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Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - Noise

    When I drive to and from work, I don't know what I would do without the stereo.  I constantly have to have noise.  Even right now, I have streaming radio on my computer.  I only listen to Christian music.  I don't necessarily think that all other music is bad, but I want to have the music I hear be uplifting or thought-provoking.  I either always have Air1 tuned in (when it's clear) or a CD in.  One of my newer CDs is Vices by a band called Dead Poetic.  The whole CD is almost a compilation, every song being about our human failures and vices.  The last song on the CD is Vices and I can't stop listening to it because it is so true.  Romans 3:10 says, "There is none righteous, no not one."  We know we are not righteous, yet we still feel that God thinks less of us when we habitually sin.  We feel that what we struggle with is too out there.  We would be embarrassed if anyone knew what we were going through.  I knew I was.  Throughout this song, each chorus is intended to communicate to different people.  First it's to "mother," then to "child," and last is "lover."  The choruses communicate to these people that, "I’ve got Vices like any other man.  Vices that you’re not used to. Vices that’ll make you think less of me."  This is how the song seems to go.  The last chorus is so powerful.  After all this struggling, he finally comes to a breaking point.  He realizes that Jesus will never turn His back on him in his struggling moments.  "Oh, but Jesus. I’ve got Vices like any other man.  Vices that you’re so used to. Vices that won’t make you think less of me."  Christ has seen it all.  He doesn't think less of you.  He's there.  He doesn't think less of you.

    Up until now, I thought AM was the morning.  I had no idea* that there was this other world of crazy KHz frequencies in the 530 to 1700 range.  Since this new discovery, I've recently found this new enjoyment for talk radio, and I'm not sure why.  Perhaps I hear music so often that I don't really pay attention to it.  Talk radio and sports radio have held my attention a little more than it used to.  Maybe I'm just getting old, I'm not sure.  There's a billboard near my house that advertises 1360 KPXQ, The Christian Station.  Don't get me wrong, I think KFLR 90.3 and KGCB 90.9 are great...for my mom to listen to.  Their music is getting better, but I want some meat.  KPXQ is very good.  It has some great talk radio that is relevent.  They have The Answer Man, who answers some difficult questions about the Bible and theology.  R.C. Sproul and Larry Wright are also regulars, and there are even reviews of DVDs on the Andrew Tallman show on Friday evenings.  I suggest you take a listen.  That button on your radio that says "BAND" does not mean you are going to change the artist of the song, it switches your tuning device to a magical world where the numbers look larger, but really, are not.  Remember, kilohertz are smaller than megahertz, even though they both sound painful.

 *I did have an idea.

    Don't forget to visit Bradwick.net!  I've always enjoyed Brad's writing all the way back to verpmart.net [RIP] You're always bound to find something good over there.  Oh yeah, he's a liar. That thing written on the bottom of his page isn't true.

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 Monday, February 26, 2007 - Not That Button

    I know when most babies are born, the parents always tell others that their baby is as cute as a button.  I'm confused.  Seriously.  How cute is a button?  When I look at most babies, I do see a button.  A panic button.  Why am I talking about babies and their questionable cuteness?  No, Jess and I are not expecting, so don't start the rumor mill.  On Valentine's Day my brother became a father and now I have a niece.  I don't know how cute buttons can be, but she's about the cutest.  I'm so happy for Joel and Susie.  They are proud parents of a beautiful little girl.

     On a different subject, I like to read.  I don't just play video games and watch TV.  I like to read, I just don't.  On my lunch break I get pretty bored sitting there and watching that episode of Becker I've seen four times.  Sometimes I bring my DS when I have a new game to conquer.  Should I be spending time doing something else?  I just started a book that I got for Christmas from my pastor.  It's Prayer: Does It Make a Difference? by Phillip Yancey.  He begins the first chapter by questioning why people perceive prayer to be a hassle more than a help.  It's interesting to hear his thoughts.  With the continuous advancements in technology, we rely less and less on our the Physician and the Provider, and rely more and more on the technologies we have at hand.  We rely on irrigation and sprinklers for crops than pray for rain.  Rather than parents lifting their child up to God when they've fallen ill, they take them to the doctor.  That's something to think about.  Do I rely more on modern medicine, or do I pray?  I'll continue to post my findings and find if it does make a difference as I get further in the book.

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Sunday, February 25, 2007 - New Outlook

    This whole "internet" thing isn't that new to me, but having my own website is.  (MySpace does not count.)  I'm still trying to debate what I want to put on my space.  I've got 100MB to put stuff on, which is a little more than the 10MB Cox gives you.

    I was thinking about what I could talk about here, and I began to envision how I would share stories of my day at the bank or what new video game I was playing, but I would be way off if that's the extent of my raves.  To anyone willing to check back on this site, I hope that you would want to come back often enough to get something out of it.  I enjoy putting hyperlinks for you to click on to be taken to some wonderful worlds of information or humor.

    I've rambled the last paragraph and I'm still not sure what I was trying to say.  Well, I guess what I am trying to say, is that some days I will be talking about something that you can totally relate with in the banking world, the video game world, or the real life world.  Not The Real World, but real life.

    As far as real life, I mean everyday things that I go through or what I'm learning from My Creator.  Today I heard a messageabout giving God my leftovers.  I don't want to do that.  God shouldn't be getting my table scraps. God wants the best of me.  He doesn't want me to spend my whole day not even thinking of Him, and then five minutes before I go to bed at night squeeze in a little prayer for Him.  He doesn't want to be in a box on my shelf and doesn't deserve to be either.  My life shouldn't be so compartmentalized that He needs to be separated from everything else.  He deserves to be a part of everything else in my life.  Hold me accountable to this.  

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Saturday, February 24, 2007  - Beginnings

    I'm taking a stab (not literally, I don't have any knives or shanks like that) at this whole "online" community that I've tried so hard not to conform to.  I've always wanted to have my own domain name and I finally was able to afford one.  I saved my money and was able to put down a President Hamilton for it.  I had no idea I could get something that cheap that I could manage.  I plan on continuously updating the site, so check back often.  I hope to embed some of the videos that I've done in the Moving Pictures section, as well as show off some of my photography and some of my logo creation.

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