What Would the Colonel Do?

So I went out to eat tonight and let me tell you I am never going to this place again. Now I usually love KFC, especially the Big Crunch Combo however tonight I was not all that hungry due to the fact that the school had steaks for once and I had one of those.

Moving on, so I still was kinda hungry so I got their new deal thing..."The Snacker" for about 5 bucks. Now the pictures that I am about to show you are not altered in any way nor do they mis-represent what I was given for a meal.

So what do you think? Jipped or what? It was smaller then a credit card. Now I understand that it was called the snacker and everything but for the price that I paid for this I could have gotten a full size meal at McDonald's. I don't think that the Colonel would appreciate where his dream is going, he must be rolling over in his grave right now.

R.I.P. Mr Sanders.

God is Awesome!

Today God provided like he usually does! We had an Awards Ceremony today here at the ol' BBC, this is where they hand out scholarships. I enjoy Bethany for the simple reason that it is the only school I know where not all the scholarships are awarded based on grades but on character too!

It is this which made it possible for me to get a $200 scholarship today which I feel totally blessed to get. God provides in big and small doses and even though this may seem like a small one, this is really a big affirmation that He does provide. Praise the Lord.

If Only...

...Some of these made production...
(Click for larger image)

Snow?

Ok so my second post today, that's pretty impressive. However I need to complain about the snow. Yeah that is right it's snowing here...in the middle of April. What's the deal? The snow has been gone for almost two weeks and it's been so nice out but now it is back to a fridged wonder-land. Stupid!

But on a brighter note, I finished the last of my big term projects today at 3:30pm. Does it ever feel good! I mean I can relax for the last week of classes! What could be better then that? Oh ok, I guess going to Oregon this summer is definitely better then that! But still you gotta admit that it's pretty sweet!

So I guess in order to make this blog interesting, I have a question that deals with my paper that I wrote today. Is the church a sacred place or just a building that we use? I have heard many different arguments and personally I feel that it is just a building that we use. Opinions?

Question...

Why is it when you are on a stall in the bathroom, people that walk in are often tempted to peer in that little crack that is there when the door is closed? Do they feel that if they see an image of someone that they may recognize they might knock on the door to shake hands? Does this happen to girls?

Just a few things that crossed my mind during a visit to the restroom at my church this weekend. This is exactly what happened to me, minus the knocking on the door to shake hands, but add in a little kid who didn't peak through the crack but instead put his head in underneath the door. What did I do you ask? Said "hello", what else could I do?

On another note exam week is quickly approaching which is a good thing but it sucks non-the-less. Summer comes but what will the price be? Anyone care to make wagers on my GPA?

Presenting....

My Summer Team...ALIVE 2005!

Andy "I like to hit things" Henne on Drums and not to mention Josh "Everyone likes the bass player" Harris on the Ax

Diana "I didn't Jump High Enough " Davis rocking the Vocals and also featuring Lisa "I think I broke my leg" Forman keeping the world turning with Sound

Mike "I can be feminine too" Chapman on Electric Guitar & Pipes and keeping things fresh Jon "What Was I Thinking" Billings on Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

So there they are! Five of the coolest people I know. They are really awesome and guys I can't wait till we hit the road this summer!! You all rock!!!

Wow...I am SO EXCITED!!!

Ok so I know that my title makes me sound like a teenage girl who just got a date with the quarter-back of the football team. Well that's ok cause that's kinda how I feel.

Yesterday all the summer teams of the school had a meeting to get our schedules and to find out where in the great continent of North America we will be this summer. There had been rumor early on in the semester that there may be a team that would be going to Oregon. How sweet would that be? I mean West Coast, Pacific Ocean...California! Yeah that would be sweet! And just a few weeks the rumor was confirmed, one team would be going to Oregon.

Now they just added a fourth summer team to the roster this year, a servant team of four people, who will traveling via a rent-a-van. Everyone was pretty sure that they were going to be the ones that would be going out west for sure, simply because it would be more feasible for gas money and such. Another thing that we had going against us was that my team last year was picked to go to Colorado to a camp in the Rockies and logic said that it would be maybe another team.

Flash forward to the meeting when we receive our schedules...I am looking down at it and seeing the usual Michigan, Ontario camps along with one in South Dakota but there was no Oregon. I was a little upset but I had mentally prepared my self for that. So I looked on the other teams schedules to see the lucky team that would be going...but nothing. It wasn't on anyone's sheet. So I look at mine again and noticed that I had never heard of the third camp where we would be and asked Dave Klob, our summer team director, where it was.

I think I mentally wet myself at what I heard him say. "It's the one you wanted, it's Oregon."

Nuff said!! I am going to the West Coast this summer!! Driving through the Rockies twice and I get to see people I never thought that I would see again, like Josh Morton from IWU (Love ya buddy), and so much more!! I am so blessed.

Here is the official schedule for ALIVE 2005 for this summer!

June 13-17: Greater Ohio Teen Camp
June 17-25: North Michigan Teen Camp
June 27-July 1: Northwest District Teen Camp (Oregon baby!!)
July 9-17: West Michigan Family Camp
July 18-22: Dakota Middle School Camp
July 25-30: Dakota Sr. High Camp
August 7-13: Zion Hill Sr. High Camp
August 21-26: Zion Hill Jr. High Camp
August 26-September 2: Silver Lake Sr. Teen Camp

I'll keep you all posted on further developments!

Striving for Mediocrity...

...and doing an exceptional job at it, or so it seems.

Sitting in a church service at an undisclosed location on Sunday this thought struck me, "Is the church's plan to reach people by striving for mediocrity?" There were many things that brought this thought to my attention. First was the powerpoint presentation. Do you know how difficult it is to follow along to a song when the slide doesn't change for a whole verse? Even more so for those new to the church who may not know the faithful hymn that should be being displayed. Another powerpoint difficulty that I have seen at many churches are misspelled words in songs, ones that are very obvious.

Lack of practice by the worship band is another one that can be seen sometimes. Would it be too much to ask someone to put some more thought into what songs are played, the order and whether or not the band knows them? Maybe I am picky but I think to most people things like these look sloppy.

So why is the church this way? (Speaking in generalities here, I know that your church may not be like this...) Should we not care about what we do enough to want to do it well? Do we use the phrase, "we'll let the Spirit do a work" way too often? I think so.

It's Been Awhile Since...

Ok so maybe there aren't that may of you that are into Stained. So yes it has been a few long agonizing days I am sure, since I have last updated. So what to write about you ask? Well I could write about the Pope dying but everyone and his dog will be blogging about that for the next few days. I've already ranted about the NHL and MLB so that's a no go too. Oh maybe I will fill you in on some news that comes into effect today.

Last Tuesday we here at Bethany Bible College had a classic chapel service. Now it was just going to be another regular service until, believe it or not, Kirk Sabine gets up on stage. Now he said he had an important annoucment that he had to make.

What could be so important that he had to do it at the end of a chapel service? Did Prez get into a car accident? No. They're lowering tuition? No. It was something bigger. Something so huge no one saw it coming.

They ditched the suit on Sunday rule! I mean this is crazy!! Never in my, nor any other past or present attendee of Bethany ever think that would happen!! Craziness! I think the world may have reversed just for a second.

Now really this is something pretty big. It means that the school is moving forward. It means the church is moving forward. But is it too little too late? Should the church (and our school) adopt changes that help us adapt to society or ones that make us stick out like a sore thumb? Are we behind the times? And if so, why isn't anything being done about it?