matthew ainsley

Less than a week ago, I moved to O-town (”cuz I want it all or nothing at all”  Do you remember that song from those Nsync knock offs?–they sucked) to start a new life.  In just six short days, I’ve realized the immensity of the task that lies before me.  I know that God is going to mold me in an unprecendented way as I seek to build the student ministry department at Windermere Community Church.  My life chapter right now is definitely Matthew 6, where Jesus teaches about the fruitlessness of worry.  I just have to take things a day at a time, and keep in mind that building this ministry is dependent on God, not on me.  Right now, life is changing.  In fact, it is fundamentally different today than it was even a week ago. 

Well, it’s been about a month since my last blog and it’s time for me to get back into it.  Much has happenend since my last blog (e.g. I got married!!!) and much is going to happen in the near future (new job, new town).  Kasey (my wife) and I are on a journey and this can be amazing way for us to chronicle all that God does. 

As I’m sitting here on saturday night, I’m trying to wrap my mind around how different life will be just one week from now.  I don’t think the reality of March 8th (i.e. my wedding to the love of my life) has really hit me yet.  I mean, one week or 168 hours from now, my life will be irrevocably altered.  How can I possibly comprehend that?  I don’t think I can, so I’m just going to enjoy the ride.

I don’t know why, but I’m just fascinated by the whole leap year thing.  I’ve been thinking how cool it would be to be born on leap day (or perhaps how depressing it would be).  Leap day also causes me to think about time and how quickly it goes by.  It seems like since I’ve gotten a little bit older, the pace at which time passes has quickened.  For example, a year in high school seemed like an eternity.  When I think back about my senior year, it seems like a decade full of memories.  Now, a year feels like a month or so.  I mean, it’s 2008!  And where are the hoverboards and flying cars?  Yes, the iphone is pretty cool but it’s nothing compared to the futuristic bliss shown us by Marty McFly and Doc Brown in Back to the Future II.  Do you know how long I’ve been waiting on a hoverboard or a jacket that automatically dries itself?  Anyways, I guess we better make the most of the time we have cuz we’re going to blink our eyes and it will 2058.

As many of you may already know, facebook will soon be a publicly traded company.  Zuckerberg’s goal is to essentially make facebook the town square of the internet.  Whether you are socializing, shopping or just surfing the idea is that all those activities will be directly or indirectly related to facebook.  Such traffic would generate an obscene amount of revenue.  So the question is, can they do it?  I’m not convinced either way at this point.  All I know is that I’m always saying, “man, I wish I would have invested in apple back in the day.”  Even a few years ago when google was right around $200 a share, I remember thinking that there was no way it would go much higher–boy was I wrong.  I’ll probably buy a few shares of facebook just so I won’t kick myself if the company explodes.  For more, check these articles out:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/25/tech/main2851786.shtml

http://www.investortrip.com/5-stock-market-predictions-for-2008/

Although not as dazzling and formulaic as many moviegoers prefer, No Country for Old Men is an incredible film with rich characters and a powerful story.  The following clip says it all.

 Update: Javier Bardem wins best supporting actor (well deserved)

NO COUNTRY wins best pic!!!

The highly anticipated film, Vantage Point, starring Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox (the guy from Lost) and a slew of other past and present A-listers boasts itself to be a smart, action-packed, keep you guessing to the end flick but fails to do much more than creatively unfold a mediocre plot.  The characters are one dimensional and the commentary on the global issue of terrorism is naive.  Hence from my “vantage point” this is a film that over-promises and under-delivers.

http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/vantagepoint

I used to be in love with diet coke but now I have converted to coke zero.  Somehow the engineers of culinary magic at the coca-cola company have mangaged to make an incredible drink that contains no calories.  I daily drink myself into a caffeine induced anxiety attack.  But the peril is worth promise.  Do you know that coke zero is on tap at various fast food establishments?  Perhaps coke zero is overtaking diet coke as the standard no calorie drink.  My friend chad likes diet pepsi but diet pepsi sucks.  I know that a blog about coke zero is trivial but coke zero is a garnish that decorates my life.

Well, here I am not even 48 hours after I went on a huge tirade about how blogs were nothing more than digitized emotional vomit.  I must admit that even as I write this I find the whole idea of blogging to be a bit narcissistic.  I mean, am I so enthralled with myself that I think other people will want to log on and read what I have to say?  It’s not like I’m Justin Timberlake (yes, I’m admitting it…I’m 26…it hasn’t happened…it’s not going to happen…well maybe it will happen), no one is really interested in the minutia of my life.  I’m sorry but this just feels like a lame attention getting scheme.  Hey look at me, I’m cool, I’m orginal, I’m interesting.

Or maybe I’m too cynical.  Well, I’m definitely cynical but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.  But for some reason, I feel compelled to give it a try (that reason most likely being that amy and chad harassed me into submission).  There is part of me that thinks blogging could be an incredible way for people to exchange thoughts and ideas, or another way for people to connect and feel united.

For me the jury is still out.