Hankering for Another People Flying, Lovely Scenery Chinese Epic?

Did you like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (and I think the camps are pretty polarized on that one) and Hero? Well, courtesy of Jeffrey Overstreet’s blog, here is a trailer for a new movie in the genre which looks stunning. Some of the visuals in these movies make my heart ache with their beauty. Here’s [...]

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Pride comes before….

…well, among other things, before dragging furniture behind your truck on the Interstate. But more on that later.
This past Saturday, my day was consumed with what a surprising number of my Saturdays are consumed with, helping someone move. This was Saturday moving day number three in this young year, and this coming Saturday it will [...]

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What a Piece of Work is Man…

Bill Shakespeare had nobler, less gendered attributes in mind as he continued this quote. Judging from other parts of his writing, though, he wouldn’t mind me borrowing it to preface a quote from a recent email from a good friend:
I understand in some ways why the bible says to remain single. But it’s hard when [...]

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Catapult Article-On the Seriousness of Being a Child

This article is a bit lighter than the previous ones. It was actually written for Advanced Composition in the Summer of 1994 for Dr. Betty Richardson’s class, where I first began to believe that I might be able to do this writing gig.
Thanks, Dr. Richardson.
Read Himalayan Idyll.
Many articles in the Wonder Years issue are excellent.

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Visions of Speed

The name of this blog actually comes through the agency of two friends. One, before I would come to know him as friend, thought my last name was Dassler. The other friend, who has a penchant for giving his friends nicknames, began to call me Dassler shortly after we met. The “effect” part came in [...]

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Even when my heart is breaking…

The tune can be heard here.
Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.
Refrain
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.
Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, [...]

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On the Future of the Flying P.L.A.T.E.S(S)

Dear regular blog readers, please pardon the interruption as I use this entry to have a bit of a discussion with some church folk. You are welcome to listen and chime in, of course, as it is sort of an open meeting. Consider this post a bit of practical theology.
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Well, the Flying P.L.A.T.E.S(S) has been [...]

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Black.White

The past two weeks after house church I have been coming home to watch Black.White, a new reality show on FX. On this show, through the wonders of modern makeup, a white family and a black family exchange races. They also live in the same mansion together as the experience unfolds. The participants in various [...]

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Brokeback Mountain Redux-An Important Voice in the Conversation

Disclosure: I have not watched Brokeback Mountain. Hence, I don’t really have a lot to say about the movie itself that is not second hand. In fact, I try not to say too much about the movie at all. I have been very interested in the cultural conversation that has arisen as a result of [...]

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Wasting time isn’t always a sin; but sinning is always a waste of time

Whatever else sin “is” and whatever other effects it has on a Christian’s relationship with God, I have begun to think that one useful way to look at it is as simply a waste of time, a colossal waste of time.
At times when I am contemplating sin, I know that I will be asking forgiveness [...]

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