New Photos.
I've uploaded about 10 new pictures (depending on how long it's been since you've visited my Flickr). Please stop by and leave comments. Thanks!
My Flicker Photos
Life As A Tax Collector.
"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:10-14, ESV)
How often, recently, I have felt like the tax collector. And, how often have I been the Pharisee.
This parable has stuck in my mind since I heard it again recently. It’s one of those gems that you often read in the Bible that doesn’t quite shimmer for you the first time around. I am often amazed how alive, relevant, and new the Bible can seem with every message I hear.
But why the tax collector? Is it because he is shown to be the “hero” of this story?
I relate to him because I share his same approach to God. I feel that my place is face down before Christ, beating my breast, begging for His mercy. I can’t lift my eyes to his beauty because I have perverted its value time and again with my choices. I long for humility while I puff myself up with arrogant pride.
And yet God loves me.
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10, ESV, emphasis mine)
So I plead to God for both – His mercy, and His love.
His mercy brings life.
His love is better than life.
“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” (Psalm 63:3, ESV)
Oh, to love God like he deserves. What a treasure to have. What a goal to seek. What a life to live.
Check These Gentlemen Out.
Common Grounds turned out to be a very wonderful night tonight - due in total part to being introduced to the best band we've seen there since we started checking out Monday and Friday night gigs: Redefined (click the name to hit their site). These guys are absolutely amazing live, and their EP definitely captures a lot of that. I would strongly recommend hitting their site and listening to the songs - they have a nice acoustic sound, reminiscent of Shane and Shane (I know, I was totally surprised myself). If you happen to be coming to Ichthus this year, they'll be playing Saturday morning, 10:45 A.M @ The Edge Stage. Give me a ring if you want to meet up (when June rolls around).
That's Right...
...this man has a milk crate on his head. It was his chosen disguise to rob a convenience store.
High marks for creativity. Higher marks for being one of the greatest things I've ever seen.
To Those That Remain.
My apologies to anyone who might still be coming by here every now and then looking for an update - I have numerous things I want to write, and a few drafts just sitting around, but other things have had my attention lately. My putting off of school has given me quite a bit of time to waste, or spend outside the walls of my room doing other things I enjoy but haven't had the time for. However, that break from a regular schedule of schoolwork also lends itself to many nights of long hours catching up.
Anyway - I just wanted to let whomever might still be bearing with me know that there will soon be something new here...and, hopefully, the new will continue to come. But, it might be a bit of a wait (and so, by soon, I mean to ask for everyone to hold on).
Until I am able to bring anything here - please take a chance to read this article from Relevant. I don't have the time to write about it now, but it reflects a lot of things that have been on my heart lately - things that God is continually showing me and pointing me to.
Paul in Athens
Four Things.
Four Jobs I’ve Had:
- Network Analyst
- Customer Service Representative
- I.S. Volunteer
- Gospel Steward
Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
- To pick only 4 movies is unpossible.
Four Places I’ve Lived:
- KY
Four TV Shows I Watch:
- Dirty Jobs
- MythBusters
- Gilmore Girls
- Smallville
Four Places I’ve Vacationed:
- Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Atlanta, GA
Four Foods I Love:
- Papa John's (Pepperoni Pizza)
- White Castle (Fish Sandwich, Chicken Rings, Fries)
- Applebee's (Bacon Cheeseburger or House Sirloin)
- Common Grounds (Coffee)
Four Sites I Visit Daily
- MySpace
- digg
- Google Options
- RSS Feeds
Four Albums I Can’t Live Without:
- As with movies, I can't pick just 4 albums.
Four Places I’d Rather Be:
- Traveling
- Common Grounds
- Church
- Bed
Four Random Items in Pockets:
- Wallet
- Keys
- Paper (Notes, Receipts, Etc.)
- Hands (Mine)
I'm Such A Geek.
I logged into MySpace tonight to check up on messages/whatever and was greeted with my current number of profile views:
If you get this, or think it's as funny as I did, you are a geek, too.
I've Got Nothing...
...particularly interesting to talk about, really. I've been doing some reflecting lately (what's new?) and I realized that I am actually a pretty horrible friend - contrary to what I originally believed. I mean, for all intents and purposes I am available, loving, willing to help, etc. - but I realized that I have been very distant from some people in my life recently that I really care for. There aren't really any excuses for this either. I have been busy with school lately - but then there has also been a lot of time that I have either simply wasted or delegated to some other purpose that I could have used to call/talk to people that I haven't had much contact with in weeks or months.
I am incredibly talented when it comes to being a hermit. I enjoy having a social life - hanging out with my friends, going out, etc. - but there are also times where I am totally fine with staying at my house for long periods of time - having no contact with anyone but my parents and my computer. Unfortunately, when I get in this habit - a lot of the people I love tend to suffer (or, not - depending on how they value my presence in their life).
Anyway - that aside - everything seems to be going well in my life. Still learning, growing, and struggling (wish I could take care of that last one). We are finally becoming a group on Wednesdays - and I think our honesty has been a big part of that. I understand the reasons behind keeping some things from the people you lead (after all, these guys aren't my accountability partners) - but the more we have shared with them, cared for them, loved them, and spurred them - the more open they have become and the closer we get. Out of the 10 guys we have signed up right now - 3 have been amazing. I know 30% is failing - but if we were able to connect with even just one of our guys and help move him closer to Jesus - there is NO failure there.
Things are good. Overall. Not perfect by any measure (due in part to some monumental shortcomings in my life) - but certainly a lot of things are coming together. Hopefully these things will allow me to be the man I need and desire to be, and will let me be a blessing to others.
Time will tell.
It Seems I'm A Colonel.
A few days ago I got the obligatory yellow card in my mailbox letting me know that a large package was waiting for me at the post office. I was busy, so I didn't have a chance to check immediately - but I assumed it was either my information from Compassion International or my Linux CDs I ordered...both of which could wait a couple days while I finished all the work I had stored for myself this week.
Today I actually ended up waking at a semi-reasonable hour and figured I should go ahead and pick up whatever package was waiting for me. Heading to the post office I was eager to see what present I had in store, but I had no idea what it would be.
That's right - someone out there nominated me for the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel. It seems Kentucky must not know too much about me, though, considering they approved it :)
In all seriousness - this is a great surprise and I am looking forward to learning more about the organization and seeing what I can do to be a valuable member to it. If you'd like more information, click here to go to their main site. My thanks to whomever is responsible for this - although I have a sneaking suspicion who it might be.
I'm Heading To Toronto.
Linux Caffe - Main Site
Linux Caffe - Pictures
This is totally cool. The more I get involved with Linux, the more I love it. I am still very much a beginner, but I am enjoying this whole process of learning, experimenting, and having fun. And, this little place puts two of my favorite things in the same place - coffee and technology.
I think it would be great to have some sort of cyber café here locally. The demand probably wouldn't be too high (hence it's absence) but I know that I would totally love to make it my new hangout. I love the atmosphere of coffee houses - the ones with hardwood floors, ambient lighting, awesome beverages, music, and cool people (e.g. Common Grounds). Add to that people who are into tech and you've got yourself one extra customer.
I'm still not entirely sure what God has in plan for my life. I think I get it every now and then, and I've certainly been wrong at least a few times - but if he's into using my passion (Him) teamed with my favorite things (tech, photography, coffee, music) then we might just have a match somewhere.
The Purpose Of "Reality."
I was thinking on the existence of God. More specifically, I was trying to pinpoint his exact location here in the universe. I always had the notion that he was above me, somewhere up in the clouds, floating around in space like a cable television satellite. I've also had the image of him literally "holding the world in his hands" - this amazing giant of a being using some forceful power to keep all the cosmos running - somewhat detached from it, but the most important part of it at the same time.
And then, I think I hit on a much better idea for me. God permeates all things - like an invisible layer...a mighty film over everything, everywhere, all the time. Except, this transparency or invisibility is not his nature - it is merely a by-product of our current situation. See, to me, it makes a whole lot more sense if the spiritual - the God - is actually a bit more real than our physical real.
We think of the soul in American culture (and maybe elsewhere) and this little Casper floating around inside our body. Where he finds the room with all our organs is beyond me. Maybe the psychologists and philosophers have it nailed down with the notion that our soul is our invisible being - the personification of who we are in a non-flesh way - our thoughts, our emotions, etc.
I'm thinking it's more of a shell - a container. Very real, very important...but not the end-all be-all.
In Christianity (and maybe other theologies) there is this notion of the "construction" of man - spirit, soul, body. The spirit is spirit - I can't think of a better way to put it. And then there is a covering for that spirit, our soul...which is a unique holder of this spiritual essence and reality. On top of the soul is flesh, our body - holding the soul and, in turn, the spirit.
Our current state of reality - our senses, our bodies - these seem very temporary to me. They are a fleeting way of holding things together for people who just aren't ready to experience the spiritual. While everything is being worked out to establish the true reality, we sit here in our common reality like a person waits in a waiting room.
This may all be terribly obvious for some people - but that's what an early morning will often do to me.
Thaddeus (And The Gospel Highway).
I am not worthy of the life that Jesus has given me. I can't accurately convey what that means to me, and although I often am very good at making "my" life about me - I am a pitiful, dirty sinner. What makes this unfathomable is that Jesus, through means I might never understand, looks at me and calls me His saint. Because of Christ, I am clean, whole, alive, holy.
What's more - even with these amazing gifts I manage to screw things up. He has made things very clear, and actually very simple, about what I am to do with this new life. I fail - time and time again. Yet, somehow, in His great mercy He actually blesses me when I fail...and even when I happen to do something right - I end up leaving fuller and better for having been in His presence while He worked.
All this to say that I have had an amazing two days. I feel like I might have actually been living life here for one of the first times.
My friend and I, accompanied by another acquaintance, made a trek this evening to our local coffee house. Monday nights = open mic night, so we thought we'd go up to check out the sights and sounds (my friend had also met some people previously that normally play Mondays). As we were sitting there, just relaxing, my friend looked over - saw a guy sitting by himself - and invited him over to our table. Little did I know, in my uneasiness as he came to sit, that this man would show me a lot more about Jesus than most people I know in my church.
We were all able to sit there for a little over an hour hearing this man's story, learning who he was, where he came from, what his life was all about. In a small way - it wasn't about us at all when he spoke - and it was amazing in those moments. He ended up taking the stage and performed two great folk songs for us - the second called "The Outlaw" that I, honestly, wish I had right now to listen to over and over again. It wasn't amazing music - it wasn't anything that people would go crazy over (most of the people in the shop were into their own things)...but it was amazing. People were sitting there totally oblivious to everything they were missing. They went to their drinks, their laptops, their conversations and totally missed life happening right on the stage.
I have no idea what our words meant to this man. All I know is that Jesus was again present - for the second glorious night in a row - in the most humble, sincere way possible. I left that coffee house tonight a better person for having been there, supremely blessed although I did not earn it nor deserve it.
And in all these words I cannot express what all happened. I cannot give enough thanks. I cannot summarize life.
Hopefully I'll see some of you in a coffee house one time and we can sit down together and just talk. We can get to know each other. We can leave this world behind for something that can be great.
Maybe someday you and I can have coffee with Jesus.
I Might Just...
...have faith in some people after all.
Service tonight has absolutely amazing. It was probably one of the most spiritual experiences I have had since I started attending about a year ago. We spent a lot of time in silence, reading words off the screen to ourselves, praying, reflecting...and although I normally get a bit wigged out by this (definitely did a bit at Passion '05/'06) it was actually great, looking back now. There was a time, while the congregation sang "Stand in Awe" that I felt such an amazing weight lifted off of me - I seriously felt like I was floating into the rafters. As the voices of the people singing rang out - there was such an aura, an ambience - and I swore that if I opened my eyes I would see heaven...I have never heard sound like that before.
Jesus was there tonight. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that He was in our midst. When we took communion - it was exactly as I've always wanted it. Everyone went and got the bread and juice, returned to their seats - and waited. Total silence. Then the words from Matthew came across the screen and we had time to reflect on what these small items in our hands represented. Again, for probably the first time since I started back to church - communion meant something. I heard Jesus' talking. I understood (to a point) what everything meant. I said "Thank you" about a hundred times. I couldn't stop.
I'm still a pessimist. That won't change overnight. And I am still bitter about a lot of the stuff that goes on in this world. I'm also really sad that there are SO many people who might never experience this...night. But I had actual hope tonight. If God will take a person like me, with my sin and shame and everything ugly about me, and love me...then I'm on board. He can do amazing things.
I wish everyone could have been there tonight. I wish everyone could see Jesus - the real Jesus...the non-hype Jesus, the not-what-that-Christian-told-you-He-was Jesus. I wish I could see that Jesus. Savor Him, love Him, know Him.
"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3)
Help us know you, Lord.
Ps.73:25-28
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
Be Careful Everyone.
I've been working with computers for as long as I can remember. While I would never go so far as to claim to be an expert in the field - I have certainly been around things electronic for a large portion of my life. I enjoy technology - professionally and personally. Naturally, I would love for others to enjoy this, too. But, there are so many people out there who are uninterested, or worse, lackadaisical about their approach to computer use. They either don't know enough to operate a machine correctly, or worse, don't care.
So I post today to let everyone know (especially those mentioned above) that the technology world is not all fun and games - and your leisurely stole onto the internet isn't as safe as you think.
Invasion of the Computer Snatchers -
While a bit of a long read, this article hits on a topic that is all too common on today's web - the proliferation of spyware/adware and the threat of identity theft. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for a computer to be compromised if the user does not take security seriously - and the effects can be as "light" as performance issues to as dangerous as computer spoofing and identity theft.
Don't Let Your Computer Be Hijacked -
This article goes through a few steps that I think every person should take to keep their computer safe from common attacks.
Neither of these articles are meant to be scare tactics to convince a person to yank out their connection to the internet. Instead, they are meant to inform the casual to intermediate user who might not have thought much about the reality of internet threats.
Better Than Sports.
While I understand it makes some people a bit awkward (even myself, depending on how it's done) - I think it is amazing when a person who is very much in the public light will share their faith. I didn't get a chance to catch any news about this, but I found these articles that seem to sum it up pretty well. This girl seems to have her priorities straight and isn't afraid to let people know how precious Jesus is to her.
Victory found elsewhere
Refuse to hide faith
Where's Everyone Going?
Over the past month or so I have seen numerous people leave our church. It started off with our executive minister deciding to move to Colorado, to pursue a senior minister position at an up-and-coming church that could, actually, really use him. Then, one of the production team members decided to leave his position to become a police officer. Last week, a close friend of mine in the Information Systems department let me know that he and his family will be moving back to Colorado, to be closer to family and pursue things there. And, yesterday afternoon, I got an e-mail sent out from our age-level minister saying they were moving to Seattle to plant a church.
At first, it seems like something weird is going on that so many people would be leaving our church - people who are fundamentally important to various ministries. But, two recent messages delivered at our church shed light on the situation.
The first was a few weeks ago - called "iBucks" - that dealt with stewardship and our role in the kingdom mission. At our 608 service our senior minister was hard pressed to put into the words the extraordinary things God had put on his heart - but our congregation, through the power of the Spirit, understood and ended up singing and shouting and being set on fire with a passion beyond our church walls.
Then, this past week during our executive minister's last message with us, he said how he had actually met someone in Colorado who had been baptized at my church a while back. It just cemented into his mind and heart that we are one body - even if that body is over large geographic areas.
Our church has heard the call to be the body to the world. We have heard the call to bring the Kingdom of God in His power. And, thankfully, we are not letting this passion, desire, and purpose in our lives become compacency and inaction.
I will miss every one of the people who are leaving us - but I do not doubt for one second that each and every one of them are following God to where He wants them. I just hope more of our church silents itself to hear where God wants them (myself included).
Singles Rejoice!
There's no need to be sad if you are "without" this Valentine's Day. A friend of mine on MySpace posted this and the more I reflect upon it, the happier I get. I am loved by Jesus. Loved more than I deserve, and loved more than I can imagine. No matter who you are, single or taken - today can be a day to spend with the one person who's worth every single bit of attention...and deserves to be showered with love and praise. You might be surprised at the love you'd find if you took a look.
May God bless you all with His love today, and everyday after.
Free Geek.
Another discovered article will create today's post. This one is about an group in Portland that takes in old electronic devices and then fixes them to donate (for free) to needy organizations, or breaks down and recycles the components so they don't end up in a landfill. It seems like a relatively good cause to me, and it's tech-related...which is always cool.
Take a look at the article for a write-up/synopsis.
The main page can be reached by clicking this link.
There's also an organization in Columbus, OH that has taken on the "Free Geek creed."
Seems like this might be a nifty idea to spread around. I know there's a group of guys at my church who are qualified enough to take on something like this.
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