Victory in Death

“Stories of people who died after living godly lives are stories with happy endings.” – Francis Chan, Crazy Love

I recently had the privilege of attending my wife’s grandfather’s funeral. As words were said about him, I couldn’t help but feel convicted over where I am in my own spiritual walk and life. Her grandfather was a man of:

  • Prayer
  • Conviction
  • and Dedication

Married for over 66 years, my wife’s grandfather was a fantastic example (while still humanly flawed) of how a Christian should live his life.

Death, that thing that we shove into a corner for a rainy day, awaits us all one day. It is something that could happen to anyone of us, even in this very moment. If your like me, you don’t think that this is true. You somehow feel invincible. Guess what? Your not.

Of this we can all be certain:

  • One day we will all die.
  • On that day we will be judged.

27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, – Hebrews 9:27

Even now, you might find yourself wanting to continue to push this topic aside. “It’s too morbid,” you might say. Making a decision to accept Christ, by simply believing in Him, is the difference between living a life of victory (in Christ!) versus one that ends in defeat.

Confessions of an MMO Tourist: Cataclysm Edition


A few months back, I had heard that there had been a cataclysm in Azeroth. All of the lands and continents of the game had been changed. Realizing that this might be a great time to visit at a discounted rate, I made sure to keep my eyes open for travel deals. No sooner had I started my search, when an e-mail arrived in my inbox with this subject line: “Bryan – Try World of Warcraft: Cataclysm FREE for 10 Days.” 10 whole days of vacationing in a new land, for free? How could I not pounce on this offer? A game client download and a few patches later, I found myself venturing once more in the lands of Azeroth.

A giant lurks in the mist.

Blizzard wasn’t joking when they said that things had changed. Right away I noticed the two new races featured in the game, the Worgen and the Goblins. So I decided to choose a new race. The thought of being a werewolf was too amazing to pass up, so I quickly created a Worgen mage by the name of Ruford. Ruford and I rode around the Worgen starting area, slowly learning about the Worgen infestation and how the great cataclysm occurred.

Ah Gilneas, World of Warcraft at its most refined.

My adventures with Ruford lasted until level 9. It was then that I decided that enough was enough. Though Cataclysm represents a fantastic upgrade to the World of Warcraft experience, the game is still the same. Frustrated, I quit playing. 10 days later I find myself wanting to play again…but alas, it is not to be. Farewell new content!

Super Meat Fail!

Dear Team Meat,

I know I probably shouldn’t let stuff like this bug me…but it does. I have been wanting to play your game, Super Meat Boy, for awhile now. So, I went to check out your blog when I came across this post:

So Christmas is coming up. My family doesn’t celebrate the Jesus version of Christmas, we celebrate the awesome give toys and stuff to people…which I think is better. Must have been hard on Jesus to have a birthday so close to Christmas…probably why he acted out and got in trouble with those Romans. Poor guy, he just wanted attention…

I know the post is old, but I am still bothered by it. Such flippancy/sarcasm towards Christ and my faith…I find it sick. If Jesus Christ was just out to get attention, being the Son of God and all, I’m sure he could have found a better way to do so. No, instead of attention, He came to die for both you and me. A selfless act versus some sort of modern day attention whoring.

I’m not sure where I am going with this, but I am sick of people (like you) thinking that it is cool to bash on Christ and Christianity just for the heck of it. From my own experience, these same people preach tolerance. Living a double standard? I think so.

If you have been hurt by Christians, I am sorry (we can talk about it). If you want to celebrate a Christ-less Christmas, then go for it. In the end, all I want is respect for what I believe and for the God I serve. I’m not looking to win a medal here…just looking for a little respect. Team Meat, you have failed in this department, and I will not be purchasing your game unless some sort of apology is given. Being a bit of a pessimist, I doubt that will ever happen. From this day forth, I will be staying away from the virtual meat you serve.

Sincerely,

Bryan

Shank: The Demo

Ultra violent. Gritty. Extreme.

Awhile back I downloaded the demo for Shank, an old school side-scrolling brawler of sorts, on the PS3 (also on PC and 360). The game follows the title character through the dirty streets of some nameless town (at least in the demo). Shank is after THE BUTCHER, a luchadore that beat the crap out of him and stole his girl. Wrought on revenge, through any means necessary, Shank battles to win not only his pride but his woman back. Sound like a typical Tarantino script? I’d say yes!

So the demo starts as Shank begins his road of bloodshed and violence. Ultimately ending with him killing the wrong masked wrestler. “WHERE IS HE?!?”, Shank yells questioningly in rage. Fueled by Shank’s anger, I can only assume that he completes his mission by the game’s end.

Overall I enjoyed the demo and wish it had been longer. The game’s M rating has me questioning just how much sex and language are in the rest of the game (the demo really didn’t showcase anything but violence). As of right now, I’ll be passing on Shank.

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