why mafia is the greatest ministry game ever.

sure it centers around murder, deception and lying. and sure it gives an opportunity for students to ruthlessly stab their best friends in the back. but i have said it before, and i will say it again:

mafia is the greatest ministry game ever.

there are a handful of reasons why mafia is the greatest game ever. i will list them now.

1. it forces students to know everyone's name.
you look like a total schmuck when you point at someone and say, "i think it's you - kid in the blue hoodie - yeah, him - you...i think you're in the mafia." people start whispering side conversations asking each other the names of the other people around the circle. students feel loved when you can call them by name (even more when you can develop a nickname for them) and when their peers know their name it means even more. by the end of a night of mafia, a room full of borderline strangers are suddenly best friends and can't wait to play together again.

2. students are forced to work together with individuals they're not used to being grouped with.
this is super fun to watch. you'll get the talkative girl, macho dude, quiet loner and stand-off-ish Flyleaf fan all working together and getting each other's back. students that would never have even talked to each other before are suddenly vouching for each other and trusting each other and working together to end the terror in mafiaville. this also breaks up the unhealthy attachments that some students have with a certain group and allows them to branch out and make friends outside of their normal bubble.

3. it develops confidence.
anyone can succeed at mafia - in fact, the already confident ones are typically the first to be found out. the quiet ones are the ones that fly under the radar and ultimately shock the group. this is something that every quiet and uncomfortable individual needs: a boost of confidence. suddenly the populars are at par with the not-so-pops. it's anyone's game, and regardless of the group, high fives always ensue following a mafia game.

4. it ultimately builds community.
when you combine the last three points, you eventually land at a great word called "community." community is what makes 'youth group' the slightest bit successful. it is at the center of what we do as Christians - we spend time and share life with each other. at the end of the day, mafia breaks down walls and replaces the with terrific avenues for students to grow together. Christianity isn't a solo exercise, and mafia aids in this fact.

5. it's stinkin' fun.
and lastly, it's just a blast. after spending years hanging out with the students at hillcrest, i can honestly say that some of my favorite moments have come in games of mafia. no other game could be played for 10 hours straight on a bus ride back from buena vista, colorado. but i've had the privilege of doing that 4 different times! and we always come back for more.

anyway. there are your reasons. if you want to know more about our mafia games, visit the facebook group or read about the 'party game' on wikipedia.

-ap.

snow leopard and the planet Hoth.

i just installed the new Mac OS X (also called snow leopard) on to my laptop. is it worth it? probably. it freed up tons of disc space and everything seems to be running much snappier than before. it's fresh and clean.

the only problem i've had with it so far is that firefox would only work for about 9 seconds and then it would "unexpectedly quit" on me. but i just opened the new safari 4, downloaded firefox over again and i haven't had a problem since. feels good.

and speaking of snow, i got a new favorite tshirt.

complete with the Hoth battle scene at the bottom.

the ATAT on the right is falling over - while intimidating, i never really found the walkers very practical. any machine that can be tripped doesn't seem too powerful to me. but the shirt is sweet. i'm a sucker for anything star wars. probably why i spent too much on this new tshirt, and way too much on both star wars trilogies back in june.

and, yet again, i have to give props to jedi gym. never gets old.

-ap.

father/son trip to stl.

my dad and i went to st. louis this past weekend. here's our trip highlights:

throwing rocks. our favorite pasttime.


check out the cute little tugboat puttering through the arch.


bob gibson outside new busch stadium.


ozzie smith. my all-time favorite ballplayer.


view from the top row of busch stadium. so huge.


this was the time when albert pujols hit a walk-off home run to win the game in the bottom of the 9th.


oh look. a chris carpenter and yadier molina post-game photo-op.


kings cross is apparently in union station in st. louis. never knew.


budweiser brewery tour.


these are pipes. the sub-text probably isn't important on this picture, but i dont wait it to feel left out.


this is what the middle of the bud plant looks like. pretty beautiful area. also they have a free "hospitality room" that follows the free tour. i'd suggest that everyone does this tour at some point.

anyway. that was much easier than writing out all the highlights in detail. terrific weekend. a picture tells a thousand words or something like that. so there's 11,187 words for you. dang. long post.

-ap.

i can't get over the hedges.

karlie and i went to spain. this should not be news to any of you for two reasons:

1. i've mentioned it numerous times in previous posts on this very blog
2. since 96% of my blog frequenters are personal acquaintances of mine...the excluded 4% is comprised of a couple mormons and pat sajak.

however, i haven't gone into much detail about the trip on here and i don't really talk about it much to my friends. its hard to field the comment, "tell me about spain." way too general and all you'll probably get as a response is "it's so cool." or "it's so old."

but if you asked me a more specific question, say, "what was your favorite part about spain?" i would very easily and quickly respond...

"hedges."

there were so many amazing things that i did and saw and ate and experienced, but the one thing that blew me away and really got my heart beating: hedges. more specifically, the hedges that they have in the generalife section at the alhambra.

the alhambra is this 14th century fortress in granada. it was erected while the muslims ruled in spain, and the islamic architecture and itricate detail work is absolutely incredible. and don't get me wrong, the rooms were beautiful and enchanting and i was completely captivated by the entire fortress. well. the entire trip really. the mediterranean sea was pretty tight too.

BUT. within the alhambra were these gardens. and within these gardens were these hedges. and within these hedges were the most mystery and intrigue i've ever felt. it wasn't even a maze! it was just walls and archways and rooms of 20-foot high hedge walls. my two observations were...

"they're like walls...only they're alive!"

"they're like green walls that you never have to paint!"

childish? maybe. but totally honest and straight from moments of pure wonder. karlie was off snapping photos of the gorgeous flowers in another section of the garden, but i just kept getting pulled deeper into the living walls. there was this ornate fountain in front of me lined with flowers and vines and little streams of water going every way - totally magnificent - but i was continually beckoned by the archways in the corner of the 'rooms'. i would walk past one and it was like the gardens were whispering "come in here. you need to know what's beyond my walls."and the garden was right. it must have known that i am a detective at heart and that i wouldn't sleep well if i didn't investigate the entire blueprint of the hedges.

i realized something about myself that afternoon - i am captivated by mystery. i want to know what is in the nooks and crannies. i want to discover what is beyond the next archway. i want to know what secrets lie in each corner. spain is full of mysteriousness - probably just cause it's so old - but i found myself constantly wondering "what's behind that door?"

maybe that's just the adventurer coming out in me. the "explorer inventor" in his element. but i felt at home among those hedges, and here i am a month later using flowery language and giving these living walls a voice. reminds me of the talking trees from the wizard of oz.

anyway. now you know my favorite part about spain: the mysterious hedges within the alhambra. you also probably now know more about the inner workings of my soul - something that i didn't truly realize until just recently. consider yourselves up to date on my own search for self.

-ap.

air jesus.

proof that jesus was a baller:

this was in a cathedral in spain. well, it still is probably. but karlie and i aren't anymore and thats when this picture was taken.

-ap.

save the planet.

i'm leading a discussion throughout october with our middle schoolers called "save the planet". it could also be called "environmentalism from a biblical perspective: what it is and why it's supposed to be important to us as Christ-followers", but if i called it that, then none of them would want to hear my discussion. either way, it definitely has the potential to be a great topic for our middle schoolers to digest.

as youth workers, it is important for us to understand what society says is important and reexamine the image through a biblical lense: what doest the Bible say about this? where is this written? politics and society tells middle schoolers (and us) that environmentalism is important, but not really why it is important. but to be honest, i'm not seeing the importance of it to society either. i understand its importance to us as Christians, but the rest of the world doesn't really have a good reason to take care of it.

but anyway. i've been watching documentaries and reading articles about global warming, genesis, creation, and environmental everything this afternoon. going into this little research session i had the "God made us in his image so we're above the rest of creation, but we're supposed to take care of it and not abuse what is rightfully his" perspective. and i still chiefly hold this perspective, but there were two thoughts that i hadn't really considered yet.

many environmentalists hold the perspective that the world would be better off if humans didn't exist - that way, the world could run its own course and we wouldn't be here to destroy its beauty. but to God, we are a part of creation. sure, we are at the top of the creation pyramid - made in God's image (col 1:15-17), dominion over the earth (gen 2:15), etc. - but the claim that nature would be better off without us is strictly unbiblical.

the second thought isn't as perspective-altering, but a good insight for sure. when we're thinking about being environmentally friendly and going green and all that business, we need to remember that we are doing so as an act of worship to the Creator, not creation. it's important for Chrsitians to understand this distinction. plants and animals are a part of God's creation, but they are not the object of our worship - their (and our) Maker is.

just some insights into what i've been doing today. now it's time for me to go break into my girlfriend's car at rockhurst and leave her flowers in her cupholder.

awwwwww.

-ap.

the cooper family: myers-briggs.

i went to my parents' house tonight for dinner and to help anna with her pre-calc. after we'd finished her homework and i'd helped her all i could, we (my mom, dad, anna and i) got into a conversation about the myers-briggs personality test. apparently my family had just taken the test recently or something cause my mom already had all the results listed out except for mine. i already knew mine too, but i retook it when i got home just to confirm.

here are my 5 family members' results:

dad - ESTJ - implementer supervisor - "Because they naturally devise systems, procedures, and schedules, others rely on ESTJ s to take charge and get things done. Others may also find them overpowering at times because ESTJ s are so certain about how things should be. Because they are clear and straightforward in their communication, people seldom have to wonder where they stand."

mom - ISTJ - planner inspector - "ISTJs are sociable when comfortable in the roles they are playing; however, they generally do not share their wealth of rich Sensing observations and memories except with close friends. Others see ISTJ standards and judgments, their desire for structure and schedules, but they may not see their individual, sometimes humorous, private reactions."

holly - ESFJ - facilitator caretaker - "ESFJs are energized by interaction with others and genuinely interested in others' lives and concerns. They feel most comfortable in structured situations and enjoy creating order, structure and schedules. They prefer to do things the traditional and accepted way."

anna - ENFJ - envisoner mentor - "ENFJ s are energetic, enthusiastic, and very aware of others. Their genuine interest can usually draw out and involve even the most reserved person. They listen to and support others, but also have a very definite values and opinions of their own, which they will express clearly. ENFJs are energized by people and are socially adept; however, they also have a strong need for authentic, intimate relationships."

adam - ENTP - explorer inventor - "ENTP s are spontaneous and adaptable. They find schedules and standard operating procedures confining and work around them whenever possible. They are remarkably insightful about the attitudes of others, and their enthusiasm and energy can mobilize people to support their vision."

all 5 different, but i think all 5 are spot on in their descriptions. i think it's really cool how unique my family is separate from each other, but when we all get together we seem to mesh so well. the 5 combinations all seem to interweave somewhat...actually, in order to further illustrate my point, i'm going to create a diagram. for all you visual learners out there.

easily the coolest diagram i've made in the last 48 hours. maybe even 72. just threw it together in paintbrush (the mac version of the paint program for windows...i'll admit, not as good.)

anyway. it's a cool visualization i think. it's neat to see that - with the exception of my mom being the only introvert and my being the only perceiver - we all share all our traits with at least one other person around the circle. 4 of the traits are shared by at least three people. 2 of the traits (extrovert and judging) are shared by everyone buy one person (my mom and me respectively). it's fun to see the differences and similarities. i encourage you all to look into this with your family(s); if only to see what each other is. it's really fun.

i just wish we'd done this as a family years ago, it would have made family vacations so much less of a burden.

-ap.

a blog involving N*E*R*D, michael jackson, hungryboy10, youth ministry books and calculus tutoring.

i've been getting back into N*E*R*D lately. and by "getting back into" i mean that i've been listening to strictly fly or die and in search of... for about 3 weeks now. i've decided that the neptunes (pharrell williams and chad hugo) are the source of my favorite beats - maybe with the exception of mr. kanye west and the king of pop himself.

speaking of MJ: i was at 810 zone with one twittering and one non-twittering homie watching the mexico/usa officiating nightmare, and this chunky, newly-corporate, mid-20's babyface sitting at the table to my right says the following phrase to the other gentleman at his table...

"dude. did you hear michael jackson died?"

um.

have you not been out from the rock you live under/your parents basement in the last 2 months? is this boy really that removed from all sorts of media? has he not gone into a single store and seen the various magazines putting out michael jackson tribute editions at every register aisle? do you even know what the internet is? how does someone miss news like that? my guess is that he was hungryboy10 in the flesh, and that he had failed to notice due to the copious hours of world of warcraft he's been playing.

moving on.

i got two new books last week that i'm really excited about. marko's newest book "middle school ministry: a comprehensive guide to working with early adolescents" and doug fields'* book "your first two years in youth ministry". books with straightforward titles are my favorite i've decided. except for catcher in the rye. that title is in no way straightforward, but it's my favorite book. i should probably say that it holds true for non-fiction at least.

* - okay. i've asked about this before, but how do you make a name that ends in an 's' possessive? mostly i'm curious about the name "JESUS" because thats the one that comes up most often in my lifecourse. jesus'? jesus's? i'm very clueless.

also i'm tutoring my youngest sister in pre-calculus this year. i'm actually excited about it. not only do i get to see my sister, but i get to do math and get paid and do my laundry and eat a meal when i come home to help her out. it starts tomorrow. i'm going to probably have to add a math book to my list of new books too. can't wait.

anyway. thats probably enough things to talk about. otherwise my title will keep getting longer and longer. sweet. late.

-ap.

ps...i might get twitter? gasp.

usain bolt is borderline human.

it's unfortunate that usain bolt was running at the same time tiger woods was choking this past sunday. if these hadn't been aired at the same time i'm sure plenty more people would be talking about how much more amazing usain bolt is than y.e. who?

everyone needs to go here and here to watch him run in the 100m and 200m respectively. the dude is a freak.

after you watch the clip on metacafe, you need to scroll down and observe the following comment about his new world record...


-ap.

respect the royalty.

this is me sitting at dunn bros at 8:30 on saturday morning, i came to work on hillcrest stuff for tomorrow morning, but as it turns out i feel more confident upon arriving here this morning than i did when i set my alarm last night planning to wake up and get some work done. so i'll blog instead.

my internship is going great - so much better than my past summer internships. i feel like i'm being challenged, i'm growing, i'm not being cutely shepherded along in everything that i do (as was the case in past summers), but i'm being given some terrific freedom and ownership of the things i'm in charge of. i'm also getting repeated confirmation that this is what i'm supposed to do with my life. i feel like i've been ready for this next step for a couple years, and it feels really good to step into a new level of responsibility.

speaking of steps - i was eating some red vines and talking to tim (my boss, friend, and softball teammate) this week about what my future looks like. while i am not a gypsy and cannot transparently foresee the future, i know where my life is headed and can make a couple rather good estimates on different avenues i could take. namely:

1. i could stay at hillcrest for two years and look for a full time covenant youth job a couple years from now, or...
2. i could start putting my resume out there starting in december and plan on ditching kc around may for another covenant youth job.

..."youth" should probably read "middle school".

both of these ideas scare me. i'm leaning towards the first option (mainly because i dont think my heart would be able to handle running away from the city and people i love just yet), but i'm starting to wonder if i should start looking now? the thought of leaving kc is devastating, but is it something God has for me to step into?

good thing these decisions are months away...but now that i've said that i realize that "months" isn't really a very long time away at all. oh goll.

i might have just wet my pants.

-ap.

also i want everyone to realize that cedar rapids and overland park are 2 of the top 10 places to grow up. i will add that OP is one of the best places to move when you're newlyweds. i have no article to link to supporting this claim, but when you guys move here you'll understand that it is absolute truth. that is all.