Collision Course

my "a-like" bro

2009-07-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Timo! (tee-moe) my coolest bro, who can't stay serious for more than the length of a family dinner prayer. "T", this post is for you, I'm so glad you're here with us, making jokes, playing pranks, and serving more than the rest of us combined. I remember when you started saying that I was your "a-like" brother because we like the same things and looked the same and said things the same way. So rock on, I love you, and don't get too cool for your older bro...

-brubber

"may I present to you, the class of '09"

2009-06-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

that was what he said...and I guess he meant it. High school is kinda over. I finished four years of tough education to begin four tougher years.. The ceremony was short and sweet, and I have my mom to thank for that. She worked long and hard to make it the most perfect graduation ceremony anyone's ever had to endure. Everyone is asking me how I feel different now that I'm out of high school, and truth be told, I don't. It's sorta like what I've heard about when someone dies, it doesn't really hit you until later...

But philosophy aside, I'm maxing out this summer, working at Jason's Deli (cream of the fast food crop) and hopefully soon a morning shift across the street at Panera Bread. I was the recipient of many generous graduation gifts..I didn't phase out enough not to be extremely grateful to all those who contributed. I have enough to go on the Mexico E-team trip and buy a car, with some money still left over.

I just bought Kevin DeYoung's book "Just Do Something" on practically making decisions and following God's will. DeYoung spoke at NEXT '09 which I neglected to post about, but was really totally awesome. I would encourage anyone and everyone to go download all the messages given there because they were simply amazing.

If anyone has any suggestion on what to do with my summer free time, or whatever time slips through the cracks, I would welcome them...

YES!

2009-05-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

The Murphy family will be moving to Virginia July 1st! Thanks a ton, God!

2009-05-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's May, so I decided to write a post. I think it's been about a month since my last post. I am a truly prolific writer, am I not? Anyway, I have some time on my hands and Jars of Clay's surprisingly strong album "The Long Fall Back to Earth" is playing through the speakers, so I might as well ramble for a bit.

* I graduate in less than a month. That's a rather frightening thought. The last four years have been an absolute whirlwind. I'd like to say I learned a lot, but I'm not sure how true a statement that is. I think I can identify a lot with Calvin's answer to the history question, "When did the Pilgrims land at Plymouth?" His response - "1620. As you can see, I have memorized this utterly useless fact long enough to pass a test question. I now intend to forget it forever. You've taught me nothing except how to cynically manipulate the system. Congratulations." Poignant, isn't it? But then I suppose a lot of life involves "cynically manipulating the system". If we can do that well, we're bound to succeed, right? Anyway, I think I did learn one thing, and that is that high school never turns out the way Disney wants you to believe it will.

* I now have a Twitter. I even have ten followers on Twitter. That means I'm hip, connected, and in tune with the cutting edge of society. Does being on the cutting edge of society offer any tangible benefits? Um........no. But hey, at least I now know what Ashton Kutcher is doing every moment of the day.

* Does swine flu remind anyone else of bird flu and SARS? Maybe we as a nation just like being under constant threat of a global pandemic. The looming prospect of disaster makes us feel alive, doesn't it?

* X-men Origins: Wolverine was terrible. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that I ate a whole bag of popcorn smothered in some sort of half-butter, half nuclear waste beforehand. I felt sick the entire movie.

* Why is it that life can seem so wonderful one moment and so horrifying the next? You see things so beautiful they make your heart ache, and then the spectre of what this world actually is, what we as humans truly are, is enough to overwhelm you with loathing. "What is this evil in the heart of nature?" (Brownie points if you can name the movie I copped that line from)

* "We're the middle children of history, man. We have no great war, no Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war, our Great Depression is our lives." Does this quote accurately characterize our generation? Why or why not?

Okay, that's it for today. I just read over what I had written, and most of it could have been compressed into a couple of Twitter posts. Twitter's making everything obsolete.

"Seriously?"

2009-04-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

hey-yo...its been kinda fast lately so I havn't really been on here that much.

I got back a couple of days ago from a "field trip" to the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek. I don't think that the people there who were conducting us through the "field trip" knew that is was a field trip. There were several officers who were in charge of us for two days, and they worked us like we were in boot camp. But I can't tell you about that stuff because I had a calc II test that morning so I missed the tough stuff (push-ups, leg-raises, getting yeld at) and came after the officers had already blew most of their steam. We got to shoot M-16s and 12-gage shotguns, go in the gas chamber, run through Marine obstacle course, and repel down a 90-ft wall.

My favorite moment was, right before we got to repel, the marine who was checking our safety harness to make sure they were on properly (after he had explained it to us several times) came to Brett and took one look at his harness. It was on backwards. The marine looked up at Brett and groaned: "Seriously?"

mikey

And Then They Came For Me

2009-03-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

On January 8, 2009, unidentified gunmen on motorcycles shot and killed Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga. Mr. Lasantha was editor and columnist for the Sunday Leader, a controversial newspaper that outspokenly attacked the Sri Lankan government for their human rights abuses during their campaign against the Tamil Liberation Fighters. On January 11, the Sunday Leader published a letter Mr. Lasantha had written and requested to be published after his death. In it the journalist, who for some time had been aware that he was going to be assasinated, explained the reasons behind his highly dangerous campaign for justice and issued a final plea for change. Here's the link to the letter: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20090111/editorial-.htm

I'd encourage everyone to take some time and read this. It's rather lengthy, but it is a touching and moving last testament to a man who refused to be cowed by injustice and sacrificed his life for a cause he believed in.

"There is a calling that is yet above high office, fame, lucre, and security" Mr. Lasantha writes. "It is the call of conscience"

Intermission.

2009-03-07T09:21:00.001-08:00

As a break from this heated debate...check this band Liam and Me. I just found them and love their music but aint so sure about their lyrics. I put one song on the blog but please check out their myspace site for their better songs. Tell me what you think!

2009-03-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

Here's Ashley's take:

Okay, here's what I think the problem is here.We are operating from different bases. You are arguing from a view that is filtered through purely religious views. Not everyone believes in a God and therefore, not everyone is going to be motivated by the whole "God will smite us if we allow homosexual marriage" thing.
Okay here's a source for you to check out: http://media.www.mainecampus.com/media/storage/paper322/news/2008/03/27/SoapBox/Gay-Marriage.Is.Required.By.The.Bible.And.The.Constitution-3286055.shtml
Here are some of the main important points:"The primary argument against gay marriage is that it's seen as an abomination under Christian doctrine. Indeed, there are several passages in the Bible that make this point, the most prominent being Leviticus 18:22 which states:"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."It's kind of hard to avoid the clarity of such a statement. Reinforcing this view are passages from Genesis, Romans and Deuteronomy, but can these passages establish a legal precedent in the United States? The answer is no. Homosexuals have a constitutional right to marriage"The author goes on to explain Jefferson, the 1st amendment and the separation of church and state."in justifying the legality of gay marriage, one must first define marriage as a state function and not a religious one. It can be argued that marriage is a state function because it has the power to modify other state functions such as Social Security and tax filing status. Because marriage affects state functions, constitutionally, it too must be a state function for it to legally do so. If not, the government is violating Article Six and is actively discriminating against unmarried citizens. If marriage is a state function, then it's protected under various civil rights laws."The church doesn't have to recognize the legality of it, much less endorse it, but it will exist nevertheless.According to Matthew 22:21 [Jesus] said:"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."Jesus himself advocated keeping religion out of the law."Romans 13:1, says:'Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. If the law of the land is that everyone must pay war taxes then that is what we must do. It is the law!'The legality of gay marriage is incontrovertible when these passages and precedents are taken into account. Romans 13:1 goes on to say that those who believe a law is wrong should work within the system to change it. Simply denying homosexuals the right to marry on the basis of religion is illegal. According to Christ, it is also against Christian pathology."So there you go...this is a much more eloquent and better reinforced rendition of what I meant.

Alright. Here it is.

2009-03-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Ok. I'm not trying to show you that homosexual marriage is unconstitutional. For the straight up answer to your question: I think that if you just look to our governing documents, homosexual marriages could fit in just fine.

Now with that said, this is my problem: I dont think that because it may fit into the Constitution that we should allow it. Whether we should allow gay marriages in the United States is not the same as whether outlawing gay marriage is unconstitutional. There is more to the first question than to the second. So I agree that if you just look only to the Constitution, gay marriage fits. But I want to point the other question to you: Should we, as Christian Americans, allow gay marriage to be legal?

2009-03-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

These are two opinions of people who emailed me their opinions: (I kept them anonymous to prevent bias)

"I thought you would find this link helpful. BTW, homosexuality is very harmful to a society- just look at Sodom and Gomorrah. And it might be good to go back and read Romans 1:18-32. God's judgement is that people are given over to the degredation of their bodies. It's a scary place to sit back and do nothing to stand for righteousness when others are under such a serious judgement from a loving Lord. It's harmful to all of us when we are worshipping created things rather than our Creator. Some people would want to worship freedom or happiness as the ultimate cause but again, that would be a created thing that becomes perverted when it becomes our goal.

http://www.allabouthistory.org/separation-of-church-and-state.htm "

and

"Just an FYI
No where in the constitution does it state "separation of church and state" this statement was made in a private letter sent from T. Jefferson and has been widely used out of context thanks to our liberal media.

"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is not in the Constitution, but in the Declaration of Independence.

The argument that being in a homosexual relationship is not hurting anyone but the people involved is a farce. If they truly understood the homosexual community, their roots and their agenda they would understand that there is much more to this than homosexuals being allowed to join in marriage. I do not recommend researching this yourself as it is a very dark and disgusting world."

I hope you find this helpful.

mikey

In case anyone else missed my point....

2009-03-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

All right, I'm beginning to lose my temper a wee bit. Here is the position we have been taking (I've even put it in capitals!) AN ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION IS, IN ESSENCE, UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Really, dude, you should have seen that before now. I won't elaborate here because I have already done so extensively in my comments to your post. What are you talking about when you say you've heard "confusing" statements? I have been quite clear (if a bit lengthy). And you continue to confuse issues. I am not, as you say, "pro-gay". I simply believe that, UNDER THE CONSTITUION, gays should be allowed equal rights in this nation of ours

Stop. Listen. Clarify.

2009-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Ok. I'm gonna stop shouting my position over and over again. I want to hear your argument in clear, simple terms. Try to be clear on your arguments and your position and where your allegence lies and what is your priority in taking your view. Aaron: feel free; Connor and Ashley or whoever else wants to answer: write it as a comment to this post and I will post it.

So far I have heard many confusing positions from near pro-gay to near my own position...so I'd like to hear clear, concise, and simple, and perhaps honest opinions. thanks.

mikey

Come on now.

2009-03-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry. But I must speak to this issue that Aaron brought up of government's involvement in gay marriage. I'm very close to disgusted by these views not only of Aaron's, but of those who have commented on it.

Since when was the government's business not the Christian's business?! Since when was the seperation of church and state something that we as God's ambassadors approve of?! Just because we're talking about politics does not mean we drop our crosses! We may have the job as citizens to obey the government, but in a democracy we also have the job of making our views represented in the government. If you wish to argue that the Christian morals in this case intrude on other's "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", then I want to ask you to define these, especially pursuit of happiness. When the Thomas Jefferson penned this, do you really think that he was including sensual pleasure (moreover in a sinful form) in this happiness that the government should protect? And if you say that the culture now should redefine it to mean the "happiness" that today has so prevaded our society, then aren't you and I called to be in the world but not of the world? Since when do we give in to the culture and how it defines our lives? I do not presume your spiritual condition, but if you have a desire to see Christ glorified, then I would define Jefferson's diction differently: I believe that yes, the government does have the duty of protecting our pursuit of happiness, but not happiness defined as pleasure. Happiness defined as Joy. And our Bibles can competently show us where that is to be found. and its decidedly not in homosexuality. I believe that no matter how much pleasureful happiness can be found in homosexuality, it is not the joyful happiness which we as Christian should pursue or encourage others to pursue, namely by allowing gay marriage.

2009-02-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

I was going to begin this post with : "Wow! It's been quite a while since I last wrote!" but then I realized that my last three posts began with essentially the same statement. Therefore, I have decided not to mention it directly this time around. However, the format will stay the same. What follows is a series of quick, condensed bullet points that sort of cover some of the thoughts and reflections I've had in the last month or so. Enjoy!

* It's a comfort knowing the 800 billion or so American dollars President Obama is planning to pour into the black hole that is the American economy will soon be used to finance the private jets and swanky yachts of top excecutives while their companies self-destruct. Why I am so cynical about this I can't really say. Last time I checked I was an Obama fan.

* I am currently reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I really enjoy it. Maybe a bit too much. Today I was seized by a sudden desire to drop everything, buy a motorcycle, and spend the rest of my life cruising the wastelands of the American Midwest and pondering the deep philosophical questions of life. Then I remembered that I don't have any money.

* I didn't get a chance to watch the Oscars, but I sort of followed it. I haven't had a chance to catch Slumdog Millionaire, but I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was somewhat surprised that the Academy ignored the superb Gran Torino, which was probably the best film I've seen this year. I generally enjoy the movies that the Oscars honor, but the whole culture of Hollywood makes me sick. Why is our culture so image-obsessed? What is it about celebrities that attracts us so much? What about the people who really make a difference in this world, like teachers and doctors and farmers? Our society is so superficial. American beauty is only skin deep. We ignore the true beauty and wonder of the human soul and focus only on outside appearances.

* I read a quote by the absolutely brilliant author David Foster Wallace in which he examined the underlying idea of suicide. "All this business about people committing suicide when they're ' severly depressed '; we say 'Holy Cow, we must do something to stop them from killing themselves!' That's wrong. Because all these people have, you see, by this time already killed themselves, where it really counts.....When they 'commit suicide', they're just being orderly." Aside from being deeply disturbing, this quote is quite profound. All of life, I believe, is a search for joy. Without God, people gradually destroy themselves from the inside. Without something more, what is there to live for? Where can joy be found? We fill our lives with distractions in order to shut up the demons in our own heads. We can't even face our own thoughts. A clear, honest look at who we really are is enough to drive anyone mad with despair. We can't stand the stark reality of existence. Some of us God rescues, others search their entire lives and die unfulfilled. Still others kill themselves for peace, in a last, desperate attempt to find rest and joy. I am so very grateful God found me. I shudder to think where I would be without Him. For David Foster Wallace, the reality of life was too much. He killed himself in 2008.

* I graduate high school this May. Forget college. I've decided I'm gonna be a rock star!

* Green Day's new album, 21st Century Breakdown, is due out in May!!!!!!! Ok, I know they're not exactly the cleanest band lyrically, but no one can deny that they are uncannilly brilliant in their own screwed-up way. A hamster could learn their guitar riffs, but somehow they come up with great tunes that really strike a chord in the listener's head. Their 2004 release, American Idiot, is an all-time classic. If you ever get a chance, sit down and read the liner notes. The lyrics are severely depressing, but they capture in a unique, clear-eyed way the emptiness of American society.

* I am listening to U2's latest, No Line on the Horizon. It is brilliant. Go out and buy it when it hits stores on Monday. Really. It's a great piece of music.

* Last of all, I have a question. Is there really any constitutional basis for an amendment outlawing gay marriage? I don't agree with homosexuality, but aren't those who practice it entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness just as much as I am? Is it really fair and just to forbid gays to marry? Let me know what you think!

God Bless,

Aaron

Whirlwind!

2009-01-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

WOW... a lot has happened in the last month...sorry for those of you who REALLY wanted to hear from us (if there are any of you... :-) We had our 316 Christmas Party (possible best ever) planned by the SGC seniors.

I'm still not sure how we pulled it off...but it was a success (at least that's what we were told?)
danny's awesome corndog vendor costume, we definitely cudnt have done it without the help of the singles...
And in return, most of the seniors helped out at the Singles Christmas banquet...me, joe, and jon in the aftermath...

After Christmas and the New Year, (which was fun), the SGC basketball program had a date with the Coventant Life Church basketball...the varsity boys and the JV girls both had games in Maryland....

And Im sorry but this pic of josiah is dripping with awesomeness...

Ky-guy and hulme came with us to beef our bench...

Josh, as usual, carried the game...Aaron came up with us to add to the hype...and Phil vowed that no camera would record his mouth the entire trip...

I think this was the part of the game where we were losing right before half-time...then in the third quarter we whooped em 29-6

The girls team, although full of talent, could not hold back the varsity girls team they had to play...

And this....

I dont know if you can see that but...it may be the most cherished score in the history of SGC basketball. Our team beat Gateway in their own gym. It was a tough game but we had the greatest fans ever and we managed to win...

Thoughts and obersvations on life.......

2008-12-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last post. I'm taking a break from the rat race for a couple of hours, so I figured I might as well write something. Trouble is, I'm not sure what to write about. I guess I'll just put down some thoughts I've had recently.

*Why did it take the government a year to declare that we are in a recession? It's not like anyone actually believed that we weren't in one, right? Then again, I don't know much about economics, so maybe I'll just shut up.

*It feels weird being a senior. I remember when I was a freshman and looked up to the seniors with a sort of awe, as if they were a higher race of beings or something. I imagined what it must be like to be preparing to enter college, with a firm plan for the rest of my life. Now I'm in my last year of high school, and I feel no sense of closure at all. To tell the truth, I feel more lost now than I ever have. Maybe I'm just getting old.

*I half-followed the recent terrorist attacks in India. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really that interested. I mean, only 172 people died. That's not a genocide or anything. Reflecting later on the event and my reactions toward it, I was stunned. When did words, pictures, and even videos of events like these lose the power to affect us? We turn on the TV and watch as the lives of human beings just like us are extinguished, shattered, and ruined. We don't even blink. In fact, we're bored. That sort of stuff doesn't interest us. So we turn on the video game console and blast away at digital representations of ourselves, sated in the gore and violence that fills the screen. 172 people lost their lives, and countless Americans (me included) yawned and turned away. When did we lose our soul?

* I have had the opportunity to work on a program for our youth ministry at church. The entire senior class (which is twenty or so people) has been put in charge of creating a Christmas party for everyone. It's been........yeah, it's been .........great. Interesting how quickly we discover the true nature of ourselves and of others when we work together on a project of this size. Show's on in a week or so. Pray for us.

* Will someone tell the people in the Obama Campaign that the election is over? As soon as the results were in, I unsubscribed from the mailing lists. Yet my inbox is still flooded with messages that often don't have anything to do with the President-elect. My favorite was one from the campaign offering free downloads of the movie Hair.
Did these people actually have a life before this election? If they did, now would be the time to return to it.

* All controversy aside, His Dark Materials, the fantasy trilogy by renowned atheist Phillip Pullman, are actually great reads. I enjoyed all three books from the series. Pullman is an extremely talented author who weaves a strong, enjoyable, and engaging tale that is, while not on level with the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, certainly close to it. It was especially interesting to trace the author's worldview through the trilogy and notice how, while in the end his characters destroyed God and achieved his version of a perfect world, he was unable to bring the story to a satisfactory conclusion. His ideal world, one where humans live on without God, as part of the "Republic of Heaven", is empty and meaningless. This shows rather clearly in his books, no matter how hard he tries to disguise it. Most Christians won't even go near these books (and the movie version of the first one) because of the worldview portrayed in them. I, however, think that it is possible to disagree with the worldview of an author yet enjoy his work.

* How many of you are sick of Christmas music? I am. I walked into Wal-Mart the other day and heard "Rockin' around the Christmas tree". That almost drove me crazy.

* I recently tried to read the book Blood Meridian by Cormack McCarthy and had to put it down. I usually enjoy his work, but Blood Meridian was different. It was a gripping and well-written tale, but the level of brutal, graphic violence contained in the work was incredible. I understood and appreciated the point McCarthy was trying to make, but I just couldn't get past the violence. It got me thinking: How much violence does an author need to put in his work to hammer his point home?

* Why is it that Christmas seems more and more empty as the years go by? Every year I seem to over-reflect on how meaningless the whole charade actually is, and end up thoroughly depressing myself. Maybe this year I'll just stick to the hot chocolate and candy canes.

International Busy-ness Recognition Day

2008-11-18T14:13:00.001-08:00

I have been so crazily busy lately. That's why this post will be really short. But I wanted to remind everyone that no matter how busy you are or how many things need to get done...make Christ and your relationship with him your priority. Everything else will come.

P.S. if you are really busy, leave a comment about your amazing mile-high to-do list...

mikey

Who floats on?

2008-11-06T14:03:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to see what you all thought of this song: musically and lyrically. I personally really enjoy the music but am not sure about the lyrics....

mp

(i put it on the site playlist...)

Ladies and gentleman, your President-Elect.......

2008-11-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama handily beat John McCain in the national election yesterday to become the 44th President of the United States. He is the first African-American to be elected to the Oval Office. Although I am excited and happy over the events of November 4th, I realize that many of you are discouraged and even fearful for the future of our country. I'd ask you all to remember that our Lord is the Sovereign Ruler over all nations. The fate of this country does not rest in the hands of Barack Obama, it rests in the hands of God. It's time to put away any bitterness or discouragement that might remain, accept this event as ordained by God, and pray for our new leader as he becomes the most powerful man on Earth. No one knows what these next four years will bring us, but I pray that Barack Obama will lead this nation well and deliver on the message of change with which he inspired so many millions of Americans. God Bless you all, and here's to an incredible four years.

Aaron

Psalm 146:1

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

How can you?

2008-10-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

This is an essay by my granpa who has been an engineer and avid political supporter of Christian values. He has written many letters to the editor not only here in Virginia but also in Kingston, New York, where he moved from; many of which have been published and/or answered.

Why I Can’t Vote For Obama

10/18/08

Barack Obama claims that he would be a President that would stand up for the poor, the hurting and the most vulnerable in our country. Yet he has a record of warring against the most vulnerable and most innocent human lives – unborn babies.

Since he went to primary school in Indonesia, maybe he’s not aware that our country was founded upon our Declaration of Independence which states that “all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Notice that “life” is the first and foremost right! It takes priority over the “pursuit of happiness” It is a scientific fact that human life begins at conception. Thus abortion is the taking of a human life.

Barack Obama has consistently voted against every law that would in any way limit the unbridled exercise of “abortion rights”. He even is against the Partial Birth Abortion Ban which bans the barbaric practice of partially delivering a late term baby (except for the head) and then reaching in and crushing the baby’s head before completing the delivery.

It is also clear that he would nominate pro-abortion Supreme Court justices that would legislate more abortions “rights” from the bench instead of following our Constitution.

He has also stated that he would sign the “Freedom of Choice Act” that would nullify virtually all federal and state limitations on abortion, including the limitations now allowed by the Supreme Court, such as parental notification and waiting period laws. He would also support the liberal funding of abortions by the federal government. The FOCA law would also make partial-birth abortion legal again.

It gets even worse. While a member of the Illinois State Senate, he voted against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act in 2003 and thus killed the bill in the committee that he chaired. This law would have required hospital care and comfort for babies who were accidentally born alive as a result of late-term abortions. This same law was passed at the federal level without a dissenting vote in the U.S. Congress. Apparently Obama thinks it’s better to throw these infants in the garbage rather than give comfort and appropriate care even though these little ones have a low chance of survival.

This hits home for us since four years ago a sonogram showed that our unborn grandson had a very serious brain problem. Although encouraged to abort, our daughter carried her son to term. Even though he died 18 hours after birth we had the bittersweet joy of being able bring him home, hold him close and tell him we loved him.

Twenty four years ago our oldest daughter became pregnant while in college. She could have quietly had an abortion and we would have not known. But she knew that she carried a unique human life within her and made a courageous decision to keep her baby.

Today he’s all grown up and is about to graduate from college. We are very proud of him and of his mom who has recently resumed her college career.

This morning as I was playing with my 11 month old grandson, watching him crawl around and discover life, I grieved for the 48 million American babies that tragically never got to see the light of day. How great is the injustice that has been done to these precious, innocent, most vulnerable little ones!

I can’t vote for Barack Obama who seems to have so little respect for human life. I have to go with what the bible says:

Psalm 139:13
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

Jeremiah 32:35
They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing. (Abortion is the sacrifice of our children to the gods of convenience and comfort.)

Proverbs 6:17
There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: …. hands that shed innocent blood ….

Deuteronomy 30:19
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

I’ll be voting for John McCain who has a consistently pro-life record regarding abortion.

Bob Murray

I would love to hear comments not only from McCain supporters, but would like to hear

how Obama supporters would respond. (and not complaints about McCain's voting

record: he is pro-life.)

mikey

Thoughts....

2008-10-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've written about politics. In the intervening time, things have heated up quite a bit. I'm too tired to write a coherent article about the subject, so I'll just put down a collection of thoughts I have here, with two weeks left in the race.
* Barack Obama's mantra about how the failed Bush policies of the last eight years have led directly to our current economic crisis is getting repetitive. It's also not necessarily true. The economy has so many different factors in play, it's not fair to put the blame on one person, or even on one administration. Sure, Bush spent like a drunken sailor on leave and has nothing to show for his sprees, but that doesn't mean the economy collapsed because of him and him alone.
*The $700 billion dollar bailout scheme is disastrous. How can an organization that is trillions of dollars in debt bail out an organization that's billions of dollars in debt? The bailout is only a short term solution. It feels rushed, with an edge of panic accompanying it. In the long haul, the economy will still continue to falter unless the government steps in and forces the banks to ease the credit crunch. You can hear rumblings of this already. The administration's recent decision to buy stock in banks is only a prelude to a massive government intervention, one that may stave off a depression but will result in a significant loss of personal freedom. I think both the candidates missed the ball on this one. As my cousin in law said, "We'll eat beans and rice for freedom."
* I caught some of the debates. My general impression was that Obama handled the spotlight well, kept his cool, and laid out his plans with more clarity that he has shown before. However, his oft-repeated mantras of change and how the Republicans have wrecked the country are becoming rather tiring. He needs to come up with something new, something to capture the public's heart once again. McCain spoke with passion and energy, but came across as edgy, disdainful, and maybe a bit panicky. His frequent reversions to attacks on Obama's character showed that he and his campaign are losing their grip a little.
* Speaking of attacks on character, the negativity in the political system is really starting to bug me. Why can't the candidates discuss and argue the issues instead of resorting to personal insults? The Obama campaign's ad mocking McCain's computer illiteracy was pointless and lacked class. They pride themselves on not descending into so-called "gutter politics", but that's exactly what that ad was. Having said that, McCain takes the cake on personal attacks. Even Karl Rove has criticised his campaign for being too negative. Sarah Palin's comments about lipstick on a bulldog were demeaning, but her comments about "palling around with terrorists" were just stupid. Does she really think the American people are that dumb? The Obama - Ayers relationship has received thorough coverage by the media, and no one in their right mind is questioning Obama's character because of it. The two are not even friends. They cooperated on a community service program years ago, and that's aboutthe extent of their relationship. Remember, "palling around with terrorists" is a serious charge in today's world. It makes no difference if the terrorist is Bin Laden or William Ayers. If the relationship between the two men actually was a valid concern, don't you think there would have at least been a legal investigation into it? Mrs. Palin, we are not stupid. Please don't insult our intelligence by bringing this issue up again.
* Speaking of Sarah Palin, I'm a little bit worried about her. All objections about women and their role in government aside, as well as questions about her leadership in Alaska, she doesn't even seem to know what she's talking about. The Katie Couric interview was damning. If you get a chance, sit down and watch some of it.
* I have to say, I love the way the comedy buisness has handled this election. The skits seen on SNL, The Daily Show , and Bill Maher's stand-up session have been absolutely hilarious. The skits skewer both sides mercilessly. It's a refreshing break from the real world of politics. Jon Stewart for President 2012!

God Bless,
Aaron

Killers' new album coming soon!

2008-10-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Killers new album, Day & Age, hits stores Nov. 25th. The group has met with mainstream success in recent years with their eclectic mix of power pop, punk, and New Age styles. Their first single, "Human", is an infectious dance-based piece of rock. The lyrics are classic Killers nonsense, asking "Are we human?/Or are we dancer?" in the chorus. I'd put it on the blog for you all to enjoy, but Mikey still hasn't gotten around to making me co-coordinator or whatever, so all I can do is write posts.

Good times....

2008-10-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Phillip Rivers threw for 306 yards, 3 TDs, and no picks (with a 141.9 passer rating) as the Chargers decimated the Pats 30-10......USC dominated ASU 28-0........The Redskins lost to the worst team in the NFL (yes!)......The Cowboys lost to the Cards and Romo broke his finger.....Denver lost to Jacksonville.......Drew Brees threw for 320 yards and 3 TDs as the Saints rolled over the Raiders......and the Texans stuffed Ronnie Brown and that stupid Dolphins offense. Amazing weekend of football, wouldn't you say? The one thing that would have made it perfect was if LSU had trampled Florida and that goofball Tim Tebow. I hate Florida.

The Facts:

2008-10-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

Chargers-

are 2-3 with losses to the Panthers, Broncos, and Dolphins. Dolphins?
have top-of-the-line NFL players who consistently fail to produce
highest scorer is their kicker: Nick Kaeding

Redskins-

are 4-1 with a loss to the 5-0 Super Bowl Champs: the New York Giants
have average, but skilled players who consistently produce above expectation
have spread scoring with players Jason Campbell, Chris Cooley, Clinton Portis, and Santana Moss

I feel sick.....

2008-10-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

One of the top quarterbacks in the NFL goes 13-28 with only one TD against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.One of the greatest running backs to ever play the game gains 35 yards on twelve attempts, gets stuffed on a fourth and 1 on the goal line, and misses a key block late in the game that results in a sack. The defense plays terribly. And the Chargers lose to the Dolphins 17-10. What's going on? My team's better than this!!!!!! Right????

P.S.
If I see another Redskins post on this blog I'm gonna throw up.

How far have we come?

2008-10-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the radio the other day and I heard this song by Matchbox Twenty. No, it wasn't a Christian radio station so you can condemn me if you like, but this song really provoked me to wonder why people have gotten to the point where they write a song like this. I put the song as the first one on our "colliding tunes" playlist so if you have time, please listen to it and tell us what you think. The lyrics really make you guess as the this songwriter's view on our life here on earth. Please leave a comment about it so I can understand better what this guy might be thinking. Thanks, mp

How about them Redskins?

2008-09-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

We must interupt our regularly scheduled broadcasting to bring you this important message: HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!

Jason Campbell eluded several sack attempt to throw the deep ball (a pass over 45 yards) to Santana Moss and Randal El five times.

Chris Horton sacked Romo, tackled Romo's recievers, and then intercepted Romo in a stellar rookie safety performance.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeessssss!

2008-09-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ya, I know they're supposed to be the worst team in the NFL, but... I'm happy for now.
Not to mention that the Redskins are 1-1 while the Chargers (who someone said would win the Super Bowl) are still winless.
much love and happiness for this football season, mikey

What?

2008-09-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Chargers lost a great game on the worst call I have ever seen. That's all there is to say.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!!!! The Chargers lost to the Panthers on a touchdown with 2 SECONDS LEFT!!!!!! Unbelievable. Please pray for me, as the next week will be incredibly tough.

Aaron

Violence in the Media: What Should Our Response Be?

2008-08-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,
I just realized, it's been quite a while since my last post. Summer sure left in a hurry! Over the last month or so I've had the privilege of going on a surf trip with some friends, attending the Clash with Mikey, and starting a new life as a community college student. At times it's been hectic and busy. But seeing as I have the whole Labor Day weekend ahead of me I thought I'd sit down and write a post about something that's been on my heart for quite a while: the issue of violence in the American media.
God first brought the issue to my thoughts through a series of talks I had with my father about movies. My views on acceptable and unacceptable entertainment differ with his in some areas, and violence is one of them. I'm perfectly alright with watching a movie that contains graphic violence...if it has a worthwhile message. The violence in movies like "Saving Private Ryan" and "We Were Soldiers" doesn't bother me if I consider the lessons that can be learned from viewing these types of films. My dad pointed out that the Lord hates the one who loves violence....and the fact that it's simulated bloodshed makes no difference to him. He cited Psalm 11:5: "The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence."
At the time I didn't really heed his words, but while at the Clash, the Lord brought the issue to my attention yet again....this time in a rather unexpected way. I was listening to my friend's iPod, and he recommended trying the song "Vicarious" by the prog-metal band Tool. He told me it was a convicting and rather frightening song. I gave it a try. I'll reprint the lyrics for you here. Read carefully, as the words are written in a kind of odd style.

VICARIOUS

Eye on the TV
Cause tragedy thrills me
Whatever flavor
It happens to be

Like:
"Killed by the husband"
"Drowned by the ocean"
"Shot by his own son"
"She used a poison in his tea
and kissed him goodbye"
That's my kind of story.
It's no fun 'til someone dies

Don't look at me like
I am a monster
Frown out your one face
But with the other
Stare like a junkie
Into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother holds her child,
Watches him die

Pleas to the sky crying,
"Why, oh why?!"

Cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Vicariously, I
Live while the whole world dies
You all need it too - don't lie.

Why can't we just admit it?
Why can't we just admit,
We won't give pause until the blood is flowin'
Neither the brave nor bold
Will write us a story. So,
We won't give pause until the blood is flowin'

I need to watch things die
From a good safe distance
Vicariously, I
Live while the whole world dies
You all feel the same so
Why can't we

Just admit it

Blood like rain, come down
Drum on grave and ground

Part vampire
Part warrior
Carnivore and voyeur
Still have the transmittal
Synch to the death rattle...

La, la, la, la, la, la,la-lie (x4)

Credulous at best your desire to believe in
Angels in the hearts of men
Pull your head on out
You Hippies and give a listen
Shouldn't have to say it all again

The universe is hostile
So impersonal
Devour to survive
So it is, so it's always been ...

We all feed on tragedy
It's like blood to a vampire

Vicariously, I
Live while the whole world dies
Much better you than I.

It's convicting, isn't it? Viciously sarcastic, the song showed me some of my true fascination with violence. And I felt compelled to rethink some of my presuppositions on the issue.
I'm still undecided, and I thought I'd ask your input. What place does violence hold in our media? Is it an effective deterrent to real-life bloodshed, or does it glamorize it? Does graphic violence in entertainment desensitize us to the sufferings of our fellow man? Does a so-called "anti-violence" message justify the use of violence to pound the message through (as exemplified in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers)? More importantly, does simulated bloodshed actually cause violence? Is the day coming when real, visceral bloodshed will take the place of reality TV, sending us back to the days of the gladiators in Rome? And is it hypocritical to take an anti-violence stance in the world today but enjoy movies that contain depictions of it? Please let me know your thoughts!

God Bless,
Aaron

The Clash video

2008-08-16T14:36:00.001-07:00

We had way too much time on our hands when we were in the van:

Yes, I'm finally posting The Clash!

2008-08-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

WHOOYOO! aaron and I had a blast at The Clash. It was amazing. We had expected a lot before we went, but it exceeded our 'wildest dreams'.

We drove up Saturday afternoon with Andrew and Tyler. it was a good time on the way up, listening to a lot of Radiohead, (since both aaron and tyler are like their biggest fans; and Andrew and I didnt really care), and eating my moms cookies (all 25 of them). We were supposed to be heading for my aunts house in Annandale, Va, (which is most definitely south of Washington, D.C.) so when we drove past the Pentagon and the Washington Monument... we knew we had missed an exit.

it took us a while but finally we ended up at the right house. which was good because my aunt and uncle had prepared a large number of filet mignon and other delicious food for our dinner. (it definitely beat Mickey D's by a long shot) After dinner, we played some GTA III (Grand Theft Auto 3) before turning on the X games. after watching Sean White demolish the other guys, we watched Rambo: First Blood. (all this on their 65+ incher tube!) we got to bed 12:30 ish.

Breakfast was amazing, too. it definitely reinvigarated us for the rest of the day.

so we very unwillingly left to go to church.

Covenant Life was pretty awesome. While we were there we were involved in probably the biggest cluster of Sovereign Grace-ers that has ever infiltrated the ranks of CLC. We met the whole Hunt family, all the cool singles who were up for the Worship God conference (and we got to meet Drew there, too!) and some people who were going to the Coldplay concert in D.C. that night.

After playing some frisbee on the back lawn of the church, we went with one of Andrew's friends, from i forget where, to Quiznos for lunch. It wasn't that bad.

After a nice quiet 2-hr ride to Messiah College, we settled into our rooms.

aaron and I had a room in the basement level while tyler and andrew roomed with two different guys upstairs.

Later, me and Aaron met up with his friends from sunny San Diego, Jonathon Farrington and Andrew Scalin, and I quickly became fast buds w/ them.

We spent a lot of time in the lectures. A lot of time. Like, figure, 35 hrs-ish of lecture time in 168 hrs total. (which is, like i said, a lot)

We had four main speakers: Jeff Purswell, Nathan Sasser, Iain Duguid, and D.A. Carson. All of them were amazing, Dr. Duguid did a great job explaining science and e-volution, D.A. Carson was incredible as he explained the character of a Christian apolegetor from Nehemiah, Nathan Sasser explained in "simple terms" (like, blow-a-normal-persons-mind-to-Mars terms, cuz he's a genius who makes Einstein sound like a retard) the philosophical side of a Christian worldview. But Jeff Purswell, man, he was unbelievable. I dont know if anyone else was like this, but, I was blown away by the revelations that came to me every time he spoke. He was so clear, caring, passionate in his lectures. I cud have listened to him for the rest of the month and thoroughly enjoy it. I cant wait to hear him again. D.A. Carson was pretty hilarious though, he would tell the funniest storys and then just give you a really funny look right after the punch line. He also had these comical little quotes that were totally Canadian (thats where he's from):

"Does that stratch where you itch?"

"...looked at us in the same flipping way!"

"...had singers guarding the flaming gates!"
"...respect for the wrath (pronounced: roth) of God."

Anyway, they kept us on our toes to understand what he meant by each one.

the lunch room: was an awesome place for fellowship, fun, and for ridiculing some of the food that was offered so kindly to us. I stuck mainly to the edible stuff, but other people weren't so conservative.

At the end of each day, round 10:30 to midnight, the Messiah College Gym was open for volleyball, bball, and, because we forced the issue, indoor soccer. It was a really big gym, so we cud all play those sports at the same time.

We were assigned at the beginning of the week to a 'discussion group', a group that would talk about the days lectures at two appointed times every day. Everyone got to know the people who were in their discussion groups, which was good, cuz we played sports together, ate meals together occasionally, and sometimes hanging out.

I had a great time meeting and getting to know everyone.

ya, we had a lot of good times. out of our 168 hrs at the Clash, aaron and I spent less than 20 hrs of our time asleep. so sometimes we had to take five to remember where we were.

One night while aaron was still in disscusion group, Jonathon Farrington and I thought we would have a little fun. Aaron's group was on an open, second-story room and we were on the floor below them. after preparing our attack weapons (a.k.a. paper airplanes), I showered their group with them and me and jonathon took off.

After running from the yells and cries of terror, we came back later to remove the crime weapons.

The last nite, we had a worship session. It started at like 12:15 and it was pretty awesome.

The worship was really amazing. Aaron left early to pray by himself in his room, but me, Jonathon Farrington, and Andrew Scalin stayed. after a couple songs, and a word or two from our make-shift prophecy-mic, we broke into groups to pray for one another, each for their confessed sin and needs. after twice of that, we continued worshipping until...well...it was amazing/awesome. there was a obvious point when the Holy Spirit fell on everyone there. It was almost as if I cud see the Spirit pouring out from heaven. a prayer group on one side broke into crying and speaking in tongues while another girl on the other side, who was being prayed for, was stricken (i'm not sure how else to describe it). people began breaking into groups of three or four to pray for one another and for God's kingdom. while the worship leader-guys continued singing and praising the Lord, Andrew went to pray with the first group (where everyone was speaking in tongues), and Jonathon and I began praying for each other. This lasted for another three hours before we finally stopped and went to bed around 5 in the morning. It was truly awesome. All good things must come to an end. less than two hrs after we went to bed, we realized that we were already late to putting our sheets and things outside the door and to returning our keys. After aaron and I finished packing, we said goodbye to everyone we had met.

For the trip home, we had one of Andrew's VT friends join us, David Uliani. He was a cool dude and slept most of the way home.

and someone was getting a little bored, and having a little too much fun with the camera. :-)

A Time for...

2008-08-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Happy summer from da beach bums! I hope you all are sleeping in or making money or getting sunburned. I just want to put up a reminder of where our focus should be this summer. It says in Matthew 24:30,36

"Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory...But concerning that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

I know I have wasted a lot time this summer doing things of no eternal consequence. I would hope to remind anyone reading this that Christ could show up in the next five minutes or in the next five years or the next five centuries. So whether you're tanning at the beach, shooting hoops, or sleeping to 2:00 in the afternoon, glorify him and make the most of every spare moment!

Me and Aaron will post again when we get back from The Clash. ( and after we sleep for a couple days!) we're going with Andrew Leedom and Tyler Barstow, it'll be awesome we hope. Pray for us!

mikey

Freedom of what?

2008-07-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal about how the Chinese government was going to deal with protests during the upcoming Olympic Games. Their solution? Establish three designated protest areas for the antagonists descending on Beijing. Great idea, right? Well, it seems like there's going to be some problems.
First off, the areas aren't anywhere near the Olympic Stadium. Secondly, the protests will be strictly monitored by Beijing police. And finally (my personal favorite), anyone who plans to hold a protest has to petition the government for a protest permit. That's right, a permit! So if you plan on staging an elaborate anti-government sit-down or rally, you have to first get the government to approve the idea. And may I remind you, the government plans to crack down heavily on illegal protests. Awesome!
I'm not really sure what the Chinese government was thinking with this one. Protesters haven't been known to abide by government restrictions, especially when it's the government they're out to pummel. Can you imagine the lone dissident at Tiananmen Square asking for government permission before he went out and stood in front of a row of tanks? You'd think a nation that is fast becoming the foremost economic powerhouse in the modern world would have a government that is slightly more flexible with issues like this.
In conclusion, I'll say that stories like this make me grateful that I live in America. People here are free to say all they want about their government. I'm forever thankful that the Founding Fathers had the wisdom and foresight to uphold such liberties as freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It is an incredible privilege live in a country where I can spout off as much as I want and not end up in jail for my troubles.
Now I will take advantage of this liberty to remind you that I am extremely dissatisfied with the Bush Administration's whole-hearted cooperation with China for the Olympic Games. We condemn other nations that ignore human rights, and then turn around and embrace a country that commits the same injustices. Why is this? Is it because of money, or is it something else? Please tell me your opinion.

Aaron

P.S.
I just had an incredible idea. I'm going to fly to Beijing and stage an illegal protest right outside the gates of Olympic Stadium. Who's with me?

Radiohead vs. Coldplay

2008-07-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

This post is an extension of a conversation I had with some friends at the beach on Thursday. The question: Who's better, Radiohead or Coldplay? As a huge fan of both groups, I will now endeavor to compare their music, lyrics, and commercial success. Enjoy!

1. Success
In a span of eight years, Coldplay has achieved worldwide fame and amassed millions of record sales. Their meteoric rise has been unusual, a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster music industry. Their four albums, Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head, X&Y, and Viva la Vida, have sold a combined 30 million copies. Songs like Clocks, Viva la Vida, Fix you, Yellow, and The Scientist have become mainstream radio staples. On the other hand, Radiohead's seven studio albums (Pablo Honey, The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief, and In Rainbows) have sold an estimated 23 million copies worldwide. Advantage: Coldplay

2. Lyrics:
Chris Martin's lyrics tend to be somewhat misty and unclear. Coldplay songs tend to focus on love, with an occasional venture into tales of death and other somewhat ambiguous territory. Martin is not the strongest writer, but he does have a knack for creating a catchy, memorable lyric that sticks with the listener. And almost all Coldplay songs have no objectionable material in them, making them into a bit of an anomaly in the modern music industry. Thom Yorke of Radiohead is obviously a stronger writer, but listeners may be put off by the dark undertones of most Radiohead songs. Themes vary wildly, but focus on songs of inner loneliness and pain. Additionally, Yorke occasionally uses strong profanity in his songs (i.e. A Wolf at the Door, Creep, and Myxomatosis). Advantage: Coldplay

3. Music
Coldplay's catchy but predictable soft alt-rock has won the hearts of millions of fans the world over, but also earned the undying hatred of almost as many critics. After the release of X&Y, the New York Times labeled Coldplay as " the most insufferable band of the decade". Coldplay earns heavy rotation on my iPod, and I would consider myself a huge fan of them. But compared to Radiohead, their music pales drastically. In my opinion, Radiohead far outshines Coldplay and nearly every other band on the planet. Their eclectic mix of styles ensures that each song will never grow old, that there will always be something new to hear the next time around. The members of Radiohead are brilliant, brilliant musicians, and they create songs that push the boundaries of the alt-rock genre into new and unexplored territory. Most music critics have nothing but praise to give this band, making them one of the most critically successful groups of all time. Advantage: Radiohead

So who's better? That's for you to decide. In my opinion, it's Radiohead, hands down (although I do have concerns about some of the song's content). But I know people who would beg to differ. What do you think? Leave a comment and tell us!

From Rwanda to Darfur: Have we forgotten?

2008-07-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

In 1994, the Hutu ethnic group of Rwanda slaughtered close to one million human beings in their effort to purge the country of the Tutsis. Over the course of approximately one hundred days, the world turned its back as the genocide raged. The conflict was finally brought to an end when Tutsi militia drove the Hutu military out of the country. One million human beings were murdered, and no one lifted a finger or batted an eye. Now, fourteen years later, almost half a million people have lost their lives in the Darfur conflict, and again the world governments are turning a deaf ear to the cries for help.
The online encyclopedia Wikipedia loosely defines the conflict in Darfur as an ethnic and tribal military conflict encompassing Western Sudan. But the conflict has become rather one-sided. The Sudanese military government, together with the Janjaweed militia, has engaged in a full-scale genocide of its own subjects; murdering innocent civilians, raping women, and destroying homes and property. The war is estimated to have displaced more than two and a half million people, driving them to enter refugee camps where living conditions are unfathomably harsh. The international outcry against Darfur has largely been ignored by the Sudanese government. The UN has been ineffective in its peacekeeping attempts. And the conflict rages on, well into its fifth year and showing no signs of ending.
The UN seemed to have learned its lesson after the horrors of Rwanda. So why has the crisis in Darfur been allowed to continue? There seems to be no clear answer. Mark Lattimer, executive director of Minority Rights Group, stated that: "this level of crisis, the killings, rape and displacement could have been foreseen and avoided ... Darfur would just not be in this situation had the UN systems got its act together after Rwanda: their action was too little too late." So half a million people have payed for this mistake with their lives. Has the UN become so ineffective that it can no longer accomplish what it was designed to do? And why have the rest of the world governments made no motion to intervene?
Public response to the conflict in Darfur has been extensive, but produced little results. And now we as Americans seem to be losing interest. Maybe the vast distance that separates us from them makes the news of the crises feel disconnected, like it is coming to us from another world. Our culture and lifestyle is so vastly different from theirs, it's easy to believe that somehow they are not our brothers and sisters. In the movie Hotel Rwanda, the African manager of a hotel tells a foreign journalist, "Once people see what's happening here, surely there will be help!" The journalist responds, "I think if people see this footage, they'll say 'Oh my God, how horrible!' and go on eating their dinners." Does that line hit home somewhere? It certainly does for me. I feel so helpless, sitting by and watching lives being destroyed. All I can do is pray that God will bring a swift end to the conflict and mend all those broken lives and hearts. And I'd encourage others to do the same. Maybe we can't single-handedly bring this disaster to an end, but we can at least petition the God of the universe to alleviate their suffering.

Aaron

Youth Camp, BABY!

2008-07-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

Youth Camp '08, besides the rough weather, the name, and the shortness of our stay: was awesome. We had four messages from four different pastors: Mr. O'Connelly (I think I spelled his name wrong), Mr. Breault (our pastor), Mr. Emerson (Richmond's pastor and leader of our region of churches), and Mr. Lechner (from Charlottevilles, I think?).
The natural beauty of the campus. It is a really nice place to visit, even if you didn't have a whole youth camp to go to. the part of the campus we stayed on was situated on a hill so you could see the surrounding countryside and everywhere you were going or had been.

the first night, (after Mr. O'Connelly's message: "aM i SaVEd?") we played soccer from about 11 to 1 using the light from the cafeteria area. we had fun and totally shud have played a SGC vs all comers game, but it never happened. That night Aaron and I stayed in Gabe's room (Gaaaaaaaaabe!) with Hulme and Lee. after like 2 am we really had no clue what we were saying or even what we were talking about.

The next day, after about 4 hrs of sleep, we had "face-to-face" time. I wont give an opinion about it, I really dont have one, but it was something Mr. O'Connelly had outlined briefly the night before. It was basically a talk with your parents. I'd love to hear from someone what their opinion of their 'face-to-face' time (cue: make a comment?). But anyway, after Mr. Breault's message on honoring our parents, we played ball (yes, I mean basketball) for most of the afternoon, (I had to stop after twisting my ankle), and the competition? Well, my team lost to the pastors (O'Connelly, Lechner, and the Chick), but the rest of the churches didn't really...well, we won eight straight in the winners court. so, whatev.

That night, after Mr. Emerson's message: "wHat iN The wORlD?", we watched (or more precisely: waited to watch for like an hour and then left five minutes after they began) fireworks.

everyone was out on the side of the highest hill on the campus to watch the fireworks the night of the fourth. The fireworks turned out to be a lot farther and more generic than we expected, but we had fun hanging there for a while.

that evening was wacked out. ya. we definitely hung out in the lounge doing practically nothing until curfew at midnight. Me and Aaron again stayed with our chaperone extraordinare, Gaaaaaaaabe! While me and Gabe lost consciousness around 2:30, Aaron and Jon Hewitt argued politics late into the wee hours of the morning.

Mr. Lechner's (a.k.a. Jeepers) message: iS It wORtH iT? was fenomenal. His communicated his key points with passion and clarity. I really enjoyed listening to him. http://www.sgmidatlantic.com/YouthCamp2008/ this is a link to all the messages preached at youth camp. They are all worth listening to more than once.

after lunch we packed our things and left. Jordan and Mr. Melone rode in our car and Melone car took my mom, along with Laura and Emily Benson. Jord and I put the seats down and half-slept the rest of the way home. ya, youth camp was sweet.
the dudes with the matching shorts (stylin or not).

THE lunch table (and dinner table, and breakfast table) in fact, i dont think we really used any other table!
me, Keesh, Jord, and ST on the way home we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking a small valley surrounded by 'mountains' (real mountain men would call them: 'hills') but the view was awesome and we had time for a couple of poses.

the parents were ok after the whirl of the retreat

the Bensons, Cagles, and Alyssa; we got this one off just before it started pouring

driving on the way home. if you could see through those tinted windows...well...i guess its a good thing you can't.

we really enjoyed the ride home but we really didn't do anything. me and jord were pretty comfortable:

Jord sporting the sweet shades

although you wouldn't be able to tell from this look inside the car, we had fun.

They say time flies, but...

2008-07-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

Let's just say I was having a lot of fun to make time fly like this:

Beware: there is evil on this earth...

2008-07-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ya and I thought Halloween 2 was scary...
(turn off the blog music for full effect!)

2008-07-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

So the last of the five so-called "surge" brigades is preparing to withdraw from Iraq. Yet people still argue whether the troop surge was a success or not. The Pentagon and the Bush Administration claim that the action reduced violence and insurrection and is proof that the U.S. is making headway in Iraq. Critics of the move argue it only proves that huge numbers of U.S. troops are needed to keep Iraq marginally safe and secure. What's your opinion? Leave a comment or write a post on the chat box to the left.

God Bless,
Aaron

Amazing!!!!

2008-07-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Any of you catch the Wimbledon Final? That was some incredible tennis!!!!(not that I know anything about it). I was pulling for Federer, but Nadal obviously played a step above him. I think I'll become a tennis fan.

Here's a link to a highlight reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubsv8jzsTsQ

Boycott the Olympics!!!!!

2008-07-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

36 days to go until the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The world's greatest athletes will meet on the world's biggest stage to vie for laurels and boasting rights. For many, it's the culmination of their life's work. But this year's games have been harried by controversy. China, the host of the games, has had to fend off critiques of the air quality in Beijing, as well as protests against the government and the human rights abuses committed in Tibet. Steven Spielberg, film maker and art director of the 2008 games, resigned the position in protest after his plea that China cease its support of the government-backed genocide in Darfur fell on deaf ears. The Olympic Torch's round-the-world run was greeted with massive protests and riots in many cities, prompting heavy security and even secrecy. China, which regards the games as proof that the nation has entered into a global playing field, both economically and culturally, has had a difficult time dealing with the various issues. So what should the U.S. do about it?
The question is basically irrelevant, as the U.S. has already fully committed itself to the games. But looking back, I think the right choice would have been to boycott the Olympic Games. We regard ourselves as a bastion of democracy and a champion of human rights, and the Chinese government's civil rights abuses fly in the face of everything we stand for. The Tibet protests sparked a government crackdown that resulted in thousands of deaths and the imprisonment of many others. The government-run genocide in Darfur, Sudan, which the Chinese government supports, has taken over half a million lives and displaced over 2.5 million people. And the Chinese still face persecution by their own government. Protesters are treated harshly, and Chinese Christians are martyred regularly. The U.S. has done virtually nothing to protest these acts. In order to be consistent with the positions we stand for, the U.S. should have pulled out of the games. The country withdrew from the 1980 games in Moscow in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The atrocities the People's Republic of China are committing are at least on level with that invasion.
On the Beijing Olympics website, the tagline is: One World, One Dream. the tagline seems to promote a peaceful world. But the Chinese government seems to reject this idea whole-heartedly. In my opinion, the U.S. missed an opportunity by not boycotting the 2008 Games.

Heading off...

2008-07-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I are off to JMU near Harrisburg, VA, to "Youth Camp". (And I really detest that name!) But despite the name, we both hope it will be a blast. I'm sure after that whirlwind trip to SD, Aaron will still be tired, but I'm ready. Please pray for our time and for everyone else attending,

mpsnizzle

2008-06-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Wow... Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been really busy. In the course of a few days I almost got killed in a plane crash, took a sweet helicopter ride, went to a baseball game, got my SAT scores back, watched a couple of movies, stayed up till ungodly hours of the morning, and started a Facebook profile. So I've been kinda swamped.
First off thanks Matthew for the insightful comment. I think you sum up the feelings of a lot of people I've talked to. I guess the question boils down to this: Do you ignore the abortion issue and vote for a Democrat to reverse the questionable policies of the Bush Administration, or do you vote for a party who uses the the abortion issue to gain the conservative vote and then ignores it while in office. I think it would be awesome if we had some sort of discussion on this topic. Please leave comments discussing your views on this issue. Maybe we could get some sort of political forum going.
Well, it's like 3:30 in the morning here in SD, so I better go to bed. Oh Mikey, one last thing. If you are for McCain, just come out and say it. Don't keep up this "I hate McCain, he's a total jerk, I like McCain, I'm gonna vote for him". Love ya, man!

God Bless,
Aaron

The agony of politics...

2008-06-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is sort of how I feel:

Oh the agony of politics...Well, actually before I get into my comment I'll introduce myself as a fellow Sovereign Grace Ministries guy. I'm from Minnesota and attend Sovereign Grace Fellowship, what a blessing that church has been in my life!...This blog hits home for me. I am pro-life to the core and frustrated beyond belief by the state of politics. I am convinced that abortion is the slavery of our day, an issue where there is no moral middle ground. And I pray that by God's grace subsequent generations will look back on this period and marvel that anyone ever argued for murder of innocent babies. To quasi-quote Piper as you did, "I'm all for woman's rights, but there has to be a better way than killing babies."I'm a guy who voted for Bush twice and am utterly torn about his legacy (that could be an entirely separate comment). But more than that, I feel that the Republican party has sold the pro-life movement a bill of goods. They've convinced us to back them, knowing they can drag their feet for introducing real change. So frustrating!! I'll stay tuned to follow your dialogue on these issues.

PS. I love the tone of this blog, talk about Godly fellowship, dialoguing over differences while knowing that you have the gospel in common...what more in common do you need than the cross!!

Thank you, Matthew. Aaron, this is the middle ground that I believe it is my right and duty to stand on.

in Christ,
mpsnizzle

CAUTION!

2008-06-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

I just want to give a warning to anyone considering Aaron's book list. These are not PG books, these are not very patriotic books either, and these are not easy reads (except for Calvin and Hobbes). Be warned!

a surfer dude's summer reading:

2008-06-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Sup guys! I'm still at Biola with my wacko relatives having a family reunion, drinking like five sodas a day. There's not a whole lot to do, so that's why I'm blogging so much. It's like one hundred degrees outside. Anyway, I decided to write a list of my summer reading recommendations (not that anyone cares). Here we go:

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo: Incredible, incredible book. Most of you know what it's about, so I won't explain it. Give it a try before you dismiss it as retarded. It'll change your perspective on war forever. And don't listen to anything Mikey says about it 'cause he didn't even read the whole thing and he's unwilling to admit that it totally destroys all his pro-war arguments. :)

No Country For Old Men by Cyrus McCormack: A really compelling and disturbing tale of the consequences that assail a society which has forsaken morality. McCormack writes with simplistic force, creating a tale that is all the more powerful for its everyday style. It's pretty violent and kinda scary, so be careful.

C.S. Lewis' space trilogy: A really interesting sci-fi trilogy by the master of English fiction. The first installment is Out of the Silent Planet, followed by Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. They can get kinda weird, but they're worth the read.

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson: Read this. It'll change your life. Forever.

Well, gotta go. I'm gonna go surfing this week! California waves rock!!!!!!!!

God Bless,
Aaron

I respond!

2008-06-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, sorry it took so long for me to get this post written.
I don't agree with Barrack Obama's position on abortion. I've said it before, and I'll say it to anyone, Democrat or Republican. The killing of unborn babies is a huge issue for me. But lately, I've grown increasingly frustrated with the Republican Party's positions on probably most of the other issues. John Piper pretty much sums up how I felt. He said something like, The Republican party campaigns to save the babies, but ignores the suffering of America's lowest class. In the same way, The Democratic party campaigns to bring justice and love to the impoverished, but ignores the murder of thousands of innocents. Piper stated that "One party says keep your hands off of my body, the other says keep your hands off my pocketbook." So which is the greater evil?
At the beginning of the 2008 Presidential Campaign, I decided I was tired of sitting on the fence and had to make a choice of which party I wanted to support. I wanted to work for a campaign. I began to examine the candidates' views on the different issues and asked the Lord who he would want me to side with. And the more I read, the more I realized I could not side with John McCain. A huge problem was his voting record on abortion. Please look this up. As a Senator, he prided himself on being a maverick and bucking traditional positions on certain issues. His record shows that he tended to vote pro-life, but on bills that involved government spending he balked. Statements he made also showed that he didn't believe in a Federal ban on abortion. Come the 2008 election, he is trying to present himself as more of a conservative. But from his record and statements he's made, John McCain will not try to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Bush promised to ban abortion, but he accomplished little. While he did pass a ban on partial-birth abortion, he did not overturn Roe vs. Wade. And if you look at the way he pressed his agenda on different issues, bypassing certain laws he felt unconstitutional, it's clear that he could have overturned Roe vs. Wade if he had really wanted to. I think he played to the evangelicals during the campaign and promised what he did not deliver. And I think John McCain is doing the exact same thing.
So I sided with Barrack Obama. I will not try to defend his position on abortion. It is wrong. But the arguement comes down to what the candidate will do about the issue while in office. I believe that McCain will do nothing to ban abortion, and neither will Obama. Therefore I will support Obama because of his positions on the other issues. It's up to us as Christians to endeavor to change people's hearts on the abortion issue and stop the genocide. Politics is not a solution, and never will be.
In direct response to Mikey's post, Barrack Obama was against the Iraq war from the very beginning, even when the American public was in favor of it. So to say that he is against it because the people don't like it is inaccurate. John McCain stated that he would stay in Iraq for a hundred years if it took that long to get the job done. All this will do is drain our nation's resources, take countless lives and mess up countless others, and hamper our ability to fight terrorism abroad. And I don't know what McCain means by finishing the job. Democracy will not work in that culture and if that's what we're aiming for, no matter how long we are there, the country will fall apart when we leave. And staying in Iraq will not finish our country's fight with terrorism, it will hamper it.
Well, that's all for now. Sorry again for such a long post.

God bless,
Aaron

Signing in from SD!

2008-06-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! This is Aaron, blogging from sunny Southern California. Right now I'm in Los Angeles at the Biola University Library, and this stupid computer won't let me upload any images, so I can't make this post look cool. My family and I flew out to SD on Thursday, and then drove up to Biola on Friday for our family reunion. The flight was really long, but I had a really cool book with me, A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Housseni, or something like that. It's the story of a few different woman growing up in Afghanistan, and how their lives are thrown together by war and suffering. Amazing book, I highly recommend it to anyone. On second thought, it does have some objectionable content, so I don't recommend it. Anyway, I'm gonna try and get my Mom to go take me to see Get Smart, so I gotta go. Over the next few days, I plan to write a thoughtful and compelling response to Mikey's recent political post. It'll probably be really boring.

Aaron

Thanks, but...

2008-06-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

Mr. Murray,

Thanks for your comment. It is very helpful to get feedback from men who are far wiser than I am! I fully agree with you that abortion is murder. And I deeply disagree with Senator Obama's position on the subject. But I do not believe he is promoting abortion. It is a huge issue for me, and hopefully I'll be able to write a post addressing your concerns soon. I want to explain why I have no faith in Senator McCain's ability to change Roe vs. Wade.

God Bless,
Aaron

Ya, what he said...

2008-06-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is totally what I'm trying to say:

Grammyblogger said...
Aaron...what makes you think that Obama has all the answers to those issues you mentioned? Abortion is murder and Obama even agrees with killing a baby born from a botched abortion. God will judge those promoting abortion and those voting them into office!
June 15, 2008 5:52 PM
-my grandpa: Bob Murray

If Obama agrees with murder, that gives us a look into his rationale for the way he will execute the office of President of the United States. Also it is wrong to vote or give power to a man who is ok with killing. He isn't ok with fighting a war in Iraq because the people don't like it, but he is ok with killing Americans: the unborn (or in some cases, newborn). He follows today's culture: not killing in Iraq, but killing in hospitals all around our country. I'm going to stick with the man who, while it may not be the most popular decision, believes in finishing our country's fight with terrorism and in saving 38 million Americans a year: John McCain.
- mikey

THE summer books 2 read

2008-06-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Warning: They books may influence your intellect, emotions, and/or interests if read. They are also thought provoking, and are proven to affect your normal sleeping habits. (in which case, please consult your doctor to see if these books are right for you.) Please Read Responsible.

The Bible (do I need to say more?)

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn - This is a rich story of two totally different dudes who see their lives in two very differents lights. Five exciting, eye-paralysing hours later, you may see your life in a very different, eternal light. (Theological Fiction)

Killer Angels by Michael Shaara - A retelling of the famous Battle of Gettysburg through the lenses of the pivotal men who dated destiny and emotionally quake the events that etch their names into history. Prepare to admire, detest, and cry. (Historical Fiction but only just, factual to a tee)

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies by C.S. Forester - The last in a series of simply amazing novels about a Napoleon-era British naval officer who is, basically, the dude. He is a genius for calculation and decision, making pinpoint acurate risks to do his duty for his country. But he only sees his mistakes, his fears, and their consequences. The whole series is worth reading over and over again, but for a glimpse into this unique human's mind, this book is perfect. (Historical Fiction)

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri - Besides being proclaimed an epic by experts for over seven hundred years, this book (and I advise the one with the synopsis in the front of each chapter) will bring allegory alive to you in a most excellent and, excuse me but, much needed way. You may have to read it several times to fully reap its meaning, but it's worth it. (A comedy, or more acturately, a Divine Comedy)
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - THESE ARE NOT JUST CHILDREN'S BOOKS! Do I need to say it again? After you read the Inferno, this will be an easy and gentle read, but also a rich and comfortable chance to gain from the tool of symbolism and allegory again. I have not grown tired of any of them, and I'm somewhere around my, literally, fiftieth time reading them. So I recommend you at least try them once through. (Awesome Fiction, a new genre made especially for these books)

Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris - This book is directed to teenagers who need to or are ready to revolutionize the teen culture by, what else, doing hard stuff. Check out their website at http://www.therebelution.com/ and you will see that these twin ninteen year olds speak from experience and provide their greatest example. I firmly believe that everyone who reads this with an open mind will benefit and be inspired no matter what season of life they are in.

The Incarnation by St. Athanasius, translated by C.S. Lewis - Even though this book is sixteen hundred years old, the clarity that C.S. Lewis brings makes Athanasius' truth come alive. An easier read than most theological books and most sixteen hundred year old books. But much richer in revelation than most.

Wacked out again!

2008-06-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Game 4 was wacked out too! How can a team blow a 25 point lead in the Finals????????? Especially if that team is the Lakers, who have the best player on the planet and were 9-0 at the Staples Center in the playoffs before last night???? The Celtics were amazing!!!!! I never thought they could pull that one off, but they did. Paul Pierce took the lead in the third quarter and from there on out it was all Boston. They're up 3-1 in the series. If anyone deserves the championship, it's them. I think I'm supposed to be writing about my life, but this is way cooler than anything that could ever happen to me.

Welcome to Hollywood.....

2008-06-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

Game 3 of the Finals was wacked out. The Lakers 87-81 victory wasn't very convincing, and it didn't really feel like a match-up between the two best teams in the NBA. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were pretty much nonexistent for the Celtics, and Kobe Bryant singlehandedly won the game for the Lakers because none of his teammates looked like they knew what they were doing. Gasol had like, 5 points? Sasa Vuja-whatever had 17, but he played with no class. My uncle said he played like a Chiuaua on steriods. Add the bias officiating and you have a really big mess on your hands. Maybe I'm just bitter because the Celtics lost.

Aaron

'Viva la vida' to be released over the next few days....

2008-06-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

After years of waiting, Coldplay's new album, "Viva la Vida, or Death and All His Friends", is going to be released THIS WEEK!!!!! If you don't want to wait, go to www.iheartmusic.com and listen to the entire album. I'm listening to it now, and I have to say it sounds awfully good. The songs have the signature Coldplay style, but Martin and his other bandmates experimented a good deal. They added different musical influences to the songs, breaking out of the alt-rock mold. And it seems to work really well. It's too early to say which songs are my favorite. I like them all!

Aaron

More politics....

2008-06-11T13:16:00.001-07:00

I was only speculating about Obama switching sides. I know he won't, and I said he wouldn't. I do have a question: Is same-sex marriages and abortion the ONLY issues that count? What about Iraq, healthcare, green energy, and care for the poor? I'd say those issues count, too. And McCain and Obama have the same position on same-sex laws. They both believe it's up to the states to decide. I will acknowledge that the Republican party has the right position on abortion. It's murder, and it should be outlawed.

Aaron

What do you make of this?

2008-06-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

I have never seen a squirrel quite act like this one:

Maybe it was sick, maybe it was gorged, or maybe it was just sunbathing.

The Move

2008-06-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon, my family moved all my stuff from the frog where I had been sleeping with my two brothers:

I had sprained my ankle on Sunday, so I wasn't able to help. I do owe a lot of gratitude to them for their work. My new room (rob's old one) is spacious and, best of all, quiet (except when I make the noise).

I just want to thank Tim and Brett for their hospitality while Rob was here:

What if...pigs can fly

2008-06-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sure. What if...all the Muslims suddenly renounced Allah and became Christians. What if my butt. The only reason I vote republican is because of their pro-marriage and pro-life stand. And Obama is determined to carry those who vote the opposite way. (which will keep him in the party and probably keep a lot more voters, sadly) McCain doesn't have all the issues right, just the ones that count, which is more than can be said for Obama.

What if....

2008-06-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

So the lines are set for the 2008 presidential race. The parties have their candidates, the positions are pretty clear-cut, and the propaganda machines are warming up.
I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal comparing the candidates and their positions. Obama follows his party's age-old positions almost to the letter. McCain, on the other hand, is a bit of a maverick. His sketchy voting record on moral issues has many Republicans unsure of his qualifications. So what if Barack Obama bucked tradition and went right on ethics, supporting a pro-marriage amendment and an anti-abortion law?
Yeah, I know it's impossible. But it might pay huge dividends. While he would lose a substantial amount of support from within his own party, he would gain the vote of the evangelicals, who are already outspoken in their criticism of McCain. And most importantly, he would win over the "silent majority", the huge number of Americans who hold ethical issues first and foremost when voting for a president, but aren't necessarily outspoken in their views. Bush won their support in 2004, and creamed John Kerry in the general election. And with an increasing number of Americans in this group who are dissatisfied with the war in Iraq, a swing in positions by Obama would have them flocking to the polls in his support.
Of course the movement might be political suicide. There's no telling what would happen to the Democratic Party if Obama bailed on their positions. Already portrayed by the Republicans as something of a flipflopper, a sudden switch in views by Obama might sink his candidacy once and for all.
That's enough politics for today. Sorry if this post was too long. I probably sound like a nerd.

God bless,
Aaron

Look who's Moving Out!

2008-06-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

After almost 2 yrs. of fun, work, and late nights: Rob's moving out! Its sad that he has to go, but he rented a nice place behind the driving range down the road and will be married in July. Good luck, Rob!

Check out Aaron destroying a Sandwich

2008-06-09T12:33:00.001-07:00

Aaron vs. Triple Whopper

Aaron wins.

2008-06-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Just to let y'all know, the Celtics are gonna win the Finals. They rock. The Lakers put on a good show last night, but they aren't going to be stopping Garnett & Co. any time soon!

YES YOU ARE!

2008-06-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Mikey doesn't know what he's talking about. Like most Republicans :)

When is Austin coming back?

2008-06-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

We all would like to know. Our favorite Chicagian is busy making plans for his next visit, hopefully here for good. He says he probably won't be here until the end of summer, and has made plans to work on his bball with the local team so he'll be in shape for varsity next season with us! Pray that the Wynsmas find the right house, and soon!me and aus

jon, bosh, aus, and hulme

I'm not a McCain-lover!

2008-06-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just because I can't stand the

Yes We Can

chant doesn't mean I believe McCain has it perfect. I am simply here to keep Aaron on a leash and rebutt his absurd Osama arguments.

FIRST POST!!!!!!

2008-06-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! This is Aaron, or smurferboy. Mikey started this sweet blog and asked me to join. I don't know what I'm gonna write about. I have a boring life, so there's not much to say, but..... whatever. I think I'm supposed to write about politics and Mikey is supposed write about everything else.
Okay, about me. I support Barack Obama, and if you don't like that you can leave a strongly worded comment for me and I'll try to respond. Mikey likes McCain. Poor dude. Anyway, I love guitar, surfing, listening to music, working out, etc.... I go to the same church Mike does, SGC in Chesapeake. Best church in the world. I took the SAT on Saturday and it was really long and I think I did really bad. And if I come up with any more info about myself I'll let you know.

God Bless,
Aaron

We're Here! A Blog from Mikey and Aaron!

2008-06-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

We're here! Aaron and I have started a blog and we have no idea how we did it, what we're going to do, and where it will end up!