I love breakfast foods. They're pretty much the best.
Top 10 places to get breakfast in Ann Arbor (that I've personally visited)
10. Denny's
I'm from New Jersey, where we have a family-owned diner every few blocks. Denny's is NOT a real diner. But it does have ridiculous deals and they're open 24/7 AND can seat a lot of people at once. Accessibility puts Denny's in the top 10.
9. Panera
I always thought Panera was just too fancy to be a bagel store - they sell soup, salads, sandwiches, pasta... doesn't quite fit in as a true breakfast place. But the free WiFi and the cozy places to sit in and contemplate life while munching on one of those crazy Cinammon Sugar-coated bagels can be nice in the morning.
8. Breugger's Bagels
This was the standard for me all throughout undergrad. Especially on Sunday mornings when we used to wake up a lot earlier to set up for church, everyone was munching on these bagels. It's been there before Panera. It's open early and closes early, just like a bagel shop should. And they primarily serve bagels, which is appropriate and simple. I like that.
7. Mr.Greek's
A bit lower on the list because their portion size went down and prices went up over the years. Still decent though. Go for the Hercules breakfast, it's got everything you want in a breakfast.
6. McDonald's
I have a special place in my heart for "Mickey D's" breakfasts. I travel(ed) a lot and a McDonald's Big Breakfast was comfort food for the road. Good memories associated with this one. And McGriddles are pure awesomeness. Seriously.
5. Fleetwood Mac
Kind of a dirty, dingy place with greasy borderline-questionable breakfast food. Now THAT's a DINER! First time there was during my freshman year. My Jersey friend and I hiked over in the bitter cold because we were having diner-withdrawal. Waitress comes up, "Can I take your order? ACHOOO!!" Snot and boogers EVERYWHERE. We promptly ordered and devoured the hippie hash. Glorious.
4. Selma Cafe
Although I haven't been here yet from what I hear, it's exactly my kind of deal. A family opens up their Ann Arbor home on Friday mornings where guest chefs cook breakfasts for guests. Run by the family and a small army of volunteers, you get to rub shoulders with Ann Arborites, eat a home-cooked meal in... a home... and support local farms (all fresh, locally grown ingredients) and local businesses. It's the "real deal". This place is on my To Visit list for sure.
3. Angelo's
Mainstay of Ann Arbor. Classic. Good service, just the right amount of hustle-bustle - just the right kind of breakfast atmosphere. Get an omelet and their freshly baked raisin bread. Hugely satisfying.
2. Afternoon Delight
Discovered this little guy while working security across the street at the public library. Wandered over for lunch one day and had a milkshake. Brought ALL the boys to the yard. Get the meat boule. Four different kinds of meat scrambled into eggs, dripping with cheese all jammed into a cantaloupe-sized bread bowl. It'll put some hair on your chest.
1. My apartment
I always have my fridge stocked with eggs, sausage, cheese, milk, bread for toast, and cereal. I can have breakfast whenever I want in whatever attire I choose. And I can even choose to pass out on a full stomach afterwards on my comfortable couch. There's no place like home.
What's your favorite breakfast place?
Follow-up on previous post coming in next post!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
"But my heart's not in it"
I've been saying and hearing this phrase over and over again:
"Yea, I would and I know it's good for me, but my heart is not in it."
That, friends, is an excuse. What this phrase actually means is simply "Nah, I don't feel like it. Leave me alone. I do what I want."
There's nothing wrong with being honest and straight up. However, our "honesty" should not serve as an excuse to not do what is right, good, necessary.
Obeying and following God is not primarily dependent on how we feel at the moment or whether or not our "heart" is in it.
This attitude implies that I am the Master in my relationship with God. That God's will and work needs to wait on how I feel and whether or not I feel happy enough, satisfied enough, and "ready enough". In my selfishness, I am demanding that God wait and serve me and that I dictate when and how things will get done.
Imagine, a servant having this attitude towards his master: "Yea, master, I hear you. And I know what you're asking and requiring of me. But I don't feel like it at the moment. My heart is not really into the work right now. And I want to do your work 'wholeheartedly'. So, maybe later. Thanks for understanding. I'll be in my room to be alone now. I'll come back when I feel like I'm more into it."
...
So, if I know that by saying, "my heart is not in it" I may be just attempting to excuse myself from doing what's good, right, and needed, then how should I approach all this? Isn't it true that there will be many times where I don't feel like doing something? And as a Christ-follower I'm commanded to rejoice always, trust God wholeheartedly, and love God - aren't those "heart" issues? Won't I be one of those hypocrites offering only lip-service to God if my heart is not in it but I keep doing things anyway?
I have to go to work now, more on this later.
Stay sharp. ;)
"Yea, I would and I know it's good for me, but my heart is not in it."
That, friends, is an excuse. What this phrase actually means is simply "Nah, I don't feel like it. Leave me alone. I do what I want."
There's nothing wrong with being honest and straight up. However, our "honesty" should not serve as an excuse to not do what is right, good, necessary.
Obeying and following God is not primarily dependent on how we feel at the moment or whether or not our "heart" is in it.
This attitude implies that I am the Master in my relationship with God. That God's will and work needs to wait on how I feel and whether or not I feel happy enough, satisfied enough, and "ready enough". In my selfishness, I am demanding that God wait and serve me and that I dictate when and how things will get done.
Imagine, a servant having this attitude towards his master: "Yea, master, I hear you. And I know what you're asking and requiring of me. But I don't feel like it at the moment. My heart is not really into the work right now. And I want to do your work 'wholeheartedly'. So, maybe later. Thanks for understanding. I'll be in my room to be alone now. I'll come back when I feel like I'm more into it."
...
So, if I know that by saying, "my heart is not in it" I may be just attempting to excuse myself from doing what's good, right, and needed, then how should I approach all this? Isn't it true that there will be many times where I don't feel like doing something? And as a Christ-follower I'm commanded to rejoice always, trust God wholeheartedly, and love God - aren't those "heart" issues? Won't I be one of those hypocrites offering only lip-service to God if my heart is not in it but I keep doing things anyway?
I have to go to work now, more on this later.
Stay sharp. ;)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
totally opposite
"Don't take risks... You're awesome."
I read this tag line on an advertisement displayed in one of the University of Michigan student bookstores. It's for an online service which allows students to order their textbooks ahead of time instead of waiting last minute and "risking" not being able to get what they want. Seems like a helpful business, but I couldn't help but be turned off by their whole advertising scheme.
Another one of their tag lines:
"Don't take risks because risk is stupid"
Really? At best, this whole idea of "playing it safe" and "taking control of your life" is delusional. Sorry to bust your bubble, but life doesn't roll like that. I thought most people over the age of 2 knew this - that we seldom get our way...
Without taking risks, we will just live to survive and carry out a self-centered, mediocre life. Fixed ways of life are always safe, but allows little room for faith. And by constantly thinking that we're "so awesome"... well, personally, I don't need any more superficial ego-boosts. I'm already helplessly proud, thank you very much. This whole not risking, you're awesome business is so comforting and safe but totally opposite of the Gospel, anti-God.
We're constantly bombarded by these advertisements that sustain an illusion - a detachment from reality. It is in this illusion where I get lost and full of myself - the perfect breeding ground for pride.
Humility is recognizing who I really am in light of who God is and His great mercies. That I did nothing to gain salvation, but in order to obtain the fullness of life that I have to be willing to risk it all for the Christ who gave His all.
Heart check:
"...we rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if anyone has reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have more!...
I once thought these things [background, experience, abilities, achievements] were valuable but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!"
- Philippians 3:3b-4, 7-11 (NLT)
I read this tag line on an advertisement displayed in one of the University of Michigan student bookstores. It's for an online service which allows students to order their textbooks ahead of time instead of waiting last minute and "risking" not being able to get what they want. Seems like a helpful business, but I couldn't help but be turned off by their whole advertising scheme.
Another one of their tag lines:
"Don't take risks because risk is stupid"
Really? At best, this whole idea of "playing it safe" and "taking control of your life" is delusional. Sorry to bust your bubble, but life doesn't roll like that. I thought most people over the age of 2 knew this - that we seldom get our way...
Without taking risks, we will just live to survive and carry out a self-centered, mediocre life. Fixed ways of life are always safe, but allows little room for faith. And by constantly thinking that we're "so awesome"... well, personally, I don't need any more superficial ego-boosts. I'm already helplessly proud, thank you very much. This whole not risking, you're awesome business is so comforting and safe but totally opposite of the Gospel, anti-God.
We're constantly bombarded by these advertisements that sustain an illusion - a detachment from reality. It is in this illusion where I get lost and full of myself - the perfect breeding ground for pride.
Humility is recognizing who I really am in light of who God is and His great mercies. That I did nothing to gain salvation, but in order to obtain the fullness of life that I have to be willing to risk it all for the Christ who gave His all.
Heart check:
"...we rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if anyone has reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have more!...
I once thought these things [background, experience, abilities, achievements] were valuable but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!"
- Philippians 3:3b-4, 7-11 (NLT)
Friday, August 19, 2011
lifetime decisions
I recently made a decision that will stick with me for a lifetime. Cost me $35 in the moment, but will hopefully open many doors in the future.
Made me think: Wait a tic - aren't all decisions like that?
Yea, yea they are.
Reminded today of the importance of every thought, every word and every action.
And I'm thankful that in Christ, all of those things can be redeemed for His glory.
Made me think: Wait a tic - aren't all decisions like that?
Yea, yea they are.
Reminded today of the importance of every thought, every word and every action.
And I'm thankful that in Christ, all of those things can be redeemed for His glory.
Friday, August 12, 2011
reality
For the most part, I don't watch TV and try to avoid reality TV. But no matter how gaudy, infuriatingly stupid, and unnecessarily staged and dramatic reality TV shows are... c'mon, I know we all secretly watch 'em. There's something about watching other people go through life's dramatic and not so dramatic moments where we feel we have a special connection with the protagonists - because we know (or desperately hope) that it's all "really real".
I heard about this one show, Top Shot on the History Channel from some other Marines. Thought I'd check it out. I blazed through 2 seasons (almost 20 hours!) in about 2 weeks. Sick. But it was so good.
16 expert marksmen hand-picked from all walks of life compete against one another for a prize. There's everyone from military, law enforcement, exhibition shooters, competitive shooters, and hunters. They shoot a variety of rifles, pistols, and primitive weapons set up in all kinds of crazy courses to test their skills. For most of the time, they must work in teams. The top few finalists go head to head as individual competitors.
The cool part about this show is that there is a real sense of respect and overall maturity between the contestants. Can't quite put a finger on it, but this is just what manhood is all about. Integrity, leadership, helping one another out, doing what's right, learning something new, and adapting and overcoming new challenges. Very different and way cooler than most other reality TV shows out there. The contestants respect one another's talents and experiences, and keep the drama to a minimum. Simply, politics and emotions aside, they just want to compete against the best and know that they've earned the title of "Top Shot" in a legitimate way.
That said, I want to highlight two guys in Season 2: Chris and George. Chris is a hunter and outdoors man, and George is a military sniper and they grew to be close friends throughout their time competing together. Both make it to the final three.
The show's host asks each competitor beforehand what they plan on doing if they win the $100,000 grand prize.
George: Buy 2 guns every week for a year.
Chris: Put my kids through college.
Brian: Put my kid through school and the rest of it goes into my house.
After hearing Chris and Brian, George remarks: I'm single with no dependents. I have no commitments. When I heard Chris and Brian putting their kids through college, makes me feel kinda bad about beating them in this competition.
For most of the show, George comes off as a cocky meat-head from Jersey who's always throwing around snide remarks. In fact, there are a bunch of blogs and posts dedicated to calling George a gigantic "d-bag". To me, it's all in good fun - mostly "locker room talk" - a little trash talking here and there. But in a completely unexpected move, George surprised me.
George claims that he'd rather know for sure that he was beat fair and square by a better shooter than winning by forfeiture. But judging by the two men's reactions, it was clear that George's actions were selfless. George, fully capable of winning the whole competition, willingly put himself on the line and put Chris before himself out of respect and love.
George misses his next shot and gets eliminated, Chris and Brian go head to head, and Chris ends up winning the whole thing. It was so cool because right from the get-go, Chris served and led his team, helping them every step of the way. Even during the individual competitions, Chris was the one giving feedback to his competitors and always going out of his way to help them perform better. Selfless leadership.
Selflessness comes with rewards. When it's all about winning for yourself, sometimes you actually end up losing no matter what the outcome of the game. When you strive to win for others, there's more purpose and urgency behind your win. But when you lose so that another may win, that's sacrificial love, and there's true victory in that.
That's the Gospel - in a show about shooting weapons.
Enough reality TV... back to "real" life.
I heard about this one show, Top Shot on the History Channel from some other Marines. Thought I'd check it out. I blazed through 2 seasons (almost 20 hours!) in about 2 weeks. Sick. But it was so good.
16 expert marksmen hand-picked from all walks of life compete against one another for a prize. There's everyone from military, law enforcement, exhibition shooters, competitive shooters, and hunters. They shoot a variety of rifles, pistols, and primitive weapons set up in all kinds of crazy courses to test their skills. For most of the time, they must work in teams. The top few finalists go head to head as individual competitors.
The cool part about this show is that there is a real sense of respect and overall maturity between the contestants. Can't quite put a finger on it, but this is just what manhood is all about. Integrity, leadership, helping one another out, doing what's right, learning something new, and adapting and overcoming new challenges. Very different and way cooler than most other reality TV shows out there. The contestants respect one another's talents and experiences, and keep the drama to a minimum. Simply, politics and emotions aside, they just want to compete against the best and know that they've earned the title of "Top Shot" in a legitimate way.
That said, I want to highlight two guys in Season 2: Chris and George. Chris is a hunter and outdoors man, and George is a military sniper and they grew to be close friends throughout their time competing together. Both make it to the final three.
(Season 2's last three contestants, from left to right: George, Chris, Brian)
The show's host asks each competitor beforehand what they plan on doing if they win the $100,000 grand prize.
George: Buy 2 guns every week for a year.
Chris: Put my kids through college.
Brian: Put my kid through school and the rest of it goes into my house.
After hearing Chris and Brian, George remarks: I'm single with no dependents. I have no commitments. When I heard Chris and Brian putting their kids through college, makes me feel kinda bad about beating them in this competition.
For most of the show, George comes off as a cocky meat-head from Jersey who's always throwing around snide remarks. In fact, there are a bunch of blogs and posts dedicated to calling George a gigantic "d-bag". To me, it's all in good fun - mostly "locker room talk" - a little trash talking here and there. But in a completely unexpected move, George surprised me.
George claims that he'd rather know for sure that he was beat fair and square by a better shooter than winning by forfeiture. But judging by the two men's reactions, it was clear that George's actions were selfless. George, fully capable of winning the whole competition, willingly put himself on the line and put Chris before himself out of respect and love.
George misses his next shot and gets eliminated, Chris and Brian go head to head, and Chris ends up winning the whole thing. It was so cool because right from the get-go, Chris served and led his team, helping them every step of the way. Even during the individual competitions, Chris was the one giving feedback to his competitors and always going out of his way to help them perform better. Selfless leadership.
Selflessness comes with rewards. When it's all about winning for yourself, sometimes you actually end up losing no matter what the outcome of the game. When you strive to win for others, there's more purpose and urgency behind your win. But when you lose so that another may win, that's sacrificial love, and there's true victory in that.
That's the Gospel - in a show about shooting weapons.
Enough reality TV... back to "real" life.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Working Wednesdays: My Day Job
I was actually laid off a few weeks ago and have been out of a job since. Job hunting has actually been eye-opening: I've been looking for just about anything and everything that fits my schedule. My mindset is to try something new and develop new skills.
One main difference that I've seen in myself compared to past years? I place far less value on the career and job title itself than on the actual opportunity. I'm more and more confident in how God has been working in me, in my character - and seeing that my career does not define me. A job and paycheck are not where I place my self-worth, but my job is a mere vehicle on which I get to live out the purposes of God.
John 6:
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
One main difference that I've seen in myself compared to past years? I place far less value on the career and job title itself than on the actual opportunity. I'm more and more confident in how God has been working in me, in my character - and seeing that my career does not define me. A job and paycheck are not where I place my self-worth, but my job is a mere vehicle on which I get to live out the purposes of God.
John 6:
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
true
"If you aren't making mistakes, you aren't innovating. If you are making the same mistakes, you aren't learning." - Rick Warren
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