Time Changes People

I just received an email from a friend in college who was in my campus group at church. We have stayed in touch over the years and have visited a handful of times. He sent me a website that showed where our campus minister had recently moved. The church this campus minister now attends as a minister is a Presbyterian Church. Our church back in college was a Church of Christ. For those of you who are familiar with these churches, you know there is a difference between their beliefs and doctrines.

We were close to this minister and his wife during the time at school. He married my wife and me so that puts him on a different level also. I know that if we meet again we will still be very good friends, but will it be as wonderful as it would if we still had the same religious beliefs. I have noticed over the years as I make renewed contact with the campus group that many have gone different directions. Some to new types of Protestant churches, some to the Catholic church and some to no church. It has been hard to see this happening. It is happening to the point that I almost don't want to talk to some of my old friends in case they too have gone a totally different direction.

I don't really know where I am going with this. It just has personally hit me and it makes me wonder about how people change over time. I don't feel that my views on Christianity and the church have changed that much over the years. Of course I have matured and grown stronger in my faith (thank God for that one), but I am still going to the same type of church that I went to in college. I think part of my thoughts have been influenced by a book I am reading now. It is called The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History by A. Kenneth Curtis/J. Stephen Lang/Randy Petersen. It is amazing to read through the history of the Christian church and see the steady changes that continued to happen decade after decade, century after century. I would be a fool to not think I would see changes around me over a twenty year period.

I think that another portion of my life which has made these changes difficult for me is the close friendships that I presently have on a daily basis (that is not a bad thing - to have close friendships). There are a handful of families that I have known since after college for a long period of time. These families have remained close together in our beliefs. That has been truly wonderful. However, this has made me think that no one changes over time or it is rare. Unfortunately, it seems to be more rare for people to NOT change. I am just happy that our merry band of families have continued along the same path. Our faith has been an inspiration to each other during difficult times in our lives. I am happy that God is there providing a family for us. It would be so difficult to struggle through life without a Christian family to lean on.

Are You an Airplane Fanatic?

How to tell the difference between someone who just loves airplanes and an airplane fanatic:

1 – Have you ever driven 2 hours to see an air show on 2 hours of sleep and missed the Thunderbirds, and said, “That’s okay, it was worth trying.”

2 - Have you ever looked under the wing of an airplane to check if they used countersunk rivets or protruding head rivets?

3 – Do you know what countersunk and protruding head rivets are?

4 – Have you ever been walking backwards, being pulled by your children, as you were trying to finish up the last words on the description sign for an airplane?

5 – Have you ever braved ninety degrees in sunshine, a sunburn, a dry thirsty mouth, huge crowds, just to watch airplanes fly in vertical circles?

6 – Have you ever been driving down the road with your head out the window screaming at the top of your lungs, “IT’S AN F-16!”

7 – Have you ever found yourself drooling while thinking, “Look at those beautiful curves, she sure is pretty, I love the way she sits there, and I bet she has great moves”, then realize you’re looking at an airplane?

8 – Have you ever sat up in bed while still asleep and start discussing how everything is going to be okay because you will be able to fix the airplane?

9 – Have you ever taken hours (and hours) to cut the grass because you have to stop and watch each airplane that flies by until you can’t see it anymore?

10 – Do you rate the quality of movies by the amount of REAL airplane footage they have in them?

Ratings: 1-3 Novice, 4-6 Ace, 7-9 Fanatic, 10 Wing Nut!!!!

I have been caught, tried, and found guilty of all ten of these items. Just call me Mr. Wing Nut.

7 Random Facts About Me

I was tagged by Ladybug with this Meme. Check out the rules!!!

7 Random Facts... now these are the rules:
- Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
- Post these rules on your blog.
- List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
- Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
- Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog

7 Random Facts About Me:

1. One year I juggled in a sermon I gave on Easter Sunday.
2. I can spend one hour in an airplane museum.....at the first airplane.
3. The last time I saw 6 am I was coming home from work.
4. I was a clown in a church group. My name was Arky.
5. I can spot a plane in the sky faster than anyone I know, except maybe Artax.
6. I love to draw.
7. I love to read Grimm's fairy tales, although my favorite children's book to "act out" is Mr. Bear Squash-You-All-Flat.

People I have tagged:
Clankeeper, Fautus, Redding Mountain, The Head Master, and Mr. Tootlepip if he is willing!

Up and Running

The blog is up and running with no little help from Ladybug. I still can't believe I am venturing out into this world of blogging. After much insistence from Ladybug, I have finally conceded and set up my own blog with her help. I am still wondering who would want to listen to my ramblings.

We watched the movie The Ultimate Gift tonight and it was very enjoyable. It is wonderful to see Artax understanding more and more about concepts of life. He is growing up so fast. I don't have much to say tonight. Don't expect to see more than a few posts a week. Who knows, I might surprise myself!

By the way, if you are wondering where the name Artax came from, it comes from the book The Neverending Story. Artax and I saw this story in a play recently and it was very exciting for him. So exciting that he is now reading the book.