27 things

i have a confession - i didn't read for class today.

good thing i'm just auditing! :-)

i'll have to catch up on that reading this week, while also reading for next week, while also reading Wild at Heart, while also reading about 3 other books and 2 or 3 graphic novels.

while thinking about this, i realized that there are several books, several movies, some places, and some relationships that have had a profound effect in shaping me... and in the spirit of my recent birthday, i decided, as a kind of catharsis, to list out the 27 most influential things.
in no specific order, btw... except for maybe the last few, just to be clear for people who like the numbers to NECESSARILY go in order...

27. graphic novels - (a general category - from JLA to Batman to Doug TenNapel to indie artists/writers pumping out edgy material). I have been able to engage in some phenomenal stories that can only be found in the form of 'comics.' most of the movies don't even come CLOSE to adapting the stories or even capturing the images - 300 and Sin City (both Frank Miller tales) are the closest in image, but even still the story is not the same as it is in the medium of graphic novel form.
26. Derek Webb - the Gospel in song is most powerful, and Derek writes the truth of the Gospel without mincing words or softening hard concepts. Derek's songs make me think, make me cry (sometimes), and make me want to be a better songwriter.
25. Office Space - i could watch this movie over and over. even though it is 'old,' it still rings true with 'office' life, and Ron Livingston has some brilliant comic timing and delivery in this film... beware the gangsta rap...
24. Blue Like Jazz - on a short list of books i could read twice. Miller's book feels like a conversation, so rather than be rude and end the conversation i read this book in just under two days, and i felt guilty putting it down to go to sleep. the stream-of-thought style of writing is similar to Palaniuk, who has done some amazing work, but Miller is recounting true stories rather than crafting fiction - and it resonates as deeply true.
23. Ender's Game - the other book on the short list. I was so drawn into this book that i actually took it on our honeymoon (i had never read it until last year!). I will definitely make my son/daughter read this as soon as they hit middle school - i continue to be amazed at how intricately and accurately Card characterizes human relationships. It also amazes me how a Mormon could be so deeply spiritual and philosophical - but Card seems to be unique
22. Star Wars novels - there are dozens of novels that have been written, filling every possible gap in-between movies and spanning 60 years after Return of the Jedi... and i think i've read them all and own about 30. Timothy Zahn is the best SW author, best capturing the pace and dialogue of the original films, but The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton is my favorite if i had to choose.
21. soccer - i've made some great friendships on the soccer field, and i enjoy watching a match more than any other televised sport - especially when the US is playing. even more personal, i had asthma as a child and playing soccer in middle and high school eliminated my symptoms... now that i haven't played in over a year, though, i'm starting to struggle again. sucks to be lazy
20. Total Money Makeover - this was a wedding gift, so i wasn't too excited about it at first, but i have to admit that once i started reading i sped through it. this book has helped transform the way my wife and i spend our money, and we are now in a place financially that we could not have been 1 year ago - the mantra of the book is "if you live like no one else, you can live like no one else." meaning, if we sacrifice now instead of indulging in every 0% interest deal, then we will be out of debt and able to do more later when our peers are mired in years of accumulated debt. think about it.
19. Halo - i have to give credit where credit is due - and this game series has consumed enough of my time that i have to mention it. the multiplayer has actually played a part in my friendships and relationships with several people, and the story of the single-player campaign is very involved and cinematic.
18. Thrift Stores - i used to shop once a month... with less money, i've dropped to maybe once every other month, but at least half my wardrobe is from thrift stores, and a good portion of my bookshelf. you never know what you'll find...
17. The Empire Strikes Back - a 4 star movie, by the way. this is my favorite movie of all time, and i could watch it again right now. the bounty hunters, learning the ways of the Force, getting a hand cut off - the 2nd act is always the darkest, and the night is always darkest before the dawn.
16. My Dad - the book Wild at Heart has helped me put some of this in perspective, but my dad's marital infidelity and sexual sin, followed by pseudo-abandonment, have greatly shaped the way that i handle my marriage, the way i seek to be a Father, and the way i have approached the theologies of repentance, forgiveness, and God's sovereignty.
15. pEtE Stewart - once in overtly Christian grunge rock group Grammatrain (95-99), then in Tait (with a member from dcTalk), then a producer for the Hero Rock Opera, then suddenly an agnostic in The Accident Experiment with Marcos Curiel (from POD), then an atheist solo artist. what a journey! all of pete's music is characterized by honesty, however, and i can appreciate that even if it seems unfortunate that his journey has taken this path. i pray that God reveals deeper truth to pete. his songwriting will always be an influence
14. Boba Fett - my favorite character from the Star Wars universe, introduced in Empire and "killed" in RotJ, but the books following have him regurgitated and busy for years to come. even though almost all of his history has been recently articulated, i will always remember the mysterious character, and cling to the power of mystery portrayed in Empire.
13. my brother - i can point at his past blog as a shaping factor in my reading habits for the past 2 or 3 years... he is in a very different place on his spiritual journey now than he was then, but still in a very different place than i am. we have many similar tastes in music and movies and cultural critique, but our theology diverges. here's hoping for convergence
12. the books of Stephen Lawhead - i was almost a history education major... and Lawhead's books reinforce my love for historical fiction. the way he tells stories in new yet deeply rooted ways is refreshing and engaging. his sci-fi works are great as well, but i will always treasure his newest trilogy and the Pendragon cycle (especially Merlin).
11. Taylor guitars - i wish Taylor would sponsor me. i love their guitars, and i own two. someday, i'll own more, but for now i have to be content :-)
10. Justin McRoberts - one of my favorite songwriters... honest, profound, raw, hilarious in conversation. his new album is out, and you can watch all the songs live on YouTube... check it out. he'll always be an influence on how i write songs.
9. Robin - if i could be any superhero, it would be Robin. and not the ambiguously gay Robin from the 60's and 70's, but the current, intelligent, fully-dressed iteration. He is a necessary hero to compliment the darkness in Batman. there's probably a psychological reason why i identify with Robin, but i'm not sure what it is yet...
8. Grandparents - my grandparents are a model of consistency and stability, if nothing else. their marriage is intact after 4 kids, a dozen grandkids, several moves, and financial troubles in the past and some in the present. i will forever be indebted to them for their consistent care for me. and, they gave me my mom (without whom i would not exist)
7. Campbell University - you can't imagine how thankful i am for this place. i never thought i'd go to school there, and now i can't imagine anything else. God used the environment (99-06, Burkot Hall, CU Div., intramural sports, etc), the people, the professors, and the ministry opportunities to shape me and heal me and break me as He saw fit.
6. Charismatic Christianity - i grew up in an Assemblies of God church, and in High School i began asking hard questions, and i have developed my philosophy of leading music in worship in part as reaction to those experiences growing up and in part in emulation of. i'll always have mixed reactions to PH, AoG, and CoG churches... but i can't deny my upbringing
5. bad break-ups - they make for great songs, in most cases... but they also make for not-so-desirable baggage when you get married. i think i had every possible break-up situation, so at the very least i can counsel my sons on what not to do, and what to look out for... but sometimes i wish things had been different.
4. WCA - where to summarize... you either loved it or hated it, basically, and yet somehow, i find myself in a gray area. i refuse to make blanket statements, especially because the school is so different now than it was then, but i have to admit that Wake Christian Academy played a role in shaping me into who i am.
3. Grace Community Church - from a middle school cafeteria to a great facility on the corner of 210. from 100ish to 250ish. from no drums to drums most of the time. from yuppy college kid to Assistant Pastor. it's been great to grow up with Grace
2. My Wife - Sarah Jean Calvert is a treasure. if you don't know her yet, you might not agree, but for anyone who has met her there is no hesitation to affirm. I'm privileged to take care of her and lead her in the way God is calling us to minister to our community and our families.
1. My relationship with God through Jesus Christ - with Jesus i have purpose, hope, freedom, community, peace, comfort, joy, and an eternal connection with God. if you haven't known God in this way, ask me about it