warning- this post requires replies and comments.
here is the inspiration-
i was driving along to indiana a few weeks back for work and didn't have my ipod (the rental didn't have an input- tragedy, i know). so i was relegated to listening to the radio for the whole trip. once the detroit sports radio station was out of range, i opted for the scan button. as i determined if a song was or was not worth my time, i thought about the songs i never like or listen to and the songs i love or cannot pass up if i hear them. also, as i stopped on a few songs, i realized i would have been embarrassed to stop on them had anyone else been in the car. so, it made me want to write a blog and see what some of your entries on the following top 3 lists would be. (i included movies because i like them and my sister and i have talked before about movies you watch whenever they are on tv no matter how many times you have seen them.) feel free to reply with any or all of your entries.
SONGS I DESPISE
(i would never stop on these songs unless it was to mock them or if i had a person in the car whom i wanted to torture)
1. anything sung by rod stewart
he is terrible and sounds like he swallowed glass. forever young particularly makes me want to puke and ironically makes me want to be old, so that i could be closer to death and have less of a chance of hearing that song anymore.
2. i want to live like animals (or the animal song) by savage garden
i don't even think i have to justify this one. listen to the song. i can't explain how, but i am pretty sure it is the cause of people choosing to be vegetarians and vegans.
3. summer girls by lfo
new kids on the block had a bunch of hits, chinese food makes me sick, and i think it's fly when girls stop by for the summer, the summer. note to the lyricist- please just have one coherent thought. just one- is that too much to ask?
4. simply having a wonderful christmas time by paul mccartney
i had to include this one. it makes me want to ram q-tips into my ears. paul mccartney should be removed from the beatles somehow for providing the musical equivalent of pooping in a box, wrapping it and placing it under a christmas tree.
SONGS I LOVE
(i would never change the dial if these songs came on)
1. california love by dr. dre and tupac (moment of silence please)
i don't know what it is about this song, but i have to listen to it when it comes on. maybe it is that inner thug coming out of me from my days on the mean streets of ashtabula. or maybe i relate with being out on bail, fresh out of jail- california dreaming.
2. elvira by the oak ridge boys
i used to love this when i was a little kid and would dance around in my diapers whenever it came on. i guess some traditions never die. (not saying i wear diapers and dance around my house to this song now *nervous chuckle*)
3. tie- anything sung by christina aguilera, lauryn hill or kelly clarkson
i am just melted into a little puddle of goo when i hear an awesome female voice, and these three can sing in a way that would make paint fall off of walls. three particular songs would be beautiful by c.a., ex-factor by l.h., and the live version of beautiful disaster by k.c. (by the way, kelly, if you read this, i am ready to marry you whenever you want.)
GUILTY PLEASURE SONGS
(i would not start out a blind date by saying i liked these songs)
1. one word, two syllables- boybands
i pretty much know every word to every n'sync song, most nkotb songs, and several backstreet boys songs. you can even throw in stuff like bbmak, 98 degrees, all4one and color me badd. i even created a genre on my itunes called boy bands so i don't have to weed through all that normal manly music guys listen to to find it. (related topic- i also love justin timberlake's solo stuff and listen to it all the time.)
2. the one that you love by air supply
in my defense- i am a high tenor. it helps me exercise my vocals. although crying as i scream it at the top of my lungs as i normally do doesn't help me sing much better.
3. careless whisper by wham
this is one of my favorite songs ever. what can i say, i am just a sucker for george michaels and... that other guy in wham.
HONORABLE MENTION
(i like music so much that it was hard to limit to 3 so i had to at least give these songs a shout out)
1. what might have been by little texas
2. one last cry by brian mcknight
3. true by ryan cabrera
4. fly me to the moon by frank sinatra
5. mozart's requiem
6. worlds apart by jars of clay
7. she's got a way by billy joel
8. the freshmen by the verve pipe
9. inside out by eve 6
10. under the bridge by the red hot chili peppers
MOVIES I DESPISE
(i will not watch these movies unless i have no choice)
1. any star trek movie
i don't get into sci-fi. if you do, more power to you, but it is not my cup of tea.
2. superman returns
this movie had cheesy dialogue. it was way too obvious with its messianic parallel. i was sad to see one of my favorite actors, kevin spacey, be a part of such a disaster.
3. pearl harbor
leave it to american film to take a story about one of the most intriguing events in american history and focus on a fictitious love story. it was everything the makers of saving private ryan strived to avoid.
MOVIES I LOVE
(i could watch them over and over again and still enjoy them)
1. dumb and dumber
classic slapstick comedy mixed with some very witty writing and great comedic timing. i laugh every single time i watch this movie without exception.
2. seven
pretty graphic content, but excellent thought-provoking dialogue concerning sin, religion and tolerance in american culture.
3. forrest gump
i don't know what it is, but i cannot get enough of this movie. the story, as unbelievable as it is, just draws me in every time. also, it makes me cry every time i see it, which leads into the next category...
MOVIES THAT MAKE ME CRY EVERY TIME I WATCH THEM
1. dead poet's society
when the guys all find out about neil and todd (ethan hawk's character) just loses it, i can't help but cry.
2. mrs. doubtfire
ok, i know this seems stupid, but i have good reason. i am sure he would deny this if confronted, but this is the first movie i remember watching with my dad and seeing him cry. we went to the theatre and when robin williams is giving that speech in court about not losing his kids, my dad started to cry a little. every time i see that film now, i cry at that part.
3. patch adams
again, this is kind of a corny movie, but when patch is reading the rest of the love poem to corinne, i lose it. also, the scene on the edge of the cliff where patch is talking to God doesn't make me cry, but it is very emotional. you know, maybe i need to quit watching robin williams movies and i won't cry as much, cause i cry during good will hunting every time too. (it's not your fault, it's not your fault)
HONORABLE MENTION
(i would for sure recommend that you watch these if you have not already)
1. gladiator
2. stranger than fiction
3. crash
4. american history x
5. what about bob
6. the usual suspects
7. ray
8. waiting for guffman (or any movie with that cast)
9. gangs of new york (and there will be blood- daniel day lewis is awesome in both)
10. wayne's world
ok, that's all for now. i hope to hear some of your favorite music and movies, too!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
i stand... somewhat impressed
i don't recall all the peripheral details, but i remember the moment itself like it just happened. i know i was with my parents in the car. i believe we were on the way to visit my sister in michigan. if i have to guess, i would say i was about 12 years old. as we drove, we came to an area close to an airport. high above, a plane soared. my mother turned from the front seat to tell me to look up and see the plane. and here is the moment i remember so well- unbeknownst to her, i rolled my eyes and said 'i see it mom,' but in reality i had made no attempt whatsoever to look at the plane. i mean, come on. i was 12 years old. i had seen tons of planes in my day. that was only cool and exciting to little kids.
i think about that day all the time. no exaggeration- i really do think about it every time i hear or see a plane. in fact it just happened yesterday when i was driving by the columbus airport and saw a plane fly overhead. i think about it because that is the precise moment i lost my sense of amazement for modern technology. in fact, nothing amazes me anymore unless i really allow myself to think about it long and hard. even though i cannot explain how a plane flies, it is just commonplace now. no need to get all worked up over it, right? thousands of them take off and land every day. despite the fact that i cannot even begin to give a scientific description of how we are able to record sound onto a tape, or video into a camcorder, i view it as simple. technology adapts and changes so quickly, it seems like nothing that could be invented would really knock me off my feet at this point. the childlike sense of wonder is gone. but yesterday, when i saw that plane, i let myself drift into thought. i considered how awe inspiring it truly is to see an object that large fly through the air. i thought about how awesome it is that God has given man the intelligence to engineer, pilot and build these machines. i let my mind go back to the days before that trip, when i was a young boy and the world was filled with incredible inventions and discoveries for me to experience. it was very freeing to feel that again.
there is a song i love called 'i stand amazed.' it goes like this-
i stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene
and wonder how He could love me- a sinner condemned, unclean
He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own
He bore the burden to calvary and suffered and died alone
how marvelous! how wonderful and my song shall ever be!
how marvelous! how wonderful is my Savior's love for me!
i could write for a long time about this, but i will keep it short for now. i think i had, until recently, stopped thinking of grace as all that amazing. i didn't stand amazed anymore. God's mercies are new to me every morning. His grace is extended to me over and over again, so i sat in the back seat rolling my eyes, thinking "oh here comes forgiveness again..." i think the frequency of that gift being given made it less impressive to me. even though i could not explain why or how God had forgiven me, it became standard and even mundane. recently, i had an experience that opened my eyes to just how wonderful it is to be forgiven and redeemed by God. my simple prayer is that i never go back to the days of feeling like forgiveness and grace are anything less than awesome and inconceivable.
i think about that day all the time. no exaggeration- i really do think about it every time i hear or see a plane. in fact it just happened yesterday when i was driving by the columbus airport and saw a plane fly overhead. i think about it because that is the precise moment i lost my sense of amazement for modern technology. in fact, nothing amazes me anymore unless i really allow myself to think about it long and hard. even though i cannot explain how a plane flies, it is just commonplace now. no need to get all worked up over it, right? thousands of them take off and land every day. despite the fact that i cannot even begin to give a scientific description of how we are able to record sound onto a tape, or video into a camcorder, i view it as simple. technology adapts and changes so quickly, it seems like nothing that could be invented would really knock me off my feet at this point. the childlike sense of wonder is gone. but yesterday, when i saw that plane, i let myself drift into thought. i considered how awe inspiring it truly is to see an object that large fly through the air. i thought about how awesome it is that God has given man the intelligence to engineer, pilot and build these machines. i let my mind go back to the days before that trip, when i was a young boy and the world was filled with incredible inventions and discoveries for me to experience. it was very freeing to feel that again.
there is a song i love called 'i stand amazed.' it goes like this-
i stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene
and wonder how He could love me- a sinner condemned, unclean
He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own
He bore the burden to calvary and suffered and died alone
how marvelous! how wonderful and my song shall ever be!
how marvelous! how wonderful is my Savior's love for me!
i could write for a long time about this, but i will keep it short for now. i think i had, until recently, stopped thinking of grace as all that amazing. i didn't stand amazed anymore. God's mercies are new to me every morning. His grace is extended to me over and over again, so i sat in the back seat rolling my eyes, thinking "oh here comes forgiveness again..." i think the frequency of that gift being given made it less impressive to me. even though i could not explain why or how God had forgiven me, it became standard and even mundane. recently, i had an experience that opened my eyes to just how wonderful it is to be forgiven and redeemed by God. my simple prayer is that i never go back to the days of feeling like forgiveness and grace are anything less than awesome and inconceivable.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
why can't you be more like me?
ok, let me set the scene for you...
date- april 6, 2008. it had been winter for like 8 months- a relatively short winter for michiganders. during those 8 months, if it hadn't been snowing, it had been about 2 degrees outside. so, on the first REAL day of spring, when this odd thing called the sun came out, i met a friend at the local park (or the duck pond as the kids call it.) picture the placidity of this park- trees swaying in a light breeze, couples cuddling in the freshly cut grass (except for one couple that was totally taking pda to a new level- it was disturbing), bicycles whimsically passing, dogs frolicking, squirrels chattering and children squealing with joy because the temperature had finally released them from their wintery prison. it was so beautiful that i'm pretty sure i even saw a unicorn flying by and some elves making cookies in a nearby tree (but not harry potter- he is from satan). despite all this beauty, as we walked her dog and chatted, we found ourselves completely enthralled by something that i can only attempt to describe. my description may never fully allow you to capture the awesomeness of what we witnessed, but i will give it my best.
this summer playland was totally invaded by the last group of people i expected to see that day- emo kids. that's right- long sleeve-wearing, black jean-clad emo kids. keep in mind it was like 65 degrees out. but these kids refused to allow a hint of summer to change their wardrobe choice. and to make it even better, these emo kids were wielding homemade swords, presumably made out of cardboard and duct tape, or pvc pipes and duct tape for the more advanced fighters. additionally, amongst all these battling young lads was one queen giving instructions, her green hair flowing in the gentle wind. so, imagine this upper class suburban community being juxtaposed before our very eyes with the running and screaming and fighting of emo kids. (things got even more interesting when one very pale emo kid decided to take his shirt off...wow is all i can say.) we were able to take in this wonderful dichotomy until the emo kids called it a day to head for the land of the frosty- wendy's.
i wish as a 'mature' Christian i could say i did not make fun of these kids, but i did. it was so funny to me that this whole group of 15 kids would choose to spend their day running around, sweating and whacking each other with fake swords. i don't know if there was a point to this game. i was not able to determine what kind of role the green-haired queen was playing. oh, yeah and i forgot to mention they were taping some of this, which puzzled me even more. were they taping it to review later? did they sit on the couch during the week and critique their form like nfl players watching game film? anyway, my friend and i laughed at this. in fact, i am laughing now as i recall this event, because it was ridiculous to me.
making fun of these kids made me realize that i have a tendency to belittle or ridicule the things i don't enjoy. for example, i live with two guys- riley and clay. riley and i like a lot of the same things, such as sports, sports video games, certain movies, eating, etc. clay and i have music in common, but beyond that, not a whole lot. the biggest difference is clay's involvement in a game called world of warcraft, which i maliciously call zelda because it makes him mad. he plays this for hours. riley and i make fun of him pretty consistently for this because neither of us think the game is at all appealing, let alone cool. so, clay becomes the nerd in my mind because i do not like the thing he is spending his time doing. the other day clay was playing and riley made an insulting comment about it. clay's reply was completely in jest, but it really made me think. riley was settling down to watch a show on our dvr called the most dangerous catch, which is about extreme fishing, etc. when riley made fun of clay for playing w.o.w. clay responded with the following- "i am playing a game that 9 million other people are online playing right now. you are about to watch a recorded fishing show by yourself on the couch. why am i the loser?" i laughed out loud pretty hard on my way to my room to go to bed. when i got to my room, i started thinking about this comical exchange. i came to the conclusion again that we really do have a tendency to make fun of what we don't like, don't we? granted, clay plays this computer game that i do not play, but why is it any different for me to play nba 2k8 for an hour or read espn articles for hours on the couch? why do i think of him as the nerd and myself as normal? because manly men like to watch sports? guys with chest hair and muscles can't possibly suspend reality and play a role playing game? and this made me think about the emo kids at the park. why is my attire right now of khakis, a shirt and tie and a sweater more normal or acceptable than long black jeans, long-sleeved black t-shirts, lip rings and dyed hair? who defines normalcy? has normal become whatever media portrays as normal? do individuals or communities or nations decide what is or is not normal?
then, as i always do, i began to really internalize this and think even more about how this applies to my relationship with God. have i included a place in God's kingdom for emo kids? is there such a thing as a normal Christian? where is the bullet point list of qualifications for that? should the church have an "in crowd" or the "popular people?" (i think james addresses that issue, does he not?)
then i thought about how this influences my views on salvation and sin. ok, just do this little experiment with me. i want you to think of the 3 worst sins in the world. sins that just make you cringe and uncomfortable and must certainly be painful for God to see in the world. ok, go ahead and think of them (cue jeopardy music). now, i can guarantee with amazing accuracy that i can identify the three sins you just listed in your mind. ready? they are three sins you do not struggle with. am i right? we can throw stones with the best of them, but we hate looking in the mirror. i don't like to think that having wandering eyes or lustful thoughts is a sin, because i struggle with that. i don't like to think that lacking discipline or overeating is a sin, because i participate in those. but pre-marital sex? sure i'll condemn that all day because God has given me the strength to not fall into that. enjoy hell, drug users and alcoholics- i'll be in heaven because i never used drugs or got drunk. such a twisted logic, isn't it? yet we all fall into it in one way or another. in fact, there have been times that i have had thoughts that my sins "aren't all that bad" or because i was raised in church i don't have as much stuff to repent for. God forgive me for that! sometimes i wish God hadn't put stuff about david and saul/paul in the bible. i think we use examples of the broken people God worked through to make ourselves feel better about our sin. the result is that we do little or nothing at all to change. "well david had a man killed after he slept with his wife and scripture called him a man after his own heart. saul killed christians but paul's writings fill the new testament! what i am doing isn't nearly as bad as those things, so i don't need to worry about it. God can still use me." there are a few problems with that line of thinking. 1. we are not called to just do the bare minimum. instead, the language scripture uses concerning our call as Christians is "to have not even a hint of the following list of sins" and "live lives that are above reproach" and "live such good lives that people would never believe false charges against you." there is no room for apathy and laziness there, and we cheapen grace when we ignore or minimize our sin. 2. as good as they were, we are not called to follow david and paul and others. we are to be a "little Christ." that's what it means to say we are Christians- that we are a smaller version of Christ. 3. loving the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength leaves me no part of my life untouched by His cleansing fire. there is no compartment in my life labeled "acceptable vices." God does not owe me a few slip-up areas so i can cope. instead He calls me to "be holy as He is holy." a compartmentalized life doesn't fit into that call.
i guess what i am saying is that i need to quit looking at everyone else and determining how they need to be different or more like myself. my sins are no less sinful than those of the people around me. my hobbies and interests are not abundantly cooler than those of others. so i ask you to join me in trying to get the compartments out of my life. no more categories of people i can and cannot accept. no more sins i lock away and refuse to give up. no more bad sins and really really bad sins- let sin be sin. no more labeling people based on my very relative definition of normalcy. instead, i will attempt to embrace holiness and repentance and acceptance. amazing what emo kids and world of warcraft can spark inside, huh? just further proof that diversity is a beautiful thing which God uses every day to teach us lessons...
date- april 6, 2008. it had been winter for like 8 months- a relatively short winter for michiganders. during those 8 months, if it hadn't been snowing, it had been about 2 degrees outside. so, on the first REAL day of spring, when this odd thing called the sun came out, i met a friend at the local park (or the duck pond as the kids call it.) picture the placidity of this park- trees swaying in a light breeze, couples cuddling in the freshly cut grass (except for one couple that was totally taking pda to a new level- it was disturbing), bicycles whimsically passing, dogs frolicking, squirrels chattering and children squealing with joy because the temperature had finally released them from their wintery prison. it was so beautiful that i'm pretty sure i even saw a unicorn flying by and some elves making cookies in a nearby tree (but not harry potter- he is from satan). despite all this beauty, as we walked her dog and chatted, we found ourselves completely enthralled by something that i can only attempt to describe. my description may never fully allow you to capture the awesomeness of what we witnessed, but i will give it my best.
this summer playland was totally invaded by the last group of people i expected to see that day- emo kids. that's right- long sleeve-wearing, black jean-clad emo kids. keep in mind it was like 65 degrees out. but these kids refused to allow a hint of summer to change their wardrobe choice. and to make it even better, these emo kids were wielding homemade swords, presumably made out of cardboard and duct tape, or pvc pipes and duct tape for the more advanced fighters. additionally, amongst all these battling young lads was one queen giving instructions, her green hair flowing in the gentle wind. so, imagine this upper class suburban community being juxtaposed before our very eyes with the running and screaming and fighting of emo kids. (things got even more interesting when one very pale emo kid decided to take his shirt off...wow is all i can say.) we were able to take in this wonderful dichotomy until the emo kids called it a day to head for the land of the frosty- wendy's.
i wish as a 'mature' Christian i could say i did not make fun of these kids, but i did. it was so funny to me that this whole group of 15 kids would choose to spend their day running around, sweating and whacking each other with fake swords. i don't know if there was a point to this game. i was not able to determine what kind of role the green-haired queen was playing. oh, yeah and i forgot to mention they were taping some of this, which puzzled me even more. were they taping it to review later? did they sit on the couch during the week and critique their form like nfl players watching game film? anyway, my friend and i laughed at this. in fact, i am laughing now as i recall this event, because it was ridiculous to me.
making fun of these kids made me realize that i have a tendency to belittle or ridicule the things i don't enjoy. for example, i live with two guys- riley and clay. riley and i like a lot of the same things, such as sports, sports video games, certain movies, eating, etc. clay and i have music in common, but beyond that, not a whole lot. the biggest difference is clay's involvement in a game called world of warcraft, which i maliciously call zelda because it makes him mad. he plays this for hours. riley and i make fun of him pretty consistently for this because neither of us think the game is at all appealing, let alone cool. so, clay becomes the nerd in my mind because i do not like the thing he is spending his time doing. the other day clay was playing and riley made an insulting comment about it. clay's reply was completely in jest, but it really made me think. riley was settling down to watch a show on our dvr called the most dangerous catch, which is about extreme fishing, etc. when riley made fun of clay for playing w.o.w. clay responded with the following- "i am playing a game that 9 million other people are online playing right now. you are about to watch a recorded fishing show by yourself on the couch. why am i the loser?" i laughed out loud pretty hard on my way to my room to go to bed. when i got to my room, i started thinking about this comical exchange. i came to the conclusion again that we really do have a tendency to make fun of what we don't like, don't we? granted, clay plays this computer game that i do not play, but why is it any different for me to play nba 2k8 for an hour or read espn articles for hours on the couch? why do i think of him as the nerd and myself as normal? because manly men like to watch sports? guys with chest hair and muscles can't possibly suspend reality and play a role playing game? and this made me think about the emo kids at the park. why is my attire right now of khakis, a shirt and tie and a sweater more normal or acceptable than long black jeans, long-sleeved black t-shirts, lip rings and dyed hair? who defines normalcy? has normal become whatever media portrays as normal? do individuals or communities or nations decide what is or is not normal?
then, as i always do, i began to really internalize this and think even more about how this applies to my relationship with God. have i included a place in God's kingdom for emo kids? is there such a thing as a normal Christian? where is the bullet point list of qualifications for that? should the church have an "in crowd" or the "popular people?" (i think james addresses that issue, does he not?)
then i thought about how this influences my views on salvation and sin. ok, just do this little experiment with me. i want you to think of the 3 worst sins in the world. sins that just make you cringe and uncomfortable and must certainly be painful for God to see in the world. ok, go ahead and think of them (cue jeopardy music). now, i can guarantee with amazing accuracy that i can identify the three sins you just listed in your mind. ready? they are three sins you do not struggle with. am i right? we can throw stones with the best of them, but we hate looking in the mirror. i don't like to think that having wandering eyes or lustful thoughts is a sin, because i struggle with that. i don't like to think that lacking discipline or overeating is a sin, because i participate in those. but pre-marital sex? sure i'll condemn that all day because God has given me the strength to not fall into that. enjoy hell, drug users and alcoholics- i'll be in heaven because i never used drugs or got drunk. such a twisted logic, isn't it? yet we all fall into it in one way or another. in fact, there have been times that i have had thoughts that my sins "aren't all that bad" or because i was raised in church i don't have as much stuff to repent for. God forgive me for that! sometimes i wish God hadn't put stuff about david and saul/paul in the bible. i think we use examples of the broken people God worked through to make ourselves feel better about our sin. the result is that we do little or nothing at all to change. "well david had a man killed after he slept with his wife and scripture called him a man after his own heart. saul killed christians but paul's writings fill the new testament! what i am doing isn't nearly as bad as those things, so i don't need to worry about it. God can still use me." there are a few problems with that line of thinking. 1. we are not called to just do the bare minimum. instead, the language scripture uses concerning our call as Christians is "to have not even a hint of the following list of sins" and "live lives that are above reproach" and "live such good lives that people would never believe false charges against you." there is no room for apathy and laziness there, and we cheapen grace when we ignore or minimize our sin. 2. as good as they were, we are not called to follow david and paul and others. we are to be a "little Christ." that's what it means to say we are Christians- that we are a smaller version of Christ. 3. loving the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength leaves me no part of my life untouched by His cleansing fire. there is no compartment in my life labeled "acceptable vices." God does not owe me a few slip-up areas so i can cope. instead He calls me to "be holy as He is holy." a compartmentalized life doesn't fit into that call.
i guess what i am saying is that i need to quit looking at everyone else and determining how they need to be different or more like myself. my sins are no less sinful than those of the people around me. my hobbies and interests are not abundantly cooler than those of others. so i ask you to join me in trying to get the compartments out of my life. no more categories of people i can and cannot accept. no more sins i lock away and refuse to give up. no more bad sins and really really bad sins- let sin be sin. no more labeling people based on my very relative definition of normalcy. instead, i will attempt to embrace holiness and repentance and acceptance. amazing what emo kids and world of warcraft can spark inside, huh? just further proof that diversity is a beautiful thing which God uses every day to teach us lessons...
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