Glaring Omission from my last post

Oh yeah. . .and Plant/Krauss will play (one of my favorite albums of the last year).

This is truly ridiculous.

This just in: Katy Perry and T-Pain will mop the floor during commercials.

Don't miss the Grammys next week

'Nuff said:


U2, Kid Rock, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and Rihanna have just been added to the already incredible list of performers at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, airing Sunday, February 8th. Let’s look at the roster now: Radiohead, Coldplay, Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Jay-Z, T.I., Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Kenny Chesney,
----------------
ok, so let me get this straight: U2, Radiohead, and Coldplay, at the same show??? A beatle (mccartney), Carrie Underwood (a fav at this blog).

And Kenny Chesney, with the Jonah Brothers will be the janitors at the show, and will help carry everyone's luggage afterwords. (sorry, that was mean)

Aaron

Recommendation

So, I think this is one of the funniest commercials that I hadn't seen (on t.v.). I got it from this blog: here



This is a guy that I think is pretty cool, and I think his books are pretty cool (look on the right menu bar of his blog) especially: "Do Something". That title kills me!

Anyway, check out Kevin DeYoung!

Aaron

Don't Despair. . . . or He took his life, they could not take his pride.

This is one of the most tragic stories I've heard in a while:

so sad

He was obviously overwhelmed by the loss of his job. I wonder if he had anywhere to go, family to stay with, others he could ask for help, etc. . . .

I find many times we let sad or hard situations lead to despair in us, emotionally. There is definitely a time to mourn, but as Christians, "we are not like those who have no hope". There is a way to mourn, a way to lament that honors Christ (we see that in the Psalms) and a way that doesn't. I was struck by the quote, that after she lost her job as well, this man's wife suggested they should commit suicide. . . wow

I think that mourning vs. despair is counter-intuitive. It actually takes a humble heart and the death of pride to mourn without despairing. To despair and seem hopeless and bitter in a situation is to look for the answers in yourself, and of course, . .come up empty (thus the despair). To overreact in despair is to look for attention from others, or look to "feel" a certain level of depression that fills a hole (yes, it is rather addicting, and I do think we too often grieve to be seen by others)

To mourn rightly is to pour out your heart to Christ and ultimately ask him "why?" because you recognize that He holds all things together and keeps the universe spinning. If done in a humble way, it's actually honoring to Christ that you would seek to find the answers in Him, and find the restoration of all things in Him (perhaps, not always in this life). To be sad and devasted before the Lord, if done in humility, shows that we're trusting Him in a sense.

Well, I guess I broke the "long blog" rule, sorry :) About the title. . .I'm going to have to ask Bono about that lyric one day when I meet him on the other side. I've never understood how(even though the song is about MLK) it goes with one of my favorite songs, (Pride)"In the name of Love". I switched the verbage around, because I really do feel like the story linked above, and many like it are a result of our pride in how we deal with disappointment.

Aaron

Lincoln on Slavery/Abortion

Today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade,. . .and although the arguing and politicizing of Abortion at times grows weary, it's important to have a reality check from time to time.

It's really ludicrous, the logic of abortion. . . and I believe our country is better than that. If you don't believe me, check out Abraham Lincoln and John Piper relating the issue of slavery (which we've decidedly defeated in our county, I would say) with abortion.

Good things to think about today.


Aaron

Aaron is very proud of his wife

Check out Jody's first published blog!


Good stuff

43 down. . . . .

Did everyone just realize that we've had 43 peaceful transitions of power in the U.S.A. with no governmental overthrows, or violence surrounding the inaugurations? (HT: Ligon Duncan)

I"m thankful for that. . .it's unprecedented in the history of world government. I'm thankful that President Obama and President Bush rode together in a car to the capitol building, and sat across the aisle from each other during the ceremony.

In other news. . .was that not the most blatantly religious inauguration service? That's kind of cool, . . ironic though that GWB was always accused of mixing God and politics too much. When I attended his first inauguration in 2001, there was alot less praying and invocating, etc. . than there was yesterday. I'm not complaining. . this is a good thing. But, let's all remember how ludicrious it is the next time a lawsuit is brought against "under God" or anything like that. Our country is based on religious principles. . you have the right to be an atheist, and that's another great thing about our country. But, let's just be honest about the whole thing.

From the mouth of babes. . ..

Barack Obama: "I cut my teeth doing neighborhood work"


Sam: Dad, why did he cut his teeth?

Thanks

I wanted to take the opportunity, on President Bush's last day in office to thank him for a few things. . . .

See, I think President Bush is one of the worst leaders we've ever had as President. It's an issue of competency as a leader (not intelligence. . two different things). Here's a great article outlining why he was a poor leader. I'm optimistic and excited at the possibility of new leadership in Washington (see, I think the country needs a "correction" about every 8 years anyway. . . Bush was needed, we forget this. . .and now, he needs to be done :) ) and I pray for, and wish President Obama the best.

Great article for all leaders

That being said, we can be even-handed, sane people. . . yes, even in politics. We can be nuanced and talk about the actual issues at hand instead of broad sweeping over-generalizations. We can look at problems from different angles and see how we might be wrong. We can do these things. . .

Yes we can.


President Bush,

1) Thanks for giving more money to Africa/AIDS than any president in history, and probably more than all presidents combined. . even though I don't have the data. You helped to save lives there, and hopefully helped to raise up a generation of Africans un-attracted to fascism and terrorism. So much needs to be done. . .but thanks for "putting the boat in the water" on issues in Africa.

2) Thanks for keeping the country safe for 7 years. I don't like torture, and you made mistakes there. . .but the fact is. . we have deterred terrorist attacks on American soil for 7 years. .Thanks.

3) Thanks for passing the Partial Birth Abortion ban, having your judicial department write many opinions of support on abortion related court cases all over the country, and taking stands on this complicated issue without making it us vs. them as so many in your party do. They sometimes hurt the conversation. . .you, however, got stuff done, and got laws passed. A generation of people thank you (or they will one day)


Aaron

I Timothy. . . . . by an unshaven guitar player

So, this week I have the opportunity to preach at Calvary Bible Church. . which is indeed a huge privledge, and a responsibility that I don't take lightly. I thought I would ask you all. . . you know, the thunderous horde of readers of my blog. . . . to give some input to the message.

Here's the text I've been asked to speak on(we're in a series on I Timothy after all). . .

I'd love for you, after you read it to maybe answer a couple of these questions. . .

1) What jumps out at you?
2) What questions do you have about the meaning of this passage?
3) Who is Hymenaues's great aunt?

1 Timothy 1:12-20 (English Standard Version)

Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners

12I thank him^(A) who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful,^(B) appointing me to his service, 13though formerly I was a blasphemer,^(C) persecutor, and insolent opponent. But^(D) I received mercy^(E) because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14and^(F) the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the^(G) faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15The saying is^(H) trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus^(I) came into the world to save sinners,^(J) of whom I am the foremost. 16But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17To^(K) the King of ages,^(L) immortal,^(M) invisible,^(N) the only God,^(O) be honor and glory forever and ever.^[a] Amen.

18This charge^(P) I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with^(Q) the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may^(R) wage the good warfare, 19^(S) holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have^(T) made shipwreck of their faith, 20among whom are^(U) Hymenaeus and^(V) Alexander, whom I^(W) have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to^(X) blaspheme.

(ps. I have some good ideas as to where this passage is taking me . . so this isn't a last-second plea for help, ideas, etc. . . . for those cynical readers of this blog)
(and if that's you. . . . Hey, stop being cynical!!!)

Aaron

How It's Done

So, this is another music nerd post. . . . .

I get really tired of seeing folks sing "live" on t.v. for two reasons. 1) They don't really sing it, and they're lip synching. . .I'll refrain from examples. 2) They stink because a) they stink or b) it's hard to mix for t.v. so the mix is exposing them too much and it sounds bad.

Here are two examples of one of my favorite singers, Carrie Underwood, absolutely Obliterating (in the best sense) these two songs. These are 100% live, raw, and incredible (you can tell there isn't alot of Auto-tune because she slides around a bit).

The first song is actually really encouraging to me, and I think it's a great marriage song, and a great song for the Christian life. The 2nd song just rocks. I'll post a "blair witch" cell phone version, so you can see how good she sounds completely unmixed. And, then I'll link to a more official version of the song.

I"m pretty hard on vocalists, and these two examples make the hair on my neck stand up. Thanks Carrie, for being professional, and kicking butt when you're paid lots of money to sing live in front of millions of people.

Hey Miley, Kelly C., Faith, Martina, Mariah, Whitney!!!!!!! Is it too much to ask that you hit the notes, perform well, and sing with good dynamics?
Check it out!!!! Get your junk together and sing good live!!!

So Small:


Wasted:



(a little cleaner): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te3zvI2UrjM&feature=related
this is an example, though, of some not so great mixing. . .hear how her voice is so "out front" in the mix that her pitch discrepancies come out more? They could "help" her in the booth by bringing the band up a bit)

Describing this moment

if you like good reading, check this out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/opinion/11bono.html?_r=5

HT: Austin Britton
(required registration. but it's free and spamless)

Love and Insanity

How do you love someone who is not in step with reality and is blaming others for their problems? The obvious, but hard answer is to tell them. This is hard, though, when folks are living in insanity. It's hard to muster up the energy to be honest with someone who isn't living in reality. Personally, I find it hard to speak one truth to someone, when I feel like there's 100 things I need to say. The volume of things in my head freezes me a little.

But, results are not our business. Truth telling is as much for our peace of mind and well-being as it is to "help" the other person. One of my favorite phrases in the bible is when Paul says "as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men". "As much as it depends on you" is a freeing phrase that should give us courage to say what needs to be said, regardless of the mental state of the receiver.

From the mouth of Babes...

It's been too long, and as usual, Sam has pure gold. . . . .


So, our new son Malachi needed a little (uhhmm hmm) "encouragement" tonight. . .one way Jody and I do that is a light flick of the cheek.

So, Sam is sitting there next to me and says "Dad, you can't flick him, he's from Ethiopia!".

Thanks Sam, that's helpful! :)

Aaron

Revisionist History

Tonight, the Nuggets play the Detroit Pistons. In November, the Nuggets swapped Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups. The blogs, and commentors have been abuzz this week about how Billups is the savior for Denver and Iverson was the worst thing that ever happened. One article even went so far as to say "the attendance bump the Nuggets were hoping for with Iverson never happened", as if that was also Iverson's fault.

This is complete garbage. We won 50 games last year (the best nuggets record in 15 years), went to the playoffs 2 years in a row, and were a very exciting team to watch. Iverson was not the veteran leader (Billups) the team needed, . . . but I, for one, miss Iverson. I loved watching him play, I thought he was a stand-up guy. . .and the reason the attendance didn't go up is because Nugget's ownership continues to raise ticket prices while the economy declines. So, obviously the Nuggets are better off with Billups, no one argues that. But, the last 2 years weren't chopped liver either. . . .we had some terrible draws in the playoffs, and we had alot of suspensions and injuries that worked against us. Go Nuggets, Go Billups, Go Iverson.

Aaron

Feel and Groove

This one is just for music nerds. . . . . There is a difference between "Feel" and "Groove". Groove is the actual rhythmic patterns present in the song. Feel is how you play those patterns and accents.

You can teach most capable musicians how to play a specific groove (depending on how intricate it is). But, the difference between "good, solid" musicians and "great, professional" musicians is the ability to feel the groove in a cool way that makes the song come alive, makes hands clap, hips sway, people bounce.

B (C) S

Another college football season has ended, and again,. . . there is no clarity as far as the champion is concerned. I truly think USC or Texas would've won the title game. It's hard to say because a) it won't happen and b) it's really hard to evaluate teams after they've had a month off getting rusty and out of condition.

It's been this way for WAY too long, even Nebraska's 1997 championship should've been shared with Michigan (or, gasp. . .they could've played for it). It's time for an 8 or 16 team playoff. All of the arguments against a playoff are laughable, political and money-based. Everyone knows this, no one can do anything because of contractual issues.

I propose that when ESPN takes over the B(C)S next year, that they start an "ESPN" bowl that happens after all the current bowls and takes the top two teams coming out of the bowl season. This doesn't solve all problems, but it would get us closer, and more importantly it would stick a finger in the eye of the College/Bowl Presidents who only care about their already-bloated pocketbooks.

Self-Deception

The scary thing about getting older and craftier is that you're capable of talking yourself into ANYTHING. You're also capable of working yourself into a frenzy so that you believe things that aren't really true. Sin is deceiving. . . . . .And, when we don't go back to the Word, and don't immerse ourselves in a church (not simply attending) we have no bookends to keep our thinking and our life in the margins. Our protection from self-deception is a reality-based self-view, this can only be found through Jesus who is "the Way, Truth, and Life". The Word, and community around the Word, helps us see ourselves correctly

It's almost like Kleptomania. . . you can steal so much, and enjoy it so much that you actually start to believe that all that stuff is yours. To the outside world, it looks crazy and they think that person needs help. However, the kleptomaniac doesn't see it. This is also true with Child-rearing, (which is a whole other post. . .longer. . . but we aren't doing that anymore :) ) You can get so stressed and overwhelmed that you start to take things personal that your kids are doing (as if they're out to get you). You can start to say how you "have no time" for anything, and you need more rooms in your house, etc. . .. . I've been there.

You can talk yourself into anything, even about yourself. . . . scary.

Good word

"It's not so much about mastering the bible, as it is letting the bible master you". --D.A. Carson


tru dat.


I've also heard in the past. . . ."when you read the bible, let the bible be reading you".

Mea Culpa

So, even though I was about 2 miles from the Boulder fires all day. . . I had no idea any of that was going on until about 5 o clock. . . . . way, way after my last post.

Apologies to all who are affected by the winds and thus, fires. If I would've known that was going on, I wouldn't have posted my last post. Please know that any of you are welcome at Jody's and my house in Erie, and let us know if anyone needs help with a car or whatever as well.


Sorry about that!

Aaron

Mighty rushing wind

The wind is epic in Colorado today. It was actually 101 mph up on Berthoud Pass this morning, which is like having a hurricane with no rain. Insane.

It kind of gives a great picture for those of us who live here of the Holy Spirit, especially in Acts 2 when the Spirit fell on the disciples and it sounded like "a mighty rushing wind". When you can't walk straight outside. . that's mighty and rushing :) So, soak it up Coloradoans! I know it's annoying at 2 a.m., . . but just think about the power of the Holy Spirit, and how unseen things carry great power and strength.

Random maturity thoughts

It's hard to be bold and yet charitable. . .humble and yet convinced. That's the challenge for our generation. . . .don't be a limp-wristed, believe anything, egg-shell walker. But, don't be a jerk while you "contend for the faith". In fact, make sure you're contending for something that's worth contending for. We must have conviction, and we must have charity towards those we disagree with. Especially if you're in some sort of pastoral role,. . be careful when you "bind the conscience" of others. It's part of the gig. . but make sure that you're not going beyond the bible when you bind someone's conscience, else we become like the pharisees who "tied large burdens around men's necks". Some folks need to be rebuked on an issue in their life. . some folks need to be comforted. . . . .to discern who is who takes maturity.

Random sports thoughts

Bronco fans: we live with Jay Cutler, we die with Jay Cutler. We have a mini-Brett Favre on our hands who will perhaps win a super bowl, but who will also lose some games with bone-headed interceptions. This is who Jay Cutler is. . .he's a gun-slinger. My only concern with him is his ego/pride in front of his teammates. If you look at Favre/Young/Marino/Brady, etc. . they obviously have a huge ego as well, but you'll never see them pout/call out/sweat in front of the team. Cutler has a ways to go there.

Random Texas football thought while watching the game tonight: How the heck is Quan Cosby 26? I've always wanted to go back and play for my high school team again to right some wrongs. . but this is ridiculous. . . he's between 4 and 6 years older than everyone he's playing against. Someone explain to me how this happened? When Cosby entered college, Terrelle Pryor (the OSU quaterback) was in 6th grade. huh???

New format

So, the blogging thing didn't really go as I planned it to. Basically, my mind works like this. . . . I get an idea, have about 200 ideas within 30 seconds and then get intimidated to write it down because I won't have time to organize my messy head into something cohesive, and thus worthy of anyone reading it.

So, I decided to switch it up a bit. I'm going to do more posts, but shorter. . . like really short. I'll probably just say what I'm thinking and leave it at that. I'm going to limit myself to two paragraphs, (roughly the size of this post). This isn't an original idea. There are some great "concept" blogs out there, like "22 words" by Abraham Piper. The concept is pretty obvious there. I won't have that much self control, but I will try to write short enough things so that I won't psych myself out of starting. :) And, no, this isn't a new year's resolution.
Talk to you sooner!
Aaron