I haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure I will. There's a movie that just came out that seems like it's basic premise is to ridicule, shame, mock, and basically belittle all things Christian. I remember seeing one band in particular (who was touring with a band of Christ-followers, no less) introducing a song with something similar to "This song is for everybody who doesn't believe in stupid a f'n fairy tale. . . ." I remember seeing a roadie once with a shirt that said "Christianity is stupid."
What's the deal on all this? Why do some people hate other people for believing in something? I understand not believing. . . but who cares if somebody else DOES believe?
I have a Lions fan buddy who seems legitimately convinced that there's a league-wide conspiracy to keep the Lions down. I don't believe that, but I don't hate him for believing or write songs or make shirts or make films dedicated to making him look dumb.
I'm not sold on the idea of aliens or ufo's or whatever. In fact, if there really is intelligent life "out there," and they are so intelligent as to come to our planet from theirs, I think that we'd all know about them if they wanted us to and none of us would know if they didn't want us to. They'd have to be really, REALLY smart, you see. So I'm skeptical on ufo reports and what not, but there's no reason to hate those who do believe, right? Why would I care? How is the fact that people believe in grey creatures from another world worth manufacturing negative energy?
So, obviously, I believe Jesus Christ was who he said he was. I hope you agree! But if not, and if you decide to hate me for it, that's on you.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Believe the Hype
Even though -- check that, especially since -- there is no hype.
Let's face it, we live in an over-promise, under-deliver world. We've been promised so much and received so little that we often expect to receive less than we're promised in an attempt to be disappointed less, and still we're disappointed all too often. Is there anything that truly delivers? Anything that has a reasonable price and an unreasonable payoff?
Yes Virginia, there is.
Butter Baked Chicken is the Tuesday night special at Cracker Barrel. It costs $8 and comes with two sides plus cornbread or biscuits. It's a lot of food, and it's ridiculously delicious. In fact, if you go to the Fern Creek location, it seems to sell out by about 6:30.
Let's face it, we live in an over-promise, under-deliver world. We've been promised so much and received so little that we often expect to receive less than we're promised in an attempt to be disappointed less, and still we're disappointed all too often. Is there anything that truly delivers? Anything that has a reasonable price and an unreasonable payoff?
Yes Virginia, there is.
Butter Baked Chicken is the Tuesday night special at Cracker Barrel. It costs $8 and comes with two sides plus cornbread or biscuits. It's a lot of food, and it's ridiculously delicious. In fact, if you go to the Fern Creek location, it seems to sell out by about 6:30.
Monday, October 13, 2008
All right, then
I'll give credit -- Dodger fan represented very nicely tonight. There were a few scattered booo's for Victorino, but much less than I was expecting after the ridiculousness of last night. And after what should have ripped their hearts out in the top of the 8th, the crowd energy was really quite high the rest of the way (especially for an L. A. crowd).
So, in fairness: respect.
So, in fairness: respect.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
BOOOOOOO!
That's for you, Dodger fan.
Anybody who's been watching (which, incidentally, may be just me) has seen there have been some tight pitches in the first couple games of the NCLS. There's only one that I can imagine could have had any intent behind it, and only one guy knows for sure. Still, it wasn't completely surprising that a Dodger pitcher went after a Philly hitter tonight. Weak, but not surprising. What was even weaker, though, was Dodger fan's reaction.
The pitcher who's name I don't know and don't care enough to look up buzzed a fastball a foot over the head of Shane Victorino. An odd choice, since he's not one of the highest profile guys in the lineup and by all accounts is a bona-fide good guy who goes out and plays hard every game with a smile on his face. Then, in an emotionally charged moment in the playoffs after having to duck a 90 mph bullet that was aimed at his melon, he responds with understanding and grace, at least to a degree. When a lesser man would have charged the mound and brought it to blows (which would have been understandable!), he basically gives permission to throw at him, just not at his head! Wow, if that isn't the coolest thing a guy could possibly do in that situation. "I get it, do what you have to do," he says, "but keep it away from the head." He ends up grounding out and is minding his own when the pitcher starts yakking at him, and eventually the benches clear and people as oustide of the situation as Manny Ramirez come charging in from left field to have to be held back. The whole time, Victorino above all people conducts himself with the highest standard of thoughtfulness and understanding -- particularly for a guy who just dodged a heater to the head.
What does Dodger fan do the rest of the game? Boo Victorino.
BOOOOOOOOOOO!
That's for you, Dodger fan. Weak sauce.
Anybody who's been watching (which, incidentally, may be just me) has seen there have been some tight pitches in the first couple games of the NCLS. There's only one that I can imagine could have had any intent behind it, and only one guy knows for sure. Still, it wasn't completely surprising that a Dodger pitcher went after a Philly hitter tonight. Weak, but not surprising. What was even weaker, though, was Dodger fan's reaction.
The pitcher who's name I don't know and don't care enough to look up buzzed a fastball a foot over the head of Shane Victorino. An odd choice, since he's not one of the highest profile guys in the lineup and by all accounts is a bona-fide good guy who goes out and plays hard every game with a smile on his face. Then, in an emotionally charged moment in the playoffs after having to duck a 90 mph bullet that was aimed at his melon, he responds with understanding and grace, at least to a degree. When a lesser man would have charged the mound and brought it to blows (which would have been understandable!), he basically gives permission to throw at him, just not at his head! Wow, if that isn't the coolest thing a guy could possibly do in that situation. "I get it, do what you have to do," he says, "but keep it away from the head." He ends up grounding out and is minding his own when the pitcher starts yakking at him, and eventually the benches clear and people as oustide of the situation as Manny Ramirez come charging in from left field to have to be held back. The whole time, Victorino above all people conducts himself with the highest standard of thoughtfulness and understanding -- particularly for a guy who just dodged a heater to the head.
What does Dodger fan do the rest of the game? Boo Victorino.
BOOOOOOOOOOO!
That's for you, Dodger fan. Weak sauce.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Stick Your Nose In 'Em!!!
Due to the underwhelming response to my previous "favorite" post (see below, if you think you'll care more than other people), I've come to a conclusion -- you need more exposure. Sooner or later, you'll come to appreciate my perspectives and opinions. Or stop reading. Or, more than likely, you never started reading in the first place, so it doesn't matter. That said, here we go with the 10 (plus a couple) most insightful, helpful, and generally enjoyable books (Bible excluded) that I've been through. There are plenty of people who are much better read than I am, but based on the fact that you're on-line reading my blog, I'm guessing that you're not one of them. So:
Honorable Mention:
Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels: I didn't want to have more than one book by a single author on the top 10, so this gets left off. Inspiring and courage-inducing ("encouraging" sounds to weak and sentimental to mean something similar to "courage-inducing," doesn't it?).
A Whole New Mind, Daniel H. Pink: Fascinating and legitimately helpful.
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, John Piper: 31 day-sized nuggets of wisdom that prove eternally helpful in keeping the pastor centered.
And the winners:
10) Chasing Daylight, Erwin Raphael McManus: Inspiring and particularly influential in helping me to stop living in fear and make my life worth living.
9) Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl: You can skip the psychology part if you want and I don't think you'll miss a thing. But the section on experiences in a concentration camp will give the (even minimally) thoughtful reader a whole new outlook on how amazing their life really is and how little they have to whine about.
8) How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie: Hmmm, maybe if more Christ-followers read this and did what it said, less people would hate us. I mean, we'd be FOR that, right?
7) The Next Generation Leader, Andy Stanley: At a modest 160 pages, Stanley is twice as helpful as most leadership books that are twice the size.
6) The Purpose Driven Church, Rick Warren: It's sad, but more than 10 years after publishing, far too many churches show no evidence of having thought about what they're doing. It's ok if you disagree or don't take his articulation as gospel, but at least the dude thought about stuff.
5) Just Walk Across the Room, Bill Hybels: If you only read one book on personal evangelism, this should probably be the one.
4) Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller: The most readable, honest, attractive, non-threatening, and all together delightful account of Christ-following that I've come across. Plus, he made me laugh. PLUS, the "Christian Book Store" has a disclaimer on it.
3) Teaching to Change Lives, Howard Hendricks: If you teach anything, ever, on any level or in any way, read this book. You won't remember to thank me, but you'll have a great time and be much more effective if you listen to what Hendricks has to say.
2) Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis: I know it's a generic choice, but page for page, this book makes me smile more than anything I've probably ever read. Seriously, if you read my blog but haven't read this, you need to start reading better material. And you just might remember to thank me!
1) Good to Great, Jim Collins: Another generic choice, I know. And he's not a Christ-follower and isn't writing about churches per se, yada yada yada. Almost everything applies almost directly, though (and the Christian clone books have failed miserably, in my opinion), and if you're smart enough to read good books you should be smart enough to make the leap. Anyway, I don't think I've ever been as fascinated with any book ever as I was this one. And I know it doesn't make me right, but with millions of copies sold, I'm in good company.
Honorable Mention:
Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels: I didn't want to have more than one book by a single author on the top 10, so this gets left off. Inspiring and courage-inducing ("encouraging" sounds to weak and sentimental to mean something similar to "courage-inducing," doesn't it?).
A Whole New Mind, Daniel H. Pink: Fascinating and legitimately helpful.
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, John Piper: 31 day-sized nuggets of wisdom that prove eternally helpful in keeping the pastor centered.
And the winners:
10) Chasing Daylight, Erwin Raphael McManus: Inspiring and particularly influential in helping me to stop living in fear and make my life worth living.
9) Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl: You can skip the psychology part if you want and I don't think you'll miss a thing. But the section on experiences in a concentration camp will give the (even minimally) thoughtful reader a whole new outlook on how amazing their life really is and how little they have to whine about.
8) How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie: Hmmm, maybe if more Christ-followers read this and did what it said, less people would hate us. I mean, we'd be FOR that, right?
7) The Next Generation Leader, Andy Stanley: At a modest 160 pages, Stanley is twice as helpful as most leadership books that are twice the size.
6) The Purpose Driven Church, Rick Warren: It's sad, but more than 10 years after publishing, far too many churches show no evidence of having thought about what they're doing. It's ok if you disagree or don't take his articulation as gospel, but at least the dude thought about stuff.
5) Just Walk Across the Room, Bill Hybels: If you only read one book on personal evangelism, this should probably be the one.
4) Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller: The most readable, honest, attractive, non-threatening, and all together delightful account of Christ-following that I've come across. Plus, he made me laugh. PLUS, the "Christian Book Store" has a disclaimer on it.
3) Teaching to Change Lives, Howard Hendricks: If you teach anything, ever, on any level or in any way, read this book. You won't remember to thank me, but you'll have a great time and be much more effective if you listen to what Hendricks has to say.
2) Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis: I know it's a generic choice, but page for page, this book makes me smile more than anything I've probably ever read. Seriously, if you read my blog but haven't read this, you need to start reading better material. And you just might remember to thank me!
1) Good to Great, Jim Collins: Another generic choice, I know. And he's not a Christ-follower and isn't writing about churches per se, yada yada yada. Almost everything applies almost directly, though (and the Christian clone books have failed miserably, in my opinion), and if you're smart enough to read good books you should be smart enough to make the leap. Anyway, I don't think I've ever been as fascinated with any book ever as I was this one. And I know it doesn't make me right, but with millions of copies sold, I'm in good company.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Metal From Heaven, Redux
Early in the year, I posted my top ten albums for 2007, noting that there were a couple of notable releases that I'd missed and would have likely altered the list substantially. Now nearly into October, I think I've managed to check out most all of the important releases, and the list HAS changed somewhat. It's not timely, but in the interest of credit where it's due, here's something closer to a "final" best of for 2007, all IMHO, of course:
Honorable Mention:
Deborah -- Soteria: Honestly, this has some great moments but has no business on a "best of" list. That said, when a female, Christian, Mexican black metal band puts out an album that has any real merit (which it does), it seems to deserve honorable mention, no? Also, this should be notable because it ought to be required listening and the new benchmark. Do you have a band? Good, I hope you do. And I hope you're really excited about it. BUT -- if you can't top this, don't ask me to listen. Let me put it differently -- if you can't do better than Mexican Christian women, maybe black metal isn't your thing. If you still want to try, great. Keep working, keep practicing, and keep improving, but in the meantime, take down your band's myspace and stop spamming the message boards. When you can do this well or better, then we'll be very happy to listen.
Inhale/Exhale -- The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred: I never really worked to pick this up, because I was sure it was either more Solid State pseudo-metal or weak As I Lay Dying rip-offs. It's more melodic than I'd like, but it turns out to be a pretty solid effort.
Oh, Sleeper -- When I Am God: I had almost conciously ignored (if that's possible) this band untill a buddy loaned me the cd. I was shocked at how much I liked this. Sometimes I love being wrong!
Remove the Veil -- Another Way Home: "Southern metal" is burning itself out at record pace, but this is just one fun listen. "You're the devil chiiiiiiiiiiild!"
Dagon -- Paranormal Ichthyology: A fun album from a criminally overlooked band.
Seventh Star -- The Undisputed Truth: A great swan song from a top-shelf hardcore band.
Apostisy -- Famine of a Thousand Frozen Years: This band came from WAY off the radar to within a hair's breadth of cracking the list. If the entire album wasn't played at exactly the same tempo, it probably would have made it.
And the winners:
10) Deliverance -- As Above, So Below: A return to greatness from one of the scene's founding bands. It's the feel-good story of the year!
9) Nodes of Ranvier -- Defined By Struggle: South Dakota's finest make good even as they hang up their metaphorical cleats.
8) My Silent Wake -- The Anatomy of Melancholy: Dooooooming metal that's beautiful and epic and just plain wonderful.
7) Becoming the Archetype -- The Physics of Fire: When an album comes in as a disappointment at number seven, that speaks volumes for their previous work, right?
6) Feast Eternal -- With Fire: Sure, they made a splash in a quality-starved scene 8 years earlier, but the bar had been raised a long way since then, and to be honest I doubted that they'd be able to cut it. Once again, I LOVE being wrong!
5) Immortal Souls -- Winterreich: Wow. When an album THIS good comes in at number 5, it's a banner year.
4) August Burns Red -- Messengers: Jaw-dropping in precision and technicality.
3) A Plea for Purging -- A Critique of Mind and Thought: Brilliant high-end shredding metal(core) becomes the greatest new sound of the year and nearly takes over the world.
2) Common Yet Forbidden -- The Struggle: Blast-beating technical brutality that never slows down or sleeps. That's the recipe for giving me exactly what I want, kids!
1) As I Lay Dying -- An Ocean Between Us: I know, it's a generic choice, and I hate it for that. But I LOVE it for being a brilliantly amazing album. Brutal, catchy, melodic, memorable, and about as close to perfect as you could dare imagine. This is what happens when the rare combination of talent, passion, and professionalism come together.
Honorable Mention:
Deborah -- Soteria: Honestly, this has some great moments but has no business on a "best of" list. That said, when a female, Christian, Mexican black metal band puts out an album that has any real merit (which it does), it seems to deserve honorable mention, no? Also, this should be notable because it ought to be required listening and the new benchmark. Do you have a band? Good, I hope you do. And I hope you're really excited about it. BUT -- if you can't top this, don't ask me to listen. Let me put it differently -- if you can't do better than Mexican Christian women, maybe black metal isn't your thing. If you still want to try, great. Keep working, keep practicing, and keep improving, but in the meantime, take down your band's myspace and stop spamming the message boards. When you can do this well or better, then we'll be very happy to listen.
Inhale/Exhale -- The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred: I never really worked to pick this up, because I was sure it was either more Solid State pseudo-metal or weak As I Lay Dying rip-offs. It's more melodic than I'd like, but it turns out to be a pretty solid effort.
Oh, Sleeper -- When I Am God: I had almost conciously ignored (if that's possible) this band untill a buddy loaned me the cd. I was shocked at how much I liked this. Sometimes I love being wrong!
Remove the Veil -- Another Way Home: "Southern metal" is burning itself out at record pace, but this is just one fun listen. "You're the devil chiiiiiiiiiiild!"
Dagon -- Paranormal Ichthyology: A fun album from a criminally overlooked band.
Seventh Star -- The Undisputed Truth: A great swan song from a top-shelf hardcore band.
Apostisy -- Famine of a Thousand Frozen Years: This band came from WAY off the radar to within a hair's breadth of cracking the list. If the entire album wasn't played at exactly the same tempo, it probably would have made it.
And the winners:
10) Deliverance -- As Above, So Below: A return to greatness from one of the scene's founding bands. It's the feel-good story of the year!
9) Nodes of Ranvier -- Defined By Struggle: South Dakota's finest make good even as they hang up their metaphorical cleats.
8) My Silent Wake -- The Anatomy of Melancholy: Dooooooming metal that's beautiful and epic and just plain wonderful.
7) Becoming the Archetype -- The Physics of Fire: When an album comes in as a disappointment at number seven, that speaks volumes for their previous work, right?
6) Feast Eternal -- With Fire: Sure, they made a splash in a quality-starved scene 8 years earlier, but the bar had been raised a long way since then, and to be honest I doubted that they'd be able to cut it. Once again, I LOVE being wrong!
5) Immortal Souls -- Winterreich: Wow. When an album THIS good comes in at number 5, it's a banner year.
4) August Burns Red -- Messengers: Jaw-dropping in precision and technicality.
3) A Plea for Purging -- A Critique of Mind and Thought: Brilliant high-end shredding metal(core) becomes the greatest new sound of the year and nearly takes over the world.
2) Common Yet Forbidden -- The Struggle: Blast-beating technical brutality that never slows down or sleeps. That's the recipe for giving me exactly what I want, kids!
1) As I Lay Dying -- An Ocean Between Us: I know, it's a generic choice, and I hate it for that. But I LOVE it for being a brilliantly amazing album. Brutal, catchy, melodic, memorable, and about as close to perfect as you could dare imagine. This is what happens when the rare combination of talent, passion, and professionalism come together.
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