Wrestling with God

Genesis 32:22-31



Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.



I pray to God a lot. But sometimes prayer just doesn't seem like it is enough. Sometimes I earnestly yearn to see God face to face. Of course, this really means that I would love to meet Jesus face to face. Most of the time, I'd have nothing but lavish praise and thanksgiving to offer should such a meeting take place. But other times, I'm more inclined to want to wrestle as Jacob did. Knowing that I wouldn't stand a chance in a wrestling match with God wouldn't matter at times like these. I would simply ache for the cathartic release that might come could I strive against God and His mysterious will.



God. I love you. But sometimes I want to wrestle with you as Jacob did. Though I might never be the same afterward.

Boyz in the Hood

Cause the boys in the hood is always hard

Come talking that trash, we'll pull your card.

Knowing nothin in life, but to be legit....

That's right. Despite the fact that we moved as far west as we possibly could (right next to the Everglades), we've never managed to leave the hood.

This week, there was a drive-by shooting on the house two doors down from ours. Apparently, some ghetto nutjob (actually, he lives in our neighborhood) decided to take a few shots at his baby-momma and her boyfriend. He wasn't too happy with her trying to extort him (child support) while she had sex with someone else.

So the cops closed off our street for about six hours for the CSI. It was interesting. It brought back memories of the neighborhood that I grew up in outside of Detroit. If nothing else, it was a good excuse for us to hang out outside and meet some new neighbors - as a dozen police cars certainly draws a crowd. Plus, one of neighbors made me some meatloaf for dinner as we stood outside chatting.

During our conversation with the neighbors, we also learned that the young man who was living at the house across the street from ours recently was busted for robbing a local Dunkin Donuts.

That's right. I'm just trying to keep it real. Only in South Florida, can you live in a $300,000 house and still be right smack in the middle of the ghetto.

Good thing we've got our Bluetick Coonhound Security System looking out for us. She's worth her weight in gold.

How the world views our upcoming decision

How I know I'm gay

I like Coldplay now. I don't know how and I don't know why. I just do.

At first, I just thought they were a bad rip off of Radiohead. I have never been a big fan of Yellow.

8 years later, they are growing on me with their last two albums.

Maybe its old age.

Or as my wife would say, "You know how I know you're gay? Because you like Coldplay."

For the uninitiated, this is a reference to The 40-Year Old Virgin, one of the funniest movies of all time.

Gas Prices

How depressing is this picture?

Letters from Kamp Krusty

One of my favorite blogs to visit belongs to Brant Hansen: Letters from Kamp Krusty

Brant is the morning DJ on WAYFM in South Florida. His on-air personality is not quite the same as his blog personality - something I haven't quite figured out yet. But I do enjoy the biting edge that is present on his blog. He regularly sticks his neck out much further than I do and with a lot more to lose too.

Here is his latest post, in its entirety:

There's this one Pastor who doesn't like Pirate Pastors! Pirate Pastors are pastors who start competition where there are already churches!

This pastor started his church in the unreached area of Grapevine, Texas! He's expanded into other frontiers, like Dallas! And he's also now franchised in South Florida, where we didn't have any churches! I'm glad we've got one, now!

It's BAD when pastors take business away from other pastors! Like this Pastor says, if people did that in the corporate world -- stole business -- they'd be in JAIL!

Piracy is bad, because pirates take money that really doesn't belong to them -- and they use it for themselves! They pretend they're kings, but it's not their money! I hate pirates for doing that, and I'll bet you do, too!

I'm glad, at least, that his church hasn't been completely plundered! They still have enough of God's money to build an arcade and climbing wall and $16 million ultra-awesome Communications Building and they're building a Church Lake so that more dads will bass-fish with their kids on church grounds and they're asking people to give sacrificially for the new "Town and Country" program to build an awesome new retreat center and they also have a bookstore full of the Pastor's own books and videos and a cafe that has coffee cups printed with the Pastor's favorite recipes!

Stupid pirates haven't gotten everything, yet!

Customer Service

Went to Office Max:

Me: "Can you please call someone over to help me find something?"
Cashier at front of store: "What are you looking for?"
Me: "A ten pack of storage boxes."
Cashier: "We don't have anything like that."

1. He ignored my request for someone who could actually help me find an item.
2. He was wrong. I found the boxes after searching the store on my own.


Then went to Office Depot:

Me: "Do you know where I can find a 10 pack of storage boxes?"
Cashier at front of store: "In the back."

At both stores, I was left to search the store by myself looking for something that could very well be anywhere.

Don't get me started talking about the salesman at Sawgrass Ford (his name was Trevor). I was so upset at his lack of customer service that I am not yet psychologically ready to discuss that episode.

I EXPERIENCED THREE EXAMPLES OF PATHETIC CUSTOMER SERVICE IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR.

Hence, the need for a ranting post.

Watching UFC with my wife

Why is my wife a keeper? How about spending a Saturday night watching 3 hours of Ultimate Fighting. I'm not a huge fan of UFC because I am just not that kind of alpha male. But I do occasionally enjoy watching mixed martial arts. Here's the caveat: I don't enjoy doing much of anything without my wife. Yea, yea, yea. Insert whatever derogatory statement you'd like to at this point. The fact is, there is very little that I do without my wife.

So it is with that little bit of added satisfaction that I can sit and watch a 2 hour special about Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell with my wife. She and I are on the same page when it comes to mixed martial arts. We don't want to see grappling, wrestling, or any other type of homoerotic behavior taking place on the mat. We want to see punching, kicking, and as much blood as possible.

Yes, we paid a slight bit of attention to the debut of CBS' prime time Extreme XC and Kimbo Slice. But let's face it, who wants to watch Kimbo "Back Yard Fighter" Slice when Spike is smart enough to run a two hour special on Chuck Liddell. Good luck, CBS. Spike and UFC get our vote. Not to mention that we've been watching UFC since back in the 90's when it was Shamrock vs. Gracie. (Remember Tank Abbott?)

Airing One's Dirty Laundry

Its not that I disagree with everything that he says, its the way that he says it. It doesn't seem to me that he is defending Jesus' church, it seems to me that he is defending "his" church, and even his own pride.