KC3 in Kalavai from Gene Ort on Vimeo.
This is one of the construction projects I'll be involved within during my time in Kalavai, along with the construction of new homes, digging of latrines for clean sanitation and the over all betterment of the community.February 3, 2010
February 2, 2010
February 1, 2010
Wrapping Up "LOST"
This show has been a staple at my house for the last 5 years. When the first season began, I was pretty skeptical and thought that a show about a mystical island with polar bears seemed pretty silly. But after a few late nights watching the DVD's with my house mates, and trying to figure out what in the world was going on, I was hooked. I was fascinated by the two main characters, Jack and Locke, and knew that these two men were going to help provide some of the best TV drama for years to come, or until all answers became clear within a series finale.There were several moments when I thought this show had gone off the deep end. There were multiple times I thought this show reflected pure brilliance. And like any good show, I hated every cliffhanger provided. Every unanswered, obscure confusion. Every twist that didn't go the way you were thinking (or hoping) it would. I've ate up every minute and storyline.
Which now brings us to tomorrow night's Final Season Premiere. Producers and writers are promising answers to (hopefully) a lot of fans' questions and are saying that a end will come to the story, come May. I'm excited to see where this season takes the survivors and additions to the Oceanic 815 folk. But I have a few questions ...
1) Who's really dead now? Several characters are reported to being reinstalled into the cast, so that open up a huge line of questioning ...
2) Did the hydrogen bomb blast right history and send the story back in time to before the initial Oceanic plane crash?
3) Who are the new folk that say "were the ones who are gonna win", and what are they fighting for? If Ben says "We're the good guys." ... what does that makes these people?
4) Who was Jacob referring to when he said "They're coming."?
5) Who is Jacob's nemesis on the island?
6) Do dead people come back to life on the island, or are they just figments of the cast's imaginations?
7) Where is Desmond, and how does his story intertwine with the reboot?
8) Who's gonna die? I predict a final showdown between Jack and Locke.
9) Why is the island so important to Ben and Widmore?
10) What ever happened to Claire?
January 26, 2010
Recent Movie Reviews
Leap Year - starring Amy AdamsI saw this a few weeks ago with Angie. We're considering a vacation to Ireland for our 5 wedding anniversary and I'm apparently trying to plan WAY ahead. Ever since Ang saw P.S. I Love You, she's had her heart set on going there some day. When Leap Year came out, it was pretty much a no-brainer for us as a date night movie opportunity.
This movie is cute. It's clean. And it's relatively funny when it comes to reoccurring mishap comedy. The cinematography is great when it shows off the Irish countryside, which again makes the both of us want to head overseas all the more. It's an all around fun "couples" movie for those looking for a nice night out. Aquila - Approved
Avatar - starring Sam WorthingtonIf you liked Dances With Wolves and cartoons ... you'll love this behemoth of a movie by James Cameron. the visuals are breath-taking and the 3D is well worth the extra money. The story however ... ehh?
Go see it for the special effects and CGI, but get some caffeine in you, as it's long and has some drawn out sections between action scenes. I fell asleep in the middle. Aquila - Approved with some Reservations
The Invention of Lying - starring Ricky Gervais
This one started out funny but the laughs and ran out really fast. I was also pretty troubled by how much lying or bending of our own version of the truth actually happens in day to day life, when it comes to communication with others. Perhaps that's the point of the film, but just because I got it doesn't mean I half to like it .. or stay awake. Skip this one, even if you did like the original version of The Office. NOT Aquila - Approved
Moon - starring Sam RockwellI had high hopes for this one and was disappointed. Sci-Fi lately has just not done it for me, outside of the Star Trek reboot. Movies about cloning are no longer appealing to me. Skip it. NOT Aquila - Approved
Extract - starring Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Kristin WiggIf you expecting another Office Space, you're gonna be ticked. This one had a lot of potential and the trailer makes it look hilarious, but in the end, the comedy fell flat. Affleck as a stoner is pretty funny however. In the end - I say skip it. Not Aquila - Approved.
January 21, 2010
$1,000 left to Raise for India !!!
Kalavai from Granger Community on Vimeo.
With just about a month left until my finances are due for the mission to India, I as of today have slightly over a thousand dollars left to raise. This is great news as I have several other supporters recently pledging their financial gifts and intention to help in the last couple of days. I have been very blessed by those who have already decided to give and those who are planning to give, it is truly beyond words.
One such supporter made their intentions known this morning while I was serving them at work. One of my customers is a missionary organization called Gospel for Asia. I had told my customer about the mission to India around the holidays, and he was so moved by the video above the team at GCC created, that he and his wife decided they wanted to help. How cool is that?
If you're reading this and are thinking "I like J Aquila" or "I want to help people in Kalavai" or perhaps a "wuzzle" (to mix) of the two : "I would like to help J Aquila help the people in Kalavai", then please consider giving towards my mission to India. you can do so by clicking on the following link ...
http://www.gccwired.com/defaultStory.asp?storyid=1174
Or you can send checks to my home church ...
Granger Community Church
630 E. University
Granger, IN 46530
Your gifts and consideration is great appreciated and will be a blessing for generations to come, in the community of Kalavai, India.
With just about a month left until my finances are due for the mission to India, I as of today have slightly over a thousand dollars left to raise. This is great news as I have several other supporters recently pledging their financial gifts and intention to help in the last couple of days. I have been very blessed by those who have already decided to give and those who are planning to give, it is truly beyond words.
One such supporter made their intentions known this morning while I was serving them at work. One of my customers is a missionary organization called Gospel for Asia. I had told my customer about the mission to India around the holidays, and he was so moved by the video above the team at GCC created, that he and his wife decided they wanted to help. How cool is that?
If you're reading this and are thinking "I like J Aquila" or "I want to help people in Kalavai" or perhaps a "wuzzle" (to mix) of the two : "I would like to help J Aquila help the people in Kalavai", then please consider giving towards my mission to India. you can do so by clicking on the following link ...
http://www.gccwired.com/de
Or you can send checks to my home church ...
Granger Community Church
630 E. University
Granger, IN 46530
Your gifts and consideration is great appreciated and will be a blessing for generations to come, in the community of Kalavai, India.
January 20, 2010
Upcoming Saturday Mornings
I found out today that Shawn can receive visitors at 6 AM, on Saturday mornings. I've also been in touch with two of his family members and they have told me that they would appreciate anyone willing to reach out to Shawn. Currently, Shawn has several broken ribs and has had surgery on his foot, which sounds like it was severely hurt in the crash. This is what prevented him from having visitors until recently. Hopefully I'll be able to visit with him in the near future, as he's only allowed two visitors per day, for forty-five minutes, each Saturday morning.
I hope to potentially attend Shawn's first trial hearing, tomorrow morning at 8 AM, which will be the first time he's in front of a judge.
One person that will be visiting Shawn this weekend, however, will be his older brother Ryan. He lives out of state, so this weekend will be his first visit to Shawn. I wanted to share with you his words and thoughts revolving around this situation. This comes from this past weekend's South Bend Tribune ...
I am one of Shawn Devine's older brothers and am deeply saddened by everything that has unfolded. Shawn made choices that he and the family of Mishawaka Police Cpl. James Szuba will be haunted by forever. There is nothing good about what happened.
There are many people around me who keep saying that God brings these things into our lives for a reason. I disagree. God doesn't bring these things into our lives at all. Unfortunately, people make choices that can deeply affect themselves and others for good or evil.
For those of us who are left with the consequences of others' actions, God can help us deal with the pain and allow us to respond with love and grace. This is not the normal human response in the midst of suffering; it can only come from God. This is where I am praying I might find myself in the wake of the events that have occurred.
I was a pastor for 11 years before working in the career that I have now. As a pastor, I had the experience of being with a family weeping over their dead high school student after he was hit by a drunken driver.
I had the experience of sitting in the courtroom while the driver was sentenced and hearing the piercing jeers hurled at him from family and friends. Those reactions resonated with me then, and I still have unresolved anger over the pain that was inflicted. I was very close with this family, as the boy who was killed was one of my students in the youth ministry I led. I have a strong relationship with his younger brother, who, along with his family, remains painfully aware of the lingering effects of one man's choice to drive drunk.
With all of this experience in mind, it is surreal to be on this side of things, when someone you care about makes choices that destroy another person's life and family. I guess all I can say is that I am learning a lot more about how our choices have the power to bring destruction and pain.
Shawn was a really great kid growing up and we were very close. He is six years younger and always looked up to me as a big brother. He always had a tender heart for others and was someone others loved to be around.
I remember having so many crossroads-moments and conversations with him over the years. I remember vividly having a conversation with him when I graduated from college. He came with my parents out to Arizona and we had a long walk together through the mountains. He expressed how deeply he wanted to change but how difficult it was to escape the pressure of the crowd and the path that he had begun.
I also remember a time when he came to stay with me for a week in Wisconsin. I remember him saying how he couldn't be like me and couldn't become the person that I had become. How desperately I tried to share with him my imperfections and that it was more about small choices each day and building on the momentum of each victory.
Shawn and I had lost touch since our father passed away. I know he made his own choices, but I am kicking myself for not pursuing him harder. I feel like I failed him over the years.
I will be honest that a part of me hated what he had become. He wasn't the same little boy that I knew years ago. A thick, impenetrable shell grew on the outside of him. He seemed to really want to change but could never get over the hump of all the years of hurt he had inside. When my dad died about seven years ago, Shawn fell apart and went off the deep end. I never fully realized how deep it was. Regardless of what has transpired, I will always love him, no matter the terrible choices he has made.
The news media are really causing my mom, sister and brothers in Indiana a lot of pain. The reports are saying Shawn can get a maximum of 31 years and many in the community are crying out for vengeance. Again, it is surreal being on this side of things. I know he needs to be, and will be, accountable for his actions, whatever the law determines.
I also see how easily evil and violence creep into our hearts. I rest in Jesus' words and the sound of stones dropping to the desert ground from those eager to kill the woman caught in adultery. We are all one or two bad choices away from something like this, and that is sobering to me. It is all the more reason to draw near to the one who calls me his child and trust that he loves me unconditionally and is good.
Please pray for Shawn. God is not finished with him yet, as much as many want to write him off. There is hope. Pray, too, for the family of Cpl. Szuba. They are now left without a husband and father. It should not have been this way for the Szuba family. There is nothing anyone can do to fix the pain that they bear.
Please pray, too, for the forgotten ones in this whole ordeal, my family. We see the picture of someone we love plastered all over the television and Web, vilified, leaving us wondering what happened to the boy with the playful smile and the fullness of life ahead of him. We all have heavy hearts and many questions without answers.
I hope to potentially attend Shawn's first trial hearing, tomorrow morning at 8 AM, which will be the first time he's in front of a judge.
One person that will be visiting Shawn this weekend, however, will be his older brother Ryan. He lives out of state, so this weekend will be his first visit to Shawn. I wanted to share with you his words and thoughts revolving around this situation. This comes from this past weekend's South Bend Tribune ...
I am one of Shawn Devine's older brothers and am deeply saddened by everything that has unfolded. Shawn made choices that he and the family of Mishawaka Police Cpl. James Szuba will be haunted by forever. There is nothing good about what happened.
There are many people around me who keep saying that God brings these things into our lives for a reason. I disagree. God doesn't bring these things into our lives at all. Unfortunately, people make choices that can deeply affect themselves and others for good or evil.
For those of us who are left with the consequences of others' actions, God can help us deal with the pain and allow us to respond with love and grace. This is not the normal human response in the midst of suffering; it can only come from God. This is where I am praying I might find myself in the wake of the events that have occurred.
I was a pastor for 11 years before working in the career that I have now. As a pastor, I had the experience of being with a family weeping over their dead high school student after he was hit by a drunken driver.
I had the experience of sitting in the courtroom while the driver was sentenced and hearing the piercing jeers hurled at him from family and friends. Those reactions resonated with me then, and I still have unresolved anger over the pain that was inflicted. I was very close with this family, as the boy who was killed was one of my students in the youth ministry I led. I have a strong relationship with his younger brother, who, along with his family, remains painfully aware of the lingering effects of one man's choice to drive drunk.
With all of this experience in mind, it is surreal to be on this side of things, when someone you care about makes choices that destroy another person's life and family. I guess all I can say is that I am learning a lot more about how our choices have the power to bring destruction and pain.
Shawn was a really great kid growing up and we were very close. He is six years younger and always looked up to me as a big brother. He always had a tender heart for others and was someone others loved to be around.
I remember having so many crossroads-moments and conversations with him over the years. I remember vividly having a conversation with him when I graduated from college. He came with my parents out to Arizona and we had a long walk together through the mountains. He expressed how deeply he wanted to change but how difficult it was to escape the pressure of the crowd and the path that he had begun.
I also remember a time when he came to stay with me for a week in Wisconsin. I remember him saying how he couldn't be like me and couldn't become the person that I had become. How desperately I tried to share with him my imperfections and that it was more about small choices each day and building on the momentum of each victory.
Shawn and I had lost touch since our father passed away. I know he made his own choices, but I am kicking myself for not pursuing him harder. I feel like I failed him over the years.
I will be honest that a part of me hated what he had become. He wasn't the same little boy that I knew years ago. A thick, impenetrable shell grew on the outside of him. He seemed to really want to change but could never get over the hump of all the years of hurt he had inside. When my dad died about seven years ago, Shawn fell apart and went off the deep end. I never fully realized how deep it was. Regardless of what has transpired, I will always love him, no matter the terrible choices he has made.
The news media are really causing my mom, sister and brothers in Indiana a lot of pain. The reports are saying Shawn can get a maximum of 31 years and many in the community are crying out for vengeance. Again, it is surreal being on this side of things. I know he needs to be, and will be, accountable for his actions, whatever the law determines.
I also see how easily evil and violence creep into our hearts. I rest in Jesus' words and the sound of stones dropping to the desert ground from those eager to kill the woman caught in adultery. We are all one or two bad choices away from something like this, and that is sobering to me. It is all the more reason to draw near to the one who calls me his child and trust that he loves me unconditionally and is good.
Please pray for Shawn. God is not finished with him yet, as much as many want to write him off. There is hope. Pray, too, for the family of Cpl. Szuba. They are now left without a husband and father. It should not have been this way for the Szuba family. There is nothing anyone can do to fix the pain that they bear.
Please pray, too, for the forgotten ones in this whole ordeal, my family. We see the picture of someone we love plastered all over the television and Web, vilified, leaving us wondering what happened to the boy with the playful smile and the fullness of life ahead of him. We all have heavy hearts and many questions without answers.
January 18, 2010
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