PET PEEVES

so the other day my friend and i were talking about all of the things that bugs us or things that people do that bug us. we were laughing really hard. so i thought it would be funny to make a whole list of things that are my PET PEEVES (this is not a normal post, but i thought it would be funny)

Ready? here we go:

• Drivers who don't use a turn signal.
  
• People who read out loud what they're typing in an email or letter.
  
• Kids who tease dogs through a fence.
  
• Couples who sit on the same side of the booth when there is no one on the other side.
  
• Parents who bring their young kids to R rated films.
• People who sit next to you on public transportation even when there are other seats available.
• Noisy eaters.
  
• Students who prolong class by asking the most inane questions.
  
• When people take 20 napkins, use one, then throw them all away.
  
• Whenever anyone says "Ya, know what I'm sayin"...
  
• Drivers who won't turn right on red.
  
• When you genuinely ask someone what's wrong (when there obviously is something wrong) and they respond half-heartedly, "hmmm? oh nothing..."
  
• People who ride their bikes in the road when a sidewalk is right there.
  
• People who take forever to order food while I'm in line.
  
• The way people walk in flip flops.
  
• When you're eating candy and someone asks if they can have a red one.
  
• Chasing after a ping pong ball.
  
• Jerks who take up 2 parking spaces.
  
• When something I've been into for a long time becomes popular.
  
• People who give their kids weird names
  
• People who invite you out somewhere then cancel.
  
• When you order a salad at a restaurant and they bring it to you at the same time as your dinner.
• When you can't tell if someone is male or female.
• When you're invited to a party (or any event) with people you have never met, and the host doesn't introduce you to anyone.
  
• People who go the wrong way in a parking lot.
  
• People who write "Keep in touch!" in your yearbook but never talk to you again.
  
• When someone with a full cart of groceries gets into the 10 items or less line.
  
• Movie sequels that are unnecessary.
  
• When someone leaves their phone number at the end of a long message and they say it so fast you can't understand it and have to listen multiple times to figure it out.
  
• Suburban kids who think they are gangstas.
  
• When people say 'supposebly' instead of 'supposedly'.
  
• In an obviously crowded restaurant, people who linger long after receiving their check.
  
• When you pull a string hanging from your shirt and it doesn't break, but only becomes longer.
• People who can't complete a sentence without saying "you know".
• When people don't clear the microwave numbers.
  
• People who refer to themselves in the third person.
• People who wear CROCS....they should be illegal
• People who no matter what relate to something you have done and try to "one up" you.
  
• Rappers who thank God at awards ceremonies.
  
• Mumbling, then annoyingly saying "Forget it!" when people don't hear you.
  
• People who use a calculator to figure out the tip at a restaurant.
  
• People who don't use deodorant.
  
• Taking forever to leave a parking space while others are clearly waiting for it
  
• People who say the time like "Eight AM in the morning".
  
• People who won't take their kid out of a restaurant when they are crying, screaming, etc.
  
• Guys who wear wife beaters (and nothing else for a shirt) in public.
  
• In mini golf when you miss the hole three times in a row less than a foot away.
  
• When someone starts to watch a show or movie in the middle of it and expect you to tell them what's happening.
  
• Shopping carts with a broken wheel.
  
• Going out to dinner with a big group, eating $10 worth of food and having to split the whole bill and ending up paying much more than you ate.
  
• Sitting in the movies and hearing someone eating popcorn.
  
• People who talk about their favorite sports team and say "WE" like they are a part of the team.
  
• When those little hinges on the CD case break, and now you can't open and close it.
  
• Email with no subject.
  
• When someone is giving a speech in class and they won't stop looking at you as they speak.
  
• When you're trying to walk in the mall and there's a kiosk and they hound you to try their cell phone service or whatever.
  
• Speed Bumps.
  
• People who tell you "Oh! You have to try this! It's the best thing ever!" And when you do try it and it sucks.
  
• Movie talkers
  
• People who constantly sniffle.
  
• Getting stuck at red lights, while nobody is going the other direction.
  
• Wobbly tables.
  
• TV shows and commercials ads with ringing doorbells or phones, which make you into thinking the sound is coming from your house.
  

that is all i have right now....but i guess that is a lot. just having some fun with pet peeves. hope you got a laugh out of them.

Just Thinking Out Loud Here

so i have been in palm springs the past few days with my family. my sister brought a few friends and kristin was able to join me out here as well (i love her). my family rented this ridiculously nice house for the week. there is a courtyard when you walk in through the "front door" with a huge fountain and the entire house wraps around this courtyard. there is an amazing pool right on the golf course. i got to play one of the most difficult/famous golf courses in America, the PGA-West Pete Dye's "The Stadium". it has one of the most famous holes in all of golf (i parred it, just saying when Tiger played here last he hit it in the water. booyah). so its been fun being able to hang out and relax with the family.

but i noticed something. when i was golfing and at the place we are staying at, we are almost the only ones here. i mean, not a lot of people would come to palm springs in the summer (we are not most people). i would say almost 50% of the houses out here are not used for at least 6 months out of the year.

then i read this quote from Rob Bell in his book "Jesus Wants to Save Christians." he says,

God measures our faith by how we treat the widows, orphans, strangers - the weak - among us."

my thought was, what if Christians took this to heart. i mean really took this to heart. i mean literally took this to heart to the point that it would probably make us step out of our comfort zones a little bit. stepping out makes you grow in faith. God measures your faith by how much you step out and care for the oppressed.

i got thinking, what if every family that had a house out here in palm springs, allowed a family who was homeless to live in the house while they were trying to get back out on their feet? imagine how many families would be able to have a roof over their heads because we allowed them to stay in a house that we wouldnt to stay in because of the weather? here is an excuse, "but homeless people are just drunk or high all of the time, you have no idea what they will do with our stuff." youre sort of right, SOME homeless are homeless for those reasons. but the fact is a huge majority of families are homeless because of bad luck. Look just around us! in San Dimas' Red Roof Inn, there are 60....SIXTY..... families living there. full families in one room.

could you really imagine if Christians stepped up and did something extreme like allowing others to use extra houses, or rooms, or shoot, extra anything you have. because if that quote is true, which i think it is because it convicts me like crazy, and God measures our faith by how well me treat the oppressed, i would love to prove God right in the fact that my faith is firm. and i can show others that God cares for them by the way HIS people treat and care for them.

God help me have an even bigger heart for the oppressed. let me show Your love through me to them to let them know there is a God who loves and cares for them. AMEN.

Random Fact: Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones and Vice President Al Gore were college roommates at Harvard.

Wow Wowzers Wowey

i cant even sleep right now. tonight was amazing.

i preached at Shift Students tonight. i got to finish the "Red Letters" series. it was a series that we got to teach students some things that we have been struggling with, and dealing with ourselves.

i got to preach on John 3:16, and the weight that this verse truly has when we read it in its true context. the fact that John 3:16 is the Christian staple verse changes when we read the verses that surround it. verses 17-21 are the toughest/intense verses in John. in order for us to really GET John 3:16, in order for us to not perish and have eternal life, we HAVE to obey and take in consideration John 3:17-21.

after the message, quite a few of students came forward to pray. AWESOME. i got to pray with one student who i have been looking forward to praying with. and i got to pray with someone who excepted Christ for the first time. seriously amazing. this is just a reminder of why i am doing what i am doing.

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

God thank you for allowing this to happen

Tell Me What You See?

This thought came to me this morning as i was just laying in bed:

if someone were to ask us, "are you a Christ Follower?" would be be comfortable and confident to answer like this: "Tell me what you see"?

is there enough evidence by the way we live our lives to show that we are followers of Jesus? what if they were to ask the people who are around us? or the poor in our cities? would they be able to answer, "yes, that person is a follower of Jesus because i can tell by how they treated me."

our actions should show that we are Christ followers. we are supposed to be the image of Jesus, and we should act like Him. Christians have not always looked like Jesus, i can easily admit that. and that makes me sad. Shane Claiborne says, "Perhaps the greatest barrier to Christ has been Christians who pronounce Jesus so loudly with their lips and deny Him so loudly with their lives."

i want to break that barrier with my life. i want to be able to answer the question of "are you a Christ follower?" with "tell me what you see" and be confident that i have done what we are all called to do.

random fact: If you watch early Fresh Prince of Bel-Air you can see Will Smith's lips moving to other characters lines.