Well, well, well. It seems silence does not become this blog and for that I am sorry. As I type this, my computer doesn’t believe that blog is a word and is desperately trying to make me understand with a squiggly red line.

Agree to disagree.

I do have such high hopes for this blog because of all the wonderful things that pass between my ears during the day that need to be heard by the masses or at least the few of you who read this (or used to). Seriously though, at least a few times a day I will think of something and then think to myself that I need to write about this but then I get home and either forgotten my striking insights or just don’t care and here my blog sits silently or if your lucky I’ll post some hip video, a video that I most likely didn’t even find by myself. So this year I would very much like to keep this blog going and keep it filled with some real stuff. 2010 at least a blog a week sounds fare, don’t you think?

Well, I do.

I flew into Los Angeles last night after a few weeks in Knoxville at my parent’s home for Christmas. It was good to be home. Usually when I first get home I am struck with mass thankfulness that I live on my own and I have an immediate desire to return to my independence but it doesn’t take long to slip into the comfort of being home. I know I am always sad to leave.

While I am sad to leave I am always ready to run into the next ____. I don’t really know what’s next. I mean the rest of my year is practically laid out in front of me so I do sort of know what is coming my way but I am more interested in the next____. Like I said I don’t know what it is.

I never really know what to think of New Year. Leading up to 2003 when I was 17 a man named Dave who was always trying to get to join the NRA, of whom I learned later was never without a loaded gun in his boot, prayed for me at a new years church service. He told me or prophesied over me and said that God told him that the upcoming year was going to be one of the greatest of my life. I guess on first hearing this most people would be pleased and excited. I on the other hand immediately worried about all the other years that weren’t going to be so good. 2003 really was a great year. Maybe God really did speak to him and then again maybe not. I am just glad he never shot anybody.

happy new year friends. may it be one of the best years of your life.

Something is wrong and there is more than this.

No book has been such a pleasant surprise to me as Stanley Hauerwas' and William H. Willimon's Resident Aliens. I was not excited or interested in reading it all but as soon as I found my way into the first chapter I knew that I was in for a serious ride. This is a book simply for people who know something is wrong in our world and it is a wake up call for those who have ignored the problems. I get to see Hauerwas tonight at APU.

"A Church that had ceased to ask the right questions as it went about congratulating itself for transforming the world, not noticing that in fact the world had tamed the church... we would like a church that again asserts that God, not nations, rules the world, that the boundaries of God's kingdom transcends those of Caesar, and that the main political task of the church is the formation of people who see clearly the cost of discipleship and are willing to pay the price."

a message heard by few.

With God on Our Side - Bob Dylan

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It came and it went
The reason for fighting
I never did get
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.
With God on Our side - Bob Dylan

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
And if God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.

Watch the video here@ http://gotellthatfox.tumblr.com/
(I got a tumblr so I wouldn't feel bad about posting so many videos on this my main blog. Maybe it will make me write more.)

so funny...

I'll let this speak for itself

Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
Psalm 42:7 (NIV)