I don't know about you but I am a Roller Coaster aficionado.  I remember riding my first real roller coaster at Six Flags in Dallas.  It scared the living daylights out of me, that is until I got off it and I wanted back on ASAP.  I grew up in Houston near Six Flags Astro World home of the Texas Cyclone, the world greatest wooden coaster in my book.  Every time Discovery channel has a special about coaster, I try to tune in and see what is happening.  So when I found myself near Cedar Point this summer I knew I had to go.

So I had a few days between some of the conferences that I am going to so I made a pilgrimage to Cedar Point the roller coaster capitol of the world.  I have been blessed to have some really short lines and some really great weather.  I have gotten in over 20 times on more than 10 different roller coasters during my visit here.  The best being Top Thrill Dragster that takes you from 1- 120 in four seconds and then thrusts you up at a 90 degree angle to 420 feet in the air and then you twist 270 degree on the way straight down.  Needless to say, it is AMAZING!

The next best   ride here is Millennium Force that takes you straight down a 310 ft first drop at over 90 MPH.  It really takes your breath away, so much so that you can't even scream. 

So what is your favorite ride?  Is it Matterhorn at Disneyland?  Tower of Terror?  Goliath at Six Flags?  The Giant Dipper on the Boardwalk?  Top Gun at Great America? 

I have to say the Top Thrill Dragster is now in my number 1 slot of best rides ever . . . move over Tower of Terror.

So yesterday it RAINED here.  Now for those of you who grew up in California and have lived your whole life there.  There is rain and there is RAIN.  rain is what we get there in Nor Cal.  It is that wimpy drizzle without any personality or aroma to it.  RAIN is that hard driving torrential down pour that reminds you of the days of Noah.  Yeah we got 24 days of rain in March, but we really didn't get any RAIN during that horrible month.  I stepped out of church and took a deep breath of RAIN.  There is nothing that smells like that.  It is a fresh, aromatic, intense smell that is curiously comforting.  The other aspect of RAIN that I experienced yesterday was going from my car into Arby's, a total of 15-20 running steps, got me completely drenched.  The drop much have been the size of baseballs.  I was soaked in a 5-10 second run from my car.  NOW that is RAIN!

Isaiah says, "He [God] will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows."

It is great to think of the wonderful gift that both rain and RAIN is to our existence.  For without the water cycle we wouldn't have the gift of life from God.  I have been learning about this idea that "Everything is Spiritual."  The idea is that there is not such thing as the secular.  Everything is spiritual.  For example, brushing your teeth is a spiritual act of the stewardship/care of the body.  Driving within the speed limit is a spiritual act of loving your neighbor.  Rain is spiritual.  It is a reminder of the gift of God and God's continuing provision here on Earth.  So you may not experience rain for another six months there in NorCal, but remember that God is continually in control.  And that EVERYTHING IS SPIRITUAL.

Today I came to the state of Michigan.  I visited with some friends last night from South Bend, Indiana and went to a church there that I wanted to visit for a while.  But today I drove from South Bend, IN to come to Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI.  This is the place where  Kristen our intern from two years ago worships as well as the place where that guy who does those Nooma videos, Rob Bell, preaches.  I am spending a few days with a friend of mine who runs a ministry training organization to pick his brain and talk theology with.  It was great o see Kristen and she is doing great and told me to tell you guys that she really misses you all. 

But the weird thing was crossing the state line into Michigan.  I was born here and when I crossed the state line I felt like I was in my homeland.  I smelled real rain.  The colors are really, really GREEN!  It is beautiful.  But it is something about being in your home land that is comforting.  I have great memories of camping in all parts of this state as a child.  But it makes me think, is this the feeling we are going to have when we get to heaven?  It is going to feel like HOME from the get go?  I really hope so.

So this week I have been at a conference in Chicago that talks about creativity and use of the arts in churches.  I have been surrounded by creative people that have given me all sorts of ideas about worship and connecting people to God in new and creative ways.  It has been great.  I have learned some great new skills that I can't wait to put to use back home.  But one of the perks of this conference was getting to see an advanced screening of "Superman Returns."

Now the original Superman movie with Christopher Reeve was one of my favorite in Junior High.  I still remember seeing it and coming out of the theater singing the score at the top of my lungs with my buddies.  The new version keeps a lot of the same feel of that original movie with the titles, style and look.  However, the one thing I loved about this movie was all the spiritual imagery and language that you will see paralleling Superman to Jesus.  And aren't there a lot of similarities? 

Superman's dad sends his only son to earth to help humanity.  As you think of Jesus being your Savior today, what is just ONE THING that Jesus has helped you with this week?  What is it about Jesus that makes him a hero in your life?  Why do you serve Jesus?

By the way, the movie is great. . . go and see it I highly recommend it.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Dear Parents,
Here is a mobile phone service that might alleviate some of those cell phone bill nightmares and cell phone usage probelms you may have experienced with your student.  After years of saying they're going to launch, Disney Mobile is finally available now!
The mobile service has special family oriented features that allows parents to keep track of their children.
Family MonitorTM: Assign allowances for phone calls, text messaging and picture messaging. Keep track of how much downloadable content your kids have purchased and limit their spending.
Family LocatorTM: Know exactly where your kids are by using the Disney Mobile website combined with GPS in their phones.
Family AlertTM: Send a message to all your family's phones that appears on the phone's top screen so it's not missed.
Call ControlTM: Lets parents schedule when kids can call what numbers.
Disney ZoneTM: Get access to various Disney entertainment.
Unlimited Mobile to Mobile family calls, night and weekends.
Free long distance, caller ID, call waiting, 411 ($1.40 a call), and roaming ($.40 a minute).

I am currently at 35,000ft on my way to Chicago for a conference about creativity and worship. I don't know how you feel about flying, but I can think of better ways to travel . . . Like teleportation.

Being 6 feet tall makes sitting in these seats a ittle less than comforable Here is a short list of things I find annoying about flying:

1. Being crammed in a tube high above the earth with a bunch of strangers. I hope I don't end up on next season's ''Lost'' because I am not the kind of doctor that can help.

2. Two Words: The Bathrooms. They are unnaturally small.

3. The wafer thin blankets that only cover half of your body.

4. Turbulence.

5. The fact that it takes people an hour to disembark.

6. Being away from my family.

7. Wondering if my luggage made it on the flight.

8. Packing. I just know I take too much stuff and I am going to forget something.

9. Hotel Rooms. They just aren't the same as home. New noises, different channel numbers, and different pillows.

Things I Like About Flying:

1. Getting halfway across the country in 4 hours. What a miracle!

2. Getting time to focus on things I have been putting off like reading & writing.

3. Ginger Ale & Tomato Juice. When else do you drink the stuff?

4. The feeling of power that the flight attendant call button gives me. I never use it, but I love knowing that it is there.

5. Seeing the beauty of the God's Creation from a whole new perspective.

6. Exploroing new cities and meeting new people. I love visiting churches in different parts of the country to see what they are doing.

7. Hotel Rooms. For the first day or two they are great. A made bed with cleant linens. If you mess it up, someone cleans it the next day. However, the novelty wears thin fast when your family isn't with you.

Today was my Graduation Ceremony and all of my family was there to celebrate.  There were three of us from my program who graduated together.  We made 8 out of 12 people who started the program together to finish.  I thought that was pretty amazing.  But the whole event was pretty surreal.  I truly can’t believe that I finished my Doctorate.  It is really hard to believe that I am really a Doctor.  I have pictures of me in fancy robes.  I have my final project bound as a fancy book.  I walked across the stage.  The president of the seminary said that we had graduated.  I have cards and some gifts from friends and family congratulating me.  However, even after all of that, it is still difficult to believe that I am done.  I have to say it was truly an amazing experience.  
     All of the reading, over 7500 pages in all.  All of the writing over 600 pages in all.  All of the hours researching, writing, thinking, processing was truly an amazing experience.  But the president of the seminary put it well in his charge to the graduates when He said, this was all about God.  This is not about my work, not about my writing, not about Amy’s sacrifice.  Everything this past seven year journey is all about is what God has done.  May God be glorified through the work that this degree has produced.  May God’s name be glorified through all of the changes and influence this work has placed upon our student ministry and church.  May God be praised.  Because if God is not praised, then all of this would have been a waste of time.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

DEADLINE ALERT!!!!

DEADLINE ALERT!!!!

DEADLINE ALERT!!!!

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Anyone hoping to have a short film in this year’s FDC Film Festival needs to have their pieces submitted to the Church office of Peggy Cross by THIS SUNDAY!!!!

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If you find yourself as an aspiring Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson or James Cameron, you can have your creative outlet displayed at this year's FDC Film Festival!  Express Yourself in full video this year at FDC!  Pick up a camera, shoot, cut and create a short film to contribute to the celebration of all things film.  You'll get the chance to premier your piece to the world in front of a live audience of 150 people, get valuable feedback and contribute to the arts at FDC!

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Festival Guidelines:
1.  Films must be in DVD or VHS format.
2.  Films must be no longer than 5 minutes.
3.  Films must be screened by film maker's youth ministry leader previous to FDC/Wildside.
4.  Films are not guaranteed inclusions in the FDC Film Festival, but submitted for consideration.
5.  Permission for FDC use: submitted films may be used for future FDC events/promotions.