Official Move

Have gotten the Job at Apple so I am going to use the 

web.mac.com/coreygk for my blog.

trying something new

check this out: http://web.mac.com/coreygk

seeing as how I will more than likely be working for Apple, I thought I should try some stuff out.

Let it Snow!

So my after my first week of being in New England it has snowed!  It's been amazing.  My room mate and I have been playing and exploring the nearby woods and trails.  Just so you know he is from Iowa (i.e. he (Jeff Miller) knows how to deal with snow... I wasn't just stomping around with just anyone).  This is what we made.  Frosty is a 7ft snowman.  Yeah this is no joke for your first snow man.  I didn't realize how easy it really is.   

This is my car after a few inches of snow and No I haven't driven yet.  Kind of hoping I won't have to do to much of that.  Well not until my room mate teaches me how to drive in the snow.

This picture is of a pond that is almost frozen over.  I wanted to go walk around and see how close I could get to the water.  Jeff said that wouldn't be the best idea I have ever had.  He seems like a smart kid so I took his advice and just took the picture.  Although it does look like it would have been fun to test my limits.   All of these pictures where taken with my hot iphone.  It withstood the test of snow.  Apple really is a great product.  By the way I have also applied to work at an Apple store in the greater Boston area.  So hopefully I will be selling a truly great product and getting great deals on Apple stuff!

                                                                                            

Thought of the Day

So one of the classes I am taking we are required to dialog with each other in a forum with our prof.  Here is my first question and response: 

What do you think are some current philosophies that drive our theology that Christians 2000 years from now will critique us for? Do you think there is anything we can do to mitigate against the theological damage we're (unconsciously) doing to ourselves? 

Fundamentalism and it’s response Jesus Hijacking:

 Being apart of the later Buster generation (1965-1983) fundamentalism doesn’t allow people to ask questions and think for themselves.  As a former fundamentalist, I found that if I asked any questions I was thought to be a heretic or on the verge of becoming a Liberal.  In addition the majority of the fundamentalism is concerned with combating new thoughts as apposed to engaging in conversations because the believe that they are absolutely right on every topic on the spiritual gamut.  (as a disclaimer I am not saying that I don’t believe in absolutes because I do believe in absolutes).   

The response to fundamentalism has been what some have called the hijacking of Jesus.  Which is an equal theological extreme.  This is where the offensive parts of Jesus’ method are omitted or de-emphasized.  “They hijack the image of Jesus by portraying him as an open-minded, big-hearted, and never-offended-anyone moral teacher” (David Kinnaman, UnChristian).

Maybe some things that we can do are to continue to ask questions for starters. Learn how to embrace truth and grace in daily life.  Along with being Christians who embody service, compassion, humility, forgiveness, kindness, peace, joy, goodness, and love for the lost, hurting, poor and believer alike.     

On My Way to Boston

Thursday was my last day on the Island (Saint Simons Island).  It was a bitter sweet moment in my life.  Leaving the South and embarking a new chapter in life amongst the bitter cold of the North East.  My trek on Thursday was from SSI to  Washington D.C. (only a 10 hour drive).  I must say that Virginia is not too back of a state.  

Friday morning I woke up and prayed that my car hadn't been broken into (due to the massive amounts of stuff).  It wasn't  so I set off for the Big Apple to hang out their for a few days (4 hour drive).  I have this to offer as free information.  I know now way New Jersey is called the Garden State!  There was nothing up until the NY state line.  

In the Big Apple I found out why car horns break (because it's how you let people know you are there.)  There are street signs that say $300 fine for honking!  NY isn't as bad as it's made out to be in all the TV shows and movies.  If you ever get the chance to wonder around NYC by yourself do it!  

Today all I did was walk around Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art (way cool), and  the Rockefeller Center.  The picture is from The MET.  It's called the "Gates of Paradise" by  Lorenzo Ghiberti.  The MET has some really old bibles and crosses that is said to have part of the cross in the middle incased in crystal.  Oh I can't wait for tomorrow... I have no idea what i am going to do!

Only a few more days till i am officially a resident of Boston!

Being an Emo kid for a week or at least learning how to be...

As you are well a where of by now, you know what it means to be Emo.  If not it means that you are emotional.  I must say that being sort of a stoic I am not really good with the whole emotional thing.  However, there are times in ones life when things just become real!  For instance;  in the fall of 2000 my best friends dad past away.  It was the closest death that I had experienced in my young life.  Also, in the fall of 2000 my homeroom (high school) teacher died of a massive heart attack.  In the spring of 2002 a very close friend's father died of a heart attack. There have been other sudden deaths that have brought me to the realization of how short our time here on earth really is.  

This past week the man who taught me just about everything I know about Youth Ministry died.  His name was Alan George.  The first time I saw/met Alan it was the year 2001.  It was at the YMCA in Thomasville, Georgia. He was wearing high top white wrestling shoes, compression shorts, cut-off sweat pants, with a black tank top.  I thought to myself... um this is the year 2001 not 1982.  It wasn't till a year later I had accepted a job as an youth intern at St. Thomas Episcopal that I had officially met Alan George.  Once I realized where I knew him from, I thought to myself I am going to be working with the guy who is stuck in the 80's. 

After a few sit downs and long interviews it was decided that my first day on staff would be the yearly trip to Lake Sinclair.  This trip is taken every Memorial Day.  I had never met any of the youth but Alen thought this would be the best way.  To just dive into youth ministry by me taking kids on jet skis and throwing them off.  He said,  "If you can't have fun with youth then you might as well be an old fuddy duddy."  It was at this moment that I knew that to be a youth minister you need to be able to relate with youth.   

Over the next two year I picked up on other things from his philosophy of ministry like environments, audio visual aids, and fun games like "duct tape someone to a pole and the last one to fall wins."  I must say that this was the strangest thing coming from an Episcopal Church.  Alan was the man who no matter how old he became he was always up to date with the relevant train with youth (even though he never could get a new work out wardrobe).  He taught me that you have to be authentic with youth to impact and earn the right to speak to them about Jesus.

So this past week I received  a call from Megan (one of my youth) telling me that Alan had been in a motorcycle accident.  A week later Alan had died.  I know that I am to be grieving and that this is a healthy process.  However,  I find myself not really knowing how to.  I think it's because I hadn't seen him in 2 years that I just think he's in another town or I just haven't seen him yet.  So I hope this will help with the grieving process.

Alan we will miss you, know and trust that you are in a much better place!

And the Transitions have started!

Well I as of last Friday I had finished my job with the Gathering Place and started my new job as a caddy at Sea Island. I have also successfully moved moved out of my apt. with Josh Bruce and have moved into Gigi's House (the Wade's Grandmother's living quarter Oct. 27- May 25). I have a little over 45 day up stairs then I move into the basement with the pool table and the crabs! Transition is not an easy thing because it normally involves change which is not an easy thing. The funny thing is that this only the beginning for me. Jan 3 is coming quick and then I will be on my way to join some friends in Boston for a few years.
I must say working as a caddy and hanging around in the caddy pen has been a real eye opener of how lost this world really is and how sheltered I have been the past 3 years while working in youth ministry. Just after 3 days my heart has broken for some of these guys. I think the best part about doing this job is that I get to see the sun rise while putting out drinking water on the course. This give me a chance to thank the Lord for the job he has provide me with and it give me the time to pray for my fellow caddies. I enjoy being outside most of the day, but must that am receiving the worst farmers tan that i have ever had in my life! Well that's all for now, but here is a picture of the 9th on Sea Side.