Jay Cat Five's Thought Dumpster

95 Days Later...

2009-04-05T00:38:00.003-05:00

....and still no zombies. Drat. On the bright side, the Internet still seems to be going strong, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to start writing again.

Where did I go? Not far. Trust me here, it probably wouldn't have been that great to blog all the exact comings and goings as they came and went. It's been interesting, for sure, but it has also been an emotionally draining 95 days. A lot of things changed, but I couldn't make heads or tails of them at the time, and most of it I still can't. But we all know at least one story that's been told (by us or another) that may have been better to been not told at all, or that should have been postponed a little in the telling. That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

So what good stuff did you miss? Well, I'll fill you in, but gradually. That way I'll have stuff to write about for a couple of days, at least until the zombies do decide to show up!

Some things you could look forward to hearing about:

How to install tiles or laminate flooring, or rather how not to install tiles or laminate flooring
Things not to do when considering buying new flooring, but at least make good stories for those who sell it to you
How dangerously important one's job and status can become, even if they don't like it one bit
A surprisingly good board game about railroads
The most possibly best card game in the world, and yet is almost guaranteed to repel anyone ~~impaired~~ blessed with double-X chromosomes (Hint: Nerds + Space - Women = Best Game Ever!)
Some great places to go on the web to waste your time, especially if you like doing puzzles for free (Here's one in the meantime that fits this post's theme -- it helps if your speakers are on for audio clues)
Yet another board game about building a flat cardboard city that for some reason, the ladies totally dig
My new favorite word: Pedantic
What the "Metagame" is, and why my wife is a pro at it
That board game designing competitions exist, and how one could lose at it three times but still feel accomplished
Who "Peculiar People" are, and how compelling they can be in explaining deep theology through theatric arts
An old guy called Steve Brown who is probably the coolest old guy in my book
How hiking is worth your time, and should be done more often
Why I think Leviticus isn't so boring after all, and would probably make a good survival handbook (doesn't mention anything directly about zombies, but gives some good rules of thumb on how to avoid being infected)
The best way to irritate me of which involves a moving vehicle and velocity change
How you'll be hard pressed to make me think U2's new album is worth listening to or how it presents the gospel in an exciting new way involving bad music and lyrics that say one thing but mean something else (you know who you are!)
The struggles of transitioning from a new Christian to an 'older' one, and why new wine and wineskins are pretty darn important (Hint: reference my new favorite word)
How I still don't think Obama is a bad president, even if France's president might have a man crush on him
Thoughts about my previous favorite political party, and some condolences I have for those affiliated with it (except for a few notables)
How unimpressed I am with dishwashers that aren't human
An upcoming book that I am totally stoked about!
Countless anecdotes about why God is awesome and I most certainly am not

Well, that's it for now. Peace and grace, folks. Here's to another 95 zombie-free days.

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-31T22:15:00.003-06:00

I thought I would write about how much I don't like New Year's Resolutions, but for once, maybe I'll be a bit nicer. Recently, it was pointed out to me that I seem to 'not like' things more than most people. So perhaps I'm more discreet about what I formally approve than your average bear, or maybe I really like 'not liking' things. Anyway, I think I gave more than one person too many the wrong idea. (It's okay, I didn't really like them anyway.)

So, in a rare move for goodwill towards men indirectly related to New Year's Resolutions, I've devised the following two lists...

The first list are for those persons or entities who were at one time or another officially declared 'not liked' by yours truly, but have been granted a pardon (in full) from the aforementioned declaration. The recipients include:

Derek Webb
Francis A. Schaeffer
The International House of Pancakes
The Coca-Cola Company and Its Products
John McCain
Rob Bell
Joel Osteen
Bill O'Reilly
Jon and Kate (plus their eight)
The Army
Really Long (and Repetitive) Books by John Piper
The Six-Hour A&E Presentation of Pride & Prejudice (starring Colin Firth)
Trigonometry
People Who Speed (to include my beloved wife)
George W. Bush
Black Olives
People Who Have Sent Me Chain Mail in the Past
The Auburn University Collegiate Football Team
People Who Disapprove of Me Wearing the Auburn University Collegiate Football Team's Officially Merchandised Ball Cap That I Got For Christmas

The second list are for those persons or entities who were at one time or another officially declared 'not liked' by yours truly, and unfortunately have not been granted pardon at this time. However, all listed entities may reapply at a later date for next year's New Year's Not Liked Pardon List. They include:

Monopoly and All Licensed Spin-offs and Reprints
Bethany Dillon
Rush Limbaugh
Enya
24 (Not the number, the TV Show)
Ray Vander Laan
Sarah Palin
Joe Wurzelbacher
Nancy Grace
Wells Fargo
The TV Show(s) Featuring The Duggars
Sean Hannity
Dogs Weighing Less than 20 Lbs. Fully Grown
People Who Like to Be Loud Outside Late at Night
Seinfeld (the TV Series)
Open-Mouthed Chewers
Imaginary Numbers (which somehow exist yet aren't real)
l33tspeak and the haX0rs Who Use Them
The Color Purple
Door-to-Door Cable Salesmen (and women)
People Who Keep Sending Me Chain Mail
Green Olives
Butternut Squash
Arachnids
N'SYNC (even after all these years)
The Lifetime Movie Network
New Year's Resolutions

The Need For Motivation

2008-12-28T15:31:00.003-06:00

I sure hope everyone had a good Christmas this year--I definitely did! Don't know why, but the season of giving, or hope, or 50% off sales wasn't really motivating me to blog, but now I've seen something that changes everything. If you ever needed motivation to do something, well, here it is:

Now sally forth and do great things!

GWAPTASTIC!

2008-12-15T08:34:00.002-06:00

So, found this some time ago, but I figure I should let out the secret. There's a free game site (www.gwap.com) that has some pretty addicting games. It should also be noted that my wife enjoys them too. Here's a couple of my favorites:

Verbosity - You and random partner #1 take turns trying to describe and guess a secret word, much like the party game Taboo. The describer has only a few specific clues that they can write, such as "is like ____", "found in ____", etc, and can tell the guesser whether they're hot or cold.

ESP Game - You and random partner #2 look at the same photograph and must think of words to describe it. Name words like crazy until both of you come up with the same word, score a point, and move on to the next picture.

Tag a Tune - You and random partner #3 listen to music, and must describe what you're listening to. Is your partner listening to the same music? Both you and random partner must decide. Get a point if you're right.

If they don't sound like fun, you must have no imagination, and should check it out just to prove me wrong. But here's the neat part of the games. Ever wonder how, if you do an image search on a search engine, how it knows to show a tree when you type "tree"? It's two types of unrelated data, and the computer can't tell if the .jpg it's storing has a "tree" at all. Some poor sap had to come along and tell the computer that image has a "tree." (It's the same with music, and word comprehension; the computer can not associate.) It would take too much time and money for one person to do that to the billions of pictures on the web...unless you turned it into a game, and made other people do all the work for free!

Brilliant! I guess that's why they call it Games With A Purpose. So go, try it out, and have fun making computers so smart they take over the world.

CTS Opens the Worldwide Classroom

2008-12-09T17:19:00.002-06:00

I just received an email today from Covenant Theological Seminary--seems they're offering 20 free 'classes' (recorded lectures and notes) for personal education.

Check it out here!

I know not everybody's a nerd, much less a Jesus nerd, but I'm super stoked about it. I've heard about this stuff being available before, and I'm sure it is, but this is the first I've actually seen and heard it.

Most of it looks like pretty good stuff. Well, except for two classes dedicated to understanding the man, the myth, the legend, Francis A. Schaeffer. I'm not a big "Christian Right" guy, so me and him would probably have it out. But the rest of the stuff seems really neat! Anyway, check 'em out!

Oh, Holy Night

2008-12-07T22:17:00.005-06:00

I'm not sure if this has ever happened to you yet: There's a song you've heard many times before, but then one day you hear it recorded or sung in just a way that it brings tears to your eyes, and you can never hear it again in the same way...

Well, this is true for me and the hymn "O, Holy Night." I haven't found a good way to put straight audio in my blog, so you'll have to do with a video.

You can find more about this rendition at the Burnside Writers Collective.

Beer Me Another 75 Years!!

2008-12-05T17:20:00.005-06:00

If you didn't know it, today's the 75th anniversary of the passing of the Twenty-first Amendment. It repealed the infamous Eighteenth Amendment, otherwise known as the Volstead Act, otherwise known as the Prohibition.

Praise the Lord. Let me tell you, beer, when made properly, is absolutely wonderful. I'm not a big liquor guy, mainly because of what shall henceforth be referred to as the "Jagermeister Incident of '01." No, I won't tell you about it, but I will hint that it happened in college, and I was building my testimony at the time, and that I can't stomach liquor anymore. But beer, my, that's good stuff.

So, in honor of 75 years of hops, malted barley, fermentation, and moderationism, I submit to you one of the better drinks I've ever encountered. It's not quite a family recipe, but it's most certainly a family favorite. I bestow upon you...

The Snakebite

Pour yourself 1/2 a glass of your preferred hard cider (I will recommend Hornsby's Amber Draft) making sure not to let it head (foam up). Then get a bent spoon and "float" (or pour on the spoon in the glass above the cider to layer it on top) 1/2 a glass of a heavy lager (Guinness Stout for this one). Use the other halves to make another one, and give it to your buddy. Cheers, and give praise to the Lord, for He is Good!

4 8 15 16 23 42

2008-12-04T21:01:00.002-06:00

Farewell, Dear Beard...

2008-12-03T09:07:00.005-06:00

...I hardly knew ye. After getting some hard jabs from the family about how unprofessional beards were, I made the tough decision to let it go for a while--at least until I got another job.

It was great while it lasted, and the more it grew, the more I liked it! Sure, it was only a month, but it felt great.

So, in retrospection, I took a gander on what Wikipedia had to say about the History of the Beard, and it was pretty interesting! Here's some things to think about:

The Spartans punished cowards by shaving off a portion of their beards.
The Lombards derived their fame from the great length of their beards (Longobards - Long Beards - Langbarten). When Otho the Great said anything serious, he swore by his beard, which covered his breast.
When a priest became convinced of the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation he would often signal this by allowing his beard to grow, showing that he rejected the tradition of the church and perhaps also its stance on clerical celibacy. The longer the beard, the more striking the statement.
Veterans of the French Emperor's Army were known as "Vieux Moustaches" (Old Moustaches), while greener conscripts were forbidden to grow them, thus making them especially coveted and prestigious.
"For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest--a sign of strength and rule." St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275
"A kiss without a moustache, is like soup without salt." - Breton saying.

Ready, Set, CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!

2008-11-28T13:34:00.002-06:00

Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving--I know I did. I know the Christmas season started two months ago, but I suppose late is better than never to start listening to Christmas music.

Here's a little something special to kick off the season!

Great New Game Ideas

2008-11-24T10:03:00.003-06:00

A friend and I were reminiscing the other day about the sorry state of games with an explicit Christian target audience. And, since I consider game designing to be one of my bigger hobbies, I figured..."Hey, why not?" That could definitely bring in some extra income! After thinking about it for a bit, I realized it's not very fun to make any truly edifying games, and it certainly wouldn't be very profitable. I had way more fun making up some games that...well, I won't spoil the fun.

Now, I know what you're thinking. I'm going to put these on here, and you're going to come along and snatch up my game ideas! Well, it happened before (see here), and I'm ready for it this time. Chances are, by the time you read this, I'll be halfway back from the permit office, cackling all the way!

Now, without further ado, here are the most awesome 'Christian' games to never hit the market! Read them and bask in their awesomeness!

Cryptic Praise
Remember those days when the WWJD and FROG trinkets were cool? It was way sweet to walk around with an acronym that nobody knew tagged to your wrist/ankle/neck, and when they asked you, you got to boast your faith to the unsuspecting stranger! What fun! It's a shame that everybody knows what those mean nowadays...but with this game, you get the chance to wear fashionable phylacteries all over again! There are several dice with letters that are rolled into a grid (not unlike Boggle), and the players come up with some sly sayings with the letters in the grid! All the phrases are written down and voted on, and the winner gets to make a bracelet (with the companion "Cryptic Praise Craft Kit," of course)! First to make ten bracelets wins! Come out with such zingers as WYGMBSR (When You Get More Better; Sanctification Rocks!) or PLMSP (Please Let Me Say Prayers)! The possibilities are endless, as well as the fun of being smug about your covert holiness!

Prosperopoly (Tagline: "Get ahead without being left behind!")
Remember the parable about the servants and the talents? Well, that was really about how Jesus wants us to be rich and happy on Earth before we meet him in Heaven. What better way to be happy than to be richer than everyone you know? In this Monopoly-esque board game, each player is trying to amass a bigger fortune than his brotherly rivals. Sometimes it's a tough world out there, and 'liberties' need to be taken to make sure you can maximize your returns. Just draw a Sin Token and bend the rules to your liking--you can always earn back your salvation with good works (or a 10% donation between Park Place Ministries and the Boardwalk Church Campus)! But be careful to look for the end-times (Such as 'Rumor of Wars,' 'Euro Increases in Value,' and the dead giveaway, 'Popular National Leader Elected'). If the "Rapture" Card is drawn, and if you have even one Sin Token left, you're left behind, and lose immediately! The winner is the raptured player with the most capital!

Sinspotting - The DVD Game
This great family game now harnesses the latest technology to teach us how different we are from those who don't know Jesus! Players split into two teams and a randomly selected vignette is played on the DVD player. Teams have thirty seconds to identify as many sins as they can before time runs out--your team gets a point for every sin noticed that the other team failed to (Note: "Bad Acting," while prevalent, is not a sin). Points are amassed quickly, so the first to 153 (a very important Biblical number) wins the game! *UPDATE* Sinspotting now comes in a brand new "Travel Edition" you can take along with you next time you venture into the pagan populous! It includes sinpads, pencils, and a timer. Just point at a person or group of people near you, observe, and start condemning!

Battleground: Denomi-Nation
The Great Commission can be pretty difficult to accomplish at times, especially with so many other denominations out there trying to beat us to the punch, so why not play this game to feel as if you're converting the world?! Although it may seem somewhat similar to Risk, the stakes are ever so much higher! The board is a map of a generic city (you can name it whatever you like--name it the town you live in for your first game, but it can be somewhere more exotic, like "Seattle" or "London" if you're feeling more dangerous!) Each player takes a set of wooden colored cubes and a denomination card. Then the dark, sinner-colored cubes are placed randomly around the map. The players then take turns placing their faithful, converting sinner-cubes into their specific saint-color cubes. The game really takes off when each player utilizes their denomination's super-powers! Is your revenue dwindling with your church membership? Hold pageants and programs to lure in the other player's cubes to make them your own! Are the remaining sin-cubes in your area making your faithful feel unsafe? Play a "Cultural Suppression" card and push those difficult cubes into the other player's back yard! Worried about losing your denomination's tax-exempt status? Just succeed at a Get-Out-The-Vote dice roll and install local government leaders that agree with you, and watch the other denominations scurry! Who needs to be part of a body, when you can be the biggest, baddest ear around?! Of course, Battleground:Denomi-Nation will have future expansion packs, granting in-depth abilities to the denominations, and allowing you to create your own! Who can stand against an army of faithful saints when they have "Contemporary Worship," "Political Connections," and "Works-Based Theology" on their side!?

Coming soon to a Christian Book store near you!

I Don't Like Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

2008-11-19T23:17:00.001-06:00

I've been getting into a lot more reading nowadays than I have been in the past couple of years. And while I'm ahead, I'm trying to read through books one at a time, in the order that I receive them. It sounds like a small nit-picky thing, and it kinda is, but I want to hold out on some semblance of structure for this quasi-leisure activity as long as I can.

Before I left Kansas, a good friend gave me the book "Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: Facing Crossroads" by O.D. (eye doctor slang for "Mr.") Phillip Adams. I've read some good books in my time, and this book... was not one of them. It did, however, lead to some constructive thought which I'll try to explain further down.

However let me first rant about the things that bugged me. It'll make me feel better. There were two big things that bugged me about the book.

Primarily, and most obviously, the writing style was pretty poor. I will admit that I was given a fair warning beforehand about it, and the warning proved reliable even in the first few pages of the book. The good doctor is much better at rambling than at writing. It's definitely hard sometimes to follow authors when they try to explain complicated concepts, but this guy was all over the place. I could go into detail (I actually did, but deleted it on review), but since he's an optical doctor and not a literature doctor, I'll cut it short. I will say that I finally figured out what the book was about on page 129. It was about motivating Christians to run hard after Christ. Go figure.

I don't think it was just the literary shortcomings that prevented me from grasping the book's thesis, though. The doctor and I also have some theological differences, which made it pretty hard to translate at times. I wish Christians (specifically me) weren't hindered by how other Christians understand God, but then again we are all quite incapable of understanding a limitless God with our limited minds. Unfortunately for me, I get pretty passionate about my perceptions of God's sovereignty as well as His grace. O.D. Adams talks about 'kairos moments', which represents points of time where we turn closer or further away from God. At first, I thought he was doing a pretty good job of trying to explain God's omniscience in light of free will, but the more he talked about 'kairos moments,' the more convoluted (if not contradictory) the concept became, and the more frustrated I got. I also had a really hard time understanding that telling one or two lies doesn't make one a 'liar' (I can see it now..."But your honor, I only stole a car once! I don't normally do that--I'm not a thief!").

I'll also say I found the last chapter to be a bit...unusual. This chapter was subtitled "The Post Rapture Chapter," with the target audience being the unfortunate 'left behind' humans made commonly known from the Tim LaHaye novels (see Premillennialism). My thoughts on this: I don't believe in the 'final judgement' being two final judgements, but if I did, I could think of better books the 'left behind' should bother themselves with instead of this one. The first would most certainly be a Bible. The second should probably be a wilderness survival guide... or maybe they should just skip that one too and be the first to break into their conservative Christian neighbor's house and raid the gun closet.

Okay, I had more negative stuff to say, but I don't think it would do any good. I'm not here to totally destroy this guy's effort. As I said earlier, the point of the book was to turn the eyes of Christians evermore to God. And that, by far, is an awesome goal (I'll even encourage Dr. Adams to write another book about it, seriously). I just disagree with the motivation. What I did agree with (and definitely like) about the book was his ninth chapter, "The Rewards." Regardless of our crude concepts about the totality of God, I think we can agree that a relationship with the God of everything is possible, and absolutely the best thing ever. Nothing compares with understanding that there is a God, that He is good and just, that He wants you to know who He is, and that He loves you so much He would die for you (He did). Sometimes (as in daily, if not hourly), us Christians take that for granted. I'm sure if we didn't, we'd all act a heck of a lot more like Jesus. But we get so self-absorbed, we don't always get it--and still God pursues us, like a man pursues the one he loves. No words, no matter how skillful, could capture the 'amazing-ness' of this reality.

As for Dr. Adams, I may not like his book, but I like his earnest passion for God, and I can definitely be encouraged by that.

Resume, the Blog

2008-11-18T19:24:00.003-06:00

Still haven't figured out how to put the little dash above the e, but I finished the resume (kind of an oxymoron). I didn't think it would take that long, but I'm generally satisfied. Now, all I have to do is get it checked, returned, rewrite it, find the 'sweet' jobs, send them out, talk nice to jerks, do some interviews, bargain for salary and benefits, and I'm in. It's like I'm practically there! Huzzah!

Postmortem: Living in Kansas

2008-11-12T23:16:00.000-06:00

Now that I've been in Georgia about twelve days or so, I've been reflecting a bit on how I lived for the past three years in Kansas. It's pretty interesting, musing over the things that occurred, the people I met, and my responses to both.

If you get some time to read, consider reading this piece titled "U-Haul Theology," the cover story for the Fall 2008 ByFaith Magazine. In it, the author, Jim Hatch, talks about why moving is so painful and downright annoying. It's pretty good, and it's probably what preempted this post.

So... Kansas. I pause before I write here, because two things immediately come to mind: 1) Those three years marked some of the roughest times in my life, and 2) My responses and reactions to those times were not kind (to say the least), and I feel pretty disappointed in what my responses were. A lot of what went on there also had to do a lot with the Army, but for the sake of fairness, I think I'm going to split those into two different stories, and this one is for Kansas.

Okay... well, let me start by saying this: I've generally considered myself to be more prepared to move into different environments and cultures, as I've lived in about sixteen different places since I was born. I went to three different high schools, and the longest I've been anywhere in my life was at college (4 1/2 years), and that's where I generally consider to be my hometown. I could have never been more wrong in my assumption, actually. Moving to another location is always tough, and getting used to new cultures, with different societal beliefs, values, and norms, is pretty tricky. And looking back, I was certainly unprepared.

The majority of what I saw in Kansas relied on a few distinct changes from my comfort zone. The first which caught me was the geographical differences. Some spots of Kansas are absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous rolling hills and waving grass, and what my father-in-law calls the 'Missouri Breaks' (because of the movie with the same name). Trees, however, were few and far in between. It's also not recommended driving at sunrise and sundown, because of two big reasons: One, there's nothing to stop the sun from completely blinding you if you drive east or west, and two, half of the roads there run east-west.

And while I'm at it, people give directions completely different there! From what I've been accustomed to, directions are given by landmarks ("Do you know where the Quickie Mart is on that road? Well go two lights past it, take a right, and continue until the road forks, stay left, and you're looking for your third road on the left!"), and in Kansas, they're given as the crow flies ("So from here, head three blocks west, continue north until you get to the split, and from there head northeast for three block before turning north again!"). Make sure you bring a compass!

The second big thing was living in a college town. I've been to Athens (home of the UGA Bulldogs) on occasion, and I've seen some wild things done with red and black, but it doesn't come close to the amount of purple splayed on everything! Purple mailboxes, massive house murals, curb signs, dump trucks, polos... if you're not secure with purple, it can certainly be an adjustment! A lot of what happened in that town seemed to circle around college football and Army, neither of which I was really into at the time.

Thirdly, which I hesitate to talk about, was the difference in the church culture I was used to. I still can't really put my finger on what the exact difference was, but it was just slightly so that I felt uncomfortable most of the time in most of the churches I went to (I think six in all).

I think bouncing from church to church was one of the hardest things for me, as I was really needing to find a place to 'fit,' after not finding it in the Army nor in the college town, and it really drained a lot out of me to invest a bit, and then decide it was best to move on. And I think the more churches I went to, the more bitter and cynical I became in expecting to find what I was looking for.

What was I looking for? At the time, I probably would have said grace, or correct theology, or something sounding holy and just, but on recollection, I think I was really looking for Georgia in Kansas, and that's probably why I had such a hard time. I was expecting others to fit my culture, instead of learning where I was at, and adapting to it.

The power of Christ's love present in His Church is certainly amazing. It has the power to take down our walls and prejudices, and form bonds that are so much more significant and powerful than anything the world can concoct. I know this because I met some godly people there who were able to break through to me in all of that mess that I put up.

I would have so liked to say that my faith pulled me through those rough times, but it wasn't so. Like mentioned earlier, it's the object of our faith that saves us, not the quality or quantity of our faith. It's amazing how God gets to us, even after that first moment we realize that we've been reconciled to Him. He certainly is faithful, and I think without meeting the saints of Kansas in the predicament I was in, I would've missed out on one of the more significant lessons I've learned yet, the one that taught me I'm still a sinner, still desperately in need of Christ after all these years. And that won't change. There won't be a day in my life that I'll be good enough to not have to rely on God for my inherent shortcomings, of which there are many. And that God relentlessly pursues us, and absolutely nothing will keep Him from whom He loves. Not even themselves.

Well, if you happen to be one of thems in Kansas... thanks. Thanks for everything. I don't think I would be here without you, and I mean it. I'm still surprised at how much of me you put up with, but you did! I'm not sure if my path will ever wind through Kansas again, or if you'll ever be down by my way, but if so, I look forward to that day. If it doesn't happen in this world, we'll certainly meet up in New Jerusalem! When you get there, just head three blocks west, continue north until you get to the split, and from there head northeast for three block before turning north again... ;)

Don't be strangers! I love you guys, for real. Peace and grace to you all.

Encouragement from the Heavy Hands of Hebrews

2008-11-11T13:41:00.005-06:00

I don't mean literal Hebrews, by the way--I mean the letter to the Hebrews, between the memo to Mr. Philemon and the note from James. I've not buried my nose as much into this book as I have others, but I've been reading it lately and have become increasingly intrigued.

The author seems to not mince any words about the gravity of our relationship with God. Contained within we receive several stern warnings about 'falling away' and what happens to those who continue to blatantly sin after accepting the gospel (hint: It's not cheerful news).

I seem to have this problem of fixating on the bad things, and these warnings are what I think about when I think of Hebrews. But there's a whole chunk of awesome assurance that comes with it. The warnings that I mentioned above are hedged on both sides by how amazing Christ is, and how encouraged we should be because of it--something you'll definitely miss if you take it out of context.

For example, take the entirety of Hebrews 10 (which you can read up on here). It's an absolute gem of theology. I'd love to post it all, but that seems to be a waste of time on both our parts, so I'll just make a few quick notes on what caught my eye today:

Heb 10.14 - Jesus paid it all, all at once. He doesn't need to do it again. This was for those sins you're committing right now, and for the ones tomorrow, and the day after that, and so on... they've all been paid for.

Heb 10.19-24 - This is the answer to "So What Now?" that Christ has paid our ransom. "Let us" shows up three times to tell us to: 1)Draw near to God now that we are purified (because we can!), 2)Be completely assured that this can never be undone (because God is faithful--He won't ever break His word or undo His work), and 3)Encourage each other to love and to do good works and to keep meeting together despite the difficulty/persecution.

Heb 10.26-31 - Here's the warning about what happens if we keep sinning blatantly and without regard to the sacrifice that Jesus made. Don't let it trip you up, it gets better later in the chapter. What I understand of this warning is this: once I've turned to Christ for forgiveness, I've got nowhere else to go. If I decide to turn away, I'll go with knowledge that no other sacrifice or penitent action can redeem me, and "a fearful expectation of judgement (v27)" will begin to creep in.

Heb 10.32-39 - This notes that the warning isn't for the reader presently, and recalls the good works and incredible actions that occurred from their hands that was spawned by the Holy Spirit and of their faith. It reassures them that they are indeed the elect, that Christ's sacrifice was for them, and they need not be discouraged at all, because they aren't the type to give up something so monumental and permanent, and they can look forward to Christ's return.

Mockingbird

2008-11-10T21:06:00.004-06:00

Have you ever really not liked a certain music group, but had to make an exception for a song or two because it was so good? No?

Okay...well as a rule I don't really like Derek Webb, and I really don't like his off-again/on-again group Caedemon's Call. But there's a song that hasn't left my head for a couple of days, and it's got nowhere to go but out...so what better place for it to go than here?

The music, in particular, isn't that good. I don't think you could call it 'good' music by any standard (unless you use the crappy Christian Rock metric where it's cool to do cover number 22 of "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord," where each rendition was poppier and more resampled than the last), but the lyrics are downright awesome, and I could probably listen to it two (or maybe, maybe three) times in a row.

On further thought, a lot of the lyrics of his songs are pretty good, and pretty solid in the theological sense. They definitely make me think (read: repent). So, kudos to you, Derek! Keep up the rock (or folk, I suppose)!

There are days I don't believe the words I say
Like a life that I'm not living
A song that I'm not singing but to you

There are times that I believe I'm satisfied
Like an intimate connection
Despite this bad reception with you

Because I can't afford to pay
For most of what I say
So it's a lucky thing
That the truth's public domain

Chorus
And I am like a mockingbird
I've got no new song to sing
And I am like an amplifier
I just tell you what I've heard
Oh, I'm like a mockingbird

And yes, it's true that I need this more than you
Like one whose name is many
Have mercy, please don't send me away

And I'll do all I can
To be a better man
Oh I'll clean up this act
And be worse than we started

Chorus

-Mockingbird, by Derek Webb

Brokenness Required

2008-11-06T20:54:00.007-06:00

It's too easy to forget that our Christian faith requires us to be broken. Jesus spent his dinnertime with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors (Nicodemus the Pharisee came later in the evening, like at the post-dessert-coffee time, so that doesn't count). God consistently is seen as one who shames the proud, saves the weak, and makes the first last. Paul makes a point to talk about the metaphysical thorn in his side (I assume it's not literal, anyway... it could be!!) that perfects God's power in his thorn-induced weakness.

And yet I still find myself trying to pull up on me-good-ole bootstraps (definitely metaphysical) to get me in line with the spiritual Joneses, too concerned with myself to do anyone else any good. Ugh. Try keep doing that for a while and you'll most certainly find brokenness, but the bad thing is that you'll be so spun up on trying to do right that despair will be a closer friend than joy.

The only hope we have in reconciliation to God is through Jesus. Not trying to be spiritual giants, not trying to outperform our neighbors in humility. It's the object of our faith (Jesus!) that saves us, not the quality or quantity of our faith. That won't get you squat. It's just another form of legalism, really, because it's all about us, and not really about Him.

Luke 18.9-14. Read it!

Why I Turned Blue

2008-11-05T09:14:00.010-06:00

The election has now come and gone... finally. Man, it seemed like a virtual eternity that this was going on.

I will say that I am absolutely excited at the history that just occurred. Last night was monumental for more than just me, and I'm glad I participated. America has just overwhelmingly elected its first black president. To see the tears and the joy from places across the nation last night was phenomenal. Not just black people, but all races and all ages jumping and yelling in celebration. To see many of the news commentators and special guests getting emotional. Last night was a big, big deal. It will be great to tell my kids the story of last night, and how mom and dad felt that they made a difference in a cold snowy night in Kansas in the Democratic caucuses, and voting early in the waning warmth in Kansas and Georgia.

I will also say that while Obama's speech was great and encouraging for the nation, I also felt a sense of honor from John McCain's speech last night as well. It was very inspiring to me, and in what seemed like ages ago, I remembered why I was so glad that McCain won the Republican primaries. Despite all the mud and the campaigning, I do respect him immensely, and upon reflection, I think that I wouldn't be too disappointed if he had indeed won (compared with, say Mitt Romney, or *shudder* Hillary Rodham Clinton). And after last night, I began to recall why I had voted Democratic this year. I can say that about four years ago, I was most certainly Republican, and now I've come ~~full~~ half circle.

So where did it begin? I guess I could say college. Even though I went to a solidly Republican college, there were some classes in particular that piqued my interest. I guess they don't call them "liberal arts" without reason (har har!). I remember my Intro to Sociology class (strangely enough, I wasn't a Christian when I started that semester, but I was when it ended... weird), and I remember that all of the military students in that class had serious problems with it. Maybe they didn't like the curriculum, or they didn't like the teacher or her feminist undertones (and I think she was a lesbian with 80% certainty due to some of the things she said/implied), or they just didn't like class in general. I don't know. But I do know that I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and I think I got a 'B' grade in the class (funny story, I got a 'C' on my initial final grades report, but sent a formal petition to the teacher, and she changed it, saying there was indeed a mistake, and that I was one of the better students she had). I don't think she liked the school either, because she didn't teach there after that semester.

I later tried to change my degree from computer science to sociology (it even says I earned a sociology degree on my Officer's Record Brief), but to no avail, seeing as Army had a say in the length of my educational pursuits. Not to mention that my dearest love was a sociology major. I loved listening to what she would learn in class, and how society had certain trends, and how certain events occurred just so, and how it was likely that certain things would happen depending on where people lived in society. I remember that one of her teachers invited the entire class out to the local mexican restaurant/bar for a drink and discussion about social theory construction, and he even invited me as well, and even paid for my beer. Although I was virtually lost in the sauce for the majority of the discussion, I was absolutely fascinated on what they were talking about (it was about a guy who wrote a book on why things acted the way they did. But the book wasn't really truly about that, it was a farce; a fake example to show how social theory construction happened... and some probably more important things I couldn't wrap my mind around).

I think the biggest push that started the momentum towards the political left was a book called Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller. In short, it was a collection of thoughts and stories of being a Christian in a modern society. And it was very brutally honest. It was the first book I read where the author was truthful about the doubts and fears he had to struggle with, and was aware and freely discussed his own sins and shortcomings. The word I like to use for this is 'authentic.' One of the stories that almost brought me to tears was centered around Don and his friends building a "Confession Booth" at his hyper-liberal college, and dressing up as monks. When people would come in, expecting the Christians to hit them over the head with condemnation, in fact, the Christians took the time to confess their sins (and social sins/failures of the Christian church in modern and historical times) to those who entered. It was absolutely amazing, and a touching display of loving others. I think that book will be a cult classic for Christians of my generation. For me, it was a surprising look into a Christian that aligned himself Democratically. That, I think, caused the first real crack in the wall in understanding that Christians could indeed be on the other side of the spectrum, and that Democrats weren't all anti-Christian pagans and hippies that wanted to destroy our country and life as we know it.

Not all movement was an attraction to the blue side. Some of it was repulsion from the red side. Probably what had significant push was how I initially viewed all Christians when I wasn't one. To be more specific, I've heard a lot of people, some of who I still greatly respect as well as a few who have lost my respect (if you're reading this, you are most definitely in the former) express fear, outrage, and bitterness at the seemingly anti-Christian liberal, amoral, and hostile masses of the country. (As a quick note, I also have expressed similar feelings at the same, with no exceptions. I have no need to throw stones--I just want to express my remorse.) It seemed to exude an "Us vs. Them" mentality that didn't jive with what I understood of the world and the people that I met. I think it bothered me to such an extent, that I adopted the "Us vs. Them" against other Christians, and sadly didn't do the Church much good. (Please forgive me if you were recipient to my hypocrisy!) Regardless, feelings and mentalities along those veins have no place in our faith, and should have no place in our hearts.

The biggest barriers that resisted my change of political preference were of course the hot-button Christian issues that the Republicans adopted as their standard. To go against these seemed to run dangerously close to blasphemy with some people. I think I crossed allegiance in part to a need to rebel in some form or fashion against where I was at the time. I had some extreme difficulties in my job at Army, and I also was having difficulty finding a church where it wasn't anathema to vote Democratic (that's a slight hyperbole, and that's an oxymoron! English is fun!).

Some of the social issues were easy to deal with. My main line of thinking on these is the old axiom: "To each his own." To explain further, I really had big problems in my pre-Jesus life thinking that if Christians could have their way, they would, in a sense 'oppress' the rest that they could not save. Occasionally, I still hear that sentiment from time to time, and I still don't like that attitude. I will say that the only thing that has saved me, and changed my life was done in my heart, and that of course was by God. That is the change I seek to promote and cultivate in others. I've heard lots of thought out and good reasons why the above mentioned sentence is a horribly bad axiom to throw around, but for now, that's where I stand. It's very likely that will change in the future, but for now, there it lies. If I prevent someone from getting a homosexual marriage, but don't show them the reality of the gospel (bad and good), what progress have I made? What part of the Great Commission have I fulfilled?

Anywho, I'm getting off topic. The next big thing that changed my views was the YouTube Debates of 2008. My wife and I got a good taste of who we liked and disliked on both sides, and that's where I first learned about the junior Senator from Illinois named Barack Obama. I started doing my research, (and I might have even prayed a bit about it) and then the Iowa caucus happened. That was amazing what occurred back then.

The rest, as they say, was history.

So, in closing, that's why I turned blue. Politics for me has (thank God) become much more ancillary in my life nowadays, but I'm glad I participated in all of it. Please note that I could be horribly, horribly wrong about my assumptions, but the one thing I know, and the one thing I profess, is that Jesus is Lord, and that he is my only hope in all of this. There are many more vile and reprehensible sins I've committed, and to His glory, He has paid for them all! Not McCain, not Obama. What happened was cool, and historical in an American sense, but pales in comparison to what a homeless jew did for me long before I was born. That, dear friends, is what it is all about, and what should power our lives.

Peace and Grace to you all.

Olbermann SNL Spoof

2008-11-04T09:35:00.002-06:00

So I hope you vote today (or have already voted)! This seems like a big historical day, regardless of the outcome.

Also, for a fun challenge, say something nice about the guy you didn't vote for today. Go on, do it! You'll feel better, I promise! (Thanks for the idea, Jawan!)

Also for fun, you may have known that I'm a fan of Keith Olbermann. Sure, he's liberal. Sure, he's caustic. But, man, that guy is funny! Recently, Ben Affleck did a spoof of Olbermann on SNL, and it had my wife and I rolling on the floor with laughter! Maybe you won't get it if you don't watch him or like him...but on the off-chance you'll think it's funny, here's the video:

A Day In Georgia

2008-11-03T10:41:00.004-06:00

So I did finally make it to Georgia!! In a record for the books, I made the whole drive in a day, only stopping at a gas station for a 40-minute nap. I was pretty excited to get a move on, and every time I got tired, I thought about laying in a hotel bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about how I could've been driving. Let me tell you, I don't think we as humans were made to drive 16+ hours in one go. Now that I've done it, I can say for sure that it shouldn't be done!!

I'm really surprised at how many people here that I remember from over three years ago. The bad part is that my memory has never been really good, so the names haven't all quite come back, but I'll just do what I normally do (every day) and try to talk to everyone without using their names, until there's a wear-a-nametag-to-church day. I'm really bad at remembering names. I couldn't remember my wife's name for nearly four months! (After I first met her! Not after we got married!)

Nevertheless, things are great here. I couldn't tell you how great it is to be reunited with my wife and dog after so long, and to realize that I'm no longer in Army's employ (for now). Still, with all of the 'newness' of this place, I'm finding that I'm still pretty scatterbrained, so there won't be any good postings for a short bit.

Just trust that God delivers on His promises!

The Final 48

2008-10-29T00:27:00.002-05:00

So now I'm down to the last 48 hours in Army, and most likely Manhattan, KS as well. Needless to say, it's quite exciting, and I'm finding it very hard to concentrate. Maybe later I'll be able to explain more, but my attention span has been extremely short as of late.

Laters.

Colloquialisms, Euphemisms, and Idioms

2008-10-25T09:09:00.005-05:00

So a friend and I had a discussion on the difference between colloquialisms, euphemisms, and idioms, and we couldn't come to a proper conclusion. I did some quick homework and found out (and they are not interchangeable):

Colloquialism - Informal or familiar language, such as contractions and slang ("Y'all come back now, hear?")

Euphemism - A metaphor whose literal meaning is dropped; often used as curse word substitutions, acronyms, or to 'soften' a literal meaning (i.e., IRA, dang, "passed on" instead of "died")

Idiom - A phrase whose meaning cannot be inferred by literal definition, and can only be known through common use ("that's the way the cookie crumbles," "wrong side of the tracks," etc)

So, now you know, and you don't have to lose any sleep over it, but YMMV. (I used all three in that sentence!)

A Treasured Story of Married Life

2008-10-21T12:38:00.006-05:00

So, when I was in the gas station today, it reeked horribly of spoiled milk. It reminded me of a cherished story that I will share with you now.

Back in the day, my wife and I owned a house. Just prior, we lived in a duplex that had an unhealthy number of mice that also called the place home. Now, mice don't really bug me as much as some, namely my dearest love. The sight of one elicits such a piercing scream that it alerts anyone in the near vicinity (similar to a noise someone would make if they sliced off their hand accidentally), and it also causes our dog (who dearly loves mice) to go into a hunting frenzy!

While unsure how a solitary mouse crept into our new abode, it most certainly did. I was at work, and received a frantic call that there was A MOUSE! BEHIND THE STOVE! I did what I could to supress any sort of ~~laughter~~ fear on the phone, and told her to hold tight until I returned.

Little did I know what was in store for me.

Hours later, when I returned from a particularly agonizing day of work, I saw my love huddled on the couch. It looked like she had assumed the floor was hot lava (because mice make hot lava floors), and my dog was absolutely ecstatic, with an expression that said "Look, dad! I'm hunting!!" After trying to get the mouse to give itself up and come out, the only way I could get my wife to leave the safety of the couch-island was to agree to go to Home Depot to get some mousetraps. So we did.

Now, I know how to set mousetraps. But Home Depot didn't have regular mousetraps, they had 'improved' mousetraps, and nothing else. They featured a plastic trigger plate instead of a metal one. After returning home, the only improvement I saw was that it bruised my fingers at an incredible rate. After finally baiting and setting the traps, I thought my task was done, and we could retire to the bed-island, safe from mice and lava.

I was wrong.

My love also discovered what she identified as "mouse holes" (I thought they were for pipe access) under the sink and behind the water heater. So I had to seal them up. IMMEDIATELY. That task was surprisingly laborious, especially since I was really irritable to begin with from the long work day and swollen mousetrapped fingers. They were in tough spots, too, and I had to tape them shut with cardboard and duct tape (well-known mice deterrents).

I finally was able to sleep around eleven-thirty that evening, still mildly cross about the whole debacle. My final task was to dispose of the mouse when captured, dead or alive. So, a few short hours later, before leaving for work, I checked behind the stove. Sure enough, there it was, the mouse-turned-supervillain itself, slain by its insatiable desire for peanut butter. Poor guy. He looked so peaceful, lying prostrate on the deadly mechanism. I decided to let him remain for the time being. Out of respect for the dead, of course.

Early morning, I got a call from my dearest, asking if the mouse was there in the morning. I assured her it was not (sort of a 100% lie). I chuckled to myself after the call.

Around lunchtime, I received another call. She sounded frantic--she could smell the mouse now, and I think she may have even looked at it too.

"I need you to come home to get rid of it!" she declared.

"I can't," I said.

"Well, send one of your soldiers to get it!"

"No way. That's illegal. See if Indy would take it outside for you!"

"That's gross! Absolutely not!"

"And you're sure you won't do it, even with gloves?" I said. I probably shouldn't have. She didn't respond nicely after that. She did end up asking our neighbor to do it (and the neighbor's daughter, of eight years of age, also proudly volunteered). The unliving terror was finally purged from our abode. I told her what actually happened some weeks later. She was a charming response between funny and mad, and seemed to get over it very quickly. A little...too quickly.

Now, I said this story is about bad milk, and I'm getting to that. I told you that story in order to tell you this one:

I absolutely cannot stand %1 milk. You can make %1 milk by taking %2 milk and adding water. It's nasty milk-water, and I stand firm on my assessment. I will not drink it, period. And to that effect, we are a 2% milk household, bottom line. My love has committed "slight treason" from time to time by buying the impure substitute, but I won't have it.

So it came to pass that I went to the refrigerator to obtain some of this cow-nectar, and on opening the carton, I realized it smelled sour. Which was weird, because it was almost full.

"Hey, babe," I commented, "the milk seems bad..."

"Oh, it's not! I just bought it."

"Are you sure? It smells sour."

"Yeah, maybe it's just the outside rim that smells."

"Sure..." I say, while checking the date. "HEY! This milk expired two weeks ago!"

She begins to laugh maniacally and almost falls off of the couch. "I've been reusing the same %2 carton for two weeks, and I've been putting %1 milk inside of it! You've been drinking 1% milk!"

My blood ran cold as I began to realize what had just happened.

I had been outmaneuvered. Hoodwinked! Bamboozled! I had let my guard down, and as a result I had poisoned myself with the nasty milk-water, and I hadn't even noticed. My wife was laughing so hard she was almost crying.

Let me tell you, my wife is the coolest person I know.

P.S. The 1% milk didn't kill me, by the way. I still drink 2% milk, but it's only out of principle now. And I always check the expiration date.

Company Car

2008-10-19T16:03:00.017-05:00

I've only got eleven days left until Army lets me go...it's absolutely unreal. I will say that sometimes I worry about making the right decision. It's common Army knowledge that getting out at first opportunity isn't exactly the most secure or profitable avenue, nor is it paved with glory and purpose. I had a commander ask me the other day what job I had lined up, and after hearing a reply, he gave a quick chortle and went on to more popular conversation with other persons. It's honestly what I expect, though.

Army, as a community, is very tight and united on its purpose, its goals, its beliefs, values, and norms of conduct. What I'm doing goes against much of that, and the subliminal backlash has been evident in more than one occasion.

But let me not get too far off the point. After reading over Phillipians 2.7-11 this past weekend, I've realized that there is a very good reason for me to go this way. Not that I'm as awesome as Paul, or that I was hit with lightning that drove me to leave Army, but that there's a point to this madness. That there's a very good reason to put all-in on God. It seems that not a lot of people get the opportunity (or take the chance) to do such a thing. Win or lose, succeed or fail, I feel this is one of those things I need to do, and it will bother me until Jesus comes back if I let this go. I kind of liken it to people who want to climb Mt. Everest, or hike the Appalachian Trail in one go--not everybody gets the 'bug,' but if you get it, it's going to stare you in the face until the task is done.

And so, instead of mulling over why I carelessly related abandoning a career to do ministry to climbing Mt. Everest (and the repercussion of grossly inaccurate statements like that), I'm going to post a song that has been running circles around my mind as of late. There's nothing too special about the music itself, but the lyrics are haunting when you dwell on them.

May we never end up like "that guy."

Mike was right when he said I'd put up
A fight to be someone, a fight to be me
But see now, I'm down
Under the pavement
Of Capital hills and lowercase people
As time rolls by my dreams have become
That which is attainable
Not what I'm looking for!

-Chorus-
I've got the company car
I'm the one swinging at two below par
Yeah, I've become one with the ones
That I've never believed in
But I've got the company car

(Hey!) I'm the king of things I've always despised
I'm the gingerbread man
Who got eaten alive
I'm half baked! I'm fake!
But see I've got hotels on
Park Place and Boardwalk
And two hundred bucks
I pass go but, Oh! Life's taken it's toll
Have I won Monopoly to forfeit my soul?

Chorus

All the kings horses
At the foot of the wall
They're taking pictures of
The man who's lost all of his
Masks of pretension
He's got two faces left
His is the one that he hides
On the left behind that smile

Hiding tears and fear
That burn like an engine
It drives him away
From the ones that he loves
Mike was right:
"Hey Mike! We're one and the same
We're the faceless combatants
in the loneliest game"
Ah but say, I'll wave as I'm driving by
With that smirk in my eye, yelling
"Hey, I'm something man, check me out!"

Chorus

-Company Car by Switchfoot

McCain/Obama Comedy Hour!

2008-10-19T15:17:00.005-05:00

Okay, guys, I know I said I'm off politics. It's true, I've let it take a back seat, and it's been great. But I did see this the other day, and I almost fell off of my chair (or pillow-on-the-floor, I don't have a chair) in how funny it was.

So there's this charity dinner some Catholic diocese puts on every election year, and it's customary for the candidates to crack jokes for a bit. And that they did. If you've been inundated with politics as I have, you should have no problem whatsoever getting these jokes.

Here's McCain:

And here's Obama:

Like I said before...Funny stuff. Who would've thunk it?

World Of Goo

2008-10-13T14:34:00.006-05:00

I don't plan on talking about video games that often, but one has come along recently that has really been a blast to play, and I highly recommend it if you have $20 to waste.

World Of Goo
Weird name, sure. The premise of the game is this: You have goo that makes structures out of itself, and you build a structure to a pipe to rescue the leftover goo and complete the level. Kind of Lemmings-esque. All the goo you save gets hauled off to a level where you build a massive tower and try to build higher than the other players around the world.

There's not enough good things I can say about it. The art is wonderful, the music is inspiring, the controls are sleek. You always feel like the gameplay is expanding with each new level. Probably the best game I've played in a year or two. Honest!

Not to mention, this is what would be called an "independent game." It was made by two (maybe three) people, and you can tell they put some love into it.

The bad things? Sometimes it's hard to select the goo you want (there's many different types) if there's a ton of it gooping around. And like all good games, it's shorter than one would like.

So, if you get bored (and have $20), try it out! It's pretty goo-d!

EDIT: Here's the link for the free demo. Enjoy!

World of Goo Launch Day Trailer from 2D Boy on Vimeo.

"We Have Met the Enemy..."

2008-10-11T20:41:00.005-05:00

This comic was printed for Earth Day in 1971. It's part of a strip called "Pogo," and the line at the bottom is one of the more memorable quotes that I've come across.

We have met the enemy, and he is us.

The quote, specifically geared toward our destruction of the environment in the comic, speaks much deeper and broader than what's just pictured. It's something that skims across my mind, now and then, and unfortunately it's one of those times.

As you may have inferred, politics has claimed a good portion of my thought process as of late. Now with less than a month to go, the campaigns are getting nasty.

Recently, the McCain campaign has been touting that Obama's one time brief acquaintance with Mr. William Ayers (considered a terrorist in the 1960's and associated with several bombings, later considered Chicago's "Citizen of the Year" of 1997 for his philanthropy work) is more subversive and sinister than what it appears to be.

Tensions have been running high on both sides, needless to say.

I saw something today, however, that made me cringe. And it will surprise you. I saw footage of McCain having to tell some of his supporters that Obama "was a decent man," that they had "nothing to fear" of him becoming president, and that he's not an Arab. It looked horribly painful for McCain to say. I didn't expect it. And do you know what happened after saying that? He was booed by his own supporters. Even though I'm for the other team, that made me cringe, and I feel terrible for the guy. I don't think I can watch that video through for a while.

Not that I can say that I'd be any better than his supporters. In this war of hyper-partisanship, I've been pretty quick to take up arms (on occasion), and I frequent news sites to eagerly search for any news that my side is winning, and the other side is losing. I especially like it when I get news that validates my claim that I am "more correct" than others who won't vote like me.

It's so easy to demonize people--it's a way of us trying to validate our sin, to make it okay to dislike, slander, and harm those we don't want to love. And it's wrong.

For those of you that are like me, here's some friendly verses to cut you to the core:
Matthew 5.43-48
1 Peter 1.13-21
Colossians 3.1-8
Luke 18.9-14

I've been speaking about how dangerous that is for a while now, but I haven't exactly put planks before specks on that one. And I've done that several times now.

I'm sorry, guys, for all those times my political fervor got out of line, and thinking I was walking around with a pure heart and superior intellect with my views. I was way off.

Donald Miller and that Osama Guy

2008-10-06T03:22:00.004-05:00

Hey, all. I have a feeling that I've been too immersed in politics as of late. Do you ever get that feeling? No? Just me?

Well, maybe it's just the season. This October almost promises to be absolutely filled to the brim with scandalous claims and dirty maneuvers by both teams--I hope I get through it with my sanity intact (and dignity, if it's not too much to ask). I really also hope my team wins. Go Donkeys!

The bad part about getting involved in politics is that it will shape your world if you let it. That is to say, if you hang your hopes on a politician, or you validate your fears on the same, then you're liable to get in a bit of trouble. You may start (mentally) handing things you've reserved for God over to some guy you've probably never met. But you might not notice it at first--which is pretty destructive if you start calling certain things Christian that aren't really Christian at all, but rather personal agenda assumed to be conviction.

Okay, now that's on the table, and you know what to call me out on when you see it.

So...I'm definitely voting for Obama this go-around. If that's news to you, we should probably talk more. I've been intrigued with him since the You Tube debates of last year. I've done plenty of research on him and what his platform is, and I don't think there's much anyone can do to change it at this point.

My voting preference seems to put me at odds with a few people. Heck, I'll be honest, a lot of people. I mean, I live in Kansas (solidly red since the '70s), I work for Army (Obama is for hippies), and I'm a Christian, for crying out loud. That's three easy gimmes for the McCain team! Ever since my wife left the state, I've thought the Ft. Riley chapter of the Kansas Democratic Party lost about half its members. So why do I insist on dropping an almost insignificant ballot against the masses?

It's very possible that's how I've decided to rebel against all authority and stick it to the man the only legal way I know how. But I generally like to think better about my motives. I like his judgement for the Iraqi war (pre-surge, when it began in '03), I like the fact that he'll talk to countries again that was previously deemed the "Axis of Evil," I think his health care plan has a great shot of working, I like his tax plan. All those things I like. I also think Obama is a very solid Christian who is extremely comfortable of bringing his faith to the forefront.

But what about abortion and gay marriage? Yeah, those bug me at times (the former far more than the latter). Frequently. But then again, I can't say the Red Team has exactly put those issues to the forefront. I get the feeling that the whole Republican stance for those issues is completely disingenuous--that it's merely pandering for one of their key voting blocks.

I've had so many conversations with Republicans and/or Christians about how I'm going to vote, and it always seems to end up the same way--either I talk about issues and I get criticized for not voting my faith, or I talk about how I my vote for Obama is faith-oriented and I'm told I need to pay attention to the issues. Maybe that's just the way it's done around here, but it gets pretty exhausting.

My lovely wife must've been reading my mind--she just recently sent me a link to Donald Miller's blog (he's the Blue Like Jazz guy), and it seems Don's going to do some forums for Obama in this last crazy month. Now, I liked the book he wrote. No, I don't consider myself emergent or hip, but I just really liked the book.

Anyway, Don wrote a bit on why he's doing forums of faith for the Obama Campaign. I'm glad to see he's done his research, and I find that I currently strongly agree with the little that he's written.

You can see the whole article here.

Well, regardless of what team you're rooting for this season, I hope we can begin to encourage one another in that there's far more to life that the game of politics, and our salvation lies elsewhere.

God Bless.

Long Night at the Battalion (or Thinking About Planetariums)

2008-10-02T01:53:00.007-05:00

Why, hello everyone. It's almost 2 a.m. here, which means I've got about...another 20 hours (it would be 17 if I wasn't watching the Palin/Biden comedy hour tomorrow) before I get some real sleep. Why Army decides to do it this way, I'm not quite certain. Regardless, here am I.

It's not that bad, I suppose. I get to catch up on work (which I have little of these days, comparatively). I get to catch up with my man Olbermann on the web (same funny stuff, as long as you're of a certain political persuasion). I get to bring all my cool Christian books to work that I've been meaning to catch up on and leave them on my desk because I got so bored I'm not in the mood to read them.

One of these nights, spend a couple minutes looking at those stars. I don't know about you, but if I stare at them long enough, I start remembering those days of being in grade school and going to the local planetarium. That was pretty weird, but neat in a way. It's this big dome with circular seating (so you could flick pennies across the room when it got dark), a huge Star-Wars-looking contraption in the middle, and some strange dude who would get fussy if you tried to touch any equipment. After settling down the class (fat chance), the guy would dim the lights, put the 'droid' in motion, and put on some hypnotic transcendental music and talk about constellations, using a sweet laser pointer (because those were cool back then) to point out groups of stars that seemed to have no significance.

So that's what I think about when I stare at stars for a moderately long time.

If I stare at them even longer, I start thinking about how old and far those stars are, and about how they got there, and why God put Orion's Belt and the Ursula Minor and the Little Spoon just so. I think about what people of long ago thought when they looked at the stars. When Paul or Isaiah or Jacob looked at those stars, what did they think? What did they dwell on? Certainly not about planetariums.

I'm sure sometimes they looked at the stars because they were bored. But sometimes, I think they needed some perspective. It's a very vulnerable place to be, out there among those stars. You start to feel very small. For me, that's a good thing. My mind starts to get quiet, and sometimes it even listens. There's a real sense of eternity that seems to fall from those little twinkly things. Makes it seem like the tiny space we occupy, and the little time we have are insignificant, yet important all at the same time.

You should try it some time. Without the goofy music and laser pointer, of course.

Spiritually Conscious HTTP

2008-09-29T21:00:00.002-05:00

It's not much, but I got a kick out of this.

Many Rooms

2008-09-29T19:03:00.012-05:00

So I think I'm better now. Still have some problems concentrating, but I don't think that's the virus's fault--no joke, ten workdays before I begin to out process. Huzzah!

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." -John 14.1-4

This passage follows right after Jesus washes the disciples' feet, has the Last Supper, reveals he is going to be betrayed, gives his new commandment of loving one another, and tells Peter that he's going to disown him three times before the rooster crows. His teachings here and throughout the next couple of chapters has the disciples absolutely baffled. I'm pretty sure I'd be no different, not knowing what would happen next in the story.

I really want to touch on the "many rooms" part of this passage. It's extremely fitting (especially after revealing to Peter his future sin), but it's also pretty neat to consider against other passages of scripture, namely talking about a wide path of destruction and a narrow path of life, and not everyone saying "Lord, lord" is going to hang out with God when it's all over.

So what's this about? Certainly the disciples are in for the heartbreak of their life in the next few hours when everything turns upside down, especially Peter when he sees his sin unfolded just as Jesus said. If there will be any time for these guys to doubt, it's going to be very soon. Jesus is making it as clear as it can be in the time being that he's got a plan, and they are very much included.

I don't know how some people are, but I have this nagging tendency to believe Eliphaz, Biliad, and Zophar over Jesus when things go sour (those three awkward names belong to three of Job's 'dearest' friends--I look forward to posting about those superstars some other day, but not today). For some reason, it's way easier for me to cut myself up in worrying about my failures than understanding that God has a room prepared for me in Heaven.

Now, I'm from the "once saved, always" tradition. I sometimes hear that there's good reason to believe salvation comes and goes with our obedience, but I've not ever been able to wrap my mind around that one. So if you're from that persuasion...well, may God bless you and keep you, but bear with me through this one.

It's strange how motivation for Christ works sometimes. I can will myself over and over to do something, but if love for God isn't in it, then the only thing I succeed is making myself (and quite possibly others) more miserable (Think WSC #1 on this one). The way through the muck of this life sometimes gets pretty depressing, and it gets really easy to stare down into the rut we're in. Having Christ explain that a place was prepared for his disciples, even before some of their more grievous sins, and greatest depths of despair, it absolutely blows me away!

I don't think he was just talking to just those eleven dudes on that one, hence the "many rooms." If he prepared a place for them in light of that, does that carry over to us? I think it does!

If you have love for God in your heart, and you believe that Jesus really was a guy that happened to be God, and he died to pay the cost of your sin--past, present, and future--in order to reconcile you to God, believe in this passage also. There's a room prepared for you! For real, regardless of where you're at, rejoice! Dance, sing, high-five, chuckle, smile! He is our hope and our salvation! What better time to be happy than now? Praise be to God!

Being Sick Is No Fun

2008-09-24T18:18:00.002-05:00

For real. It's kind of hard to concentrate too hard on something for too long, so I'm going on blog-strike until I feel better. Maybe that way I can stick it to the man. Or, sickness. Or the sick-man.

Making the Switch

2008-09-22T19:20:00.002-05:00

I've started a resume class today. No, that's not grammatically (or syntactically) correct, but I don't know how to get that accent thing on the 'e' to type it right. Of course, I wasn't too worried when I started, but for some reason, whether it's part of the MASTER PLAN to keep poor souls in Army, or whether the teacher missed his younger days of wearing fatigues, but he made it sound like getting out of Army was a regrettable thing.

Which of course got me to worrying...which is always a bad place for me. Get me to worrying, and I'll turn from Strong Bad to Strong Sad in a New York Minute (think Tigger to Eyore if you miss the reference).

There's tons of things to worry about if you're leaving the folds of Army: Health insurance, dental insurance, job interviews, the economy, getting called back up anyway, the economy, steady income, and I shall not continue (but trust me the list does go on, economy and all).

All this is pretty weird, of course, because believe it or not, I can guarantee you that on day one of my employment, I was thinking "I'm not so sure this is the job for me." It's true, unfortunately. Very rarely did I think otherwise in the nearly four years that has gone by. I spent most of my time thinking about what it'd be like on the outside, hoping that the day would come.

I honestly thought Jesus would have come back before then. (He might, too. God can do anything in 38 days.) But now, with less than two score to go, I'm having doubts. Well, worries is more like it. I really don't think I could turn this ship around now--I've burned too many mental bridges on the way (what business a ship has with travelling over bridges...the world may never know).

Weird.

Matthew 6.25-34. Read it. (Here's a summary: DON'T WORRY.)

In some bout of logic VS God, it seems the safer way isn't always the better way. Keep taking the safe road, and sooner or later, you may find yourself too afraid to open any door you come across. Now, I'm not advocating we should play in traffic here, but we're going to miss something if "safety is our goal" for being Christians.

Reminds me of the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. Lucy, Daughter of Eve, is with the other three humans, who have all just met a Mr. Beaver, who is on the side of Aslan (the lion who plays the part of God). The kids haven't met Aslan yet, and are worried about the stories of this ginormous lion who seems to be on the right side of the battle. Of course, he's a lion, and the mere fact has the kids are a little worried.

Lucy asks: "Is he safe?"
Mr. Beaver: "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe! But he's good."

The crazy books we read in our youth. Crazy, but correct. God's anything but safe. But He is good.

So, the road may not be very safe ahead--that's for sure. Well, seems like now's a good time as any for me to put a foot out on the water. Or as Army always says, "It's GO time."

Trogdor!

2008-09-18T20:10:00.005-05:00

Oh, man...it's still funny after all these years.

Check out the site here for more hilarity.

American Christian Flashpoint: Torture!

2008-09-17T22:37:00.033-05:00

"Okay, what? THAT'S a flashpoint!?"

Maybe I have indeed lost my marbles, but follow me and maybe it will clear up. I read this article today in the USATODAY website. The title is "Poll shows support for torture among Southern evangelicals" Below is the first couple of paragraphs from the article:

By Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service

WASHINGTON — A new poll finds that nearly six in 10 white Southern evangelicals believe torture is justified, but their views can shift when they consider the Christian principle of the golden rule.

The poll released Thursday, commissioned by Faith in Public Life and Mercer University, found that 57% of respondents said torture can be often or sometimes justified to gain important information from suspected terrorists. Thirty-eight percent said it was never or rarely justified. But when asked if they agree that "the U.S. government should not use methods against our enemies that we would not want used on American soldiers," the percentage who said torture was rarely or never justified rose to 52%.

"Presenting people with this argument and identifying with the golden rule really does engage a different part of people's psyche and a part of their heart, their soul, and really does shift their views on torture," said Robert Jones, president of Public Religion Research, which was commissioned to conduct the poll.

The findings of this poll, which did not define torture, compared to a Pew Research Center poll from February that found that 48% of the general public think torture can be justified.

The new poll found that 44% of white Southern evangelicals rely on life experiences and common sense to determine their views about torture. A lower percentage, 28%, said they relied on Christian teachings or beliefs.

In summary, the Christians polled had a higher degree of thinking torture could be justified than the general public of the nation. Upon hearing the pollster remind them of the golden rule, 14% of the 600 decided to change their mind. More subscribed this to "life experiences and common sense" than to "Christian teaching or beliefs."

I know this is controversial, as well as extremely discomforting. But we need to talk about this.

I'll tell you what I first thought about this article: I dismissed it. The poll was skewed. Those "Southern evangelicals" don't represent me. Torture could be justified, it makes sense. I pictured a radical Islamic terrorist with the abort code to a dozen nuclear warheads bearing down on America soil. We need that code.

Well, the poll might have been skewed, but my thoughts most certainly were. "Southern" and "evangelical" these people may be, but I bet they identified themselves as Christians. Most probably were. I tried to justify torture myself--I was one of them. Not all terrorists are radical Islamic, or even Islamic for that matter. Regardless of faith, we don't want to allow our American troops to be tortured, but we'd certainly do it to them. I've dehumanized them. I didn't consider them to be the type of enemies that I should pray for. I was certainly not wanting to repay evil with good in this circumstance. Not that it mattered, I wasn't doing the torturing. I rationalized that this was different, that this was necessary, that the ends justified the means.

People, make no mistake. Across the globe, torture is generally accepted as immoral regardless of circumstances. Not to mention illegal. The Geneva Convention implicitly prevents it. The United Nations Convention against Torture explicitly forbids it, even in times of war. There is evidence that shows explicitly forbidding torture produces far more reliable information than otherwise. It was claimed by a U.S. Army General. Read it here. Read another article about there being dubious evidence of torture saving lives. Look at the Wikipedia page for waterboarding for an example of the methods--remember, it was debated not too long ago that this wasn't torture. Don't take my word on all of that--It would pay dividens for you to research it yourself.

What about scriptural proof? I'll be honest, I haven't done a full blown study on it yet--which is kind of funny, because it almost supports the statistic above that we ground our belief for torture from life experiences instead of the Bible. Hmm.. Here's one guy's findings saying that beatings aren't forbidden, and neither is torture. Of course, on the other hand, here's an article from Christianity Today about 5 Reasons Torture Is Always Wrong, which in my opinion seems to be more researched than the previous.

As for my thoughts, I will say I find it intriguing how God has a way of rooting for those who are oppressed (the sinners, the Israelites, slaves, captives, orphans, widows...), and isn't too pleased with those in power who abuse it. Does this translate to captives in torture, and the torturer? Possibly. Also consider what you do and how you think when you're intensely angry and yelling at someone, and how things get out of hand. I'd imagine the torturer would have the same problem, and things would most certainly get out of hand (with the pressures of believing the captive has pertinent information, and that the captive is defying him). And here's a zinger--would you do the torture yourself? Would you be willing to be present? If you wouldn't, why is it okay to make someone else do the dirty work?

Needless to say, I also came across plenty of blogs and articles that blasted Christians for hypocritical ethics in this matter. It could be rationalized that they'd all sing a different tune if the conditions changed, but I'm not concerned about their issue with torture at the moment. Right now I'm concerned about ours.

The mere fact the issue causes many of us to squirm (self included) makes me think we're not being honest with ourselves. It's quite possible we may need to do some explaining. And I don't mean to non-Christians (although that's not a bad idea). I mean God.

Of course, you can disagree with me. As I said before, this is indeed an ethical dilemma. We're going to lose the argument either way to somebody, and yet feel strongly about our decisions. I'm not going to insist you side with me, but I do want you to consider it. What I really want is for your faith to play a role in your decision.

As for me, I will no longer justify torture. Please forgive me for putting my fears above my faith. Pray that my decisions are increasingly based on my faith, and that my faith is not based on my decisions. And that I personally read the Bible for God's answer on the matter.

Jesus Wept

2008-09-15T18:01:00.007-05:00

I read the story of Lazarus today, and I was most definitely intrigued.

The brevity of John 11:35 caught me by surprise: "Jesus wept." (That's a pretty easy memory verse, by the way...)

Why did he weep? Because he loved Lazarus? Sure, I guess. But there seems to be more going on than that. Jesus knew he was sick, and also declared that the type of sickness didn't lead to death. And he also said that he was going to wake Lazarus up on his way to Bethany, where Lazarus lived and more recently, was laid to rest.

Jesus also loved Lazarus' sisters, Martha and Mary. He met both and openly received their anguish in so many words: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Which was true. He also saw the people who were gathered to comfort and offer condolences to the sisters. They were also quite grieved by the sound of it.

He knew Lazarus was to die, and he knew that he was to raise Lazarus from the dead. With that knowledge, why did he weep? Why not just say, "Cheer up, watch this!" and poof Lazarus alive, no tears needed?

Maybe it was a production, or maybe because it wasn't fun where Lazarus was, but neither of those assumptions seem to jive with the rest of what I know of Jesus. Throughout the gospels, Jesus shows incredible compassion to many, including those who betrayed him and wanted to kill him.

I'm beginning to think he wept because of the anguish and grief that had to occur for God's glory to be revealed. He was obviously emotionally attached to the Lazarus clan. But if he came zooming in and poofed Lazarus well before he died, those present wouldn't have seen what God could really do. They'd miss the point. So would we.

Remember, that was the plan all along--Lazarus had to die. And in the interim, where the grief was, he identified with those who felt the pain. Not for show, but for real. Sickness is rough, especially the terminal kind. And it happened to a good man, with a family that believed in the deity of Jesus and the promise of God. They still trusted Jesus even though they knew he had the power to heal, and deliberately chose not to. And he understood their pain. Jesus wept.

This changes what I normally think about God when I'm in times of strife. A lot of times, I think He says back to me, "Hey, cheer up, I have a plan!" And I have to deal with it. But understanding that God in human form grieved with those experiencing the pain says something different. That He understands living in this world hurts. That it grieves Him when we cry out in anguish and desperation. And understanding that sometimes, it has to be that way, and it pains Him deeply. Yet, unless that occurs, we would never begin to understand His glory. We would not know the extent of His love and desire for us. We would zoom through this life missing the whole point.

Finding "The Spot"

2008-09-14T19:31:00.012-05:00

Back in the days of college and new found life in Jesus, it seemed fairly easy to see the majesty of God painted through the North Georgia hills. If you've never been in the upper-left hand corner of Georgia, I'd say you're missing out on some mighty fine landscapes. Quite a few of them come to mind--a cliff along a lonesome highway as the leaves begin to change into vibrant reds and yellows, or a waterfall hiding at the back of a dirt path and three miles of hike and climb, or a quiet mountain lake turned into a campground that nobody seemed to know was there. Some of my more impressionable memories of the time occurred at these places. The area was chock full of 'em to go to get un-busy and talk with God.

Since then, it's been a lot harder to find those places. I don't live in North Georgia anymore, and it's way too far for a weekend getaway. Every now and then I've caught myself just driving around, trying to find "The Spot" in Kansas, but I haven't been that successful. And as time passed by, I've looked less and less for those places.

For some reason, today was a different day. It was time for a little exploring.

There's different reasons I go in search of "The Spot." I've gone out of boredom, and I've gone to sort out my thoughts. It made a good time for a date once, and it's been worth a couple of times to take some buddies along to discover what was hiding at the top of the next mountain. Since I'm running short on companions these days, it was just me and my trusty steed, an old four cylinder S-10 I've come to know and love in recent months. Perhaps it was loneliness today, or a need for a change in scenery, or the Spirit telling me it was far too long since God and I had a good chat, but off I went.

So where can it be found? It's usually in a place where I've not been before. And looking for scenic spots on a map or on the web isn't as fruitful as it sounds--because it wouldn't be "The Spot" if it was host to a bunch of other people not in the least bit interested in peace and quiet. All that can really help is a full tank of gas, some water, and a prayer.

So I drove a bit, and it wasn't looking good. I know all of these roads I'm going down; I've been down them all before.

And then I saw something that stirred hope in my veins: A shiny brown sign. You know the ones I'm talking about. They're usually rectangular, or perhaps a parallelogram, and they point to campgrounds and the like. Thank God that He inspired someone in the government to understand there'd be people like me looking for places that are hard to find. So, I hit the brakes, bit my lip, and turned down the road.

It was beautiful.

I hadn't seen anything like it the entire three years I've been here in Kansas. The parking wasn't much, just room enough for my tiny truck, but across the guard rail was a wonderful sight to behold. A short valley cut by water and age, and the tops of the hills sheared off at a height. Way down at the end of the small valley was a lake, and I could see the rippling blue. There were some birds of prey circling around the air, looking for food, looking graceful all the while. The low-hanging sun reflected off all of the field grass as it swayed in the cool September air. And there were trees! Not many of them (this was still Kansas), but they were there. I wanted to stay there forever.

But I didn't, because I was cold and had to pee.

I tell you that story in order to tell you this one. Sometimes we have problems seeing God where we are. Today was no exception for me. Well, it was until I got where I was going, but you've already heard that one. Prayer, for some, seems like breathing. I think that's the way it should ultimately be, but it seems more complicated for me. Perhaps I'm too afraid to ask for things because I don't want to be let down. The funny part is that we're only fooling ourselves to think God doesn't know what we want. What we really want. For me, it wasn't finding "The Spot," it was finding comfort and assurance. That I'm not alone. That I'm not crazy. That this life isn't all there is. That my struggles right here and right now matter to Him.

I'm so glad we can pray to God. That He wants us to pray to Him. It's utterly amazing to what end God has made Himself available.

Thanks, God. You rock, really. Amen.

Imperial Review

2008-09-14T17:17:00.004-05:00

Imperial is a game I've more recently aquainted myself to, but it's loads of fun. Set during World War I, the board and peices look not unlike a game called Diplomacy. It's a map of Europe, color coded for the six different countries that take place in the game (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary). Each country has five zones, and there are multiple other land provinces and sea zones. The only pieces you get are naval and land factories, armies and fleets, and "tax chips" for showing which zones are ruled by which countries. Armies move across the land, and the fleets, yes you guess right, move on water. They even let armies cross them like a bridge across the water. Combat is simple, with a one for one attrition in battle. No dice or cards are used for any sort of randomizing features.

You'd expect with a game like this for the turns to drag on and on, but a neat turn control concept comes into play here and keeps the turns down to a minute or less (unless the player is struck by "analysis paralysis"). At the top of the board is a Wheel of Fortune-type circle with different actions (Factory, Production, Maneuver, Taxation, etc), and each country can only take one of the next three actions depending where it's turn marker is at. For example, you would have to decide whether or not that country would produce more units, or move and attack, or collect income (but not a combination thereof).

Okay, nothing too new aside from the Wheel of Turn Options, that's true. But believe it or not, it's not a war game. Sure, it's themed like war, but here's the kicker. The players don't assume roles of a head of state, but rather, an investor who buys bonds in the countries they think will succeed, and the leading bond holder for each country controls that country on it's turn. So if you think Italy is going to send its amassed naval strength into Mother Russia's profitable sea zones, you could, if you had enough cash, buy out Italy, and send the fleets storming in the other direction instead! Needless to say, it's a very heated game. The countries that do well and capture zones (by occupying them with troops and marking them with tax chips), increase their Power (think Victory Points) every time the country decides to do a tax phase. Once a country gets 25 Power, the game ends. The further along the Power Track the country is at the end of the game, the more their bonds are worth for final scoring.

This is a game with a lot of depth, and it's surprisingly simple rules help it run along smooth. After the first several turns, everyone gets a good general idea of the technical bits and gets down to playing the game. Nobody gets eliminated (even if you control no countries, you lurk in the shadows until you get enough dough through bond payout to buyout a country again). Those who play like it's a war game are the ones who lose--as it's real easy to commit yourself to a country, only to find out nobody else has invested in it, and nobody wants it to survive, and you get crushed by five other countries. There's a lot of underhanded country stealing, and if you like heated games, this is definitely for you!

The downsides are few but substantial: Don't expect this to be a light-hearted game. At all. My wife hasn't played this one since she first played (and won), and another player had to get banned from the game because she would get too frustrated at everyone ganging up on her superpowered country. The game also takes several hours to play out, even though the downtime is hardly noticible due to the short turns and trying to guess what the other player's plans are. Also, it's real easy for several players to soundly trounce the expected lead player with little hope of recovery. Luckily, the games are normally really close, with the winner squeaking past the fray by just one bond purchase or a couple million bucks (considering the lowest denomination is one million, that's not a lot).

Take a look at the Board Game Geek entry for Imperial if you're interested. As of today, it's ranked 26 out of all the board games currently listed, which is definitely commendable, considering there's over 4,700 of them (Risk is listed at rank 3,815 by comparison). It's definitely a ton of fun, as long as you have the right crowd. Make sure you have a comfortable playing area, and keep all sharp objects away from the players!

NSTP #1 (Nothing Substantial To Post)

2008-09-13T09:26:00.001-05:00

I'm having a creative crisis, it seems, so here's something to hold the masses over. Be careful, you may want to read this post and have a nerdular affinity before clicking play.

American Christian Flashpoint: The First Amendment!

2008-09-10T17:18:00.011-05:00

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Welcome to another edition of American Christian Flashpoint! Today I want to delve into the sore topic of prayer in schools, commandments in front of civil service buildings, and Creationism/Evolutionism dual teaching.

I was intrigued on what I recently read about the display of the Ten Commandments outside of courthouses. When all of this was happening, I had not paid much attention to what was going on, and in the current days it seems this is rolled up into a virtual assault of the non-Christian Americans against the Christian Americans.

If you want to read more about this, click here to visit a portion of Wikipedia's page about the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. What I found was intriguing--that the Supreme Court had ruled both ways in different circumstances of religious displays (which I didn't know before reading that). Now, I understand that the Supreme Court has been setting a broader interpretation of the Establishment Clause since the sixties, but I wasn't alive before then, and I couldn't attest to that myself. I've heard it argued that this represents the censoring of our Christian heritage as a nation, which is difficult for me to swallow on two parts: One, I don't think our nation is (or was) as Christian as it is sometimes bulked up to be (see the First Amendment, above), and second, I somehow equate this to the Dixie Flag in the South--to some it expresses heritage, but to others, it expresses oppression and prejudice. I'm totally in favor of the Ten Commandments not expressing prejudice, even to non-believers. And, on a bright note, if there's no stone tablet in front of the courthouse, nobody can claim that Christianity was the reason they lost in court!

And state-sanctioned prayer in school. To that I gently and respectfully rebuke: What are you, nuts?! The last group that I want teaching theology to my (currently rhetorical) kids is the State! Talk about giving pearls to swine! Even going to school in a private Christian school in my 7th and 8th grade, there was enough teaching there that drove me away from who I now understand is Christ. I think handing over the mantle of spiritual teaching of your kids to a third party is a really risky business.

And lastly the whole Evolution and Creation studies of How The World Began--this one I can't argue in favor of just evolution being taught. I must agree that I think Darwin's Evolution Theory has become a religion to many people, and they do not want to see their golden calf be called for what it is. I would like to have teachers stress that evolution is still very much a theory, but ultimately I've resigned this argument and chalk it up to the fact that our government won't always lean in our favor (see the First Amendment, above). Although the Intelligent Design theory is showing movement, and may one day replace the Evolution Theory of Darwin, it hasn't by a long shot--and I want to reiterate that I don't want a teacher (who may very well not be a Christian) teaching kids theology. Just trouble all over!

Although it may seem at times that Christianity is losing a foothold in the mainstream culture of America, I don't really think it's that bad. Through history, Christianity seems to exponentially multiply when put under pressure. If you don't trust history, trust God on this one. We're to expect persecution because of Him, remember! And we're to rejoice!

And so, there you have it. Of course, remember that these thoughts I have didn't come from Mt. Sinai (get it?). There's room for variance here. I'll still eat with you if you disagree with me. These opinions I raise have zero value when placed next to God's Word, and I'm well aware I could quite possibly be absolutely wrong (or partially right, for that matter). And feel free to rebuke me on it, just make sure you have some Biblical proofs ready and you do it in gentleness in respect. That will make for some good fellowship, and we both could come out of it with praise for the Creator. I definitely wouldn't pass up on that opportunity.

From Protest to Praise

2008-09-09T14:35:00.003-05:00

I knew the times would come, and now the times have landed
With stinging abrasion...As ready as I seem to be
It's never like I planned it

I'm wrestling my thoughts I'm overcome
Would you give me up? I'm asking Lord
There's no where I sense Your presence here
So I will cry out, until I go
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end

How long will I be forgotten by You, forever?
'Cause you're not making sense here
Seems like eternity has made a home between us

I'm wrestling my thoughts I'm overcome
Would you give me up? I'm asking Lord
There's no where I sense Your presence here
So I will cry out, until I go
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end

You're changing me slow
I just can't help but see it that way
'Cause You're gonna see me...
From protest to praise
You're always amazing me
You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end

--"Protest to Praise" by Downhere

This has to be one of the more meaningful songs that I've come to know in my life. I picked it up at one of my first ventures into a Christian bookstore, and by chance, picked up this CD. Although the band and song are somewhat obscure, it's been a staple in how I've come to view many of my struggles and has pulled my thoughts toward God in some of the tougher and darker moments of my life. I'd recommend you check it out on iTunes if you ever get the chance (and have $.99 to spend).

And this comes to mind as I've recently learned a good friend hit some very, very difficult spots in his life. I won't go into the who or what in the blog, but it brings to light something pretty important about the Christian faith that may not get the attention it always deserves. I of course talk about suffering.

In no way do I wish to downplay or trivialize some of the horrors that many of us have faced in this life, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something God wants us to understand in the fire and the thorns. Jesus promises us eternal life, but he also makes a point that suffering will not be a stranger to us if we follow Him, and many of the epistles remind us extensively of it. Do a word search on 'suffer' in the New Testament--I did, and I was surprised. 1 Peter is one of my favorite books, but I never realized how much the word pops up in those short five chapters.

As for my brother, pray that he is not only comforted but emboldened to rejoice in those sufferings, and that God's glory is indeed revealed through this time.

Wikipedia

2008-09-08T23:15:00.005-05:00

Let me tell you, one of the best things the wwweb has going for it is Wikipedia. I guess it started getting big back when I was in school, and it was bashed a lot for being inaccurate and unreliable. As far as purely academic standards go, I think that's a good rule of thumb, but it works wonders for any other situation.
I was perusing through the Wikipedia standards of conduct, and I must say it's pretty extensive; I was sure surprised. Let's say you add a new page, or edit another that's already been made--all of that gets logged in a companion 'history' page, along with your IP address and login name, and it goes through several robotic tests just to make sure you didn't do anything dumb. But, of course, it takes another person who knows what they're talking about to come along to dispute what you've said. Now with the large number of Wikipedia crew, as well as non-paid devotees, they're very quick to point out if your edits need sources or if it falls short of the standards--there's even a rating method for how well-researched pages are.
So, not very good for writing papers, but absolutely excellent for 'information on demand' type queries. Lets say, you hear something about Don LaFontaine passing away (we'll miss you bro), and you want to find out more. I guarantee there's going to be an absolute smorgasbord of information there, and depending on how important the rest of the world considers that topic, you'll have pretty recent information.
So if you've been living under a rock that doesn't have wi-fi, go to Panera or something with ye olde laptop and look something obscure up--chances are you won't be disappointed. If you are, just edit it!

Making Light of Doctrine and WSC #1 (But Seriously, Though)

2008-09-06T22:44:00.008-05:00

NOTE: When reading this, please understand that I am by no means a certified expert when it comes to the realm of doctrine. The views and interpretations I express below are mine and mine alone, and quite possibly could be quite wrong if or when considered by persons more studied than I. Be careful down there!

In a recklessly bold moment, I figured it may prove interesting to go through the Westminster Shorter Catechism, since I'm sure it will be something I'll have to agonize over some time in the future. In one of my earlier posts, I wrote about how I think doctrine is pretty important.. Since we do sin, and do it with alarming frequency, and we can't comprehend the entirety of God, doctrine is sort of a man-made straight-edge to alert us when we go shooting off on a crazy tangent and making up things about what the Bible really says, and the implications thereof. Generally, it tells us what our forefathers in the faith concluded about spiritual things, and teaches us the lessons that they learned through their crazy trials of years gone by. Completely disregarding doctrine may land us in a world of hurt, as we could needlessly repeat some grave mistakes that have already happened.

Of course, on the other hand, doctrine is pretty much man-made. It's about as scientific and Newtonian as you can get when it comes to the Bible. It's not the word of God, and should not be treated as such. It's boring. Really boring. It has a very real possibility of choking the life out of good Christians if used improperly. It reminds me of a joke, actually:

"What's the difference between an ice-cold rock and a Presbyterian?"

"Nothing. They're one and the same."

It's funny--if you're not a Presbyterian, of course! Because us PCA folk nearly ALWAYS take ourselves and our doctrine far too seriously. That's why we've been so affectionately coined "The Frozen Chosen." Okay...now that I've poked enough fun out of my denomination, shall we begin? :)

Question 1: What is the chief end of man?
(Oh, a side note. I tried scouring the Internet for a short while to find the WSC in modern-day English, but to no avail--I guess that would spoil the fun of having to understand doctrine if it was made too easy.)
So, what is our real purpose, according to the Bible? What's the point? That's one of the best questions ever, no wonder why it's first. It's probably one of the more frequently asked questions in the history of the human race. It pops up all the time in our minds, from sitting in a 2 hour meeting only 30 minutes into it, or riding on the subway, or waiting in the drive-thru line...Why am I here?

Answer 1: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
Proof Texts: Psalm 86, Isaiah 60:21, Romans 11:36, Revelation 4:11
Although the question starts focused on us, the answer is a complete focus on God. He made us so that we could bring glory to Him, and also be around to enjoy how glorified God really is. Put another way, what we do and who we are should prove to all (or just God if nobody else is around) how awesome God is, AND, we should also exhaust a great portion of our life enjoying how awesome our Creator really is. It almost seems in some circles that it's either one way or the other, but both parts of the answer are equally and critically important. In fact, it's virtually impossible to accomplish one portion without the other. Oh, many have tried, and I am one of the many. But you can't really fool anyone on how cool God is if you're not believing it yourself.

Whew--that wasn't that bad. Well, from what I understand, the worst is yet to come--only 106 questions left! And this is the shorter catechism, too. Hoo-boy! Pray for me that if I so choose to do any more, I don't forget about question number one--what my chief end is.

Rain is for Winners

2008-09-06T11:15:00.006-05:00

I got troubles, Lord, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
They're gonna wash away

And I have sins, Lord, but not today
'Cause they're gonna wash away
They're gonna wash away

And I have friends, Lord, but not today
'Cause they done washed away
They done washed away

Lord, I've been crying alone
I've been crying alone
No, no more crying alone
no, no more crying here.

We get lonely, Lord, but not today
Cause we're gonna wash away
We're gonna wash away

I got troubles, Lord, but not today
Cause they're gonna wash away
This old river's gonna take them away.

--Lyrics to Joe Purdy's song, "Wash Away (reprise)"

Ah, it's raining. I'm a big fan of the rain. Now, I know not everyone likes rain. It's wet, sometimes it's cold, and sometimes there's way too much of it. But there's something about the drippy-drop sound, and how the puddles make ripples, the feeling of things washing away, and the general softening of light that is incredibly soothing and comforting to me. I don't know how I got it into my head, but every time it rains I think of it as God making a point to say "this is right where I want you." I know, it's pretty self-important to think the rain that falls on thousands of heads is there just to deliver a personal IM from God to me, but that's in my brain anyway.

The stars do declare the glory of God. Perhaps the rain is there to declare it as well. Now, there's not much to celebrate about hurricanes and floods, but rain doesn't always do that. God does want us near to Him, to be reconciled to Him. And He made a way for our betrayals, big and small, to be washed away and be no more in His sight.

So, think about that, will you? Maybe go stand in the rain, just a little bit, or jump in a puddle, or watch it pitter-pat against the windowpane, and remember how far He goes to pursue us.

Eurogames and Settlers of Catan Review

2008-09-05T19:29:00.008-05:00

Okay, I'm taking a break from important things today to talk about something awesome. Boardgames. That's right, you heard me. Except they're not lame. Think Monopoly or Risk, but fun. I know, sounds like an oxymoron, right? Well these puppies come from overseas, like Europe and Germany. I'm not sure how they make them, but they seem to be brilliant at it. Here are some of the keys to success that most of them have in common:

Keep the turns short, or let everyone do something every turn.
Play with three or more players, and focus on interactions between the players.
Keep the players as close as possible in terms of victory, to prevent one player completely obliterating everybody else, and thus preventing the rest from having any fun.
Player elimination is absolutely verboten.
Use of dice should be minimized or eliminated entirely.
Any sort of bookkeeping should be kept to an absolute minimum. No charts, no numbers above 100, or even better, nothing above 10.
Make the game components of high quality products that will last more than a couple of plays through the game.

If any of this sounds even moderately interesting, or you're completely bored, check out Settlers of Catan by Klaus Teuber, here. It's a good introduction to the pleasantly surprising world of eurogames. It focuses on the players settling a resource-rich island (perhaps one called "Catan?"), and how they get resources, trade amongst themselves, expand, and try to claim the most prominent status on the island in the form of victory points. Although it uses dice, it's extremely unique on how they are used, and although luck does play a factor in the game, the meat and potatoes of the game focuses on the players trading amongst themselves. The resources, like brick, wood, sheep, wheat, and ore, are used to build things like roads (a brick and wood resource) and cities (two wheat and three ore). Things get interesting when only one person produces a little of a much needed resource, and everybody wants that resource and will throw all they have in a trade, because everyone knows you can't build a road out of sheep (unless, of course, you have some wood and four sheep, and squeeze the sheep hard enough together that they form bricks, but that's another story). There's only four things that the players can build, all with different combinations of resources, and if it's a close game (it almost always is, due to the losing players ganging up on the leader), it gets real heated when trade embargoes start popping up, and alliances start forming, which happens naturally and is the whole point of the game.

The last time I played the game, I came in next to last, but had an absolute ball. I played with my wife, a doctor friend of ours, his two sons, and one of their friends (which is an unusual gaming group under normal circumstances). Everyone had it in for me, because I knew the most about the game, and the one I love made it absolutely clear to everyone that I would take all their victory points, crush their settlements, and kick their puppies, so I was out of the running at the very start. But later she made one critical error in her trading and scheming, and almost conned someone out of the prestigious "Longest Road" achievement (which was promptly foiled by the once mild-mannered doctor), and sweet blissful chaos ensued around the entire board. The winner was the one we all least expected, the silent and innocent-seeming friend of the boys, who quietly secured a virtual monopoly of all the wheat and ore of the island, and in one fell swoop, claimed the ten victory points to win. Some of the best entertainment I've ever had in a long time. Check it out, and I promise you won't be disappointed--even worse, you'll be hooked.

American Christian Flashpoint: Politics!

2008-09-04T17:08:00.009-05:00

So, I caught a portion of Sarah Palin's speech from last night, and read some commentaries. Truth be told, I didn't like it. Not one bit. I'll be surprised to see how the Grand Ol' Party continues on their attack lines of experience and celebrity status. Knowing what I know of politics, they'll find a way. I'm hoping that Joe Biden mops the floor with McCain's VP in the upcoming debate.

Okay, okay. Enough. Chances are, you either lean or vigorously define yourself to the right of where I stand as far as politics goes. There were some days not long ago I'd fight to the bitter end to define what right was, and how you're nowhere near that mark, but the sun seems to set on my era of clashing on the political battlefield.

It really began ending when Dr. James Dobson made some distinctively abrasive remarks about Senator Obama's speech of 2006 at some political religious conference symposium whatever, and only two years later does Dr. Dobson lash out. And let me tell you, he let Obama have it. He left nothing unclear on how much he disliked the speech, and how much Obama distorted the Bible, and how he would spell D-O-O-M to Christian life in America as we know it.

Only after I read Dr. Dobson's remarks did I read Obama's speech. And I liked it. Not all of it, mind you, but I thought there were some brilliant ideas, and some very respectable ways to approach running America as a Christian.

Perhaps later I'll explain precisely why the Christian Right gives me the spooks, but not now. After some long contemplation of the speech and the counter argument, and a counter-counter argument by someone at the Washington Post, I was deeply saddened by it all. I don't know Dr. Dobson, nor do I follow him closely. I couldn't even tell you any of the names of the books he may or may have not written. But I know he does God's work. That argument didn't seem much like God's work at all. It was sounding more like a clashing symbol, or a clanging gong.

And in reviewing my brooding thoughts about Sarah Palin and John McSame, I realized I had been smashing symbols around like a creepy smiling monkey for the past couple of months.

Romans 13. Read it. One part of it says authorities are to be respected and obeyed, because God put them there for a reason. The other part of the chapter talks about fufilling the Law through love.

Jesus had to deal with politics, but that wasn't his main concern. Not by a long shot. His concern was sinners, such as you and I. And His love did some amazing things, and actually changed people forever. It changed me--it tought me what love really was, and what life really meant when you understood that God, the God, was not mad at you in the least, and that He loved you so dearly He couldn't stand being apart from you, even if that's what you insisted upon.

That, right there, is more than enough reason to live. And it blows the heck out of trying to advance agendas and trying to spin stories and cutting down the ones you should love.

So, for the time being, I'm done with it. I'll still vote, and I'll still vote what I think is right for our country, but it's time for some out-of-the-box thinking on this political stuff. It has so little to do with why we claim salvation with Christ, and there's so many better things to do with my time and energy. Like listening to Dr. Dobson once in a while, and thanking God that He called that guy to His name. Like encouraging my brothers and sisters who vote against my celebrity of choice, or don't vote at all. Like loving other sinners even if they think I'm a nutcase. Like praising the one true God.

Everything Is Spiritual: Synopsis

2008-09-03T22:25:00.006-05:00

The universe is so ghastly big, and doesn't behave like we think it should. Atoms and subatomic particles are so horribly small, and they do whatever the heck they want. And we're in the middle. We can explain much, because we establish rules of thought on how everything relates, but it isn't quite so. In 2D terms, a circle will never be a rectangle, but comprehend a 3D coin in 2D thoughts, and it could be perceived as both a circle, and a square, but not at the same time.

Also note that we as people weren't created in a whirlwind of good and evil, but out of the purpose of joy. As in, "Wow, this world is amazing! Look at all that God has done!" And that the Sabbath is central to our way of understanding God. We stop and see His goodness in all of this. And it's all about Him.

Enter Christ, stage left. Did astounding things, said somthing about new wine and old wineskins, called some God-people a brood of vipers, healed many and fed many. Was horribly tortured and killed. And then he wasn't dead anymore, and we think about a 3D coin in 2D terms (You can read more about Him elsewhere, but I'm going to cut the story short). Left us with the distinct impression that there is something more about life than what we thought. And we understand that God wants us to be reconciled to Him, because we were created for joy.

And some other parts I didn't quite follow.

Everything Is Spiritual: Prelude

2008-09-03T21:55:00.009-05:00

I'm not a big fan of Rob Bell. Why? Well, I've grown up understanding that the faith we live by was passed on to us by those before us, and from those before them, and before them, all the way up to Jesus (well, it really started even before 0 A.D., and even before time itself, but Jesus is a good starting point for this post right now). And Christians that sat at his feet told their friends, family, and children, and they did the same, all the way up to me. Now, when we speak of things of God, we have no capacity whatsoever to understand him completely, and while we still walk and breathe in this time, we still have an uncanny ability to get the story a bit jumbled. And occasionally, we mix up parts of God's story with something else, something we put in there. And sometimes, these something-else pieces are treated as God's story. So, when something smells funny, we go back to the Bible, and we go to our brothers and sisters in the faith, and we go to the stories of those who lived before us, and we examine and critique what happened here and there and in the past, and we do our dangedest to brush out the something-else parts and try to learn from our mistakes, because again, we have no capacity whatsoever to understand Him completely. So, in a crude interpretation of what I understand of doctrine, there you have it.

Rob Bell isn't so much in that line of thought. I think he's kind of...well, jumbly. It's sometimes hard for me to understand God's story in his words. I read a quarter-way through one of his popular books, and never finished, because I couldn't comprehend it, and it bothered me. Maybe scared me a bit.

But, in a moment of possible clarity, let me attempt to be clear. Rob, as much as I and others really have problems with his teachings, he's still very much in the family. I'd never explain things like he does, but he's one of us, part of the body, and he plays a very important role that God specifically defined just for him. And I gather that I'm pretty jumbly, just in a different way, because I too have this problem of understanding the fullness of God. I could never fufill Rob's role in God's story, and I doubt he'd do a good job of doing mine, because fingers don't make good elbows.

So Rob, no stones for you today, brother. May God bless you in what you do, and keep doing your elbow thing like no tomorrow. Praise God that He is who He is, for there is none like Him.

The First Entry: This Here's Garbage!

2008-09-03T00:40:00.003-05:00

Really, who reads blogs? It seems there will always be way more people that will write them than will read them. So why not just journal? It would do very well to assume a blog is a journal, but the only defenses it has against humiliating the author are these -- either due to people not knowing who the author is (fat chance, now that the only people interested in reading a blog would already know the author, in person or via creepy obsession), or by writing about absolutely nothing important in particular, making the reading of it a waste of time for anyone. Expect me to follow closer to the latter.

So there you have it--now that both you and I expect very little from here on out, let us both waste our time together. If you find this thought dumpster has nothing but garbage in it...well, that's what it's for, mate. But, if by God's graces some treasure is indeed found within, that leaves us both pleasantly surprised, and no worse for wear. So dive in, rummage around, take what you like, and leave the rest, all at what leisure you can afford. Just don't say I didn't warn you that this stuff is trash!