Music Monday - 20080825

I had a hard time choosing a song today. It was a long weekend in that I am beat (tired) today and I actually had a few songs running through my mind. On Saturday I got ready to pour the cement for the footers for my beloved's deck and when I was double checking the holes one of them was off - thus I had to dig a ninth hole. :) I'm telling you what - by the time I was done that 16lb pry bar felt like 50lbs! LOL The whole time I'm digging that hole the song "Sixteen Tons" by Ernie Ford kept running through my head. That's not going to be the song for today though. If you wish, click here to listen/watch it on You Tube (by Johnny Cash). Then yesterday we had a family ministry team meeting at church right after the 11:00 am service. It was a long day mentally for me so I didn't really think of a song. I was just busy getting things done - so much for a day of rest. :( When I dragged my tired bones out of bed this morning the song that started running through my head was "Step by Step" by Rich Mullins...

Step by Step Oh God, You are my God And I will ever praise You Oh God, You are my God And I will ever praise You I will seek You in the morning And I will learn to walk in Your ways And step by step You'll lead me And I will follow You all of my days Oh God, You are my God And I will ever praise You Oh God, You are my God And I will ever praise You I will seek You in the morning And I will learn to walk in Your ways And step by step You'll lead me And I will follow You all of my days And step by step You'll lead me And I will follow You all of my days

This song sings of the ideal. Something I know I do not do 100% every day. I want to be ever praiseful, I want to be ever mindful of where He is leading me, I want to seek Him morning by morning. The truth does not waver though. Jesus is always my God, and He will always lead me. Praise God that I am redeemed, and I am being conformed into His image day by day. Verse for today: Revelation 7 : 9-12, ESV After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Football and/or Fallout Fridays

The NFL pre-season is a little more than half over and pretty soon the Panthers are going to have to make some decisions. One that I am going to be watching closely is the 'battle' between John Kasay and Rhys Lloyd. For now it would seem Kasay's job is secure, but the truth is that in the era of free agency you are only as good as your last play. The Charlotte Observer had a good article yesterday about Mr. Kasay. I am hoping that the Panthers make room for all three of the kickers (Jason Baker being the punter) - but with only 53 roster spots... kickers are usually seem as a luxury. Tomorrow the Panthers take on the Washington Redskins and I consistently see the references to the fact that they are undefeated in the pre-season (The Panthers are 1-1, the Redskins are 3-0). But this is the pre-season people. I have news for everyone - including the sports writers out there. In twelve days there will be thirty two teams who are all undefeated in the 2008 season. Then over the seven days following that number will be cut in half. Pre-season is a time of evaluation, not fully dedicated competition. *sigh* Anyway... I am looking forward to being able to see more of the Panthers tomorrow because the game will be played on a local channel. Something that does not happen all that often. I was disappointed to find out this week that the release of Fallout 3 was pushed back three weeks to October 28th. It does not 'rock my world' because I know that, A: it's a game, and B: that means that the Bethesda Softworks is seeing the light at the end of their tunnel. From what I can tell (and I am not a corporate, or industry, insider) they have really put together a good effort to produce a quality product. I may not agree with many of those who are reviewing the game, or their choices of playing style, but I can wait until the company is happy with the finished product. I have been fascinated by the process they have gone through to get to this point. DS1 has intimated to me that he wants to get into game design when he gets older. He has that kind of mind. He is constantly inventing complicated games to play with his friends. He uses Lego's, K'nex, or even just his plastic toy soldiers to represent various ships or whatnot. Can you imagine - four years ago Bethesda Softworks spent over a million dollars just for the rights to make this game. Then, since then, they have been paying programmers, play testers, etc. to make the game. All of that before they have made one dime on the project. I decided to spend the extra $10 on the "Collector's Edition" because they are including a "making of" DVD. I have read that it sort of shows how a game goes through the process of being made, and I am hoping to share that with him. Who knows, maybe this is the direction God is taking him. If nothing else it will help him with his curiosity. There was more, but life interrupted me while I was typing this all in. May God grant each of you a wonderful weekend in Him. Verse for today: Proverbs 22 : 1-6, ESV A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all. The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. [1] Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

It's just like riding a bike

About once a year i would offer to teach DS1 (12) and DS2 (10) to ride a bike. Truth be told i dreaded the possibility of them saying yes. For one thing they might be able to go farther away from home - like i used to when i was their age, and another i didn't like the possibility of them getting hurt. I was still willing, and i think i didn't let me fear show through in my offers, but i was nervous none-the-less. Each time, though, they turned me down. They never explained it, they just weren't interested in it. Last Friday night something 'clicked'. We were over at a friend's house for a barbecue and swim time in their pool. It was a tad chilly so the swim time didn't last very long and the kids all got dried off and went to go play on the trampoline. At some point i went to go see the kids (the why is not important, besides - i don't remember it now) and there is DS2 riding around the driveway on one of their friend's bikes! I called my beloved over. At first she thought some one was hurt, but then we both just kind of stood there amazed. When we asked him he said he just wanted to ride. Oh kay... then, when his brother saw what he was doing he jumped on another one and started riding. We asked them where/when they decided to start riding a bike and it was then and there! \o/ They take after their dad. ;-) Now their sister wants to learn too! I think i know what is going to be on everyone's birthday and Christmas wish list this year. Including myself. I had loaned my old bike to a friend who has since misplaced it - but that's ok. The crank on the old one was stripped and it weighed a ton. I have gotten my money out of it. Maybe next spring we can all head out on a bike ride somewhere. In a side note, and in addition to yesterday's blog, i've trimmed down two of the other three blogs i had. I dropped my Hiku blog because i have not written anything new in a very long time. The other one was my Carolina Panthers blog. It was sort of redundant as i blog about the Panthers here anyway. I also didn't want either one clamoring for more time than i really had. One thing i am really trying to do is simplify myself so... One last thing, recently there was a "Behind the Scenes: Planet of the Apes" on the Biography channel. I know this may surprise a few people - but i do not actually know much about the older movies. I've seen the newer one, but really don't like the ending. Anyway, i watched some of that show last night. Pretty interesting stuff - well, to me. :) For example, did you know that when they made the first movie they didn't expect a sequel? It was made for $5.8m. When Fox Studios called for a sequel you would think they would use even more money... nope. It was made for around $3m. When they made that movie the writers and Charlton Heston didn't want to do it, so they compromised and in the final scene he blows up the world (in theory) by detonating a nuclear missile. But that didn't stop a third,fourth or fifth movie, or two television series, etc. Verse for today: Proverbs 21 : 1-3, ESV The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Slimming down and shaping up

Yesterday afternoon I was approached by a coworker. He wanted to know if I wanted to join in on an office "Biggest Loser" contest. Starting next Tuesday those who want to participate will get weighed and measured, and give $50 up front. There after it will cost $25 per month to stay in the competition. That is pretty steep for me, but I told him I might be interested in playing along, just without money or a chance to win the prizes which will be based off of the most weight lost and most body fat percentage lost. I think it would still serve as a good means to motivate me and drive forward with my exercise regimen. (Hopefully) more to follow. In other areas... I have gone through and sold off a couple of books and DVD's that I don't watch or read. Not a lot, probably not as many as I should get rid of. Yesterday a good internet friend posted a blog that was based around "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns. The video (below) is actually scary in the sense that it shows just how easily we can slip. In another blog I followed a link concerning how easy it is to become entangled. It was based off of Psalm 1...

Blessed is the man [1] who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law [2] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

The image shared is of a (wo)man who is walking in and among such people. Which then leads into actually stopping to listen in, and then sitting down and participating. It is the "slow fade". "I will just meet with this person (who is not my spouse) for lunch." Which then becomes drinks, then dinner... you get the idea. But the "slow fade" does not just have to be in the area of adultery. What about idolatry? Slowly you spend more and more time 'meditating' on things other than God. Eventually it starts to creep into other areas, and then you are doing whatever it is instead of quiet times, or even going to Sunday services. This latter thing is something that I struggle with. They are not always 'bad' things either - but if it starts to vie for my time in worship or meditation on the things of God it has become an idol. What about covetousness, or bearing a false witness. It is no wonder we (mankind) are in such a need of a Savior. No wonder we need to "talk/preach to ourselves" more than we need to listen to ourselves. The enemy of our souls is crafty and knows where we are vulnerable. We must ever be on our guard, and in constant prayer asking for God to watch over and protect us. God has really been working on me in this area. Opening my eyes to ways I have been allowing little things to creep in. I think we all need that reminder from time to time. Verse for today: Ezekiel 37 : 21-23, ESV then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings [6] in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Will it come to that?

For some time my beloved and I have seen things within our local church that have caused us no small amount of concern. I am also not sure how much I should, or should not, share here. I will err on the side of caution. Recently we had VBS at our church, and the pastoral staff has never really made it a priority to participate. I have seen their wives help out, but rarely the men. This past year, as a means to drum up some excitement among the kids a challenge was issued that if so many kids were able to come one evening then the next night a dunking booth would be donated and the kids could dunk the pastors. (Side bar: I was not thrilled with this tactic to bring in more kids, especially since we have a space issue - and on top of that I was not thrilled with the idea of dunking the pastor as, in my mind, it comes across as disrespecting the authority of the church leadership.) Well, the kids met the challenge and the dunking booth was set up. The pastors showed up, but then did not stay for the whole evening. One was there less than fifteen minutes - and he was the "youth" pastor. When he was asked about what he was doing for the middle schoolers the response we got was "he does not have a passion for Middle Schoolers". I was dumbfounded. Lately several families have left the church because of the current state of our children's ministry. When this was mentioned to the senior pastor the response was "people always leave during a building project". We are in the process of a building project, but you would not really know it. With the exception of a small project board with a picture on it, and a line that mentioned how much was donated towards it, you would not know. My beloved and I have known a few of the families, and the reason was not the building project. The final thing I will mention is that none of the Pastors (we currently have three) keep regular office hours at the church. They all work from home (essentially). At a business meeting where the Senior Pastor was present, a friend asked him to pray about having maybe a rotating schedule or something so that there would be a pastor available if needed. The response was sobering. My beloved was present at this meeting so I am confident in this account... the man lost his temper. I cannot remember the exact words, but in essence she was told that it was not going to happen, and that we needed to trust him. But what if someone in the congregation wanted to talk to one of them? What about someone who was in need walking in? I know there are thousand and one things that can distract a Pastor, and that to some extent they need to be shielded, but I feel that this response was out of line. Also, since it was in such a public forum, and he was not a little angry, an apology and some form of request of forgiveness should have been made. It never was - to my knowledge. There are quite a few other things that have really raised some red flags. I am praying over 'Gunny's' blog post about just such a thing. I am concerned because this is the second time I have run into this kind of situation in a SBC church. I know this is not unique to the SBC, and this is not a slight against them, but I am getting "gun shy". Both I and a friend who also attends the same church, have searched around locally for another church. So far, in each case there have been indications that we would not be real comfortable there. We are even considering starting a "House Church". I am both excited and nervous about such a prospect. I am excited because it would 'free' me up to pursue a more in depth teaching, a chance to use some of my (self perceived) gifts. But is also scares me in that cults are started in similar situations. The gospel of Christ can get easily mis-interpreted. There is less chance of direct accountability. Such things should NOT be taken lightly. IF we do this with this other family I am going to need a lot of prayers, but for now we are sitting still (staying at our current church), praying about what to do, and seeking God for unity within the body of Christ. Verse for today: Hebrews 10 : 19-25, ESV Therefore, brothers, [3] since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Music Monday - 20080818

I didn't have a song in mind when I dragged my tired body out of bed this morning. My blog entry was the last thing on my mind as I didn't get to sleep until after midnight, woke up around 4:30 and didn't get back to sleep until after 5:00, and then - totally by God's grace - I woke up at 6:00 right on the button. Both of my alarms were muted, so if God has not woke me up I would probably still be asleep. ;-) What really prompted this song to strike me so was the fact that when I woke up at 4:30 it was because of a dream that I had. Even now that dream is fading from my memory, but I remember it really disturbed me. I do know it was along the lines of things of my past catching up with me.

You Reign Mercy Me Even before there was a drop in the ocean Even before there was a star in the sky Even before the world was put in motion You were on Your throne You were on Your throne You reign Glory in the highest You reign Let creation testify By Your name Every knee will bow And every tongue proclaim That Jesus Reigns Even before Your hand made the heavens Even before the breath of all mankind Even before we had to be forgiven You were on Your throne You were on Your throne Chorus Yesterday, today and forever You are God who was, and is and is to come Written by MercyMe and Steven Curtis Chapman © 2007 Simpleville Music / Wet As A Fish Music / ASCAP (admin. by Simpleville Music, Inc.) Sparrow Song / Peach Hill Songs / BMI (administration by EMI-CMG Publishing) All rights reserved.

This song actually followed along with a theme that God has been using in my life lately. That is my works have no direct impact on my life. Sure, things like when I pay a bill late I am charged a late fee, or if I open a door for some one who is disabled I will feel better about myself - but it does not determine, not just my standing before God but, my standing within society as a whole. It is God who places favor in my life, it is He who has provided my career and job placement. Even when I am not a good steward it is His hand who sustains me, and that no matter what state I find myself (but especially while I am experiencing prosperity) I need to acknowledge and praise Him. What an awesome God i serve. I am filled with wonder and amazement. I am dumbfounded that He would select me, reach down and touch me, reach down and bless me. That He cares for me. There was nothing good... there was nothing that would draw me out from the crowd. I am no one, or anything, special, and yet He has chosen to reach down and speak to my mind and my heart. Praise be to God in the highest. \o/ Verse for today: Philippians 2 : 5-11, ESV Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [1] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, [2] being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Football and/or Fallout Fridays

There are only 23 days, 4 hours, and about 20 minutes until opening kickoff for the Carolina Panthers, and about 52 days until the supposed release date of Fallout 3. The former is set in stone by the league, the latter is set by a company who has not made an official announcement and is probably still working to refine their product. :) Neither of which are terribly important in the eternal sense. But both are good for "filler" in the blogging sense. :) Last night Carolina looked a little shaky in my opinion. The first team offense was not very successful in moving the ball in their first two possessions, and the first team defense was still using the "bend but don't break" philosophy. With the weather delay due to lightning I didn't really get to see all that much, so my opinions are not based off of complete observations. Two take aways from what I am reading in the morning news though, Jake's elbow looks to be doing well, and the defense scored a touchdown off of an interception. Oh, and one more good point - John Kasay booted a 49 yarder. My all-time favorite, and last original, Panther is still looking good. Fallout 3 is still just a game, but I like to play games so I am still looking forward to its release. There are four things on my birthday/anniversary/Christmas wish list. 1) The brand new ESV Study Bible, 2) Fallout 3 for the PC, 3) The Unit, season 3 on DVD, and 4) an electric razor to use at the gym (my old one is over ten years old and leaves a lot of stubble behind). Fallout 3 is based in and around Washington DC and the suburbs so I was wondering if I'd be able to wander around my old 'haunts' or not. I was especially wondering if I could head over to Arlington National Cemetery or not. I figure at some point that I will stand at the Lincoln Memorial and try and look across the Potomac River to see if I can still see the Lee House. If you have ever been at either memorial and looked back across the "Memorial Bridge" it is really well done IMO. I like how the bridge represents the reunification of the North and South after the American Civil War. On the Northern side stands the Lincoln Memorial, then across to the South stands "Lee House", or the Robert E. Lee Memorial. I have read that the tunnels of the old subway system are ways to move around, so maybe I can actually get over there. Hmm... Ok, so this is supposed to be the Jefferson Memorial... but I liked the artwork. LOL I think, for me, the biggest thing I am looking forward to (and will probably be a disappointment somewhat) will be the ability to walk around the region of where I grew up, and have lived almost my entire life and see what they have done to it in the game. What the "artist's concept" is. Will I be able to travel out to Sugar Loaf 'Mountain'? What about National Airport? I've heard about the Capital Building and Washington Monuments. What about my old neighborhoods in Arlington, or Rockville? I know it will not be fully interactive, and I will not be able to go "everywhere" - there are just so much you can put into a game. But it still should be fun. Wow, I really can ramble on about very trivial things. :) May God richly bless each of you, and may you have a great weekend. Verse for today: Proverbs 15 : 3-9, ESV The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle [1] tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. [2] The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness.