This is why everyone is so disappointed.

This is why everyone is so disappointed

I was just watching TV (that was my first mistake) and I came across a show called “Christian Celebrity Showcase.” I hope I don't need to explain the irony in that show title.

Could you imagine how Jesus would feel about something like that?

The idea that we even have Christian Celebrities is absurd! Then we have to Showcase them? Celebrate them?

This is exactly why we have no impact in this culture. We are acting, or at least trying to act, like the rest of the country. In most ways we are just like non Christians.

We are not living out the call to be set apart. To live differently. To be a changed and changing people.

Romans 12:2

We all know it.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

I want people to know I am different, and quite frankly I need to be different. I can't live like the rest of the world and LIVE with myself. It will kill me. I need to know that there is something more. So I want to be changed. I want people to notice the difference between me now and me then. I want people to notice that I am different from the people around me. He wants that too.

May I be different and have impact. Not just for me, but for Christ.

Is it my fault?

No one has seen you in a long time.
Where did you go?
We are worried about you.
We miss you.
I hope the best, but I fear the worst.
Are you well, or sick?
Safe or unprotected?
My prayers go out for you.

“I can run away.
You will never leave.
You will always stay
Right by my side
Right by my side.”
~Aaron Strumpel

What is better than flying helicopters?

I have recently discovered that I love to swing. I remember that I used to go down to the playground in the summer evenings when I was a kid and swing. I never went to public grade school, so swinging was more of a novelty for me.

I would swing for hours by myself and look out at the Round Valley that stretched before me. At the far side of the valley, the ground shot up to form some of the many peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Beautiful. Idaho.

I have been going out in the evening on my bike to find good swing sets (riding bikes is a whole other story about feeling young again. I love the feeling of rushing along the road on my bike). Newberg has wonderful sunsets and swing sets.

I love to sit on the swing and look at the sunset. One of the things that we will never be able to recreate, and we will never be able to take credit for.

So beautiful.

Then I get to swinging. I like to go high and fast. It is a rush just being on the swing for me. A familiar felling. Then I swing as high as I can go, and when I am all the way forward I look up at the sky and for that half a second I am weightless and can see nothing but the sky.

I can't really describe the feeling.

I swing with Him too.

That is the kind of thing that I need more of in my life.

Prayer
Swinging
Sunsets
Weightlessness

So what is better than flying helicopters?

Swinging with the Lord!

I just spilled some red wine

So I was siting with my dear friend Susan today and has some good thoughts and conversation (Thanks Susan, and I am so glad that you are back home). I told here about my hunting trip with my dad, and it got me thinking.

The trip was great. We went for ten days out in the Frank Church Wilderness. This particular wilderness is in Idaho near the Montana border. We went out with horses during that day and would ride for a few hours, then tie them up and walk for most of the day. we didn't talk much because we wanted to be as quiet as possible. This was good to just be with someone all day but never say a word to them for the most part. Needless to say I had a lot of time to think.

I had never done anything like that with my father. When I was a kid his alcoholism got in the way of us ever spending time with each other. So it was great to spend "Sunrise... Sunset..." with him. Sleeping, waking and eating with him. There was something so redemptive in just spending time together. There may have been things that we needed to say to each other, but there were things that didn't need any words at all. We may never have conversations about the past, but I am not sure that we need to. This is drastically abridged, but the story is as simple as this: Father and son hunting trip, all things will be redeemed in Christ.



Listening to ~
Maylene & the Sons of Disaster - Just Wanted to Make Mother Proud
Tim Fite - Away from the Snakes
The Dear Hunter - Red Hands
Forgive Durden - Life is Looking Up

Oh, wake up, sleepers, and rise from the dead!

Reasons why people get up early:
1. To go to work
2. To watch Good Morning America
3. Because they are old
4. Getting over jet lag
5. To go do some extreme sport*
6. To go to the airport
7. Children
8. To do homework before your 8am class
9. To read the Bible and pray

Reasons Why I didn't get up at 6am like I wanted to:
1. I don't have a job
2. I don't have a TV
3. I am not old
4. I am not getting over jet lag
5. I don't know if Shawn White could convince me to wake up at this stage in my life.
6. I go to the airport almost everyday, so no, I will not wake up for it.
7. My children with with their mother
8. I am not in school anymore. Yes!
9. I have no excuse. This is why I wanted to get up. I did manage to make it out of bed at 7 though, so I was able to read my Bible.

This whole things will take some getting used to. Good thing I have French press and the hope for redemption to motivate me to get up. Otherwise it might not happen.

* I find it really interesting that people who normally wouldn't get out of bed until noon can somehow get up at 4am to do their preferred extreme sport such as surfing, snowboarding, skiing, biking, and so on. What is it about doing the things we want to do that makes it so easy to bend over backwards to do them?



But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O Sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
~Ephesians 5:13-14

Happy Monday!

Currently

I am going to start here and then back track. It is like a good movie. You start at the end and then you go backwards toward the beginning of the story. I will not make it that confusing... kind of like Memento.

I am in Newberg Oregon. It is a nice town and during the four years I was in school here, I learned a lot about how to get the most out of it. Well maybe not the most, but at least the best out of it. I know where to get good coffee; I can get to the store (Napp's) and back on my bike in 12 min; I know where good food is: burritos, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, teriyaki; I know the best country drives; good houses to look at; nice walks to take; and I know why I am here.

I am living with Tim Timmerman and it is a sweet house right in the middle of Newberg. Tim is a art professor at Fox, so our house is decorated with some really good art. I have my own room and I think it is rad. We live with one other guy, but I never see him. I am not sure that he actually exists, but I do find evidence of him being real all the time. Who knows if I will ever know the truth.

I am here to fly Helicopters. I have my private helicopter license, and I am currently working on my Commercial license and my Instrument rating. Things are going well, but they are just now picking up speed. There is a lot to learn, but it will all come with time.

I got a new bike and I have been riding a lot. Every chance I get if the weather is at all nice I go out for a little while. Here is a pic that Sydney took of me the other day:



It is a fun bike. I have been riding with some friends in Portland on Saturdays, and that has been fun. I have only been twice, but I can't ask for more. Bikes, coffee, conversation, Portland, and anything else sweet that might cross our paths.
I am going to take this opportunity to plug a project of one of my new friends Brenton. He is working on a Photography book of fixed gears in Portland called Rose City Fixed. He has already done a book on Seattle fixed gears called Rain City Fixed. Here is Brenton's blog if you are interested:
http://www.vivasalo.blogspot.com/
He updates often, and is a true artist.

I am trying to make a band work. We have members, and a name: Mount Jerusalem. But all we don't have is anywhere to practice, and until we have that, there is not much progression in music making. We will see what the next few weeks does.

I am not looking for work as much as I should, but I have been doing some odd jobs here and there. Not really enough to pay the bills. I might just have to bite the bullet and get a really crappy job. Washing dishes sounds tolerable.

I am going to try and post more. I have a lot of thoughts I would like to post. Those of you who know me well know that I am good at pushing my opinion, so I might do some of that.

Pictures to come. I have to go through and edit a little, but I will post soon.

Peace and love... free love

Get Ready

Alright,
I am going to start posting here more often. Pictures and and thoughts. Updates of what I am doing from day to day. Things might get pretty interesting. Here is a pic I took during hunting with my Pops. That is a story I would like to tell, but later.

Last Europe vids

So here are the last videos from Europe. There is a recap video, and then kyle and I give some of our favorite memories of the trip.




Kyle's Memory


Abe's Memory

Tim and his Accent

Tim is from England, and he was roommates with Kyle during their time at the Shelter in Amsterdam. Tim came and stayed at L'Abri while we were there. Tim was teaching us English accents, and we discovered that Tim had a incredible American accent. The following videos are of me trying to get him to talk.







This might be an inside joke... so I apologize if you don't think it is funny.

Death Cab for Cutie concert in Berlin Germany

The fallowing videos are of the Death Cab for Cutie show that Kyle and I were able to attend in Berlin Germany on 11/25/08. The show was fantastic, they played well, and the venue was really nice.




This is Frightened Rabbit who opened for Death Cab


Death Cab:



The Employment Pages



The New Year



Grapevine Fires




I Will Fallow You Into the Dark



We Looked Like Giants

This was by far one of my favorite songs they played that night. They just really rocked it. Chris Walla switched instruments with Nick Harmer and they killed it!



Transatlanticism

I highly suggest going to a show in Berlin sometime. Berlin is a must see in Europe by my standards, and they have a great art culture. So if you ever make it to Germany, then head to Berlin.

Krakow Poland

Here are some shots from Poland when it was really cold.

Back

So I am back in Boise, and it is really cold. There is snow on the ground and the heat is off in my brother's house because the furnace is being replaced. I am over jet lag now, and I am just trying to get my feet under me. Normal life starts to move. I ordered a cell phone... I have to get some Christmas gifts in order.

I am going to be posting some new videos; 15 of them to be exact. I will put up some pictures as well, but I am going to take my time with that. Maybe in the next few days there will be some new content and new reflections.

I am glad to be home. Things are well in Idaho, and I can only hope the same in Oregon. I will be there soon. It will be weird to not be in school and be there. I guess I am getting started late on that transition.

More to come.

Update from Europe #5

So we are in Krakow Poland, and it is really cold. It is hard for me to keep the cold at bay because I do not have all the clothing I would normally have with me. I didn't have a lot of room when I was packing, but I will soon be heading to warmer lands. We are going to Prague again tomorrow for one night, and then we will be off to Berlin for a Death Cab for Cutie concert. We will spend one day looking around Berlin and seeing the normal sights. The wall and such. Then we will be traveling to The Netherlands to stay at L'Abri for two weeks. I am really looking forward to the next portion of our trip because it will be a different pace than we have had so far.

Last week we spent a few days in a great town called Polica Czech Republic. We were visiting some of Kyle's friends, and it was a blast. It was really great to see a small town and the culture there. The beer was really good too.

I am running out of steam... so I will end here. More to come soon. Some videos when I can get then uploaded.

Blessings

Update from Europe #4

Hello again,

When we were in Munich Germany over a week ago we climbed a tower to see the city. It was good little clime, and the view was amazing. I hope you enjoy what we have made.


The Ascent


The Top

Update from Europe #3

Hello all,

So it has been a while since we have posted a video and I assure you that there is a good reason for that. It is hard to find Internet access that allows you to upload things to their computer. So the result is that we have had to wait to upload things. This is a video about our stay in Rothenburg Germany, even though that was more than two weeks ago, and we are now in the Czech Republic. We were a little sill that night, but you understand.



Other than that things are going well and we are falling in love with this town we are currently in. Czech Republic rocks! Independence from communist rule rocks too!
There will be about three more videos to come later today, so I am sure it will be interesting.

We love you all, and thank you for prayers and interest.

Update from Europe #2

Hello All,
So I am now here in Germany. It took me two flights from Boise to Frankfurt. I stopped in Chicago on the way, and I just watched the video from last night in that city. Obama is now our president. Lets hope that he can do all that he says he can do, and may he make the right choices in leading our counrty. Pray for him as he starts the most important job of his life.

When I aarived in Frankfurt I was met by Kyle and his friend Anne. We walked to down town and ate lunch. It was a beautiful autum day, and we sat outside in the square and ate some sausage. Good times. Then we went to the small twon north of Frankfurt named Gießen. It is a nice little city where Anne goes to theology school. We are satying with one of her professors who is Canadian. We have our own room and it is quite nice. We will be leaving here tomorrow and heading to Rothenburg for two nights. We are renting a small appartment from a old lady. That will be nice because we can cook for ourselves. Then we will be off to Munich for the weekend. After Muinch we will be heading for Austria.

I am so glad to be here. It feels so natural to be walking around with Kyle in Germany. I am predicting a wonderful trip with great growth spiritually and relationally.
Here is a video update that we filmed this morning. Enjoy.
Blessings.

Epic trip #1

Hello all,
This is the fist video blog of hopefully many.
In this video I am preparing to leave Boise for Europe.
Here I come Kyle!

Sigur Ros Concert

Here are some videos of the Sigur Ros concert in Portland on October 6th. It was a wonderful show.


Svefn-g-englar



Glósóli



Festival



Gobbledigook



All Alright



Untitled 8

Ramblings

So this is a place that I love. I don't know anyone who doesn't love it. I have left this place, and I am going on to be a citizen. Malibu is a place that is truly unique, and as Gilbert Fuller says, "everyone must go down the inlet someday." So the real question is: what can I take with me from Malibu? Is it the people, the place, or is it something much bigger? I believe that what Malibu is in it's location, can be exported. It is my job to make sure that every moment is filled with the love and purpose that Malibu has. A taste of the Kingdom is truly sweet, and I want to taste that in other communities. What kingdom do I belong to? I can choose my citizenship.

I am back in the States, and it feels interesting to say the least. It is nice to see strangers on the street and remember what it is that I like so much about the northwest. It is sad to see people's need to have things, and buy things, and sell things. It is sad to see people's lack of care for others... selfishness. It is sad to know that those same tendencies are in me and it is a constant fight to keep them away. I don't win that fight most of the time. So Christ is calling me to something more than wanting a new cell phone, or getting the right job; in fact Christ is calling me to love more. Love God more, and love people more.

My mother talks all the time about how we should be different enough from the rest of the world that people notice. She has people come up to her sometimes and ask what about her is different. I am not that different yet. I look a lot like the rest of the world. I feel like if we look like the rest of the world we are loosing the battle. I don't think it really takes much to be different. It might be as complicated as loving everyone freely and honestly.

So the challenge to myself is to not be like the rest of the world in it's bad ways. I want to live differently. That means that I need to eat differently, consume differently, talk differently, trust differently, think differently, see differently, and love thoroughly. I want my reasons for living to change, and for my objectives to be different. What is my purpose? Christ has a purpose for me and everyone that is way better than the world's purpose, or the American purpose (also known as the American Dream). Side note: I am not sure that there is anything wrong with the American Dream, but the American dream from 100 years ago is a lot different than the American Dream of today. Health and wellbeing are great... but what is all of this extra crap that we drag along?

Anyway. This is an ongoing, Spirit lead, thought experiment for me. I have been thinking about this a lot for the past few months, and I don't have any solutions except for the ones that Christ gave us a long time ago. I just need the trust and courage to follow Christ. I wrongly think that I am better off doing things for myself, when I really just need to let go of my selfish ambition and take on Christ's ambition.

I have big plans for the next few months. I am in Tacoma right now, and then I will be in Seattle for a few days. I will be heading to Portland for a couple weeks, and that visit will end with a Sigur Ros concert. From there I will be heading to Idaho to see my parents and go camping with my dad for a few weeks. Then I am doing something fantastic. I am meeting my best friend Kyle in Europe to backpack for a month and a half. I am not proud of the money that I am spending on it, but I know this trip will be very good for our friendship. That is my weak justification for the trip. I really just want to be with Kyle and see Europe. However, if Kyle just wanted to camp in my parents backyard for a month and a half, I would still spend the money if I had to. So it is important to me. Side note: I realize that this last thought might contain some inconsistent thinking, but I am trying to make my thoughts and beliefs consistent; sometimes it is a rocky road. My mother calls this the age of inconsistent thinking, so I seem to fall victim of that quite often. That is a good topic for another time.
After Europe I will head back to Idaho for Christmas. Then, depending on how God leads, I will be moving to Portland to hopefully live with Kyle.

I hope this finds you well... I actually hope that it finds you, or that you find it. I mean; this is the next worst thing to talking with me face to face.
Love
Abe

The moon doesn't produce its own light, but it reflects the light of something much greater. There is a great spiritual analogy here, and I need not spoon feed it.

I can't believe that it has already been over a week since I was in Oregon. Malibu has a way of wrapping you up and taking you away. There is a lot of momentum here.
Oregon was good. It was so good to see people. I was surprised at the interactions I had with old friends, and shocked at my visit with one old friend in particular. As usual, God had things under control, and my prayers were answered. They were not answered in the way I thought they would be, but who cares anyway.
So the trip to the States strengthened my faith. I was afraid of the opposite, but talk about a good change in plot.

Before I know it I will be back in the U.S. with real world problems and complicated solutions.
I am excited though. It will be really good to be real for once. Life hasn't been real much in the past few years. What is real life? I suppose we can live a life that seems very real to us, but is quite fake to others and visa versa.
I will do my best with the Holy Spirit guiding me.

I hope this read finds you well.
Blessings