Derelict Theology

Last week, I received the copy of Rock Band that I had pre-ordered for my Xbox 360. I was eagerly anticipating this game after having enjoying Guitar Hero 1,2,3, and Rocks the 80’s so much, and it didn’t disappoint. However, as I found out yesterday, the true joy of Rock Band comes from actually having all the people together to form a “real” band. And I think it love it so much because it lets me do something that I’m not able to do in reality, which is play an instrument.

After carrying the monolithic box into the house, Erin and I began to unbox everything included inside, which took us the better part of an hour. The box is gigantic, which was a shock to me despite all that it contained. Inside the box, in individual boxes, are a set of electronic drums, a microphone, a guitar shaped like a Fender Stratocaster, and the game itself. It also comes with drumsticks, two Xbox Live headset adapters, and a USB hub for plugging 4 instruments into. I fiddled with the drums while Erin sang a little bit, and we packed it up and took it to my parents house for Thanksgiving. I played through the guitar solo career there.

But yesterday afternoon, some youth came over and we ended up forming our band, which we promptly gave the name “Snakewater”. Snakewater is:

Vocals - Marty
Guitar - Adam
Bass - Thomas
Drums - Walker

Practices have been set up for Sunday afternoons from 1-4 at Walker’s house. We plan on being the biggest, best virtual band in the world.

Now I just wish I could really play guitar.

- people who claim to love youth will allow a door to shut on a baby stroller
- social justice is the new “jabez”
- marko and tic make pretty good cheerleaders
- walking through a crowd of cheerleaders to get to our convention reminds me of high school
- St. Louis has very few restaurants near the convention center, meaning that our typical lunch consisted of 2 uncrustables, a bag of chips, a bag of mini oreos, and a coke zero to balance out the extra calories.
- most of the stuff I was handed in the exhibit hall was received under a single pretense: I want to win a nintendo wiu or an iPod.
- there should be a seminar on guitar hero. And I should teach it.
- there is always a better way to reach people, a better curriculum, a better model of ministry, and a better plan for it, but that just isn’t how god wants to use me. He’s happy with me just like I am.

Being denied insurance is one of life’s great kicks-in-the-pants.

I know I haven’t been updating like I should but lately it seems like I really don’t have much to talk about. Life is good. No major complaints. I’ve been reading this book lately, though, that’s turned my world upside down. It’s called “Irresistible Revolution” by Shane Claiborne. And it’s all about how Christianity has missed the mark for loving the poor and broken of this world, how the haves and the have nots are so seperated that it’s ridiculous, and how most of our “charity” towards them is not really charity at all but a way to clear our conscience of guilt for the poor.

Since I took our youth to camp I’ve been thinking a lot about what I need and what I want. Often times, my wants way overshadow my needs, and it creates problems in my finances. All because I need more stuff. I’ve decided recently that more stuff really just makes life complicated. It’s a burden that’s hard to bear and it consumes you and makes you need more and more even though you’ve already got a lot. And I’ve realized that by hording and gaining more and more that I’m not really honoring God, in fact, I may have been hindering His work in my life.

Some of my faithful readers (all 4 of you) may know that I’ve been an avid collector of Transformers for years. My collection has grown tremendously over the years and I have over 1200 pieces in my collection. And I am quite proud of it. Was quite proud of it. God did something my heart one night last week and suddenly I came to be pretty sick of my collection. Just like that. And he reminded me, in the quietness of an insomniatic night, that I had been asked to give them up 3 years earlier. And so did. They are all going up for sale starting this week. And it’s a huge step for me. It’s a painful step, but I know it’s for the best. I no longer want to spend money on things just for myself, but for my family. And that’s where this money will go.

If you are the praying type, as you read this, please pray for me that I have the strength to do this necessary thing. And pray that God will continue to show me what to do with my life and that I will have the courage to follow it.

A badly drawn Isaac, but funny nonetheless…

3 months ago I sat nervously watching your mommy get an IV, while listening to her complain that the room we were in didn’t have a TV. I walked across the room, opened a cabinet, and suddenly she smiled….I’d found the television. We watched The Price is Right, The View, the Game Show Network…basically anything we could do to keep our mind off you. You were on your way, and the anticipation was nearly enough to kill us. I’ll admit I was more than a little scared. I mean, I’d never done this before. What could a 26 year old know about being a dad? Thoughts raced through my mind that I’d never had before. I sat and tried to finish a lesson for Wednesday night youth service, and I did, but my thoughts were always on you.

Every now and then I’d look over at your mommy as she lay there in bed and read magazines. I knew she was just as uncomfortable as me, but she wouldn’t say it. Your mommy is one tough lady. Your grandma, grandpa, Pa, and Mimi took turns in the waiting room with me. Others even stopped by to wait or to offer their prayers. They knew just what I had no clue about: you were so special, even then. Finally, the time came for you to be born, and mommy went to surgery, with Mimi in tow, because your daddy couldn’t stand the thought of your mommy being cut open. 45 tense minutes later, and there you were, screaming into the world with a huge set of lungs that I knew you could have only gotten from me.

When I think about the greatest moments of my life, I will always think about when I first saw you. There you were, laid out on the table in the nursery like some alien being, with goop in your eyes and something hanging out of your belly button that was blue. Your hair was going every which way and you were squirming around, and I knew then that you were going to be full of life. I stood by while the nurses cleaned you up and I was able to video you, and take pictures. When I turned around, there were all your relatives crowding around the windows to the nursery, trying their best to be the first one to get a glimpse of you. It wasn’t long before you were wrapped up and whisked away from us for tests, and we waited again.

Mommy came back to the room and she was groggy from surgery, but she was so beautiful. Then, in that moment, you came through the door for the first time and I knew that I was done for. The old life I’d lived was dead and here you were to help us build a new one. There’s a picture on the bulletin board that hangs over my desk at the office, and there in the corner is a picture of me with you for the first time. I’m smiling like I’m happy, but inside I had no idea what I’d gotten myself into. My stomach was churning. And now that I look at it, wow, you’ve changed so much! You’ve gone from the little potato that used to have to constantly have a blanket on him to the child that giggles and coos as he lays in the bed beside me at 6 in the morning. To the child who grins back at me. To the child that laughs when grandpa makes silly faces, or when Mimi talks to him.

Son, you constantly blow me away, and there is no greater job in this life than to be your father. Thanks for an awesome 3 months.

It’s Thursday, which means we’ll be coming home tomorrow.  I’m ready and not ready.  I’m ready to be home and see my family, but I’m not ready to leave because it’s been a good week.  Yesterday was a beautiful day with low temperatures and plenty of sun.  Our day was filled with Bible Study, track times, worship, and church group time, which led us into a party last night that was focused on missions.  It was to show how much we have here in our country and how little others in the world have.  Everyone was given a certain number of beans, and they had to buy their basic needs with them.  10% of the kids were given enough to buy all their basic needs.  Then, a slightly larger percentage were given just a few less beans, and finally the majority only had a few.  The trick was, the first and second groups could tag others to get more beans, but the third group could not.  Plus, they had to do ridiculous tasks all while trying to get from place to place.

In place were natural disasters, which took beans from the kids, policemen who took beans when rules weren’t followed (I was one of those), and missionaries who gave beans away freely.  What the kids didn’t know was that the group who “won” at the end, the 10%, were actually the losers, because they didn’t help others.  The 10% represents America, while the other groups represent the rest of the world.  Below, you’ll see pictures from last night.  I will not have time to update tomorrow, as we’ll leave early, but I will get our pictures up as soon as I can once I’m home.  See you soon!

This was our sight for most of last night:

From around 5:15 p.m. to past our bedtime last night we experienced all kinds of rain, as Bubba from Forrest Gump would say: fat rain, skinny rain, rain that blew sideways, and it seemed like rain from the ground too.  But, it cooled us off and today we’ve had great weather.

Last night’s party was the Brainbusters Party, in which the kids played with their Bible Study groups to solve puzzles and work out problems.  Here are some pictures from that:

As you can see, we’re having a great time.  Check back tomorrow for more pics!

After a long, 6 and a half hour drive, we finally arrived at Camp Carson Springs, only to find that, as legends of long ago once claimed, everything was uphill….BOTH WAYS! Carson Springs is a very steep camp, built on the side of a mountain. However, the facilities are wonderful and we are being well taken care of. We kicked off the night last night with Opening Celebration, Bible Study groups, and Church Group Devotions, plus a Guiness Book of World Records party, in which I was asked to come on the stage and dance in a dancing contest.

Unfortunately, the “Marty-shake” wasn’t impressing the judges, and I lost. Afterwards, we went to bed, and it was glorious. Very glorious. So, here’s some pictures from last night and today so far:

Unbelieveable
Yesterday morning I woke up with the alarm and turned over, finding my wife and son beside me. I smiled a little and then realized something….he’s a month old! Born on April 9, Isaac Soren Estes is already a month old and it seems like it was just yesterday that I was standing in the nursery at the hospital, watching them clean him up from delivery. Since then, I’ve learned a few things:

1. 6 hours of sleep per night is enough for me. Anything more is a bonus.
2. Poop, pee, vomit, and eye boogers are not nearly as nasty as you think they are.
3. Don’t throw away the instructions to your Diaper Genie. This will lead to stressful moments when it’s full and you can’t figure out how to get the resulting diaper snake out of the machine.
4. Car rides, no matter how long, will put most children to sleep. Be careful they don’t do the same to you.
5. Gas or not, when Isaac looks at me and “grins”, I melt.
6. I’ve never been closer to my wife than now. We are a great team.
7. Always….ALWAYS….have a wipe covering sensitive areas during diaper changes. Otherwise, you may experience a new kind of shower.
8. Burp often, burp well. Otherwise, you change clothes.
9. There is nothing that my child can do that will make me stop loving him.

So, I’ll stop being sappy. If you pray, please pray for Isaac. He has an ear infection right now and it’s not serious, but I know it makes him hurt and uncomfortable. We’d like it to go away as soon as possible.