Friendship is Like Peeing Your Pants

Today I read a hilarious metaphor on a blog about friendship. It said:
“Friendship is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see it but only you can feel the warmth”

Isn’t that great? Reminded me of a verse in 2 Samuel that highlights the deep love and friendship that David had for Saul’s son Jonathon. These words come right out of David’s journal as he processes the death of his friend,

I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
your love to me was extraordinary,
surpassing the love of women.

True and lasting friendship is a deeply satisfying thing. It can overcome all types of obstacles and transcend time and space. To be without friendship is to experience an aching loneliness. When friendships end there can be grief and powerful feelings of loss. But there is always new friendship waiting around the corners of life if only a person would risk and pursue it.

The Amazon Kindle

This is an awesome new product from Amazon that I am totally pumped about! It is a digital reading device with tons of cool features. I can’t wait to see one of these up close and I would love to have one. Please Santa!

Check out the video.

Thoughts on Prison

Back in 2000 I attended a lecture one evening on the failure of the U.S. prison system to truly rehabilitate criminals. The lecturer talked about how high re-offense rates are, but she also talked about the massive amounts of money being spent by the prison system and the overcrowding in many prisons. She did not compare our country with any others.

Last night I was watching a show about the San Quentin prison and the narrator was talking about how the prison, rather than rehabilitate criminals, actually creates a networking platform for them. Many times criminals come out of jail with more contacts and increased criminal know-how; not to mention the fact that many inmates spend a majority of their time working out and getting fit. It would seem that our current system is producing super-criminals: stronger, meaner and more connected.

I know that I am making generalizations of massive proportions, and that some people do come out of jail changed and ready to embark on a new life, but there also appears to be a large problem with they way we punish and rehabilitate.

Balvin Named MIAC Player of the Week

MIAC Men’s Hockey Athlete of the Week
Bethel University senior forward Jeff Balvin (Maple Grove, Minn.) scored his third and fourth goals of the year and added his 10th and 11th assists in Bethel’s 7-4 win over St. Scholastica last Wednesday. The Royals and Saints were tied 4-4 going into the last period, but Balvin assisted on the go-ahead goal, and tacked on Bethel’s final goal to seal the victory. Balvin now leads the team in scoring with 15 points.

Since We Moved I Have…

• read a book
• spent less time and gas money driving to and from work
• overdosed on ESPN and sports
• learned that Hippopotamus mark their territory by pooping in the water and propelling it at perceived threats with their tails
• learned there are only 2 species of alligator (American and Chinese) and 2 species of crocodiles in the world – both of which are highly endangered
• learned about the perils a young wildebeest encounters during its first years of life
• decided to use air dryers for my hands in all public bathrooms whenever possible to conserve paper
• learned to survive without a microwave
• enjoyed playing with my kids and hanging out with Stephanie
• thanked the Lord over and over for his favor

Balvin gets 2 goals, 2 assists in 7-4 win over St. Scholastica

Here the headline from Bethel University’s hockey homepage:
Balvin gets 2 goals, 2 assists in 7-4 win over St. Scholastica

That pretty much sums up Bethel’s pre-Thanksgiving win on Wednesday; unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the game.

JB stats = 2g, 2a, +2

Season Totals:
Bethel 5-2-0 (overall)
Bethel 0-2-0 (conference)
JB 4g 11a = 15 points, 6PIM, +9

An encouragement if I may- if you live in the Twin Cities area you really need to find a time to come and watch this kid play!

Time with Jacob

Spent the evening with my four year old son Jacob. We had an awesome time wrestling, watching football, playing with his new animals, visiting a book store and eating dinner at an A&W. I can’t believe how old he is getting. I love talking with him and hearing his dreams and opinions and passions. He is in a wonderful stage where he can draw or play alone and yet he still loves to come sit on my lap when he’s tired and cuddle. Last night the two of us hit the bed early after a long turkey day. I fell asleep to Jacob paging through some books next to me in the bed. Precious moment. I love that little dude.

Using Magic to Gain a Gospel Audience

A couple nights ago my family and I watched a show where a masked magician showed some of the tricks illusionists use to entertain audiences. I was thinking more about that and I thought it would be cool to learn some magic tricks and incorporate them into a show that teaches about Jesus. Almost everyone I know enjoys magic on some level. People get a charge out of being fooled and wondering what just happened in front of their eyes. Added to that is that fact that there is no shortage of material in the Bible regarding the spiritual world. Combining the two could make for a great draw and opportunity to share the story of the Gospel. I’d need to learn a few good tricks first, but it seems like a fun goal to shoot for.

Black Friday Insanity

Are you going to be one of the millions of Americans who rush off to retail stores at insane hours of the day hoping to save some cash? I will be on the road by 4:30 AM but not because I am in the buying mood. I am one of the lucky individuals who will spend my day answering guests questions and trying to remember how many Tickle Me Elmo’s we have left. Should be crazy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bethel Hockey Update

There have been a few games since I wrote last. Here’s a quick rundown.

11/09 – Bethel skates past Marian 7-3
11/10 – Royals stay undefeated with 4-3 OT win over Marian
11/16 – Tommies top Royals 4-1 in conference opener
11/17 – Bethel falls 6-5 in wild overtime game with St. Thomas

Jeff stats…
1a, 2PIM, +0
1a, 2PIM, +0
+0
3a, +1

Season Totals:
Bethel 4-2-0 (overall)
Bethel 0-2-0 (conference)
JB 2g 9a = 11 points, 6PIM, +7