goMAD conference

64 crazy high school students on a bus from all across the land: Chillicothe, Pekin, Washington, and Woodruff. Add them to hundreds more from Illinois, Indiana and Michigan for a total of 800 students going MAD.

We ate, laughed, cried, sang, danced, jumped, learned stuff, and broke stuff.

Check out the photos, and the video. Leave your comments here, and let us know what you thought.

Great traveling with you all. Peace.

YFCamp 2006 ... thoughts?

Reflecting back on a great week at camp ... does anyone have any thoughts? Write a few words about your week:

• What part was the most fun?
• What did you learn?
• How can we make it better next year?

Don't forget to email your photos to Jake (jbland@yfcpa.org)

DaVinci and the art of making nonsense

25 people gathered together in a quaint movie theater in peoria. we were there to see the davinci code movie. through low-grade speakers the previews started playing. it was almost too soft to hear. then the "real previews" started, causing the loud, surround-sound speakers to pour sounds into our ears.
then the movie commenced. it was, boring... a waste of time... interesting... hard to understand... a national treasure knock-off. but, at least we were together. at least we had the prospect of pizza at leonardo's afterwards.
and, it lived up to the hype. it was great, the pizza, that is. 30 people sitting in the party room, not talking about the movie but just talking about the stuff of life: where they are working this summer, when they are going to the park, what they are doing afterwards. it was beautiful.

if you missed it, you are to be pitied. not for missing the movie, but for missing each other.

summer loving, had me a blast

i can't believe summer is here, more because its cold and wet outside than anything. but, with summer, there is fun. there is boredom. there is everything in between fun and boredom. here's what i have to offer you:

May 23 - DaVinci Code and Leonardo's Pizza in Peoria
July 29 - August 5 - Camp in Colorado

in between these two things, there will be lots of hanging out, bbq's, and other things that you will only find out about if you are regularly checking the "upcoming shows" links on the website

www.thisthing.org

welcome summer, welcome sun

why movies make the best pastime or how i understood the world better after watching good will hunting or...

have you ever watched a movie that absolutely changed the way you look at the world? A movie that gave you a new outlook on life? A movie that made you cry, or cheer, or both?

i had a friend tell me that he cried when he watched the amityville horror remake. that's not what i'm talking about. i was in a theater where i laughed till i cried, watching johnny knoxville and friends on a big screen. that's not what i'm talking about either.

i'm not talking about star wars episode 3 or even fun with dick and jane (also a remake), even if they did make you cheer at the end.

what movies have really challenged your brain to think about the beauty of life, love, or God in a more meaningful way? tell me about those movies.

could i have some cheese with my whine?

i'm sorry.
i'm sick of cheesy things
i am tired of corny people
why can't everything be cool?
why isn't everyone just like me?
i find it is really easy to hate someone or something just because we personally don't like it/them. i do this all of the time. and, i'm pretty sure that makes me normal. it also makes me very self-centered.
God, help me accept the fact that i am not always right, that what i like isn't what everyone else does or should, and that people are important simply because they are people.

arrgh

i like the term "arrgh". it sums up a lot of feelings. sometimes, i'm not perfect. when i realize, either in the moment or in hindsight, i say, "arrgh". its an angry sigh. a cry for a solution. today is an arrgh day for me. you ever have those days?