Part 1: The Sixth Sense

Look at verse 8, “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” … Life is more like the film “Groundhog Day” than anyone wants to admit.

———

Søren Kierkegaard said, “Sin is building your self-worth on anything other than God.” Because when you take a good thing…remember the six things we mentioned, religion, power, wealth, pleasure, friends and work. They are good things. They are not intrinsically evil things. They are good things, but when you take a good thing and you make it an ultimate thing, you have ensured that that thing will drive you into the ground.

Part 2: Quenched

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has placed eternity into our hearts. … What the text means when it says that God has placed eternity into our hearts, is that at some level, in the deepest parts of our souls, our souls remember, however that happens, what life was like before the fall. So, the soul, at some really deep level, has had this groove cut into it, where it remembers what it was like before sin entered into the world. And so, we remember, at a really deep level now, that at one time, we were full and at one time, we were happy and at one time, there was nothing weighing us down. And the soul is groaning, according to Scripture, to get back there. The problem is, the groove is shaped like eternity and all that we have to fill it with is temporary. And so, we cram it with temporary, fleeting joys, and it never fills it. And so, we think if it gets bigger, if we can make it bigger, the temporary pleasure lasts a little bit longer or if we continue to get a little bit larger, we can finally fill the chasm. But it’s never going to take place because it’s not going to be big enough. And here’s why I’m afraid for you. Solomon finally got to the end of his goals and said it’s all vanity, and you do not posses the resources to ever get there. And so, my fear for you is that you’re going to spend the rest of your life chasing your tail, chasing what you already posses, that has brought you no lasting happiness, only to die on the treadmill.

Part 3: The Gift

(Ecclesiastes 2:14)“The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool!” I have this really good friend who pastors a church in Seattle, one of the hardest places, I think, to do church in the country, and he has this saying. He says that “Death is the great equalizer.” Death is the great equalizer because no matter how high you ascend, you’ll eventually descend six feet under.

———

99% of all conflict comes from what I’m about to say. The majority of human beings believe that people and circumstances exist to make me happy. So, when they’re not happy, who’s to blame? People and circumstances. So if you do not ascribe enjoyment as belonging to Christ and Christ alone, you almost ensure that your reality will be filled with bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness.

Maybe a latte you don’t necessarily need.
Maybe sacrificing a trip to the restaurant and just making a sandwich at home instead.
Maybe watching TV instead of renting a movie.
Maybe avoiding that impulse buy at the grocery store.
And maybe, if you don’t have $5 to spare, it’s asking others to come together to make $5. Through work, Facebook, Myspace, e-mail, pidgeon, you can find $5!

I don’t know about you, but the shoes I normally buy are anywhere from $30 to $100. And I have more than one pair. There are countless amount of feet that belong to kiddos and adults that go unprotected everyday and for just $5 I can buy two pairs for these feet?

I’m signing up. Will you?

http://www.50000shoes.com

p.s. - Did I mention you could possibly win a trip to Mexico to deliver these shoes too? That’s right!

“Nashville-based Soles4Souls™ facilitates the donations of both new and used shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. Since its inception, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 3.5 million pairs (or one pair every 23 seconds) to people in 61 countries, including Honduras, Romania, Thailand, and the Sudan. The charity has been featured on CNN Headline News, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC News, FOX, CBS, and hundreds of regional outlets around North America. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS; donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Visit www.giveshoes.org for more information.”

Whenever I think of the poor, I think of Matthew 26:11 which says, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” This always reminds me that I can give and give and give, but money is not the point. The world will never experience equal socio-economic status. There will always be an empty stomach, a family with a single income, and orphaned children.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t try. In the name of Jesus, we have to. How can I truly say I love and follow Jesus Christ, if my actions don’t show it? Matt Chandler brought up two good questions we, as believers, should ask daily - Where is my money going? And do I treat people as if they have souls?

BURN.

Want to know who you worship? Check your bank account. I’ll be the first to admit, I serve my stomach first. And that’s a sad thing. Now, I don’t need to starve myself necessarily but I can definitely make better choices that will not only leave me well-fed but can feed others as well.

Do I really need Blockbuster Online?
Do I really need Starbucks?
Do I really need to add a large fry and Coke?
Do I really need name brands?
Do I really need a newer cell phone?
Do I really need to watch the newest movie with popcorn and candy?
Do I really need a pedicure?
Do I really need the newest iPod?
Do I really need the new and improved Macbook Pro?

The key words there are “really need” and the answer, of course, is no. Not really. I’d love to say I’ve nixed all of those luxury items but I haven’t. But I’ve started. My heart is changing. And my money is not my own.

Flowerdust.net quoted Francis Chan who said

lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling guilty. they want to do the bare minimum to be “good enough” without it requiring much of them…they ask, “how much do i have to give?” instead of “how much can i give?”

I’m tired of being lukewarm. I want to love Jesus passionately and love others passionately. How about you?

Here’s a few of my favorite organizations I support (or would love to support soon):

• Compassion - What is $32 to you? For a child, it means an education, meals, and a program with people that love her. I sponsor one child and I know a family that sponsors five. You do what you can.
• TOMS Shoes - Need shoes? Buy a pair and a pair is sent to a child in need of a pair. Win-win!
• Feed a Child with Just One Click Facebook group - You know you have free time spent browsing the web so why not put it to good use? This group has many sites you can check out and feed others by simply visiting their sites. My favorite one is FreeRice since it also tests my vocabulary skills!

9:47AM: Megan wakes me up and I take a shower. I realize how futile my shower is because I would be just as dirty in a few hours.

11:15AM: Finally head out the door, promising Megan she will have a great breakfast / brunch / lunch experience as we hit up Magnolia’s Cafe for food.

12:10PM: After waiting at Prima Dora, my name is called and head over to Magnolia’s. I finally got to eat a stack of their peach pancakes I have been coveting for months and I fulfill my promise as Megan enjoys her stack as well. (Seriously, check out Magnolia’s when you’re in Austin! Cheap and delicious!)

1:42PM: Unanimous decision to never pay $20 for uphill parking again. Paid $7 at a parking garage. Fairly level walk to the park.

2:01PM: Arrive at Zilker and catch the last few songs from The Fratellis. Wish I had caught the whole show. (Songs to check out: “Chelsea Dagger,” “Flathead,” and “Baby Fratelli.”

2:31PM: We camp out at the AT&T Blue Room stage, sitting by young kids eating pasta from a Ziploc bag and smoking from a bong. Crowd was quite friendly as we awaited CSS (as no one gave me crap about wearing a Texas Tech cap!)

3:30PM: The craziness that is CSS (Cansei der Ser Sexy) began. This Brazilian group was strange and we ate it up. The lead singer rocked a front po’ and a flower-patterned Spandex outfit as she danced the hour away. They surprisingly ended up being my favorite act of the weekend. I mean, seriously, any act that can rock a keytar earns at least two thumbs up! (Songs to check out: “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above,” “Alala,” and “Music is My Hot Hot Sex.”

4:28PM: As CSS left the stage, I looked forward to another relaxing break between shows. Instead, a surge of people crushed us all at the front of the crowd and never let up. At one point, I was standing upright but not using my feet! The bodies surrounding me held me up! Definitely my least favorite moment of the weekend. Thankfully, we still had icy cold water and no one nearby passed out. I took some pictures of my fellow oxygen-depraved neighbors and this one seemed to capture the moment well:

5:30PM: I claim victory as I survived the Great MGMT Crowd of 2008. Still not sure if they were worth it but MGMT did end up selling the most records at ACL. Pot smell perhaps at an all-time high at this show too. (Songs to check out: “Time to Pretend,” “Kids,” and “Electric Feel.”

6:32PM: We get the heck of out dodge and find a spot to enjoy the sunset. I get antsy and went on an adventure to fill an entire garbage bag full of recyclables. ACL had the brilliant idea of rewarding those who filled a bag with a free shirt. This adventure ended up tougher than I thought and by the time I was done, they had temporarily ran out of shirts. They gave me two totes as a consolation. Still a little bitter. But I did help out and enjoyed listening to John Fogerty in the background as well.

7:46PM: We decide to get some eats. I wanted to try Hudson’s famous chicken cone but they had run out. I chose the fish cone instead. I think I made a rookie mistake but it was still pretty dang good. Megan opted for some wrap that seemed like a good bang for her buck.

8:30PM: We decided to watch Beck from afar and sadly, he failed to meet my expectations. I had read some reviews about his poor performances but didn’t want to believe them. Out of all the bands I had checked out before ACL, I listened to his stuff the most. Somehow he managed to deliver great, upbeat tunes with the energy of slug. He seemed to perk up for their “electronic set” which was pretty fun but he mellowed back down afterwards. Sad. (Songs to check out: “Timebomb,” “E-Pro,” and your choice of oldies, “Loser” or “Where It’s At.”

10:15PM: Gleefully walk back to our car, hill-free. It was an amusing walk back as an older woman with a basket made eye contact with me and creepily said, “Special brownies for special people?” I smiled politely and secretly delighted in how strange Austin truly is. Also, Megan and I took several, several pictures of this man in front of us. He never realized it.

10:40PM: Helped So Big, who so graciously lended her house to us, with her computer problems. I also presented a large bag of candies as a “thank you” gift. She had finished 3/4th of the Hershey’s bag by morning. Thanks again, So Big!

10:30AM: The time I was going to pick up Megan.

10:52AM: The time I finally picked up Megan.

11:05AM: The time Megan was finally ready to leave.

11:45AM: Me: I’m hungry. I’m going to stop at the next exit.

12:45PM: After missing several exits, stopped at ROSA’S! in Waco after spotting a billboard for it.

1:50PM: Finally leave Rosa’s after I talked Megan’s ear off.

2:50PM: The time Louis XIV took the stage, a band that we had always planned to see but always end up missing. This time was no different.

3:45PM: Arrived near Zilker Park and looked for parking. Spotted $20 parking area that seemed close to the park. Splurged for parking spot.

4:10PM: FINALLY! step foot in Zilker Park and surveyed the lay of the land. Caught a minute of Delta Spirit but headed towards the AT&T stage for Gogol Bordello.

4:30PM: The dancing begins. My hunch that Gogol Bordello would put on a great show was right. Not a band I would normally listen to but everyone needs to experience gypsy punks at least once in a lifetime. (Songs to check out: “Wonderlust King,” “Sally,” and “Immigrant Punk.”)

5:15PM: Left Gogol Bordello early to grab decent spots at the AT&T Blue Room stage for Hot Chip.

5:30PM: Hot Chip took the stage. What should’ve been a great dance party ended up a slight disappointment. Sound was extremely muddy especially from the right of the stage. Singer was dressed in a white jumpsuit and awkwardly moved around. I had pictured highly trendy European guys dressed in black. I pictured wrong. (Songs to check out: “Ready for the Floor,” “Shake a Fist,” and “Over and Over.”

5:45PM: Spotted a few creative flags. For those of you who have never experienced a large music festival, people use large “flags” so their group can spot them easier. We enjoyed the “Clothing Optional Area” flag because it danced and crossed our paths several times during the weekend.

6:20PM: Hungry again but met up with Brooke! since she made the trip for the weekend. Finally met her brother, Justin, and her beau, Bo. Ended up sticking around for N.E.R.D. which was actually a fun show. Pharrell had a big dance party (of girls) for “Everybody Nose” aka ALL THE GIRLS STANDING IN THE LINE FOR THE BATHROOM. Don’t worry, I turned around and sang towards the general direction of the port-a-pots nearby during that song. (Songs to check out: “Everybody Nose,” “She Wants to Move,” and “Lapdance.”)

7:35PM: Nom nom nom, chowed down on a brisket sandwich at the Stubb’s BBQ stand. I think the brisket I ate was mostly fat but at that point, I didn’t care. This was also the point where my allergies kicked in and I cursed my inferior genes. (Yes, we missed The Swell Season but we did overhear them as we made our way to the food. I guess food > music.)

8:30PM: Danced the night away. Perhaps it was the energy emanating from Manu Chao or the fact that it was dark and no one cared but we skanked until we could skank no more. We probably understood about .005% of what they were singing about but that fact was overlooked as they commanded the stage. The pictures I took were terrible and I was too busy dancing so check out this sweet pic of Manu Chao. (Songs to check out: “Bongo Bong,” “Clandestino,” and “Rainin’ In Paradise.”)

10:12PM: Cursed my poor decision to pay $20 to park on the top of a steep hill. Overheard “THANK YOU, JESUS!” by a fellow hill hiker once he reached his car.

10:26PM: Stopped by CVS to buy a toothbrush and some candy for the girls that let us stay at their house. Megan found bologna bubble gum. That’s right. Because kids need more reason to eat bologna.

12:17AM: After watching an hour of the Sex and the City movie with THE LEGENDARY SARA KAINER, we hit the hay but not without me sneezing a hundred times. A million curses but still a great start to the weekend.

There is one bit of advice given to us by the ancient heathen Greeks, and by Jews in the old testament, and by the great Christian teachers of the Middle Ages, which the modern economics system has completely disobeyed. All these people told us not to lend money at interest; and lending money at interest - what we call investment - is the basis of our whole system. Now it may not absolutely follow that we are wrong. Some people say that when Moses and Aristotle and the Christians agreed in forbidding interest… they could not forsee the joint stock company, and were only thinking of the private money lender… That is a question I can’t decide on. I am not an economist and I simply do not know whether the investment system is responsible for the state we are in or not. This is where we want the Christian economist. But I should not have been honest had I not told you that three great civilisations had agreed… in condemning the very thing on which we have based our whole life.

I’m no economist either and couldn’t tell you where to begin unspiraling the U.S.’s states of affairs but it does make me wonder if things like this - Ex-bankers on pushing customers to rack up debt - or the fact that major businesses and our own country spends money they don’t have - would happen if we built our economy on Biblical truths. I can recall two instances - the parable of the unforgiving servant and the Jubilee - where it would suggest we wouldn’t be so. However, we are totally depraved sinners that would more than likely take advantage of Grace and we’d be in a different pit of muck anyway. All I know is that you and I are alive and living in “such a time as this” and that is God’s will. So, what are you going to do about it?

On a lighter note…

Friday - What Made Milwaukee Famous, Louis XIV, Delta Spirit, Gogol Bordello, Hot Chip, N.E.R.D., The Swell Season, Manu Chao

Saturday - Five Times August, The Fratellis, CSS, City and Colour, MGMT, Beck

Sunday - Sybris, The Kills, Flyleaf, Stars, Silversun Pickups, The Raconteurs, Tegan and Sara, Foo Fighters

I will definitely check out the bands in bold and will probably mosey to the others to check them out. If you’re hitting up ACL, let me know! We can cross paths!

Even though I almost passed out at last year’s Austin City Limits, I will embark on hitting up this year’s festival for the full three days. I hunted down three-day passes on Craigslist (face value! magical!) and have been planning out the days, attempting to get the most bang for my buck.

Originally, my brother bought me a one-day pass last year so we could see The Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse and The White Stripes. To my brother’s despair, the latter two canceled but we ended up discovering Cold War Kids and experiencing the awesomeness that is Muse. It was definitely a neat experience but one I felt would be better had we purchased three-day passes and were fully hydrated.

So, this year I have researched (listening to almost every single band through their myspace) and plan on drinking water ’til my bladder ’splodes in preparation for this year’s adventure to Austin. Sadly, there aren’t as many artists and bands I want to check out, but there are a few I don’t want to miss.

Here’s the projected lineup so far:

Friday - Louis XIV, Hot Chip, Manu Chao
Saturday - CSS, Beck
Sunday - The Kills, Tegan and Sara (although it is a tough call to make against Band of Horses), Foo Fighters

There is still a lot of gap to fill in so feel free to send me suggestions! And let me know if you’re swinging by ACL too!

• 6yearmed - She’s a pediatrician, a cat lover, and by the look of her FoxyTunes, she listens to some great music. 6yearmed gives us an interesting peek inside the life of a young doctor, providing some laughs and occasionally a tear.
• Dooce - Sarcasm, great usage of the CAPS LOCK, and posing dogs make up the greatness that is Dooce. Or, rather, DOOCE.
• Whittaker Woman - One of my favorite “mommyblogs” with some of the cutest kids I’ve seen. She’s got great ideas for family nights for you other mommybloggers out there.
• Biscuet - He loves people and he loves China. That’s all I need to know.
• Daley Hake - Great photos with the occasional insight into his mind.
• Zack Arias - Another great photographer. If I had a good camera and some $$$, I’d buy his One Light DVD.
• Don Miller, Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll - Don and Matt recently joined the blogging community and I look forward to reading what each author / teacher / preacher has to say.

Why are they always bringing the McRib back? Why can’t it join the ranks of the McNuggets or the Big Mac? And should I really be that excited that has returned (or keeps returning)? Because any “ribs” are that boneless are truly mysterious to me and I’m not so sure I should be eating such mysterious things.

Yesterday, I checked the mailbox to the house for the first time since I’ve moved in and what did I find? Woot shirts! I got one that I wasn’t a big fan of (at all), but the other two I will definitely throw into my normal rotation.

Herd? What Herd?

Rampage Wear

Color Thee Fresh

In unrelated news, this news article makes me laugh: Duck Stamp number sends callers to sex line. C’mon designers and marketing peoples, proofread that stuff!

It has been awhile since I have listened to the Mars Hill Seattle podcast/vodcast but they never seem to miss what is relevant and applicable to people’s lives today. Maybe it’s because they always make sure Jesus is preached and Jesus is always relevant and applicable.

I am quite stoked about Driscoll’s upcoming Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) series and think that even if I wasn’t a Christ follower, I’d definitely want to listen just because the topic is on sex. And really, honestly, who isn’t interested in that?

Needless to say, I’ve been reading about it and even watched a bit of their announcement before my F5 / refresh was fruitful. I immediately announced the live download link to my coworkers (fellow helpdesk techs) and away we went. Here’s what we found within the first thirty minutes.

- 2 out of 4 installs failed. Two guys are getting an application error when trying to launch Chrome. Re-installations failed as well (although they have not tried completely uninstalling first).
- One guy noted that Chrome messes up the myspace moods list. It doubles the list, throwing one half of the list in non-alphabetical order.
- The same guy notes that word wrapping in our ticketing system is not working right as it displays the same letter twice when getting to the edge of the window.
- Chrome does not prompt me to save and quit if there are multiple tabs open. It just lets me accidentally close all eight tabs! 

On a more positive note, Chrome does seem to be a rendering beast! It has opened espn.com and Flash-ladened myspace pages much, much quicker than IE7 and Firefox. What I look forward to is the stability Google promises — if a webpage “crashes,” it should not affect the entire Chrome browser, just the tab the page it is opened in. That’ll be a good change in pace as I have been having problems with both IE7 and Firefox lately. (Flash causing IE7 to crash and Firefox not playing Flash movies after being opened for days.)

As a self-proclaimed Google loyalist (that one’s for you, Ann!), I say it’s definitely worth downloading and trying out. Let me know how it works for you!

I’m sorry to who I am about to offend, but this Presidential Race feels like a joke.  To me I equate it to none other that one of those “Hi, I’m a Mac”, “And I’m a PC” commercials.  You know the ones.

I tried to follow the presidential race earlier this year and decided a few things.

1) No matter who is elected, the masses will complain.
2) The candidates all seem wishy-washy. I think that’s what you get for trying to please all many people as possible.
3) The race gets a little dirtier as the months go by.
4) Like the ebb and flow of life, there is a time for Republicans and there is a time for Democrats. I’ll be very surprised if McCain wins just because it just feels like the turning of the political party tide.
5) Rabid Obama fans scare me. I halfway think they are being snake charmed. I also think every single “cool” Christian (as Brody referred to them) I know are rabid Obama supporters. Oh, you trendy trendsetters.

So will I vote? We’ll see. I’ll forego the conventions and the speaking engagements and weigh out the issues the candidates stand on. Then perhaps I’ll make a decision.

- floor lamp
- microwave
- Small George Foreman grill
- Toaster oven
- iron w/ironing board
- assorted kitchen stuffs
- HP Deskjet 932C
- Sanyo 19″ TV
- desk w/hutch
- full-sized bed

While I don’t really believe in “lucky numbers,” today is still a special day for me. It is one that I will give thanks for, continuously, as much as I can remember today, because God brought me into this world twenty-six years ago and has sustained me ever since. This past year has got to be one of the most random years of my life but it has taught me a lot. (Maybe too much? HA!) It is my deepest desire that I take these things I’ve learned and use them to grow and mature in Jesus Christ. That’s it. That’s all I ask for this year. A reminder that my fortune, my wealth is eternal, it is in Christ Jesus.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
//Psalm 139:13-14

To commemorate the freshness of the new school year coming up (don’t worry teacher friends, you still have a good two weeks or so!), I’m going to give the blog a new look. Going to tweak the header but this is the new look for the most part!

Also, a name change to come…! A new (school) year, indeed!

Through his wife’s blog, I discovered he has finally done it. He has jumped into the blogosphere that he has mocked and ridiculed on several occasions. And I am stoked about it. Instead of me regurgitating everything he said, visit his blog - www.dwelldeep.net - and see what he has to say about it. And make sure to add him to your reader. And subscribe to The Village Church’s podcast on iTunes while you’re at it. In fact, stop by one of our services. I’ll even share an ugly teal seat with you.

*** Side note: I am not one of those Matt Chandler Makes The Village Church Go ‘Round fanatics that believe The Village would crumble if he were to leave. My ramblings concerning that thought process deserves it own post but I have heard the other pastors and guest speakers, I have experienced life with a lot of the members, and I’m convinced The Village Church would stand without Matt simply because Jesus is the heart of it.

**** Side note to the side note: I do think it’d be funny if shirts were made with Matt Chandler’s head on it with a cartoon bubble that said, “Hey, how are we?” or “Are you tracking with me?” Just sayin’.

- After seven full months, I officially have a job. When I quit my previous job at Geek Squad, I had many reasons. It was a good job, don’t get me wrong, I spent many days cruising in the Geekmobile thinking I had life very easy. (I mean, who gets paid for sitting in traffic, listening to sermons and Jimmy Eat World? I DID.) But my hours were erratic, I missed out on holidays, I had no close community with my coworkers, and one can only get yelled by irate customers for so long. It was a dead end.

My friends and I celebrated my decision to quit and it was one I felt the Lord was calling me to make for awhile. I was convinced God was going to teach me about patience, how to rely on Him to provide, and just give me the rest I wanted. GEEZ! AND HE DID! By April, I still had no job, my friends started buying me meals, and I have taken enough naps for two lifetimes. That’s when I got nervous. You can say this month I have been going a little crazy.

Sony approached me out of the blue a month ago, finding my resume online. I went through their interview process and they offered me a job. A job that I fit snugly into, a job that would’ve sent me to San Diego for a week’s worth of training, a job that I could say I was the first to ever fill in Dallas.

People gave me crazy looks when I said I was considering turning them down. The hamster rolling in my noggin started putting two and two together. I would be working retail hours. I have many weekend and night commitments, most of which I wasn’t willing to give up. Not even for money. Mmm, right?

God must’ve known about my dilemma because, well, here’s the timeline on the day Sony called me to offer the job:

10:42A Sony calls
10:43A TWU calls

An old high school friend that I haven’t talked to in a long, long time happened to send me a myspace message letting me know TWU was hiring. I figured, what the hey, I’ll send in my resume. And they called. A minute after Sony, they called. I happened to have a long night beforehand so I didn’t pick my phone up either time… which you could either chalk it up to my incredible ability to sleep or God’s grace, I’ll let you pick.

So the past two weeks have been interesting — wondering if I would actually turn Sony down, what would happen if TWU didn’t want me, should I go back to Geek Squad (they offered me an awesome schedule but as “luck” would have it, I failed the online application! Thank you, Jesus!), how can I afford another month’s worth of rent…

But I’ve learned. A lot about patience, God’s provisions, humility, and the necessity to not only rest but work. Although TWU gave me a 3-4 week timeline, they called me today - a little over a week later - to offer me a job. A job that not only pays better than my previous job offer but will leave my weekends free and my holidays as well. I start next Monday. It’s the first time I’ve started a job since 2003 so it’ll be fun to transition into things. It’ll also be fun to get a paycheck. And it’ll be fun to finally put myself to good use! To Him be the glory!

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? // Matthew 6:26

Happy patriotic weekend, folks!

I thought I could stretch it out but it did not help. I had to do some brisk walking this morning and my knee got angrier. I finally took some aspirin, iced my knee, and kept it elevated all night. The swelling has gone done a tiny bit but the pain is still there.

I did some heavy lifting two days prior but felt no pain in my knees so it’s hard to imagine they are related.  According to this website, I either have gout, a fracture, or prepatellar bursitis (no, the swelling doesn’t look as bad as that wiki page!) Whatever the heck it is, I hope it doesn’t require a doctor’s visit soon because this unemployed kiddo has no health insurance. WONK WONK.

But this time I came prepared. I checked out the band’s online forums and made note of their sets this year. I compiled all those songs onto a CD and listened to them every time I hopped into my car. I listened to them while checking my e-mail every day. I listened to them as I started reading the Bible in my living room. I familiarized myself with their newest album and their older songs. And thus began my deep appreciation for Death Cab.

So my friend Megan - whose great idea it was to go and bought tickets - and I headed to Grand Prairie to discover the seats she bought were pretty close! I told her I would go under the condition that we don’t stand in the pit because I’m getting too dang old to tippy toe during concerts. Rogue Wave was the only opening act and we missed most of their set. We patiently waited… then experienced the awesomeness that is Death Cab.

It was great to finally listen to all those tunes I had been surrounding myself with all month, live! Ben Gibbard, the leader singer and lyrical genius, sported no plastic frames and appeared to lose some weight but rocked some mutton chops. Although this was not the Gibbard I’ve seen in pictures, it didn’t matter as they played the following:

Bixby Canyon Bridge
The New Year
Why You’d Want To Live Here
Photobooth
Crooked Teeth
Long Division
Grapevine Fires
A Movie Script Ending
Company Calls
Title Track
Soul Meets Body
I Will Follow You Into The Dark
I Will Possess Your Heart
Cath…
We Laugh Indoors
The Sound of Settling
Marching Bands of Manhattan
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Title and Registration
No Sunlight
405
Your Heart Is An Empty Room
Transatlanticism

If you thought “I Will Possess Your Heart” was the best track off their new album, wait ’til you hear it live. This is a band that knows how to create music and no doubt did that translate well on stage. So thanks to my friend Megan and her random idea to check out this concert, I am now an honest Death Cab for Cutie fan.

Enter Coldplay’s newest album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, that dropped today. (For those of you who don’t know español, that roughly translates into “Live the life” or “Long live life,” thank you Wikipedia!) As a visual person, of course I have to point out that the album cover is radically different than their previous albums - less conservative, using a French artist’s depiction of their July Revolution.

Perhaps Coldplay intended to use their album cover to suggest that their sound has changed a little bit. Although you cannot escape the buttery smoothness of Chris Martin’s voice, Coldplay picks up the pace in their new effort. Throughout the album, there is often a driving beat that keeps me tapping my foot rather than nodding off. Viva La Vida is produced by Brian Eno, who produced quite a few U2 albums, so you get that same shiny, anthemic feel which I imagine will transpose beautifully at their large stadium crowd concerts.

Coldplay pulls a “Green Day American Idiot two songs in one” for three of their tracks. These songs pull in at around seven minutes so I admit those songs are usually skipped on my playlist. However, I have managed to listen to half of the album at least ten times which is considerably a lot since I am far from being an avid Coldplay fan.

The title track and best example of the “driving beat” I mentioned previously is my favorite tune from this album. In case you live in a cave (or a TiVO cave), you might have missed this iTunes commercial that blends ear candy with eye candy.

Top three tracks to check out: Besides “Viva La Vida,” check out their first single “Violet Hill.” For a taste of their two-fer tracks, spend 6 minutes and 51 seconds with “Lovers In Japan / Reign of Love.”

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” // I Corinthians 15:1-2

I want to stop settling for the good and start striving for the best. I don’t want to worship comfort. I want to “die daily.” I want this chapter to speak to me always, reminding me of the Gospel, reminding me to never stray from the core of my beliefs. I want to live my life so that I may look like a fool if in the end there is no Christ.

“If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” // I Corinthians 15:19

“If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” // I Corinthians 15:32

If you didn’t fall in love with Weezer’s first self-titled album (the Blue Album) with such classics as “Say It Ain’t So” and “The Sweater Song” then try again. That CD made its home in my giant CD Walkman in junior high and is still one of my all-time favorites. However, no other Weezer album has been able to win me over completely (as I sometimes cringe when I listen to “Beverly Hills”).

But! Enter Weezer’s third self-titled album! I read somewhere that this was going to be a very experimental album but for the most part, it is the Weezer I first came to know and love. The album kicks off with “Troublemaker” which fittingly sets a “I do what I want!” theme. The best song to portray this theme is “Pork and Beans,” their first single. This song is not complete until you have watched the music video. And if you’re a fan of viral youtube videos, there should be some familiar faces making cameo appearances.

Rivers Cuomo actually takes a break during some songs and lets others take the lead vocal position. Those songs were probably my least favorite but still had a little Weezer flavor. All in all, old school Weezer fans should not be disappointed with their sixth full-length release.

Top three songs to check out: “Everybody Get Dangerous,” “Troublemaker,” and “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived.”

p.s. - I just now remembered that I wrote a post about Radiohead when I downloaded “In Rainbows” for free. “An interesting endeavor by Radiohead, to let their listeners pick their price. Not sure if it was a financial success, but as marketing goes, well a non-Radiohead fan is now listening to Radiohead because of this schtick, right? And who knows, maybe if I give it a few more plays, they’ll grow on me.” Oh, foreshadowing!

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Now playing: Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place
via FoxyTunes

(insert photo of Steve Miller Band shenanigans here. when i upload ‘em!)

This summer will be great, I can feel it.

- Still jobless.
- Technically, not jobless since I have a few design projects in queue. But still, nervously jobless.
- If all goes according to plans, should move to Lewisville next month to save money.
- Had a few people ask me about my music this weekend and what a waste it is I’m not doing anything with it. So, I think I may remedy that this week.
- The spring TV season is almost over but for the most part, was a big fat tease. Thank you writers’ strike.
- Had a mini high school reunion this weekend. It was actually a graduation party though. I am friends with a real, live doctor.
- Need to sell extremely poor set of drums, 21″ TV, HP Deskjet 932C printer, and electronic piano. Any takers?
- Thinking about selling my new living room set vs. putting it in storage if I move.
- Not a good time to be unemployed. GAS IS EXPENSIVE. OH, STAB ME IN THE EYE.
- My brother graduated two weeks ago.
- I get to see Death Cab for Cutie in a few weeks, thanks to my friend Megan K.
- Last but not least, I helped my friend Jenna with her first Field Day at the elementary school she teaches at. I got a good workout, a super farmers’ tan, and glad I was part of such a successful event.

I was given the role of videographer during the event. So I was the creepy non-mom following kids around with a camcorder.

Alicia took the day off to come help out as well!

And the unstoppable PE team at Grapevine Elementary, Ms. Beach and Assistant to the PE Teacher, Ms. Drye!

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Now playing: Everclear - Rich Girl
via FoxyTunes

Job 1:21 - “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

April 21:This was our last full day in the windy Lubbock-like city. Our last big stop in the city was a college. In a class. To lead the class. Two classes, actually. We came in with no game plan but winged it beautifully. I started both classes with a little U.S. geography. AND! we taught them how to sing “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” Only half a verse but to have an entire classroom across the world sing a(n unofficial) state song? That’s music to a Texan’s ears.

The class broke into small groups that rotated to each of us. We talked about whatever and my favorite conversation went a little like this:
Me: Yes, I visited this country last year.
Student: Do you like the Harry Potter Warriors?
Me: Huh?
Student: The Harry Potter Warriors?
Me: Harry Potter? Uh, I’ve seen one Harry Potter movie.
[mass confusion]
Me: OH! You mean the Terracotta Warriors!

We spent four hours at the college, hitting up two classes and took a gazillion pictures. The students didn’t have digital cameras, but loved taking pictures of us with their cell phones. Here’s a Where’s Waldo? picture for you. See if you can spot me!

For the afternoon, some of us went to the grocery store to prepare for the train ride and others went to an orphanage to visit some babies. We met back with our guides to debrief and eat one last dinner in the city. It consisted mostly of our favorites but we also ordered some shrimp. And SHRIMP it was!

We had fellowship in a small apartment which is always such a contrast to our massive weekend mega services in the states. I actually led with a few songs