I’m grumpy today. Not entirely sure why, just grumpy. Didn’t get breakfast, that’s a major factor. Should be excited though- i’m installing a dvd-r at work today and will get to burn a dvd of a video I made for Fuller Housing.

Also, just set up a FotoPage – http://aaronk.fotopages.com. check it out, not much there now, but will add more later.

Fun weekend! Today Sarah and I went to get professional pregnancy photographs taken. They turned out great, which is pretty easy to do when you have a beautiful wife!

Yesterday we went to St. Andrew’s Abbey’s Fall Festival. It was much fun. About a month ago I spent a couple days on a personal retreat at the monastery and was very refreshed. It is a wonderful place with true hospitality and grace. The Spirit is very present there. The festival, though quite different (thousands of people as opposed to a handful) from my retreat, was a Kingdom event as well. Where else could you see a Monk, a clown, dancers, and kids dancing together in praise of our God?

Sarah appropriately quipped that heaven will be like that. I couldn’t agree more.

Also read a great article in Fuller’s Theology, News, and Notes. This issue dealt with understanding Christian conversion and the article looks at it from a postmodern perspective. Insightful and helpful as we navigate in these tricky waters. I particularly liked this quote ~ “The invitation to conversation is simultaneously an invitation to participate with the community in a very particular form of life.” He also talks about evangelism as a “more living and organic” process. Worth a read. I fear that we in the church (emerging, house, traditional, seeker, or otherwise) fall into a very mechanistic/formulaic approach to evangelism and conversion that seems far removed from lived experience AND Biblical witness!

Finally, wanted to give a shout out to Berry, who commented below and has a couple blogs worth checking out ~ http://faithblogs.blogspot.com and http://berryalvis.blogspot.com/

Peace to you all!

Have I said that I’m hoping to make blogging a spiritual discipline? One of the things I’m realizing about myself is that I tend to get caught up in the midst of doing things and will A) lose perspective and B) forget to reflect and be introspective. As such sometimes I make bad decisions that, obviously, effect the future because I’ve not taken time to really look deeply into my motives, what God may be saying (oh so quietly!), and what my community is telling me (especially Sarah). So, blogging is at least one avenue that I’m hoping will be a way by which I can reflect, explore, and keep bad decisions at bay. Its part of my rule of life that I’ve been working on developing. Other than blogging, I am trying to exercise 3 times a week and have a solitude/prayer time 3 times a week. I really hope and pray that I’m able to get into this rhythm, I know it will be very life-affirming if I do. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner!

In other news….

I had a dream last night (its 7 am presently) about graduating from Fuller. In the dream when I walked across the stage to receive my diploma I had to say a few (very few) words about my time at Fuller. The words I came up with, in my dream, were “Life is mission”. I think that pretty well describes my time here at Fuller. Two years ago I came to here with a very different conception of church and mission (in some ways). I had bought into the seeker-sensitive, mega-church, contemporary worship (whatever that is) formula. Now I see church and mission as hopelessly and hopefully intertwined with one another. “Life is mission” sums up well my perspective these days, all life moving towards God’s kingdom reality in this place, our community, my family, and my soul.

btw~

some links I’m hoping to check out soon~

How American culture influences worship

How Hip-Hop Holds Blacks Back

Summer Squash and Zucchini Recipes

Start of Orientation week here at Fuller! 400ish participating new students (more that don’t come to the events). I love seeing the “newness” in their faces as they walk about on campus. Very exciting time for all. Should be fun.

Shazzam! Crazy week!

Vegas.

Final Paper.

Major video project.

Homecoming.

4:00 am

4:00 am

Ale-8

Baby Shower

blur.

home.

rest. ah.

A post for my friend, Adam Gossman (others are welcome to listen too, of course).

Here’s that song I told you about, download away – From Where Will My Help Come (right click and “save target as…”)

Enjoy!

I’m really irritated. Just lost a post. That hadn’t happened in a while and I had grown lax in “backing-up” my posts, guess I’ll start doing that again.

I HAD said that I’m in the throes (is that right or is it “throws”?) of procrastination again. It’s almost the end of summer quarter at Fuller and I have 3 papers due Friday. I know that should motivate me, but for some reason I’m just not! It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed what I’ve learned/learning, it’s just that my sort of mentally checked out. I’m ready for new challenges, new learnings, and new academic adventures (not to mention a break! Hello!).

In other news~

Sarah’s cousin Michael has a great post about remembering those who have gone before. I couldn’t agree more, it is sad and unfortunate when we discount, disassociate, and generally dis our elders and that great cloud of witnesses ~ upon whose shoulders we stand. I get tired of the next new thing that will save the world, create harmonious relationships, make me a millionaire (“with no money down”!), or get my work done for me (in half the time)! I’m not decrying technology, or advancement for that matter, but the IDEA that we have all the right answers and our forbearers had less, few, or none. Arrogance, I tell you, arrogance.

WOW! This pic was given to me yesterday by our new neighbors and old friends Brad & Missy Griffin. It’s from 1994 when Missy and I were on Aldersgate summer staff together. Nine years ago! I was considerably thinner then. Good memories! Gotta give a shout out to my long time friend Shane Hinkle (he’s in the pic behind me)!

It’s amazing the journey we’ve been on in these nine years. God has taught us/me a lot. The heartache and the joy, the new beginnings and the sad goodbyes, the friends made and the ones lost, so much learned, so much gained, but still grief for what’s been lost. If these next nine years are any thing like the previous, well, it will be amazing.

I’m back from retreat. Glad I went. It was short, but refreshing. Nothing terribly profound, but good to reconnect with God and to be exposed to a different way of worship (i.e. Catholicism and Monasticism). Spend a good bit of time reflecting on upcoming decisions regarding moving and jobs. As well as my own spiritual life and soul. Without a doubt it was good to just be still and in God’s presence.

The silence was the best part… quietness for my soul, a calm stillness. . . . . . . . . . .

I’d been feeling resistant toward God and time spend with him. I think a lot of it had to do with fear. Fear of being changed, of being exposed, of being found wanting…. I can’t say that that fear is gone completely, but it has subsided significantly. Enough to allow me to feel a sense of peace and purpose again, not just hurriedness and compulsion.

I’m working on developing a rule of life. A pattern or rhythm of spiritual practice for my life. I have to do it for a paper, but am glad that I am being “forced” to do so. I think part of my rule/rhythm (I like “rhythm” better) will involve blogging, I think it could be a spiritual discipline for me, we’ll see.

<– Check out the cool cross that I picked up at Valyermo. They have this wonderful ceramics shop and make very beautiful pieces.

Quick post ~ I’m off to a personal retreat today and tomorrow at a So.Cal. monastery – Valyermo. I’ve been looking forward to this for quite a while and I’m excited to go and be still before God. I need to reconnect with God and spend time in God’s presence. I think a change of scenery and intentional prayer, scripture, and silence, solitude will do me good.

I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes and what God does.