The Landmark Forum Experience

This past week I spent my time, and by my time I mean 8am-10pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at the Landmark Forum.  I'm finally pretty sure where I am with this whole thing...

Essentially, the Forum is a blueprint for living or a world-view or some other way of looking at life.  Either way, it's a very humanist perspective, and it was amazing.  I have never really understood what it was to search for meaning outside of Christ and a world that is eternal.  People shared so many powerful stories and awful experiences from their past so much so that I was moved to tears for their sorrow and for my fortune (having great parents and a generally cush life).

There are two powerful realizations that I came away with though:

1.) What happened is not the same as my story about what happened (just stew on that for a bit).

2.) The past is in the past and the only way to truly have the freedom to live a powerful life is to declare that, and in that moment create your possibility for the future.

In the end, I have decided that if I didn't have a more powerful alternative, a.k.a. an eternal life that's bigger than me, I would live life through the world-view the Landmark Forum builds.  After all, humanists are the best at being humans, but I want to be more than human, I'm being revolutionary for Christ, living forward now... through eternity!  Amen.

Peace, NcB.

 

And Then She Was Older

My wife turned 24 today, older than me once again, here are 24 reasons she's the best, many of which will make no sense to anyone but me:

1.) A classic beauty with self confidence and class.

2.) Makes up funny words.

3.) Pronounces real words funny.

4.) Works out every day, amazing self-discipline.

5.) Thoughtful... like her mother.

6.) Would die for her students.

7.) Makes me go on walks.

8.) Loves my family... even the extended ones.

9.) Looks better in my shirts than I do.

10.) Lets me grow a beard on vacation.

11.) Prays for me and us constantly.

12.) Spirit lead.

13.) Humble and respectful.

14.) Doesn't make me talk over my breakfast in the morning.

15.) Waits to eat with me when I get home late.

16.) Will try anything in the kitchen, best chef I know.

17.) Goes to seafood places with me even though she hates the smell.

18.) Gives me a hand-full of hair pins to put on my night stand.

19.) Watches Seinfeld reruns with me.

20.) Can be a UCLA fan even though I love SC

21.) Treats my friends better than I do.

22.) Honest... brutally honest.

23.) Pulls my hair when I have headaches.

24.) Has a heart for other young women.

I love you babs

Peace, NcB.

The Bowl Was Actually Super

Honestly, I am trying to remember the last football game I enjoyed watching as much as the last one of the 2007-8 season (and no, I do not count the lame-bowl next weekend).  

Here are the top ten reasons why today was great:

10.) Meatballs in sweet sauce.

9.) My puppy Reggie being the cutest.

8.) Tom Brady's smug confidence being wiped from his grill.

7.) Cactus Cooler.

6.) Looking at toddler pictures of Brie.

5.) Tom Petty's hair.

4.) Verbal rating of the pregame show's personalities' tie-tying skills.

3.) Waching Peyton cheer for Eli.

2.) The game finally being better than the commercials (man they sucked).

1.) Jayson Bennett, you have not lived until you have watched football with this freak.

Peace, NcB.

Commune

Why not start a commune...  No, I don't mean the kind from back in the day or those polygamist freak-fest things... I'm talking about a group of young friends all moving to a new place, planting a church and setting up shop for a great life together.

Now the back story...  I went up to play a camp with my college band this past weekend, and now that we have all been away from graduation for close to two years, people are starting to think future and get itchy.  We miss each other, the growth, friendships and love.

The general consensus is that we should leave So/Nor-Cal where we are all parked for now and travel to a distant land to set up shop and start a great life together.  We are all pretty mobile, so it could be realistic, certainly in the next couple years.

Possible landing spots: Austin, Nashville, Colorado, Boise...

Never hurts to think, talk and pray... Anyone else want in?

Peace, NcB.

Stretch Yourself

I have been linking to this below for a week or so, but I wanted to rep it a bit more for the mainstream.

Lindsey Trozzo, is a great friend of mine as well as a spiritual mentor, specifically in the areas of worship, spiritual discipline and the study of the Word.  We played music and graduated from BIOLA University together

She is a graduate student at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, CA and she has started a new blog called A Great Many Things. 

There she will be posting regular short articles about, "Thoughts and questions on life and spirituality."  

Read these articles, involve yourself in the discussion, stretch yourself.

Peace, NcB.

All We Are

All We Are  (N. Brown)

You have fire in your eyes

And water on your tongue

Raging lion in the night

And a lamb to lay it down

You are everything we are and want

In its greatest form

And I give all I have to you my Lord

Come like a thief in the night

The tower stands ready

Your people are crying

"Give us the king, give us the king of glory"

You are everything we are and want

In its greatest form

And I give all I have to you my Lord.

You are beautiful

You are all we are

You are beautiful

You are, you are... beautiful

How long will we sing this song

How long to the great beyond

How long till we are all we are

How long...

You are beautiful

You are all we are

You are beautiful

You are, you are... beautiful

I Think I've Earned The Right

Yes, I think I've earned the right.  The right to post short blogs with no significance to anyone but me... So please, indulge me.

Straight up... I am in Eau Claire, WI, the town of my birth... and it's... hold your breath... 20 below zero outside.  Yes, California, that "zero" as in that number below all the other numbers you've never heard of.

I have never frozen my a$$ off like this before.  And I mean that literally.

Oh... yeah, and for those of you with "young eyes" I think my icy behind gives me the right to cuss with a currency cover-up...  Wow, was that pointless.

Peace, NcB.

We Made It Through

Here in SoCal, every once in a while, you really question the sanity of those who are around you.

About a week ago, New Years Day or so, we started hearing about the monsoon season that was approaching over the weekend.  I have never seen newscast here in LA focused on anything other than crime or celebrities, but... oh yes... BUT... last week, Dallas, Johnny and all the other aptly named meteor-alities were finally getting their face time and were of course drooling at the chance to blow the storm of the century WAY out of proportion.

Last night, I watched the back-to-normal 11:00 news and sure enough, the top headlines followed:

1.) Presidential primary in NH.

2.) "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann" premiers.

3.) Dr. Phil goes to see Brittany in the looney bin.

4.) BCS National Championship game.

... oh... yeah... and an afterthought... The largest rainfall in the area was in Claremont which got 6.5 inches...  6.5 inches...?  I have lived in three places that have gotten that in a hour...

You have to love SoCal.

Peace, NcB.