Cabbage Stabbing

Last weekend Steve invited the guys from our LIFEgroup and a few other friends up to his family's cottage in Wisconsin for a guys' weekend. Some of us went up Friday night, while others came and joined us on Saturday. We spent time watching movies, playing video games on Anthony's PS3, playing Risk, assaulting vegetables with various edged and projectile weapons, and in worship and prayer. Oddly enough, though the weekend was originally envisioned as an opportunity to play some of the longer strategy games that we like, especially Samurai Swords, we only got in the one Risk game. I was ignominiously defeated in the first round by Jason and then only managed to stick around for a couple more before Dave wiped me off the board. He won eventually, so I'm glad to have contributed even if I was definitely rooting for Aaron or Steve to get the win. On Saturday afternoon made war on a group of inoffensive potatoes, cabbages and a pumpkin that we had procured for the purpose earlier in the day. We used the pumpkin initially as a target for Steve's bow, John's throwing knives, and Anthony's wrist rocket (slingshot) and paint balls. Our pumpkin held up well, helped in no small part by our lack of accuracy and was rewarded for its faithful service by being spiked by my battle axe and slashed and run through with various blades. The potatoes and cabbages fared similarly mostly being slashed out of the air after being tossed up by a friend. Dave got some fine shots including one of Anthony's arrow as it struck the pumpkin. In the one here I'm about to stab a cabbage tossed to me by John with the short sword sting. My personal favorite moments were slicing a potato lengthwise in mid-air with my battle axe and the doing it again to half the potato and driving the axe spike through the pumpkin and most of the board it was sitting on. It's fun to play with edged weapons and nobody was hurt or even in significant danger. Later that night we had a good time of worship and prayer. It was a very fun weekend.

Otherwise life has gone on here as it usually does. Tomorrow I will be heading down to Kentucky for an extended Thanksgiving holiday. I'm looking forward to spending time with the family (hopefully including Cora) and seeing Jenn and Jamie. I'm also looking forward to the time listening to the Lord of the Rings while a drive. I anticipate a good week. I might even blog some more.

Verse of the day:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)
Our new associate pastor preached on this verse this morning. I was especially struck by the idea that the "good" of verse 28 is revealed in 29, conforming to the image of His son.

Random Quote:

"Are you a turtle?" EM
"Yes, I'm a turtle." SW who plays some amusing video games.

"Why didn't you throw me over the line. I could live with a broken arm if we won." TP (In the closing seconds of the TCC Student Ministries Turkey Bowl VI with our team down by a touchdown on 4th and goal from about the 3 yard line we drew up a desperation play. The quarterback would hand the ball off to T.P., the smallest player on the team. Then, instead of blocking, I would pick him up and carry him into the end zone. It almost worked. I tried to cover his flags so they couldn't be pulled off but somebody managed to get one with about a foot to go. Game over, go for pizza. All through lunch he was adamant that I should have thrown him into the end zone.)