Let it rain

Today we are having our first monsoon rains. Actually, it hasn't started raining yet. However, it smells like rain and looks like rain is coming. The cooler temperatures from the clouds and the wind blowing hard makes it feel like rain. I love this time of year. I love the rain even though it does significant damage here in the desert. The stuff that does survive is that much stronger.

I'm pretty sure there is some spiritual truth in all that. If you can find it let me know. I know that when bad storms come in my life, the stuff that is gone after the rain usually didn't need to be there in the first place. I don't know how, but I get attached to the most insignificant things; things that are probably idols in some personal way.

God references water, pure water, fresh springs, rivers of life constantly throughout the NT and OT. It is the thing we are most dependent on for life.

John 4:

10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

Clicker

Thanks Nori and Christian for picking out the web clicker.

Incredible Movie

I've watched a bunch of movies lately. Not good, huh?! Anyway, today I saw The Incredible Hulk with the FPF. That was awesome! I mean, really sweeeeeeeetttttah! Plus, the "surprise" ending was such a tease (kind of like that comment). Anyway, 5 out of 5 rating or two-thumbs-up or whatever. I'm not sure if it was better than Ironman, but then maybe they aren't comparable. Which would you rather be - a completely technological hero with missiles, flight, and indestructible shielding or pure strength, made more powerful with each breathe, and able to do stuff like the "sonic slap" and the "hulk slam"? I wonder if they would make a good team...

Here's a bunch of clips and trailers for the movie.

Date night

Mrs. Pipes and I saw The Bucket List tonight. It was funny and was an overall great movie. Plus, it was One Dollar Tuesday at the theatre. I thought of something during the movie though. Why, when letters are read in movies, do we always hear the letters read in the voice of the person that wrote it? Whenever I read a letter it's in my voice - even I read it silently. Sometimes I read it like a Pirate Captain, but it's still my voice. Maybe letters would mean more if they were heard like that in real life. Maybe we should stop sending letters and start sending audio tapes to each other... oh, wait, people don't send letters anymore.

Marriage

On my way home tonight I saw a car with soap writing on the back window. I assumed it said "Just Graduated" or "Just Married". A few seconds later I was close enough to see it said "Just Divorced". I shook my head and then "Wow, that's sad, offensive, hurtful, and strange all at the same time."

We've all experienced divorce through friends or family. It's seems God gets pretty upset about it, according to the Bible, and even used it as an extremely vivid teaching tool with the Israelites. But it has become a joke in all aspects - the husband-wife relationship, need fulfillment, as a foundation for family member growth and security, on and on.

I sit at work and listen to almost everyone make jokes about how their marriages are "livable". I want to tell them it's not supposed to be that way, it can be the most fulfilling relationship possible and, if done the way God prescribes, everything we dream. It hurts me to see people living in a mediocre marriage, filling their lives with whatever is FUN, and glossing over the priceless treasures their marriage and families are supposed to be.

Sorry if this is too heavy.

I also thought "What things does God cherish that I make a joke of and not realize it?"

A little of this, a little of that

There's been a lot of little things to write about lately.

Nori and Christian have either completed or are within a couple of weeks of completing their respective grades/classes. We started them both in November; Nori in 2nd and Christian in 1st. I'm so proud of the work they do.

A friend and I hung gutters on our house last Saturday. I wish we could save all the water for the winter season. I just don't think it would be that cost effective. Anyway, the guy that helped is an extremely handy guy and has helped me learn a lot about fixing stuff 'round the house.

We watched Jumpers last night. That was actually decent. I assumed before hand that it would be a cool idea with a poorly developed storyline, so-so acting, an underdeveloped plot, and loose ends. I got what I expected. However, Darth Vader did a better job than I thought and I am still wondering what I would do if I could teleport anywhere I wanted. Would I be a good Jumper or a bad Jumper? Would people hunt me down as monstrosity or abomination?

I'm leaving the Pirating business, er, Secret Agent business and going into movie critiquing. Think I'll make it?

I start the next class as Liberty U next week - Daniel and Revelation. It probably won't be easy, but classes from there encourage my faith and challenge my beliefs.

Our pool is going great the 2nd time around. It is really nice to relax in with all this heat.

Two weeks until the circus - swwweeeeeeeeeeetaaaaaah!

Candi and I have almost been married 10 years... well, o.k. almost 9 years and that's almost 10! So, it doesn't seem like we've been married for almost 20 years - amazing. I am extremely bless to be married to her; I can't wait to see the rest!

VBS

It's been a long week. I was a small group leader (that's a big title for "plays with five kids and tells them Jesus is cool") VBS at Christ Community church. It was a great experience and the lady that was our group leader was great to work for. I also had a very long week at work. Basically starting Monday I got up at 0700, returned from VBS at 1230, ate, showered, left for work, returned from work between 1130 and 0000 and crawled into bed as quickly as I could afterward. Whew! I'm glad that is over. It was neat for Candi to have the week "off" (she just had Wyatt from 0800 to 1200). I really got attached to the kids in my group - I wish I could have made the performance Friday night. Uncle Sam had other priorities for me...

Sweeeeeeeeet

At work last night, the watch supervisor came up and told us that the space shuttle, attached to the space station, was going to pass right over Tucson at 8:24. It was supposed to be the brightest light in the sky at that time. At first we were watching something else and then saw a "low", fast moving light in the direction of Pheonix. We were sure that was it because it only took about 45 seconds to move from the Grand Canyon to Tucson! It was about 250 miles above us traveling at 17000 mph. It looked like an airplane doing normal speed at 5000 to 10000 feet. It was an awesome sight. About an hour and a half later it was back over California; it had completed an entire orbit around the earth. Here's a link to see where it is now and get some other info on the flight and crew.

Another tooth!

This is a little bit of old news but...