And the results are in...

This is definitely my favorite shot from our excursion.


Probably a close second. Both of these photos and the next one were from this huge abandoned church building. It was completely gutted.



Out of Service



The Unflappable John Thompson. John and I had a great time shooting and driving throughout south-central Michigan/Northern Ohio. We stopped at this tiny looking diner called "Feed Mill" for a lunch-time breakfast. We each got omelettes that were just fabulous and most filling. A definite recommended stop in my book. The "Real America."





The tree was actually growing out of this silo. We could have gotten some great shots had we disregarded the fact that it was someone's private property. Oh well.



This run down barn doesn't actually go with the above photos. This was behind a burnt out house on the side of the road. Again, many tempting shots were passed up to respect private property.



Art in the Making.




We roamed around on Lake Baw Beese for about twenty minutes (the ice was near a foot thick). I didn't put any of the pictures up but this one because I didn't really like any of them. One was a little comical though, it was a sign sticking up out of the ice about a foot that read "No Wake". Nice.



John and I had a great time. We'll have to make one more trip out before our time here at school runs out. Once it warms up a bit and some life starts popping up we'll head in another direction. Thanks for checking my site out.

-Nathan

Please go see this movie

Dear all, I hope that you are reading this post soon after I put it up. It is nearly
7 PM Friday evening and I am writing to beg you to go and see "Amazing Grace" (the God honoring story of William Wilberforce) this weekend. Not next weekend, THIS weekend. You see, the first weekend of a movie has much to do with how the movie fares for the rest of its running. Right now, Amazing Grace is in a limited number of theaters, but the numbers from its opening weekend have the ability to change that, prompting other theaters to order the movie and show it in their theater. Here is a Ted Baehr's review from the Christian Movie review organization "Movie Guide".

I am driving two hours on Sunday to go see it because I believe in supporting movies that are both well-made (ie, not Left Behind) and Christ honoring. On my docket to see VERY soon: "Bridges to Teribithia" - click here for Ted Baehr's review (showing here at the theater in town,) and "The Last Sin Eater" - review here (showing half an hour away).

We have seen a rise in mainstream, Christ honoring films of late, and the only way to maintain this trend is to mobilize those who cry the loudest for decent movies, let go of some of that cash and time we're so loath to lose, and support Christ(ians) in the arts.

Please. Go. See this movie.

-Nathan

Coming Soon...

I am going shooting with John Thompson this weekend, so stay tuned for more photos. Also, there are many things on my mind right now that are blog worthy, but for which I do not feel like composing a full blog just yet.

Instead I shall give you a preview of coming attractions. I am characterized by some very passionate and strongly held views on things, I am not always sure why, but that I hold them I know.

1) What is masculinity?

2) The powerful role of movies in our culture.

Other topics are milling around, but these two are definitely at the forefront. For now I'll say "Go and watch the Nativity as soon as you can!" I meant to say that months ago when it was in theaters, but I am saying it now because I really like that film a lot. If you have seen it, leave a note and let me know what you thought.

Stay tuned... pictures following shortly,

2/18/07

You know what? A hundred push-ups is really quite a few push-ups. This weekend I was at a retreat for Christian men here at Hillsdale and one of the contests in a series of physical feats was a push-up contest. Each team selected one member to represent them and do as many push-ups as possible. Paul Mueller took the cake at 64 push-ups (keep in mind that other physical feats had already been accomplished, and thus many of these men had already been taxing themselves,) and as I stood watching these men do their push-ups, I realized that one hundred push-ups is a whole lot. All this to say that I don't think I can make that number. I hope myself to be able to to do sixty-ish by the end of the semester. I would be pretty happy with that number, since that would still be a sizable improvement for me; but a hundred? I don't think so.

In the meantime, it has been a while since I posted regarding my own progress, and I pretty much lost hope right after my last post. Every time in the past when I have attempted push-ups, the same thing happens, I get to around thirty and I just can't break through. I mean I really can't. I try and try, and I actually regress a little bit, seemingly completely unable to break that barrier. So, that is where I am at right now. I am pretty discouraged with the whole thing; if I was able to increase my numbers consistently, that would be one thing, but I'm not, and it is hard to motivate myself to push as hard as I can when I'm not even going to be able to do as many as the day before.


In other news, we have called the rally off due to overwhelming opposition. I appreciate your prayers, but when we are seeking to unite Christ's body on campus, and the means through which this is going to happen is actually going to divide Christians more than it will unite them, then it is no longer serving the purpose intended for it. Much has been accomplished in the way of unity already, though. Discussions have begun among the groups of Christians as to what can be done that each group would be willing to do. With most of the groups, it's not that they are outright rejecting the entire idea of unity, they just aren't willing to participate in religious practices with Christians of other beliefs because they feel it too liable to a watering-down of the distinctions that make each sect different. Thank you all so much for your prayers in this, they have not been to no avail.

-Nathan