Bronson

Why Charles Bronson you ask? Well, while I really like the previous picture I had up, it was from last fall and I don't want to see any fall weather right now. Even in picture form. So until I get something from this year I am going with Charles.

Years ago, I got tired of being disappointed by movies that I was supposed to like. So, I started watching films that weren't supposed to be good, but were still entertaining. Enter Charles Bronson. The man has like 60 movies over 40 years. Some good, some bad, some horrible. But they almost always deliver some good lines or a poorly done explosion. He has great line delivery and don't even get me started on the stache. No mustache month is complete without someone donning the Bronson-stache.

I like the above picture from The Mechanic. It could say a few things. Like "You must have expensive tastes, this is fine wine." Or what is really going through his mind in this movie, "Oh geez, did I just drink posion!?!" And my favorite, "Here's to you Ministor, here's to you."

Hater or Hatter?

This may be coming out of some "the cool kids wouldn't let me sit at their table" complex, because I didn't get into the ride, but it has bugged me from the start.

Why is it the h8tr and not the h8r? Now, I'm not sure how mixing characters and the whole texting language works, but isn't h8tr=hatter? So, h8r=hater?

Perhaps one of you cool kids can explain it to me.

Brain Spill

The training for the race season goes well, although I wish we were into it already. Last week I actually felt strong at the trails, which has me guessing what gearing I should run for racing, but that will work itself out. That stuff has been on auto pilot, what I have been thinking about lately is living life to fullest.

This may get a bit too theological for some and I am working through it myself, which is partly why I write articles like this. The first thing anyone reading this has to remember is that I come from the foundation that Jesus is Lord, so where I end up may be quite different that you.

Like I said, I have been thinking about living life to the fullest, but perhaps not in the same way many people do. If you recall my article, "The problem with rules", you see my stance on Christianity is not one of maxims or moral code, rather it is Jesus healing the relationship between God and people. There may be a hiccup in that for many of you because A. all you know is the religious rules Christianity, or B. you have seen in scripture that it is clear that Jesus commands us to live certain ways.

It isn't a bait and switch and I still stand by what I said in the previous article, but "rules" do play a role in the Christian life. However, the "rules" are not a way for the church or even God to control people, instead the "rules" are guides in how to live life to the fullest. One act, whether it is doing or self-restriction, can open up facets of the human experience that we could not grasp otherwise.

I know, I know, that doesn't sound right in our culture of permission, but our culture isn't always right (no matter who you are, there are things you do not agree with that our culture perpetuates). This is getting really long, so I am going to put my reason for this conclusion as succinctly as possible and then perhaps unpack it at another time.

If Jesus can make our relationship right with God, we then need to know what that means for life. In other words, how do we interact with God and his creation(includes people) in a proper relationship with them? That is where the guides fill a role, they show us how to get the most out of life by living it the way it was intended.

I don't know, what do you think?

A lot stronger than we used to be

Things have been busy but good. Had some old friends staying over for the last 3 or 4 days and a few of us got out for a ride to Pewaukee and back. I noticed that I had perma-grin most of the ride, I must have needed it.

The problem with rules

Many religions if not all, focus on what the individual does to fall into line with said religion. In other words, it is about the rules.

The problem with rules is that anyone can make them up. What I mean by that is that a few of my atheist friends like to point out the failures of many Christians to have good morals and raise moral families, while they as atheist can do a great job of it. It is a point of truth with which that I cannot argue.

That is because anyone can follow rules, especially when they decide what rules are good and moral. A god can give an outline for rules, but it isn’t needed, which is why I believe my atheist friends make this argument. They are using the common atheist sociological argument that humans make up religions in order to control behavior. I can’t argue with that either.

However, Christianity is not a religion. At least not the way people commonly define religion as I said above. I know that many people are only exposed to the religion of Christianity, and that deeply saddens me, because it wholly misses the point, and we as the church have perpetuated it. The truth is, Christianity is about God repairing the relationship between creation and himself.

It has nothing to do with rules, other than the fact that every rule we follow we end up breaking, something with which I think my atheist friends would agree. It has everything to do with Jesus’ death and resurrection giving us grace, love, and forgiveness. Christianity isn’t a religion because it isn’t about a list of rules that we do, it is about the unending love of God repairing our relationship.

Opening Day: Southern Kettles

I was able to ride the kettles today. I had to ride by myself because everyone else had to work the day, well I was mostly be myself, I was accompanied by a squeaky seatpost/saddle issue that voiced itself every peddle stroke in the saddle.

When I got there I was the 4th car in the parking lot, by the time I left there were at least 20 cars. The trails are in pretty good shape, except for the deadfall. The Muir and Emma weren't too bad, but there are parts of the new connector area that just sucked; lots of thorn branches. The new section of orange is pretty cool, once it gets packed down it will make for a challenging fun climb.

Somehow I lost a rotor bolt on the Emma, so I rode the rest of the day only using my front brake. Which was okay because I wasn't flying anyway.