From Black to Cable Car

I thought this would be interesting - I've seen it done on other blogs - to open my iTunes, start at one song in my Library, and then listen in alphabetical order to a certain point. So, I give you the songs in my Library from Black to Cable Car:

Black Balloon - Goo Goo Dolls
Black Horse And The Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
Blame - Five O' Clock People
Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World
Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman
Blind/Frail - Jars of Clay
Blister - Jimmy Eat World
Blush (Only You) - Plumb
Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day
Braille - Regina Spektor
Braveheart Theme - Enya
Bravery - Charlie Hall
Breaking My Fall - Jeremy Camp
Breaking The Habit - Linkin Park
Breathe - Skypark
Breathing The Breath - Matt Redman
Bride In Cold Tears - Tangerine Dream
Broken Toy - Keane
Buddy Holly - Weezer
But It's Better If You Do - Panic At The Disco
Cable Car - The Fray

Yes, I know - rather pointless. But it's fun to see the variety.

Is The Earth Old Or New?

To me, it doesn't really matter one way or the other. However, there are some Christians out there who believe that only those who believe in a 6,000 year old earth are going to heaven. I'm not one for debating these kind of things; to me this issue is a non-essential issue, and if you want to believe that the earth is new (or old, or borrowed or blue), then that's your prerogative. However, if you tell me one of two things, I may be inclined to start debating away: (1) If you tell me that this issue is an essential, and because you don't believe the same as me, I'm wrong and you're right; and (2) If one of your rebuttals to my questioning why if the earth is so young, does it look scientifically and geologically old is "because God made it that way to confuse us/challenge our faith/weed out the real Christians from the fake Christians/whatever."

Anyway, there is a new book out that is a Christian defense of an old earth from a theological perspective rather than a scientific perspective. Sounds like something I would be interested in reading. I'm sure my friend Craig, who once wrote a forty page paper in college about The Flood and who has a masters in philosophy and apologetics from Talbot Theological Seminary has probably already picked it up.

What Better Place For The Brilliance Of Christ To Shine?

"Charles Spurgeon once said that when a jeweler shows his best diamonds, he sets them against a black velvet backdrop. The contrast of the jewels against the black velvet brings out the luster. In the same way, God does his most stunning work where things seem hopeless. Wherever there is pain, suffering, and desperation, Jesus is. And that's where his people belong - among those who are vulnerable, who think nobody cares. What better place for the brilliance of Christ to shine?"

- Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala


Perhaps this is why we don't see amazing things happen in our suburban comfortable churches - because things don't often seem hopeless when you have a decent income, a nice home, 2.3 kids and a sizeable 401k.

Wanna Be Convicted?

"You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning.."

"You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night."

"But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting."

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala

Cello Mania

I have always loved the cello. It is my favorite instrument, and I wish that I could have started playing it when I was younger. I love the haunting sounds that come out of the cello, and some of my favorite songs (such as Everything by Lifehouse) has heavy cello parts. I do have a cello at home, but have never picked it up to try it. One of these days, right? :^)

Anyway, on Google Video, there is an amazing video of a man who put together 30 something different cello parts and combined them into one song. The video can be found here - it's absolutely amazing, in my opinion. I especially like the cat with the halo on his head, nice touch.

The Loss Of A Friend

This past Tuesday, we had to put our cat Kramer to sleep. He had been struggling with renal failure for a couple of months, and we had been doing all we could to help him - changing his food habits, giving him subcutaneous fluid injections among other things. It was not enough, however, and on Tuesday morning we came to the realization that he was going to start really suffering and we didn't want that to happen. So went to the vet that morning and had him put to sleep. I don't know if most people leave the room when it happens, but we didn't. I wanted him to feel comfortable and know that we were there. I pet him while it happened, and I was expecting his eyes to close and him to fall asleep before dying, but he kept his eyes open and died.

There are two kinds of people - those who see pets as just pets, and those who see pets as a part of their family. I am one of the latter, I've always felt that way, and I've always had a heart for animals. I think if I wasn't in ministry, I would probably be a veterinarian. Anyway, the loss of my friend has been really hard the last couple of days, and I thought that writing about him would help me overcome some of my sadness and help the grieving process. I found the following questions from a website that helps pet owners grieve the loss of their friends.

*** How did my pet come into my life?

Debby and I before we were married bought a dog that was supposed to be a rat terrier/beagle mix. I had bought a condo and so we took her over to the condo, where we found out over the next couple of days that Debby was allergic to her fur. Thankfully, we found a family from the church I was working at who were looking for a dog, and so it was a perfect fit. We also found out later on that this dog became a huge dog, which would have been interesting in a condo.

When we got back from our honeymoon, we decided to start looking for a pet, so we went to the Dumb Friends League in Denver to see the shelter dogs. We didn't really find any dogs we liked so we went to the cat area. I did not want a cat, personally - I had always considered myself a "dog person". I had one cat when I was little and he had run away, so I wasn't really interested in having a cat. But we went, and saw two different cats we liked. One was a Siamese looking miserable looking kitten; the other was a gray tabby cat. We saw the kitten first, and he made us laugh by falling into the trash can and running around the room. The second cat was kind of boring. There was another family who was interested in the kitten, but because we saw him first, we got first dibs, so we bought him. He was such a little guy who had been found in a dumpster with his brother. He had ear mites, so when we took him home, we had to clean out his ears for the first month or so. This "Siamese" cat actually turned out to be a Ragdoll cat. A ragdoll is a newer breed of cat that isn't as hard and sinewy as most cats are, they are mostly floppy and squishy. That was almost ten years ago, and Kramer lived with us and became our "first baby."

*** How did my pet get his or her name?

We were really stumped on what to name him. None of the names we had thought of fit. One day, however, we were watching Seinfeld, and Kramer had somehow got his way into the entertainment center where the T.V. was and was hanging out right underneath the T.V. He had a habit of running into a room and sliding in, kind of like the Kramer on Seinfeld came into Jerry's apartment. When the T.V. show came back on again and Kramer from the show did his thing, we knew we had our name. He has had other nicknames as well, but Kramer was his original name.

*** What was special about my pet?

Kramer really was more like a dog than a cat - he was playful, energetic, friendly, and very devoted to us. He was very easy to train, and actually liked to play fetch with little foam balls that we would throw to him. He liked to play with Q-Tips - we had to supply him with some after he started getting used ones out of the trash. He loved to hang over my shoulder and hang out while I was walking around the house and such. He became more and more of a lap cat as the years went by. He loved to watch "birdie friends" - in Dallas, we had these tall bushes that came up to our second story windows, and he would sit on a bed and watch the birds inside the bush and he would make this really funny chattering noise while he was watching them. When we would come home from being gone somewhere, he always met us at the door. When I was gone longer than he thought I was supposed to be, he would howl until I got home.


*** What special moments / life events did we share / endure together?

We moved a lot in his ten years of life - we are in our fifth house in ten years - and so he got to move around with us quite a bit. Each time we moved states (from Colorado to Texas, Texas to Arizona, and Arizona to Ohio) - he would ride in the U-Haul truck with Dad. This past move, which was the longest move, it was just he and I in the truck (with my friend driving the other U-Haul truck), and so we got to spend a lot of time over the three days of the move. He was good about it, never complained really, but I'm sure it was hard on him. He loved to explore the house. When Noelle was born, he was still part of the family - obviously he had to share time with a baby now, but he seemed to be okay with it. He still got plenty of time from his Dad. He would come up and listen to me playing my guitar, and one of his favorite spots to lay down was in my guitar case.


------

It all ended too quickly, which I think is one of the reasons why it's so hard right now. It was hard to see his life begin to decline as he struggled with kidney problems, but he was good about it. I wish he could have lived another ten years, but I'm glad for the time I had with my buddy Kramer. I miss you, buddy.

A Worship Leader's Worst Nightmare

See the mighty worship leader.

He prowls around the stage like a ferocious beast. He sees an unsuspecting worship song lurking on the music stand. The mighty worship leader bares his teeth, hunkers down and gets ready to pounce.

The mighty worship leader starts the song, forgetting that he has not removed his capo from his guitar. He begins the song, unsure of why it sounds so different. As he starts, the song is too high for him, yet he continues on. After all, he is the mighty worship leader. He is leading by himself at this point - just his voice and his guitar.

The pre-chorus comes much too quickly, however, and the scrumptious prized worship song is yanked from the mighty worship leader's jaws. At this point, the rest of the band comes in, all in the key that the song is supposed to be in. The mighty worship leader is defeated as the two keys collide. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.

Behold how the mighty worship leader has fallen.

(to find out what in the world I'm talking about, go here and laugh yourself silly.)

100 Ways To Take The Yawn Out Of Your Relationship With God: 1-25

I'm trying to quit caffeine. It's really tough some days, some days not so much. I have found out that caffeine is the reason why I'm having strange sensations happen in my legs - deadness, tingling, etc. So no more coffee for me. Which means I yawn a whole lot more. I find myself occasionally yawning in my relationship with God, especially when everything is the same all the time.

You see, sameness anesthetizes our spiritual lives. It's so easy to get into a rut - read two chapters of the Bible followed by a quick prayer. No thought necessary (yawn), and it's done.

What we need from time to time are rut levelers, ideas that energize our relationship with God and open us again to the wonder of his gift of salvation through Jesus. I think I found these in an old Discipleship Journal magazine back in college and have kept them throughout the years. Today, I bring you number 1 through 25:

1. Telephone a prayer partner dailly and talk to God together for five minutes.

2. Do a study of the Synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke. How are they similar? How are they different? Why did God give us three books that have many of the same stories in them?

3. With a friend, visit three churches where Christians worship in very different ways. Talk about the experience. How was God honored? How did He speak to you?

4. Teach a preschooler to sing a motion song that says something special about Jesus.

5. Write a letter to God praising Him for how you are made - your mind, your body and your skills.

6. Buy ten cards and send them to people who need to know they are loved by God and remembered by you. William Law, 1686-1761, in A Serious Call To a Devout and Holy Life, wrote: "Isn't it strange that people place so much emphasis upon going to church where there is not one command from Jesus to do so, and yet neglect the basic duties of our ordinary life which are commanded in every page of the Gospels?"

7. Plan a hospitality event in your home. Invite people from your church who need a party, not the people you know and enjoy most.

8. Pray aloud in a group.

9. Give God a tithe of your time - teach Sunday School, visit the sick, baby-sit for a young mother, fix and elderly person's car.

10. Every day for a week, list the times during that day when you suspect you disappointed Jesus. Consciously try to shorten the list as the days progress.

11. Read a biography of a faithful missionary or preacher.

12. Bake your church's Communion bread. Pray for church members as you bake.

13. Get to church ten minutes early. Spend time praying that God's presence will be felt throughout the service.

14. Take a walk alone in a park or field and pray aloud to God.

15. Read a novel written by a Christian. Talk with a friend about what the author was trying to accomplish. Was God glorified through this art form?

16. Each evening put all your pennies into a penny pot. At the end of the year, give the money to a Christian organization. Encourage your children to participate.

17. With a trusted friend, share a temptation that often traps you. Make yourself accountable to this friend as you work to overcome the temptation.

18. Study a book of the Bible until you "own" it.

19. Plan a family meal time discussion around the topic of what Jesus has done for each person.

20. Tape record the testimonies of elderly relatives. Encourage them to tell stories of how they met Jesus and how He guided them at key points in their lives.

21. Visit a museum and study several paintings with biblical themes. What do they suggest about the nature of God? What insights do they provide?

22. Listen to an audio tape/cd of Scripture being read. If you are a visual learner, close your eyes and allow your mind to pain pictures of what you're hearing. If you are a kinesthetic learner who enjoys moving while you learn, allow your body to express what you are hearing.

23. Sing a hymn to God; pay close attention to the words.

24. Each Sunday look for someone who has done something special to make the service work: preacher, person who made the coffee, usher. Let that person know that his or her gift of time and abilities was noticed.

25. Write a special prayer for each of the children who touch your life. Give them a copy of your prayer, perhaps on their birthdays.

The Parable Of Ann Coulter And The Tax Collector

Whatever you think about Ann Coulter (if you're a conservative, you probably love her. If you're a liberal, you probably hate her) - she certainly speaks her mind.

Coulter was interviewed recently on TBN - yes, that TBN - doubtlessly for promotion of her new book called Godless. In this interview it was very clear that although Coulter says she's a Christian, she's not well-versed, if you get my drift. During one part of the interview, Coulter made it clear that she wasn't fond of liberals. In fact, she said, with all sincerity, that part of her time spent in prayer were for liberals as well as thanking God that she wasn’t one.

If Ann Coulter was well-versed, she would know that she actually prayed a prayer from the Bible (and no, it wasn't the Prayer Of Jabez):

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

Have mercy on us, Lord.

Your First Car

On a different website, someone in their blog had the idea of telling everyone what their first car was and any memories of that first car. I liked the idea so much, I've decided to include it in my blog.

My first car was a 1978 Datsun 200SX (as you can see above). It was the exact same color as the one above - a lovely orange-red rusty color. I bought it for a hundred bucks from my stepdad's co-worker; it was well worth the cost.

I don't have very many memories of that first car, because it only lasted a year. I really liked that car a lot, though. It had some pretty good accelerating powers in it, and it was a decent car overall. Like I said, it only lasted a year, though. I was driving to a church basketball game, when all of a sudden black smoke started pouring out of the heating vents and the engine. I busted a gasket or something. Well, that was it for that car, and I was back to borrowing my stepdad's blue Nissan Sentra, definitely not as cool as the good ol' 200SX.

What about you? What about your first car?

How Rich Are You?

Go here and find out where you stand in the line of richest people in the world. I found out I'm the 103,478,261st richest person and in the top 2% of richest people in the world.

As I've said before, it's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?

It certainly makes passages such as:

23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

and

24"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.

and

10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

and

1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.


a little more convicting - for me.