Home BlogPage 232

I Love America!

This is a great year as I get to go see fireworks two nights in a row! Here are some pics from tonight’s show in my home town. Though it is exceedingly difficult to photograph fireworks, these are my attempts. I would also like to use this opportunity to talk about my Great Country, AMERICA. This is an amazing country to live in. I have been to 14 different countries so far, and each and every time I am reminded that not only is America the best country on the planet to live in, there isn’t even a second place – or third – or forth – or…. (you get the idea) The freedom we enjoy here, the beauty we have here, the opportunity we have here, is simply unmatched anywhere else in the world. Yes, there are beautiful places throughout the world, but no other country has the vast variety of natural beauty that we have AND the freedom to enjoy it and to travel around. America is quite simply the greatest nation the world has ever known. Is it perfect? Of course not, we live in a fallen world and it is inhabited by fallen people, but nowhere…

Continue reading

War of the King Bat!

War of the King Bat? Curious? Well, actually I am just combining the names of three movies I want to comment on. BATMAN BEGINS This movie was awesome. It is my favorite Batman movie so far. Even though I read a lot about how this movie had a lot at stake due to how bad the last one was, I liked the last one. It was corny, but I loved Arnold in it, and thought it captured the ‘comic book’ feeling of a cartoon comic with flambouyant characters and over the top action and corny one liners. I don’t think it is fair to compare the last one with Batman Begins, because the entire premise is drastically different. This Batman is a modern batman – it takes place in our world, in our day. There is a lot of screen time devoted to how Bruce Wayne learns his non-supernatural powers for fighting. It made the story believeable. Best part: When Batman actually summons bats to his aid – that gave me goosebumps. (Not a spoiler, its in the trailer) The batmobile is pretty cool too. I think I could drive one of those. Downside? Katie Holmes is cute, but felt…

Continue reading

My First Music Video!

This Sunday at my church we are starting a two month Family Sunday School class, and it will be my first Sunday using a new curriculum called 252 Basics, based on Luke 2:52 (Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man). Anyway, I won’t get into that here, but to say that it is a ‘virtue based’ curriculum and each month will focus on a new “virtue” with July being “HUMILITY.” The curriculum provides some very modern and up to date music as well, and a theme song for each month. The song for Humility is actually pretty cool – I think the kids will like it, almost sounds like Hillary Duff. Anyway, I took about 30 minutes tonight at church to film some puppets singing it, and forced myself to stick to one take. (Otherwise I would spend four hours filming and increase my editing time as well!) Editing took a few hours more, but in the end, here is my FIRST MUSIC VIDEO: With or Without Me (9.6MB QuickTime) AND THE LYRICS, which are pretty good: With or Without Me Music and words by Candi Pearson Shelton, Reggie Joiner, and John Carrozza. © 2004…

Continue reading

Little Bro Goes Major League!

see full article As family and most friends know, my little bro got all grown up and married recently, and now right out of college at MSU, is off to Toronto (in the northern nation…. what’s it called?) and is covering the Blue Jays for MLB.com. Jordan has been an advid baseball player and writer since as soon as I taught him to throw. (Yes, I taught him everything he knew about baseball up to around age 7, after that, he’s always known more than me, and surpassed his baseball mentor quickly in skill.) One thing we both share is a love for writing – I write about and for children’s ministry, he writes about baseball. Well, after writing for the Lansing State Journal during college (for fun search for jordan bastian on LSJ, and get 61 pages of results!), his major league coverage has begun! full article Please pray for my brother – its a tough job, he has to go to every baseball game, get there early, meet pro players, write about them, watch the game, plus he has several deadlines throughout the game (Jordan puts your schedule in comments!) and then after the game has to do…

Continue reading

For MacFriends Only

Introducing Pastor Karl’s MAC BLOG. This won’t be for everyone – but for those who already know the Mac Way of Life, or for those interested in learning more about Macs, I am starting a separate blog that will deal with MacIssues. It will be a place where I will post tips, tricks, secrets, advice, links, software recommendations, and the occasional gripe. (No, they aren’t perfect… but pretty close!) The address is www.pastorkarl.com/macblog/ I will also be inviting my MacFriends to be members of the blog so that they can add posts as well (rather than only comments). If you know me personally, and use a Mac, and would like to be a posting member of this new blog let me know. Everyone else, enjoy the MacBlog, or keep to your PC ways. But at least know you do have a choice.Question for comments: the new blog displays the mac you see above and appears fine on my computer, but on my wife’s ancient PC (no she has not switched and has been given the option) the bottom of the laptop is not visible… let me know in comments to this post if you can’t see the whole powerbook when…

Continue reading