The World According To Chris Brewer

***ALERT ALERT ALERT: SPOILER WARNING–This contains somewhat of an actual description of the movie ***

War of the Worlds was a great movie.

Nine of us–count ‘em: Sean, Allie, Tori, Tyler, myself, Chris Brooks, Melissa, Krista and Jessie (as we sat from right to left)–all piled in three vehicles to go see the second blockbuster of the summer. The theater was pretty empty, considering it was opening night–but hey, it was 10:15 PM when the movie started.

When I sat down between Chris and Tyler, I knew I had made a fatal mistake. I had forgotten to use the restroom. I didn’t think much of it at the beginning of the movie because I was feeling decent, but…anyway, more on that later.

War of the Worlds got right past the monkey business and down to alien business. We were instantly thrust into what we wanted to see: lightning storms, the ground bulging, aliens popping up and making crazy computer-generated noises, and half of New York/New Jersey thrust into panic. I gotta tell you, there is nothing better than watching a movie about large cities being destroyed, and looking over to your left and seeing three girls covering their mouths in shock and utter disbelief. I wanted to give each of them a hug and tell them that even though we were all about to die, it would be okay. But I had to use the restroom, so that thought quickly left my mind.

As the movie progressed, one got the feeling that through all that was going on around Ray (the dude Tom Cruise played), he and his family was going to impossibly survive the disaster that hit pretty much everyone else. Special effects, however, negate the corniness of many scenes in the film–such as, er, well never mind, I’ll spare all you readers the wrath of a spoiler. But let me just say that many of the special effects left me on the edge of my seat–and so did my urge to bolt for the room that said MEN on the door.

Tom Cruise’s character was solid, Steven Spielberg’s directing was awesome, whoever made the special effects should be praised, and the girls we went with need to be comforted. I just can’t do it though, so feel free.

The movie’s ending SUCKED, and I ran to the restroom.

I give the movie a 8 out of 10.

EDITORIAL NOTE: You may notice my last post is missing. I deleted it after an issue was brought to my attention….so for those of you that were wondering, the “I Don’t Know Why…” post is history.

Yesterday I received an unusually large amount of bad news.

First off, my mom called yesterday to tell me that my younger brother, Jason, just about split his head open–I don’t know if he fell or hit it really hard–in Army boot camp and might have to come home because he can’t complete his training with all the days missed. Poor guy–he had entered the split option program, which is where you can go through boot camp when the summer before your senior year in high school, and go train for your job after you graduate. He wanted so bad to be a civil engineer in the Army Reserves and he’ll have to wait until next summer to do it. Keep him in your prayers as he recovers from both the injury and the possibility of having to go back home, completing six weeks of training all for nothing.

Secondly, Mom also told me my friend Aaron Bear, who is a Marine deployed to Iraq, was with his platoon on convoy duty while they were hit by an improvised explosive device. What I was told is that he lost six fellow Marines, and seventeen others are severely injured. Aaron is a good friend of mine from the Church of God of Prophecy in Washington state, and it’s kinda funny–we used to be fierce enemies for years until we settled our differences and he became one of my better friends throughout my high school years. It is tough to hear about him going through something like this…pray for him and his buddies over there in Iraq that they come home safe and God continues to keep His hand on them.

Finally, I was notified by the our shop’s chief that I will be deploying to Baghdad, Iraq for six months, beginning this November. I don’t know any further details (and if I did I’m not sure I could share them), but that news on top of the afore mentioned is like someone taking a house of cards I have just built and not just removing a card so they all fall, but instead slamming their fist down on top of it and ruining the cards in the process. Here’s the thing: I have complete peace about my personal safety. I don’t fear getting injured or even possibly dying (which I know won’t happen). I’m only concerned I won’t be able to keep a constant line of communication with my family and friends for half a year. I am confident in one thing–if it is God’s will that I go, then He is going to see me through everything that happens, because God isn’t going to give me more than I can handle.

Keep me in your prayers. The next year is going to be a defining time in my life.

This weekend was pretty chill. I think it’s the first weekend I didn’t hang out with the normal crew…I wanted to take some time and hang out with my Marine buddies from Norfolk who just started going to church at Lakeside.

So Saturday I went clothes shopping and only spent $70 on two pairs of shorts and four polo shirts. Incredible…Value City and Old Navy rock. Seriously…if you live in Newport News and want some cheap American Eagle polo shirts, go to Value City. Seriously. $24 shirts marked down to $11 and $12. Anyway, that night I went down to Norfolk to meet Joe, Jake and Nick. We all went to MacArthur Center, bought some music, then drove down to Williamsburg while blaring the Foo Fighters with the windows down and my back left speaker officially blown.

In Williamsburg we all spent some good time at Hooters, where my friend Melissa works. I wouldn’t go to Hooters if she didn’t work there, because honestly their food is at best decent, and I don’t know anyone else that works there. Plus the environment there is probably not the best for a Christian man to get involved in. But anyway Melissa was there, we all asked for her as our server, and we ate wings and cake. Poor girl…Melissa had been busy all day and you could kinda tell, but God bless her, she kept waiting tables and even took time to sit and talk with us for a bit. She’s pretty cool…I’ve got to talk with her a little bit more since she’s been home for the summer, and I’ve found she’s actually one of the better female friends I have. (She is nearly solely responsible for helping me get over Stephanie…she would call me often just to see how I was doing and provide some good words of encouragement.)

Anyway enough about that. After leaving Hooters, poor Jake kept having allergy/sinus problems, and when I pulled into a gas station I made some sort of comment about him making this blowing noise through his nose–”it sounds kinda like a laugh, a snort and blowing snot everywhere all at the same time.” I don’t know why, but Joe and Nick laughed so hard you could see them cry. Which got me to laughing too, and it was one of the most unsafe drives I have ever had down Interstate 64. Not that there are many safe drives down that freeway anyway.

Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!!! Church in the morning was really good. We had a guest speaker come in and share with us how she is a prison chaplain in Hawaii, and how God is blessing her ministry and can do the same for our church at Lakeside. It was a big encouragement to hear her stories and her words of encouragement…I want to see if I can get some of the notes from the sermon so I can post them on here. My mind is spinning right now so I can’t remember everything, but I promise I will try my best to recount the sermon at a later time.

After church, Mike (another new guy at church, praise God!), Joe, Jake and Nick all joined me at Cici’s Pizza in Hampton. Good eats…we discussed some church issues, what we like about church, what they notice while they are still new to the church, etc. Also we shared some stories from our personal lives…good “get to know each other” time. (And that’s what ministry is all about, too.)

That night we had a classic COGOP Called Conference, to elect new church trustees and also get the youth pastor search committee’s (SHOCK!) report on beginning a search for a new youth pastor. (I said SHOCK! because I had not heard anything about an active search for a new youth pastor, that some people in leadership were getting involved in. Weird, because I’m part of the youth leadership team….) Cameron Ashworth, Tom Brock, Fred Burns, Ray Holland and John Stevens are now Lakeside’s trustees and God bless them!!! The youth pastor search committee then presented a 20-point criteria for a new youth pastor, and blah blah blah blah, time to go home.

I went home and watched “The Patriot” merely for the sake of watching gratuitous violence. Yes.

Now it’s Monday and I have to figure out a plan for getting to Washington State COGOP’s annual convention in mid-August.

I’m a basketball fan, but this year’s NBA Finals are just deepening my hate for the NBA in general. I have lost complete interest in the NBA (less and less since 2000, when my Blazers fell apart in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in the worst sports memory of my life) mainly because it is becoming a huge game of slamball, fueled by young uneducated idiots getting multimillion dollar contracts to run up and down a court, dribble and shoot, and lift weights when they aren’t playing slamball.

Anyway, about the NBA Finals…the games have been so lopsided that if you watch the first 20 minutes of game action, you pretty much have seen the entire game. It’s really retarded. Besides, it sucks even more because right now Detroit is winning 95-71 with 2:36 in the game and they won’t even put Darko in. The series will find itself knotted up 2-2 after tonight, and since my original prediction of Spurs in 5 will be no longer, I think the home team will win every game.

Which is to say Detroit will win the next game, and San Antonio will win the two after that.

But then again, who really cares who wins the National Slamball Championship. I don’t even think the players do…after all the money they make is more important than a trophy.

The above is a rare picture of me that actually looks decent. Some friends saw this picture of me hanging out at RFK Stadium with my Dad watching the Mariners lose and asked me to put it here on the internet. So I obliged.

Anyway, this weekend was pretty cool…Friday night we held the Friday Fire concert at Lakeside Church. A full review along with expanded coverage of the event is coming soon on the main site at www.firestormlive.net.

Saturday my dad came down to the Lakeside Church Men’s Breakfast and we all shot the breeze that morning for awhile. We were blessed by words from Pastor Rick and Cameron, as well as songs by Eldon. It was a good morning, and my dad enjoyed meeting everyone. “God bless the Lakeside folks,” he said.

We spent the day driving around Hampton Roads. From Newport News to Virginia Beach and Norfolk, then back up to Williamsburg. I think Dad enjoyed Williamsburg the most.

Sunday we went to RFK Stadium, the worst stadium I have ever been to, and watched our Mariners lose to the Washington Nationals. Washington has won 10 straight games so give them credit. It was disappointing to see us finally wake up in the 7th and 8th innings after going down 3-0, but we still lost 3-2. The kids ran the bases after the game so we figured why not watch that and wait for the crowds leaving to dissipate. We ended up staying so long we got kicked out of the stadium. After that we went to Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse for my favorite food of all time, barbecued chicken nachos. Then I headed home and called a few friends.

Thank the Lord I am back living in this great nation and have been provided with a good paying job, a vehicle, and the freedom to spend my weekends with friends and family, doing whatever. God is good.