Acting! (picture Jon Lovitz on SNL for effect)

Just watched Reign Over Me last night. Really good movie. It got me thinking about some of the best acting performances I've seen lately so I decided to share my top 3 actors for the past 10 years or so.

#3 Matt Damon-it all started with Good Will Hunting which continues to be one of my all-time favorites. He's Jason Bourne for goodness sake. He loses points for the Good Shepherd, although I think that had more to do with De Niro's directing. But of course, he's one of Danny Ocean's boys.

#2 Don Cheadle-Watching Reign Over Me reminded me how good he is. He's very comfortable and believable in many roles. Hotel Rwanda being his best work and Crash is up there too. The Family Man is fun too. Also, one of Danny Ocean's boys. Bonus points for playing Ice Trey during the first season of the Fresh Prince!

#1 Ed Norton-Just my opinion but I think he wins this short list. He had a nice streak going with Rounders, American History X, and Fight Club. Then he was solid in The Score and The Italian Job. I haven't seen a lot of his recent movies so I can't judge his Hulk. He's in The Kingdom of Heaven too, but I haven't seen it a second time and I can't remember his part in that. Either way, he edges out Cheadle by a hair at this point in time. We'll see where these guys go from here.

What's your top 3?

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Nothing to see here

I won't waste time trying to excuse myself for poor blogging habits. Even though life is busy, there doesn't seem to be anything of real consequence going on. So, the updates....
-Discovery Church softball is in the midst of a best-of-5 series for the GCCSL Championship (click here for stats). The series is tied up at 1-1, with game 3 coming up on Friday night. GCCC has apparently won the last 2 years, but they've got their hands full this year. I've been struggling to stay healthy. I seem to pull a muscle every other game, so I have been doing heavy duty rehab between contests. Luckily nothing has been too serious and I've played in each game.
-Kim's brother has recently become engaged to his long-time girlfriend.
-Kim and I continue to attend Crossbridge Community Church and things are going well. We continue to become more comfortable and we really like meeting people who live nearby.
-August is going to be the last month for me to have any fun until next June. I'm gearing up for a heavy load of studies. I'll have classes on Wednesday & Thursday nights @ Rutgers for the fall semester and I'll have School Business Administrator Certification courses on Saturdays from 9am-2pm starting in September (plus the 1 hr drive to get there). I'll be needing some superhuman discipline to keep up.
-Work is good and busy but not exhausting. New teachers will be reporting next Monday and all teachers return the Monday after that. And then the kids show up.... I don't think I'm ready for that.
-Quick shout out to Pastor Marty who faithfully blogs about his pursuit of relationships. It's good to hear about his success but also nice to know that it's difficult for him too.
-Last note... check out the video of my nephew's first birthday party. Good times...

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By Our Love

click for the inspiration for this post. Also see a few of the posts from here, and some other relevant ideas from my Mission posts. I offer these so you have a frame of reference if you haven't been following the string of discussion as it was posted.

Sometimes I like to jot down an idea when it pops in my head and save it for later. Reading the post linked above, jogged my memory about a idea for a post that was in response to some of the "blogversation" (new word, go with it?) with Bear Much Fruit....

"What about a Christian organization that does social work and has gatherings? Just don't call it a church. Combatting cynicism with true Christian life lived out."

I feel like this is a pretty radical thought and I am even a little scared by it. There's a fine line between doing God's work and doing it completely without mentioning Him. I especially hate the political correctness that is sometimes needed to execute such a dance. You might even call it the "spiritual lambada". You put your faith in action. It's clear that you are doing good things for other people and sacrificing your own desires. But you never announce that God is the reason for your work.

I think that's where I lose it. My faith might be big enough to do works and love the unlovely, but it's not big enough to let God take it from there. I want the result and the reward of knowing that the work was worth the effort. I forget that my part is over and done with. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that these things might stem from my issues with trusting other people (a post for another day). But God's not "other people". Ugh, I am so hardheaded sometimes. Anybody else got understanding God figured out yet?

Anyway, I'd like your thoughts on this issue of showing Christian love, with no strings attached and no expectations, only that you have done your part in someone's journey. Also comment if you have thoughts about my post idea that's italicized up at the beginning of the post. It might be fun to do some "shock and awe" caliber of loving.

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Catching up

OK, so I didn't post anything when we returned from our Austin trip. I guess I ran into another dry spell, blog-wise. You can visit my facebook for pictures from the trip. My comments give you the general idea of what we did there. We really had a great time. Austin is very cool and if you're ambitious enough, you can hear a wide variety of music in just 1 night. The 2 most interesting spots were Speakeasy and the Elephant Room. Speakeasy has an alley entrance instead of sidewalk entrance. It's designed to be a throwback to the prohibition days. The Elephant Room is in a long skinny basement, and is nationally recognized for bringing in top jazz musicians.

Other highlights included, anniversary dinner @ Carmelo's, lunch @ Hickory Street B&G, appetizer @ BD Riley's, Fireman's #4 beer, Indiana Jones @ the Alamo Drafthouse, great weather, great people, and visiting our friends.

Next item... I changed jobs. 2 hours before we took off for Austin, I got a job offer from DUE Season Charter School to be the Business Manager, and today was my first day there. I spent 2 years in the Willingboro School District and there were a few times that I thought I'd be out of there even sooner. But circumstances kept changing and there was potential for advancement. Once that potential was squashed though, there was very little reason for me to stay. I had some really excellent relationships there and I am grateful for what those people added to my life. I hope that I was able to do the same for them.

Now I'm in Camden. I am really excited to be a part of a positive organization in that city. My friends, The A's, are immersed in Urban Promise. In a way, I sometimes get jealous of people like them who are so selfless and committed to their calling. I have to remember that I have not been called to do the same thing and I just have to be faithful with what I am called to do. God has definitely blessed my career so far. He must have a reason for this new position, so I'll just have to keep walking with Him so I don't miss out on anything. I'll try to keep you updated as things develop.

Next... We've been to Crossbridge Community Church 3 times now. My internal battle over this church is this... it feels comfortable and familiar, but maybe that's because it's so similar to the church I recently left. We have talked to a few people there, and they are super nice and welcoming. We have decided that we will be semi-regular for the time being.

Quick hits...(the end, I promise)... I shot 99 on Friday on my first round of golf for 2008. Fairly satisfied with that. Got a new PC from Dell's Outlet-"Scratch and Dent". There are no scratches or dents. Got a couple of suits so I can dress like an adult at my new job. It does feel like my first real grown-up job. Hopefully I act accordingly. Softball is winding down. My team has 1 game left tomorrow. I'll be playing with another team for a few games after that.

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That makes 4

Kim and I are heading to Austin, TX this afternoon for a long weekend to celebrate our 4th anniversary. It is slightly random, but in late April when I was feeling overwhelmed by school and my grandfather's health issues, I had a feeling that we would need to get away by ourselves once the calendar reached this date. So far we've gone to St. Louis, New York, and Atlantic City on our anniversaries, so this will continue the traveling theme. We also have friends in Austin so it will be a good opportunity to catch up with them. We don't really have plans to see anything in particular but I'll definitely take pictures of whatever we bump into. Check in next week for a recap.

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In Memoriam

I'd like to post what I shared at my Grandfather's funeral, this past Wednesday. It's been a long, long week for me. Each yesterday seems further and further behind. By writing this eulogy, I think I was able to process some things about myself that I already knew, just hadn't really identified them. Here is my View on my Grandfather's life...

Life was simple in my grandfather's world. You do what needs to be done and that's it. You don't make excuses and you don't look for the easy way out. You finish what you start and look back, only after the work is done. You give yourself.... your time, money, energy-your very best, to those who need it. And your family gets this effort before anyone else.

I learned a lot from him. Most of it was very practical, logical, useful-for everyday life. And most of it was from watching him. He didn't have to say much for me to know what he was thinking. But, sometimes when I messed up, he told me exactly what he was thinking.

He set goals and he worked towards them. When he came across a new type of problem, he studied until he knew how to solve it. He never stopped challenging himself.

He also knew how to play and have fun. Baseball in the backyard. Card games in the kitchen. Bowling, darts, and Nerf miniature golf set up around the basement furniture. We made an annual trip to Canobie Lake Park. We went out to eat at Big Boy's all the time and no waitress was safe from his teasing. He could always break the ice with his charm. It was easy to notice how much he enjoyed spending time with family.

These memories are a small sample of the experiences that I've had during my 28 years with my grandfather. There are so many more that I get to remember anytime I want. The memories he gave me are the greatest gifts of all.

He taught me about life and priorities, and how everyday choices impact what will happen tomorrow. That it is important to recognize the value of each choice. He taught me that it's ok to relax, have fun, be myself, and take a break if that's what I needed. He taught me that I could love my family by working hard and taking care of their needs.

Sometimes it's easier to say I love you, than it is to show it. He chose to show it. I am blessed by his example. His way of living for his family. It was a simple choice that he made everyday. It's who he was, and it's who I want to be. To honor him. Amen.


PS. Now you know why I say...

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Grandpa

Here's the link to my brother's blog which has more info about my grandfather's recent passing. More to come later.