Doug Van Pelt

How do you estimate that?

Coffee, cats, dogs, movie trailers, fanzines. It's a good morning.

"...We're surrounded by goblins!"

The Spiderwick Chronicles. Looks like a fantastic tale.
Congrats to the Kansas Jayhawks for beating those Memphis Tigers last night.
The phrase "27 million years" hit me kind of sideways while watching the Bee Movie yesterday. It was their homage to the evolution theory in passing, which was spoken at least three times. It was a funny, goofy movie.

I finished the latest issue of Heaven's Metal Fanzine yesterday. Even though this one was written pretty much 100% by the editorial team sans moi (save for some "Letters to Ed" additions and responses), editing and laying out takes longer than I'd think (every time). This one's kind of weird, because the editorial team (affectionately called "the Heaven's Metal Karew") had introduced themselves in two-up "Meet the Press" features and it was time for my introduction. Our managing editor, a doctor in Virginia, suggested that they do an interview and regular feature for this issue. It was definitely a full-length interview, spanning several pages and covering lots of topics. It's kind of goofy from my perspective, but hopefully some will think it interesting.

I don't think my ego needed stroking in this issue, but nevertheless, there it is. It's interesting: when asked about "the essence of the Christian life," my response went in one direction first -- which is how the term "Christian" is really an adjective of sorts and of praise. The church in Antioch were the first people ever to be called "Christians," which was descriptive of being like Jesus, or "little Christs." It was a great compliment. These people had acted in such a way that others said they reminded them of Jesus. That's cool. The phrase should still be something that others speak of us instead of our own lips. Who among us would say, "I'm a little Jesus!?" That's what saying, "I'm a Christian" is essentially communicating, according to the original use of the term.

I'm toying with or composing a new definition to use from now on when explaining or quantifying my faith. Lord willing, I'll share it here soon when it's finished.