05.31.07
My Brush With “The Rocket”
My boss gave myself and my partner at work a total of four tickets for the Chicago White Sox game on June 4. He was “compensating” us for a tough and frustrating project we did a few months ago. He must have really appreciated what we did, because he gave us dinner in the “upscale” restaurant at US Cellular Field, along with box seats. Now, this was exciting enough until tonight. I sent in a billboard idea to the Mac Jurko and Harry Show at ESPN 1000. When I went to the website to download the podcast of today’s show to see if my idea was mentioned on the air, I read about a bet that one of the hosts had made about the game on June 4. Low and behold I will be at Roger Clemens’ return debut to Major League Baseball. You better believe I’m gonna have a camera, binos, and everything else I can think to bring to capture the moment. What luck is that that I happen to get free tickets to this game? Anyway, I didn’t want to rub it in, but I’m so thrilled I had to share it.
What’s the Source?
Wayne has a good post over at sweet jazzy cat. Check it out.
05.26.07
No Shrek, But We Got a Spare!
I took my 3-year old daughter, Kaitlyn, into Woodstock, IL tonight to see “Shrek the 3rd”. When we got there we were disappointed that the movie was so popular that the 6:30 showing had been sold out. So, we drove around Woodstock looking for something else to do. Mini-golf was the next option, but the kid-friendly place was closed due to very light rain. So the next alternative was bowling. I wasn’t too comfortable with the idea at first since I had never taken a kid bowling when I wasn’t sure if she could lift the ball. She did pretty good. I guess I should be honest, so I only beat her by 4 pins. After she bowled a spare in the ninth and completed her tenth frame, I was down by 14 pins. I came through an bowled a needed strike on the first attempt, and then I ended up four pins ahead of her. I was honestly nervous going into my tenth. But, not to worry, daddy came through. It was a fun alternative after missing out on Shrek.
05.20.07
Which Jesus Do You Serve?
This video uses graphic scenes from “The Passion”. It’s hard to watch but needs to be shared. So many of us follow and worship a Jesus of our own making. We want him to be handsome and dashing. We want him to fit our agenda and opinions. The Bible(in both testaments) makes it clear that he is not that Jesus. He had nothing about him to draw people to him(Isaiah 53). He was beaten and scarred(Isaiah 52:14, 53, Matthew 27, Mark 15). He was slandered as many things for who he spent his time with(Matthew 11). We need to get back to the Christ of the Bible and worship as He was and is.
05.19.07
Selah Music Kick
I used to think hymns were just so dull. They were boring, and I couldn’t stand saying thou every 5 words. A few years ago my fiancee(now my wife) turned me on to Selah. Originally a brother/sister combo with good friend, Alan Hall, on piano, they have seen new faces over the last couple years. Todd Smith, lead singer, is one of my favorite singers. He puts so much passion into the song. Selah does a lot of hymns on their albums. They don’t jazz them up for the most part. The way they sing them, though, makes it so you can’t help but listen to the words. Have you ever really read the words to most hymns? They have such a strong, biblical message. This hymn combo, “Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Savior/It is Well,” is sung in two different languages–English and Kituba. Todd and his sister, Nicole, spent about 8 years in the Congo while their parents were missionaries there. Every album they record includes african songs along side the English ones.
Here is the story behind this hymn:
Horatio G. Spafford, a 43-year-old Chicago businessman, suffered financial disaster in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. He and his wife were still grieving over the death of their only son shortly before the fire. Spafford realized they needed to get away for a vacation. Knowing that their friend and well-known evangelist Dwight L. Moody was going to be in England that fall for a campaign, he decided to take the entire family to England. His wife Anna and his four daughters sailed ahead on the S.S. Ville du Havre. Urgent business delayed him so he planned to follow shortly.
The ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and sank in 12 minutes in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Two hundred and twenty-six lives were lost. Mrs. Spafford miraculously survived the accident, but their four daughters Tanetta, Maggie, Annie and Bessie drowned in the tragedy. On reaching the European mainland, she cabled her husband with the sad message, “Saved alone.”
Later as he was on a ship to rejoin his wife, the captain informed when they were over the spot where his daughters died. He penned the words to this hymn shortly after.
Here was a man who had lost all five of his children. He had every reason to curse God. He had every reason to walk away and never care again. Still, he wrote this, “Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my sou.’”
I remember sitting with Beth on the couch when we realized she had probably miscarried our third child. I remember the two of us, as sad and devastated as we were, agreeing that we would be ok(it would be well with us) with what was happening. It didn’t take away the pain, but it brought hope to know God was in control. Here are the lyrics to Selah’s version of the song:
Bika mono ve, mvulusi(Pass me not, o gentle Savior.)
mono ku lomba(Hear my humble cry.)
bu nge vuluswa ba nkaka(While others thou art calling)
bika mono ve(Do not pass me by.)
Yesu, yesu(Savior, Savior)
mono ku lomba(Hear my humble cry.)
bu nge vuluswa ba nkaka(While others thou art calling)
bika mono ve(Do not pass me by.)
It Is Well With My Soul
Words and Music by Horatio Spafford
When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, It is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul
It is well, It is well with my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part, but the whole
Has been nailed to the cross
So I bear it no more
Praise The Lord, praise The Lord, oh my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound and The Lord shall descend
Even so, it is well with my soul.
05.15.07
Just For Fun
I’ve seen this done a few times on other blogs. Mostly it’s when one guy tags a few other guys, and they have to do this. It’s really interesting to see what comes out by chance. Here’s what to do:
1. Grab the nearest book to you(not just your favorite, but the nearest one to you right now).
2. Turn to page 67
3. Read the very first full sentence on the page.
4. Post the sentence and the book you’re reading it from in the comments section of this post.
Here’s mine: “When people choose unbelief over belief in God, they choose a view of the universe so out of step with reality that it is impossible to live consistently with it.”
This is from “In Search of Certainty: Is there any such thing as truth? If so, can we know it?” by Josh McDowell and Thomas Williams. Let’s what type of stuff comes up.
05.14.07
Let’s Have a Look.
A recent comment my “Daughtry” post said I looked more like Cletus from The Simpsons than Chris Daughtry. So, I thought I’d give a look-see and see if Stevie was right. I don’t know. Judge for yourself. Out of the three, only one has the hottie on his arm.
05.12.07
Don’t be Fooled
We are warned of false teachers in the later books of the New Testament(1 Timothy, 2 Peter, Jude) coming into the church and leading sheep astray. Many times we glance over these parts of scripture, as we think we would spot them so easily that they wouldn’t be a threat. Well start looking a little closer and you’ll see we have missed many of them.
First let precede my post with this. I respect many atheists that I have dialogued with over the past couple of months. I have seen a greater example of how Christ would have us interact with each other in them than I see in many Christians. I recently frequented a site run by agnostics and atheists geared mainly toward the “errancy” in Christianity and the Bible. This I believe does not exist, but their arguments are very convincing as Jude warns it will be. I was shocked by the harsh and disrespectful responses to their arguments by so-called Christians. So please don’t see this post as a personal attack on atheists or agnostics or those who simply choose not to believe in Christ.
While on that site I found “christians” stating that there is no real Heaven and Hell. They conceded that God is not able to do all that he wills. This is just the tip of the iceberg. When I clicked on the link to one of their sites, I was shocked. I found a man(whom I won’t link to his site or say who he is, for fear that many will go there and attack him) who calls himself a Christian, frequently dialogues on many atheist sites(not a bad habit), and pastors a church here in Illinois. As I discussed issues of homosexuality with him and abortion and God’s unchanging person, I realized I was not even arguing with someone I would consider a Christian at all. By his own admission, he believes in evolution, errancy in scripture, two different gods of the Bible(OT god and the “god of Jesus”), gay marriage is acceptable, abortion is best kept legal, and that Christians should not correct each other in their sins. An atheist friend of his placed a post on his own site to allow questions to be directed to this pastor about Christianity. Basically the hundreds of lost people seeking answers about Christianity on this site are getting their answers from someone who rejects seemingly 75% of the Bible. You think we need to worry? I do. If one man from Illinois is making this impact, think of how many more are doing this. They label themselves as the emerging church, which is not a bad movement, but they are not really that church. They are a very liberal side of it and are leading many from the true Christ. Let me make it clear that this post is not an attack on this individual. This is one example I have found that just disturbs me. The point of this post is to raise awareness of what is going on under our noses and tagging us, Christians who believe the Bible is the written word of God, as the heretics.
Is That Daughtry? No, Even Better, It’s Dan!
So a guy at work sings “It’s Not Over” every time he sees me. As you can see, there’s a very distinct resemblance between myself and Chris Daughtry. Of course I’m the one on the left. Thoughts?
