Sometimes I'm overwhelmed with the fact that I AM a sinner. I don't just commit sins. I am a sinner. And so are you. And if you say you are not, then you've just committed a sin, so there. =)
There's a tremendous conflict of language in the Bible regarding sin. The wages of sin is death. One who lives in sin and does not love his brother cannot know God. Christ died for our sins so they would be wiped away. But if you do sin, ask God for forgiveness and it will be granted. But don't sin, because sin is darkness, and God is light. I understand there are "contexts" to all verses of the Bible, and that it must be read and understood as a whole. But still.
I'd like to think I don't "live in sin", but that's probably a lie....which is a sin. The key here is to understand that SIN is SIN. Bad thoughts, worrying about things you shouldn't worry about, unkind words, lies, untruths, holding an earthly person in too high of esteem (idolatry?), seeing opportunities to help someone in need and consciously ignoring it. These are sin just as much as rage, robbery, and assault are sin. Yes, the consequences differ, but they are sin. And SIN is SIN. It separates us from God. And we spend our whole lives - if we're fortunate enough to believe in Him - bridging that separation. Which is almost futile in a sense, because we will continue to sin, regardless of how hard we try not to.
Which is why Christ's sacrifice - for our sin - is so utterly amazing and unbelievable and really hard to understand deep down inside. No act of goodness can save me. Once I'm saved, no measure of good living can "enhance" my saved-ness in any way. Christ did it all. And I believe it and accept it. And I'm so grateful for it. And yet...I still sin. And although it does matter....somehow, through Christ's death, it doesn't. And I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to comprehend it.
Topic #1 - Being a Sinner
a 5 week topical series
I want to prepare you for what's to come. From now until the end of the year, I'm going to be posting blogs on various topics. Some will be decidedly biblical topics, others may not be, most could go either way. My post title will simply be the topic for that day. Plain and simple.
Then, I'll simply write my thoughts on that topic. I may or may not use biblical references, since I'm not really offering this as a Bible study or platform to preach. I'll write honestly about each topic. Some things could possibly be R-rated. My words may be a little rough on some points, more refined on others.
I'm not really looking for any debate. Not looking "stir things up" in any way. But I'll be totally open to all comments you may have, either about the topics or my thoughts on them. You should know this about me...in most areas of thought or debate, I'm pretty open to all sides of the issues. This is true of my faith as well.
There are very very few things to me which are DECIDEDLY firm (Jesus is God's Son, God created everything, Christ died to save us, etc). On the other hand, most biblical or spirtual topics - especially those which cause so many arguments and divisions (tongues, steps of salvation, worship, gifts of the Spirit, etc) - I have always had a very open mind about. In some respects, I really don't even care. I hope you'll see what I mean by that over the next month.
So, that's the deal. From now to December 31st, all my posts will follow this set up. I hope you'll read, ponder, and share freely as you see fit. If you agree or disagree with things I have to say, that's okay either way. I simply hope you'll join me.
where are you, arrested development?
At this moment, on my Windows Media Player, Arrested Development is singing the song, "Washed Away" from their excellent 1992 album, "3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life Of...". Definitely one of my favorite albums to listen to, ever.
Every time I listen to them, I can't help but wonder, what in the world happened to them? They were big time, had several really awesome songs (Mr. Wendal is an incredible song), and then they disappeared. Poof. Gone. No more music.
They weren't the only music artists I listen(ed) to that made sort of a sudden disappearing act. I know sometimes it's because of outside circumstances, sometimes because of talent, and sometimes because they're just not making money. Regardless, here are a few that I can think of....and these are only people that I actually listened - or still listen - to.
Arrested Development
Fu-Schnikins
Vanilla Ice
Snow
C&C Music Factory
Burlap to Cashmere
Reality Check
Waterdeep (any word on them?)
Young MC
Heavy-D
O-Town (j/k)
Well, those are the ones that come immediately to mind. I'm sure you can think of others that were important to you.
PS - Now I'm listening to Heavy D and the Boyz, "Now That We Found Love". Awesome song. Where are you Heavy, still trying your hand at acting?
christian concept of retirement?
There's a concept I've mentally struggled with for a long time. We talked about it in my small group last week. It's the concept of "retirement" and "investment savings" as a Christian.
Here's my struggle. In the New Testament church, no one really owned anything. All possessions and material needs belonged to everyone and people used stuff as it was needed most. The Bible speaks often about trusting God for provision, not worrying about tomorrow, and giving what you have to those who need it more than you.
Yet we live in a current world - Christians included - in which we earn and save mostly for ourselves...we're taught to put away nest eggs for college savings, retirement, and those "just in case" moments (worrying about tomorrow?) when we'll need the money.
I realize that this practice is really a result of a community shift. If ALL Christians were committed to New Testament possession principles, we could live the way they did. Even if one church body were committed to it, that church could probably live the NT way. But people don't do this. We think it's an awesome concept, but we don't really trust others, ourselves, and maybe even God enough to really believe that it could work and we could still live comfortable lives.
So, do I look at retirement savings (IRA, 401K, mutual funds, savings, etc) as provisions from God - maybe that's God's way of providing for us. Or do I look it as a lack of trust for provision, do I consider it hoarding, and a way to plan on being totally lazy for the last 10-15 years of my life?
Should Christ followers ever truly retire? Or do we simply retire from a worldly job in order to focus our full-time efforts on ministry work? And if we do that, wouldn't that retirement nest egg be wonderfully spent on missions, providing for the poor, helping people get back on their feet, helping new church plants.....yes, it's important to have enough to eat and have a roof over your head and a car to drive, but isn't that really a secondary concern to doing the work of Christ?
Help me out, here. I'm totally on the fence. Sometimes I'll lean hard one way, then hard the other way. I want to be more committed to saving and investing and making sure my son has all he needs down the road....but I also want to commit to live more frugally, to trust more in God's provision, to teach my son that we don't need all the best possessions to be happy and at peace. What are your thoughts? How do you see the Bible teaching us in this area?
old school big wheels...
When I was younger, I used to have a Dukes of Hazzard style big wheel, much like this one:
It was such a blast, man. My buddy had a Knight Rider big wheel. We'd race, spin out, go down hills way too fast, spin the wheels in the rocks, all kinds of stuff. I've always had these unusually nostalgic memories about riding a big wheel. I'm not sure why.
Now, finally, my son is able to ride a big wheel. Erin and I actually bought him one when he was 18 months old, thinking he'd be tall enough to pedal it when he turned 2. Well, another year and half later (what were we thinking?), and he's finally up to speed. And, yes, I realize this is not a "classic" big wheel, but there aren't many of those around any more, so this one had to do.
It's awesome to watch and remember how much fun I had doing the very same thing over 20 years ago. I hope he'll also get to enjoy a cool Huffy or BMX bike, an Atari, and a whiffle ball bat and some rocks. Just like dad did.
dissed by my sis...
Kaly - my 16 year old sister - just dissed me. On this blog. A couple of weeks ago, I offered this post. It was a challenge to think, if someone said, "That's just (your name) being (your name)" ... what would that entail about you? I offered some thoughts of what it might mean if someone were to say, "That's just Jason being Jason."
Yesterday, my loving sister commented on this. Here were her thoughts....about me.
"He's just congratulated me on a new album, or tried to convince me that i look like avril lavigne"
"He's just given you all the information you could ever want on a topic"
"He's just thrown a frisbee on grandma's roof"
"He's just decided to give brandon (our 19 yr old brother) an n'sync calendar for christmas, or maybe even a cardboard cutout of michael jackson"
hahaha yeahhh...
Ok, I get it. Very funny. Veerryy funny.
Yes, I do weird things sometimes. I did give my brother an n'sync calendar for Christmas once, when he was about 17. It was funny. Kaly laughed, if I remember.
Yes, I do randomly send them postcards with Missouri landscapes and write messages that say things like, "I saw the trees on this postcard, the way they stood there, round and brown and still and perfectly spaced apart, and they reminded me of you. Love, Jason". Is that so odd?
Yes, I did mail Kaly a cutout picture of a model from a Marie Claire catalog (that did look like her - and Avril Lavigne) and congratulated her on her new modeling career, expressed confusion as to why she didn't tell me about it, and wished her good luck. Humorous, right?
Yes, I used to collect barf bags from airplanes, and mail them to people I knew when they were sick with notes inside that said, "thought you could use this...hope you get better."
You can actually mail a barf bag just like it is....as long as you tape up the open end. You can also mail McDonald's french fry boxes...put a note in the open end, fold over the arched top, tape it up, write address on the box, apply a stamp...and it mails just fine. Done this several times.
So, to my wonderful sister, who could actually pass as Avril's little sister...and who is capable of temper fits that rival any hollywood celebrity...and who likes dating boys with car names (Bentley, Tacoma, and 525i to name a few)...and who used to run out to my car excitedly when I used to come home from college to visit...and who is anxious to pursue a career in dermatology, where she is destined to invent a creme that makes freckles disappear, unless applied unevenly, which would then cause them to turn purple...I say "nice dis".
a case of blogger's block
I don't really know what to write about. When I entered the blogosphere, I sort of made a commitment to myself that I would be honest, free my mind, and try my hardest not to go more than 3-4 days without a new post....the exceptions coming when I'm out of town and have no computer access.
eli loves greg's music
My friend Greg has just released two new Cd's...."Chasing the Western Sky" and "Thirty Three". You can check them out or buy them here. Me, Erin, and Eli went to see him perform this past Friday night at The V Cafe. He played 12 songs with a full band, it was pretty awesome.
This morning I was taking Eli to school. We were listening to the "Thirty Three" album in my car. During the very first song, he recognized it was Greg singing. He asked me, "Dad, why is Greg singing in our car?"
Then when the song ended, he asked, "Can we listen to another Greg song?". Then when the second song ended, he asked again, "Can we listen to another Greg song?". Then we made it to school. Thankfully, one of the songs we listened to was entitled, "Four Bucks." I hope Eli listened to it closely and learned an important lesson about inflation and gross overspending.
Thanks, Greg, for your subliminal influences on my son.
off to work...
This Sunday morning at 8:00am, I'll be driving a 16 ft box truck full of apparel and displays about 11 hours to Merritt Island, Florida. Along with two other co-workers, we'll be working 4 straight 11 - 14 hour days at 4 different Sea Ray manufacturing facilities along the Florida coast. We call it a "Plant Sale." It's typically more like a "flea market."
12 years of worship music
In 1995, a guy named Chris in my dorm let me borrow a Vineyard worship album entitled "Glory and Honor". It's pictured here. That album includes in the original release of the song "We Will Dance" by David Ruis...a popular song for several years. The song is over 10 minutes long on the album, which I loved. If you've been in church or around any type of contemporary worship over the last 10 years, there are probably 4-5 songs on the album that you would know.
pimp slapped by 1 John
I am a Christian, a believer and follower of Christ. However, I've found it difficult to use this blog as a way to promote or discuss that much. I'm not sure why, really. It's possible that I've envisioned this site as a way to just kind of put ideas/thoughts in my mind to (virtual) paper, and frankly, I don't dwell on spirtual or Christ-related things all day long. I'm not necessarily proud of that, and I don't mean to sound "unspiritual" in some way, it's just the truth. I'm aware of Christ daily and strive to mold my life in ways that are true to my beliefs, I just don't find myself thinking all that much about spiritual matters.
However, I would like to direct you to 1 John, chapters 1, 2 & 3. Notice, this is not a reference to the Gospel of John, but the first of three smaller writing by John. This is what we've been studying the last 3 weeks in my small group at church. I'm going to paste the text at the end of this post, just in case you feel led to read it. If not, that's okay. But if you do, I just want you to be aware of the strong terms in which John writes. The black and white of it. Notice both the encouragements he gives to believers, then the almost backhanded pimp-slaps he follows it up with. At least that's how I felt. It was hard to read, but here's what it left me with:
Being a follower of Christ requires intentional, consisent, daily, fleshed out effort by way of living right, loving your brother, avoiding sin, and holding true ("remaining") to Jesus love, care, and teaching. You don't get to take a day off and be okay with it. You don't have a choice to not love people. You don't get to think of sin in any type of light hearted way. You either walk in the light or you walk in the dark. There is no half-lighted middle passage. To me, this felt like a body-shot from Iron Mike....or like a pimp slap from John. And I needed it.
1 John 1
The Word of Life 1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our joy complete. 5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
1 John 2
1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also forthe sins of the whole world.
3We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 7Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. 12I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. 14I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 18Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. 26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. Children of God 28And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
1 John 3
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
"that's just ____ being ____"
Here's a thought....when someone refers to Manny Ramirez with the phrase, "That's just "Manny Being Manny", they mean he's being aloof, doing something that's funny but hurts his team, making up his own rules, etc.
Now, insert your name. If someone says, "Ah, that's just (your name) being (your name)", what would they mean by that?
For instance, if someone were to say, "That's just Jason being Jason", here are a few things I at least think they might mean:
- "He just pulled a well-conceived prank on somebody...and got them really good" (ask my co-workers on this one, they'll confirm)
- "He was just trying to be witty but ended up coming across as a jackass"
- "He's in a bad mood for some unknown reason...it's not like he's actually mad at you"
- "He just made a comment or observation that was totally out of left field, but actually somewhat insightful"
- "He can be a little bit of a control freak, just live with it and move on"
- "He said something really funny, but you had to think for a minute to get it"
a deadly middle name...
Just a suggestion for any readers who might be having kids anytime in the future. When contemplating middle-names for your child, do not pick the name Wayne. You may thank me for it.
Wanna know why?
Check out this site.
manny being manny
Manny Ramirez makes me laugh. Amazing baseball player. 490 career home runs. .313 career batting average. 2200 hits. 1600 RBI's. The most postseason home runs of any player in history. Amazingly powerful swing. Always wears a do-rag under his helmet to keep is dreadlocks tidy. Says pretty much whatever is on his mind, regardless of the consequences. Dude makes $17,000,000.00 a year in salary. He's possibly the best right-handed slugger in the history of the game.
yes, i did..
just change the background color of this blog. Frankly, the previous color was starting to look a little bit too "purpley" for me. Don't be suprised if it changes again. I'm crazy like that. If you're interested, the color is Grey Hex #212121. Very dark grey, but not black.
Thanks so much for stopping by...please continue reading...
The Colonel
corn toss...an old west folklore tradition?
This weekend, we went to Kentucky to visit family and see our newest nephew/cousin, Grayson, who is only 3 weeks old. On Sunday, we began our drive back to Tennessee. Not long after leaving my sister & brother-in-law's, we drove through a town named Columbia. It has one of those cool, old timey town "circles" where there's a big circle in the middle of town with 4 or 5 roads that branch off from it in different directions. We saw the following sign while driving on this circle:
Just to be clear, it says "Downtown Days - Folklore of the Old West Festival". Cool, huh? A little town festival. We had these kinds of things in my home town growing up. Vendors and food stands set up. People walking around, enjoying the town. Pretty neat theme too, "Folklore of the Old West." You would expect to see people dressed in Old West costumes, cowboys and indians, maybe some big black kettles cookin up some stew for lunch on the sidewalk.
But no. As we head down our branch off of the town circle, this is what we see:
I'm kidding, right? No. It in fact does say, "Corn Toss - Register Here." Hmm. This must be some Old West version that we've never seen before, right? Maybe they take big ears of corn and throw them through tire swings hanging from old oak trees. Maybe in the 1800's men filled canvas bags with corn and heaved them over wooden fences in an effort to build strength and stroke their egos.
But no. This is what was happening:
That's right. A full-blown Corn Toss Tournament. From what I could see, there were 8 Corn Toss matches going on simultaneously. There was even a small crowd of spectators cheering on their friends and family. The matches were important enough that the parking lot was sealed off with top-grade, bright-yellow Caution tape.
Way to go, Columbia, Kentucky. It's nice to know there's a place with people who have the courage to elevate Corn Toss to the level it deserves. You've captured the spirit of the Old West and made our early settlers proud. I say again, way to go, Columbia, Kentucky.
bounce house mania
Eli & I have a new found joy. The Bounce House. There are no less than 3 of them here in Knoxville. The one we go to has "open play" on Wednesday nights from 6:00 - 8:30pm and costs only $7.00 per child. It's such a blast!! They have 3 of the standard "bounce houses" where you just go inside and just jump up and down. There's an obstacle course just for kids. There's an "adventure course" that he and I both go on, a 24-foot tall slide, basketball hoops, and they offer very inexpensive and healthy snacks.
if i could only eat one thing the rest of my life....
It would be hamburgers. I love hamburgers. I love Big Macs, Double Cheeseburgers, Whoppers, Singles, Doubles, Sonic Burgers, burgers fresh off the grill, burgers cooked on the stove, medium, medium-well, well done. I like plain hamburgers. I like them with ketchup and mustard. I like them with mayo or Miracle Whip. I like them with A-1 sauce. I like lettuce and onions. I like plain buns and sesame seed buns. I even like Krystal burgers. At least I like the first 4 or 5. Then I begin to really hate them.
I've eaten at Whataburger in El Paso, TX. Loved it. I like Jack-in-the-Box burgers too. In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of a burger I've eaten in my life that I didn't like. Seriously. They're awesome. They're filling. Easy to hold. Easy to eat. They come in different shapes and levels of thickness. You can put a wide variety of toppings on them. Check out Cheeburger-Cheeburger if you ever get the chance...amazing burgers and tons of different toppings to choose from.
Dear God...If destruction should come to the earth, or I crash unexpectedly while flying across the ocean on a Fed-Ex airplane, and I find myself in that often referenced but terribly unrealistic position of being "stranded on a deserted island", please God, just provide me with burgers from heaven. Or a few cows would be okay too.
hooray for cousins
universal texting language....revealed!
I have a question for you. And it’s not are you a snot nosed egotistical rude teenager. An unpleasant visual, I know. No really. Do you understand texting? I don’t. I’m confused. It’s a world where great phrases like “see you later alligator” get downsized into one word. Remember when you used to write notes on paper? As a matter of fact, I still keep shoeboxes full of old letters. To be honest, I enjoy moments of happy crying when I read those letters. They were meaningful. With messages like, “have a nice day”, “love ya”, “best of luck”, and “best friends for life”, these notes were great because they required effort. You had to work a little to write one. In my humble opinion, turning I Love You into ILY, or reducing the art of getting to know someone into age/sex/location and where are you from simply leaves me scratching my head in disbelief. In fact, it stinks. Just for fun, I thought it might have me bursting with laughter to create this texting post. For real though, I’m feeling like an egghead.
Let me know what you think about this post. Your responses could range from big deal to bored out of my skull to smiling from ear to ear. It’s your choice. Be honest. Just fill in the blank. That would be fine by me. Please reply quickly though, or I’ll go straight evil on you. Thanks for reading. Good luck deciphering. Just to let you know, this message will be revealed in full. Just don’t quote me on this. Because, frankly, I couldn’t care less. Giggling my butt off….your brother in Christ…Jason
universal texting language
?4U. and its not ru a snert. an uv, ik. no really. do u understand txting? i dnt. %-( its a wrld whr grt phrses like l8rg8r r dwnsizd 2 1 wrd. remembr whn u used 2 wrt notes on papr? aaf, i have shuboxs full of old ltrs. tbh, i enjy momnts of :'-) whn i read thm. thy were meangful. with msges like "hand", "ly", "bol", & "bffl", thy were grt bc thy reqrd effrt. u had 2 wrk a lttle to wrte 1. imho, trning ily into ily or rducing the art of gtting to no a prson in2 a/s/l and wuf smply lvs me smhid. infct, pu. jff, i thght it mght hav me bwl to mk this txt post. frt, im feeling lik (:>
let me no wht u thnk abt this post. ur rsponses cld rnge from bd 2 booms 2 sete. ur choice. b hnest. jst filb. tht wld b fbm. pls rply qik though, or ill go str8 >-( on u. thnks for rding. good lck dcphering. jtlyk, ths msg will b rveald in full. jst dqmot. bcs, ficcl. gmba....ybic...json.
being a dad
more random thoughts
How do fashion trends actually start? I think one disadvantage to living in Tennessee is that we're always a little behind the curve on trends in general...especially fashion. For instance, let's say that a current fashion trend is wearing jeans that are torn. My question is...who was the first person to do that on purpose? Did that kid get laughed at? Where did it happen? How long did it take before 100 people were doing it? Then 1000? Then 10000? Another example might be the big New Era style backwards caps that cost $50.00. I see them all over the place. Again, who wore that for the first time? Where? When? How long did it take until kids in TN were wearing them too? This fascinates me.
Subdivisions are getting out of hand. They are literally everywhere. And everywhere there's not one, there's one being built. And they all have such great names like, "Walker's Point", "Pleasant Valley", "Mountain Ridge", and "Lakeside Manor". Maybe it's because I grew up in the country, but I've always thought it would be much nicer to own (for example) a $120,000 home that sits on 2 acres of land than to have a $200,000 home that sits 8 feet from the homes on either side of it. Problem is, with the massive amount of subdivisions out there, you almost can't find a home to purchase anymore that's NOT in a subdivision. You have no choice. It's as if Microsoft took over the real estate market. You either buy a home in a subdivision, or you have to wait (sadly) for an elderly family member to pass away and leave their long-held property to you in their will. Or you somehow acquire $100,000 extra dollars to actually buy a piece of property. Then of course you have to build a home to live there. It's very sad.
Finally, for golf fans. The President's Cup is taking place right now. And does anybody really care? The entire golf world gets totally siked up about The Ryder Cup, which takes place on even numbered years and pits the US against Europe in head-to-head golf matches. It's crazy, fans are wild, they yell, both sides just want to kick the crap out of the other. It's almost like a soccer match in golf. But The President's Cup is more of a friendly engagement. A nice competition between the best golfers in the US and "the rest of the world" (aka, not Europe). Their jovial, coureous, and everybody wants the matches to be of good spirit and one accord. Very weird. Regardless, Tiger kicked some tail yesterday, which is all I really care about. He's only 4 months older than me, about $500,000,000 richer, and I've been following his career since he was about 13 years old. Amazing. Hope to get to see him play someday. If I'm lucky, maybe in the cosmic scheme of things, my son and his daughter could end up together. Sam Alexis Woods-Edelen...has a good ring to it.
uncle jason
Last night I became an uncle for the first time. My sister Kari Jo delivered a 7lb 12oz baby boy - Grayson Carter Booe - at about 8:58pm. For any of you Bible College people out there, both I, my sister, and her husband Rodney graduated from KCC...now KCU. KCU is located in Grayson, Ky, which is in Carter county. Hence, Grayson Carter. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures yet. I'm really excited to have the chance to be that "cool uncle" that we all remember from when we were kids. If you didn't get to have a cool uncle growing up, I'm sorry, but you really missed out.
I'm 4 1/2 years older than my sister...I also have another younger sister and a younger brother. I have some pretty good memories of Kari Jo when she was about 2-3 years old. I can remember some pretty major fights we had when we were roughly 12 and 8 years old. I recall founding the first FCA at my high school when I was a senior, and thinking it was awesome that my sister and some of her 8th grade friends were members of it. I remember one night at church camp around 1995 or 1996 when she and I hugged and cried for a really long time. I remember the summer of 1998 when she made sort of a last minute decision to attend college at KCC, and thinking what a bummer it was that we wouldn't be able to be students there at the same time, since I had just graduated. Her husband and I lived on the same floor of the same dorm for a while. I don't think he thought much of me at that time. We're better friends now. =)
I remember participating in her wedding, and not feeling weird about the fact that she was married before I was. I felt very proud not too many months ago when she completed her Master's degree in education. She's certainly proven to be an excellent daughter, wife, teacher, younger sister, older sister, and an awesome aunt to our son Eli. And she'll certainly be an incredible mother.
church signs from hell
I love - and hate - the signs you find in front of most churches in the south. Maybe in the north and west too, but I haven't seen enough of them to know. Here's one I just found that made me laugh.
I just don't understand the motivation behind church signs. Very rarely have I encountered one that genuinely captured my interest in a way that made me think, "I think it might be enjoyable to visit that church one day." They mostly make me think, "what jerks", or "how stupid", or "I want to throw eggs at that sign".
Maybe the funniest one I ever read - right here in Knoxville - said "Church parking lot is for church members only. Violaters will be baptized." Pretty awesome, huh?
Do you have any favorite church signs that you've seen?
bad night of sleep in a campus house
It's 7:20am in Johnson City, TN. I'm sitting at an open computer on the 3rd floor of an old student fellowship campus house on the campus of ETSU. 7 of us arrived here last night after playing 18 holes of disc golf in Knoxville. In about 30 minutes, we're headed out to try and play 4 different 18 hole courses by the end of the day today.
We went to "bed" around midnight. Bed meaning really really old couches spread throughout the 3 floors of the house. I finally fell asleep around 2:30am. Woke up around 6:45am. I'm really exhausted, but ready to hit the courses!
These old campus houses are amazing. There's probably 3000 square feet of space in here. Room to sleep 30-40 if they wanted. Old, crooked, creaky hardwood floors. Huge back deck. Old tired walls filled with event flyers and student's favorite scripture verses written in Sharpie marker. Two kitchens, a wide open gathering room on the main floor. A dingy smelling basement with a warped floor and an old Nintendo 64 with some cool games like hockey and Mortal Combat 4. And it works. But there's only one full bathroom. And the toilet in it barely flushes. Definitely not a real livable house. But I don't think anyone actually lives in here, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Even so, as I sit here and type, it's almost like I can feel the ghost of a frustrated college student breathing on my neck, as if he thinks I'm writing an important term paper than he can copy verbatim and turn in to the professor before I do. Kind of gives me the old Blair Witch Project goose bumps. I think I'll go ahead and stop before an exorcism become necessary.
a reminder on how to live
On my friend Mark's blog, he's reminded us that it's been 10 years since the death of Rich Mullins. What a loss. This reminder has been bringing the homeless/poor community to the forefront of my mind. My wife recently - and probably for the first time ever - was compelled to help a homeless man she encountered. She bought him food from a drive-in and gave him some money. When she gave this to him, he simply yelled out something like "alright!" and took off running. She wasn't sure what to think about his reaction.
I recently got on the interstate when leaving work, and there was about a 25 year old guy on the exit. Looked more like a cross country hitcher than actually homeless. But he was holding one of those classic cardboard signs. Except his said, in really big letters, "I'm Nice".
Here's what I'm eventually trying to get to with this thought. I can't count how many times in my life I've thought how great it would be to live a life like Rich's life. Very few possessions, traveling the country, commonly befriending people in bars, choosing to live at times among the poorest of people. I'd always heard that Rich never really knew how much money he truly earned. Everything he earned went straight to his home church. Then, he instructed them to pay him as a salary each year the equivalent of what the median income of a single-income wage earner was in the US....which, in the 1990's, I remember hearing was about $25,000 yearly. He chose to live on $25,000 a year, simply so he could resist the pride, ego, and temptation that come with money. And so he could better identify with the common man.
I always thought that was incredible. For a long time, I really felt drawn toward a life of minimalism. Possibly the mission field in a poor area. Maybe working with some type of organization in poor areas of the US. The few times in my life that I've actually done something to truly serve the poor, it was so very gratifying.
I'm saddened of how things have changed. By how important money has become in my life...in my family's life. How Erin and I squabble about it, sometimes needlessly, mostly because of my issues. How I sometimes feel poor simply because the people I'm around at church or at work have nicer homes or more expensive vehicles than we do. It's so stupid and petty. Thinking about Rich's life and what his life meant to me has really got me thinking about how lucky and truly blessed I am. But also how I've done little to help those less fortunate. And that must change.
i'm a little behind
Sorry I haven't said much in the last week. I've been pretty good at posting regularly. However, I've been totally swamped. I've got more to do at work than I can even stomach thinking about. On top of that, I started getting sick on Monday. I worked late Monday, and 3 times before I left work, I was hugging the toilet trying to puke. When I'm sick, I usually feel better if I puke. But nothing...just a bunch of dry heaving. The whole way driving home I was praying that I wouldn't have to pull over to the side of the road. Thanks God. Missed work yesterday sick. Did nothing but lay in bed and on the couch from 7:00pm Monday night until 4:00pm Tuesday afternoon. Now back at work....and even more behind. Hence the lack of posting. And the lack of constructive thought.
Tomorrow after work, I'm heading out with some guys from church on a little 2 day disc golf trip through east Tennessee. I'm siked up, but I'm already preparing for the fact that my arm might practically fall off before we get back. I'm definitely packing lots of Ibuprofen. Wish me luck.
i'm confused
Do you, like me, get confused about consumer pricing? We're sort of taught to believe that as "technology" improves, the prices of things that technology is applied to goes down. TV's are a good example. New, advanced TV model comes out, and the TV is $5000.00. Technology improves, that same tv is $3000.00 a year later. More technology, and soon the TV is available for $1500.00.
Same thing with cell phones, right? Except that when NEW phones come out, they continually are higher in price than previous new models. Soon after that they're cheaper than the phone you bought 7 years ago that felt like a big remote control. So are they cheaper, or more expensive? Or both? My first nice cell phone in 2000 cost me about $125.00. The phone I have now is much nicer and only cost $50.00, but that's because it was on some sort of closeout special. The phone I liked would have cost about $50.00 IF I was a new subscriber, but was about $150.00 since I was only a renewing subscriber. That seems confusing too. Isn't it better to offer things to KEEP your subscribers, rather than to tick them off?
Technology has certainly improved the way automobiles have been built over the years. Countless workers are laid off because machines do the jobs they used to do. But auto prices keep going up each and every year. My first car - a 1987 Ford Escort - cost me $2300, had 60,000 miles when I bought it, and last me over 4 years. There's not a car out there for $2300 now that I would trust to drive across the street to Weigles. But doesn't the advances in factory technology make cars cheaper and faster to build?
And how is it that CD's are pretty much the same price they were 12 years ago? Or maybe even more expensive in some cases? Are the artists just making a ton more money off of CD sales than they used to, or does it really cost the same to make a CD as it did in 1992, when I picked up my first DC Talk cd..."Free at Last", for about $15.00?
I really just get the sense that it's all about greed. Apple charges $599 for a new phone, not because that's its true market value, but just because they can. My wife loves finding shirts on sale for $7.00 when they were originally $42.00. Doesn't that make you wonder about the actual value of a $42.00 shirt? When you go to that store in the mall and buy the $35.00 jeans, do you ever stop to think about the time 6 months ago when they were on sale for $18.00, and realize you might be getting jipped? Do you really wear them that much longer than you would a $14.00 pair of Wranglers from Walmart? And are they really made that differently to justify a 150% higher price?
It's gotten me to the point that I have little joy in buying things when, really, there used to be joy in the obtaining of something new. I can't stop wondering if it's worth it, and if it's 30% cheaper at the next store down the street. Problem is I don't want to take the time to drive down there and see. So I buy something I need just hoping it will last and praying I don't walk in a store 2 days later and see the same thing for less.
I'm going now. I want a hamburger. I just can't decide whether to get the $1.00 Double Cheeseburger, the $2.59 Single, the $3.39 Whopper with bacon, or just buy 4 patties from Krogers for $3.00 and actually invest the time and effort to cook them. Almost makes me not hungry anymore.
moving on...
Moving On. Our vacation was great. It was the first time since 2000 that either Erin or I had been to the ocean. We look forward to taking Eli on our next beach trip. Every time we saw other couples with kids on the beach, we missed him that much more.
Charleston, SC is a great place to go if you want to go to the beach, but don't really want to spend all day there. Downtown "historic" Charleston is basically a place you can walk around for 2-3 hours and get a glimpse of what colonial city living looked like 250 years ago. Some of the homes have literally existed that long. A downtown church that was commissioned in the 1750's actually has a cemetary in which two original signers of the Declaration of Independence were buried...and the original tombstones are still there. The folks who live in Charleston seem committed to keeping their city historic and beatifully asthetic.
Although the beach was great, I'm really still more of an outdoors/nature type of person. I hope in the years to come to visit Yellowstone, Alaska, Canada, Grand Canyon, Montana, Vermont in the fall, Niagra, etc. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
going dark...
I'm going dark for about 10 days. Vacation time.
You can read one of my very first posts for more details. I'm going to miss blogging while we're gone. I don't have a laptop, or web access on my phone, or an I-Phone, or enough desire to find some local Charleston library where I can log in and feed my blog addiction. So no new posts.
Please feel free to take this time to read all the old (well, all of 8 weeks old) stuff on here. If you haven't yet, you'll definitely get to know me better. Good thing? We'll see. Have a great labor day...and I'll see you on the 10th.
wanna see something a wii bit funny?
This trips me out. What you see here is my brother (forefront, long hair) and my brother-in-law (background, short hair) duking it out in a boxing match on the Nintendo Wii. This was the very first time I'd ever seen the Wii in action. It was hard to take the pictures because of how hard I was laughing. Once they got started, it was like no one else was even in the room. Don't even think about walking by them to get to the kitchen, or you were likely to get popped with a left hook. What an invention.
Oh, for the days of Frogger, 1942, Pong, and Mario Brothers. Wait. The Wii actually has Mario Brothers available. Except you actually have to "run" and "jump".
I'm breaking a sweat just typing about it. That's simply way too much work. Give me two buttons, an arrow pad, and some awesome-cool Zelda music anyday.
(oh yeah. these pictures were posted without permission. haha.)
the ridiculous english language
Seriously. Do you ever think (like I do) that sometimes the English language is just completely ridiculous? That we could eliminate half the words in the dictionary and no one would know the difference in everyday life?
Let me give you an example. Do you have any idea how many different terms there are to distinguish "groups of animals"? Because I only have so much time and so much space, let me just share a few.
Herd of Antelopes
Colony of Ants
Troop of Apes
Flutter of Butterflies
Caravan of Camels
Pack of Dogs
School of Fish
Stand of Flamingos (that one's funny)
Gaggle of Geese
Swarm of Gnats
Cloud of Grasshoppers
Bloat of Hippos (haha)
Stable of Horses
Exaltation of Larks (wonder what God thinks of that?)
Pride of Lions
Parliament of Owls (what?)
Team of Oxen
Bevy of Quail
Flock of Sheep
Flight of Swallows
Pod of Walruses
Wisdom of Wombats
You think I'm making this up, don't you? A wisdom of wombats? Yeah, right. Personally, I've never associated the wombat as being a wise creature. Could we not refer to all land living creates as herds? All flying creatures as flights? All water creatures as schools? Does it really have to be this complicated?
For those who still don't believe these are all true...Check out my source. It actually comes directly from the San Diego Zoo website. Prepare to be mesmerized.
elemental
Simply stated...I love the Honda Element. Love it. It's sporty, stylish, fairly fuel efficient, incredibly versatile, unique, different. I've gotten inside one and moved all the seats, pushed the buttons, opened the doors, run my hand along the rubber floor, salivated (accidentally, I promise) on the passenger seat. Say what you want about the looks...it is simply an amazing vehicle. Hopefully will be my next vehicle. Both back seats can be removed. Eli and I can go camping and not even sleep on the ground! Interior can be sprayed clean with a water hose!
Alas, times are hard. Money's tight. 3 year old sons love going to Dollywood, and mom/dad simply can't seem to avoid the temptation to eat dinner out at least twice a week.
Until then, I'll scoot along in my nice, cute, dependable 2002 Mazda Protege. LX model. Sunroof and alloy wheels. 5 speed manual. 79,586 miles. Been a good'in.
What vehicle would you like to be your next?
erin & i love to dance
Erin & I love to dance. Mostly spontaneously around the living room....and well, mostly just me. However, on a recent trip to Mexico, we learned to do the cucaracha. What a blast that was! Thought you guys might like to see us in action. Enjoy.
who says disc golf is a sissy sport?
Some of you who've read my recent disc golf addiction post are probably thinking, "wow you go out in a field and throw a frisbee, big deal". How wrong you are. There are many terrifying dangers in disc golf. Thorn bushes, throws across water, mosquitos, being embarrassed by far more talented teenage players, and (as you can see above) getting your disc stuck in a tree. In the last week, I've experienced all of these dangers, and I have the bruised ego and annoying scratches to prove it. A sissy sport? Yeah, right. Let's see Peyton Manning try it.
pumped about church
For the first time in years, I'm totally pumped up about going to church. I've either served at or regularly attended 8 churches in my lifetime. For the first time ever, I'm in a place where it's clear that the entire group of core members are all experiencing and chasing after the same God-inspired vision. And it's been amazing to see the results God has produced from this assembly of common purpose. The smiles, stories, tears, growth, hard work, sweat, worship, and teaching have all been infused and fleshed out with this purpose - "Helping People Find Their Way Back to God."
I'm excited to be a contributing member of an incredible team of servants. I'm thrilled that Eli loves to be there and began remembering his awesome teacher by name after only 2 visits. I'm proud of the growth and openness I've seen in Erin, and I'm so glad to know that she's going to be able to develop deep friendships and bonds with other amazing women.
Thank you God for inspiring a vision that became Crossings. And thank you Crossings for inspiring me.
disc golf addiction
I'm addicted to disc golf ... again. Took up the "sport" in 1999 as a complete novice, loved it, and played it ALL the time. Was pretty good, I guess. Got burned out, life changed, yada yada.
Went out again this past Sunday for the first time in years, and was embarrassed by some friends from church. They were good. I stunk it up. But it rekindled the flame. Bought 3 new discs on Monday, played Tuesday during lunch, played today during lunch. Already my old skills are coming back to me. It's awesome! Maybe Erin (my lovely wife) will let me play after work...and then maybe again this weekend. If I'm lucky, maybe she'll start using it as a way to shoo me away if she's mad at me for some reason..."I'm mad at you right now. Why don't you just go play disc golf or something!" On second thought, that may not be good logic.
Interested in playing? Check out this database of courses. I'm sure it's not 100% complete, but it lists over 2400 courses, so maybe there's one near you! In a way, it's kind of like tennis....all you'll need to do is invest about $30.00 in 3-4 discs, and go play as much as you want. It's great. (yeah, right) Seriously, go find some discs. You'll thank me. (you do realize all it is..) Yes, I know it consists of throwing weird, hard plastic discs at chain linked baskets. If you haven't tried it, you just don't understand. (yeah, just like I don't understand soccer or hockey or Big Brother 8 on CBS) Fine. I get your point.
flip flops, birkenstocks, and Jesus sandals
On Friday night I was visiting my wife at the store where she works part time. It's in a mini-mall shopping center. Right next door to the store is a higher-priced Mexican restaurant. It didn't open until 7:00pm. At about 6:45pm, there were 30 people gathered outside the restaurant, and they were divided up into about 4-5 different social groups. Not a big deal, really. Friday night. Popular restaurant. People ready to eat. Some in their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. So why did it catch my eye?
Because every single person was wearing flip flops or sandals.
There wasn't a sock in the group. All 300 toes were visible. There were cheap plastic flip flops, leather flip flops, Teva sandals, Birkenstocks, flip flops (think American Eagle) that looked ratted and torn, buckle strap sandals, velcro strap sandals, you name it. Now, I'm sure at least one of these patrons was suspicious of me as I stood behind the storefront glass window and creepily counted people while starting at their feet. But that's the cost of trying to come up with good blog ideas.
Remember growing up when having cool sneakers was a big deal? Today, EVERYONE is wearing flip flops and sandals practically all the time. Toddlers, teens, young adults, you name it. They're worn in the workplace, at church, in restaurants, at amusement parks.
I did a little research to find out how long this trend has been around. After Googling long and hard, I found some amazing results........They've been worn since the beginning of time. Yep. Adam, Eve, Moses, Abraham, David, Isaac, Solomon. All flip flop and sandal wearers. Something about the desert and sand. Apparently fashion colored leather and matching shoestrings were a little hard to come by back then. I think Jesus wore sandals too.
So really, when you boil it down, I guess we're all just being responsible, biblically-minded individuals when we slide our beautiful feet into those $3.00 Old Navy flip flops. I wonder if it makes Jesus smile to know that we've all walked a mile in His shoes?