Religious Experience # 1

I've been debating about whether or not I should start by explaining my beliefs going into this experience or not. I think what I will do is just explain my beliefs as I go, and as they relate to each experience that I have. In other words, I'm just gonna wing it. :-) # 1 Bridgeway Christian Church This was a large non-denominational Christian church. A friend of mine invited me to attend this service with her. I really had no idea what kind of church it was when I accepted the invitation, so I didn't really know if I should be scared or not. Ha! On the way, she explained to me that it was a very large church, and a little about how the service was structured. I will interject here to say that big churches scare me. I grew up in a very small church, and I just feel a little overwhelmed in large churches. I also grew up in a very structured, old fashioned church, so I am also a little uncomfortable in contemporary services, but hey! That's what this whole process is about, right? I'm learning new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. So, we arrive and go into a reception area. They have coffee and other drinks available. (extra points for the coffee bar) We made our way into the sanctuary. It felt kind of like a concert venue. It was a large open room with a stage in front. There were musical instruments, microphones, stage lights, etc. I'm just guessing, but I would say there were probably 1000 seats. (the average attendance at my church growing up, was about 80) The service started with music. There was a band, which was fantastic! I'll admit, I was skeptical. I am not a big fan of contemporary Christian music, and I have been to contemporary services before where the music was not good. I was impressed! The musicians were great, and the singers were too. (more points for good music) After the music, they had some church announcements. During this segment, they announced a plan for a new, larger church location to accommodate everyone. I will interject here to say that the moment churches start talking money, I get nervous. I understand that churches need money to operate, it just makes me uncomfortable. Long story short, The church needs to raise 25 million dollars in the next three years. Pardon the expression, but Holy Shit! That's a lot of money! It took me a few minutes to stop reeling from that one. Ha! Anyway, on to the actual lesson, which was from the book of Isaiah. I'm not sure why, but I was surprised that the lesson was from the old testament. hmmmm What I really liked about the way the lesson was taught, was that the pastor read the scripture, and then broke it down into sections and explained it in layman's terms. The preaching was a little more "firey" than I am accustomed to, and I did tell my friend afterword, that I was a little scared because my beliefs sounded similar to the way he described the "evil, pagan, Assyirians." lol Overall, I enjoyed the service. It was quite a bit outside of my comfort zone, but the experience was nice. I was also relieved that I didn't have to sign anything, or get asked to stand up and be recognized. I don't think anybody followed me home. ;-) Thank you Erin, for letting me tag along today. Who knows, maybe I'll go back with you sometime?

Not a New Year's Resolution

So, I decided that I really wanted to learn about different people's religious/ spiritual beliefs. I sent out a message to people I knew and asked that they invite me along to their place of worship, or any other activity in which they practice their beliefs. I'm open to anything. I have resolved to be open minded and respectful of everyone. My plan is to blog about my experiences. Hopefully I'll get lots of invitations. :-) I will probably go to some places on my own, but I prefer to go with someone so that I can discuss my experiences with them. I will keep you all posted!!

I know it's been a while since I posted, but I had to post about this. I just tried the Food Storage Analyzer on Emergency Essentials. It's awesome. I am always looking for ways to make my life easier, and using he Food Storage Analyzer does just that. It's easy to use and really helps to give a clear picture of what you have on hand and what you need. I would definitely recommend using the Food Storage Analyzer.

Happy Birthday America!

EARTH HOUR MARCH 28th 8:30pm

Let's do it! One hour with no power!

End Prop 8

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

10 Years - Nick Armstrong

Today marks the 10th anniversary of my friend Nick's death. He was killed in a senseless act of violence on a college campus in 1999. Nick Armstrong was one of those guys that you just loved to be around. He was genuinely a nice guy. He was smart and funny and a hell of alot of fun. I remember one time Nick invited a bunch of us over for a bar-b-que at his parents house. We all showed up and after hours of slaving over the grill, he puts all of this meat on the table and then he goes, "oh no. I forgot to make the corn." There was nothing but meat. There was sausage and brisket and ribs and burgers... NOTHING but meat. It was awesome. I have so many wonderful memories of Nick, and for that I am grateful. Every year at this time I think about him and what he would be like now. Maybe he would be married. Maybe he would have children. He would have been a great dad. I personally am a better person for having known him, even if it was for much too short of a time.