weekend update

First... The Packers lost, ending any slim possibility of a potential playoff birth, and it leaves only the hope that we don't get embarrassed by the Lions in week 16.

Second...The Jets won, but barely. That keeps their playoff hopes alive and makes the next two weekends that much more intense.

Moving on.

This weekend I drew some conclusions and also some questions about a few things. I attended a concert featuring some local bands and a couple youth guys in Windsor at the Chubby Pickle. I find that bands, no matter how good or well rehearsed they may be, NEED stage presence. The first two bands were terrible to begin with, but also lacked any sort of energy, and what they did have seemed like the same generic stage movements in an almost choreographed way. Then the guys from youth came up and I forget now what the band was called(queen Anne's lace...maybe?), but they are all super young. The majority of the band can't even drive, but they have what it takes to be on stage. The sounds weren't always appealing, mind you, but that's not necessarily important when thrashing around to a chainsaw breakdown. If there was a point in this paragraph, than here it is. I absolutely love seeing young musicians take what they love(music), and absolutely take ownership of it. When you can tell that it's something that is born in them and not just the most recent fad to take part in. When you know that 10 years from now, that person will still be passionately using their gifts in one way or another, professionally or otherwise. That's all on that.

Friday night we had our staff Christmas party in Windsor. I find myself meeting new colleagues every time I go up to Windsor and this was no exception. After the main portion of the party, some of the staff went to a bar just up the road to hang out afterwards. I was there for just over 3 hours and I found myself very uncomfortable with my surroundings. I kept looking around to make sure that no one I knew suddenly walked in, which left me questioning whether it was good or even right for me to be there. Now, I don't drink and that's not because I think that it's necessarily wrong, but in my experience I've always seen the harm and destruction alcohol causes outweighs the pleasures. In the Bible when Peter talks about eating meat sacrificed to idols, he basically says, "I don't NEED to eat it if it's going to cause someone else to stumble." I also took note of the conversations happening, and there were many. They were really no more Christ centered than those of my Christian friends. Some crude jokes, some profanity, a little bit of gossip, but you know how it is. And please don't think I'm pointing fingers, because the first person I'd be pointing at is myself. I heard a speaker once say that North American Christians are an absolute joke for the most part, that the only difference between us and everyone else, is the fact that we go to a building with a cross on it once a week for an hour. Sometimes I believe that. I remember one Sunday that was supposed to be incredibly spiritual at church, and the worship leader invited people to stay and worship after the service and there were 3 people in the entire church that stayed behind. If that is any indication, that only 3 people out of 300 have a few extra minutes to worship God, than what this speaker said is entirely accurate. I refuse to believe that the we are not capable of more. The onus is on myself, and each one of us individually to change that perception, but that will only come when we are in fact in the world, and not of it.

jake