Here is a funny, political Medley I watched today on Godtube (yes I know it is another unoriginal Christian name). The comedian's name is Paul Aldrich. Use this as a personal political litmus test for you. If you get offended by any part of this medley, you are taking the election way too seriously.
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September 2008
September 30, 2008
September 16, 2008
Light!
I never thought a hurricane would leave a mark on our inland state of Kentucky like Hurricane Ike did this week. The remnants of the hurricane and its gusts up to 74 mph here threw our area into a tailspin. Trees and power lines throughout our neighborhood were knocked down and several thousands were left with roof and siding damage. Two days later, more than half a million homes and businesses in our region are still without power, including our church. We lost power in our house at about 1:00 PM on Sunday, and it just turned back on this morning (Tuesday). Light is a marvelous thing, and it is no wonder that it is a metaphor used several times in the Bible. I'm grateful to have electricity back in our home, but I'm also very thankful for:
1. Spending time with my family. No electricity meant no media. Which meant I had more interactive time with my wife and kids.
2. Sharing with our next door neighbors. Matt and Jeanine shared many things with us, including their generator, which enabled me to watch the Cowboys game last night! :)
3. Duke energy workers. They have been working around the clock without much sleep to get everyone hooked up again.
4. A reminder of how great light is!
Gen 1:2, And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
September 09, 2008
John Mark McMillan: The Medicine
Singer/songwriter, John Mark McMillan has just released a new album today, The Medicine. It's hard to place a genre on John Mark McMillan's music. I guess the best way to describe him is The Counting Crows meets Bruce Springsteen, Rich Mullins, Mark Heard, Mark Knopfler, Derek Webb, and Keith Green at a bar out west in the desert. And after a long night, they end up singing worship songs together.
The best thing I like about him is his raw lyrics. Here is a sampling of the worship song, Skeleton Bones:
Peel back our ribs again
and stand inside of our chest.
We just wanna' love you
We just wanna' love you
Peel back the veil of time
And let us see You with our naked eyes
We just wanna' love you
We just wanna' love you
We want your blood to flow inside our body
We want your wind inside our lungs
We just wanna' love you
We just wanna' love you
Skeleton bones stand at the sound of eternity
On the lips of the found
And gravestones roll
To the rhythm of the sound of you
Skeleton bones stand at the sound of eternity
On the lips of the found
So separate those doors
And let the son of resurrection in.
Oh let us adore the
Son of Glory drenched in love
Open up your gates before him
Crown Him, stand Him up
How cool would it be to sing a worship song called "Skeleton Bones" in church! I can't wait until we do!
Right now you can download it at Amazon.com.
September 07, 2008
Here We Go Again
Bengal's fans, may the force be with you!
September 06, 2008
What does Chad Johnson, Abram, and Jacob Have in Common?
Chad Johnson, wide receiver of my beloved Bengals, officially had his name changed this week to Chad Ocho Cinco. Read the article here. He joins such famous people in history as Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, and Ralph Lifshitz to Ralph Lauren.
September 04, 2008
On Turning 37
Today I turn 37 years old. That is three years from being old. It’s three years from going from a
dreamer to a visionary. Here are
37 things I am thankful for:
1. Grace - A heavenly father who runs to me and embraces me where I am
2. The Cross – Jesus took my sin and I received His life. What a deal!
3. Evie – 14 ½ years ago I met you in a college cafeteria. Wow! You are still my dream girl!
4. Alexa – We couldn’t have kids and God blessed us with an angel!
5. Luke – We still couldn’t have kids and God said, “Have another blessing, but try to keep up. He’s a really fast one!”
6. The best job in the world!
7. The student leadership Team – You inspire me and keep me young!
8. The adult leadership team – Your dedication to the students is beautiful!
9. A senior pastor who lets me dream!
10. A church family – You let me be me!
11. My parents – You raised me to love God with all my heart, and showed me how by living it!
12. My parent in-laws – You raised Evie to love God with all her heart, and showed her how by living it!
12. Brian Marshall – A friend who tells me the truth at all times! That is priceless!
13. Rich Mullins – For putting into words, what I thought, but could never express.
13. Hymnals – I read you many a time in church when I couldn’t pay attention to the sermon. You helped form my theology.
14. Facebook – You have reconnected me with some great friends!
15. Starbucks
16. Steve Jobs – Thanks for computer awesomeness
17. The city of Walton – I love running on your streets in the early morning
18. Mt. Dew – You are so bad, but sooooo good!
19. Music – Over half of my life, I have spent with you. Aren't you lucky!
20. Iced Tea
21. Steven King – You are a freak, but Shawshank Redemption was the best story about hope ever written.
22. United States – I live out my dreams in safety each day!
23. Troops – For laying it on the line, so I can be free!
24. Whoever invented the toilet – After two weeks without it in Africa, I love this porcelain object!
25. Education – You are never ending!
26. Texas – I spent five great years with you and met my lover here too!
27. Kentucky – Despite the stigma of being barefoot and toothless, I love you!
28. Humor – You have gotten me out of trouble a lot of times!
29. Cincinnati Reds – You really suck right now, but I am a homer to the end.
30. Jelly Beans
31. The inventor of the Ipod – Wow, all this music at the touch of a button!
32. My guardian angel – No broken bones and no stitches. Great job!
33. U2 – Rock with a conscience.
34. Soap
35. Hope – You keep me anticipating the future
36. Mornings
37. Cheesecake
September 02, 2008
Politics: Pale Blue Dot
The Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of planet Earth made by Voyager 1 from a record distance, showing it against the vastness of space. On February 14, 1990, NASA commanded the Voyager 1 spacecraft, having completed its primary mission, to turn around to photograph the planets of the Solar System. One image Voyager returned was of Earth, showing up as a "pale blue dot" in the grainy photo. It is estimated that it was taken about 4 billion miles away. Carl Sagan, the lead astronomer for Voyager 1 wrote a book about this photo with the same title.
Read this excerpt from the book below:
"Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader", every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light."
As we continue in this presidential election, may we remember who created this pale blue dot, and that we are just tiny specs on it. God is in control, and when we put our trust completely in him and him alone, he will take care of the rest. Let us not put our faith in man, but in a loving God who sent his son to save and rescue us!
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7
