SHARED IGNORANGE

The Past Nine Months....

2009-11-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

We are kinda in a holding pattern with the birth of baby Thomas, so I thought I'd take some time and blog. His due date was Monday Nov. 16....so if you'll take a quick look at a calendar you'll notice that we are about 3 days over due date with no real signs that he'll come today, though I suppose anything can happen.

In any case, all the waiting around and trying to be patient has allowed me some time to think back over the past nine months. Karen announced the other day that there are 52 weeks in a year, and she has now been pregnant 41 weeks, so she's NOT been pregnant for only 11 weeks this year. Needless to say, it seems like she's been pregnant forever.

I remember finding out. I was actually not so surprised. We had decided last December that we would....eh em...remove the goaly so-to-speak, and just see what would happen. We never said we were "ready" to have a child. I don't know what it means to be ready. I still don't feel like I am ready, nor do I think I could ever be ready. It seems to just be something you do without any frame of reference. So we decided to just see what happens. So Karen mentioned in late February that she wasn't feeling so good, so immediatly I said "your pregnant!" I didn't really know, but I sorta had a feeling. Turns out I was right, and after 5 pregnancy tests we decided we better get an appointment with the OB/GYN.

It was only a week or so after that we were going home. I was playing a retreat in Macon, so we decided to go ahead and tell our folks. We went to my parents house on Thursday night, just to hang out with them. We bought them a card that on the front said "Your having a grandchild". So we had Mom and Dad to sit on the couch together and open the card. I remember distinctly the look on my moms face. She read it, and then after a second it sunk in, and she threw the card on the floor and ran over and hugged us. It was a moment that will forever be etched in my mind. I have a feeling they were ready for grandchildren before we were ready for children, so they were pretty excited!!

On Friday we went to Karen's parents and told them in a similar manner. It was Mr. Bruce's birthday, so we got him a card that said "Happy Birthday Grandpa!" It took him a minute to figure out, and his reaction was rather subtle. However, Karen's sister Becky Sue was there, and she let out a scream of joy! I remember that night clearly as well. They all seemed really excited!

The next couple of months after that were pretty rough. Karen was quite sick most of the first tri-mester. We made two trips to the hospital to try to help with the nausea, vomitting, and splitting headaches. It was awful. I felt so sorry for her, and felt helpless because there was nothing I could do to help. She was a trooper though!

After about July things started to settle down. She was getting sick less, and was starting to develop a little "baby bump". We found out 20 weeks in that we were having a boy, and just knowing what we were having made the planning for fun....and more real. I of course was ecstatic about having a boy. I always wanted the boy first for several reasons. The first is so I would never be outnumbered. I mean sure, we could potentially have 2 more girls when we decide to have another child, but at least I'll have my boy to play with. Karen only has the one sister, and I always felt like my father-in-law was just outnumbered. He handles it well of course, and for that I commend him. I'm just not sure I would be that patient. The second reason I wanted a boy first is so that we would at least have a big brother. In the case that we have a girl next she can have a big brother to her...you know...protect her at school, beat up her boyfriends, etc. And if we have another boy, well that would be cool too!

So from July until now things have been really good. We spent lots of time getting the room ready, registering for showers, and buying clothes and things for this little fella we've never met! It's been quite surreal. Karen is a beautiful pregnant lady! That whole pregnant glow thing they talk about, well I'm not sure I've seen the glow, but there has been something unmistakeable about how she looks.....just amazing!! And I've never been so proud of her. She has handled her pregnancy with such grace and patience. I can't imagine what she is going through, not only having her body change, but also having another life growing inside of you. It blows my mind. She has done so great, and the whole process has just reminded me of what a great mother she is going to be!

There are a couple of lessons I have learned through these past nine months. The first is that I have very little control over most of my life. Realizing that there is a little life being formed in Karen's womb has reminded me of God's sovereingty. He is the one who is forming that life, the one who sustains his health, the one that will protect and keep him healthy through the labor, the one who has allowed Karen's body to nousish and hold him, and the one who will keep Karen safe through labor. There is literally nothing I can do to ensure either's health or well-being. I have no control over whether or not he will have 10 fingers and 10 toes. I am just trusting God that he will be as God intends, that the labor will go as God plans, and that throughout Thomas's life, God will be in control from beginning to end. It is a hard thing to grasp for me, as I like to think I am in control most of the time. I pray for dependence on God for the entirety of this parenting journey, for I have no idea what I am getting myself into.

I have also learned the blessing of a child....even though we've not offically had him yet. There are so many couples who long to have children but can't. Just knowing that we were able to concieve is a blessing. My heart goes out to those who struggle to concieve. So even when we have long, sleepless nights, I pray that I'll remember what a blessing it is to have this child, and that there are tons of people who would give anything to experience this. As I say that, I pray that peace will be given to those who are struggling to have children. One of my favorite scriptures through this time is from Psalm 127:3-5 "Behold children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!"

Finally, the lesson that Karen and I are learning presently is patience. We are so ready for Thomas to come and we desperatly desire to meet the little guy. But we are still just waiting. So we are trying to be patient, realizing that things will happen in God's time. The scripture that encourages me is from Psalm 40 "I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined to me and heard my cry." The rest of that entire chapter is great, you should read it. You can also google Psalm 40 and U2....they did a song based on the scripture!

The past nine months have been amazing. At times I wasn't sure I was going to make it through. There are other points where it has already been the most exciting times of my life. I am thankful for God granting us this child. I pray that he grants us wisdom, patience, understanding, and a heart more like his as we enter into this chapter of our lives. I pray that Thomas will grow up to love Jesus, that he will be spared from major mistakes that could lead him to a life of pain, that he would have wisdom beyond his years, and that he'll experience joy and peace through life. And I pray that I won't pass out during the labor!

We'll let you know when Thomas arrives. I have a feeling that there will be many blogs to come about our little boy!!!

There's A Stranger in My House

2009-10-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Well, there was a stranger in my house! That's right, Karen and I had a perpetrator enter our home sometime between 11 pm Thursday evening and 7:22 am Friday morning. The trespasser rummaged through our pantry, went into our refrigerator, terrorized our cat Howard and led to a wild chase that involved tearing at least part of our house apart! But, finally, as of 8:20 this morning, the perpetrator has been caught, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death.

So since Karen is pregnant she finds it hard to get comfortable in our bed. We have a Temperpedic mattress that is awesome, but apparently when you are pregnant it is really hard to move, shift positions, or otherwise find an appropriate position for sleeping. So Karen has slept one of two place for the last several weeks; either in the guest room bed or on the couch. Such was the case on Thursday night. I am usually off on Fridays, so Karen and I had big plans to go and do some shopping for Thomas. First, however, Charter was scheduled to come between 8 and 10 to repair our Internet (stupid Charter....that's another blog post in-and-of itself!). I set my alarm to go off around 7:45 so I'd be ready for the Charter folks. Well, an alarm went off at about 7:15 Friday morning, but it was not my clock radio. It was a shrill voice screaming "Matt! Matt!! Wake up! Howard is chasing a mouse!" That's right, the perpetrator who breached the threshold of our comfortable safe little home was a fury, beady eyed, nasty little mouse.

Well, half asleep, I stumbled out of bed to see what all the racket was about. I was greeted at the bedroom door with an old broom and a greeting of "Here, kill it!" Well good morning to you too honey. Immediately I saw Howard running in the living room. She had the mouse running back and forth from underneath the couch to underneath the couch-side table. It was the ultimate game of cat and mouse! Well, a couple of times, the stinking cat caught the mouse, held it in her mouth, then let it go so she could....I don't know...play with it I guess. Stupid cat. Over the summer she would go outside and bring us mice all the time....she'd drop the dead carcasses on the doorstep as though they were a gift. But get one in our house and all she wants to do is play with it. So I grabbed the broom and got in on the little "game".

Of course, to appreciate this, you have to know that while I like to think of myself as a true man (who am I kidding) mice and rats really give me the creeps. Makes my skin crawl. Ick! So while I am altogether interested in putting an end to the aforementioned game, I am also altogether interested in killing the mouse without ever actually having to touch it. So, I jump into the game already in progress and get a couple of failed swats at the mouse. Seeing me now involved, Howard is now completely uninterested in the mouse, so she goes and finds a comfortable seat and just watches. Stupid cat! Honestly...what good are you?!?!

Well I swat once more at the mouse and he (or she...I didn't take the time to find out) takes off from the living room into the kitchen and scurries underneath our pantry door. "Great!" says I! Our pantry floor has all manner of supplies, storage bins, platters, saucers, plates, and other nonsense. So, guess what I do next. I clean out the pantry. Karen jumps in on the fun and helps me get everything out except for one lone little serving platters. Well, I know the mouse has to still be in the pantry and there is only one place he can hide. So I take the broom and gently lift up the platter.

You know to be so small, mice are deceivingly fast. I mean they can really move! Speedy Gonzales on Loony Tunes was not really that far fetched! So I lift up the platter, using the broom.....this means that the broom is occupied, and I have only one free hand to use as a weapon, and well this disease carrying, nasty little rodent shouldn't be touched (more for Karen's sake than mine....what!?!?? She's pregnant!!!). As I lift up the platter, Speedy takes off, toward the refrigerator. But he's not just running out in the open. Nope! Not only is he fast, but he's also smart. He runs right along side of the cabinets, just under the lip of the cabinets actually....meaning that by the time I realize what has happened, transfer the broom from platter lifting unit to weapon once again, it's almost too late. Almost! I did get one swipe at him. Kinda like those swipes that the jockeys give their race horses...you know, makes them go faster. Little pat on the hiney type thing. So I basically just help the mouse make it faster to his next point of hiding. That point? Underneath our refrigerator! So now, not only is the mouse fast and smart, but he is obviously able to change from a solid state to a liquid so he can just slide under the fridge. I mean really...this mouse was multi-talented!

So here we go again! I unplug the fridge and pull it out as far as I can go. No mouse. This is the part where I learn the inner-workings of a refrigerator. And you know the best way to do that right? Take it apart! Well, actually I just took off the back panel, but with my propensity towards handiness, you realize what a chore this actually was. Well, by this time it has been about 30 minutes of chasing Speedy The Amazing Morphing Genius mouse! I can't seem to find him, and all I can think is that if he dies underneath my refrigerator, that is going to be one awful smell. The chase takes a halt, and Karen and I decide we'll go ahead to town and do our shopping and along the way grab some mouse traps. So we get ourselves ready and we are in our bedroom and Karen tells me to be quiet. She hears something. It's a scratching noise....like the kind a mouse or raccoon makes. For our purposes we'll assume it was a mouse. Sure enough, after much searching with only our ears, we discover that the scratching is coming from.......OUR AIR VENTS!!! Holy Houdini! This mouse is good! Either he can throw his voice...eh em... his scratches, or he has somehow worked his way into our vent system. So I did the only thing I could think to do. The only thing any of us inventive types would do. I cut off a hunk of cheese, pulled an old shoe string out my an old pair of shoes, tied the cheese on the string, and dangled it in the vent. What mouse doesn't like Cheese? Speedy the Magician Mouse apparently.

So we gave up, took off for town, and shopped all day. We did pick up some mouse traps, and put them out. But when we arrived Friday night, we didn't hear another peep out of Magic Mouse. Nor did we on Saturday. Nor on Sunday.

HOWEVER, this morning, I wake up to the same alarm I did on Friday. Karen screaming "Matt! Matt! The mouse is back!! Howard is chasing the Mouse!" My first thought....."oh great". My second "worthless cat!". My third "Oh its on little mousy, it is SOOOOO ON!" (Actually it may have been more like "uhhh uhhh huuh huuhhh"...I don't do mornings!). Well Karen has my weapon ready, and Howard has once again engaged in her little game of catch-the-mouse-let-him-go-then-chase-him-back-and-to-from-the-couch-to-the-table. At least that's what she called it.

To make a long story even longer, I got in on the action, Howard decided to watch instead of help, I took a few futile swats at Magic and he scurried underneath my recliner. Apparently Howard's playing may have done a little damage because Speedy look like he may dropped a cylinder or two. He was limping. But limped underneath my recliner nonetheless.

This is the part where I learn the inner-workings of a Lazy Boy recliner! Turns out, Lazy Boys have this cool design, I think specifically for mice, where they have drilled a quarter size hole in the sides that allows something to go in between that actual side of the recliner and the upholstery. So, there is the wood side of the recliner, covered by fabric, and there is just a little space in between. So guess where the mouse went. Well, I beat, kicked, turned, pounded and shook the recliner to no end. Finally, all of the abuse must have taken its toll on Genius, and he started to ease his way out of the hole. He looked a little worse for the wear, so I grabbed my new trusty weapon, a wooden spoon from the kitchen, and knocked him out of the hole. I'll give the mouse credit, he was a resilient little critter...cause he hit the ground running...well limping....but even at a limp he was fast! But alas, he hit some open ground with nothing to protect him, and I wielding my trusty broom took one last fatal wallop (or two or three).

Killed that sucker! Threw him out of the house! Case closed!

Speedy the Genius Magician Mouse is no more!

My one question though is from Friday morning to Monday morning, where did that mouse go? Or I guess I should ask where did he stay? I mean, was he in the house the whole time? Was he just watching us walk by, while he laughed and planned his next move? And even worse, what good is it to have a cat if she can't sniff out the little varmint and take care of him? Really?!?!

So, to conclude this story, Karen and I survived the break-in, and we now have a Free Kitty to Good Home add in the paper! Any takers?

Pickin' The Pageant Princess

2009-09-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

I love how life is so unpredictable. There are some days that I feel like I am in my regular routine, but most days there is no routine. Work involves different things everyday. Home is the same, Karen works some nights, some nights I'm there by myself, some nights we go off and do stuff, some nights we don't, some nights friends just randomly drive 2 hours south to come see us. It's a good thing for me. Too much routine has the potential to make life pretty boring.

However, Monday threw a curve that I never would have expected. It seems that our Pastor at the church has an uncle who is in charge of a Beauty...eh-hum....I mean Scholarship Pageant in Cullman AL. Apparently this uncle was in a bind and needed judges for this past Tuesday night. Our Pastor couldn't do it, so he asked if Karen and I would be interested. Of course at first I just laughed and said no, but then he said it was a paying gig and I had a change of heart. It turned out that Karen couldn't do it, so I called in my good buddy Heath and we headed to Cullman to be the two rookie pageant judges for the Miss Cullman Fair or something like that.

Now, you know I live in North Alabama and there are just certain stereotypes that go along with anything Alabama, especially being that I am from Georgia. Sometimes this stereotypes are blown out of proportion. Tuesday night they were not!!! Oh my goodness! This Pageant was at what I suppose is called a County Fair. I have only experienced one true fair, that being the Georgia National Fair in Perry. All other fairs are viewed through the lens of that fair. Well you could have fit the Culman county fair inside of the Perry Fair about 100 times. Small fair! However, at least there were some exhibits. For instance, one exhibit consisted of hay bales that had been judge for what I can only assume would have been their hay bale-y-ness??? Of course they were right beside the Muscadine display. How do you in fact judge a muscadine? And what in fact is a muscadine? There were all sorts of vegetables and fruits that had been entered in competition. The best question of the night as we viewed those fine organic specimens was "what is the difference between purple hull peas and black eyed peas" I could only think to say that purple hull peas came from a purple hull while black eyed peas came from black eyed hulls.

There were also some nice displays, the best one going to Ross Funeral Home. Nothing says a fair like a funeral home booth!!

Anyway, you get the idea about this fair right? Not a national fair. They did have a midway complete with about 6 rides! And of course the obligatory cotton candy and funnel cake of which I surprisingly did not partake!

So the pageant was at this fair, but I assumed surely it would be in an exhibit hall, theater or auditorium. I now know why they say what they do about assuming! This particular event was held in an open-air "theater" that had a stage of sorts, and looked like it was typically used to show cattle of some description. That would be outdoor, as in heat and all. And we were in suits. Sweated like a horse!

The judging portion was unique to say the least. We judged the high school senior girls on 5 categories including 1)Pre-Competition Interview 2)Poise and Posture 3)Evening Gown 4)Talent and 5)Speech. The winner would walk away with something like a $1500 scholarship to the school of their choice. A couple of others, like the talent winner and Miss Congeniality (no, not Sandra Bullock) would win smaller scholarship.

The Pre-Competition was perhaps the highlight of the night. This consisted of the 5 judges sitting in a room (which consequently was the dressing room that the girls were using to get ready in.....talk about awkward...of course the girls weren't in there at the time...but still!!!) asking one girl at a time random questions for 7 minutes. Thankfully 2 of the 5 judges had some experience in questioning the girls about all sorts of things from current events, to why they entered the pageant, what the other girls would say about them, and what their future plans after graduation would be. I could only think of 2 questions for most of the night. 1) If you were a superhero, what would your super power be (which I did ask) and 2) If you had to choose, which would be worse eating poo or drinking urine (which I did not ask).

One of the best moments was when a girl mentioned that to prepare for the competition she had gone to a speech coach. When asked why, she said that she was "real country" and needed to work on her vocabulary and her proNOUNciation. As in Pro-Nown-See-A-Shun. Classic! It was all I could do to keep from laughing.

Another notable moment was when a girl mentioned that she wanted to be an event planner when she grew up. One of the judges who happened to be an event planner asked the girl if she was good at handling stress. The girl promptly responded "To be honest, NO." The next follow up question to that was "Do you think quickly on your feet." Her response.................................long pause.........."well apparently not!"

The final highlight of the interview portion I will mention was the one girl who said that she wanted to go to school to be a pharmacist. When asked what school she replied "Alabama. I know they don't have a pharmacy program, but I will do that after I graduate." Hmmm...ok.

One girl said "like" (and by the way that is like with a short I as in liiik-e) at least 11 times in the 7 minutes.

The interview proved that the Alabama public school system is failing students in at least the area of English and Grammar. Our poor language took a beating the likes of which it probably hasn't seen since the last NASCAR race in Talledega!

Once the actual competition started, with the girls parading on stage, giving their 2minute speech, and doing their talent, it wasn't so bad. I discovered how hard it is to be a judge, especially knowing there are about 300 people behind you who are there to support one specific girl. It was harder than I expected to cover my judging sheet so that no one saw what I was writing. I felt at any moment I could have been hit over the head with a brick. Instead I only got hit by one or two spit wads. The evening gown competition was by far the hardest.....as if I know what makes an evening gown good, pretty, or whatever. It felt a little odd.

My specialty was the talent portion of the night, or so I thought. I mean, what I don't know in gowns, I more than make up for in knowledge of talent. Well, not so much when the talent involves tumbling or baton twirling. There were a couple of singers that I knew I could judge. My favorite was the girl who sang and "played" the guitar. And by played I mean held and fake strummed. Can you say deduction?!?!? There was also a girl who twirled the baton, you know the type, the twirl and throw the baton in the air, do splits while throwing the baton, etc. So this one girl was twirling, and bless her heart you know she was nervous and she was just having some trouble catching it. She probably dropped 2 or 3....which was no big deal.....until she walks behind this little wall and comes back out brandishing new batons....ON FIRE!!! Oh deal Lord, this could go bad quickly! All I could think was "please don't throw it, please don't throw it, please don't throw it." Turns out she didn't throw it, which was good in that we didn't all die, but it did make the whole fire experience a bit lackluster! There was one standout performer who, when she talked in the interview was as Alabama country as they come, but when she sang she was like a white Whitney Houston. Mad skillz! She won the talent portion!

The worst part for me was that I couldn't show any reaction to the performances. I asked the two veteran judges any advice for the program. They said "have a concrete face" I said "You mean don't smile?" They said "No facial reactions whatsoever, because someone might see it and say you smiled more for this girl than that,etc." Now, if you know me, I am Mr. Facial expression. Not on purpose. My face just automatically reacts to the thoughts in my head. Happy = Smile, Frustrated = Furrowed Brow, Constipated = well you get the idea. So the whole time while they are up there, I am trying to have a stone face. Which kills because while doing their talent the girls would look right at us judges, and I felt so bad not at least giving them an affirming smile or nod or something. And then afterward we see them in the hall backstage and I couldn't even tell them good job...well I kinda did, but it was to all of them, not just one of them. I felt so mean, so detached!

The ending of the night was interesting as well. All I could think as they got ready to announce the winner was that I wanted to be as close to my truck as possible. How far away from the crowd could I get so they couldn't punish me for being a judge. They announced and we promptly left. All in all, there were some handsome scholarships awarded to at least 3 of the girls. And I gained a new appreciation for those who judge these type competitions. I also have a new respect for these girls who get up there and do what they do. Imagine the nerve it takes to get up there and do even just the talent portion. I was nervous for them.

So I am now officially an experienced pageant judge. Not highly experienced, but experienced nonetheless. It's enough to put on my resume. If nothing else I can take the money I made, put it in a no-load, high yield mutual fund averaging 12 percent per year, keep it in there for, oh say 250 years, and I'll be a millionaire....assuming that I contribute monthly to said mutual fun. It's really a win-win!!!

The New Gear

2009-09-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I have not yet posted about my new gear (that would be musical equipment for those unfamiliar with my vernacular or interests). As I mentioned several months ago, I have had the same electric guitar and amp for nearly 10 years. It had been played in many different places, and had been shoved in all manners of cars, trucks, trailers, closets, and rooms. So it was time for an upgrade. What gave even more motivation to upgrade was the impending birth of our first child. I figured I'd better spend the money on some gear before I had to spend it on diapers.

So I got a brand new amp, a new electric guitar, and I finished off my pedal board with a few more effects.

For my amp, I knew I wanted a Class A amp. I don't really know a lot about that stuff, all I know is that every Class A amp I had heard sounded amazing. Of course, I also knew that they were typically twice the price of other amps, but I also know that you usually get what you pay for. I also knew that I wanted a combo amp. My old rig was a head and a 2X12 cabinet, which was a bit cumbersome to lug around. So I started my search with 6 or 7 brands and models of amps that I knew were in the ballpark of what I was looking for. Way back in early May, I took a day and drove up to Nashville to do a little test driving. The top picks from that day were a Divided By 13 JRT 9/15, Bad Cat Classic Cat, Orange AD30, Vox AC30, Matchless Cheiftan, and a Reinhardt (the 18). Well I came back empty handed that day, but continued my research, calling around, reading reviews, looking online, etc. After much research, I finally decided that Bad Cat was the amp for me. However, instead of the Classic, I went with a Custom amp straight from the Bad Cat shop in California. It's a Bad Cat Cub II Custom 15/30 watt with Tremelo. It was an artist loaner that they put in a 1X12 cabinet complete with my choice of tolex. So the finished product looks just like this I am extremely pleased with the amp. It sounds amazing and despite its weight is pretty easy to move from place to place. One of the coolest features is that it has a switch on the back that allows me to switch from full to half power (thus the 15/30). It's really versatile and suits my needs perfectly!

For my guitar, I was debating between 3 different guitars. I've always wanted a Gibson Les Paul Standard. It is such a classic and can really rock! However, I already have a guitar similar in style and use with the dual humbuckers, so I thought I might look for something different that fits the context in which I play most often a little http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifbetter. So I started looking at the Gibson ES-335 and a Gretsch Tennessee Rose. All the reviews I read raved about the Gretsch, while most of the reviews I read about the ES-335 were pretty bad. I played both and leaned more toward the Gretsch. It was about $1000 cheaper as well, so the Gretsch was the winner. It looks a lot like this .

As for pedals, I got an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, a Fulltone Fulldrive II overdrive, a Boss RC-20 XL looper pedal, and a VooDoo Lab Pedal Power II which powers those along with my existing Boss Super Overdrive, Boss DD-5 Delay, Jekyll and Hide Distortion, Boss Chorus, Digitech Whammy, Boss Tuner, and Boss Reverb/Delay. Truthfully, my pedal board might be a bit overkill, but I now have all the pedals I would like, and I use all of them at least some!

So there ya have it. That's my new rig that will last me a really long time. If you should like to hear it, you can come to The Church at Lake Guntersville most any Sunday, or you can catch me on a weekend retreat here or there.

"The Shack" Review

2009-08-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

I recently read a best-selling book that has been given mixed reviews by people. Personally, I've had a handful of people encourage me to read it. I've also had a handful of people discourage me from reading it. Those who encouraged me to read it said that it would help me in my relationship with God. Those who discouraged me to read it described it as heresy and said it defamed God. Being a skeptic, and knowing only a few details about the book, I had resigned not to read it, thinking honestly that it was trash that was in direct opposition to my beliefs. However, after one final encouragement from a family member, I decided that I would in fact read The Shack and form my own opinion about the contents and its implications. I went in with as much of an open mind as I could (which isn't easy for such an opinionated person such as myself). So below is a short synopsis followed by my reaction. Before I start, if you've not yet read the book, let me encourage you to not read my review, but instead pick up a copy, open your mind and read it (it doesn't take long, only took me a week!).

The Shack is a story about a guy named Mackenzie (Mack) Phillips who takes his kids on a camping trip in the Oregon wilderness. While there, his youngest daughter Missy is kidnapped and suspected to have been killed by a known serial killer. The only evidence of the crime was found in an abandoned shack. Four years after the event, while still in the middle of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a letter in the mail, apparently from God, inviting him to come back to the scene of the crime, The Shack, for a weekend. Mack accepts the invitations, and experiences a weekend that changes his life. The major question the book seems to try to answer is "Where is God in the midst of pain and suffering?"

If you've heard anything about the book, it's probably something along the lines of "This book gives a great description of the Trinity" or "God is depicted as a big black woman". The Shack does in fact tell a fictional story while depicting God as a big black woman. In fact, each member of the trinity was described in detail.

Now it is at this point that I need to confess that I approach this book with two biases. First of all, as most of you who read this know, I just finished my seminary degree. Which means I spent a good bit of time discussing and learning theology. While I'll never claim to have it all figured out, or even be close to understanding everything about God (and further more that my theological degree is worth little more than the paper it is printed on), I will simply say that I have given a lot of thought to theological issues. Secondly, I will say that the Bible is the guide for all of my beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I believe the Bible is completely, 100% true and that it is the complete revelation of God to people (that is to say that all we need to know about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is contained in the Bible. Not that everything about God is recorded, as if one book could contain that, but that God has given us all we need know about him within the pages of the Bible). So any book I read is filtered through the lens of the Bible and through what I have come to believe about how we as people relate to him. This filter is magnified when the book deals with issues directly concerning God.

That being said, let me say that I did actually enjoy reading The Shack. The story was compelling. I wanted to see what was going to happen next, and if the story would be resolved. It had a great little twist at the end that completely surprised me. The author, William P. Young wrote and interesting and entertaining book that I didn't want to put down. As with any good story, the book made me think "How would I react in that situation?" "How am I like Mack?" "What truth does the story convey?" "What do I disagree with?" "What do I agree with?" (Of course I don't readily ask those questions necessarily, but I do answer them in my reading, consciously or not). Even as I read, I thought about God, how I view him, and how I interact with him in my own life.

I also tried to keep in mind that the book is fiction and that even the depiction of God was not meant to be fact, but was meant to be used as a tool to tell the story. The only issue for me is that, fiction or not, anytime you choose to try to describe or convey anything about God, you are treading into dangerous territory. It might be just a fiction book, but the handful of people who recommended I read this book said something along the lines of "This book helped me understand the trinity better" or "it really changed the way I view God". If that is the case, then right or wrong, the book becomes something on which people begin to base their beliefs. Again, let me say that its a dangerous place to put yourself, a book, a piece of art, anything of that nature. And while I wanted to dismiss the theological side of things, I couldn't based on the very first page of the book where there was listed a series of "What Others Are Saying About the Shack". Almost everyone listed said something about the books theological implications, how it would encourage your relationship with God, change the way you think about God, and help you experience God in a new way. If this is the case, and is obviously a goal of the book, then I have to confront some of the theological issues. I'll do a list of the pros and a list of the cons for the sake of time.

Pros:

- God, through the three persons of the trinity, is depicted as a loving God who cares deeply for people, whose plans are often misunderstood. He is shown as a God who desires for people to experience his love, forgiveness and healing.

- At one point Papa (who is God the Father) speaking of Jesus says "Everything is about Him you know." (p.191)

- At another point, Jesus says "My life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to be like Jesus, it means for your independence to be killed. I came to give you life, real life, my life (p. 149). This coincides with what Jesus says in Luke 9:23.

- In Chapter 11, entitled Here Come Da Judge, the book talks about how we judge God based on who we are as people, not based on who really God is.

- The concept of faith that requires you to do certain things is challenged. Faith is often seen as a to-do list that earns favor, especially in the "bible-belt". Instead, faith does lead to action, but not so that love or salvation is earned, but so that God is glorified and others can know the Gospel. The book says "In Jesus you are not under any law. All things are lawful" (p. 203). This is also discussed in both Romans and Hebrews.

- The religious establishment is questioned. Just as it was in Jesus day, the "religious" people most often cause the most problems for the cause of Jesus.

Cons:

- God is said to be better understood when experienced than when read from the Bible (p. 65-66). Again, the Bible is our source of revelation, not our experience (though we do have the privilege of interacting with God on a personal level, that interaction must line up with scripture, otherwise the whole "God told me he wants me to be rich" message that is common today would be considered valid.)

- It said that Jesus was fully human and that 'he has never drawn upon his nature as God to do anything." But instead he was a "dependent, limited human being" who "as a human being had no power within himself to heal anyone." It goes on to say that he was only able to preform miracles because of his relationship with God the Father (p. 99-100).

- God again says that he limits himself so as to see things as if for the first time through the eyes of his children (p.106).

- It is said that there is no since of authority or hierarchy between the three parts of the trinity, but rather that they operate in a "circle of relationship" (122). According to this description, there is no obedience involved (saying that Jesus was not being obedient to God the Father in dying on the cross, but was rather operating out of a mutual relationship.

- It also says that the problem of evil in the world comes strictly from people's desire for independence. God allows this independence as an act of love. To enforce His will on us would be the opposite of love. It even says that God submits himself to our (human) will (p. 145).

- As for the problem of evil, Satan, the Devil, demons, temptation or any other source is completely left out. Independence is the only reason for sin.

- Toward the end, Papa (God) says that Jesus work on the cross reconciled the whole world to Him. Mack responds "You mean those who believe in you right?" Papa responds "The Whole world, Mack. I am telling you that reconciliation is a 2-way street, and I have done my part..."(p. 192). This suggests that we as people have half (50%) of the responsibility for our salvation.

- While it does mention the church being the bride, the book could be construed to say that church involvement is not important, and rather personal faith is all that matters. While I agree that the church has issues, the bible still makes it clear that Christian fellowship and worship is essential. Christianity was designed to be done together (see Acts) It is my intention to try to influence change within the church so that we hopefully get back to the biblical picture of the church.

So before reading the book, and before deciding to read it, I was completely against all things The Shack, mostly because of the way people (mostly professing Christians) were reacting to it, as though it was another Bible. My initial reaction to that kind of stuff is to stay as far away as possible. However, the book wasn't as bad as I expected, and I suspect that those who have been the hardest on the book have probably not read it. The problem with the book is that many people do in fact see it as truth, as though it is a book that can help define and shape their faith in God. This can prove to be extremely dangerous, misleading not only their personal faith, but potentially damaging the way the view and respond to God. However, there is some valuable material, especially for those who have experience pain, loss, or addition. All-in-all, if read for a sheer work of fiction, then the book isn't a bad read. One must be careful to read with a biblical lens (as when viewing any form of art or entertainment) so as to not be mislead.

So in conclusion, as a work of fiction, The Shack is a good read. As a work of theology, it should be completely avoided at all costs. What about you? Have you read it? Why or why not? What are your thoughts about it?

New Digs

2009-08-24T19:10:00.001-07:00

So you may have noticed that I've changed the look of the ol' Shared Ignorance pad. Things were getting a little dusty with the previous layout, so I decided to change it up a bit. In the process I learned that there are more templates available than what blogger offers. A simple "free blog templates" google search rendered more sites than I could sift through. Who knew? In fact, the one site I found this template on had 106 pages of templates, each page with about 15 layouts. I got to page 101 before I found what I was looking for. After all the digging and looking and judging and comparing, I'm pretty pleased with the new look.

Now if I could only figure out what to write about. It's funny cause I go through these spells where I could write a new post everyday. And as is evident by my summer hiatus, I go through periods where I have nothing at all to say. Mostly, when I do decide to post, I feel like I have to write a lot. The pressure of spinning an evocative yarn looms as I seek to give one who would visit this little plot in the world wide web something interesting, entertaining, and perhaps even informative. And I don't want my readers to walk away feeling unfulfilled. But I've now come to an important conclusion. At the end of the day, this blog is just a place for me to write when I feel like it, vent, share, and practice my writing skills. I'm no slave to the reader! So I will no longer write just for you the reader, I will write for me the writer. And while I hope you the reader will in fact read, and that as said reader you will be entertained and informed, that is not my main goal.

My next post I will be reviewing a book I recently finished. It is a book that has been the source of much contention and controversy. It's a little book called "The Shack" of which you may have heard. I'd like to add my voice to the on-going conversation that this book has created.

So tune in again very soon if you want to read that. Or don't. It doesn't really matter because I'll still write my review regardless of whether you come back to read or not. But you should come back. I mean not to stroke my ego, give meaning to my life, or to give me motivation to blog more. NO NO! I don't need you to validate me. But should you desire to read that which I will write, then you should stop back by within a week or so. Or if you don't want to, then don't. Either way is fine with me. I mean, it's not that I don't appreciate you reading, I am thankful for all my minions of readers and blog followers. It's just that I write not to be read, but to write in-and-of-itself. Because...I mean....ok I guess I'll stop there.

See you soon....or not...either way.....

A Case for the Blog

2009-08-12T12:00:00.001-07:00

It has recently been said that blogs, as we know them, are dead. With the ability to now constantly update Facebook and Twitter statuses so easily from wireless devices like iPods and cell phones, people have begun to say they see no need to blog. Everything that needs to be said can be done within the 140 character limit that twitter invokes. While I agree that Twitter and Facebook offer a great way to make fast updates about every little detail of one's life about which everyone is just dying to read, I am not yet ready to give up on the good old fashioned web-log we know as the blog! At the end of the day, even with the easy access, no Internet required, at-your-finger-tip medium of twitter, not everything can be said within 140 characters (count 'em up, I've used way more already!)

For instance, suppose I wanted to tell you about the time I allegedly set the woods behind my house on fire. No way within 140 characters would you get the whole picture that was the fire debacle that I can neither confirm nor deny whether or not I was involved in.... or not.

Or suppose I wanted to give you the top 5 reasons why no human being should ever be subjected to the horrible movie that is Knowing. It would take me 140 characters to explain just how bad an actor Nicholas Cage is, and that with the exception of Keanu Reeves (whose acting career is as absurd as his first name and his best movie called Bill and Ted's excellent adventure) and Matthew McConehey (did you see Sahara?) is quite possibly the most heinous actor to ever be allowed on film.

Even more, how could I ever explain why Subway 5 dollar foot long meals are still a rip off because Subway's ham taste like scam and its turkey like jerky?!?! I mean any place that makes Vienna sausages look appealing is not worth eating! That's why there is Firehouse!

So you see, there is still room for blogging! It's not yet dead. It just needs a infusion of life from those who have betrayed such a medium for a more taste-great-less-filling place like Twitter. So this is my call to all you bloggers old and new! Blog on my people! Blog on!!

Thank you Cleveland!

Matt

My Buddy

2009-08-06T19:01:00.001-07:00

Today was a bit of a sad day around the Evans' house. Karen, after working last night, arrived home about 8 this morning to find our neighbor's dog under my truck.

Now before I go on, it would do well for you to know some background. We've lived in this particular house in good ol' Albertville AL for nearly 5 years. Over that time, our neighbors have had a combined total of about 13 dogs. None of these dogs were kept in fences or pins, but instead were allowed to roam the neighborhood freely. At one point there were about 8 dogs between the 4 houses surrounding ours. They were quite a nuisance, dragging off shoes and other items we would carelessly leave in our own garage. Not to mention that apparently my yard is the perfect doggy bathroom. So for the most part, I was the grumpy old neighbor who would yell at the dogs "Git outta my yard ya stupid dogs!"

Well last summer the house beside us rented out to a new set of neighbors. Before long they got a dog...a little yapper...chihuahua that hates everybody and thinks he's a giant. Then a couple of months later they got another dog, a shitzu that in my book doesn't really count as a dog....more like a canine cat. Then they got ANOTHER dog, some little lab looking mutt. Once again I didn't really think much about them, other than I wish they wouldn't poop in my yard. But over the last couple of months, the little lab mutt would come over and visit. He was thin and looked under-fed and didn't seem to receive much attention from his owners. So I just started playing with him some and giving him a little scrub behind the ears. Over the last 2 months or so I actually grew to like the little guy. Karen even liked him! At least a couple of times a week I'd come home, eat dinner, and go out and play with him. I was in the process of teaching him how to fetch a tennis ball. I would get him out in the back yard and run around with him. He was my buddy! I even gave him a name (cause I didn't know his real one)....Oscar.

Back to the 13 neighborhood dogs. All but 2 of them have died from anti-freeze poisoning. The neighbors shitzu was the latest victim, poisoned about about a month ago. We don't exactly know who is doing it, but we are the only family who has lived here for all of the dogs death except for one, who lives a couple of houses down.

Well this morning Karen found Oscar (whose real name I found out was Alvin...I was close) under my truck looking very sick. She came in and got me, and at first glance I could just tell that he too had been poisoned. He was looking really bad. I didn't know what to do, so I came in and got him some water. By the time I came out he was limping back to his own yard. Karen went over to let the neighbors know but they didn't answer the door. Had he been mine I would have either rushed him to the vet or put an end to the suffering myself. But he wasn't. So I went to work, surprised at how sad I was over this little dog. When I returned home from work, my neighbor called me over and told me he had found Oscar (Alvin) and that he was going to have him put down. So tonight, I lost my little buddy.

I've always been a sucker for dogs. I just love how, no matter what, they are happy to see you. How they give you their undivided attention at a whistle. How they love to run and play. How, even if you have to scold them, they always seem to come back wagging their tale. It's something about their unconditional love and devotion that just gets me. They are the epitome of innocence. They are quick to forgive and forget and seem to take everyday as something to enjoy. They can really add to life ya know?!?!

Some of you probably think all of this is pretty silly....I mean after all it is just an ol' dog. He wasn't even my dog. I didn't feed him or anything. He was just a neighbor dog. But it makes me furious to think that someone would be so cruel to kill a dog that way. I am thankful that I got to play with him some. He brought a good bit of enjoyment to me, and I'll miss my little buddy Oscar.

Rock-a-bye-baby

2009-08-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Let's go ahead and acknowlege that my summer blogging has been less than acceptable. Now let's move on!

First, my wife has a blog you should now check out.

Now, on to what I am here to talk about. So we're having a baby boy right. And I've been thinking about all the things I'll get to do to with the little fella once he gets here in November. And I started thinking about how I will most likely sing to him, since that's kinda what I do....sing and all. And I got to thinking about how I will sing lullabys to him at night. And so I started practicing.

Rock-a-bye baby in the tree tops
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bow breaks the cradle will fall
And down will come baby
Cradle and all

As I was singing it, I began to think about what it was I was singing. DOES ANYBODY ELSE SEE WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SONG? Is it me or is this just wrong?

First of all, who put baby in the top of the tree? And for what purpose? I mean baby didn't climb up there himself. Someone had to think it was a good idea to put him up there.

Then, the wind begins to gust and no one thinks it is a good idea to get baby down? The trees are swaying, the storm is a-brewing, but let's leave little baby in the top of the 100 year old rotten oak tree and see what happens. And what happens? The bow breaks! Someone should've cut the tree down years ago because it was bound to give way under the pressure of the now-100 mph winds that are blowing, but instead of calling the tree service out to the house, we just decided instead to PUT THE BABY IN IT?!?!?!?

So the bow breaks, and the cradle falls.....the CRADLE HOLDING THE BABY?!?!?!? And all we say is "Down will come baby cradle and all"?!??!?! As though it is some sweet little tune to put baby to sleep? NO WAY!!

This is the reason baby's all across the world wake up every 2 hours screaming. They're not hungry! They had a dream that someone actually put then in the top of an old rotten oak tree just minutes before a terrible storm, producing straight-line winds, blew up and knocked them and their cradle to the ground. WHAT SICK PERSON WROTE THIS SONG?

So I've decided that I intend fully to sing my little boy to sleep many nights. But mark my words, I WILL NEVER SING ROCK-A-BYE-BABY!!!!!!!

Things I Am Interested In/Things I Am Not Interested In

2009-05-06T17:09:00.001-07:00

So I've not been able to post lately, in part because of time constraints, and in parts because of mental constraints. Haven't had much to blog about, or can't find the time to complete a post. So, in the interest of keeping you the reader informed and satisfied, I am posting one here about...interests. Below are five things I am interested in at the current time in no particular order, followed by five things I am not interested at the current time in no particular order.

Things I am currently interested in:
1. Graduating - I'll do so in just one short week. Master's Degree here I come!!!

2. Paper Route - no I haven't picked up a part-time job. This is a band, a really good band, a band you should check out!

3. Amps and Guitars - So I've been saving for quite a while to get some new gear. Mine has been used pretty heavily in the last 10 years, and I'd like to get some stuff that sounds better, will last a little longer, and subsequently be a little more aesthetically pleasing. So I now have the money and am coming to the end of my research phase. Hope to make a purchase in the coming month or so.

4. Baby Stuff - So this is weird for me. I've never looked at baby bottles, onesies, strollers, cribs, or any of the like. Now, we kinda have to. It's been interesting, and I like looking with Karen. It's really up to her, but I am trying to educate and involve myself in the process. Really though I am mostly interested in our baby!

5.YooHoo - A childhood favorite of mine, now once again a favorite. I suppose that YooHoo is like chocolate water, but it is quite tasty! That and a twix bar and you've got yourself a nice little afternoon snack ( a gift that keeps on giving what with the extra pounds!)

Things I Am NOT Currently interested in:
1. Swine Flu, Economic Meltdown, Peanut Butter, Tomatoes, or any other item that the news wants to use to cause panic in my life.

2. Graduation - notice I am interested in graduating, but not in the actual procedure of graduation. I've sat through a few of these in my time, and let me tell you they are long and oft-times boring.

3. Bad Weather - I'm thankful for rain to a point. I mean we've been in a constant state of drought for the last 3 years. But in the first 6 days of May we've had 5 inches of rain. And all types of thunderstorms, tornadoes, earthquakes (nope, not kidding...central Alabama had a 3.5 earthquake a few weeks ago) hail, tidal waves, tsunamis, and plagues of locusts. It's all a bit much.

4. Litter Boxes - So Karen is pregnant right. And there is this nasty little possibility that if she were to change our cats litter box she might get some kind of toxiplasmosis nonsense that would be bad for her and even worse for the baby. So guess who gets to change Howard's litter box. That's right....and man....it is nasty. I'm pretty sure that whole toxiplasmawhatever is just a ploy for pregnant women not to have to change the litter box because it is gross!

5. Throwing Up - No I haven't thrown up though I have wanted to plenty of times when Karen is. It's been a pretty rough 1st Trimester, but we are at 12 weeks now, so hopefully moving on out of that stage.

So what are you interested in at the current time in no particular order? Or what are you not interested in at the cu---- you get the idea!

Good Story

2009-04-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

Below is an angering and inspiring story! Reading things like this makes me wish my life counted for more!! Below is the entire story:

"For 19 days in March and April, Walter Hoye was locked in a cell with 29 other prisoners at the Santa Rita jail near Oakland, Calif. There were times when he wished he could have stayed longer.

When the metal door first clanged shut behind him on March 20, Hoye, 52, decided the space was really more of a cage than a cell. A metal grid penning in prisoners. Fifteen bunks lining two walls. Two toilets and a urinal for all 30 men, and a shower that inmates had gradually transformed into a pornographic shrine.

As Hoye made his way to an empty bunk, a few prisoners, mostly black and Latino, dogged his path. "You smuggle in any drugs, man?" one of them asked.

"No," Hoye said quietly.

Then the veteran inmates left him alone, he told me, except for "one of the brothers who was kind enough to help me make up my bed."

A few minutes later, another man walked over to Hoye's bunk and jabbed his finger at a newspaper he was holding. "This you?" he said, eyeing Hoye skeptically.

Hoye peered at the Oakland Tribune headline: "Anti-abortion pastor chooses jail."

"Yeah, that's me," he said.

In the next moment, the inmate was striding up and down the length of the cell, announcing, "Hey, he don't have to be here! He turned down probation! He doing straight time for what he believed in!"

It was true: On Feb. 19, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Stuart Hing sentenced Walter Hoye, a Missionary Baptist minister, to 30 days in jail after Hoye refused a plea deal that included three years' probation, a small fine, and an order that he stay at least 100 yards away from Family Planning Specialists, an Oakland abortion clinic.

Passionate about the sky-high abortion rate among African-Americans, Hoye began offering men and women assistance at the clinic in 2006. About one in three Oakland residents is black, compared with a statewide African-American population of 6 percent. And though blacks make up only 12 percent of the U.S. population, they account for one-third of all abortions performed in the United States. More than three in 10 black women abort their unborn children.

According to the 2006 census, deaths now exceed live births among African-Americans. "We're no longer replacing ourselves," Hoye said. "So we're not using terms like holocaust and genocide just to elicit a response. It's the truth."

In response, once a week Hoye stood quietly outside Family Planning Specialists with a sign that said, "Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help." When people approached the clinic, Hoye would ask their permission to speak with them about abortion alternatives; he also offered them pamphlets describing available help.

In 2007, pro-abortion clinic "escorts" began to show up in groups, surrounding Hoye and impeding his movement. They blocked his sign with sheets of blank cardboard and shouted down his low-key offers of help. When that didn't scare Hoye off, clinic managers lobbied the Oakland city council and in December 2007, the council instituted a "bubble-zone" ordinance applicable within a 100-foot radius of any Oakland abortion clinic. The law made it a crime to "approach within eight feet of any person seeking to enter" a "reproductive health care facility" in order to offer literature, display a sign, or engage in "oral protest, education, or counseling."

"This law is horribly unconstitutional," Hoye said. "It allows abortion clinics to decide which U.S. citizens are allowed to retain their constitutional right to free speech."

Represented by Life Legal Defense Fund (LLDF), Hoye challenged the ordinance in court. The case is still pending, but in May 2008, Oakland public attorneys acting in cooperation with clinic managers charged Hoye with "unlawful approaches" to women, and "force, threat of force, or physical obstruction."

What prosecutors did not know was that LLDF attorneys possessed four hours of uncut videotape documenting Hoye's activities outside the clinic on the dates in question. At trial in January 2009, the tapes impeached the testimony of clinic director Jackie Barbic, who claimed that Hoye repeatedly broke the 8-foot rule and that she and a patient had to put up their hands to fend him off. Instead, the tapes showed Hoye standing still as Barbic approached him; then they showed Hoye walking away. No incident shown on the tape matched Barbic's testimony, and even clinic escorts testified that Hoye was always cordial and never obstructed anyone's path or used threats or force.

Inexplicably, the jury still found Hoye guilty. At sentencing, the prosecutor recommended the probation and the clinic stay-away order—or two years in jail. When Hoye refused the stay-away order, Judge Hing appeared "surprised," Hoye said. "The judge was essentially asking me to stop trying to help men and women outside an abortion clinic, and I just would not voluntarily give up my First Amendment rights."

In February, Hing levied a sentence of 30 days and Hoye reported to the Santa Rita jail a month later. After the newspaper-reading inmate touted the Tribune article to the other prisoners—many of them inner-city drug dealers whose highest aspiration was to stay out of prison, they clamored to know why a man would choose jail over freedom. From that moment on, Hoye found himself in constant demand.

"I would be holding court with about 30 guys, explaining why I did what I did," he said. "I explained what an abortion actually does, that it takes an innocent human life. We held prayer vigils, we had Bible studies. I must have counseled and mentored guys all day and all night. It got to the point where we started talking seriously about Christ."

Most of the men in the cage at first mouthed pro-choice slogans, Hoye said. "But when I forced them to complete the sentence, 'I believe that a woman has a right to choose to kill an innocent life,' they couldn't do it."

One morning at about 2:30 a.m., a good-looking young man named Terrell approached Hoye's bunk and asked what actually goes on during an abortion. Using his fingers to simulate a woman's legs spreading, Hoye showed Terrell how the abortionist inserts a vacuum aspirator and sucks out the developing child.

Terrell, 18, told Hoye he had gotten his girlfriend pregnant and that she had aborted. "She made the decision," he said. "It was her choice."

"Yes, I know that, but what did you do?" Hoye replied. "Did you offer to marry her?"

Terrell shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"Did you offer to help her raise the child?"

"No, I didn't."

"Did you tell her that you love her and that you were going to go the distance with her as a man should, even if she decided to give the child up for adoption?"

"No, no, I didn't," Terrell said, his eyes filling with tears. "I never knew. No one ever told me what an abortion is. No one ever made it plain."

When Terrell understood that he had, "perhaps because of his own lack of participation, been complicit in the murder of his own child, it really broke him," Hoye said.

Before Terrell went back to his own bunk that night, Hoye prayed with him. "I told him God could forgive him, that what he'd done wasn't an unforgivable sin."

But the conversation didn't end then. Terrell continued to visit with Hoye. "He began to understand that men have a responsibility to women, and vowed that, for him, an abortion would never happen again. He came to me a young man in jail for dealing drugs, trying to make some money and live the large life. I began to see him grow up."

Released from jail on April 7, Hoye rejoined his wife, Lori, in their Oakland home. Today, he is not sorry for his choice. "I've been a jail chaplain in jail before, and even had the privilege of being a guest preacher at San Quentin. Being an inmate is completely different. I was actually one of them and it gave me a different kind of credibility. I'm sure my adversary meant my incarceration for evil, but God used it for good.""

Seminary Jeopardy!

2009-03-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

I am currently (as in right this very moment) sitting in what will be one of the last three seminary classes I am required to take before I graduate! While I am extremely grateful for the last 4 and 1/2 years of being able to study, learn, and grow in knowledge of the bible and in the grace of Jesus, I am more than ready to be done. I take this education seriously...but I'd also seriously like to have a break from taking notes, writing papers, and especially doing "group" work.

Well it is the later that I want to mention in today's post. The class I am taking is a week long workshop, in which I must participate in a group presentation. I'd almost rather give blood than do group work. So in order to make it more bearable, I have tried to infuse some fun and entertainment into my group presentation. One thing seminary students are not short on is seriousness, so I like to try and bring the humor back....I think it keeps us from getting to high and lofty for our own good (I say as the other students around me frown and shake their heads because I am blogging in class).

So for our group presentation, we are defending small groups as the best entry point into the church (don't ask why). We were allowed creative freedom in the presentation, so our group decided to do a mock-Jeopardy! game. Since we only have a limited amount of time to present, our game needed to begin mid-game, with only one category left untouched. That category is, of course, Small Groups. However, for our props sake we needed some already-completed categories. That's where I become really valuable in a group. Truth be told, I probably am not the best at presentation, not the smartest in the group, not the most compelling arguer, or any of that. But I can think of things that at least I find funny, and put them in the presentation with the hope that others will get a little laugh out of the deal.

In order for this to really move you, it will be helpful to imagine the actual game of Jeopardy!, think of the types of questions that will go with the category, imagine Alex Trebek asking them, and then throw in a little Will Ferrell doing Alex Trebek against an indignant Sean Connery and Burt Reynolds. So here are some of the categories I am thinking about using on our Jeopardy! game board. The categories are:

1. Tongues

2. Multi-syllabic Biblical Names

3. Pastor or Cult-Leader

4. Raising Cain

5. Bible Names That End in -iah

6. Da Nile

7. Zerubbabel or Nebuchadnezzar

8. A Stone's Throw

9. Judas

10. Who's The Heretic

11. Goats of Many Colors

12. Name That Mount

That's just a few off the top of my head. Of course I can only pick my favorite 5. Your turn, what are some good biblical Jeopardy! categories?

Long Time, No Blog

2009-03-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are still checking to see if I blog, this one is for you. I have not altogether fallen off of the face of the earth. Nor have I decided to quit blogging. In fact, I have several half-done blogs saved as drafts. But I haven't had the time or will to finish many of them due to several different factors.

I would love to give more explanation, and intend to fully, just not right now. To tide you over, I'd like to give you just a few things to ponder.

1) Have you been watching American Idol? Is it me or does Paula channel Johnny Depp channeling Jack Sparrow when she talks or what?

2) I have found that one of the most exciting feelings in my day is when I swipe my debit card and the little swipping machine says "approved"! It is nice to be approved of isn't it?

3)I'm pretty sure Howard, our cat, is a socialist! Does she work? NO! Does she contribute? NO? Does she whine and complain and cry all the time? YES! And she expects her bowl to be full every day in spite of the fact that she doesn't help in any way to help earn that food!

4)Karen and I went to Nashville this past week-end for a mini-vacation. I've said it before, but there is no one I'd rather hang out with than her! And there is no better town than Nashville. We went to a Hockey game, which was super fun (Go Predators!), walked around downtown, ate some really good food, and left a night earlier than we planned.

5)I've recently been listening to Mark Driscol of Mars Hill Church in Seatle. He is a bit of a controversial fellow in that he is a bit brash, talks about how men need to reclaim their manhood, and has been known to let a curse word (or two) slip (though not from the pulpit). But man he is theologically solid, in that everything he talks about ends up to be about Jesus. And really, everything boils down to Jesus anyway right?

6)Our pastor at The Church at Lake Guntersville is leaving to plant a church in Anniston, AL. This is a unique time for our church, and for me as a staff member. Honestly, I am excited for his family and for their opportunity to expand their ministry, and I really believe God has a plan for them and for CALG....but man I am not really looking forward to the process. It is just kinda tough to think of things changing and of the work that will have to go into finding a new pastor and the work of maintaining a church without a "lead" pastor. Good thing God is faithful right?!?!

7) I am playing at Ingleside's Paradigm Weekdend (think Disciple Now) next weekend! Many of you know this is where I basically grew up in ministry through my college years, so I am really excited to go back! Should be lots of fun, plus we get to see our family which is always a plus.

Ok, so that is all for now. Just a random update to hopefully keep you coming back for more. I have several good things in the hopper I hope to post soon, so check back agains sometime!

Grace and peace to you all!

The Weights Are Training Me

2009-01-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

I've officially done it. I have made every muscle in my body sore, all at one time. Muscles that haven't been used in a long time, muscles that shouldn't be used. Muscles that I didn't know I had, and much like an appendix (has anyone ever figured out what purpose that organ ever served?), wish I didn't have!

That's right, I'm back on the workout kick. It's not really a new year's resolution, it's just something I resolved to do, and it just happens to be the beginning of a new year. Actually, what precipitated this commitment was the fact that Santa Karen brought me some dumbbells for Christmas. I feel that if I get an item for Christmas that I actually asked for, I should probably use said item. So you see it's really just courtesy that I am working out. That and the fact that I have slowly put on about 15 pounds in the last 2-3 years, inching me closer and closer to the dreaded 200 lb. mark and you get one swift kick in the pants to get on this exercise....well....kick.

So what's the plan. Well I eat a bunch of food that I don't like, do a bunch of exercises that could probably be well used at Gitmo for torchering terrorists, eat "snacks" that would cause even a garbage-pillaging raccoon to turn up his nose, all for 6 of 7 days a week for the next 12 weeks. Seriously though, it really isn't that bad of a diet plan. I still can eat meat, vegetables, fruit, and carbohydrates. In fact, I can now eat 6 meals a day! Of course, the portions are smaller and I have to be a bit more selective in what I eat. But it's not a bad plan. The worst right now is drinking water almost non-stop. I already have a pea sized bladder (get it...pea...pee....HA!) and drowning it in at least 10 glasses of water a day puts it into overtime. I probably go at least 5 times an hour.

The plan is called Body For Life. I did it once before back when I was in college. It involves 3 days of weight training alternated with 3 days of cardio exercises, eating right with high values of protein and the aforementioned water, with one cheat day where I can reward myself with things like chocolate cake, Oreo cookies, fried chicken, ice cream, fried ice cream, a large coke, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate milkshakes, chocolate candy bars and chocolate covered chocolate. Not that I'm looking forward to cheat day or anything.

All-in-all I do like the discipline of the eating right and exercising. I like the thought that I could see some body transformation in the coming weeks. I'm not saying I'm going to be buff or anything....but then again I'm not saying I'm NOT going to be a healthy,lean, muscular, hunk, man-beast, envy of the entire 25-30 male age bracket either. We'll just see how it goes. However, right now, I've gotta go take 4 Advil and soak in some Epsom salt for an hour. Hey, looking this good has it's price!

So what New Year's resolution's did you make this year?

2008 Year in Words Awards

2008-12-29T11:06:00.004-08:00

For my end of the year blog post, I wanted to post something unique and significant. This is the time of year where everybody is writing their "Best-Of" lists, talking about such topics as movies, music, books, and cultural happenings. So I am going to do my own year-end review....heretofore called the "Year in Words Awards" (or YIWA). So without further ado, my awards to the years best, worst, most unique, overused, and misunderstood words.

2008 Worst Word - Frienemy
Used countless times, especially on television, I think this word was first used by Paris Hilton...which gives even more credence to it's "Worst" award. It is a combination of both friend and enemy used to describe someone who either is a friend or an enemy, I can't discern which. This is the most nonsensical word ever! Either someone is a friend, or they or an enemy. I mean Tom wasn't both a friend AND an enemy of Jerry. He was simply an enemy. Similarly, Bears aren't a friend and enemy of picnicking park patrons! You get the idea. So congratulations Frienemy. You win by being a loser!

2008 Most Overused Word - Crisis
One need only to turn on the local news for 5 seconds to hear this word used multiple times. Everything is a crisis. There is the financial crisis, the housing crisis, the car company crisis, oil crisis, the crisis in the middle east, ad naseum. I'm not saying these things aren't real. I'm just saying we don't have to hear it over and over. So here's to you Crisis, for scaring the entire nation into an utter frenzy, freezing the housing market, destroying our economy, driving gas prices to an all-time high and eventually forcing us to drive imports!

2008 Best Foreign Language Word - Tov
This word means "good" in Hebrew. Other nominees included Hola (hello) and Bano (bathroom) from Spanish, shalom (peace) from Arabic, Je m'appelle (my name is) from French and lasagna (lasagna) from Italian. Ultimately the winner went to the only other language I currently use on a weekly basis, and that's only because of school.

2008 Most Maddening Word - Bailout
"I mismanaged my bank!" "Here, have some taxpayers cash!"
"I drove my car company in the ground!" "Here have some taxpayers cash!"
"I'm Barney Frank and I have a speech impediment. I think I'll take some taxpayer cash"
"I have consumer debt" "Here have some government cash that your children's children will have to pay back!"
I have a sneaky feeling bailouts are gonna come back to haunt us!

2008 Most Misused Word - Care
This word is most misused by Alabamians, particularly in the phrase "I don't CARE to." For instance, if I looked at Andy Alabamian and said "Man I sure could use some help doing this job that is too hard for me to do by myself" he most likely would look back at me and say "Well, I don't CARE to help you", which in ever other state in our great country means "I can't help you, you're on your own" But, alas in Alabama, that means "I WILL help you"! Who knew!?!? So, I'd like to give the award to CARE and I'd like to tack on that if it could exchange itself for MIND (as in "I don't mind helping you") it would make things a whole lot clearer for those of us not from Alabama!

2008 Best Monosyllabic Word - Hey
Now I know what your thinking, this word can also be used with two or three syllables, especially in the deep south, or when used in the joke "What does a gay horse eat?" (haaayyyyyy). But, this word SHOULD only be one syllable, and can be used in a variety of scenarios, like greeting someone, showing excitement when you receive a gift you like, or in telling someone to get their grubby hands off the last piece of cake that you already claimed!

2008 Best Multisyllable Word - Pseudoantidisestablishmentarianism
Apparently this word means "False opposition to the withdrawal of State supported church" but I'm sure you knew that already! Don't know that I've ever heard this word used in a sentence. I dare you to try in the comments section!!

2008 Best Hyphenated Word - Debt-Free
This word is the best for personal reasons. Though we didn't quite make it in 2008, Karen and I will make our LAST payment in January, and become totally debt free (except for the house!) 2009 is the year of NO PAYMENTS!!!!

2008 Most Meaningful Word - Sovereignty
This word constantly pops up in my life. It is a key attribute of God that is clearly seen over and over in scripture, and in my daily life. I can't seem to get passed it! I don't want to! Instead I am completely thankful for it! Left up to me, I'd wreck my own life...and yours too! So we can both be thankful that God is in complete control....all the time!

Finally, the most coveted YIWA category is......drum roll please......pppppprrrrrrrrrrr.........The Word of the Year (year..year..year).

2008 Word of the Year - Abysmal
Defined by Webster as "immeasurably low or wretched" one might find this word an odd choice for Word of the Year, what with its negative connotation. However, never has a word had such profound effect on the human language. Well, maybe not, but it was a small inside joke mid-year in the Evans family.

*So I was working on this a few days back in effort to post it by today. Well when I opened my browser today, there on the news section was a headline "Top 10 Words of 2008". So, regretably, my post isn't as unique as I thought it would be. However, my list is much different from theirs, so I get some creative points right?*
Happy New Year everyone! May 2009 be a great one for you all!

All The Family Secrets

2008-12-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008 has now officially come and gone! The day of and after Christmas always seem to be a bit depressing...always kind of a let down. All the preparation, planning, partying and other p-words make for the biggest celebration of the year. And it is quite a worthy celebration. But at the end of it all, it is hard to see it go.

This year was especially unique for us as we were in Alabama on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Karen worked both of those nights. However, we went home the weekend before Christmas, so we celebrated early. So Christmas Eve and day felt like other days for the most part. Karen worked while I slept, and I watched 4 movies and played video games while she slept.

We did have a great time at home this year, and I am very thankful for our families who rearranged their schedules so that we could all be together! This year more than ever I was reminded of what a great family I have. Each year I think I grow to respect and love my parents more and more. We have always had a great time together and still do. They are way too generous with us on Christmas. I love the fact that they go all out for this time of year. Every corner of the house is decorated, Mom's cooking is still out-of-this-world good, and you should just be a fly on the wall to see the stuff Dad puts in our "stockings" (which have now become these medium sized gift bags filled with individually wrapped goodies and necessities...though I gotta say, it's not too good when you put whoppers and Dove soap in the same bag....let's just put it this way, one of those items taste like the other...and I've not eaten soap in a while!). It's always good to be in the house with the folks, my sis and her hubby, and of course my wife.

I was also reminded this year of how thankful I am for my in-laws! It is unlike any other experience I've ever had, getting to know and love people who you aren't related to by blood, but who are just as much family now as your own family. My in-laws are really amazing people whom I love dearly. They shower us with gifts...again...too much. And the spread of goodies there this year probably tipped me over the 200 lb. range! The more I'm with her folks, I see where Karen gets a lot of her personality and ways of doing things. It's neat to pick out those traits...because much of what I love about her she gets from her mom or dad. They treat me like one of their own as well. I'm not sure I can put it into words, but I am very thankful that God, in his providence, saw fit to put Karen and I together, and that he allowed me to be a part of the Cleaveland family.

So that's the big secret! I have the greatest family in the world. Come to think of it, as much as I'd like to deny it sometimes (I don't know why) I have the greatest life in the world. I have a great job, an amazing wife, a wonderful family, and really nice house, everything I need and most anything I want, I have hope in Jesus Christ and have the most awesome privilege to serve him in his church, we have a crazy-yet-entertaining cat, Karen has a super nice job with people who have really invested in her and her future...I mean...seriously, the next time I complain someone should slap me..scratch that...punch me in the face..really hard!

I'll just close by saying that as 2008 comes to a close, I'm thankful. God has been abundantly good. He could snatch it all away and would still be more than worthy of praise. Come to think of it, he could have not done one other thing besides send Jesus and he would still be worthy of the highest praise. May his name be made great, may it be made known in all the world, and may it be lifted high in my life!

Update: The Christmas Play

2008-12-16T08:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been a while since I've last posted. My first reason is that I was too busy with the Christmas play to sit down and type. That reason quickly gave way to the fact that I then became too sick to type. So now I'm pretty much out of reasons not to post. I did want to give a quick update about the play, since I posted about it a while back.

Everything really went off without a hitch both nights. Except for one thing! I missed the entire first night and only got to watch the second night. That's right, as is a common theme for big events in my life, I got sick!

It all started LAST Saturday. My throat starting feeling scratchy and I felt the dreaded warning signs of a cold. So I started with Theraflu. Made it through Sunday Dec. 7th and took my last final on Monday the 8th. Monday wasn't a good day, so I did what is typically a last ditch effort for me. I called the doctor. Well Karen called the doctor...and got me an appointment for the next day. I told myself "now is no time to be a hero. Suck it up! Take the shot and get this over with so you can do all that you need to do."

You know how it is the week leading up to a big event. You have a personal time line of all the things you want to do...all the things that need your attention, the little details that need to be ironed out. Well I had that list. So I went to the doctor, took 2 shots, one in each cheek, got 3 prescriptions, and thought I'd be good. I even decided to suspend my agenda for Tuesday and Wednesday just to ensure that I'd get enough rest and be good for the weekend performances. Well Friday came and I was feeling better. So I went to dress rehearsal and everything went really well. We were prepared. However, that day my stomach didn't feel quite right. I couldn't eat much. I thought that the antibiotic I was taking was bothering my stomach.

Well, about 2 am Friday morning we discovered that it, in fact, was not my antibiotic, but apparently I had now added a nice little stomach bug to my list of ailments. Now, you have to know about me and vomiting. I don't do throwing up. I've literally thrown up once since I was like 10...and that was a couple of years ago (oddly enough, that was the night before we were headed on a youth retreat). I will do everything in my power not to throw up. For the most part. There is a time when it gets so overwhelming that I give in and want to throw up, but then I don't know how. I've suppressed the urge so often that I no longer know how to vomit. Anyway, so 2:30 Friday morning Karen and I are sitting in our tiny bathroom floor (she's such a great wife) waiting to see which happens first...I throw up or pass out. (consequently one of my biggest fears of the night was that I would pass out and then vomit, and choke on my own vomit....gross I know!) Well I finally get through the night, but Saturday I feel like....vomit. I couldn't do anything but sleep.

So I miss the entire performance Saturday. Sunday I'm supposed to lead worship, but that didn't happen either. I could get up, but not for long. By Sunday it was obvious I was not going to get to be a part of the play. That's right, since August we've been dreaming, planning, and preparing this wonderful Christmas event. And the weekend of it all, I can't be there.

Well, Sunday night, I decided that it would take death to keep me from at least seeing the play. So I got myself up, dressed, and down to the church just in time to see the team before they went on, spread my germs, and then sit and watch the play.

IT WAS AMAZING! The team did an awesome job. They presented with much conviction and passion. The band did a wonderful job on the songs they played. The desserts were tasty, and everything was decorated wonderfully.

At the end of it, I sat there just thankful. Thankful for the countless folks who had given up so much of their life to make this event so special! Thankful for my wonderful wife who, if I can say so, is the best thespian I know! Thankful for the ability to breath and live and hear and see. And thankful, really....I'm not just saying this....thankful for Jesus. The story told through the drama was strictly about our Savior. And I was reminded that all of the details and lights and food and tables and songs and parts and all the stuff......doesn't really matter when compared to the unsurpassed greatness of knowing Jesus Christ.

The Christmas play went great. But I pray that this Christmas you will be reminded, or perhaps for the first time get, that all that matters in this life is Jesus! Merry Christmas!

Let Us Eat Cake

2008-12-02T13:25:00.001-08:00

I've been rather intrigued lately by a "friend" of mine on facebook. Without going into too much detail, this person has been outspoken (or is that outtyping?) about their conviction that Christians should withdraw themselves from "pagan" observances such as Halloween and Christmas. There have been several lenghty discussions on facebook between this person and other folks in the facebook community. I have yet to interject myself into these conversations, but they have provided for some interesting entertainment and have provoked much though. I may not agree with everything this person says or with many of the arguments presented there but these discussion have got me thinking.

So I'll ask you. Can we as Christians still be involved in holidays and observances such as Halloween, Christmas, and Easter and still "maintain a clear conscience before God and all people"? (Acts 24:16) I suspect that Halloween would be an easy on for most of us. No we shouldn't dress up as the Devil, or maybe even a ghost or vampire! No we shouldn't indulge ourselves in teeth-rotting candy! No we shouldn't make human or animal sacrifices to Satan! But is there anything really wrong with playing dress up and going to a trunk-or-treat or fall festival?

What about Christmas...with all the Santa Claus, presents, lights, and decorations? Can we involve ourselves in the so-called "pagan" side of Christmas whose origins are rooted at least in part in Nordic mythology and still honor God through the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ? Can the two co-exist?

Initially, my response is that there is nothing wrong with gift-giving. There is nothing wrong with decorating the house with lights, or putting up a Christmas tree. I think the underlying question is "what is the purpose"? In other words, I think what matters to God is the motivation of our actions. As the bible says "Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

Truth-be-told, I equate both Christmas and Easter as celebrations of God's work of redemption. The origins based in mythology or paganism is of little thought at these times of the year. I realize that even the name "Easter" is not a biblical term. But what I celebrate at this observance we call Easter is Jesus resurrection.

So how much does our semantics or vocabulary really matter to God? Are we holding hands with both God and the world by celebrating his death, burial and resurrection by calling it Easter? Are we watering down the truth of Immanuel, God in the flesh, but silmultaneously putting up Christmas trees, talking about Santa Claus, and giving gifts to friends and loved ones? Are we trying to have our cake and eat it too? (I've never really understood that saying....I mean if I got some cake...immma eat it too...that's a blog for another day!)

So I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Christmas Poo...I Mean Play

2008-11-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

It's actually kind of funny that on Nov. 20 of last year I wrote a similar article about my organizational woes. If you haven't already, you can read that here. Anyway, from that article you'll see that while I wish I had better time management, more structure, and better organizational skills, I also would like to embrace that fact that I am made the way I am made.
But you would think I would have learned my lesson by now!

You see it is nearing the Thanksgiving/Christmas season and I'm the midst of holiday music and program preparation. I love playing and leading Christmas music, and I enjoy trying to make our services special and unique during this season. But I have to be honest about it this year, I have stepped off in it, and don't know what I'm going to do. If you're not sure what it I speak of that I have stepped in, this is it.
That's right, I may have bitten off more than I can chew, may have dove into the deep in without my swimmies, may have cooked my goose, may have counted my pretty little chirping chickens before they hatch.

You see for the past three years for Christmas, our church has done something called "Christmas on Ivory". Basically it involves 3 grand pianos, 6 pianists, 12 songs, a children's and adult's choir, a full band, and a whole lot of talent. It really was a neat program that became a community event. Last year we probably had 800-950 people come through the doors for "Christmas on Ivory" (COI). The best part is that I was in charge of 2-3 songs. The rest was overseen by my amazingly talented piano player Amy.

But as with everything in life, all good things must come to an end. We decided that 3 years of the same thing was good, and that we would try something different. I say we.......ultimately it was my decision, but I did seek council (funny how when the hammer falls, it never falls on the wise council....only on the counseled!) Anyway, so we decided to do something a little different.

By July of this year, I had found our program for Christmas and was really excited to see it all come together! I thought surely this event would at least compare to COI! Well that was all fine and good until all the wheels started turning to pull this little shin-dig off. Perhaps I underestimated somewhere. I've got the food people in one corner, the actors in another, the band and musicians in another, the tech team in another, the set up and take down team in another, the construction team in another corner, the servers in another corner, and then of course I have the vendors for the lift we need and the mics we have to rent and the construction supplies and the paint and and and (for those of you keeping score, I've officially created at least an octagon..what with the corners and all)!!!!

"Why don't you delegate more?" you ask? Well I do and I have. In fact for every corner mentioned above I have a point person handling all of the details. The problem is that I have to know all those details in order to tell the point person how to make it happen. And truthfully everything is going relatively smoothly....as smoothly as it can when you put the fate of the Christmas program in the hands of 60 able-bodied volunteers. But as the date of the program draws closer, my sanity gets further and further away. At this very moment I am asking myself a grand series of questions.....like:

1) What have I done?

2) What if this is a flop?

3) Will this be a disappointment when compared to COI?

4) Will ol so-and-so remember his lines?

5) Wonder what's for dinner?

6) Did I make a huge mistake in letting ol such and such be in charge of that?

7) Is that a hippopotamus? I've always wanted one of those for Christmas!

We have successfully created a reputation that we need to maintain. And I feel as though I have successfully put the entire weight of that reputation on my back....carrying it around like a pack mule, just waiting to see how long of a journey I can take before my legs drop out from under me, and with it falls my great Christmas program and our church's reputation for the best Christmas gig in town.

My aversion to all things organizational have officially kicked in as I painfully try to keep my head above water in the pool of a Christmas production. I know, without a doubt that every volunteer will rise to the occasion, and pull off every task in their area with ease and excellence! I also know that this play is worth it. It is, after all, a joyous modern telling of the greatest story ever told. It involves a lot of people, a lot of work, and a lot of time. My life for the next 3 weeks will be completely wrapped up in getting this program off the ground. And at the end of the Christmas season, I will probably be totally exhausted.

But it will be worth it....right? If it flops, we'll just know not to do it next year right? One can learn, and learn by failing right?

My one nonnegotiable is that we do the Gospel justice by telling it faithfully, truthfully, artistically, and excellently. And if we do that, then all the work, sleepless nights, hours of rehearsals, and yes even the organization will all be worth it!

The Pilgrim's Would Be Frowning!

2008-11-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

I thought it was bad last year when, on Halloween, I was in the grocery store and I heard Christmas music playing. Yes that's right, on Oct. 31st they switched their store music to Christmas music.

Well it's getting worse. This year I walked into a brand new Belk store in Macon, GA on Oct. 7 and they were putting up their Christmas decorations. Then just yesterday, I was flipping through the radio dial and found a station already playing non-stop Christmas music. IT'S NOT EVEN NOV. 15th.

You know the tragedy of starting Christmas so early is that Thanksgiving gets completely overlooked! I mean poor Thanksgiving. Sure it still gets a parade, but what is the highlight of that parade? Santa Claus! He steals the show at the end every year. Oh I know we still get together, eat entirely too much as a way of giving thanks! But where are all the thanksgiving decorations? The cornucopias of hope? Where are all the thanksgiving day songs? "I've never heard one" you say? Of course not, they all get edged out by the onslaught of Christmas music that is now flooding the airwaves 45 days before Christmas. And the day after thanksgiving, it's as if thanksgiving never happened, as people rush to their local mall and/or shopping center to get the hottest deals on....CHRISTMAS GIFTS!

Listen, I am all for celebrating Christmas. I mean, there is no better season, especially when we consider that what we are truly supposed to be celebrating is the birth of our savior....emmanuel...God with us! And I am all for celebrating that! There's nothing better to celebrate (except for perhaps Jesus death, burial, and Resurrection, which goes hand-in-hand with Christmas!) I am also all for giving thanks, and setting aside a day to do so! And then, after thanksgiving is over, and the calendar turns to December, we can focus our attention on Christmas. But could we please wait until Thanksgiving is over? Is that too much to ask?

I realize that I am a little late this year, but next year I intend to bring back to splendor of thanksgiving! That's right, I'm gonna celebrate Thanksgiving like it's 1999. I'm going to put up a Thanksgiving tree. I'm going to give people thanksgiving presents. I'm going to crank up some good old Thanksgiving music. And what about cornucopias? Their hope will spill with reckless abandon, filling every room! I think I will even put a candle inside a couple and put them in the windows. Ah yes, I can see it now, the house strung will all manner of Thanksgiving lights. Those blow up turkey's out in the front yard. A loud speaker triggered to go off as each car passes will play "We Gather Together" through the night!

So, good people of the blogosphere, let's join our proverbial hands together,unite as one, and stand together as we shout from the rooftops "Can't we wait just a month or two longer on the Christmas music and decorations, and uh, if you don't mind and it's not too much trouble, uh, celebrate thanksgiving and all first, I mean if that's ok with you and all."

2012 Presidential Nominee

2008-11-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

I promise not to say a whole lot about the outcome of yesterday's election. It is what it is and there isn't a whole lot I can do about it now. And though I totally disagree with our new President on most key issues, life is going to continue to go on. Now, that's not to say we don't have some work to do. And by "we" I specifically mean Christians. Because of Obama's stance on certain issues, specifically abortion, we're going to have to stand up and actively engage in order to defend the defenseless. However, the world isn't going to fall completely apart (I'm not saying some pieces won't break off).

Anyway, I promised myself I wasn't going there....so let me stop. What I do want to do is go ahead and begin the campaign for the 2012 nominee. That's right, it's time to look ahead! I'd like to throw out there that it's time for change...already. Time for change from a president who hasn't even taken the oath of office!

On to the nominee. I'd put a party there, but I've found it nearly impossible to align myself with any political party ( which works out well in a two-party system) so I'll just say he's the 2012 Presidential nominee. So who am I talking about? Well I am glad you asked.

Before I spill all the beans, I bet there are some thoughts running through your head right now...thoughts like "Who could he be talking about? Could he be talking about himself? Wow Matt would be a GRRRRREEEAAAATTTTTT president he would be! Ewww...I should have written him in yesterday!" Unfortunately no, that is not who I am talking about. So I bet your next thought is "Oh I bet he is going to satirically postulate that we should campaign for Al Gore, given all the good his done with his global warming, oops I mean climate change scam." Nope! Wrong again.

Ok, not more stalling. Here we go. I'd like to see us, the American people, nominate Mr. Dave Ramsey for president.

Now if you've spent any time with me or Karen in the last 3 years, you've probably heard Dave Ramsey's name. But if you haven't you need to slide on over to www.daveramsey.com and check out his site. Next, go to Wal-Mart and pick up a book entitled "The Total Money Makeover". Then check your local radio stations to see if anyone carries Dave's daily radio show. Finally, you can always catch Dave on the Fox Business Network at something like 8pm EST/7pm CST.

Anyway, Dave is best known for his Financial Peace University which is hosted by numerous churches around the country each year. The bottom line is this guy has a common sense, good-old-fashioned-hard-work and savings plan to get people out of debt and stay out. His principles are based on God's word and they work. His plan has revolutionized the way Karen and I handle our money and approach finances altogether, and it has saved us from a world of hurt when it comes to overspending and debt.

Well, since this tumultuous year of the election, the housing crisis, and that ridiculous bailout, Dave has become a huge contributing voice to the media concerning politics and finances. What makes Dave so great is that he is a straight shooter who approaches everything with common sense, level-headedness and extreme positivity. In fact, when the dummies on Capital Hill were trying to pass the bailout, Dave had a plan devise on how to better serve our country in that particular situation (many of you received that plan from me via e-mail).

Well, what finally brought this all to a head for me was when I heard him on the radio today! He was simulcasting with a television show, and they were asking him about that state of the country and especially finances with the election of Obama. In all honesty, I felt like the question posed to Dave Ramsey was in such a way that he could have took off on a right-wing, political, Republican rant. Instead, with much poise and grace, Dave politely answered that each individual is responsible for his or her own finances and life in general. He brought back to light the fact of personal responsibility and accountability. It was refreshing. That along with his other plans would make him an ideal candidate. I don't know his foreign policy, or his stance on the definition of marriage, but I have a feeling that if his policies are like his financial plans, then they are biblical and common sense.

So there you have it. I suspect I ought to go ahead and get the ball rolling. Perhaps I should start by contacting Dave.

So who would you elect president if you could pick anybody?

Changing Colors

2008-10-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

So I promised a format change, or at least a change in the look of my blog! Well, blogspot doesn't have a plethora of choices when it comes to templates, and I am not very creative. So once again I am just changing my colors. Truthfully, I'm not totally sold on the color choice, so don't be surprised if they change again in the near future. These will have to do for now.

Speaking of changing colors, I've noticed that the leaves are changing colors as well. I was marveling at the colors painted across the rolling hills that surround Lake Guntersville, when the thought hit me that leaves changing colors actually means those leaves are dying! It means that in a few short weeks, those particular leaves will fall from their limbs to the ground, and eventually return to the soil. So basically, the changing leaves that so beautifully dress the landscape are really just glorified compost! It was a bit of a depressing thought. However, it isn't so depressing when one realizes that new leaves will reappear in a few short months on those same limbs, changing the colors from winter brown to beautiful spring green.

The same is true with life. We go through different periods of growth, sometimes green and fruitful, and sometimes dry and barren. All the while God is grooming and shaping us, and reminding us that new life is ours through him. Brings a whole new meaning to regeneration right?

I feel like I can relate to the changing of the leaves at this point in my life. Sometimes I just feel a bit dry and fragile. I feel as though at any point a strong breeze is going to blow and knock me down for good. I can sense the cold winter approaching and I'm not excited about it. However, it is the promise of a spring to come, the promise of full life in Jesus Christ and one day perfection and completion with him in heaven for eternity that gives me hope. It reminds me that though in this world there are many troubles, hardships, and pain, I do not have to fear, for Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). And in the meantime, God is still patiently and passionately molding and shaping me. I'm really thankful for God's steady hand, for his trustworthiness, his sovereignty, and his reliability. When all around cracks and fades, He is faithful. So perhaps you can take heart with me, and see that fall leads to winter, and winter leads to spring!

...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-7

Setting the Record Straight

2008-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

So maybe I jumped the gun a little! In my last post I said I was suspending my blog writing for an undetermined amount of time! Well I have to be honest and say that I was really just looking for a reaction, just trying to create a little buzz, just trying to stir the pot!

Truth-be-told I really like blogging and do it as much for myself as for anyone else (that's right I find myself quite entertaining!)It doesn't matter that not many folks read my blog! I enjoy writing and trying to spin a yarn in a creative fashion!

So, I am hereby lifting my self-imposed suspension and will continue blogging once again! A huge thanks goes to those of you who "begged" me not to stop (surprisingly they were the same folks who offered tag line suggestions....none of which I will be using). Be on the lookout for new posts, and perhaps a new design layout, when I get a chance!

The Results

2008-10-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

One week ago today I started a contest for the new Shared Ignorance blog tag line! After receiving several entries (and by several I mean three) I have come to a conclusion and will announce the winner!

The conclusion! Three people read my blog!

The winner.....no one!

The few tag lines entered into the contest were negative, and quite frankly in poor taste! In fact, not only do I declare NO winner, I also declare the 3 of you who entered losers! And utter failures!

This is an outrage!

So with the results comes another announcement! I am hereby suspending my blogging until further notice! I figure if I am blogging for no one to read, then I shall stop blogging and leave no one nothing else to read (that's right you three, I am now attaching onto your "loser" status the "no one" clause!)

This decision to cease blogging comes not only on the heals of my failed contest (though I still contend that my blog, tag lines, and contest were far more successful than Mr. Smoak House) but also on a recent discovery that I'd like to leave you with.

It's been fun! God Bless!

I Was Robbed

2008-10-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

For those of who who may not know, Josh over at The Smoak House (no link given because his site is currently down) held a contest a few weeks back, offering a cash prize and lots of candy (at least that's what I understood the prize to be) to the person who submitted the most clever tag line for his blog. You may be familiar with these taglines. You'll notice mine above, and how creative it is.

Anyone who has been a regular reader of my blog can surely attest to my creativity, whit, humor, and overall wiritng expertise. Well I submitted 10 entries (there was no limit stated in the contest rules) and was sure that at least one, if not all 10 would win. I mean, they were all so incredibly innovative that I thought for sure Josh would be unable to pass them up, I would be the grand prize winner, my name would go down in history as the greatest blog-tag-line-writer of all time, and I would forever be revered as a legend in my own time.

Well, the verdict is in and the contest winner has been declared....drum roll please......I DIDN'T WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know I know, shock and awe right!

That's right folks, I have been robbed of the title that was rightfully mine! And furthermore, rumor has it that he is giving the prize to his brother-in-law. Sounds suspicious I say! Now, before you get too worried about Josh (I can hear you all now asking "Is he out of his mind" "Has he had recent head trama" "Did Matt go crazy after not winning and harm Josh") let me assure you he is ok....well he may be crazy....but I haven't harmed him.....yet!

Instead, I've decided to take the high road. In effort to bring fairness back to all blog-tag-line-creation contests, I am now holding my own blog-tag-line contest! Here are the rules.

Submit at least one, but no more than 50 of the greatest blog tag-lines for Shared Ignorance in the comments section of this blog. Please be sure to include your name and e-mail address so that you can be contacted in the case that you win. Also there will be a small $100 entry fee that you can mail to me. Winners will recieve that honor of having their name alongside the winning blog tag line quote, and will recieve the priviledge of one honorary blog about them. They will also recieve a hardy standing ovation from yours truly and one free pass for a visit to Albertville, AL (gas, hotel, and other traveling fees are the responsibility of the prize winner)to visit me and Karen! All Josh and/or Joshua's are prohibited from participating in said contest.

Now I realize that some of you may be a bit confused as to what these tag lines are, so I've taken the liberty of applying my superior blog-tag-line creation skills to craft an example for you. They would look something like this:

The Smoak House: Not Worth Reading

or

The Smoak House: For Your Unenjoyment

and finally

The Smoak House: Hosting Unfair Competitions Daily

Of course, you'll want yours to be a bit more postiive. But hopefuly that will give you a jump start! So put on your thinking caps, warm up those fingers, and start your submissions! Contest winner will be announced in next week's blog!

Happy blog-tag-line writing!!

The Sky is Falling

2008-09-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Of course the sky is falling! It has been falling piece by piece ever since Adam and Eve ate what they weren't supposed to! But of course, that never really mattered to us until pieces started falling in our neck of the woods!

In case you haven't figured it out, this will be a small rant on America, the recent financial brouhaha, the morons on Capital Hill, and the UGA v. AL game. Ok well I'm not going to talk about the game....too painful!!

Without going into all the details, it is obvious that all is not well in the American economy. I realize that houses are being foreclosed on, some jobs are being lost, companies are being bought out and the price of gas continues to skyrocket (at least in places that are still able sell gas)! But seriously, let's not act all surprised. Houses are being foreclosed on because some idiots decided it was a good idea to give another idiot a loan for a house to a person who couldn't afford the house to begin with. Companies are being bought out because the idiot giving the loan now doesn't get his money back because the idiot who couldn't afford this house in the first place certainly can't afford it with a jacked-up interest rate. Gas prices continue to go up because we continue to use gas, driving anywhere and everywhere we please in our 10-to-the-gallon monster vehicles (yes I realize I drive a truck with a 350 V8).

All I'm saying is that this was completely bound to happen when we as Americans suffer from the debilitating diseases known as entitlement, materialism, and greed. We think we all deserve life's luxuries no matter how extravagant. We think we all deserve tons of stuff, no matter how insignificant. Meanwhile 2/3 of the world live on $2 a week, die from starvation and curable disease, and live in a 10' X 10' hut with 10 other families. I'm the first to say that America is a great country, I love my freedom, and I love my stuff. But we can't seriously continue to turn a blind eye to the rest of the world and indulge ourselves in our never-ending greed and think that everything will be perfectly fine.

So how do we react. We start pointing fingers, and then we beg the government to bail us out.....by raising our taxes. After all we deserve it! We're entitled not to suffer! Meanwhile to problem compounds until we are all left standing in bread lines blaming God for such terrible injustice!

I don't wish for America to plummet into utter oblivion! I don't like the thought that families will suffer because of this. I don't like the thought that our children's future is now being compromised. But we knew it was coming right? I'm not saying God is punishing us, but I do think He is right. If we were to compare biblical values, principles, and truth with America we would see great disparity...nay we would see that we are on polar opposite sides. And because of that God doesn't have to punish us. We are punishing ourselves, gorging ourselves on what we want with no price too great, all the while rejecting the very life that will fulfill us completely!

However, there is hope! I for one am confident that the sky will completely crumble on this world one day, America included! Yet, there is hope! Of course my hope doesn't rest in a governmental system or a $700 billion economic bail-out! It doesn't rest on how well I can pick myself up by my boot straps. It doesn't rest on the hope of a better tomorrow (perhaps there will be one, but I'm not inclined to say we deserve one). Our hope can only be in the fact that for those in Christ Jesus, this world is going to give way to another, one that is perfect, complete, whole, and without flaw. From the beginning of time, from the very first bite of the forbidden fruit, Jesus Christ was the only Hope of the world. He wasn't a part of the solution. He was and is THE ANSWER! And I don't mean that he will return your money to you 10 fold if you'll just tithe this coming Sunday. I don't mean that he will miraculously refinance your mortgage so that you can retain that over sized house. And I don't mean that he will continually replenish the gas inside your tank without you ever entering another gas station. I mean that he, through his grace and love shown completely by his death on the cross and his victory in his Resurrection will rescue us from the underlying cause of not only all of the world's pain, suffering, and injustice, but also from the eternal separation that we had from God because of our utter rebellion!

God is victorious over all through Christ Jesus and thus we can overcome! However, it requires complete rejection of the "American Way."

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

"For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:25-26

Big Game, Big Game

2008-09-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Just like last year, I have had someone give me FREE tickets to the UGA v. AL game in Athens on Saturday. I am pretty excited despite of the fact that it is a night game and I will probably arrive home mere hours before I have to lead worship at church (I'm guessing 4:30...we'll see), and despite the fact that Karen can't go with me. This is a really huge game that could define a great part of the season for both teams, and I am grateful that I didn't have to pay for the tickets, which are going for $400-$500 on ebay. It'll be a really fun time. And I'll make a memory or two. Then I will come back, another week will pass by, and the outcome of that game will no more effect the course of my life for the next 10 years than the man on the moon.

What is it about sporting events that gets us so excited? I suppose that is understating it for a vast majority of the people that will be there. I mean, folks will be crazy at the game, will have spent an insane amount of money on the tickets, souvenirs, pregame beer and other tailgating necessities, and then will spend 3 hours screaming their lungs out at a game over which they have no control and which will bring them nothing more than perhaps a good feeling and something to brag about at work on Monday. Meanwhile, people who care enough to watch at home will have the comfort of their living room and the luxury of a gazillion different camera angles from which to watch not only live play, but also replays of anything worth seeing a second time (or a third or tenth time, depending on the magnitude of said play). And for those of you in the upper-crust of society will perhaps have the game on DVR, which you can conveniently pause live television. I myself will be in section 604, row 6 seat 11. You may see me if they show footage of the blimp....I'll be just below it, or any low hovering clouds I suppose. Methinks I should probably bring some oxygen just in case.

Regardless, I am still pumped that I'll be at this game, realizing that at the end of it, I will have had a good time, been distracted from the toils of everyday life (even though mine are small and largely insignificant). So, having said that

GO DAWGS!

The Name Game

2008-09-16T09:30:00.001-07:00

So I got this from Josh over at The Smoak House...I laughed so much I had to do my own!

Your real name: Matthew

Gangsta name (1st three letters of your real name plus izzle, favorite ice cream & fav type of shoe): Matizzle Moosetracks Deizel

Native American name (fav color, fav animal): Red Dog

NASCAR name (1st names of grandfathers): Harold Clifford (gosh that's a good one!)

Dancer Name (fav perfume/scent, fav candy): Strawberry Twix

Soap Opera name (middle name, street you live on): Crawford Gethsemane (I do a lot of smell-the-fart acting...it's from Friends...Joey...you know!)

Star Wars name (1st 3 letters of middle name, 1st 2 letters of first name): Crama (Talk in weird sentences I do.)

TV Weather/Anchor name (5th grade teacher’s last name, major city that starts with same letter): Wiggins Washington (I can hear the announcer saying my name now!)

Spy name (fav season, fav flower): Summer Tulip (gee, am I am spy disguised as a girl?)

Cartoon name (fav fruit, article of clothing you are wearing now): Peach Pants

Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, fav tree): Muffins Dogwood

Super Hero name (2nd fav color, fav drink): Blue Creamslush

Witness protection name (parents’ middle names): Clyde Lynn

Goth name (black, name of one of your pets): Black Howard

Movie Star name (1st pet’s name, 1st street name):Muffin Browning

Iraqi name (2nd letter of first name, 3rd letter of mom’s maiden name, 3rd letter of dad’s name, 1st letter of a sibling’s first name, last letter of mom’s first name): Aaysn (I suppose that is short for something?)

Rock Star name (1st pet, current car): Dog Silverado (Thank You Cleveland)

Wow....Josh's were much funnier than most of mine. I think I'm gonna keep the NASCAR name...that's classic for sure!! Now you should do yours!!

Summer Movie Review: Volume 1: Edition 2

2008-09-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

Since summer is officially coming to an end, I thought that I needed to stand by my word and give my final summer movie review of the movies that I viewed this summer that I said I would review after viewing.....them....this summer.... Yes I did go to the school of redundancy school. As a reminder, I will be giving a numerical rating based on the entertainment value, my recommendation value (10 being a must-see and 1 being SNOOZER), along with of course various information that I feel necessary or important.

The Dark Knight - I'll start with my favorite first. Oh man this movie was really great..so great that I saw it twice in the theater (add that up and it was like $50 worth of ticket) and intend to see it again when it comes out on home video! I've read tons of reviews from the Christian and non-Christian perspective...Christians trying to cram the movie into a Christian and theological box, comparing the Joker to the depravity inside us all, and Batman as a not-so-accurate portrayal of Christ (not that all that is a bad thing) and non-Christians raving about how amazing the special effects were, how scary the Joker was, and how a sequel will never compare given Heath Ledger's untimely death.

For my review, I'll say this movie was just amazing.....I'll even go so far as to say that it is in my top 3 movie's of all time (I said that to a group of seminary friends, to which one replied "Mary Poppins was a better movie." I wanted to Mary Pop-him in the face...but I refrained). It was dark, and a bit creepy at times, but it was a great show.

Entertainment Rating - 9.5

Recommendation Rating - 9

21 - I couldn't tell you any of the other actors in this movie besides Kevin Spacey, but that didn't matter. Though the movie got pretty bad reviews overall, and went rather quickly to the movie stores, it wasn't that bad. There was an unexpected twist at the end that didn't necessarily drop my jaw, but made the ending more interesting. The plot was a bit of a stretch, but overall it was entertaining. It's a good rainy-day-nothing-else-on-TV-let's-go-rent-a-movie type movie!

Entertainment Rating - 7

Recommendation Rating - 6

August Rush - I wasn't really thrilled with the prospect of watching this movie, but I am really glad I did. The movie kinda had a post-modern Annie feel to it. The acting was only OK (I love Irish accents and cute kid actors...in a non-creepy way) and the plot rather strange. But what made this movie stand out was the soundtrack. I'm not sure what it was, but this was the best musical soundtrack since....well come to think of it that is one of the only movies that I've ever thought "what a great soundtrack!" I don't know who did the arrangement, but it was great. The plot of the movie has a mystic, new age, post-modern slant that actually made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but overall it is worth seeing.

Entertainment Rating - 5

Recommendation Rating - 8.5 (for the music alone)

300 - So you won't hear me say this often, but this was the worst movie I think I've ever seen. It was all the rave for it's shot-all-in-a-studio-in-Hollywood approach and special effects, but honestly I wasn't impressed. Actually the effects, constant sepia-esq film color, and other such unusuals really just got on my nerves. Add that with the plot that could have been really cool but was used strictly to show a bunch of ridiculously ripped guys slicing and dicing each other in slow-motion and you've got yourself one pretty bad movie. It kinda reminded me of a bad...no...really bad Gladiator. Don't waste your time!

Entertainment Rating - 2

Recommendation Rating - 1

Tombstone - Yes this is an older movie. I think it came out in the early 90's, but I had not seen it in many years. It was on TV the other night so I decided to watch it. It is a good movie, really entertaining, and good story line. What did catch me off guard is how much special effects have evolved over the last 10-15 years, especially when Wyatt Earp pistol whipped some of the guys....it looked bad fake. Doc Holiday makes this movie with his humor and one-liners that everybody quotes to this day....they are a daisy because they do.

Entertainment Rating - 7

Recommendation Rating - 7

I feel confident I probably saw a couple of other movies that were so memorable I forgot to review them. These were the stand-outs in both good and bad ways! All in all, I'd say I like movies.....but if I were being really honest, they are probably a supreme waste of what is otherwise perfectly good time. Got any recommendations for some good time-wasters?

It's Not Fair!

2008-09-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Most of you who read this blog know that I am thankful that Karen and I live in Alabama. We live in a beautiful place where the cost of living is the close to the lowest in the country. Most everyone around here is nice enough, we feel safe, we have a wonderful home, nice yard, and we both have great jobs.

However, you also know that being from the great state of Georgia leaves me somewhat critical of Alabama. Sometimes it is without cause. But for the most part, my cynicism is legitimate. Need a case-in-point....of course you do...else what would be the point of this blog?

So a friend of Karen's told her that Huntsville was having the annual Northeast Alabama State Fair. Karen and I really love the fair, specifically the Perry Fair, also known as the Georgia National Fair. Living in middle Georgia, the Perry fair is a yearly tradition. So when we found out there was a fair in Huntsville, we were excited and decided on Sunday evening to make the 45 minute trip to check it out. As we drove closer to the fair grounds, we began looking for the rides. I'm not a big fair-ride rider (have you seen the people running those rides? Have you seen those rides? Have you seen the people throwing up after getting off of those rides?Yeah!)So we scanned the horizon looking for the pinnacle fair ride...the Ferris wheel. That would be the only ride I would ride.....although I had already decided in my mind I might would venture on one of the more tame rides if Karen wanted to.

Well, as it turns out, all of that decision making was deemed completely unnecessary.....as we neared the "fair" we realized that there was, in fact, no Ferris wheel. NO FERRIS WHEEL!! Any other time this would lead me to the conclusion that this event was not a fair at all. However, that was merely the first sign!

Despite the fact that there wasn't a Ferris wheel, we parked the car, paid our combined $12 entrance fee, and walked into the fair grounds. Since I do not like rides, I typically spend a good amount of time looking at exhibits, livestock, arts and crafts, sideshows, etc. I also spend a large amount of time deciding what I want to eat, and then eating it. The exhibits at this "fair" consisted of 3 churches with tents set up for sharing Jesus, and 1 psychic palm reader. Yes that is it! After the 4 steps through the exhibits we arrived at the "midway". Oh boy!

We walked around looking at the "rides" and then decided our first move should be to acquire some fair food. Mmmmmm....I love fair food. Sure it's fatty, greasy, and completely unhealthy....but man it tastes good....usually. Karen and I order a corn dog a piece and shared a coke. 2 bites into it, Karen's corn dog began to drip batter. Unfried batter. To top it off, the corn dog didn't even taste good.....HOW CAN YOU MESS UP A CORN DOG???? So 2 bites a piece in, and they were trash. After re-evaluating the overpriced, under-safe rides and in our better judgement deciding not to ride anything, we decided to get a funnel cake. I'm convinced you can't mess up a funnel cake....so this was the highlight of our "fair" experience!

We finished the funnel cake and walked out the gate, back to the car, and went to Target. We spent maybe a grand total of 20-25 minutes at this event they in Alabama call a fair, but what we Georgians would call a "waste-of-time"! What a disaster. It was awful. To top it off, and I say this humbly, but I am pretty sure we were one of the very few people there who weren't living right around the poverty level. I'm really not trying to be mean but everyone there (and surprisingly, there were tons of folks there) seemed to be spending their months check on the rides and carny games. It was rather sad.

So at the end of the day, Karen and I were left still wanting a high-quality fair experience. The good news is that my 10 year high school reunion is on Oct. 11, which is right about Perry Fair season, so perhaps we'll be able to go to it this year and experience the glorious fall seasaon goodness that is the Perry Fair! And for all you Georgia folks, perhaps we'll see you there!!

The Election Special

2008-08-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

To answer your first question (which I am sure you are all asking) NO this post is not about Calvinism, or Reformed Theology, whichever you'd like to call it. It is, however, about the upcoming debaucle our entire country is in the throws of; that which we are calling an election. I have mentioned before that I am not really politcally inclined. I have my opinions about government, policy, and important issues. But I'm not the type to get involved in local or national politics. In fact, I didn't even vote in the last Presidental election (before you flog me for not exercising my American obligation, I was in the midst of a major move from Georgia to Alabama and did not get registered in time!). However, I just need to speak my peace about this election year, our country, and the prospect of a new President.

First of all, I am extremely tired of politicians. Not that we don't all do it at some time in our life, but man is it me or do the folks on Capital Hill ever do anything but talk out of both sides of their mouth. They say one thing, vote another, and then say they didn't do either. They do not represent the population, no matter what state they are from or for. I am sure there are some exceptions to the rule, but for the most part my perception is that politicians are money-hungry, power-mongering, good-for-nothing, puppetiers (or is that puppets? Can you say lobbiest? Sure! I knew that you could!) who do more harm than good. Furthermore, so many of them lack any personal integrity that even if they did say they stand for something worthwhile, their moral failures disqualify them from carrying any clout for that issue (Bill Clinton, John Edwards, et all!). I'm not trying to be judgemental. Sure we all have our faults. None of us are innocent. But there is such a thing as accountability, integrity, honor, and respect that American politicians seem to know nothing of, much less possess.

Consider all that with the fact that we are just about to elect the next leader of the free world, and we have some major issues on our hands. Perhaps what is worse is that we basically get two choices....two. That is two men to pick from for the over 303 million people that live in the United States alone. Oh sure, you can write in a vote...for yourself even. But let's be honest, there are two parties, two choices. And I don't know if you watch the news or listen to the radio, but our choices.....they're not so good. Barak "messiah" Obama, who for all intents and purposes is a Communist (he basically said China has it going on....need he say more?!?!? At least he's admiting it....it's the first step you know!) , and has now added Joe "Big Talker" Biden as his vice president vs. John "Incompetent" McCain, who for all intents and purposes is incompetent. Oh sure McCain said all the right things that we God-loving, right-wingers love to hear. But I am afraid all he was doing was saying what we God-loving, right-wingers want to hear (which for the record, I'm not sure Jesus would be a Republican! Gasp!) Given the two choices, I'll take....let's see.....Canada, Mexico, Jamaica anyone?!?!?!

In all honesty, I am extremely thankful for my freedom, and I think we live in the best country in the world. All governmental systems this side of heaven are flawed, and ours is no different. It's just that I think we are headed in the wrong direction. I know I personally do not feel like I will be represented by either of the two men running. However, I am left with a choice. Either I write in a vote for someone who I completely believe in.....which would basically be like not voting at all. Or I have to vote for McCain simply on the premise of trying to help keep Obama out of the White House if for no other reason than in an attempt to end this genocide we've disquised as a woman's "right" to choose (or as I like to call it, a woman's right to murder), which by the way, if you listen carefully, and give just a passing glance at his record, you'll see Obama is apparently all for genocide! (If you haven't already, check out how he voted on the "Born Alive" bill).

There is a silver lining here, which supersedes all the flaws and potential and impending failures of our government. Romans 13:1 says "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

Though things look grim, God is completely in control. Things may not go like we think they should in this world. In fact, the United States may crumble completely (don't say I didn't tell you so), but God is sovreign! In that, we have hope and complete assurance that better days are to come (though we may have to wait until we get to heaven!!)Take heart! For Christ-followers, it only gets better!

Pulled the Rug Out From Under Me - Response to Last Post

2008-08-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

So I subsribe to a particular blog, written by a worship leader in New Mexico. I'm not sure how I even found his blog but I did...and he is the one who turned me on to the song Healer that I recommended in my last post.

Well, on that blog the guy posted today that the writer of Healer who professed to suffer from cancer was actually a fraud. He has now publically stated to his church and family that it was all a lie, and that he did not have cancer!

I just found out and am totally stunned....disappointed....hurt even. I'm trying to decide whether or not to even use that song anymore. It is still a powerful song. But one that is based on a lie? It's wierd. I feel so robbed...decieved.....it's really a shame!

The Song of the Day

2008-08-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Seldom do I come across something like this, but today I found a song that caused me to think about a couple of things in regards to music in general, and perhaps more specifically in regards to congregational worship music.

The first thought I had was that I liked this song on the first listen. I usually gravitate toward music that is a little less straight forward, and that usually takes a few listens to form an opinion about. I tend to enjoy a song to have layers that can be discovered after many plays. Don't get me wrong, there is merit in a good catchy tune, or a first-listen-winner-pop-song or what have you. But I like for music to be a bit more than just all the hype with no substance after several listens. In fact, most pop-songs that make it to radio get on my nerves after the second or third play.

However, today I heard a song that grabbed from the first listen, but for different reasons that just a catchy melody or a memorable line. The song is called Healer by Hillsong. It is on their newest record entitled "This is Our God". You can watch the song here . The guy you see reading the scripture wrote the song the day he received word that he had an aggressive form of cancer. After watching the youtube video of the story behind the song (which has been removed due to copyright regulations), the song just meant that much more. It has been an instant hit to me, not only because the music is great, or even because the lyrics are really amazing (the chorus really is), but because I got to see firsthand the heart behind the song.

This led me to my next thought. As a worship music leader, it is my responsibility to pick meaningful music for our congregation that exalts God and engages our congregation. However, I have to filter music through a biblical theology and through an understanding of the congregation that will be singing it so that the music accomplishes the goal it is intended to. I also like to pick music that is artistically credible. I would say I think that is one major criticism I have about modern praise and worship music. Chris Tomlin is great, and is a great worship leader. I even believe he sings some amazing songs about the character, greatness, wonder, and splendor of God. But lets be honest, his songs are far from artistic masterpieces. What they lack in that area though, they make up for in congregational accessibility (which is my main defense for singing many of his songs). But I think many times his songs, and many like it, lack to story behind them.

At this point, it would probably be helpful to let you know that I typically stay away from songs that focus on me, or talk about my problems, my singing, my commitment, and lean more toward songs that are about God, who he is, his loving-kindness, his holiness, etc. My rational is that our main purpose is to glorify and magnify God, so let's sing about him in the truth of his word. That is a point I believe in strongly and will not back down on.

However, many times those songs that we sing that are biblically sound, and often even straight from scripture seem as though they are missing something (not to say that scripture or God is lacking....hear me out for a moment). They may even come off as trite and repetitive. While I think that songs that display a solid theology and even teach about God should be more prevalent in worship, there must also be a healthy balance of songs from our individual situation and heart that we offer as a response to God. For instance, after hearing Healer the second or third time I thought for a minute that it was too me-focused. However, I then remembered that we have several people in our congregation who are battling cancer. I remembered that we have one or two families who have just recently lost a family member. We have people who's close family and friends are dealing with cancer and disease. And I knew the song would meet many of us right where we are as a congregation, and allow us to apply the words of that song as a praise from our heart to God.

I think there has to be a balance, because after all we are responded to God. Our dealings with God are in a relationship context. We talk to God, he talks to us (not audible most of the time, but through his Holy Spirit) we give to God, he gives to us (albeit our giving is quite disproportionate!) we show love to God and he shows love to us, and so on. While I agree completely that God is holy, indescribable, unattainable, etc., I also know that God became a man so that he COULD be attained, so that he could be grasped, so that we could be redeemed and have a relationship with him. So that being reality, then as we worship, I think it is completely appropriate that we address him within the context of the relationship.

For example, in my relationship with Karen, if all I were to do is tell her how great she is, how pretty she is, how I love her personality, and so on, that would make her feel good for a while, but the relationship would be lacking because I've not at any point let her in on who I am. All I've done is just showered her with words of praise. In order for our relationship to function properly, I must also let her in on my thoughts, dreams, ambitions, struggles, frustrations, and other feelings, all while keeping my priorities straight (not focusing too much on myself). While I realize the comparison is a bit inadequate, we must remember that God has shown deep interest in knowing our thoughts, both positive and negative. Thus, he commands us to pray, asks us to cast our burdens on him, and commands us to sing to him. So as we worship, I think we have to remember the context in which we address God, keeping Him in his rightful place high above ourselves, but also remembering that because of the high price of Jesus, we can interact with God in a humble, yet personal manner. I think that songs like Healer are altogether appropriate in a congregational worship gathering.

Ok, so this blog wasn't intended to be a theological defense for songs from a personal standpoint. It was really just intended to tell you to do yourself a favor and go listen the Healer.So do it!

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.Psalm 96:1-5

Update

2008-08-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

This will be a bit random, but I felt like I needed to update everyone on everything. I was actually trying to spruce up the page a bit. I read a good many blogs, and I'm always thinking that their layouts and gadgets and widgets and digits are better than mine. So I tried to make mine better, but have decided that I like mine plain, and I'll just change the colors from time to time! Enough of that!

This week I finished up a class I had taken in the summer. I had to do close to 80 pages worth of book reviews, reflections, and research papers. I turned in my 20 page final project yesterday with a huge sigh of relief only to realize that I start Fall semester on Monday! I've been going literally non-stop since January, as I have taken every winter, spring, and summer break workshop class that has been offered. Of course the workshops are only one week of class time, but they require 4-6 weeks of pre and post work assignments. I will continue to go to school non-stop until July in effort to wrap this school thing up....for now at least. I am set to technically graduate in May, though I will have one last class left in July.

Karen has been working night shift at the hospital for a solid 3 months now and things are going well I would say! She has some hard nights, and of course it is long hours, but I think she is an amazing nurse and she'll only get better! I also suspect that she won't work the hospital floor all of her life....at least I hope not! Things are good though, and she turned a whopping 25 yesterday!

Howard is as crazy as ever. I don't think she knows what to do now that somebody is in bed most all hours of the day...me at night, and Karen during the day. She seems to be confused...but then I don't think I've known Howard to ever not be confused!

In the near future I hope to post my second edition of summer movie reviews. I saw some really great ones (Dark Night anyone?!!??!) and a few bad ones (Mighty Ducks 2...it was on TV). And I saw some that I wanted to review but am having trouble remembering which ones that were at the present time. I suppose it wasn't a great movie if I can't remember seeing it huh??

Hope all is well with you, faithful blog readers!

Later on!

All That I Cannot Myself Say

2008-07-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, I started a blog post in order to just kinda spill the way I was feeling about...things...life in general....my work within the church...my thoughts about church. I've been unsuccessful at finishing that post, because every time I tried to add to it or edit, it never really communicated what I wanted to say. It always seemed to come out too harsh, sarcastic, understated, unfair, selfish, or what have you.

So today I just grabbed a book off my shelf in my office that I've been meaning to read for a while but just haven't had the chance. So on a whim I grabbed the book and went to...well...the reading room. It was there that I read the paragraph that probably best describes my heart at this point in time. The excerpt is from the preface of the book Organic Church by Neil Cole. I can neither recommend or review the book as I have not yet read it, but based on the preface I am pretty excited....and somewhat afraid that given my present disposition. Perhaps I shouldn't read this book.

Anyway, on to the excerpt. Here is my heart wrapped up in a few short sentences.

"Many people are longing for a greater cause. They are no longer content with 'church as usual.' They read of the church in the New Testament, and their curiosity is piqued. The New Testament accounts are far removed from their experience every week. They hear contemporary stories of the church expanding rapidly in parts of China and India, and their hearts soar. Dare they dream for something more? 'Can I experience the same power?' they ask. 'Can God work here, in this place? Will the Kingdom of God unleash itself on an unsuspecting society such as the United States?'

I'd like to add to that, and clarify it...but I can't as yet.

What do you think?

New Music Review

2008-07-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

So apparently I am in a blog-all-things-entertainment mood. I was just thinking that I've got three or four new records in the last couple of months and I have always felt an obligation to share in good music whenever I come across some. So I'd like to share briefly with you some good music you should buy.

The first record I'd like to recommend is the new The Myriad record entitled "With Arrows With Poise". If you ever run across MTV (why I do not know) then you've probably seen The Myriad. They are getting some commercial time from them, and rightfully so. I got the first The Myriad record and was really unimpressed. In fact I am not sure what drove me to pick up this sophomore release, but I am ever glad that I did. The album's music is unique, very well executed, and just a little bit dark. There are some definite nods to RadioHead and Coldplay (what band doesn't sound like Coldplay right.......more on that in a moment). The lyrics really shine on this record, as they are really thought-provoking, serious, and in a word -- redemptive. I'd like to think that if Christian music has to be a genre, then this album would be the benchmark for quality of lyrics and integrity of message and artistic integrity of the music!

I picked up the new Coldplay record, Viva La Vida, a couple of weeks ago. In so many ways this album is a typical Coldplay record while at the same time it is so not the typical Coldplay record. I would almost venture to say that Coldplay, realizing that now everybody sounds like Coldplay, attempted to, themselves, not sound like Coldplay. Of course in trying not to sound like themselves, they at times sound just like themselves, while at other times they only sound like themselves trying not to sound like themselves. There are 3-4 standout songs, but for the most part it moves a bit slow. I was kinda excited with the lyrical content, and still think there are some great lines, questions and ponderings. They seem to have a fascination with God, death, and the spiritual. However, Rolling Stone magazine spoiled the lyrics with there interview of lead singer Chris Martin, who doesn't yet know the God of the Bible unfortunately...may he come to know him soon!

My newest purchase was a band called Colour Revolt. I've just been exposed to them over the last couple of months and I am rather impressed, especially considering that these guys are from Mississippi! Plunder, Beg, and Curse is a quirky, loud, roller coaster of a record, going from quiet pretty melodies, to loud, distorted and repetitive screams...and not clean pseudo-metal type screaming, but primitive, visceral screaming...it's refreshing in a weird way. They are extremely artistic, and like The Myriad seemingly a bit dark, with more than just hints of redemption and salvation. Lyrically they are tops...really unique, creative, unusual, thought-provoking, and even humorous at times. They don't really sound like Coldplay that much, so that is nice!

I was going to review Hillsong United's record I Heart Revolution, but I am thinking perhaps I will not. I will recommend it, because it is a good worship record. I have my thoughts about some of the writing but I will spare you....other than to say there are several Coldplay comparisons that could be made.

Summer Movie Review: Part 1

2008-07-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

As promised, I want to review a few movies (both in the theater and on DVD) that I have viewed over the first half of the summer. This post is labeled part 1, as there are a few other movies that I want to see in the near future, so perhaps by the end of the summer I will be able to post Part 2.

Now, before I begin my reviews, I would like to give you the criteria by which I will review the movies. My reason for this is because I often visit a christian movie review site called pluggedinonline. It is a decent site that kinda helps me decide whether or not to view particular movies. My only problem with the site is that if I took the advice of the pluggedin reviewers, I would never see a movie. Basically they use about 10-12 paragraphs to give their review, and only one of those paragraphs (and it's usually really short) is devoted to anything positive about the movie. They spend the other 9-11 paragraphs with profanity counts, body counts, and any other negative and oft-times snide comments about the movie. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate knowing the amount of profanity in a movie before I see it, but I also think there is more to a movie than the language used. I could go on and on, but I say all this to say that I would like my reviews to be more thorough and fair than that (hmmm...we could call it a thorough-fair review HA!). I view movies through the eyes of my faith, so I want take the good with the bad, and try to apply what I see to the depravity and redemption that is at war in our real world.

Ok, so I will rate the movie based on it's entertainment value (scale of 1 to 10, one being a snoozer and 10 being HOLY COW THAT WAS AWESOME), the quality of the various aspects of the movie (i.e. filming, graphics, script, character development, etc......no scale, just my thoughts), and I will give a recommendation value, based on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a "must-see" and 1 being a "piece-of-hot-trash-never-to-be-seen". I am sure there will be other various and sundry items of consideration for the different movies. So without further ado, I give you SUMMER MOVIE REVIEW PART 1 (one...one...one....that's the echo in case you didn't catch it!)

1. Ironman - I officially started off the summer with this movie. It did not disappoint! I am a sucker for superhero movies to begin with, but this was a lot different than many other of those sometimes-unrealistic, based-in-comic-book-fantasy-world movies. It had a much more realistic plot...of course it was a bit far fetched, but it had the reality touch that some of these type movies miss. Good action, good plot, good music and I thought Robert Downey Jr. was superb (however, coincidentally, I always get him confused with Harry Conick Jr.) This movie had some good humor as well, brought by Downey Jr. (aka Tony Stark). All around, Iron Man was a great guy movie. There is already a release date set for Iron Man 2, so be sure to catch the first one.

Entertainment Rating - 8 -

Recommendation rating - 9

2. Batman Begins - I am a little behind in seeing this one, but better late than never for sure! This was a great movie, and I watched it to gear up for The Dark Knight due out next week. Again, they made Batman seem a little more realistic, a little more dark and conflicted, and a lot more cool...er. Man this movie was really great, and Christian Bale was stellar! I am really pumped about the Dark Knight.

Entertainment Rating - 9

Recommendation Rating - 9

3. Hulk - I have mentioned a little about this movie in my last post, but I thought I'd give it a rating just for fun. The best part of this movie was the end, and Edward Norton, if you like him, which made the nearly 2 hours of the rest of the movie worth it. But all in all, it was probably a renter at best.

Entertainment Rating - 6

Recommendation Rating - 4

4. Jumper - Tasted great, but was definitely less filling. Jumper was all of the hype and special effects with hardly any plot whatsoever. I'll say the effects were cool, and I feel confident there will be a sequel, but the movie didn't make a whole lot of sense. The tiny back story in the movie had major holes, and the lead role, played by Hayden Christensen was dreadfully weak.

Entertainment Rating - 6

Recommendation Rating - 2

5. The Bucket List - Much different than what I expected from the previews, the Bucket List was an irreverent look at two guys who have just found out they have 6 months to a year to live. While participating in all kind of skydiving, rocky mountain climbing, 2.7 seconds on a bull name fu-man-choo, there is some pretty heavy dialogue about life, death, God, faith, and forgiveness. Don't look for the movie to give you the answers to life, and certainly don't look for it to line up with Jesus, but it does make one think. I really appreciated that about this movie, is that it forces the viewer to ponder a side of humanity that many of us rarely dedicate much time to (except for say at funerals or whatnot). As I said, you'll have to wade through a bit of irreverence, but this one is a humorous and thought-provoking little gem.

Entertainment Rating - 6

Recommendation Rating - 7

6. The Great Debaters - Set in the midst of the great depression, this movie chronicles just a portion of the African-American struggle to be treated equally in our country. This movie is really about a huge stain in America's history, and the story needs to be told. The Great Debaters has little-to-no action per se, but there are some suspenseful moments, and the plot is really unique. There are a couple of sub-par performances by the supporting cast (man did Forest Whitaker butcher a southern accent or what!), but Denzel, who is known for quality movies did his usual good job. (except for Training Day, I'm not sure Denzel makes bad movies!!) While this movie is about events in our history, I think it is still an important message for our culture today. We still have huge strides that need to be made when it comes to equality, racism, and seeing EVERYONE as Imago Dei.

Entertainment Rating - 7 (hard to say that such a part of history is entertaining, but I am referring to the actual story, not the historical setting here!)

Recommendation Rating - 8

7. Juno So this is the strangest movie I've seen since Napolean Dynamite. Juno is a pseudo-indie flick that is quite crass, crude, rude, and offensive, while at the same time being quite real, honest, and bare. The music that litters the flick is delightfully obnoxious (indie-folk music at its best....or worst). I think this movie is important for people to see, because I think it is a strongly accurate portrayal of this generation. The main character is like one big shinning example of today's youth sentiment, outlook, faith, and vocabulary. And amongst the weirdness, there are some important questions and commentaries about abortion, parenting, marital faithfulness, and adolescence. Again, if you're looking for all the answers, or for something that lines up with the teachings of the Bible, this isn't it, and I would scarce say that Hollywood has the moral or spiritual compass to produce any such work. But if you'll allow yourself to see this movie through the eyes of Christian faith in comparison to post-modern thought, it will be quite revealing. Too much for a movie you say...perhaps...but perhaps not.

Entertainment Rating - 4 (I wasn't really entertained due to the content)

Recommendation Rating - 8

So that is all for now. Stay tuned for Summer Movie Review Part 2 in the near future. Until then, what are some good movies you've seen lately. Any thoughts about the above reviewed movies?

Monsters Need Oxygen Too!

2008-06-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since I last posted. The summer has been a bit busy, leaving me not a lot of time to sit and type. I'll try to get a little better about it, but I'm making no promises! So allow me to catch you up on all the randomness in my world.

Today is my birthday...another year goes down in the books for me being alive which is a good thing. I am now 28, and feel ok with saying I am in my late-twenties. It doesn't seem to be as big a deal as turning 27. Anyway, so for the celebration, Karen took me out to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Shogun, and I chowed down on some fried rice and steak. It was fantastic as usual and a special treat to eat there with my bride. She doesn't really like it, but she was a trooper today! She then took me to a movie. We went and saw The Hulk and I'll say it was a decent movie. I can't honestly say I really wanted to see the movie when I found out it was coming out, but someone told me it was good, and there was nothing else playing that I wanted to see. I did learn from the movie that you can shoot, throw cars, and even try to blow up a monster like the Hulk, but the real key to success in killing such a green, over-sized, vocabulary-challenged, science-project-gone-terribly-wrong freak superhuman is by strangulation. I suppose you'll need to see the movie for further clarification!

Karen also bought me a really great pedal to add to my guitar effects collection. For those of you guitar players, she bought me a Digitech Whammy. It makes cool octave sounds, and has some pitch shifting capabilities. It even has a setting called Divebomb for making those whammy bar, Ritchie Sambora, 80s sounds where you play a really high note and then bend the whammy bar to make it go to a really low note (Josh, you know what I'm talking about....oh yeah!!). Anyway, it was an awesome gift to go on my newly custom-built pedal board that Karen and I built a week ago. That's a blog post in and of itself, but long-story short, I'd been looking to purchase a pedal board and was finding them to cost $250-$300 so I made my own for the amazing price of $36, plus 2 hours of labor. It turned out great, and Karen did the hard work of covering the board with some vinyl fabric! I'm please with it, and even more pleased that I get to add a new pedal to it. Just 5-6 more pedals to go and I'm set!

Other randomness...for those of you who have not yet heard, Karen passed her state nursing board exams the first time and is now officially an RN. It's a huge load to have that test behind her, and now she is working and learning. She works night shift at Marshall North, a local hospital. It's taking some adjustment with the night shift, but things are going really well. She's a fantastic nurse! Plus she looks really hot in her scrubs!!

With Karen working at night, it gives me a chance to record some music, so that's been fun (though for the record I'd much have her around, but it's great that she works!). I've recorded one song and am considering sending it in for a songwriter's competition, but not sure I like it enough to send it in yet. It's funny, cause I've written songs that I really loved and thought they were good, and this one was that song back 4 or 5 years ago when I wrote it. I still like it, but not nearly as much. So we'll see what happens.

Ok I think that is all for now. As I said, I'll try to keep this blog a bit more current. Methinks I will post a summer movie review next, as I've seen some really good movies this summer, both old and new. I also have a post in the works about life, transition, and desire that I'll try to finish up and put on for your reading pleasure in the near future.

So stay tuned and be well!

Fingerprints

2008-05-31T19:00:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about people who in one way or another have made an impact of investment in my life. In each stage and in each formative circumstance in my journey thus far, I can look back and see God's hand at work and in that I can see that he used certain people in a significant way. Of course there are the obvious, and perhaps most important people, like my parents and now my wife, who contributed far more than any blog post could explain and do justice. Since this post is going to be a tribute to those who have left their fingerprint on my life, it is only appropriate that I begin by saying a huge and understated thank you to those folks....my parents for having me and teaching me and supporting me and loving me and bearing with me and guiding me....I could go on and on....and then to Karen for loving me, supporting me, putting up with me, and being a wondeful wife.

But, as I stated before, there is not enough time or space for me to really devote to them. Instead I want to just mention a few people who have especially been on my mind in the last few weeks; people whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude for making a lasting impression and life-changing investment in my life.

The first person I want to mention is my youth pastor. Growing up I really only had one full-time youth pastor, and he was only there a couple of years. Mostly, we just had a group of church members who made up one fantastic youth committee. But towards the end of my high school days we hired a full-time youth minister named Tim Powell. I can't remember his Wednesday night talks, his Sunday morning lessons, or much of anything he said....but he ministered to me in perhaps the best way....he just hung out with me. In the summer he would stay after church to shoot basketball with me on Wednesday nights...then he'd drive me home. He took me to a Georgia Tech football game one time. I recall especially one time that he took me with him to share Jesus with a guy in our youth group. He really modeled a Christian life for me! He also let me use my gifts (such as they were back then). He allowed me to lead our little group of students in songs on Wednesday before he taught. Those were my first expereinces in leading a group in worship (as best I knew how). I am very thankful for his investment that has helped to make me who I am today.

The second person I want to mention is a guy by the name of Dennis Rogers. Dennis led 2 trips to Jamaica that I was privileged to go on in the summers of 1995 and
1996. Dennis is one of the sweetest men I've ever met. He's really tall, and I recall that every handshake with Dennis turned into a hug...he's just a super guy. It was really amazing how God orchestrated the opportunity to go on these trips...and now I look back and see how those were some huge defining moments in my life. Dennis played a key part in that! I specifically remember a converstation with him, where I was explaining to him that I was dealing with God's call on my life. I was beginning to sense that God was calling me to ministry, but of course at that age didn't really know what that meant. So I was just telling Dennis that, and I remember his wisdom as he assured me that this mission trip would help me to further know and grow in that call. He was right, and I see the part that those mission experiences played in my spiritual journey and my walk with Jesus. I am very thankful for Dennis and the impact he made in my life.

The third person I want to mention was a guy I served under for four years. I was a youth ministry intern at Ingleside Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia with a guy named Matt Nelson. Funny how we met....I didn't know him from Adam, but a friend of mine gave him my name, he called me and the rest is history. Matt took a chance on me, as he had never heard me lead worship, but he asked me to come be the youth worship intern. It turned out that it was a great move, at least for me. I gained so much experience and learned tons from Matt. He is one of the most gifted men I know, and God really used him not only to teach me, but as a friend. To this day, he is one of the first people I call when I need advice or wise-counsel. He's also one of the main reasons that I am in Guntersville as it was his reccomendation to the pastor that God used to orchestrate my move here.

I could go on and on...and this is not even close to an exhaustive list. In every step along the way, God in his sovereignty has put people in my path who have made lasting impressions. I am so thankful for the way God uses friends and aquaintances to remind me of his faithfulness and his purposes.

So, who has left their fingerprints on your life?

Back from the Bon Voyage

2008-05-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Karen and I got back into town on Thursday from our cruise vacation to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. So for those who care, I thought I'd give a brief and random overview of our trip along with some commentary and criticisms along the way.

This was our first cruise experience, and we both had no idea what to expect. We flew out early Friday morning from Birmingham to Atlanta then on to Ft. Lauderdale FL. to our port. We took a taxi from the airport to the boat, and arrived just two hours before our 5 pm set departure. The traveling to and from went as smooth as silk (which I was particularly happy about...I did all the booking and planning for this trip, so I felt as though if anything went wrong, I would be held responsible....more by me probably than by Karen).

So we arrived at the port...and I gotta say this boat...no...ship....was huge. I mean just massive...it's amazing that something that big can float. So anyway, we arrive and discover that there are nearly 2500 people on our boat...and after a little bit of wondering around we discovered that 95% of those people were, and would be for the rest of the trip, around the two 9th deck pools. We got there, and people were everywhere. It was crazy!

Now for those of you who have never cruised before, there are some things you need to know. First, everything in the price of the trip is included. Room, food, room service, and most drinks. The only things not included are sodas and alcohol. Everything you buy is bought using what they called a SeaPass card. Basically it is like a credit card that you use on the ship, then everything you bought throughout the trip is then charged to your real credit card.

Anyway our first order of business was to get our unlimited Coke card for the price of $30. This way we would be able to drink all the cokes we could stand...and we did!! However, the drink of choice on the ship was not coke....no sir. It was any manner of fermented grapes, hops, or worms (I really don't know what they ferment honestly). Now here I must say that I am not universally opposed to alcohol. I WISH that the Bible would say clearly that alcohol is WRONG, but it doesn't. So I've really tried to change my judgemental attitude toward alcohol and the moderate consumption of it. But moderation did not exist on board our ship. It was flowing...and offered at every turn! Don't get me wrong, through the course of the trip we did not experience any lewdness or drunken inappropriateness of any kind (drunkenness, yes....inappropriateness...not so much....except for that one lady who Karen just had to point out, that had a thong on.....talk about inappropriate....and I mean why is it that the people who have the most to cover, decide to cover it the least!?!?!). Anyway, I did kinda get tired of the smell, and the people who offered it, and when I turned it down, wanted to know why I wasn't "putting any booze in my cruise." Then, of course, there were those friendly "Hey, How are yous" that turned into much longer conversation due to intoxication. It's surprising how long a story can go on when one has had a little alcohol...all the while I'm thinking, "Geez if my breath smelled that badly I'd really want someone to say something about it!!!"

Aside from the alcohol, which was very present and weird to be around in such extreme fashion, there were some really great things about the cruise. The food was great, the ship was amazing inside...with all the intricacies that you'd have to just see for yourself, our room was nice, the food was fantastic, the entertainment was high quality, the food was really tasty, the service was outstanding, there was lots of things to do, we saw some of the most beautiful colored water I've ever seen, and did I mention how good the food was. That's right people, food 24-7. Nonstop buffet, an all day ice cream machine, wonderful fancy dinners...I mean the food was mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I ate a lot!! But, Karen and I used the stairs in the ship all but 2 times in our traversing the 11 decks of the ship, so all the gaining of the poundage was canceled out.

Karen and I played Bingo one night. It was our only shot and gambling....and we came close to winning...I suppose being a B-14 and a B-9 away from winning is close. We also enjoyed...or rather suffered through some karaoke. I really wanted to sing, but the list was too full, and I didn't want to embarrass Karen with my best impression of either Prince or Michael Jackson (I had it narrowed down to "Kiss" or "Billy Jean"...but alas, no such luck in singing). I went to karaoke really hoping everybody would be bad...otherwise, whats the point right??!!? Well the first and the last people were pretty good, but the other 5-6 did not disappoint!! The were dreadfully bad and wonderful all the same. We weren't making fun at them, we were laughing with them. Honestly, that was the one time I actually enjoyed having drunk people around...they are pretty funny at karaoke!

One other observation that I mentioned above...our servers were amazing! We had the best waitress and assistant waiter throughout the week...they were really great and catered to our every whim! Our stateroom attendant was great as well...she was like our maid for the week and left us the coolest towel animals! We looked forward to seeing what critter it would be each night. The entire cruise staff was a diverse group. There were some 60+ countries represented and they all spoke English with their thick accents. It was really great to be around people from such differing backgrounds and cultures. Makes you wonder why the whole world can't just get along like that.

Karen and I did one shore excursion as the are called in the cruising world. I really wanted to snorkel, as I had never done it. So Karen and I decided to do it in Cozumel. What we didn't take into account was the fact that a) there was a boat ride (notice boat...not ship) to the place where we would snorkel, which happened to be in the wide open ocean and b)that fact that we were in....fact...in the OCEAN! We did see some pretty neat things....a huge grouper, a way-cool reef, and some other pretty fish. What we also almost saw was our lunch! Yep, about 45 minutes into our being beaten by waves and the other 30 people in our group who couldn't figure out that in the vast amount of ocean, we didn't have to snorkel ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, Karen and I both, around the same time began to feel a little less than ideal. So we decided to go back to our boat....which seemed to be a good idea. But getting back on a boat with waves crashing and sick stomachs is harder than it seemed. Needless to say, we at that point did our own stunts, wound up on the boat with 3 huge bruises to show for it...all on Karen's legs (see pictures below). We had a long ride back to the ship..and a the rest of the day was spent with us walking as though we had indeed partaken in the aforementioned fermented beverages!

All in all, we had a really good time on our cruise. We did get to relax a good bit, sleep in a lot, and enjoy some time away. It was a great way to celebrate Karen's graduation, and I had a great time being with her. Amazing how much fun the two of us can have together! We did discover a couple of things about ourselves, the main thing being that we aren't as adventurous as we'd like to think ourselves....as was seen by our snorkeling disaster..I mean adventure. And we decided that our next vacation will be in a mountain cabin, surrounded be trees and shade, and consisting of 2 rocking chairs, some books, and lots of nothing!

A Lot of Pomp Under the Circumstances

2008-05-13T09:05:00.001-07:00

After a couple of long, tying years, a river of tears, and countless hours of studying, testing, precepting, and clinical work....she finally did it! On Thursday May 8, 2008 at approximately 8 pm, Karen became a college graduate and an official Registered Nurse. I can't imagine what a huge load off her shoulders this accomplishment is (though I can say that a similar, not nearly as heavy load as been removed from my shoulders!!)

So Thursday was quite a special day. Both of our families came into town and we ate a really great brunch that Karen prepared for us (seems like the little lady ought not have to fix the brunch for her own graduation day...which means I probably should have prepared it....but we wanted it to be edible.) Then, that afternoon prior to graduation she had a pinning ceremony, whereby she got pinned, and got to light candle out of the end of a genie lamp (you'd really have to see it I suppose). Finally we wrapped up the day with the graduation ceremony...which was quite typical of most graduations....long and arduous. However, at the end of the night, Karen had a diploma in hand, and the title RN following her name. So it was worth it all. I am so incredibly proud of my wife. She worked so hard and accomplished something that I can say with all confidence I myself could not have done!

Now we are waiting to hear back from the testing agency to find out when she can take her board exams...and then she will officially be able to practice. In celebration of this tremendous achievement, Karen and I will be setting sail, literally, on Saturday for a cruise to Mexico and Grand Cayman. We are really excited about getting away and sailing the open seas....we think....though the prospect of getting sea sick kinda sticks in the back of our mind....here's to praying that doesn't happen! So in honor of Karen's graduation, I'd like to make a top ten list of things you are guaranteed to hear, see, feel, or experience at a graduation from any school in Alabama.

1. A country song - we didn't hear one a graduation per se, but we did hear one at the pinning ceremony! In fact we heard two. And yes, they were part of the program.

2. Bad grammar - verbiage people....verbiage! You was...no no no...it's were. I was, you were. Come on!

3. Snuff, dip, or chewing tobacco of some description - at least when I saw it, it was in the bathroom, but this guy was spitting a huge wad into the sink.....it was really nasty! Then there was the girls who had big chaws in they jaws.......

4. Someone singing along with the aforementioned country song - most likely it will be off key, so just get ready. But it is bound to happen that the country song is somebodies favorite song, such that they can't resist singing along....badly...and loudly!

5. Camouflage - yep....I suspect that any black tie affair in Alabama will be marred by at least one camo hat, shirt, or neck tie (and no, I am not joking)

6. An overuse of the short "i" - Nice, sprite, right, light, tight, ect. All with a short i. Unfortunately, it's quite contagious!

7. Made up words - again not so much at the graduation, but at the pinning ceremony the head of the nursing department, a doctor no less, used the word "drownded".

8. Cowboy boots - apparently these are the only approved dress shoes of Alabama. If only we had gotten THAT memo!

9. Your cousin - everybody in Alabama is related. So at any given graduation you are likely to see at least one cousin.

10. Awwww maaan - I'm not trying to pick on the way people talk in Alabama.....ok yes I am! This phrase is used to communicate excitement, sadness, disbelief, disappointment, or indifference.

In short, everyone should go to at least one Alabama graduation in their lifetime.....or not!

The Campaign

2008-05-05T07:07:00.001-07:00

On my way to school this morning, I had an interesting thought that has led me to pursue some very significant and intentional action. I'm not sure what made me think about this little...no major... idea, but whatever it was has given me a spark quite different than anything I've experienced. So I've decided to embark on a little campaign of my own. That's right I'm gonna make a change in this world. I'm gonna get something done. I'm gonna use what little influence I have to make a difference. I WILL LEAVE MY FINGERPRINT ON THIS WORLD! So what is this campaign for proposed change? Allow me to explain!

You see I was in my truck, it was about 6:30AM (which will probably explain a lot) and I was riding through the great Alabama metropolis of Douglas (which will also explain a lot). I saw a road sign of to the right with a certain number on it. The number was 13...pronounced thirt-teen or thir-teen. My mind began to churn with thoughts about this number. Of course 13 could be considered unlucky, but in this situation that superstition bares no significance. From 13 I began to think of other numbers. And then the question came....like a lightening bolt from the sky. Why is it that the number 13 starts the set of teen numbers (you know 13-19)? What happened to 11 and 12...pronounced eee-leven and twelve? I mean, who made this rule, or designated this representation of numerical quantity?

So my campaign? It is to change the numbers of 11 and 12 to be included in the teen-number family. I will lead a charge to see these numbers join the ranks of those 7 that come after it. I propose that 11 become known as....drum roll please........ unoteen (uno taking from the Latin word for one - UNO), and I propose that 12 officially become twelveteen. Now I realize that many of you are asking why I didn't go with something more creative for the number formerly known as twelve, like dos-teen, duceteen, doubleteen or even pair-o-teen. However, twelveteen encapsulates the full meaning and measure of the number 12...plus twelveteen sounds cool.

The next question that I am sure you are asking about this proposed name for these two very significant and completely under-appreciated numbers is "will the numerical representation of 11 and 12 change as well?" I understand that if Prince can change is name to an unpronounceable symbol, then a newly pronounced number should be able to at least change their physical form. However, the answer is no they will not change their shape or physical image. 11 and 12, in numerical form have always and will continue to possess the adequate demeanor to communicate all that they stand for. It was only the vernacular and vocabulary used to identify these numbers that have fallen woefully short. In other words, until now our verbalization of 11 and 12 (now understood as unoteen and twelveteen) have been at best misleading and at worst disgraceful.

Finally, I realize that the burning question now plaguing your collective minds is will 11 and 12 now have more value than higher numbers, thus requiring them to be moved to a higher quantity representation. In other words should our numerals now be, for example..... 100, 101, 102, unoteen, twelveteen, 103. While this seems like a logical conclusion, given the new found importance and respect that these numbers now garner, the answer is fortunately a resounding NO. While 11 and 12 (hopefully by now you are reading those as unoteen and twelveteen, but if not I'll continue to remind you) deserve repayment for their countless years of misrepresentation, they are still surprisingly humble, and agreed to keep their current quantity-measuring value and place in our numerical order, provided that they receive an official apology from the entire English speaking world and from the other numbers in the teen family. Receiving these apologies will be the starting point for the campaign trail.

So what's the next step? Well this campaign will not come without a price. First I need a group of people willing to jump on board and give their time and energy to seeing this change come about. Do I want you to sign a petition. No? Well I might.....not now though.....but much more....the change will only take place through repetition, education, and intention. First, you can issue your official apology to the numbers 11 and 12 as soon as possible. We must lead by example, and every apology is one step closer to the reconciliation we are hoping for.

I also need you to begin to use the right terminology for 11 and 12 in every day life. How you may ask? Well I am glad that you did in fact ask, so let me give you a few examples.

If you are, for example, measuring a group of people for a superior about how many attended a meeting, you'll want to say "Oh there were probably unoteen to twelveteen people there I suppose." (If there were, in reality 50 people, still you must use the aforementioned numbers....it's part of the price we must pay). If someone asks you what time it is, you should reply either "It is unoteen to twelveteen minutes til insert hour here" or "It is about unoteen to twelveteen minutes since the last time you asked me" or "why don't you spend unoteen or twelveteen dollars and buy a stinking watch and stop asking me what time it is...geez your IQ must be like unoteen or twelveteen." Using these new names twice in a sentence will help to phase in the change, and will also score you extra points! For a final example, perhaps if you get stopped by a police officer who claims you were speeding, you should defend yourself by saying "I thought I could go untoteen to twelveteen miles over the speed limit before I would get a ticket."

Hopefully those examples will help you as join in this campaign. Further information can be found at the website www.whocameupwiththisstupidideaanyway.com.

So join with me, faithful blog readers, to ensure that 11 and 12 get their proper respect! LONG LIVE UNOTEEN AND TWELVETEEN!

Dove Awards or Carp Awards

2008-04-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

I just took a look at one of my frequented sites blog.worship.com. Anyway, they had the breakdown of all the 2008 Dove Award winners. I shouldn't have been, but I was shocked at some of the winners. There are two notables that baffled me and I just wanted to mention them here. The winners in question were Song of the Year and Worship Song of the Year.

First up, Song of the Year was won by none other than Christian music super group/wannabe preachers (have you read their lyrics....good sermons, not so great songs) Casting Crowns with their smash hit/nonsensical and ever-so-confusing "East to West". Oh man, have I ever mentioned how much that song bugs me. I know I know...the underlying meaning, the heart behind it, etc. etc......but man that song...seriously seriously! They also won Christian Group of the Year, which I am totally fine with, if they now consider that award the Christian Group Who Uses (read as Abuses) the Art Medium of Music to Preach. (It's at this point that I want to make it clear to those of you now doubting my salvation that I am not against preaching, or the message....and I'm not totally against music with a Christian message..just not so sure that we're doing art and music justice when we overstate our points in mediocre-at-best packaging to an audience who is most likely already convinced....especially when we use would-be-tired-if-they-actually-made-sense cliches...again I understand the east is to the west reference, it's the comparison that seems incongruent. All I'm really asking for, from myself and others, is a little bit of artistic integrity).

The second winner which left me with furrowed brow and tilted head (try it...you'll see what I mean) was the winner of Worship Song of the Year. The winner....."How Great is Our God". We'll overlook the fact that a song won an award (does the song have hands to accept the award, a mouth to say thanks, a list of song-friends to thank?!?! Just asking!)and get to the main question. Isn't this song like 5 years old? To correct myself, the song came out in 2004 and is considered the most popular worship song in the whole world by CCLI. What you may not realize is that this song already won Worship Song of the Year in 2006. (I wonder if the 2008 song thanked itself --the 2006 version of course-- for this honor and success?!?!)So my question to the Dove Awards (the entire collection of trophies preferably) is what does a song have to do to STOP winning an award? I mean how long can this song....and by the way, I think it is a great song....great for corporate worship, lyrically sound, singable, decent music....how long can it continue to win? I mean, if "How Great is Our God" continues to win best worship song, what's to keep "Good Ol' Gospel Ship" (huh? Can someone PLEASE tell me what this song means!??!??!) or "Old Time Religion" (cough...heresy..cough cough) from winning the Southern Gospel Song of the Year 2008? In my mind, if you're going to allow a four year old song to win, you're gonna have to go ahead and consider a 54 year old song to win. And I'm just guessing that if you were to consider the aforementioned Southern Gospel songs, you would have no choice but to a)pick one of them and b) curl up in a bawl, cover your ears, and sing the ever-more-comforting chorus of "Momma Sang Bass Daddy Sang Tenor" until you fall fast asleep. At least that's what I would do. But I digress.

One final note.....the Dove's did give proper...props to some great music, most notably Glory Revealed, tobymac, and of course VeggieTales Music (not kidding).
So without further ado, I'd like to give an honorary Dove Award to you, the Dove Awards, for honoring the best, preachiest, confusing, and oldest songs in the debatable (perhaps tired, not worth it, and perhaps not nearly as bad as I make it out to be) Christian music genre.

A Book You Should Read....or Not!

2008-04-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take this opportunity to recommend....or not recommend a book I am reading. I am not sure whether or not to really recommend this for a couple of reasons. The first being that I am not completely done with it, so it could take a horrible turn before I finish. The other reason is that this book is causing me to have more questions about things that I already had questions about (and if you've read any of my previous posts, you realize that the theme of my life is becoming QUESTIONS!). So I'll say this, if you already have some questions or discontentment specifically with the Church as we now know it, then this book will only stir your questions. So you may NOT want to read it.....though discontentment and questions aren't necessarily bad.

So what is this book that has so upset the Matt-ian apple cart? It's called Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna. It is quite honestly a history book, which automatically sounds completely boring, but it is presented in a really easy-to-read fashion. The premise is that the Church of today not only doesn't look like the first century Acts 2 church, but it even more looks like a smorgasborg (a word that is way underused for the record....I'm actually really excited that I just used it!!!) of Pagan religions that preceded it. Viola is a big proponent for what he calls "organic" or house churches. He uses history to support his beef with the institutionalized church, and it is obvious he has a bone to pick. Though the material is quite unbiased, it is still really interesting to see the progression (or regression I guess is how Viola sees it) of what we practice today.

I really wish some of you, my faithful readers and friends (I'm looking at you DAD and Josh!!!), would read this book so I could discuss it with you. What I am not doing with it is drinking this guys kool-aid. I try to read everything with a balanced perspective (as best I can, wading through my own personal biases.) What I am trying to do is allow this to stretch and challenge my thinking. My honest desire here....and by here I mean in life....is to honor God. I don't say that in some self-righteous vain....I really mean it. Right now, the biggest question for me for the church, and for my life, is "Is this really what God designed? Is this really the way things should look? Does this really honor Him?" Pagan Christianity forces this issue.

So run right out and grab yourself a copy of the book....or don't and stay content in your safe, sanitary little bubble world of unchallenged thought and wasted life while the dangers and wonders of a vibrant, exhilarating, and close spiritual walk with Christ pass you by leaving you with nothing but pointless ritualistic traditionalism and meaningless, empty religion.......just kidding...no really....I'm pretty sure THIS book doesn't carry that much weight.. ..but it is challenging.....the Bible....now there's a book that could do all the aforementioned transformations!

Next post....we'll go for something fun..or funny....or both...try to get away from all the seriousness...it's just to heavy sometimes!!

Concert Report Plus

2008-04-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a Switchfoot/Athlete concert in Huntsville. I went because I really wanted to see Emery who was supposed to play, but apparently the lead singer was really sick, so they didn’t play. I like Switchfoot pretty good….and Athlete was really amazing. The lead singer for Athlete is a great writer. All in all, the concert was mediocre I’d say, in part because while I really like listening to live music, I do not enjoy it nearly as much when I am surrounded by a bunch of 12-year-olds (funny how being out of student ministry has changed my view of students!). The concert was highly publicized by the Huntsville Christian radio station, which means there was a huge church-youth-group turnout. I felt pretty old. But I am glad I went!

Then on the way home I was in need of some good music, so I pulled out an older record I had not listened to in a while. It was by a band called twothiryeight. It was a refreshing listen. One line I particularly like from them is from a song whose name I do not know, but is about debt and materialism. The chorus says “In the miry stench of growing debt/ the deep dark secrets of the family are kept” but that’s not the line I liked the most…my favorite line is “credit is a whore who won’t wake up and leave/and believe me I’m not sleeping with her anymore” It’s a bit of a brash and perhaps crude statement, but makes a really great point about getting and staying out of debt, especially given our desire to be debt free!!

Speaking of prostitution (now there’s a conversational transition I bet you don’t use often), we sang a song in church this morning called “God of This City”. It’s a great song, and has a great back-story that deals with prostitution. I’ll spare you the details, but will tell you that I spent about 5 minutes of the worship set talking to my congregation about brothels, houses of ill-repute and “places where prostitutes do their business.” (Couldn’t come up with anything better!) I’m convinced that this is at least one subject that grabs people’s attention, especially in the squeaky-clean confines of the local church. I can bet if they didn’t remember one other thing from church today, they remembered that we talked about prostitutes.

Back to the record….they also have another song, whose name I also do not know, with a line that says “I’m totally deprived, buried alive, I couldn’t help myself to save my life.” In context, he’s asking God for guidance and wisdom, all the while admitting his total inadequacies and God’s sovereignty…in not so many words. Funny (or not so much) how that subject within said church usually flies over people’s heads without a second thought.

In completely unrelated news, there is a site that you all must check out. Stuff White People Like is a hilarious blog that I've just stumbled on. Their most recent update is a really funny one. I won't endorse all of the content, but the satirical look at white people is both hilarious and most often pretty accurate.

Ok well pardon my randomness tonight, it’s been a bit of a long day….and I have lots on my mind! Hope everyone has a grand week!

I Invented the Question Mark!

2008-04-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about the lessons I have learned. The list of 10 or so things represent some of the concrete truths and tricks that I have been afforded the opportunity of grasping thus far in this journey called life. I am thankful, for it seems that those lessons, along with a handful of others that didn’t make said list symbolize the tangible, understandable, and rational part of life.
But I must admit, and have probably mentioned before, that the fraction of what I know and understand about life is very small for me.

Yep, let’s say that the average life consists of 10 percent. How much do I understand? 1 and ½ percent. The rest is filled with issues and questions that for the most part absolutely baffle me (please tell me you caught the Tommy Boy reference there…otherwise the whole 10% thing isn’t nearly as effective).
So in a tribute to all things completely not understandable in this life (at least not as yet) here is a sampling of the top questions present in my life at this…..present…time….presented in list form!

1) What’s next? For some unfortunate reason I always feel the need to look ahead, to know (or try to know) what the future holds. Sometimes it’d be nice to sit back and enjoy the present, but NOOOOO! I’d rather concern myself with something that is completely unforeseeable and virtually uncontrollable!

2) Will I ever make music like I want to? I myself am tired of this question. Of course the question has evolved over time. It used to be “will I ever play music again.” Now that I’m leading worship, I just ask, “Will I ever play music like I want to again?” It’s an annoying question! Makes me feel much like an ingrate! However, there is this writer inside of me dying to burst out and exercise his preverbal artistic voice!

3) How much wood COULD a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood? (that’s harder to type than you think!!)

4) What is this Church thing really supposed to look like? I feel pretty certain that we haven’t quite arrived yet with our current version of church. I’m even more afraid that we’re going the opposite way of what we’re supposed to. Now how do make a course correction and go back to God’s original plan and intent? (oops that’s two questions in one…oh well….it’s my blog…I can do that if I want…can’t I?…oh man that’s three!!)

5) Could we really exercise enough patience to become millionaires? I’ve been listening to and reading Dave Ramsey a lot lately and he has me convinced that we can do this. And literally, we are just a few baby steps away from putting ourselves in a good position to do this in the future. I mean it will take years (so don’t go thinking you should be asking me for a loan or something!). But the real question is can we live like no one else now so we can one day live like no one else. It seems like a great idea to me!

6) Is America going to make it? I suppose I have let the media really give me a gloom and doom outlook on the future of our country. Or maybe we really are headed for our great downfall. In any case, I sense an increasingly strong amount of instability across our nation politically, economically, spiritually, and otherwisely and I wonder what we can and are going to do. A follow-up question to that one is what country is most appealing so I’ll know where to move when it all breaks loose!

7) Am I doing a good job? I am a constant self-evaluator, and have found this question to be one of the hardest to answer!

8) What’s she thinking? If I were to get the answer to this one, I could quickly cash in and answer my number 5 question!

9) When will life throw us a curve or when will tragedy strike? This will seem like a bit of a morbid thought, but up to this point my life has been way too good and way too easy. Don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful, and I pray for God’s continued blessing and protection. However, I never want to think that I am immune to tragedy, and I just half expect it to hit at any point. Not that I want it to, and not that I live in a state of fear or anxiety about it. I just don’t want to be completely blindsided by it if and when it does come. Anytime I hear of someone whose dealing with a sudden lose or unexpected disaster, I think to myself “that could just as easily be me one day!” Jesus even said that "in this life you will have many troubles".I think it’s a healthy tension I live with…to some degree.

10) If I could learn to break dance, would I do it and why? I just have a vision of me, 1985, a sidewalk, a flattened cardboard box, a nice red leather jacket,a giant boom box and one crazy break dance battle.

And one to grow on……

11) Is a cat’s purring voluntary or involuntary? And does it mean they are happy, sad, angry, or indifferent? (I’m gonna go with indifferent….that seems to be the general feeling…except when there is something new in the floor….then it is indifferent-curiosity). And can they control the volume or do they purposely purr extremely loud when they hover over you at 3 a.m. while you are trying to sleep? Ok this one is getting out of hand.

Literally this list could go on and on. It seems I have way more questions than answers. However, I expect life to be that way. If ever a point in my life comes where I think I’ve got it all figured out, then I must be doing something wrong. I am convinced that a life devoted to following this wonderful-yet- mysterious God as best as possible means a life with many questions. And I think I’m ok with that.

My Friends Are Better Than Yours

2008-04-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend this past weekend. If you check out any of my blog links to the right side of this page here, then you know already that Josh, Clay, Heath and I spent the weekend together playing at a Disciple Now, and just hanging out. It was a really great weekend and I am always thankful to hang out with people whom I don't feel compelled to add value to, and who hopefully don't feel compelled to add value to me. By that I mean that we all except each other for who we are, and we aren't trying to change each other, lead each other, teach each other, and the like. This may be an unfamiliar type of relationship for those of you who aren't in ministry, however my guess is this is a common approach for anybody in any type of business or work that has to deal with people. Ok, I've typed myself into a corner so let me explain.

You see, often times in ministry, a minister will have friends from church. However, because of the nature of the relationship, the friendship can only go so far. I'm not saying this is right, or is the way it should be, I am just saying that it is. It can be for a plethera of reasons, from both sides. Perhaps the minister feels that too much inside information, or too much self-revelation could potentially damage the ability to lead that person as a congregant. Or perhaps the congregant/friend feels that if the minister finds out too much about his/her life then the minister will condemn them. In any case there is a friendship there that usually stays at arms length. It's one of the downsides of ministry that in my mind I want to overcome as best I can. I suspect that this can happen at any workplace.

Anyway, back to my friends....so I feel like we have relationships with these couples that way transcends those aformentioned barriers. Josh and Clay and Heath are so honest and so real...and it's not just in a haphazard way. You can tell they really approach life thoughtfully and humbly, and above all they fear God (fear here = respect, love, honor). It is so refreshing to be around them. Furthermore we laugh and poke fun....it just feels like Karen and I can let loose when we are around them. Not that we intentionally don't when we are around people from church.....it's just that it happens...you know what I mean?

Well anyway, all that to say that it was a really relaxing weekend for us, and Karen and I were so glad to have friends in our home once more. And to top it all of, Josh, Clay, Heath and I got to enjoy what I think each of us would call our passions...playing music. And that, my friends, is why my friends are better than your friends! Because not only are they a pleasure to be around, but they are also emminsly talented such that we can go to a place a play for people and they don't just walk out on us! It really is quite great.

One minor problem with the weekend, we don't have another one scheduled yet! So anybody need a band for...anything?!?!?!?

Album Reviews

2008-03-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up a few new albums via iTunes and have been listening to them a good bit in the car whilst I have been traveling. As always, I like to let people know when I find some good music, so I thought I would review and perhaps recommend a couple to you.

The first record I picked up was The Statler Brothers greatest hits. Just kidding!

Really though, the first one is Leeland's sophomore release entitle Opposite Way. Leeland's first record Sound of Melodies was a solid first-record, with hardly a bad song on it. It was one of those records that I could put in and listen all the way through without having to skip any songs. Now a year or so older and a bit more experienced, Leeland has put out another solid record. The first song on the record (which was also their first single from the album) called "Count Me In" seems to pick up where they left off in the first album. These guys must have a degree in Catchy, Melodic choruses. Not to mention the lead singer Leeland Mooring has such great lyrics. He writes unapologetic words of praise and worship, but crafts songs that more-often-than-not avoid tired, overused cliches that praise and worship music is shamefully famous for.

The first half of the album stays strong. However, there are a few songs in the middle that seem to drag a bit for my taste. I am keyed in until about song 4, and then my attention starts to wane. But then the end of the record picks back up by song 8 or so.

All in all, I think it is a good record. I would agree with other reviews that Leeland didn't fall into the dreaded sophomore slump. However, I will say that with such a strong first album, the bar was set really high. While I don't think Opposite Way is quite as strong of an effort, I do believe Leeland has shown that they know how to crank out catchy and meaningful worship songs that not only allow the listener to be encouraged, but also threatens to sweep said listener in a frenzy of soaring praise to God....and I'd say worse things could definitely happen. Scale of 1-10, 10 being the best album ever made in the history of time and 1 being only a mere step up from the disaster that was The Crash Test Dummies debut that you know you bought cause you couldn't get that MMMMMMMMMM song out of your head, I give Leeland a 7......a breath of fresh air.

Ok, I'll try not to dissect so much on the next two albums. The second of my recently acquired tune-age is a band called Edison Glass. Chances are if you've hung around me at all recently you've heard me talk about this band. They are from New York, and they are really really good. This record called Time is Fiction (definitely a post-indie title if ever there was one)and is also their sophomore release. Some of you will find Edison Glass strange and unenjoyable. You other, more intelligent, sophisticated and well-rounded readers (HA!) will find them delightfull quirky, immensely talented, and surprisingly thought-provoking. I really like their lyrical stylings. Full of hope and grace, yet not to the detriment of their well-thought-out and artful packaging! I give this album an 8.

The final record is by a new group called Secret and Whisper. I think this record entitled Great White Whale will win the award for guilty pleasure for me this year. Don't get me wrong, they are a good band. However, the sheer overuse of double-base drum licks and obviously solid state-which-can-only-mean-one-thing....-artificial-harmonics-galore distortions should be the first things that turn me off. Add that with the eerie fact that the lead singer sounds like Sebastian Bach (oh come on....Skid Row...you knew that....you just didn't want to admit it!) and you have all the ingredients for a wannabe post-1980s-hair-band disaster. But alas, they pull it off, and I can't stop playing the record! Don't get me wrong, their are no silly long guitar solos, and no spandex pants (I hope), but there is an obvious nod to a day thankfully gone by. In any case, I think half of my fascination with Secret and Whisper is my attempts to reach the previously-only-attained-by-a-dog-whistle vocal notes that the lead singer belts out. That in-and-of-itself makes the album worth having. All in all I give this album a 6.5.....the .5 is for having a big white friendly looking Whale for the cover art.

Ok, so for those of you who are still reading (because I have a feeling that many stopped after review/recommendation #2) let me know if you've pick up anything new that is worth checking out (and NO Taylor Swift, Barry Manilow, nor Ludacris is worth checking out....so just keep those to yourself). And do yourself a favor and at least try one of those albums. You'll be glad you did......or maybe not.....if not then it's your own fault for going and getting music you've never heard....but if you do get it and are glad that you did...then.....you're welcome!

News Headline

2008-03-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, I am in Atlanta all week taking a workshop for seminary. I had the TV on the news the other night while I was working on some stuff, and I just happened to hear this teaser as the news was just starting. The teaser line, quoted by a female field reporter apparently standing in Downtown Atlanta where a tornado did a considerable amount of damage, was:

"Downtown Atlanta is open for business again......(long pause).....IF YOU'RE A CRACK DEALER!"

I just laughed and laughed....not because crack dealing is a joke. Nor is the sale or use of illegal drugs is in anyway humorous....but the teaser line....the way it was said....was just so wrong it was funny. As if to say that crack dealers had an edge on the rebuilding process of businesses effected by a tornado.

Ah local news...even in a big town...is like no other. In related news, this is a really great job of sports reporting done by a local news station in North Carolina.

Fun times!

Life's Little Lessons

2008-03-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

Over the years I'd like to think that I've learned some things. Some of those lessons have come from the school of hard knocks, others have come from "little tricks" that I have been taught, still others from education or reading. Mostly the lessons just come from daily experience and observation. So in light of all this learning, I thought I would share with you some of the most memorable lessons I have learned through my short 20 years (yes I do know I'm not 20, but the first 7 don't really count right? And I can still pass for 20 right.....here's to holding on to youth!)

1)Tostitos don’t have to have to be smothered in cheese or salsa to be good – don’t get me wrong, I still like them that way, but in light of the new diet I’ve learned how to savor the taste of the crunchy corn chip in its bare, natural state.

2)There’s always an easier way to do things – "little tricks" as me ol father is famous for showing me, are often learned by first doing it the hard way. I am thankful for those times when "little tricks" were shown without me having to do it the hard way.

3)I only perform as well as I practice – preparation is the key to performance. I am learning more and more as I lead worship that I only lead and play as well as I have prepared myself both mentally and physically. Leading a choir has really highlighted this aspect for me, as choir rehearsal goes so much smoother when I have thought out all the transitions and the rehearsal.

4)Cats really are curious – and it’s amazing how many times curiosity could get my cat killed!! Seriously though, I wish I could be as perceptive as Howard (our cat). She notices things so quickly. As soon as something new is in the house or something has been moved or rearranged, she checks it out. Wish I had that sensitive of a radar.

5)The weather never satisfies – if its hot I’d rather have cooler weather. If it’s raining? I’d rather it be sunny, if it’s cold then it had at least better snow!

6)Toilet seat covers on a wet toilet do not serve their intended purpose - need I clarify?

7)When teaching a class (assuming that I ever do that)it is a good idea to let the class out at least 15 minutes earlier than the stated time of dismissal. I check out at least 15 minutes prior to the time I am expected to leave! This is especially pressing because as I type, I am in a class that is going up to the minute of stated time to leave. Not that I would even consider blogging while in class.

8)There are very few things in life that are worth getting worked up about. What I mean is that life will throw curves, bad things happen, money runs thin, relationships get strained, life gets hard and we struggle. But I've not seen one situation where allowing myself to get bent out of shape, panic, or worry myself to death have changed or help the situation in anyway. In every situation there is something to be thankful for.

9)Passion is a blessing and a curse. I am by nature a passionate person, at least about the things I am passionate about. I am a very hot/cold person. It is either the best thing in the world, or it means virtually nothing to me. In other words, there are some things that I can and will invest myself completely in (music, my marriage, my work, etc.) But those things that I see as peripheral are just that to me, and so I somehow subconsciously feel that they are not worthy of my attention. This isn't always a good thing, as many things that I may not be passionate about are still important and still carry weight in someone's world.

10)Sunscreen, while altogether annoying to slather on, is a necessary evil for those of us with pale (translation -pasty white) complexion. I used to think that I could burn and then tan. But the whole skin cancer scare has gotten to me. Plus it mostly just turns out to be burn then peel.

And one to grow on...

11)The latest fad today will be the biggest fashion faux pas tomorrow - splatter paint shirts and leggings anyone? Or even better, remember the old clothes on backward fad started by on Kris Kross....yes, I can't believe I remembered that!

Life is full of lessons to be learned. Sometimes it is helpful to spend time and review some of those lessons. It will help you remember where you've come from, how you've grown, and where you are headed!

Goodbye Poundage

2008-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

It is a dreary, rainy day here in Alabama and I am struggling to get started with my work, so I thought I would just post a short rambling. First, I must say that though the rain makes it more appealing to stay in bed than to get up, I am thankful that we are getting rain. Our land was pretty dry here, and we still have a good bit of catching up to do!

But rain isn't what I really wanted to talk about. My heart's desire this morning is to blog about something that has recently entered my life, something that I am trying to embrace as best I know how, but struggling to make it a way of life....that subject? Dieting!! That's right folks, Karen and I have finally taken the plunge to healthy eating....and a long plunge it is for those of us who like to partake in the tasty-goodness and comfort of junk food. But before you get all crazy on us about our dieting, allow me to give you the details of the diet.

First we aren't starving ourselves. We still eat. Second, we actually can eat more meals now than we used to. That's right, out with the boring ol' 3 a day meal plan, and welcome 6 count them 6 meals a day! WOOO HOOO.....well sort of. We can eat 6 meals, but each meal must be significantly smaller portions....and significantly different kind of food than we used to eat...or at least prepared differently.

When Karen and I were dating, there was a time when I really wanted to be healthy...and muscular. Mostly just muscular. So I found this diet called Body-4-Life. It is a really great 12 week program that helps you not only eat better, but also exercise. The plan allows for 6 meals a day with a 6 day a week exercise plan. So I did that diet for 12 weeks while Karen was gone to Hawaii for that same amount of time. It was great because when she came back, I had added a little muscle and was probably in the best shape of my life (which isn't saying too much I don't suppose). Well anyway, the 12 weeks ended and so did my commitment to healthy eating and working out.

NO MORE MY FRIENDS. I am now back on the wagon.....sort of. Karen and I have a new found desire for healthy eating and perhaps trading a few pounds for muscle. As I mentioned before, we can still eat, but we are eating different foods....lots of grilled chicken and steamed or raw vegetables. We have discovered the displeasure of brown rice (not like mom used to...this is like brown rice that sorta tastes like fluffy grass).

But my biggest change in diet is that I am doing my best to quit eating altogether by 7 pm. Oh man, this is hard. I mean I've gone to bed the last week and a half with my stomach growling. Usually about 8:30 I would be eating some popcorn, or a fudge round, or some cheese and peanut butter crackers, or some ice cream, or a brownie, or a cookie, or a candy bar, or the whole refrigerator topped with ice cream (what can I say, I love sweets). But now, I just push through the hunger, hoping that as my stomach growls, it finds some fat to satisfy itself.....ewww..the thought of my stomach eating my own fat.....that's nasty!

Well anyway, so Karen and I are almost 2 weeks in and things are going relatively well. She is really great with buying the food and motivating me. We make a pretty good team when we set our minds together to do something. The one big thing I have to work on is adding the exercise back in, which is pretty hard when 3-4 nights a week you don't get home until 8pm. But NO EXCUSES! We're gonna do this right. So the next time you see us, perhaps we'll look a little bit healthier!

Here's to eating stuff that doesn't taste good, but is good for you!!

Meme...Youyou.....I'm so confused

2008-03-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well it seems I have been tagged in a Meme from Josh Horne's blog. So after I got further clarification from Josh, I thought I would respect my tag and do my best and attempt a meme.

For those of you who, like me, don't know what a meme is, it is simply a list of things that let people know a little bit more about yourself. There are several different kinds that cover all types of topics. My meme topic is quirky things about me. This could go on for days! So without further ado, here is my quirky meme, which includes six ridiculously random quirky things/habits about me.

1. My toenails bother me when I lay down at night. I usually realize that my toenails are too long when I shove my feet into bed. One little snag, and I have to get up right then and cut them, or file them. And sometimes it takes 2 or 3 times to get it right. I get up, go to the bathroom, grab the toenail clippers and file, cut and file, go back and shove my feet once again under the cover,but then it still snags....can't have that so get up, go to the bathroom, I cut and file again....still not good...I bring the file by my bed and file as needed. It's really annoying

2. I leave little candy wrappers laying around all the time. I love those little Wint-O-Green Lifesaver mints, so we always keep a stock. Hey you never know when you need good breath. But usually when I open them, I just leave the candy paper laying on the counter or table. I forget that they are there. I think it's because they are so light and then that you can't throw them in the trashcan that makes me not want to throw them away. After all, what fun is throwing garbage away unless you can shoot it like a basketball (however I do not recommend this when throwing out leftover mashed potatoes.

3. I never remember to change my towel. It usually takes a sour smell for me to think "hey, maybe I should get a fresh towel." Either that or Karen changes it for me!

4. I count constantly. Perhaps it's the rhythm side of my brain, or maybe I'm just crazy, but I do it with my fingers the most. Back and forth 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 and so on. Watch my fingers sometime, you'll see me doing it.

5. I go through the exact some morning routine every morning while getting ready. This probably applies to everybody, but sometimes I'd just like to spice it up a bit. I'd like to fix my hair, then brush my teeth just once...but that will never happen because I have to brush my teeth before I get in the shower (can't stand the smell of my own morning breath!)

6. I walk on the insides of my feet. I never knew this until after I got married, but man it reeks havoc on my shoes. And when my shoes just sit there on the floor, they sit tilted in. It's embarrassing and expensive, as my shoes wear out really quickly.

Like I said this could go on for quite sometime. But I'll stop there. I suppose the tradition is to tag someone to do this as well, so I think I will tag Heath and Clay....not because I think they will do it, but because I would love to know their quirks....but not in a weird way...I mean I don't care that much, but because I bet they have some.... (another one of my quirks is not knowing when to shut up...even when typing).

Update on the New Axe and Stuff

2008-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have now officially broken in the new Taylor, as I rehearsed with it on Wednesday night and used it yesterday morning in both services. One piece of bad news....well not really bad, just kind of awkward news, was that I broke a string on the 3rd song of the first service. I am blaming it on the fact that the guitar traveled across the country with those strings, so they were probably a bit worn out. However, despite the minor snare, the guitar is dandy....it sounds fantastic and plays like a dream. I really do like the new pickup system at least so far, but know that it will take some time, attention, and some tweaking to get the sound just right.

Now for some further ponderings. I'd love to get some comments and feedback on this one if you care.....but do you ever feel like the way in which we attempt to express worship in the context of the normal Sunday church setting is a bit forced? I mean, is it really natural to go to a building of what turns out to be near strangers (due in large part to the lack of during-the-week-interaction by the same group of people) and attempt to pour our deepest affection to God? I mean, don't get me wrong, I think music is one of the best ways to communicate love, emotion, commitment, and overall worship to God. I believe the Bible commands us to use music in worship. The psalmist declares "Sing to the Lord you saints of his; praise his holy name." (Psalm 30:4). Paul also encourages the use of music by saying in Ephesians 5:19 "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. and in Colossians 3:16"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

However, I am afraid our context is drastically different from the context in which Paul is writing. I think the church has become something despairingly different than what it was in the early first century, and I am afraid that it is pitifully far from what God intended. So week by week we gather together in a place, some of us because we genuinely desire to worship God in Spirit and in Truth and in unity with other believers. Meanwhile, many others are there for a multitude of reasons; to see and be seen; to make themselves feel better; to check off a box of "things to do"....most of whom (here goes the stereotype) look like they'd rather be anywhere else but here, and few others still who are pretending to love God so that their reputation stays in tact. Again, don't get me wrong, I know that many are there for all the right reasons, and we all sometimes do things for wrong reasons.....all of us are guilty of selfish motivations.

But I just wonder if we should really just step back and take a good hard look at this thing we call church, specifically in the area in which I serve. I love what I do to an extent, because it involves music. But so many times I feel like this is futile....a chasing after the wind to borrow Solomon's thought.

I've probably blogged about this subject before, and perhaps you are getting sick of hearing about it. It's just that when I knew I was called to ministry, and I began this journey, I expected so much more. And I have a sneaky feeling God expects so much more. Meanwhile, we continue our routine, accomplishing a momentary good-feeling that lasts all of 45 seconds after the closing prayer, and then we turn around, walk away from the group of strangers we try to pass off as a community of believers and await another week of the same old stuff.......not so sure this is really Christ's idea of church!

Your thoughts?

Wood and Steele!

2008-03-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

It finally came yesterday!! I think I only mentioned it once in my blog, but any one who has had any kind of a conversation with me over the last forever knows that I've been saving up for a new acoustic guitar. Well I started saving up last year, but then had to get my widsom teeth removed along with other financial things that came up, so we effectively disposed of the guitar fund. Then at Christmas time, thanks to my folks and Karen's hard work we started saving up again. So after selling some things, along with other miscelaneous income, I finally saved up enough to purchase my brand new Taylor 614 ce!! Man I am so pumped. I've wanted this guitar for quite sometime now, and I finally got it. It sounds incredible and has some fancy features to give it a good look as well.

I have to say a huge thanks to Karen for supporting this little investment. Truthfully, she'll get no personal enjoyment from it (other than she'll no longer hear me talk about wanting it) but she was so great to not only allow me to get it, but chipped in her hard earned money for it! I am very thankful!

Below are some pictures of the arrival....Karen insisted that we take a picture of the UPS man delivering it. I ordered it from Record Heaven in Griffin GA, who beat everybody else's price by $400....and they got it straight from the Taylor factory in Cajon, CA!!

The Tax Man

2008-03-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

Quite possibly the most exciting time of the year is fast approaching. I can smell it in the air. Yesterday and today we had the almost yearly preview of spring, with temperatures reaching into the 70s and sunny blue skies (prompting the new colors for my blog!! WOOO HOOO). It's getting close to that time of year...but we're not there yet. There are still cold days to be endured before we start the warm up, and new life begins to appear on the tress. Spring has a special quality about it....a feeling of newness....rebirth.....second chances....it's good. It's not here yet.....but it is close I can feel it.

Along with the weather, March has now dawned, which means at least one other thing.....March Madness! That's right.....basketball will soon be at the forefront. I used to get a lot more excited about the tournament and all, but now I seem to take a bit more interest in football...in part because Karen will watch that with me. I haven't been able to coax her into being a basketball fan. However, when we get to the Sweet 16 I think I shall be able to sneak in a few games! Pretty pumped about that.

However, with all of the good things that spring brings, there is one inevitable and unavoidable spring task that we all must face.....and it is not fun. That task......TAXES! Oh man.....taxes kill me. I realize that they are a part of life, they make the government run, and (cringe) stimulate the economy (so some say....I don't know....). But I gotta be honest, if I could actually take the money I earn and actually keep it to use as I see fit....well I gotta be honest, I'd probably do that. I'm saying that if paying taxes was an option, I'd probably choose not to pay them.....nope.....I know I wouldn't pay them. But, alas, no option is given....you either pay them willingly, or the government takes them willingly. And in my situation, at least for now, there is no refund to be had. Honestly I am ok with that...we get all excited about a refund...but a refund means that we must have paid something to begin with...and obviously we must have paid to much.

So I spent most of the day Saturday doing my taxes....and listen I have had some fun in my life....lots of fun I'd like to think....and taxes are the exact opposite of fun....in fact....I think numbers and the addition, subtraction, or general calculation of numbers is the antithesis of fun! Fun runs away from numbers. Fun must have gotten beat up at an early age by numbers and now fears the worst from them, and so chooses to stay as far away as possible. Fun trembles at the thought of numbers, and faints when faced with taxes. Fun is like the average person, and numbers are like Chuck Norris. Fun sees numbers and quite literally wets his pants, cries like a little girl, and runs home to mom.........getting the picture? So you can imagine how little fun was had on Saturday. The best part is that I do my own taxes with the helpful application called TurboTax.....however I still find the filing of taxes so incredibly confusing that it takes me two, count them TWO full times of filling out the files just to ensure that I did everything correctly. I can only imagine in my worst nightmares how UNFUN it would be to have to go through an audit. If numbers beat fun up at an early age....the an audit did even more unspeakable acts to fun at an even earlier age, such that fun cannot shake the memory of an audit and thus must be hospitalized every time it hears even the mere mention of the word audit.

I say all that about taxes (and the lack of fun) to say this....after trying to file my taxes, may mood was....how shall I put this.....not good?....no that won't do.....bad?.....hmmm...getting there......terrible?.....closer......rotten...yes yes...rotten...that sums it up...my mood was rotten. I always feel as though I've been robbed, as I am sure that most every American who pays feels. But after a day of feeling sorry for myself and angry about my situation, I came to my senses and realized how dreadfully silly it is to get all worked up about something that is uncontrollable and inevitable (well let me clarify..the way in which taxes are paid compared to my situation could be better...but that is another discussion for....never). I realized that I have to pay taxes, and that furthermore if something like this in my life is what gets me all worked up, then woe be unto me if and when true tragedy really did strike. I mean even my current biggest problem is so stinking insignificant when compared to people all over the world who are suffering from hunger, the destruction of war and oppresion, disease, etc. If I would allow myself to just sit back (which I did as best I could) and really assess my life.....blessing, protection, provision, love, grace, mercy and a host of other indescribable good things abound. I am in want for nothing much less need.....I have food, a roof over my head, a wonderful family, the most amazing wife, an entertaining (yet sometimes only bearable) cat, reliable transportation, good health, solid job, decent education.....I mean....could I really ask for more.....and furthermore could I really allow some miniscule little problem (though that isn't even accurate...because it's worthy of the word problem...it's more like a prob...)to crawl all over me??!?!??! What a slap in the face for me to cry foul when one thing doesn't go my way!! What a denial of blessings that would be!!!

I realize that one day Karen and I will have to deal with real hardship.....perhaps a trajedy....not that I wish for that....but I just half expect it....life is that way....why should I think myself exempt? And so when that comes along, I like Job want to approach those situations with unwaivering trust, faith, thankfulness (yes thankfulness) and ultimately obedience. In the end, this life is a vapor, and as Solomon so accurately describes it, vainity in many reguards. And we have a God who not only knows us, but cares deeply for us! That alone is something to celebrate!

Consider it pure joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds, becaus you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

Who is "the least of these"?

2008-02-27T08:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know what God is trying to teach me, but I suspect it is something, and I am doing my best to listen up!

Over the last couple of weeks, I've had more than a fair share of opportunity to ponder exactly what Jesus meant in his story of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46. You'll recall that Jesus says that he will come in all his glory with the angels and gather the nations before him and then he will seperate them, the sheep on the right and the goats on the left. The bases of the division as Jesus tells it, is between those who saw the naked and clothed them, the hungry and fed them, the stranger and invited him in, the sick and in prison and looked after them vs. those who saw the same people and did not clothe,feed, invitie in or look after them.

Especially these days, you hear a lot of socially concious, christian affiliated groups using this scripture as a basis for there activism. I'm totally fine with that. But how do I determine this in my everyday life. Why do I ask this? Allow me to tell you my story of the last week or so. This will take a while, so sit back, relax...maybe grab a cup of joe or something.

So last Wednesday night I was at the church eating supper with our Wednesday night meal folks, when one of our members asked me to go outside and help another member deal with a guy who had wondered up and was asking for money. So I did. I invited the guy into my office and proceeded to find out his story. Now I don't want to judge people on looks, but there are certain signs that let you know a lot about a person. For instance, if the person has black or no teeth, they either had very bad hygene (which is probably somewhat true) or they use crystal meth (more likely to be true, especially in our area which is plagued by the rampant use of this drug). The guy I was talking to looked to be in his mid-forties, so I assumed that even the worst hygene would not have resulted in this extreme tooth decay. Anyway, so the guy gave the story of how his family had lost everything in their RV which caught on fire and they are now stranded in Guntersville, and they have everything they need except they need money for toiletries, bread, soap, etc. He had been to several local organizations in town who help in these situations and they quote "couldn't do anything for him" (for the record, this is a red flag for us as well...because those places do a really good job of background checking and etc....usually if they "can't do anything for them" it's for a good reason!!!). Well, being the tender-hearted guy that I am, I told him we would buy him some soap, shampoo, toiletries, etc. Well, in our 20 minute conversation the guy asked me for cash, ranging anywhere from $50 to $5. Each time I told him that I would not be giving him cash but that we would get him his essential needs.

So we did. The next day the guy shows up at my office again, as if we are old buddies, asking if I could give him a ride to a place that might hire him. I reluctantly told him I would take him. On the way there I asked him who he had an interview with, to which he responded that he did not in fact, have an interview lined up and that he was just going to try to talk to anybody who could hire him(followed by "can I borrow $5" to which I responded "buddy....I'm not giving you money!!). On the way home I realized that the place he was trying to get a job for was located right beside an area called East Lake...which is a low income housing project known mostly for the drug scene.....so I have a sneaky feeling what happened (not trying to judge...just being honest)!!

Well then last night, while at home, I had a guy call me telling me that he was having surgery tomorrow, he just got into town and he was looking for someone to come pray with him. Don't know how he got my name (a scary thought though), but I agreed to go pray with him at the Huddle House in Guntersville. As I left the house, Karen encouraged me to not go alone...and offered to come with me. I told her to stay home, that I would be fine. However about 3 minutes in to my 10 minute drive to Huddle House, I sensed overwhelmingly that I should get someone to go with me. So I called my good buddy/deacon/foot doctor(can't spell pediatrist) to go with me. It was a great thing that I did. From the first word the guy spoke I could tell he was loaded...not because he acted drunk, but because he reeked of alcohol. He had had both of his feet partially amputated due to frostbite. Anyway, we talked for a while and found out the real reason for calling me. Seems he had been in town for a week, had secured an apartment but couldn't afford to turn the heat on....and it was bitterly cold here last night. So, we got the guy a hotel room for the night. He, like others that I have helped, used every manner possible to ask us for money. We continually said no.

So that leads me to my title question. Who really is "the least of these"? My heart is to help people in need. I want to help those who can't help themselves...the orphans, widows, fatherless, etc. I want for our church and my life to be a beacon of hope to all in need. However, I have a hard time helping those who are completely unwilling to help themselves. Furthermore, those that come and ask for help most often here at the church are those who are, in my best estimation, just looking to mooch off of the church so that they can support their habit, thereby making us potential enablers, and potentially zapping our passion for those who truly are in need. So what is my responsibility to those who are bumming? After last night, I was kicking myself, wondering why I didn't just say outright "hey man, why do you reek of alcohol? How is it that you can afford the sauce but can't afford heat? Why do you keep asking for money when you know I'm not going to give it to you?" I just would like to start being a little more straightforward, and call the bluff you know.

There was a time not so very long ago when my honest thought was, "I'll help anyone in need, no matter what, because I know that God will hold that person accountable for what they do with what I give them." Now, I'm not so sure I am being a good steward if I don't hold them accountable myself!

One final note, in relation to helping those in need. I was walking in little five points in Atlanta one time with a good friend of mine. We passed this guy a couple of times who was just sitting on the street asking passer-bys for money. So as we approached the man for the second or third time, my friend said "Watch this" and he went up and asked the beggar if he could borrow a dollar!

2-A-Day

2008-02-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know of something really interesting I found today. The link is enclosed, and the site is worth poking around. However, I was specifically intriqued by the post called "Making the Band Follow Up". Take a listen to the audio...I think they do a neat thing with worship music!

The Weekend

2008-02-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

Had a really great weekend in a strange sorta way this past weekend. It was great in that my good friends Josh and Clay and their wives were here playing at a Disciple Now Weekend. It was really great to hang out with them, and I am really thankful for their friendship. Part of what I enjoy so much about them (beyond their incredible talent) is the fact that I think we could stay up all night and just chat about nothing.....and everything. Rarely in my life have I found people that I can just sit with and talk, and have meaningful conversation. That's not to say that everything we talk about is deep and serious...far from it. But there is a quality in the conversation and friendship with those guys that is so much greater than "surface" friendships...and perhaps greater than any other friends that I have or have had.

The weekend was however a bit strange in a couple of ways. First, Karen got sick on Saturday and was in bed all day. It is wierd to be with couple friends without her being around. She is also the "Martha" of our house...and does all the hosting duties. She does a wonderful job of cooking and cleaning and getting the house ready and making things special (living in Alabama, out of town company is a really big treat), and then when it came time to just enjoy the company, she wasn't able to. I really hate she missed it and really hate she is sick. I also hated that I wasn't able to tend to her as I would have liked.

Secondly it was wierd because of the event that we were playing. Being a former youth minister, I am altogether familiar with these type events (Disciple Nows). Our kids always seemed to enjoy them and we always had good D-Nows. Not to mention the countless D-Nows that I've played at, been a group leader for, etc. However, now that I am removed from student ministry and am a little older, I have a much different perspective on these type things. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they are a bad thing. Any chance to spend time with kids and help them spend time with God's word and in His presence is time well spent. But I just wonder what we actually accomplish in these weekends. And if we even know what our goal is for these type events. I could wax philosophic here, but I'll spare you. I will tell you why I will continue to do things like this. When I was 12 years old I went to a youth camp. I can't tell you a thing the speaker talked about, and I can't tell you anything about the worship (I do remember singing with motions "A pizza hut a pizza hut. Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut"....for what it's worth.) but I do remember God opening my eyes in a really amazing way, and I can look back at that time as a marker in my life where by His divine grace, God drew me closer to him beyond just the initial conversion experience. I think God can use those type events. My prayer with these events is that he will do the same or even a greater thing in the students lives. I just think we need to use caution and great care as we approach those type of events.

Finally, it was strange because these things always make me evaluate my life, and particularly my calling and ministry. I enjoy what I do, I think. I enjoy the fact that I am able to use music in ministry. And I am thankful for our church, and the opportunities they have afforded me and Karen to grow and learn and make mistakes. I also know that I am where God has called me for this time in my life. However, it just seems like life has more questions than answers sometimes. In five years will I still be doing what I am doing? Is this what church is really suppose to look like? Can I do anything to help change the current church culture to look more like God's original intention, or am I just adding to the noise? Why in the world do I live in Alabama? Why is it that the more I play music the more I wish I was doing something different with it? Am I just not content because I won't let myself be or because there really is something more out there waiting for me or is it just that nothing will ever satisfy this side of heaven? Oh so many questions that seem to be magnified for whatever reason when these events come along. But I say all that to say that I am really thankful for my life and all that God has done for me, and I want to be a person who is content in all situations.

Ok enough of all that. All in all the weekend was a good one. I am looking forward to April when we will get to do it again. However this time I hope we will all be healthy...and not have flat tires....and etc. Hope all of you, my faithful readers (all two of you HA!) had great weekends as well. If you ever need weekend plans, come on over to North Alabama. We'll treatcha real good!

The Entertainment Edition

2008-02-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

So I've been sick for the last 9 (count them, 9) days, and have had a lot of time on my hands to do absolutely nothing......my least favorite thing in the world to do. I've had the flu, and any of you who have had that know it is bad....real bad.

So in the times that I wasn't asleep, I decided to catch up on some movie and tv watching, music listening, and book reading to pass the time while the anitbiotics supposedly did their work. The following will be a rundown and critique of some of the entertainment I digested. I will rate each piece on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest, 10 being the highest.

I'll start with the movies I watched, in no particular order:

1 - The Incredibles - This Pixar film about superheros was on Disney last Saturday, so I watched it (after all, what else did I have to do). It's really funny, and cute to an extent. This was at least my second time watching it, and I was surprised by some of the adult humor and themes throughout the movie. All in all, I give it a 7.

2. Double Jeopardy - This came on FX Friday night. It was made in 1999, and I saw it shortly after it came out, but had forgotten the plot. It was good though, and any movie that is filmed in New Orleans now intrigues me a lot since I am somewhat familiar with the town (given my endless education that draws me down there about twice a year). I give the movie a 6, and the sherbert that I ate while watching it a 9.

3. The Simpsons Movie - I giggle through almost every Simpsons episode I watch, and the movie was no different. It was really funny, and it seems the writers try to get a laugh out of every line. It works for me. However, I will say that it was just like watching a really long Simpsons episode (what else could one expect I guess!?!?!) I am a Simpsons fan, so I'll give it a 7, but I will say if you don't like the 30 minute show, you won't like the 90 minute movie!

4. The Ultimate Gift - This is one of those cheesy Fox Faith films. However, even though it was a cheesy, girly drama, it wasn't so bad! I actually liked it. One of our dear church members brought it over with a pot of Taco Soup, so that was the best part! I give the movie a 6 and the Taco Soup a 9 and 1/2.

5. Along Came Polly - Seen this one a hundred times and it is still really funny! It was on USA yesterday, and nothing else was on, so I watched it. I can't say I'm a huge Ben Stiller fan. He, like Adam Sandler and others,seems to always play the same character in a similar situation as every other movie he does. However, some of the lines in this one crack me up, even when I have the flu. I give it a 7 and a shout out of "Let it Rain!!!"

6. Rush Hour 3 - What can I say, I am a sucker for Chris Tucker. I had actually forgotten about this movie, but when I was at the movie store, it jumped out at me. Besides, I was in the mood for some action/comedy, and Jackie Chan is a sure bet. This movie is just the same movie as Rush Hour 1 and 2, it just takes place in a different city. But it did help pass the time. I give it a 6.

7. Transformers - HOLY COW!! Yes I realize that I am like the only person in his mid-twenties (notice I am saving late-twenties for when I turn 29) who hadn't already seen this movie. And after watching it, I was kicking myself for not seeing it in the theater! This movies rediculously awesome. I realize that the plot is completely unrealistic (what with Alien Robots....thats a combo), and the human acting barely up to par, but man the action sequences and the whole good transformer vs. bad was really cool. I thought that the ability to make me feel sorry for an Alien Robot was quiet a feat...one they accomplished in fine fashion (poor Bumble Bee). I also thought the choice of music during the action scenes was superb. All in all, I thought it was the best movie I had seen in a long time. I'm gonna go ahead and give it a 10.

There were probably a couple of more movies in there over the 9 day period. What can I say movies pass the time. Some movies that I wanted to see but either couldn't afford, or just wasn't in the mood for include Rescue Dawn (w/ Christian Bale), Amazing Grace, End of the Spear (I know, I'm not a good Christian since I haven't seen that one already....I have no excuse) and Daddy Day Care (kidding of course)

I also caught up on my day time TV (no not Soup-Stupid-Operas). I watched a 2 hour session of Home Improvement most days, followed by an appropriately titled Just Shoot Me hour, followed by an hour of Yes Dear, mixed with a little Full House, King of Queens (which is relatively funny) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (what a horrible horrible show...good grief...and I'm not even talking about the whole witch thing, I mean the acting, the plots, ad nauseum). Home Improvement gets a 6, the rest get 3s or lower!

Just before I got sick, I picked up the latest Number One Gun record. It's good. The guys a pop rock genius if you ask me, with a special knack for catchiness! The record overall seemed to lack substance though, so I give it a 6. I am looking forward to picking up the new Edison Glass record next! Other stand out songs for me right now include Happy Day (TIm Hughes), All Because of Jesus (Steve Fee), Thriller (Michael Jackson), and Hello (Lionel Ritchie).

Finally, for entertainment while spending countless hours on the couch, I counted my fingers. Still have 10 of them, so I give that activity a 10! I encourage you to count yours, you never know when you might have lost one!

Ok so that is all for this installment of the Entertainment Edition. I leave you with one piece of advice. If you get sick in the near future (and I pray you don't) go grab yourself some movies and watch them. You'll be glad you did!

Stop Making Sense

2008-02-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

I had a really great conversation a few days ago with a member of my praise team. I stumbled upon the fact that she is a Talking Heads fan, as am I. How did I discover this? Well, to try to make a long story short, we played this game at a choir gathering, where we each had to say our name as way of introduction while at the same time do a physical motion. So my choir member, said her name "Lisa" and acted as if she were cutting her arm into a filet with her other hand (this will only make sense to those of you who have seen the video of the same title as my blog by the Talking Heads, where David Byrne was singing "Same as it ever was, same as it ever was" while making the same motion.)

Anyway, so we were talking about how delightfully strange the Talking Heads were, and how unique their music was along with the unusual antics of David Byrne onstage. Lisa informed me that he was very close to a nervous breakdown several times in his career. This is where it gets interesting. She said that she thinks that someone like Byrne, with his edge-of-sanity-creativity must have been given by God a sort of 6th sense of 3rd eye to see that of God's creation which most folks cannot see, thereby driving them almost crazy! I thought it was a brilliant explanation.

You see I really truly believe that all creativity is just a huge gift from the Creator himself and is just a reminder that we were indeed made from the beginning in His image. Don't get me wrong, tons of that creativity has been used in the exact opposite way than intended, but if we believe that God created everything, including humans, and that everything began in Him and lives because of Him, then reasoning demands that creativity itself is from God. And inside all of the creative music, or abstract paintings, or forms of dance, or moving poems, or stirring films, or can't-put-it-down novels lies some truth of the Almighty. At the very least it is the truth that a loving God made human beings to reflect his glory and to bring him pleasure, despite the fact that we try ever-so-hard to deny it and use our gifts for our own gain.

I also resonated with what Lisa said about Byrne. I am not by any means the most creative person in the world. I don't know that I've ever had an original thought or idea, and I know that none of my art will ever change the world. But I do tend to see myself as having a bit of an artistic bend. Because of that, I also seem to see many things very differently than a lot of people, such that I feel as though I go misunderstood sometimes. It's like I see things, and then I try to explain them, and it just never comes out like I intend. This may be a whole different problem than creativity can produce, but you see what I mean. The creative process does not, or at least should not, allow for mere status quo logic or reasoning. It searches for depth and deminsion that has heretofore not been seen, thereby often alientating itself from what is thought to be reality (this could become a slippery slope really quickly and could get really silly.....humor me will you!).

All I'm saying is that I think Lisa is right. Creative people are given a different bend, a different view of the world, and a different take on life. I think it is God's way of shaking it up a bit....not for the sake of just shaking it up, but for the sake, I believe, of revealing His beauty and creativity. That is where we as creators have the ultimate responsibility....to be sure that what we create in fact does point to the Creator, not because it always preaches a message, or wears a Christian shirt, or because it is slapped with a Christian label, but because it has redemptive value, full of integrety, originality, truth, insight, etc.

I'm not saying that I am on the verge of a breakdown......yet. All I am saying is that, if nothing else, you should definetly go grab a copy of "Stop Making Sense", it really is a fascinating expereince. Who knows, perhaps you'll even see a bit of God in it.....

Night

2008-01-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. School has started back up again and things are a bit busy to really sit down and blog, which will also explain the shortness of this post. I wrote this well over a week ago and am just now getting around to posting it.

I did want to take a second to recommend a book I just started reading last night at 11:00 and couldn't put down. It is possibly a book you read while in High School. The book is called Night by Elie Wiesel. It is a memoir of Wiesels experience in the Holocaust, what he saw, and how it affected his life and particularly his faith. I read for 2 hours straight last night, before realizing how late it was and how I needed to go to bed. It is an easy read in terms of length and writing style, but not so much in context. I have never really read or studied much about the Holocaust, and to some small extent I've known how horrific it was , but to read this account of a first-hand experience opened my eyes anew to the suffering, pain, and pointless trajedy that was the Holocaust.

I haven't quite finished it yet, but I did want to point out one interesting thing about this book. Throughout his story, Elie talks about how the brutality, murder, and torture that he saw completely distroyed his faith in an Almighty and loving God. As I read, I began to sense myself asking a question that I don't ask much, or that I tend to just brush off. That question was "Yeah, why did God allow that to happen. Why did he seemingly stand silently by while millions suffered and died horribly. In fact why does God allow such trajedy to happen at all?" I know that it's not my place to question God. I know his ways or not my ways and that we live in a fallen world. But it was just interesting to see how someones story and their view of God can affect my thoughts about God, and challenge what I really believe.

Again, let me encourage you to read this book, as it will definetly stir some questions in your mind.

Ok, now I offically feel like I should have been on Reading Rainbow...anybody remember that one? "Fly high in the sky...."

Have a great weekend!

It Was But a Little White Lie...

2008-01-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

So I said I was going to be posting a series of blogs about a book I was reading. Then I realized that it didn't have to be published on the Internet, but rather turned in as a hard copy. So I wound up doing my posts in a word doc. Sorry I told a fib, but it wasn't intentional. And truthfully, I probably spared you a bit, because unless you were reading the book along with me, you would have probably been lost to what I was saying. However, I will recommend that you read the book. It is by Mark Matlock and it is a really easy read and it discusses the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. The book is called "Living a Life That Matters".

In other news, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I haven't even posted since the world turned to 2008. I will try to get back to more regular blogs, since things should start to regain some since of normalcy...whatever that is!

For now, I'll just tell you some things I am looking forward to in 2008!

1. Karen's graduation - That's right, this year, Karen will become a nurse! I am really excited about that, excited for her, and excited to see the next chapter for her life. Will she work full time? Will she go on to get her BA? Will she become a mom? May will at least close one chapter and open another!

2. My graduation - It won't actually happen in 2008...more like 2009, but at the end of this year I will have one more semester left (for those of you keeping count that means I have 3 more full semesters left with the addition of several more workshops). But having it down to one last semester will feel really good at the end of this year!

3. Choir - I never thought I'd being doing this, but this year we will be starting a worship choir at church. Beware, this isn't your grandma's choir, we're still contemporary in music style. However, this will offer greater opportunity for more to be involved. I am really excited about the challenge!

4. New Porch Railing - I fully intend to stretch my handyman status this year by replacing our front porch railing. It has long since buckled and pulled apart at the seems, and is in dire need of being torn down, torched and being rebuilt! Anyone who knows me knows that this will probably be a hilarious sight, filled with mistakes, mismeasurements, and a few quiet expletive....that is if this little project goes as usual.

5. A new guitar - I recall this time last year thinking that 2007 would be the year of my new guitar. Well I find myself again saying that very same thing. It's amazing how priorities shift when you get married/grow older. However, the savings race has begun and I am 1/25 of the way there. I intend to, by years end, have a sparkly new Taylor 610 or 614. Here's praying that I can keep the car and truck intact, the house standing, and our health together!

6. Another year full of blessings....or not - If I were really honest, 2007 went off without a hitch. It was really a squeaky clean year. Even more so, if I were to count my blessings, it take all of 2008 to do so. I am very thankful for all the good gifts that God has blessed me and my family with. I am dually thankful for protection and provision. And I expect that 2008 will not be different. However, if for some reason, the bottom fell out, and life as I knew it was turned to shambles, what could I say. If at the end of this year I looked back and saw that everything bad that could have happened did, still I would hope that I would remember that God is good, he is in control, and BLESSED BE HIS NAME. I think about that a lot. I've been spared so much of life's troubles....I mean I've had bad days, but on the whole, life has been way too good. No tragedy has befallen, no sickness overwhelmed, no accident stricken......it's almost to good to be true in this old fallen world!! Don't get me wrong, I am thankful. But you never know when life will take it's turn, and so I always want to be prepared. And even if bad times come in 2008, I think I can still say I am really blessed!

So there you have it, just a short list of what I am looking forward to about 2008! Until next time.....

It wasn't even my grade!!

2007-12-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

Karen finally finished up this semester of school which means only one more semester to go! For those of you who don't know, Karen is in nursing school, and will graduate in May as an RN. It has been a tough road -- lots of stress, studying, sobbing and other s-words that go along with higher education. However, she has done a fantastic job and she really works hard to do so well. It's different for me, I don't do a very good job of studying, but I have a pretty good memory so I can cram and at least make decent. And for me a B is great, a C is ok.....and as long as I pass everything I am good.....well let me take that back a little...I have to keep at least a 3.0 overall to begin my doctoral work (if I can survive my graduate studies to get there). But Karen, she studies night and day, and works and works so hard to get her grades. And she usually does exceptionally well.

Anyway, I am telling you all this to tell you that the strangest thing has happened in my life since I have been married, and it is magnified in Karen's pursuit of her nursing degree. I am going to be brutally honest here and admit that I am a selfish person. It's not something I am proud of, but many times life can be "all about me." To say that, I also have to say that I am fully aware of this flaw and want to work on it. However, I remember when Karen finished her core college classes and was applying for nursing school, how we prayed that she would get into Northeast (the school she is now in in Rainsville, AL.) She had applied to two schools but Northeast was the better and more established program, which made it much more desireable. And we prayed that if she didn't get in to nursing school God would just make it clear what He would have her do. And I remember when she got her acceptance letter to Northeast how I was so happy for her, and how I felt as though God had just laid out the next step of his plan for Karen...and I remember tears coming to my eyes....it was the strangest thing.

And then at the end of this past summer's semester Karen had not had such a great experience with tests and was afraid she wasn't going to pass. She was so worried when the grades were posted. We both checked grades together, hoping with all that was within us that she would at least have passed. And I remember when she pulled it up and it had a huge B on her grades, how we rejoiced, and cried together. It was the strangest thing.

That brings me to today. Again Karen and I checked her grades together and this semester she had a bright, beaming and glorious A! And I have never been so proud in all of my life I don't suppose! It was the strangest thing.

Everytime we go through this, I come away feeling overwhelmed at this bond I share with this other person, my wife. I've never felt this way before for anyone. It's so wonderfully strange to me that her defeats are my defeats and her victories are my victories. As I mentioned before, I can be quite selfish, but when we go through these times together, I could not be happier for a person.

Karen WILL graduate in May and become the most wonderful nurse, in part because she sees nursing as a way to show the love of Jesus to people through personal care. I think she is amazing, and I am so proud of her accomplishments up to this point. And I can't wait to see her succeed in the workplace....I kid all the time about all the money she'll make and how I'll retire....but truthfully, I don't care what kind of money she makes (though it will be an added bonus). I just want to see her continue to follow God's calling in her life and serve Him as I know her heart desires!

My point is that I never imagined in a million years that I could feel the way I do about another person. To share life with one other person and to do it all as a team, as partners! Man, I am so thankful that God established marriage as he did. And I am even more thankful that he, in his wonderous knowledge and forsight, made Karen as my partner, my wife!

As I mentioned in my last post, be on the lookout for book information in the near future (this is my way of reminding myself that I really need to do my homework before it is, as they say inproperly in Alabama, everlastin' too late).

Let the Little Ones Live Privately...How's That for the Right to Privacy!!!!

2007-12-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

I just got done watching a fascinating episode of CSI Miami. I'm not a huge fan of the show and hardly ever watch it. And I wouldn't encourage anyone to watch it either. The acting is so sub-par....it's ridiculous. However tonight I am glad that I chose it over the Dog Show on ESPN. I'll try not to bore you with all the details, so to make a long story short, the investigation of the night for CSI included the murder of a woman who turned out to be 10-12 weeks pregnant. At the moment of discovery of the now deceased fetus, the lead detective, in a most melodramatic tone said "Well one murder just turned into two."

Immediately I thought "now that's interesting. CBS just admitted that a baby is considered a living human being at 10-12 weeks." But the problem is that every day, living human beings at the same age of 10-12 weeks, in the mother's womb, are being brutally murdered and the murderers go unpunished.

To be honest I was going to blog about this issue a while back after watching a debate among the democrat presidential hopefuls. I forget exactly which debate it was, but I do recall the question asked had something to do with a woman's right to choose. Choose what you ask. Choose to murder their unborn baby is the real answer. However, each candidate, when asked their stance on the women's right to choose, (to be read "the woman's freedom to murder")answered by saying something like "I believe in the right to privacy." The most memorable answers were given by one John Edwards and on Hilary Clinton, who both when asked point blank on their stance on abortion, said "I believe in the right to privacy." In other words, I believe that a women should have the ability and the right to murder her own child (who is now, by the admission of the liberal media, namely CBS, a living human being who, when killed by another person, allows that person to be tried for murder) and not have to tell anyone about it. If your needing more clarification, that means that at least John Edwards, Hilary Clinton, and most every other democrat, including one so-called Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani, believe that woman should be allowed to murder her child and go completely unpunished.

For the record, I believe in the right to privacy too! I believe that ever child conceived should have the chance to live life privately!!!

I can't think of one reason, argument, or terribly wonderful characteristic that a candidate can display that could make up for their stance that a woman should be allowed to murder! And listen, my beef isn't with women, it's just that that stance is particular to women, what with women being the only gender capable of carrying a child....but if a candidate stood up and said "I believe in the right to privacy for a man to be able to kill his 2 year old son or daughter" we'd all be outraged! And rightfully so. SO why aren't we more outraged about the fact that democrats, and politicians, and people in general find abortion OK? If there is one single case that has ever been tried where an unborn child and mother were killed and the murderer was tried for two murders, then abortion should be COMPLETELY OUTLAWED!!! It's a no-brainer! Yet, we change our vernacular, cloud the truth with fancy semantics, and killers walk free everyday, while the politicians are tauted as hero's for women's rights! It makes me sick. And while I can think of a whole host of other reasons to never vote for a democrat, that is the tipping-point issue for me.....or for anyone democrat or republican who takes that stance.

OK, so I just had to get that out.

In other news, my blog will be changing in the next couple of days. I have an assignment for a class I am taking where I am to blog about a book I am reading. So I will be using the current blog to complete that assignment. I will give the details of the book with all needed information in the first post of the assignment. For those of you who don't know, I am still in seminary, and I am taking a Jan. workshop to continue that pursuit. The book is good, and is about Solomon...so it could be a potentially interesting blog...or not. Just wanted to give any regular readers the scoop before I get into the assignment!

So, in conclusion....MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Dark turns to light?

2007-12-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

As you've probably already heard, there is a new movie coming out this weekend called the Golden Compass based on a trilogy of children's books. Christian groups across the country are up-in-arms about the movie and there are talks about boycotting the movie. Phillip Pullman is the writer of the children's books and is an unashamed, self-described agnostic and atheist. New Line Cinema, the company producing the movie, has claimed to have toned down the apparent atheistic overtones evident throughout the books for the big-screen in order to appeal to a broader market. The argument coming at least from the Catholic camp is that the move is to make money for the production company, but will ultimately lead to unsuspecting parents purchasing the books to find atheism and agnosticism being pushed on their children.

Now that you get the idea, I just want to share a few brief comments. First of all, I do find it a bit unnerving that movies like this, with a disbelief at best and a complete hatred at worst towards God, are making the mainstream. And I think parents especially, but also all movie-goers, should make careful choices when it comes to movies and entertainment in general.

But what I do not get is why when these types of movies come out, so come out the Christian alarm-blowers yelling "STOP THAT MOVIE" or "BOYCOTT, BOYCOTT." Again, I don't like the underlying theme of the movie, but really should I be surprised that this type of entertainment is out there? I am not only NOT surprised, I have come to expect nothing less from Hollywood, the entertainment business, shoot...even politics and the like. I realize that it is often the extremest, God-haters that get the sandwich-sign-wearing-bullhorn-carrying-siren-pulling boycotters out. But where are they when every other weekend a filthy, blood-soaked horror film comes out that is just one sawed-limb short of an R rating that is marketed towards teenagers? Where are they when 50-Cent or Kanye West put out yet another rap album degrading women and promoting all types of materialism and debauchery that is specifically designed to sell to kids between the ages of 8-18? Where are they when Britney Spears.....OK I'll stop there.

Here's my point. At what point do we as Christians (even right-winged fundamentalists kooks) say that the world is only doing what it is and has always done? And at what point do we say that this is what the world always will do! When are we going to understand that the darkness is just that. I think it was C.S. Lewis that said "You'll never scrub this dirty world clean enough to live in it." It's like every time a movie like the Golden Compass comes out, we as Christians come out and say (in Brian Reagan-esque voice) "The dark is being dark! The dark is being dark!" Meanwhile, the darkness turns to us, the ones who are supposed to be the lamp on the lampstand, the city on the hill, laughs, and wanders further away from what is now becoming less of a bright light and much more of a forgettable flicker. Listen, the darkness is going to be dark. The sun has not once said to the night sky (at least within my hearing) "Lighten up! Be more like me. Stop being so dark." Instead, every morning it pops it's head over the horizon, and pushes it's way further into the middle until all of the darkness fades away, and the light encompasses the entire sky. That's what we as Christians are supposed to do. We aren't called to be whistle-blowers, or tattle-tailers. We aren't called to point out how bad the world is getting. Instead we are called to be "the light of the world." We are called to shine bright the light of Jesus such that those wallowing in the depths of sin and darkness see our light, and can't help but be drawn to it. And it is all because we hold our light not in their eyes to blind them, but in front of them, to light there way to Jesus. John 3:17 says that Jesus came not to condemn to world, but to save it. And he wants those of us who have been blessed of God to have seen HIS light and received his gift of salvation to light the paths for others.

The Golden Compass is just one of the many many movies that have and will continue to come out that will try to deny that God exists, and try to make others believe that as well. And for some, it will work. However, instead of standing outside the theater yelling at people not to go to the movie, and instead of whining and crying about the fact that Hollywood and the entertainment industry is pushing their evil ways onto us the general public, let us as fully devoted Christ followers push back with generosity, love, patience, kindness, humbleness, and self-control and begin to shine our light, the Light of Jesus Christ, in dark places!

How The Grinch Stole Christmas Songs

2007-11-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

In my last post I submitted a list of my favorite Christmas songs this season. It wasn't an exhaustive list by any stretch because there are a ton of great Christmas songs and albums out.

However, there are some really bad Christmas songs out there as well that somehow seem to make there way through the radio waves, into my radio, and usually into my head. So below is my top 10 list of really really bad Christmas songs that you'll want to avoid at all costs this Christmas season

10. Happy Christmas War is Over - John Lenon and Yoko Ono - Man did Yoko ruin a great musician and writer. This song shouldn't even be on a Christmas play list as far as I am concerned...the melody is as dreary as the lyrics, which makes it completely unenjoyable. Thanks John and Yoko for opening wide the proverbial winter window and throwing out the Christmas spirit!

9. Jingle Bells - I tried to find out who sings this but couldn't....but I am talking about a specific version...the one that is really fast all in one breath "jinglebellsjinglebellsjingleallthewayheyohwhatfunitistorideinaonehorseopensleighhey" Hey maybe this year you should ask Santa for some Riddlin'!

8. The Christmas Song - Aaron Neville - Who decided this guy had a good voice? I'm gonna put my issues with the song aside (but really what is up with roasting chestnuts?) to simply say that I've heard geese with better voices.......come to think of it, Aaron sorta sounds like a goose with some major vibrato problems.

7. Little Drummer Boy - Kenny G - because nothing says drumming like a long curly mullet and some smooth brass.

6. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - do I really need to explain the lunacy of this song?

5. Grown Up Christmas List - I think this one is best known as preformed by Vanessa Williams (and there is a version done by Amy Grant...which explains so much about this song), but regardless of who sings it, this song is not only bad, but I'm pretty well convinced it is one giant melodic lie. I think I can safely classify myself as a grown-up (though still terribly young at heart) and my Christmas list looks nothing like this. And no other grown ups I know have this type of list either. I mean sure we all want peace on earth and to rid the world of poverty...but trust me, singing this song isn't going to accomplish that!!

4. Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Ride - Kenny and Dolly - Before Kenny's face became plastic, but not before the addition of plastic in other parts on one of the duos bodies (I'll let you guess who), this recording is dreadfully sappy....and just plain silly! I can't say I'm a big fan of either one of their music, but put them together and you just get BAD!!

3. Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer - Elmo and Patsy - So when did it become funny for convoluted, alcoholic Grandmothers to be tragically killed in what can only be described as a catastrophic accident? I mean, Grandma needed help way before this happened. And the song paints reindeer in such an unfairly negative light!

2. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - This song is disturbing. I mean it's either about an affair (problem A) or about a child seeing their parents making out and then writing a song about it (problem B). Either way, the song is just as wrong as it is annoying!

1. The Christmas Shoes - Newsong - Why is it that such a cheesy song has the inevitable ability to make me cry. And I'm not talking about a sniffle. I'm talking about boo-hoo, snotty-nose, don't-just-stand-there-and-gawk-bring-me-a-tissue kind of sob! I mean....come on....they wrote this song after they received the same forwarded e-mail that we all received years ago.....stop playing it already so I can enjoy the holidays and stop thinking about that poor child who...sniff...doesn't...sniff sniff...have enough.....sniff sniff pfffff....money for the....sniff sniff....SHOES!

This was a hard list to compress to only 10, so some dis-honorable mentions go to

A)Feed The World - Do They Know its Christmas? by everybody who was anybody in 1985 including Boy George, Sting, Bono (and a string of only-one-name-monichered people). Formally known as BandAid--pun intended I think--this song is just as awful as their haridos!

B)Last Christmas by George Michael (who appears on our list twice. He too was in Bandaid) - This song probably wins the award for most played Christmas song, which baffles me, because it is so horrible!!

So there you have it. The worst Christmas songs you should avoid this Christmas. Consider yourself warned, and remember, only you can prevent bad Christmas songs from being heard.

The Hap-Happiest Time of the Year

2007-11-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

I gotta admit, I'm pretty pumped. Thanksgiving kinda got me in the holiday spirit, and I'm pretty excited that Christmas time is upon us! This really is my favorite time of the year, despite the increasingly cold weather and short days. I mean give me a long, hot, southern summer day most any time, and you can have your ol cold, grey weather (unless there is snow and large hills involved). But this is the time of year to celebrate, reflect on the year that has gone by while looking towards a new one, be with family, eat, eat, and eat some more! And most importantly it is a time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God who became flesh and lived on Earth for the sole purpose of bringing about salvation to mankind! Man what an awesome truth! Needless to say this is the hap-happiest time of the year!

So in the holiday---no scratch that--the Christmas spirit, I would like to recommend some holly-jolly Christmas tunes to help jump start and enhance your Christmas cheer. These tunes are guaranteed to lift your spirits, put a smile on your face, and have you singing along....well most of them will anyway! So without further delay, here is my top 10 Christmas tunes in ascending order!

10. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 - Transiberian Orchestra this is from the Christmas Eve and Other Stories album....great guitar playing!

9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Mannheim Steamroller - From the Christmas Celebration album. The song is one of the best Christmas songs anyway, and this arrangement is top notch!

8. The 12 Days of Christmas - The Muppets and John Denver - from A Christmas Together - Does it really get any better than Mrs. Piggy singing "5 gold rings". And Beaker is hilarious!This one's a classic for sure!

7. The Song of Christmas - Newsong - From the album "The Christmas Hope" (Not to be confused with "The Christmas Shoes") this song is a really great song, especially for Newsong. Expect some semi-cheesy lyrics...but be not afraid, for the vocals more than make up for them!

6. O Rejoice - This is a Hillsong song...not sure what album, but I got it on a compilation from a music subscription that I.....subscribe to. Man this song is amazing! Great chorus!

5. This is Our God w/ What Child is This - Travis Cotrell - Again I got this on a compilation, but if you can find this individual song it is well worth it. A great worship song with descriptions of God unlike any you've probably used before....but so true!

4. Let It Snow - Michael Buble - Is it me or is this guy a Dean Martin or Old Blue Eyes all rolled into one? Bringing back the old school big band fronted by a larger-than-life personality entertainer, Buble has the smoothest voice ever, and I really dig the big band sound!

3. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - The Chipmunks - Who are the marketing geniuses that came up with the Chipmunks...and that further more decided to record a Christmas song with them? Genius I tell you, GENIUS!

2. O Come O Come Emmanuel - The traditional hymn straight from the hymnal is what I'm referring to here. The message that lies within this song is everything that Christmas is about! Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come!!!

1. Blue Christmas - Now I know what you're thinking, "Really, you gave Elvis the top spot on your list." But indeed my friends I did not. The song Blue Christmas was in fact recorded by Elvis (recall the lady squelching in the background), but for the purposes of my list, I would like to cite a much better version, sung by one....drum role please......PORKY PIG. Oh man this song is a riot! I recall one Christmas morning many years ago when I was still a boy, waking up early early to the Pig singing this song....and I just laughed and laughed. The poor guy has the hardest time spitting it out....but nothing will get you in the Christmas spirit quicker!

So there you have it, walk...no run to your local wal-mart of iTunes to grab yourself a whole batch of merry music!

So Maybe I Do Have a Problem

2007-11-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

I have known for quite some time now that I am not the most organized person in the world. It's not like it's a great secret. But I think I am getting along in life just fine. Or I did think that until recently.

As a co-worker of mine would say, I obviously have a pilots license.....I pile it here, pile it there. It's just sort of my default way of dealing with most everything, most especially papers.

Let's take my office for example. If someone comes into my office and says, "Hey Matt check out this cool piece of paper that has important information inked on it" then I would take it from them, and if it had any semblance of interest to me, I would look at it and then once done, I would place it in a specific corner on my desk. Now, after looking at this paper, it may never need my attention again. However, my thought most often is "I may want to look at that again" or "I may use that sometime" or if it is an especially important document, I may say to myself "I need to come back to that." And it gets special attention if the paper is some color other than white (oooo.....pretty paper....aaahhhh).

It's the same thing with my drawers (no not my underwear.....my desk drawers). I will look in them for something, and think, "Oh yeah, there is that duct tape that I may need one day" or "Oh yes, there is that dry erase board marker eraser that I might need if I ever teach again with a dry erase board" or "Oh there is my pile of rubber bands that I rarely, if ever, use, but you never know when a pile of rubber bands might come in handy. Better leave those there" or "Oh there is my wig and make up...." wait...did I type that out loud.

You get the idea. I am similar in my thoughts. Someone will come up to me let's say on a Sunday at church (when I am usually the busiest and most stretched for time, patience, and mental capacity) and say "Hey Matt, you know that song you sang three weeks ago, the one that talked about Jesus. Do you remember that?" To which I usually say out loud "Uh.....yeah....uh....can you give me a bit more of a reminder" while I think in my head "What...we sang three weeks ago? There was a three weeks ago. Wonder where did I put my keys. And why is that little 2 year old about to walk up and touch my guitar that costs more than his little life could ever repay!!! Hey there is this person in front of me singing...who is this person.....hey person.....oh yes..song...about Jesus....song song song..uh.....yes we definitely have never sang a song that sounded like that...in fact...that's not music...that's what my cat sounds like when I pull her tail...keys...kid.....mmm hungry....stop...song song song" Anyway so the person now has stopped singing and is starring at me awaiting my answer to "Remember that one?" Oh yes, OK I DO remember it. "Why yes, I remember that" Other person: "Can I have a copy of that on CD?" Me: "Sure, I have that I can get you a copy, I'll do it tomorrow when I come in and get it to you Wednesday."

Of course, following that conversation I have a thousand other "Heys" "How are yous" and "Can you help mes". Monday comes, and no thought of making a CD has even crept close to the forefront of my mind. Then Wednesday come, Mr. Person comes up all excited "Hey did you make me a copy of that CD?" And in my head I think "CD? Copy? Copying music is illegal. Illegals, now there's something we have a lot of around here in Albertville AL. Alabama.....I live in Alabama....of goodness...CD...CD.....CD...OH YEAH THE CD" and then I have to tuck my head and say "No Mr. Person...I completely forgot about that."

Let's stop right there and just say that I wish I had a dollar for every time I have said "I forgot." I'd be terribly rich.

But alas, my forgetfulness...and my lack of organization has become a bit of a problem in my life. As I continue to add more to my already full schedule of school, work, family, etc. I also need to continually increase my level of organization. The problem is that it just doesn't come naturally. I tend to be more spontaneous in my daily planning (though for the record I do have a system...more on that in a second). I like the freedom to move throughout the day as needed. In ministry, there is an inherent need and expectation of flexibility. And what I lack in organization, I definitely own in flexibility. And I am more and more conscious of the fact that I think differently than a lot of people. I think it has something to do with being left-brained or something. I will never be a rigid person, stuck to a strict schedule, control ed by the calendar. But I do have to do something.

In effort to get a leg up on my organizational skills, I recently attended a one-day Franklin Covey conference. If you've never been to one, you should go. It was really great, and had some wonderful principles to apply not only to work, but also to personal life. I am really working on this organization thing. I don't want things like forgetfulness or planning to hinder my effectiveness in life. I don't want to be held back by the hang up of scatter-brained-ness.

But I need to make two observations that will hopefully prove to be therapeutic at least for me. The first is that it seems that in my recent quest to become more organized, more people have been brave enough to point out to me that I am unorganized (and by brave I mean obnoxiously blunt) as if I didn't already know it. I will, however, take that as a sign that I desperately need to make some changes before this delimma bites me. But people, come on, I don't tell you that you're too fat and you need to get your weight under control, or that you talk to loud on your cell phones when standing in line at the grocery store, or that your breath reeks and you need a breath mint before we all pass out for the putrid smell. I don't point out the obvious shortcomings in your life, because I assume that you, like me, are a self-evaluator and you already know those things. Listen I am the first to wave the banner for truth in love, I am, but COME ON!!!

Secondly, and most selfishly, I just want to say that I am not unorganized because I want to be, because I am incapable, or because I am lazy. Organization just alludes me for whatever reason. It's tough for me. It's hard but I am working at it. I AM WORKING AT IT! But I'd like to think that there is some beauty in the way I am made. That my lack of organization, planning....call it free-spiritedness, creates balance in my life, the life of those around me, and in my line of work. If we were all so driven by planning and organization (and please don't hear me devaluing those things, I truly realize their purpose) we would probably miss out a lot on moments of joy, laughter, and spontaneity that keeps life interesting.

My final word is simply this: If you are like me and suffer from the terribly disease of disorganization there is hope. You can work at it and get better. But don't do so to the detriment of your personality. I am convinced that though we need to present ourselves in an excellent manner, God created us artsy, left-brained, creative folks the way we are for a reason. I am also convinced that we may perhaps be a bit under appreciated in our society. Maybe I should say our approach to life is a bit under appreciated...that sounds better. But find joy in how you were created!

And for those of you organized people out there who get frustrated at us less gifted at organization, I would just say to you: Cut us some slack! Maybe that's why you are around us. To help us. And we're to help you!

See how beautiful this could really be!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!

The Poor Poor Scene

2007-11-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

I’m in Birmingham for the night, staying over for a conference tomorrow. For those who don’t know, I go to Birmingham every Monday for Seminary (all day long I might add). So instead of driving all the way back home and then all the way back to B-ham, I just booked a room at the Sheraton for the evening. So now I am blogging….however the only internet connection I could get without spending the entire evening in the lobby would cost me $12 (which, by-the-way it is to be noted that the Hampton Inn gives its patrons free wireless internet access in every room!). So this post, though I am writing it on Monday, will probably not be posted until Wednesday. That aside, I did want to share my experience from tonight.

I had some time after class to wander around Birmingham. So after a pointless twenty minute trip to the mall, I found my way to the nearest Best Buy. While there, I realized something that really bothered me. Allow myself to explain…..myself.

I was walking up and down the music isles at Best Buy as I have done countless times before. You have to understand the obvious fact that I really really enjoy all things music. My preference would be to make/play music, however I also take great pleasure in listening to music, especially something new. I am always trying to find new music with the sole stipulation that it be…well…… good. In the past, I have even gone to a music retailer with a list of 5 or 6 records that I have wanted to purchase. It was always a treat to be able to mark one by one each record off of my list. However, as I walked down the aisles tonight, I realized that I didn’t have a list. I’ll admit I was a bit unprepared, as I had not originally planned this trip to Best Buy, but again, my past experience has proven that even without my trusty music-to-buy list, I’ve been able to find at least one record on the shelves that would catch my attention. Not so tonight, and as that realization dawned, and even deeper and more troubling realization followed. Not only do I not have a list, and not only could I not find a record worth buying at Best Buy, I am not sure that at this very moment there is a single record that has proven to be worthy of my attention.

Well, ok, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch (and I might add that the previous statement read much more arrogant than I intended). There are good artists still around, and upon further examination, there are a few bands that are still putting out a good product. And I would further have to admit that a good bit of what I am basing this entire blog off of is totally subjective. However, the fact still remains that the current temperature of the music industry is tepid at best. In fact I would dare say that it is near hypothermic! Radio has become irrelevant and utterly annoying. Labels pour loads of money into only those acts that will return loads of money for them, completely disregarding the quality or integrity of the artistic product. And don’t get me started again on the fact that there is such a genre as “Christian” music.

But this blog isn’t just about the pitiful state of the music industry. It is much more about the fact of how deflated I was when I walked away from the music store empty handed yet again (though my wife and I will both be glad to leave that $9.99 plus tax in our bank account!). It is about the fact that not only was I empty handed, but the last few times I did actually by an album, I was disappointed. The last really great record I bought was at least a year ago (by a band called The Edison Glass…be sure to check them out, you’ll be glad you did). It’s about the fact that either the music industry is failing to put out music for a connoisseur like me, or maybe, just maybe, I’ve lost an edge on what is really good music. Maybe the problem lies more in my auditory taste than it does in artistic temperature. I’ll be honest, those bands that normally get rave reviews by critics usually are either to out-their-weird for me, or it is too Americana-boring, or it is Celtic (which isn’t necessarily a problem, I just have a hard time riding down the road with Celtic Women as my driving music). Perhaps as I get a little older my taste is supposed to change, but I still would just prefer good old fashioned catchy pop-rock and roll with artistic integrity and thought-provoking and even only somewhat original lyrics. Is that really too much to ask?

Maybe that is what my role will be one day. Maybe I’ll be the one to fill the void of the oh-so-needed rock-n-roll. Maybe I’ll be the heating pad that warms up ever-so-slightly the sub-zero radio waves. Or maybe you could just tell me a good band that is already doing that so I can get me some new music!

I Saw What I Saw

2007-11-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let you all know about an amazing music video I just saw today. It's by Sara Groves, and the song is called I Saw What I Saw.

Do yourself a favor and go watch that video asap!

In other news, I found this article that relates to yesterday's post! Be sure to check it out as well!

My TV hasn't changed its opnion of me....neither have I!

2007-11-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

So I'm struggling a bit here with this whole green thing. Maybe I'm the one who's crazy, but I'm thinking more and more that Global Warming is at worst and hoax, and at best a ploy to make money by the likes of Al "It-looks-like-I-smeared-Vaseline-all-over-my-face" Gore and his whatever organization. Don't get me wrong, I think we should take care of the environment, and we should do what we can to preserve the beauty and functionality of the earth for future generations. However, I also would like to think that I have enough common sense and appreciation for God's creation to make that decision in my own life. And further more, while I realize that mankind can have a significant impact on the environment, I struggle to believe that we can cause a shift in climate. Last time I checked, God was in control of that! So I'd like to just be an individual who has an equal appreciation for what I can and cannot do for the world around me.

BUT NO!

Enter NBC and "Green Week". So I haven't been home to watch TV until last night. It started with the nightly news (whose obvious goal is just to tick me off) and their special report on something environmental. Pardon me for not knowing what the report was because I was doing the dishes...but I heard enough to know it was about global warming. Well then we started watching The Biggest Loser (did I just type that.....I mean.....I don't personally like the show....it's Karen....and we compromise with our TV watching....leave me alone). At every commercial break they were giving us tips like "recycle" or "plant a tree". Really? Really? We can recycle, or plant trees to help the environment? No way! Then all of their workouts had to be done without electricity...so they would conserve energy. And to top it all off, they gave the contestants special green shirts with a giant "RECYCLE" symbol on the back.

But that wasn't the worst of it. After I suffer through The Biggest Loser, we then watch Law & Order. Usually a good show, though I rarely agree with their political commentary that is prevalent throughout the show. It was in the middle of a show, that one of the characters is carrying around a pizza box....just walking around with it, when another character shouts out "Hey, you know you need to recycle that pizza box!"

Talk about gratuitous. This whole NBC Green Week mess really gets under my skin. I honestly can't figure it out. Do they really think that they are being oh-so-noble in shoving this down our throats. I find it terribly hard to believe that they are really trying to make a difference. It seems much more likely to me that they are trying to guilt us into changing our lifestyle in such a way that we have to spend money on "Green" items (or heaven forbid on carbon credits!!). In the process, the one pushing this little agenda get rich, but the environment, due to conditions that have been in place since the dawn of man, continues to change, until we realize that "OH the ice caps are now getting bigger.....ICE AGE ICE AGE beware of the ICE AGE" In which case, the tide turns and we now need to do something else to stop ruining the environment.....does this sound familiar. Hey here's an idea NBC, STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!

Here's my questions. Have I just been listening to Rush Limbaugh a bit to much lately, or is the global warming thing a big-to-do-about-absolutely-nothing? I don't want to call it a scam, but OK....ITS A SCAM! It's just not adding up to me! And listen, I realize that I have every right to turn NBC off, and just not watch it, which is sounding more and more appealing each day, but that's not really my point. My point is that at some time there has to be a voice that is as loud as my liberal TVs voice. My biggest problem is not that NBC is spewing trash about global-shmobal warming. It's that there isn't on TV station that is calling into question the validity of this stuff or that is at least willing to present an alternative. I mean, right or wrong, let's see the potential other side of the equation. Perhaps the Earth is deteriorating. Perhaps it has always been. Or perhaps it is a part of a cycle. We have droughts and we have floods. We have summer and winter. We have bumper crops some years, and some years we get briars. Some days are good, some days are bad. Instead we continue to hear this annoying alarm sound that is apparently intended to send everyone in a panic. I suppose I'll go back to my Utopian world, where media is unbiased, and where action is based on researched fact.

If you have an opinion about this subject, I'd love to hear it!

Character Equity

2007-11-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

I probably don't have to restate that I am a Georgia Bulldog fan. Perhaps since I have moved to Alabama I have become even more so. And being a Georgia means an almost automatic distaste....nay.....loathing for the Florida Gators. While that game is last week's news, I heard something on television today that reminded me of the big win we executed over our rivals. You see the big win was thrust even more into the media with a somewhat controversial call (though I would rather classify it as brilliant) that Georgia coach Mark Richt made.

Georgia has not played their best ball in the last few games leading up to what is dubbed "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party". So Coach Richt decided that the team needed to play with some emotion. He told the team that if they didn't get a penalty for excessive celebration after their first score, he would personally be so mad at them that he would make them run on Monday's practice.

Well UGA scored first, and after the touchdown, the entire team cleared the sideline and went to the end zone where they danced, pranced, and subsequently got an excessive celebration penalty. While the call was brilliant and probably had something to do with Georgia winning the game, not everyone was thrilled by the call, least of all Florida and the president of the SEC. So Mark Richt issued a public apology. No fines or such punishment deemed necessary. And no real harm done.

However, today, every football commentator on TV has been asking "Was Coach Richt's call brilliant, or in bad taste." One commentator put it best when he said
"Coach Richt has enough Character Equity built up in college football for that call to have done no damage to his own reputation or the reputation to the Georgia Football program." I thought that was a great testimony to Mark Richt (a professing Christ-follower) and the respect that most people have for him. And it made me hope that people can say the same thing about me....that I have a good amount of Character Equity.

I also used this story last week as an example for my choir. I told them that many times we approach God in the same way the UGA had been approaching football; emotionless, a going-through-of-the motions-for-whatever-reason, a detached weekly to-do, etc. However, our God is to be worship and loved with "all our heart, soul, mind, and strength." Which includes our emotion. Now I'll be the first to say that you can't worship God with emotion only. Just as you can't worship him with intellectual reason only. But when we combine our emotional response (remembering that we approach every other relationship with some form of emotion) with the truth of who God is, his word, and the direction of His Holy Spirit, we have a winning combination for life-altering, mission-breeding worship. Maybe we could all use a dose of "excessive celebration" in our personal, and corporate worship!

Why are we so mean?

2007-10-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

I think that perhaps truth-in-love has gone our the window. I think it's been exchanged by either cowardly acceptance, complacency, or faceless and nameless and spineless written comments. I'd like to explain further, but i first feel the need to let you know that I in know way intend for this blog to be a place where I type-preach. However, I feel as though I can only talk about those things that are important and pertinent in my own life. With that mini-disclaimer....here I go.

I enjoy reading several blogs in my spare time. One of those blogs is called Out of Ur (blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur). It is a leadership type blog that deals with issues facing the church and church leadership. The topics are usually somewhat controversial, and usually garner a great deal of response. I find it interesting not only to read the actual articles, but also the comments by the readers. However, there is quite a disturbing trend in the majority of the responses. They are most often sarcastic, degrading, and (gasp) just plain mean. And I would venture a guess that the majority of people reading this blog are involved in church ministry, or at least have some connection to church.

Now I can understand that the fact that the internet gives us sort of a liberty to say things that we wouldn't normally say because we don't have to look anybody in the eye, or have any sort of verbal banter with another real live person. And I can imagine that it enboldens us. I would even admit that I feel that way from time to time, and though I have never submitted such a comment, I have spewed such pointed sarcasm on this very blog (which at the moment I feel somewhat pentatent about!). However, I would say it is one thing to be passionate, even angry about something, such that you would write about it on a blog, or for an editorial piece for a newspaper, or whatever. But to maliciously attack another person for their expressed opinions and views is different.

So my question is whatever happened to truth in love. The truth is even we as Christ-followers are going to disagree about issues.....even big issues. But I think if we are to truly follow Jesus, those issues must in no way replace the issue of loving one another. We can debate and disagree without ever attacking someone's character or personality. Even more we can (and even more are commanded to) talk openly, point out faults, correct, guide, and help each other all for the greater good of growing in Christ, without throwing love out the window.

"If we love our Christian brothers and sisters , it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead." "Dear Children, let's not merely say that we love each other, let us show the truth by our actions." 1 John 3:14,18

I think that truth is only truth when it walks hand-in-hand with love. Jesus embodied this in his days on earth. We, as little Christs, must do the same!

A Personal Day

2007-10-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

I took a personal day off of school today. I have an event I am leading worship at that would have limited me to only 1 and 1/2 of my 3 classes, so I decided that the 1 and 1/2 hour drive to Birmingham would just not be worth it, especially given the weekend.

We went to Cochran for my Dad's 60th birthday. Hard to believe he's 60. It was really great to be at home, even for a short amount of time. We ate...and ate well I'd say (as we always do)....and the company was especially nice! Home is a relaxing place for me...a place where stress, responsibilities, and concerns seem unable to travel. And time seems to go by much slower at home as well. So a great trip home, followed by a big win by the Georgia Bulldogs made the weekend a positive. And yesterday was a good, yet tiring, day. We had a really great worship services yesterday, and a decent choir rehearsal. But the clincher for the weekend was a 4 hour budget meeting....man am I still tired from that one.

All in all today was a nice day to have off, catch up, and even get ahead on the week's work. And a good friend of mine always said that tuition covered a couple of skip days....so I am good with that!

Enough rambling now....more later!

My TV thinks I'm stupid. But that's ok, cause the feeling is mutual!

2007-10-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

So I was watching the nightly news a couple of nights ago, and they were reporting on the wildfires in California. Good old Brian Williams chose to tell us that "about 540,000 people have been evacuated from their California homes. That's just over half-a-million people." Now, I am totally sympathetic to what is going on in Cali. I even have a friend who lives out there who has to deal with the fire issue. And I can understand over-emphasising to get a point across. But come on Brain....is 500,000 really half-a-million???? You're kidding....really...I had no stinking idea because the logic of second-grade math befuddles me. Thanks for clearing that up! What would I do without you and your crucial commentary! Why, methinks I would be forever lost in an intellectual fog if it weren't for the stellar broadcasting of Numbers 101 that NBC has so delightfully put on the air.

You might as well call us all viewer-wooers, dangle a rattle in front of our faces, feed us creamed spinach baby-food, and change our diapers every half-hour!

For the record, I was only watching NBC because I was waiting on Wheel of Fortune to come on.....now that is quality television!

Listen man, I know you mean well.....but........

2007-10-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

My experience in Gatlinburg was really great. I had a good time with new friends, and got to experience Gatlinburg as I never had before. Seems there are a ton of little shops right down town that are the magnet for droves of people. We were included in those droves Saturday morning as we took time to stroll through the busy city stores. While there I had a unique experience.

My two favorite (to be read LEAST FAVORITE) stores were called "GodsWorld" and "GodsCorner". Now I want to apologize ahead of time, and say that I will try to make this my last of this type of blog...but man "Christians"....and Christian marketing kills me. I want to be clear here....I believe that people are God's treasure, and that we are to love one another and all....and I try really hard at that....but as my dear Dad would say "There ain't no accountin' for stupid."

What's got me so chapped? Well in both of the stores were just tons of t-shirts all with a Christian theme. But let me give you the full effect. This will be like those associations on the SAT, only worse. What I am going to do is give a company name....a decidedly well known company name, and then I will give an equals sign, and then show you the Christian rip off of that company's logo that has been tactlessly plastered on these shirts. For example Subway = Hisway. Get it. Good. Hold on tight cause here we go.

1. Got Milk? = Got Jesus? (surprisingly years after this marketing campaign is abandoned by Milk it is still apparently novel to Christians who wear t-shirts.
2. Pentium Inside = Jesus Inside
3. Burger King = King of Kings
4. You Tube = You To Be (with "God wants" on top and "saved on the bottom. So the message is God wants YOU TO BE saved....hurling as I type)
5. Deal or No Deal = either Take the Deal (meaning salvation) or Deal or No Deal followed by "Jesus is the only sure bet."
6. Reebox = Reeborn
7. Arm and Hammer = Armed and Ready
8. Sprite = Spirit
9. Ford = Lord
10. Hersey's = He Saves
11. Staples "The Easy Button" = Jesus "It's Just That Easy"
12. Abercrombie and Fitch - Abreadcrumb and Fish (embarrassing)
13. American Idol = Amazing Grace
14. iTune = I Tune Into God
15. Mountain Dew = Meant to Die
16. Yoo-Hoo = You Who (It was YOU WHO Jesus Died for)
17. Crush = Christ ( that's just plain unimaginative!)

And my personal favorite

18. Myspace = "Jesus died for MYSPACE in heaven.

And seriously I am just scratching the surface here! I could go on but I won't. You know I gotta be honest, I am pretty sure that these shirts step dangerously close to breaking the third commandment. Not to mention that whole copyright infringement thing. And pile it on with a whole slab of silliness (borderline stupidity). But the part that really gets me is that these stores are stacked full of these shirts, and probably making good money because there are plenty of people out there who buy these shirts. Now I won't infringe on a persons right to wear whatever they want, free speech and all....and I definitely don't think of myself as the fashion police. It's the marketing above the mentioned, totally ridiculous shirts in the rack of the store that reads "For the BOLD CHRISTIAN"

Oh man!!! I have failed as a Christian because I refuse to wear some hideous garb that screams "I'm an out of touch, unrealistic, squeaky clean christian who thinks that by wearing this shirt, you will see the light and become glorious redeemed, all the while I don't have to say a word, just keep this goofy shirt on with an equally as goofy smile on my face." OK perhaps I am being too harsh...and I really don't mean to degrade, or even further see myself as "too good" for this stuff. I honestly just don't get it....and I think it is doing more harm than good.

My final case in this needless point is the most marketed shirt in both of these shops. It was hung prominently all over; outside, inside, ceiling, floor, counter. I didn't buy anything, but I suspect that if I did the cashier would've said "Did you want to get one of our best selling and most thought-provoking shirts?" What did the shirt have on it? The following (and I am not kidding:) all on the front:

"Dear God,
Why do you allow all those shootings in the school? Signed, A Concerned Christian

Dear Concerned Christian,
I didn't allow all those shootings. They have kicked me out of the schools?
Signed, GOD"

Yes all of that was on the shirt. Yes I did want to buy them all, take them to a trash dump, and then light a bon fire. Yes I did let out an audible groan. Yes I did shave my head, put on my sackcloth and sit on an ash heap and wail! I don't know that I need to point out all that is wrong with this shirt....but if you are wondering let me know....I'll be working on my doctoral dissertation about it!!

Listen, here's my bottom line. I have a great idea for Christians. Let's skip all the hokey (and sometimes heretical) marketing, and start BEING like Jesus. Let's stop plastering Jesus name on our apparel and start plastering the love of Jesus around our communities and work places by meeting needs, being genuine and authentic, and heaven-forbid engage ourselves in conversations that could lead to the gospel being presented (and I don't mean in a canned FAITH outline....I mean in real relationship, friendship conversation. Let's honor God with our lives. Let's do good works so that people will see Jesus in us, and not just on us. Let's get our hands dirty so that people can, by the power of God through Christ Jesus, have their lives cleaned up. And for the love of pete.....get rid of those shirts!

I'd rather have mad or angry....

2007-10-19T20:40:00.001-07:00

I am in Gatlinburg for the night, leading worship for the "Young Professionals" retreat for a group from Hilldale Baptist Church in Clarksville, TN. We are staying in an amazing 4-story cabin complete with a pool table and ping pong table, plasma screens in nearly every room, and a theater room with a huge projection screen and lounging better-than-movie-theater style chairs. And thankfully wireless connection so I can blog about this joint.

The group won't arrive for another hour or so, so I thought I would also blog about an occurrence from yesterday. I'll start it with a quote from one of the recent episodes of my favorite TV show Hannah Montana (I know I know) At some dramatic moment in the show, where Mile (aka Hannah Montana.....I know I know), she in desperation cries to her brother "Dad said he was disappointed with me" and her brother replies "NOT DISAPPOINTED, WHY COULDN'T HE BE ANGRY OR MAD?." It's true though, having someone be disappointed in you really seems much worse than mad or angry. I can't recall specific times, but I can imagine how I felt when my parents said they were disappointed in me. And they didn't always have to say it, you could just tell.

Well I experienced that sense of disappointment yesterday. I won't go into great detail, as to make the story a bit more interesting, but I decided to try a different "look" for myself yesterday. Nothing drastic, or permanent, just different. Well I attempted this look without giving Karen any forewarning. So when I came home with my new "look" she saw it, and it took a second, but slowly but surely the look of distinct disappointment came across her face. She didn't say it, but I could feel it, so much so that I could feel myself withdrawing, I could feel my arms drawing up, and hugging around me. I could feel my head start to drop, and my eyes began to search the floor. It's amazing how the opinion of someone you love so much, and that loves you means the most, and how their words can cut the deepest, or lift the highest (and again let me stress that she didn't say anything harsh....she didn't say much at all actually.....). Well, after receiving this reaction, I just wanted to completely disassemble the whole new "look". I wanted to undo what I had done. Unfortunately, though as I said before, it wasn't permanent, but also not immediately reversable. And her look was bad enough but when I finally fought through my new-found venerability enough to look back up at her, she had tears in her eyes......nail in the coffin....I dropped my head again, held out my arms and gingerly walked forward for a hug. I know this isn't typical male response....and I wish i was the type of guy who could just say "well I like it, and I don't care what you think....I know you'll love me anyway" but alas this is not who I am.

Well needless to say, after a very brief discussion, I assured Karen that I would not continue with my new "look" any longer than was possible, and I got a really good sense of what she likes, and doesn't like. And the awkwardness was not prolonged.But I did have the unfortunate sense of knowing what it likes for Karen to be disappointed in me. This is new for me in the 2 and 1/2 years of marriage. I've sensed her frustration with me, maybe even a tinge of anger, and those are easily dealt with. You talk it out. You apologize, you make amends. But disappointment is a sharper knife and has potential to leave a slower-healing wound. That's not to say that Karen is still disappointed with me. I think we resolved the issue.....I am certain that today she has not turned the corner and gladly embraced the "look". But I don't think she holds it against me. And if I were to be honest, I think she is valid to feel the way she felt.

One final observation about those closest to us. When forgiveness is offered or received, and problems are worked out, that's when those relationships reach new levels. It is in time of struggle, disagreement, pain, forgiveness, and healing that intimacy is increased. It is true in personal relationships. It is true in our relationship with God. C.S. Lewis said it great in his book The Problem With Pain when he said "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

I Am America and So Can You

2007-10-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

The title of the post is the title of Stephen Colbert's new book, which for any of you that are reading and wondering what to get me for Christmas....this would be a great gift!

I want to take a brief moment to discuss a minor political issue. Now I can guess what you're thinking..."oh Matt please don't go off on the fact that Al Gore and his organization won the Nobel Prize this past weekend for combating a global condition THAT DOESN'T EXIST AND IS MERELY A PLOT TO MAKE MONEY". That'll have to be a topic for another day. Today I want to discuss another issue spurned by something I recently watched on TV. Before I officially begin, I want to first admit that I am sorely undereducated when it comes to politics. There are some big-ticket issues that I know about, and I have a firm stance about several issues that I feel I, by virtue of my faith in Christ, automatically believe. But please be fore-warned that correct political jargon will not be exercised in this post!

Now, what spurned this little pseudo-political blog? Well I just happened to catch a fascinating little interview-turned-debate on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I am not really a fan of the show, but I do like The Colbert Report and I just happened to turn over to Comedy Central a half hour early to catch the aforementioned interview. The guest was former President Bush Press Secretary Tony Snow. As with most television media, Jon Stewart has a liberal slant, and an apparent knack for bashing President Bush. Now I gotta pause here and say that I align myself as a conservative. By that I do not mean that I think that the only way you can follow Jesus is to be a Republican, and I don't think that all Christians are Republicans. Furthermore, I don't think that Republicans have it all together, make all the right decisions, or have somehow in their infinite wisdom and unfathomable power hung the moon. No political party is worth that sort of estimation. This, along with other reasons is why I choose to refer to myself as conservative and not Republican. I'd actually much rather not have to pick between two parties, I'd much rather judge by the representative's character and conviction (I know it's a Utopian dream).
I also have to say that I do not think that President Bush is the end-all-be-all. I guess I just don't have any unreal expectations of a leader of the most powerful nation in the world. I think he is a great leader, I think he has made his fair share of great decisions, as well as some bad decisions. I think some of the policies that his administration has put into place have been great, and some have been horrible. I think he has done a fair job of being President given the circumstances of what we have come to know as a Post-911 world. I think that he has the single most important and hardest job in the world, a job which I myself could not do, and he has treated the Presidency with much dignity, vigour, conviction, and (to use his word) resolve as anybody. I would probably even argue that he restored some of the honor that his predecessor destroyed (but then I don't want to go into all that).

So please understand my thoughts of the President are high, but he's not the Savior or anything. But just to be honest, I am some stinking tired of all the left-wing media bashing of President Bush that is crammed down my throat every time I turn on the television or radio. I'm so sick of all of the attacks not just on the President's decision making, but on his personal character. Again, I realize that he hasn't done everything right, but we at least have to admit that he stands by his convictions, and he is doing what he thinks is best for the country in spite of drastic opposition. That takes guts! Soooooo.....enter Tony Snow on the Daily Show. It's something you need to see, perhaps it is on You Tube by now, but Tony Snow is a man who worked closely with the President. So in typical fashion throughout the interview, Jon Stewart jabs at the President, dubbing him a hard head and a failure. However, in as strong of a response as I have ever seen, Snow defends the President calling him a great leader, citing multiple incidents of his leadership, and even calling Stewart's bluff when he cites failures (which were most out-of-context proof-texts). The question I had to ask myself during the interview was "who am I to believe? A guy who gets paid to get on TV and make fun of any Republican bold enough to be thrust into the public eye, or a guy who used to work for the President closely and has nothing to gain from defending the guy?" I gotta be honest, I'm gonna go with the latter!

The problem is that while I feel like Americans have every right in the world to form their own opinion, I feel like most opinion is the opinion because it is popular, spoon fed to us by a terribly biased media (though for the record I think an un-biased media can only exist in my previously mentioned Utopian world!). I can understand disagreeing on issues, things like the War, or educational policies, or on health care. But disagreements amongst our peers at work or church don't lead us to go and publicly humiliate each other. And they shouldn't lead to that in the political world.

OK, so it is about bed-time and I sense that my ramblings are making less and less sense the more I type. Go check out the Daily Show if it is on You Tube (a responsible blogger would have already found it and linked it for you, but alas I am not a responsible blogger.....). It is really fascinating!

More later!

The Pot Called the Kettle What?

2007-10-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night, Karen and I attended a dinner party at a friend of ours house with a few other couples. The host couple told us that there would be free food as well as a presentation about the cookware being used to cook said food; no prices discussed, just free food and presentation. That was all it took for me to be interested....because I like food, especially of the free variety...and an innocent little dinner party presentation never hurt anybody right?!?!Well the dinner party was a lot of fun. Great food, good conversation, good company, and some really interesting pots, pans, and methods used to cook.

It was a lot of fun.....that is until we got done eating, and the guy doing the presentation asked each of us as couples when he would come to our house to sell us this cookware. Notice he asked when, not if! Now, one would think that a person with even my limited amount of life experience would have seen this coming....but NO.....I was completely blindside, and frankly unhappy about this demand. While I was adequately impressed by this cookware, it has not ever, nor will it anytime soon, be in my priorities or budget to buy some pots. In fact, I can honestly say that I've never used the term cookware until I was introduced to this..............cookware.

So why didn't I just say no to this guy coming to my house. Well first of all he asked us right in front of the host couple...and in some weird way, for me to say no to this guy seemed like it would be rude to them (oh the leads for proper etiquette we make). Not to mention that no reason, excuse, reservation, medical emergency, or flailing tantrum would have kept this guy from making a "follow-up" appointment (to be read as "forceful thrusting of sale down our proverbial throats"). And not only was he coming, but he was coming tomorrow. I got the feeling he wanted to be at my house to greet me when I got home from work (perhaps had he offered to have another free meal I would have considered it). When that didn't work, and a series of other times were not doable, he asked if he could come just before bedtime----JUST BEFORE BEDTIME.....I wouldn't even ask to be at my closest friends house just before bedtime. And this was a guy who wasn't even a close friend.....and steadily easing his way further into "NOT A FRIEND AT ALL" status! So we finally agreed (begrudgingly) that he could come Saturday morning for his "brief" presentation.

Now to really understand the deep emotion that this sales call brought upon Karen and I, you'd have to understand our personal little history of these type things. It all started about a year ago when someone called and offered to test our water for free. As a reward for allowing this free water test, and brief 30 minute presentation, we would be given a complimentary vacation of our choice. FREE VACATION....almost as good as free food. Well, we had no idea what we were in for.....and after 3 agonizing hours of this guy testing our water, cleaning half of our house, including our cookware, exploring the depth of our tap and bottled water, pushing the sale and NOT taking no for an answer, we got a little pamphlet for our free vacation that turned out to cost us $50 (which by the way, does anybody else realize that $50 is not free!??!?!). We never even took the stinking trip (that would be my fault ). The hardest part was not the presentation, it was figuring out how many different ways we can say the words "no", "we're not interested", "not at this time", "no thank you", "no", "you're crazy", or "get out of my house please it is 9:30 pm and you are just a shade past 2 and 1/2 hours over your time limit and while I am sure your product will give us a longer life and a more clean feeling shower as well as give us a warm tingly feeling inside, all we really, really want is our free vacation if you could just hand that over now and show us the amount of smoke you can generate as your tires squeal out of our driveway we would greatly, greatly appreciate it." I mean it is like pulling teeth....and I mean yanking all of the permanent ones with a set of rusty pliers.

So you can imagine that this experience did not leave a good taste in our mouth's about these little house calls. And you can probably imagine our.......what to call it......reservations....no no.......tentativeness....no no....utter and violent opposition...yes that is it....to this little visit. Karen and I prepared well in advance for the battle that would soon ensue. We practiced our "no's", "no thank you's" and "your crazy's" in the best and most Christ-like possible tone. The one redeeming part of the visit, we would indeed get to see just how much this "cookware" would cost. To spruce it up, we even made a friendly bet on how much one little 1/2 quart cooking pot would cost. I bet $85. She bet $125.

Well it finally came. Go-time. We invited the guy in and had him sit out our table, and after obliging about 2 questions, I politely interrupted our salesmen with a "we're not going to be buying anything today, we don't believe in credit, and we're not interested in throwing a party, we would however love for you to show us the prices of your pots and pans as you head out." Well, after the usual reprehensible sales tactics (which included some doosies like "What would you pay for a riding lawn mower" which I am still trying to see the relation and "what about the health of your kids" that we don't have??) we finally got to the punchline...I mean the bottom line. I'll take our highest bet of $125 and just tell you that it got crushed by a Godzilla-like price of $460 + for a 1/2 quart pot. Even as I type I cannot contain the laughter. And for a whole set (and by a whole set I mean a total of about 5-6 pieces....like a regular box set from Wal-Mart) a whopping $1889. Notice that there is no decimal point...that's right ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINE DOLLARS FOR SOME POTS AND PANS. Somewhere I missed in the presentation where these post and pans would actually grow the food themselves, cut and clean it, cook it, serve it, ask if I enjoyed it, then clean itself up all the while whistling the most delightful of tunes. I mean that is ridiculous. I know I know there was a lifetime warranty, and it cooks like no other...but come on you people.

To all those who have bought and love this type of pot and pan, I would like to say I mean no offense. It is just not something I would be willing to "invest" in. However, many probably wouldn't pay the amount of money I would for a good guitar either....so I realize it is all relative!

Our friendly pot saler did say one most thought-provoking sentence at sometime during the presentation. That statement --- "We're all selling something" Food for thought!

The unknowable heart...

2007-10-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

This will be a short post, but I wanted to quickly share something interesting that happened yesterday. I had the opportunity, or maybe I should say misfortune, of going to a ministerial alliance luncheon yesterday. It wasn't all bad, but just seemed a bit pointless to me. The lunch consisted of ministers from all sorts of Christian denominations; Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Church of God, etc. As you can imagine, there was quite a variety of beliefs and ministry styles represented at this meeting. I was there to help plan a community wide thanksgiving service. At one point during the meeting, the chairman said a striking statement that I have heard before, but to hear it from a minister struck me as bold and overwhelmingly honest. In regards to benevolence, and helping people in need, he said "It is hard to know the human heart". This was said about trying to identify if a persons needs are legit, or if the person is just looking for money to spend inappropriately. He said "It is hard to know the human heart. It's hard to know my own heart a lot of times. Sometimes I think I'd rather go back to be a paper salesman." I'll overlook the obvious reference to The Office that could be made here, and just say how much I appreciate a minister saying that very statement. It IS hard to know the human heart....nearly impossible to know someone else's, and almost as impossible to know my own. To know what my heart really wants, to know where my deepest heart of heart's allegiance lies, it is the mystery of all mysteries sometimes. But then there are those redeeming moments when you feel the deepest desire of your heart bleed through.

The Bible is right when it says "The heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it?"

Music and Lyrics....the music is neutral neither Chrisian nor pagan

2007-10-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

I recently ran across a web-site that has since become one of my favorites to visit. The site http://www.ccmpatrol.com/ and the tag line is "Where christian music is allowed to get bad reviews." I would encourage you to check it out....though beware, it is pretty sarcastic and pokes a lot of fun at Christian music. It also provides for some of the most thought provoking analysis of "christian" art and music.
I find this site especially interesting as it validates a lot of what I think...selfish I know...but we all identify best with people and things that are most like us. I have to say that I pretty much despise all radio, unless it is talk-radio...but Christian radio is quite possibly the worst. I realize that most Christians who are reading this are now thoroughly disappointed in me right now. But if you really think about what music is (an art form) and how current Christian music compares to not only the world's standard of art, but to the standard of excellent art that spans across history, it is a sad sad picture. And please don't get me started on Christian DJs.....yikes!!

I could go on and on but I'll spare you. I would, however, like to say that this analysis of what we call "Christian" music (which, if you read the title of this blog you'll understand why I have a problem with that term....semantics I know...but still an issue) makes me seriously consider what I do on a weekly basis. While I am securely convinced that musical worship is a God-given, God-honoring method by which we communicate our love, adoration, praise, love and devotion to God, I sometimes think we sacrifice content for our comfort. Consider the lyrics to the top 10 praise songs (and I suspect that your mind immediately goes to Chris Tomlin, as does mine) that you know, or that you may even sing at church. Is there any depth to those lyrics? Is there anything innovative about them? Any great truth communicated? Any affirmation about the character of God (other than he is "awesome")? The truth is that most songs are weak in content, repetitive, uninventive, even (dare-I-say) boring. And the bottom line is that it is just much easier to sing these types of songs. And while it is important to sing songs of joy and praise, sometimes we need to exchange those lyrics with words of confession, words of repentance, words about the intense, deep, hard-to-understand-and-impossible-to-communicate character of God. And can somebody please help me exchange my G-C-D progression for something a bit more complex...anybody?!?!?

I guess all I'm trying to say is that I am learning that art is not always an imperative statement, not always an answer to the question, not an end but a means if I can be so bold as to say that. And good art...God-honoring art cannot be lazy, one dimensional, boring, or easy. Think about great artists (I'm guessing that Chris Tomlin isn't the first person to pop in your mind this time right?!?!). Think about the pain-staking process that Michelangelo went through in painting the Sistine Chapel. Think about the method and the madness of Mozart's, Beethoven's, and Handel's composition, as they would lock themselves away for days, months, sometimes years to compose their great works. Each one not only worked tirelessly in their craft, but poured themselves into their work. If we, as Christians, are going to dabble in the arts, then let us not dabble only, but let us throw ourselves headlong into making something of worth to a God who deserves only the very best that we have to offer. Let us pour ourselves into God-honoring worship through the medium of the arts, no longer sacrificing quality for user-friendliness. And lets once again create that which the culture around us can no longer ignore, that which not only effects the world, but changes it.

Not who I used to be...

2007-09-27T08:29:00.001-07:00

Ever taking the time to look back over your life? Ever thought about where you used to be, and then realize where you are now in comparison? When is the last time you just sorta took inventory of your life, looking for those things which need improvement, and taking note of those things that have already been improved?

I hope to be someone who keeps things constantly in perspective. I never want to walk blindly in this life, unaware of who I have been or who I am becoming. It's amazing how different situations and circumstances in life influence and direct that person that we eventually become. Even as I say that "who we become"...it just seems like such a foreign idea, like trying to touch even the closest of stars. At what point in life do we stop and declare"This is who I've become"? "I am who I was meant to be!" Seems to me like we will, until the day we breathe our last breath on this earth, always be becoming.

Meanwhile, the process continues. And what a process it is. I am finding that the road to who I am becoming, the road to maturity, the road to adulthood, the road to being a good husband, the road to being successful in my work, the road to being a good father (one day a long time from now for those of you who are thinking Karen and I might be expecting....not yet!!!), the road to life lived as Christ intends it is a painful road full of bumps, blowouts, breakdowns, and all sorts of unexpected twists and turns!

I think I must be at a significant point in that journey for some reason! And by significant point I mean I am hitting some serious bumps on this stretch of road. I am at a point where who I am becoming is completely different than who I used to be, and who I am now is not who I want to be in the future. Those things that for me used to be so black and white are now being challenged and changed into this fuzzy, unintelligible gray. The areas that I used to feel most confident in, now seem to be my area of greatest weakness. I'm not talking about foundational things. There are things that will never change in my life, and in the foundation of my beliefs. But the more life I live, the more complicated some things seem to get...such that it is hard to find a real place of rest. In younger days, it seemed like there were plenty of times where life was OK, because I had it all figured out....or maybe because I didn't have to have it all figured out yet. Those days are seemingly no more, not in this place of my life.

Yet at the very core of my doubt, disbelief, struggles, and shortcomings, I know....I have to know... that who I am becoming depends on less of what I make of myself. Who I am becoming really depends on how much of myself I am willing to let go. And yet I am so persistent and adamant about doing this myself. I will change. I will try. I will work. I will bend. I will become.

I am weak. I am small. I am shortsighted. I am stubborn. I am torn. And on this stretch of road, I just need to surrender the wheel (yep..that's right.....God has been my copilot...not my pilot....that'd make a good church sign.....hmmmm). I am in desperate need to have Christ-in-me become my Hope of Glory again. I am in deep need to once again abide in Christ, and HIM in me.....for apart from HIM I can do nothing...I was nothing.....apart from HIM, I am becoming nothing.

God, you made all of the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit me together in my mother's womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous, how well I know it!
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the road of everlasting life. Psalm 139:13,16,14,23-24

There is a Hell....and this ain't it!

2007-09-25T12:01:00.001-07:00

On Sunday night, I watched a story on MSNBC about a preacher named Carlton Pearson who was a Pentecostal preacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I'll lay my judgement on the Pentecostal style of worship, and their beliefs to the side for now, save the fact that I will say that I believe that there are plenty of Pentecostals, and people from tons of various other denominations that will go to heaven. And there are plenty of Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists and people from other denominations who will not go to heaven.

But I digress. This preacher was on TV talking about his new message that "God gave him" that he is now preaching. The message? Hell isn't a place that we go after we die, apart from God. Hell is a place on earth that we can experience at any time, numerous times even. The moral of this message? We will experience Hell in this life on earth, but when we die, everyone will be united with God in Heaven. God will not send or allow one person to go Hell. Everyone is saved!

Now, I must admit that as I watched this guy talk about this my first thought was "HERESY of all HERESIES"....and to save you from any angst while you read this blog, I still believe that very thought! HERESY it is! But here's what I really don't get! This guy had a huge church in Tulsa....I mean a megachurch that would give upwards of $600,000 a week in "tithes" and "offerings" (and I use those words loosely for this context). Pearson drove a Mercedes Benz, had a huge house in a gated neighborhood, carried clout in evangelical societies, and even had high political connections.

Since preaching new found message, Pearson has lost everything. He lost his church, he lost his fancy car and house, he lost his closest friends and his standing in the evangelical circles. All because he chose to no longer believe there was a hell. Why would a guy who had everything give it up for this radical (and heretical) message? I mean I can understand someone like Joel Osteen watering down the truth and preaching a feel-good, health and wealth, don't-worry-be-happy kind of message for the sake of tickling the collective ears of his superhuge church (not that I in any way think that is right!) But to preach something like this and lose it all......I don't get it. And Pearson's reason......according to the report...was that he couldn't stand the thought that his backsliding grandparents would really go to hell after they died!

As I watched though, I realized that though he gave up his standing presently, I don't think that will be the case very long. I believe his message will catch on. I thought, as I watched this report, of all the people in the world looking for an answer to the pain and hurt they have experienced in life....and to hear someone say "Hey, that's what hell is....but no worries, when you die, no matter what, you will be with God in heaven". I thought of those people who have been burned by church, or who have given up any thought to consequence of action so they can live the way they want, or those people who openly despise God. This is good news for them...now they can live as they please, and still have great reward in Heaven with God. Man?born good not bad after all. Sin? Not an issue! Holiness? Think nothing of it.

All the while the blood of Jesus.....the grace of God......CHEAPENED. In the words of Dietrich Bonhoffer "cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. "All for sin could not atone." Well, then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world’s standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin."

I am reminded of this verse -

"For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4

The Big Game

2007-09-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

And a big game it was. For those of you who were in a hole on Saturday evening, the Georgia vs. Alabama was a hot one! 4 quarters of ever-so-close play followed by one very quick overtime resulting in a huge Georgia Bulldog win! As I posted before, Karen and I were fortunate enough to get tickets to the game. This was our first experience at Bryant-Denny Stadium, or any other stadium other than Sanford Stadium (or Doak-Campbell Stadium [FSU] back in high school). It was quite an interesting experience to say the least, not only to be in a place with such a football heritage, but to be in the minority, rooting for the opposite (and might I add winning) team. Our seats were on the 20 yard-line on the west end, which basically means that we were surrounded by Alabama fans. There were a few Georgia fans above us, and below us, sprinkled throughout, but we were vastly outnumbered. I'll never forget the guy who sat in front of us. Right after Georgia scored on their first drive of the game, Karen and I politely went crazy, and the guy in front of us turned around with the worst look on his face...as if to say.....well I can't say what the look was as if to say, so use your imagination. All in all the Alabama fans were cordial enough to us, and even congratulated us after the game. However, there are a few observations I'd like to make about Alabama fans in general (*please note that I use in general, so as to identify that these observations aren't applied to every Alabama fan, just the ones we sat around on Saturday).

1. Alabama fans take their football very seriously. They do have a unique history, what with Bear Bryant and what not, but come on, every school (at least SEC school) has a place in football history in some way or another (well maybe not Vanderbilt...). I appreciate their place in that history, but we don't have to go overboard with it.

2. Alabama fans shout "Roll Tide Roll" to every thing. "Sweet Home Alabama" and some other song by the group Alabama (note the connection) are two of the songs that we heard on Saturday accompanied in specific parts by a loud and collective shout of the slightly overused war cry. And by slightly overused I mean utterly obnoxious. If I hear "Roll Tide Roll" one more time I think I'm gonna either throw up or hit somebody.

3. Alabama fans are much like the tide in their fanship. When things are good, they are extremely loud (tide in). When things are bad, you could hear a pin drop (tide...out). Seriously, the first half was deafening. However, after one tiny touchdown run in the first quarter, and everybody seemed to immediately pout. This was probably magnified by the fact that we were the only ones cheering when Georgia did something good. You know that is a really odd feeling, almost like I should have apologized for cheering....but I didn't. And you should have heard it when the winning touchdown was scored...I mean it's like someone just turned the mute on a TV. They were shocked, and Karen and I were watching for a replay to make sure we really did scored. It wasn't until the guy next to me said "Welp, that's the game folks" did I really realize we had won. I mean I thought he caught it, but I wasn't close enough to tell if he was inbounds or what. So anyway, when we did finally discover we won, we jumped up and down and clapped.....in what seemed like an empty stadium (sound wise anyway). It was odd, and I felt kinda bad......so I didn't prolong my own celebration. Karen and I both decided that we still feel a little celebration deprived!

4. Alabama fans feel a close connection between themselves and their quarterback....so much that they are on a first name....nay...initial only basis with the guy. The constantly were shouting "Come on JP!" or shouting a bemoaning "John Parker" (for those of you who don't know, the Tide's quarterback's name is John Parker Wilson). Though I know our quarterback's name is Matthew Stafford, you don't hear me yelling "Hey, great job Matty boy!" Nope....it's just Stafford in my vocabulary!

5. Alabama fans will never give a coach a break, due in large part to their continued worship of Bear Bryant. If I heard the Bear's name mentioned once, I heard it a thousand times.....followed by something like "he's still here...in spirit" or "he's the best coach that ever breathed a breath of air" or "blah blah blah blah blah".....because I just had to start tuning it out. A great coach he was...but not God! Poor Sabin, he may do some great things there, but if it is short of a National Championship within the next three years, he can forget it. He's gone! They won't be satisfied!

6. Alabama fans are surprisingly polite....at least in our section. Save the one ugly look we got, no one threw anything at us, yelled obscenities, or beat us up! This is a good thing! And as I mentioned before we got congratulated by several pouting Alabama fans. Of course there were those who threw things at our players, but I have a feeling those weren't adults!

7. Alabama fans are rather whiny. This may be based on the one guy who sat next to me and said over and over in a nasally cry "Come on BAMA". Hey dude, get a tissue and stop using my sleeve. Everything is gonna be alright I promise.

8. Alabama game traffic is.......what's the word........HORRIBLE!!!! There was an estimated 125, 000 people in and around the game (93,000 ticket holders, 30,000 other lurkers who found joy in sitting outside the stadium......maybe they don't have a house...with air conditioning, and a comfy chair like I do!?!?!) We got in our car at 11:15 (giving 20 minutes for some of the traffic to clear out) and got home at 3:30 a.m. What on any other day is a 2 and 1/2 hour drive took us 4 hours and 15 minutes. Not really interested in doing that again. For the record, I still made it to church at 6:30 a.m. lead 2 services in musical worship, and then crashed on my couch for literally the rest of the day.

9. Alabama is a place where everyone should attend a game at least once. If, for at least, no other reason than to prove or disprove my assessment. It really was a cool place to be! It is a neat stadium, and it is always interesting to see how different teams and fans present their fanfare!

In conclusion, I'd just like to say HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

The New Record....to be released.....

2007-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

...not really sure when it is to be released....if ever....in fact it's not really a record...more just recordings. I spent the greater part of the day this past Friday locked in my bedroom with just my computer, my guitar, a couple of microphones, an amp, a bass guitar, some headphones, and a bunch of various and sundry cables, trying to work on some songs. Back in August Clay Wood and I put down some rough tracks of guitar and drums. So I went back and added some lead guitar, bass, and vocals. In a shade over 4 hours I had a rough cut of one song to show. By rough, I mean very rough, but I am pretty excited about where it is headed, and the new ability I have to lay some stuff down, and then lay some other stuff over top of it to hear how it all sounds together (rather than just listening to it all in my head as I have been doing previously!) The next step is to send it back to Clay for any changes in the drums, and let him put the beat down to a steady click. Then he will send it back to me and I'll finish it up.

All that to say that I had a blast on Friday, just working on music. I loved working on the guitar tones, attempting to play bass, and trying to be as creative with the vocals as I could! It was a jolly ol' time I'll say. My one question at the end of the day was "after all this work, what will I ever do with all this stuff?" It's not like I have a band, or places to play. And while I am quite fond of the songs I have, I am not by any means convinced that I have the next big hit. I guess I am sort of left with the question "Are these songs meant just for a creative outlet for me? or is there something in the future that I've yet to come across that will bring clarity to these songs?"

In any case, I fully intend to have another full-day session at Studio-del-Matt and lay some more funky tracks down for everyone's listening pleasure (and by everyone I suppose I mean me, Karen, Clay, and anyone else who comes within earshot of my computer).