor his sense of leading and timing. It is God alone who is wonderfully able to direct the step of men and nations.

As a campus family, join with me in praying for the Stinson family as they move to the next chapter of ministry. With great confidence, we know that God is going to use their lives to care, to guide, to lead many.

I'll be the first to say how much I love Scott and his family. It is going to be sad seeing them go. One of my best Crown memories was going on a backpacking trip with Gabe, Batch, Ryan MacDonald, Mike Kanagy, Scott, and his son. I'm sure we can all share stories of how Scott's ministry has blessed us.
-Nathan

2006-01-24T19:18:00.000-06:00

It's about time I got on here and wasted everybody's time rambling through my innocuous day. Can you believe a Washington state driver's liscence lasts four years while the equivocant Montana model lasts seven? None of you care, though, because nearly everybody that reads this thing seems to live in Minnesota or Wisconsin, barring Brad in California and Annie in Connecticut... am I missing someone? I don't think Josh still gets on here, otherwise he'd be a close-by neighbor to complain to. Oh, how awful Lynnea must find all this grammatical mishappenings.
So I was told the other day by an 18-year-old engaged female coworker (born in Georgia, the country, not the state) that I should find a real job since I have a bachelor's degree. I was slightly shocked. I thought the real jobs simply included paychecks, and as I get a paycheck someitmes, I thought my job was real sometimes. To have an 18-year-old first-time-in-a-job'er telling you that a job is below you can really set you back... or I think it could. How my mother would love to hear that I'm discontent with my job, and I was for a single moment about two weeks ago. I was slicing through a piece of wheat bread, listing off vegetables for the customer to choose from when a raging torrent of hate overtook me. In that one moment, I hated making people's food. It was like the opposite of falling in love - momentary and yet frighteningly real. And then it passed and I was enjoying my job once again. I told myself if I ever have that feeling for more than a moment or with any regularity, I need to find a new job. Otherwise, I'll simply be content.
I'm not playing counterstrike yet with the other lads, and I haven't any offspring to show off (please Lynnea, laugh at that pun), so all I can do is try to make my life funny, which at 23 working in an 18-year-old's world I am funny. That's why I'm growing a beard. I need to look 23, or in my case at least 19, to bring myself a little respect. I mean, all great men have had facial hair, and so the equation must go that being great means having good facial hair. Abraham Lincoln, hello! Moses. Nebuchadnezzer. Jimmy Hendrix. Earl from My Name is Earl. You know the list goes on. I can't think of a clean-shaven worthwhile man... that'll get me in trouble.
I don't remember how much I've talked about the new church I'm going to, but it's sweet to be around people again, and most of them are our age, and they all went to a little Bible school in Portland, so it's great. Our "home community" consists of chatting about our favorite colors and reading Blue Like Jazz. They even tell me that I can play the banjo for a worship set (I know they're just being nice, but I like nice people, like my grandma... she's really nice). So, now that you've heard all about southwestern Washington, minus the crappy length of driver permit renewal stuff, now you all want to come live out here, right? Okay, enough rambling and slaughtering the English language. I've gotta go watch the nightly news anyway. Brian Williams ain't no Tom Brokaw. It's sad, really. I mean that I care about who reads the teleprompter on the national evening news. But I'm not sad, I'm funny, because I'm 23 and have absolutely nothing important to say right now. I'm like you guys minus the things that keep you busy. Just think of it that way. Okay, toodle-oo.

2006-01-20T13:44:00.000-06:00

Smiling Children! Here are the cuties smiling on command. They also were playing under a table fort for the first time. I know I am biased, but those are some cute kids. Praise God they get there looks from their mother!