New Macbook Pro

Yay for selling old computers and buying new ones!

Starting a New Life!

Greetings friends! Married life has been quite a whirlwind these last few weeks since we've been back.

Alice and I had the best trip I could imagine going to Prague and the wedding and reception was everything we imagined it would be and more. Thank you to everyone who was able to come out to witness us honoring God with our vows.

Unfortunately, upon our return, I was laid off from my job and the last several weeks have been tough as we have faced the reality of a debt we have the responsibility of paying. So... as should be expected, the last two weeks have been tough. Yet they have also been a blessing to us as well... It's pretty amazing to have so much time together and Alice brings so much joy to my life. So, although we have held some anxiety about me finding work and Alice finishing her doctoral studies as a student at B.U., we have also been trying to take advantage of every moment together that we have. I've been trying to see this as an extended vacation with a few job-hunt related strings attached. But, as many of you who have been unemployed in the past know, it can be hard to simply trust God and stop worrying.

We have spent the last couple weeks in prayer about what the future holds for us... and, except for in a very short term sense, we're not really sure. We have a responsibility to pay off a debt, and so until that is done I can with some certainty tell you that Boston will probably be our home for the next few months to a year. However, we have expanded our job search past Massachusetts in case God might have something important for us elsewhere.

At the moment, most of my day is usually spent taking care of small chores around our house (its cleaner than its ever been!) and applying to every job that seems even remotely relevant to my work experience. If anyone happens to be in town and wants to get me out of the house, I welcome this.

As for married life... we couldn't be happier. I always dreamed about finding someone as perfect for me as Alice is but I never really expected that I would find her and marry her... especially as soon as we did. A year ago if you had asked me what I'd be doing right now I would probably have had no idea. Reflecting on the last year I have realized just how much God has provided for me and for Alice and just how much influence he has had in bringing us to one another.... He is truly amazing and I thank Him for everything we have. He is the true source of Joy.

On another note, I continue to study this summer at Gordon-Conwell. I'm taking two classes this semester: Research and Writing in an Urban Ministerial Context and Pentacostalism. So far I've only just begun the Research course and all I can tell you is just how strikingly my professor looks like Janis Joplin. To all students of CUME I ask for that you all reflect on this: Cherry Gorton looks like an older Janis Joplin. Look her up.

I have also taken up unicycling again and both my trials and Coker unicycles have gotten tons of use. I'm hoping that at some point (maybe the end of the summer?) I will be able to attend a competition somewhere here in the Northeast, and I'm still waiting to hear back from a group of unicyclists here in Boston that ride together weekly. I would love to join them but have found them incredibly hard to get a hold of. Needless to say, if you ride and you're in Boston, get in touch.

As this journal entry bears witness to: I have become somewhat of a slave to my Macbook Pro... so it'd probably be good if I went and did something outdoors.

Peace of Christ to all.

Married!

We're married!!!! :-)

Two interesting links and a clip...

Thought I would share some interesting links with you all today. Go check out the following:

http://www.aclu.org/privacy/spying/areyoulivinginaconstitutionfreezone.html

watch the video posted to the left and then go to:

http://stevenandersonfamily.blogspot.com/search/label/border%20patrol%20abuse

and then watch the video of Pastor Anderson's assault at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJF5cUWXA_A

This kind of stuff makes me absolutely sick. In the first link the man being interviewed talks about how he doesn't want to allow his vehicle to be searched as a matter of principle and I completely understand that sentiment. What reason or right does the government have to search the vehicles of U.S. citizens (no matter how out of their mind they are, i.e. Pastor Anderson)?

We have a lot of work to do on this democracy America... a lot of work.. what happened to probably cause and due process?

Listening for....

I had it in mind to have this sleeve finished before I got married this spring... I'm very very close but not quite done. A few finishing touches still remain since I didn't have it in me to sit past the six hour mark. Six hours of tattooing seems to be my limit... along about the fifth hour I start getting loopy and disagreeable. :-) Anyways... thought you would all enjoy a photo update on the progress thus far. Two years of work! Almost at an end...














































Anyways... I'm extremely happy with it and continue to recommend Brennan Freemantle at Plan 9 tattoo if your in CT looking for ink.

Life has been an absolute whirlwind for the past month. Alice and I have been extremely busy with all sorts of schemes and projects and all... her with her dissertation and me with my continuing studies at Gordon-Conwell CUME. I continue to be employed at Partners+simons in the Marine Industrial Park and find myself spending my free time either planning a wedding with Alice or tinkering with computer equipment. I spend one day a week in Harvard Sq with kids in the pit there... often feeling frustrated and confused about my place in ministry and eagerly awaiting the day where I can feel like I'm making more of a difference in people's lives...

I think the main question in our lives right now is where do we go from here? There are so many options and things to consider... We don't feel too tied down to Boston... we have friends in San Francisco... we've thought about Romania... I want to finish my M.Div but this could take as long as 2-3 years to finish at this rate and I wouldn't mind moving my credits to another institution if God had work for us elsewhere.

We await our marching orders. Any suggestions?

Shaver

I got a fancy electric shaver today. I am super happy with it.

On a more important note, life has been extremely busy these last few months: hence no updates to this journal. So much to say and so little luxury to put it down in a weblog somewhere.

I'm getting married May 23rd in Nottingham NH. I have never been happier in my life... every day I realize just how good Alice is for me and just how made for each other we are.

I've been working on midterms for my seminary classes while writing a ministry proposal (I'll fill you all in on those details at a later date). This has been a rushed work that has been illuminating to me on many levels. I have found new focus in ministry.

Alice is finishing her dissertation which she hopes to have submitted before our wedding. We spend a lot of hours drinking coffee, wine, and tea while writing proposals, assessments, and analysis. We laugh a lot and brainstorm together in little coffee shops all over Boston.

I made her a website. You should all go visit it and give her a listen. She has amazing things to say... and if you happen to be in PA in mid april I recommend visiting us at Eastern University. She'll be performing there on the 18th. http://sittingonsidewalks.com

I need conviction.

I need to learn true obedience.

Thoughts on 2000 years..

I just finished listening to a fascinating interview on NPR with Frank Schaeffer, the son of the late Francis Schaeffer.

For those of you who are not familiar with Francis Schaeffer's work, I highly recommend giving one of his books a read. Probably the best and most popular of his writings is Escape From Reason (link). He is considered by many to be one of the most influential modern evangelical theologians in recent time and many consider him to be one of the key shaping figures of the American evangelical movement.

I have always admired Francis Schaeffer's writing and find myself often referring to his thoughts on philosophy when considering culture and history and Christianity's influence on it.

The interview with his son Frank is a very honest look at what it was like growing up in the LaBrie fellowship in Switzerland and I found myself very much sympathizing with him in his analysis of the evangelical right in America. I can very much understand why he currently feels very distant from the expression of faith he grew up with and I can understand why he feels drawn to a more liturgical expression of his faith (he has since become a member of the Greek Orthodox church). The evangelical leaders of the last several decades have done a terrible job at guiding the church in its obedience to Christ's teachings and have done much more harm than healing.

It was encouraging to hear him defend his father as a man who never felt comfortable with the hate that was often expressed in evangelical circles in the 70's and 80's and who, in the LaBrie days, was very focused on building a community of love that sought to serve people as if everyone was Christ himself.

It reminded me once again that this particular side of Schaeffer's ministry, a house of hospice, is something I feel very compelled to do as a follower of Jesus and I believe that Alice and I will be able to offer an open door, a plate of good food, and lots of love to all who come to our home. I hope that Boston sees a revival of Christianity of that kind... Christianity that washes people's feet (figuratively), is willing to get dirty and touch lepers, eat with sinners, feed hungry people because they are His people. Because their paid for in blood.

If Christianity is about following and believing in the divine Christ why don't more people actually do what he did?

You can listen to the interview at: NPR