Random Puzzle Bits

Welcome to the actual update!

Gamers Call- As for matters outside my usual train of thought, a new game came out recently Neverwinter 2. Wow, it looks great and holds countless potential for lost time, heh. My friends have already gotten it and started building another online world for people to play on. Grand aspirations and I hope they find it to be worthwhile in the end. I know that doing those things, at least for me, is only fun for a time, but unlike many projects a persona can take this one is connected to other people. In that way it is much harder to stop when you get tired of it. As Astro said, it becomes like work. Still, it is cool to see it develop and cool to think that people from all over will be playing on it when they get it ready. I haven't even bought it yet and I'm not sure I want to. I don't have time really. Between this one and a race game that's in the works I could loose months of time. Precious time. Though I dodged the bullet on the game itself I was still happy to work on the website for it. Sheesh, I love working on these things, but I always dream bigger than I can actually manage. It's not that the layout is bad or that the functionality is bad, I just keep thinking it looks weak. It needs something and I can't place it. Usually I'd make up for it by going into design mode, but it has a theme that is limiting to me so that is not an option. Much like my drawing ability, I dream something impressive and then fall short in application, wondering what I missed or why it didn't work. Oh well. (^_^)

Rekindling- I actually took time recently to draw a couple of things. Man it was a great release for me even though it was apparent that I hadn't sketched in years. If I can take time to do some more maybe I'll make a post to showcase my poor excuse for artistic talent, LOL. Haven't read any books recently. It makes me a bit sad actually. Drawing and reading are so important to me and yet even without TV and games I never take time for them. What is that about!?

Focused Efforts- So, as I had mentioned earlier, I have been side tracked recently on a forum. The forum is called Youth on the Rock (YOTR) and is titled and directed for "Christian Students" though that title is more vague than you might think. It is overall a good place with good people, as most are. It is not however a safe haven of Christianity as I always assume when I read "Christian Forum" in the title. Coming from that other forum, an atheist forum, where it was flat out spiritual warfare this place is calm and polite. Keeping that in mind I got very worked up at some of the Theology I found on the YOTR forum, as I was expecting the safe haven and did not find it, not as I imagined. Don't get me wrong, the purpose and hope of it is as good as it can be without being subject to heavy admin control and I do not mean to insult its owners. It just contains and seems to accept more confusion that I would like to see.

So, like I was saying I got quite upset at what I saw. Several threads geared and in progress that attacked the credibility of the Bible, a few threads that were pushing the bad theology of the LDS church, a thread that was counting lust as an acceptable nature, and of course a handful of the same tough and poorly understood topics within our founded faith. None of this is too much to deal with though so I do feel it is rewarding to stay (as opposed to the last forum) and aid the few who are already pushing and offering sound Theology. Seeing as how their is already no shortage of good hearts I don't see a need to roam around the forums day and night posting random stuff and making a presence in that capacity. If only the two parts (loving hearts and sound theology) can find a balance then the forum would be as it aught to be, in my mind anyway.

Anyway, as these topics die down I find that my time frees up a good bit. For a few weeks their I was coming home after 8 hours and spending 6 more in front of the computer researching and putting together clear responses to those threads. It is quite rewarding but man it's demanding. As they cool off I feel the need to post on some of those topics seeing as how the confusion crosses the gamut of believers and is not necessary if we place our hope in Christ and Scripture. Promise to try not to be longwinded as I do. (^_^)

New Venture- I have been asked (again) to partake in a youth related matter. It baffles me that God would gift me as He has and then, in the midst of so many goings-on, give me a direction towards that which is so far removed from my nature or gifts. Not that the gifts wouldn't carry over. Not that He can't make it work even if I had no gifts. But why youth? I guess it does actually make sense and I do see that, but I am fighting it. IT took a lot to break down for camp and that was only a week once a year. This offer is once a week for a year and possibly a span of several years. The church recently got a youth director which it desperately needed and she is looking for help. I had skipped two offers prior to this one and yet these are the offers that come. So I am going to dive in in the next few weeks. Expect a longer and more detailed ramble later.

New Service- Also, my church is interested in creating a contemporary service the likes of which I had hoped for and I am looking to sink my hands into that project as it comes. I have read a lot about contemporary churches in the past few years, but I have not actually been to many. I think my mental vision of a contemporary service is a bit more...contemporary?...than the average for this area, but we'll see what develops. At it's core I see a need for both styles, traditional and contemporary. Neither should be to an extreme lest the people become lost to it and not to the purpose of being there. Something I'll ramble on about a bit later I'm sure.

Awkward Happiness- One of my closest friends has managed to get engaged recently and has asked me to be part of the wedding which I was so excited about. He is having a bit of resistance though by those around him and I kind of feel bad about it. Oddly enough the resistance is not coming from his family but from his friends in Christ. To be honest I am counted among them and though I'd like to go into it he may not appreciate that, so I won't. We only have concerns and though they may seem as opposition they are not invalid. They are also born of love for him and his new fiancee(sp?). They are a great couple it seems and I pray the best for them as their wedding date approaches. I only mention it all because I am both happy and concerned about it all. Tough spot to be in, I'll have to give it up to God again as it is too much for me.

Ok, well that is a good bit of updates. Their is more, but somethings do not belong here. God Bless.