Ninja News is back!

And this is a nice ninja news story. Basically it's the old bad-guys-are-mugging-kid-for-ipod-in-alley-and-look-up-to-see-ninjas-bearing-down-on-them. Kind of old school storyline, but it worked. Muggers pull kid into alley to get phone and ipod, muggers start to beat kid up, muggers picked wrong alley (right next to Ninja Senshi Ryu, a school for Aussies to become even more badass), ninja students pour out of ninja school and proceed to unleash ninjaness and ninjadom upon muggers, muggers flee, and end scene. You can see the particulars, along with a video here. It kind of takes the edge off to see an Aussie ninja talking on screen, with no hood, and no voice disguising, but it's a nice ending. Apparently Ninja Senshi Ryu doesn't teach students how to run down opponents though. The muggers got away but "arrests were made in connection" with the incident. That could mean anything though, that they caught the muggers or arrested someone who tried to fence the ipod or that one of the ninja students had an outstanding warrant for traffic tickets. Still, I'd give it four our of five throwing stars.

New Design

Just thought I'd try a new design here. One of the things I'm always picky about is embedded pictures or Youtube videos that end up being oversized compared to the default blogger content width. I may have to try to do it myself to get it right though.

You might leave ministry, but you never really leave ministry

Today, I was picking up some gluten-free stuff at Sprouts, a gentleman approached me and said "You must be Bull." I didn't recognize him but he pointed out that he used to be a parishioner at St. John's, where I was the Youth Minister. Just in case anyone is keeping track, that was almost TEN YEARS AGO. Did I mention that I've grown a goatee and long shaggy hair since then? After exchanging pleasantries and names and current situations, he mentions that he had seen me somewhere else but hadn't come up to greet me then, and that essentially he was looking for me since then, that he had an eye out for me. I was last a YM ten years next month. And I was only there for two years. I don't think I set the world on fire in that time. In fact, I was forced out because some of the staff didn't think I was doing my job well enough, and they probably had a valid point.

But ten years later, a parishioner still recognized me in a grocery store. And remembered my name. And was still interested in my life. I'm not sure if he was a parent of one of the youth there, or in K of C, or just a man in the pew.

You never really do leave. And for some reason, I'm OK with that.