The endless(ly busy) summer!

Why is summer always the busiest time of the year? Come on, it is summer! The greatest 2 months for anyone ages 6-18. And for the rest of us? It is a time for vacation, beach trips, surfing (maybe not all of you here), BBQs, cold drinks and hot days. Each year I enter into summer with great aspirations and intentions to take advantage of the warm weather (and water) and engage in the previously mentioned summer activities. But it seems that each year summer flies by and stresses me out as it passes, leaving me desiring the fall when life returns to some form of normalcy.

This summer has been busier than most. I am actually looking forward to the fall and seminary starting because I will regain some form of structure and balance in my life. You know my life is turned upside down when I long to start Hebrew class. What the heck!

Recently Jen and I looked at each other and said that something has to change in our life. We are way too busy. It is becoming unhealthy for us personally, in our marriage, and with our relationship to the Lord. He did command us to take a sabbath, right?

Life should not be a constant merry go round of events and programs and work and meetings, etc... I need stillness and soul care.

We are making changes. We are disappointing people. Letting stuff go. Learning to say no. Learning to say no after we say yes. Learning not to feel guilty after we say no after originally saying yes. I want to make time for the Lord. For my wife. I want to stay at my job for years to come. I want to finish school. To do so much, to give fully, I need to take a couple steps back and just breath for a little while each week.

It feels good doesn't it?

My name is Rembaldi...but you may call me Remi

3 weeks ago I was given the great opportunity to return to Colorado to be a part of Super Kids Sports Kamp (SKSK). This was my 5th year as a camp leader and a blessing to Jen and I to return to our roots after being gone for a year.

Super Kids is a sports camp for 8-12 year olds that takes place at Cherry Hills Community Church. 300+ children come each year to be a part of the camp. On top of that, the junior high and senior high students who are part of the ministry are the counselors for the camp. All in, there is over 500 people as a part of the camp, with adults as sports leaders, students as counselors, and kids as campers. It is by far my favorite camp and if I was give a choice to return and be a part of any event at CHCC it would definitely be SKSK.

I was asked to be a part of the program, which means that I was a part of the skits and did the teaching for the week. I wish each of you were there because there is way too much involved in the camp to write on a blog, but here is a snippet.

I was a Secret Agent named Rembaldi, but you may call me Remi. My partner was Maxwell Smart and we were on a mission to defend a secret potion that, when sprayed on a victim, makes them do homework all the time (oh no!). Camp was seriously in jeopardy because if the camp was sprayed then SKSK would be no more. Seriously I had little kids yelling at me to not give up the potion because they didn't want to do homework all the time.

There was a bad guy named Mr. X who was out to destroy camp. Along the way, the kids discovered that Maxwell Smart was really an evil double agent working alongside Mr. X. When he would come on stage they would boo him mercilessly and yell at me to not trust him. Of course I did.

Anyhow, it turns out that I get sprayed, camp is in jeapordy, but good always wins in the end doesn't it. The kids were able to snap me out of the spell with all the fun we had and were eventually able to convince Mr. X and Maxwell that camp was awesome. Redemption to all.

Don't you love happy endings.

Here is a couple pics from the week.

I have been on sabbatical

I just realized that I have not posted a blog for almost 2 months. It has been a busy 2 months (which is a bad excuse). I guess I fell off the cart and I apologize to both my faithful blog readers...sorry honey and mom.

I am going to make a more concerted effort to update my life and stuff.

But until then...I encourage all of you to check out Noise Trade. If you love music it is a must visit. Really exciting as to the future of the music industry.

I will be back real soon with an update on Super Kids Sports Kamp!!! I had a crazy week as a Secret Agent...

Here is a snippet of my time in Colorado. A little footmitten with some of the Colorado crew (who I miss greatly).

We're back baby...

Just a note of congratulations to the 2008 Western Conference Champs Los Angeles Lakers. And to all of you conspiracy theorists who think the NBA is rigged, well, you are probably right, but who cares!!!!! The Lakers are back baby!!!...bring on the Celtics.

7 reasons why Narnia "failed"

Prince Caspian, from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, opened this weekend in some 4000 movie theaters around the country. It had absolutely zero opening day competition and was riding the wave of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, which grossed upward of 745 million worldwide.

Caspian ended up grossing 55 million in the opening weekend, a great opening for 99% of movies but a severe disappointment for those involved with the film. It was not near the disaster of Speed Racer, which will ultimately go down as one of the biggest flops in history. Still, it has to be disappointing to Disney and Walden Media, especially considering they are currently filming Voyage of the Dawn Treader and have the rights to the other 4 films after that.

While I enjoyed the film and thought is was an upgrade from the previous one, here are 7 reasons why I think Narnia did not perform well:

1. While the Narnia series are popular books, aside from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, they do not have the same popularity as the LOTR or Harry Potter.

2. This movie didn't really know who its audience was. I took 15 junior high students to see it and they all thought it was "good" but that the action was lacking because it was so bloodless (there was high action but no blood or gore). Nonetheless, it was an intense movie and not one that I would not openly recommend for a 7 year old. The older kids thought it was too "PC" or "Churchy" while the little kids will get scared.

3. Ironman kicks major butt and I think everyone was so amped on that movie that a fantasy adventure to a magical place called Narnia was not really working. What looked like amazing timing on release date really didn't work.

4. Indiana Jones comes out next week. Many adults who still consider Indy as a mentor and father figure are thinking of no other movies but the Crystal Skull. I can't blame them. I wanted to cry at the previews.

5. The 4 kids in the movie, while decent actors, do not carry with them any emotional ties with the audience. Aragorn, Frodo, Legolas, Gimli, etc... were what made LOTR such a great ride. It wasn't the action as much as what will happen to everyone on the journey to Mordor. Narnia has failed to introduce a character that mesmerizes audiences. Note- I think Aslan fills this role, He is incredible but he has such limited screen time that you don't get a chance to connect with him.

6. C.S. Lewis is such a brilliant writer that it seems extremely difficult to bring his words to life on the screen. He is so poetic and implores such imagery that much of the magic of the books in lost on the big screen. Harry Potter, on the other hand, has made an easy transition to screen and I think is actually boring if you have read the books. Caspian, by the way, is one of the more exciting of the books in terms of action. I don't know how they are going to make The Silver Chair or The Magician's Nephew into a full length feature.

7. The Christian Coalition is still watching reruns of The Passion and failed to show up for this movie, or maybe they are saving money to secretly go watch Harry Potter. Sinners!

The book of Jacob

Ἰάκωβος - James, Jacob
Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
Strongs # 2385 - (Iákōbos) - Jacobus, the name of three Israelites.');">Ἰάκωβος - this is the Greek name for James. It actually has two meanings, James or Jacob, and based on its spelling sounds more like Jacob than James. Supposedly the translators of the King James named the epistle James after King James of England. Jacob was robbed.

For the next 5 weeks in the High School and Junior High group we are studying the book of Jacob (James). It is an amazingly practical book and a great intro read for someone who hasn't spent much time in church or in scripture. I asked a group of high school students if they ever were confused about where and how to begin in reading their bibles. Almost all of them raised their hands. Then I proceeded to ask how many practice the "random flip" when reading. This method, which entails flipping open to a random verse,reading it and then moving on to something else, seems to be a popular study tool for many people. I think this reflects poorly on the pastors and leaders in the church. We oftentimes do such a bad job of teaching people how to read scripture, instead focusing on our great biblical insight and application, which every person goes home and meditates on immediately after the service (yeah right). We have no problem passionately telling people they need to read, read, read their bibles but rarely to we focus on the hermeneutical aspect of digesting scripture. In this postmodern age, it feels like we are swinging back in history to the time when there were no bibles in modern languages and priests read the scriptures to the people. How many churchgoers rely on the words of the pastor to give them the encouragement they need to "make it through" the week until the next Sunday. A normal schedule looks like this: fill up (Sunday morning), deplete with the realities of this world (Sunday afternoon - Saturday night), fill up again (Sunday morning). We wonder why the church is struggling to transform communities.

I am really excited to walk with these students over the next 5 weeks. I have challenged them to read the same chapter every day that we are studying. My prayer is that they would develop a passion and a fire to know scripture and not be content to just flip, read, close, forget.

A little update

-Jen and I went surfing on Monday, the first time we have been in the water since the shark attack. The surf was 2-3 ft. and glassy, it was about 70 degrees and sunny, and the winds were very calm. As I was riding a wave, th sun who shine through the water is it would break behind me, like the water was an emerald. Beautiful. It was a day that reminded me how much I love living in San Diego.

- As we were sitting out there in the water a school of little fish were jumping around. Jen was freaking out, imagining a 17 ft. Great White chasing a school of 4 inch fish. I laughed. I'm so sensitive.

- In case you were wondering if I was nervous about going into the water, rest assured, I made Jen go out first to see if any predators were lurking. I'm so sensitive.

- I got into a conversation with a Jehovah's Witness at a coffee shop. He saw that I was translating Greek and started a conversation. He just wanted to talk about the end times and how America is the new "Babylon." I wanted to talk about the Trinity (which he doesn't believe in) and how absolutely essential that is to who God is. He didn't want to go there. I found myself angry afterwards at his theological beliefs.

- We had a farewell party last night for the high school pastor at the church. It was a great celebration and very encouraging for him. It has been fun to be a part of a healthy positive parting between church and staff. Not always the case. I will be taking over the high school group for the next 6 weeks. Pray for me. I want these 6 weeks to be a spiritually challenging and affirming time for these students.

- Speaking of church, I had the opportunity to facilitate a worship night at Daybreak last Sunday night. It was nothing big but the first opportunity I have had to be a part of the larger church. I was really nervous, which was a strange feeling, but had a good time leading God's people in a time of worship. I struggled explaining the Lord's Supper though. Such a mysterious and beautiful connection to Christ that is hard to explain in 5-7 minutes. I kept running in circles as I prepared for the evening. When the time came I froze and did it in 3 minutes.

-Really excited about the Spurs-Hornets matchup. Should be fun to watch. CP3 might be my new favorite non-Laker (now that Nash is out). I know that I predicted a Celtics-Lakers finals, and I think it could happen, but I would also love to see them lose to the Hawks.

- Lastly, I am hungry and am in desperate need of coffee. Viacondios.