One... Two... Three... Strikes....

I just got back from Turner Field. I was a grand experience hanging out with the gentlemen from my house church plus an Ed. It was an interesting time sitting around eating chips, salsa, burgers, and the always favorite bratwursts.

There is something about a baseball game that just seems stoic. Sitting in the stands. Hearing to sounds of vendors screaming loudly their pled for you to purchase a "cold one" or a nice bag of Georgia peanuts. There is an interesting unity found with those who play on the grass and the thousands who watch. There is an odd unity even between the opposing sides. The love of baseball. Its full of sights, sounds, tastes, smells.

I am not a sports fan at all. In fact I would encourage many not to bother with them, but there is something about a baseball game that brings out the peewee player in me. Is it a distant hope of overcoming a handicap to play? Is it the desire to belong to something? Is it pure pride in wanting to be good at something that thousands of people wish they could be good at?

There is an intersting relationship between baseball and people. When the certain music plays or when the pitcher has a full count, people know when to make a noise. Often when they do its a big noise. One with hope, faith, urgency.

A sound that I believe dreams are made of.

How can we mimic this in Christ-like culture? How can we yell at the top of our lungs when Jesus "takes one for his team"? How do we shout with hope, faith, and urgency? How do we learn to recognize when it is time to praise, dance, sing, worship?

I simple ball game unites us Americans deeply.

Christ unites all humanity eternally...

NEWS ALERT!!!

In to ultimate combination of cultures and musical flavor, I bring to you a story of epic proportions that will change the world of music for ever...

Michael Jackson and 50 Cent collaboration possiblity

Where will the world of music lead us now? This could very well be the end of music. Indie bands unite and show the world that there is still good music in the world.

Could 50 Cent really be a "lover not a fighter"?

Not an update... Just some stuff to read

Hey guys... I have some funny and interesting articles to read. I find some of these at Joshua Blankenship's Blog. He is an awesome graphic designer and has a really interesting blog.

Something Lauren showed me last night is an article about Jesus' IQ. Apparently it was pretty high. Also see the note on top about the Internet Church of Christ. It will cause them to praise God if you visit.

David Copperfield put his magic to use the other day. He was robbed at gunpoint on the street after a show in Miami. Despite he a wallet, cellphone, and passport in his pocket he used one of his illusions, Reverse-Pocketing, to make it look like he had nothing in his pockets.

Yet another link from Joshua Blankenship's Blog is letting people know that Jesus is coming back in a UFO. Apparently, this June 6th is going to be 6/6/6. I didn't think about it, but it may be an interesting day. So "look religious" everyone because Jesus is comin'

Lastly... Someone has way too much time on their hand...

Being looking for a real post soon! Leave a comment you don't have to be a blogger to do it!

Bombed and Beaten

If you look very closely at the picture you will find a man standing in the midst of the rubble. This city is Koln, a bombed out town in Germany, after World War II. This how I often view my life in the midst of sin. My life is bombed out. It is trashed and torn. I am that man sitting there observing and looking at the mess. I constantly go back to the same thing. I am the dog that returns to his vomit. Why do we do this? What is it about the grace of Christ that our mind and body cannot execpt? Why can we not just sit in praise for hours on in? Why can't we just see that we are free from the chains that bind us?

How do we respond to this? I have fought the battle for grace for a while now. I have learned to embrace it. I have learned to try and understand the cost of the cross. Just recently compared myself to a soilder at war. If you get wounded in the field you don't jsut drop dead and wait for the enemy. You apply pressure and run to safety. Too often we lay down and bleed to death on the battle field. We are infected with guilt and shame. We need to learn to boast and live in grace. We have been set free from the bondages of sin. When we sin we should run towards Jesus wounded and bloodied. Torn and broken. Weak and weary...

A second post... not a forseen consistancy...

I came across this picture while looking at movie trailers. This is from The Fast and The Furious III: Tokyo Drift...



Could it be Asian Jeff???? I almost peed myself...

This is really hot... But God is Bigger

My cousin Buddy is an interesting guy. I love him to death. When we were growing up he was always the one who knew more than anyone else about computers. Yeah he was that "guy" who everyone called when their computer broke. Even my dad would call to ask him about his business computers. He is about to graduate from Georgia Tech. Lets just say this kid is smart... and really stinking cool.

Anyways, he had an incredible picture on his away message today. The picture looks like a bunch of lightning that is radiating from three ladders. It is a picture of a massive machine known as the Z-machine. This machine can produce in a nano second 80 times the world's energy and can create a plasma that reaches 2 billion kelvins. In other words the scientists have created the hottest man made substance at which for a brief moment exceeds the temperature of the interior of stars. Please look at the picture... It is truely a sight worth no words. The power is unbelieveable.

Christians tend to look at these things and ask the quesrtion... "Why?" My answer is very simple. We have forgotten that there is wonder in life. We have forgotten how to be astounded. Instead of being amazed we tend to question the motives of discoveries like these. He grumble about our taz dollars and say we are trying to play with God's creation. Why is it that we refuse to be astounded?

When I looked at this picture, my mind put to use a theory that was spoken, through word, to me by Rob Bell. As Christians we have the power to look at things and desect the Truth from it. The bible tells us that all things God has created is good. God has even given us the power to create. (Search Automobile on Google) Through Jesus we can claim Truth. We can rediscover God in the things that our sin has hidden. We can watch movies about a race of human engineered articial intellegence taking over our world, using our own weapons against us, and a chosen one sent to destory them who is part human part machine, all the while finding the gospel buried deep in the story. We can hear songs about vertigo, miracle drugs, not being able to make it on out own, cities lit by fireflies, and crumbs from tables while still finding YHWH in the midst screaming... hope.

Through Jesus we are able to find truth in a world that has been destroyed by the effects of sin. We can claim truth in the dark places. We can scream from the roottops and shout the whispers that Jesus is in everything... our stories, our hopes, our dreams.

For more on the idea of claiming truth pick up Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis

Shalom Friends

I don't know why I do this

I am really crappy at doing this stuff... I had a Livejournal at one point. You can still check me out as glorybound on Livejournal. Its an interesting read....

I started this because honestly I have been thinking alot. I don't know what it is but I have been much more observant of my surroundings than I have been in the past. I ahve been seing things that I never used to see. Interactions, metaphors, things that bother me, other things that make me laugh, and the things that just plan and simple don't make sense.

Mixed Feelings

Tnoight was my last night as the coodinator of Thursday Nights at Clemson FCA. It has been a tough year. Lauren (Girlfriend) asked me today what have I learned... IT has een a year of leadership for me. I have learned how to better manage my time. I have also learned that some battles are not meant to faught because they cannot be won. These things include worship styles, music preference, how many people come, how many people are leaving. The list can go on forever.

Until tonight I was relieved to see it pass. I was actually estatic this morning with I woke up. My parents came up for the first time to see what I was doing on these long nights in Tilman. I left 919 early to enjoy Mexican with them. The first song Alex and the band played was My Glorious. I don't know what happened, but looking into the crowd of people I was floored by their intimate connection. They were praising and singing. It started in my hands... I couldn't control it... I started experience the music... I looked around and saw the students. Sinners and saints... living... breathing... life... My heart bowed in worship. It laid prostrate. An interesting posture of worship: A lifted hand and bowed heart. I heard it... I heard a cry of revolution. I heard a cry of freedom... It wasn't from the entire place, but it was the resound of a few hundred desperate people...

Glory, Glory, Send Your Glory...
Glory, Glory, Send Your Glory...
Glory, Glory, Send Your Glory...

A tear almost came to my eye...
I want to see the Glory...