What's Your Excuse?
in Family, Molly & Chiari
Music Monday 8.6.07
in Music
A brief Music Monday (this is a timed post as I'm at Six Flags with my family). Three new albums you should check out.
Tegan and Sara: The Con -- Really digging this one, though it's still pretty new to me. Catchy but thoughtful pop.
Woven Hand: Mosaic -- Striking biblical imagery enveloped in thick, moody music. Ugh, this is awesome.
Jeremy White: Asleep in a Storm -- This is Sovereign Grace music remixed by White. Hear song clips. It's an odd sound for someone who knows SG worship music (their singing with dance remixes), but it's somehow appealing, interesting.
A Few Things
CT talks Glocal with Bob Roberts
Tentmaker Group looks promising
I heard an interview with Eric Maisel on the Writers on Writing podcast (see Pen on Fire). A couple of interesting thoughts on creativity. Here's Maisel's site.
Simpsonize yourself. Here's what Jonathan Edwards would look like on the Simpsons.
Two new fantastic movies: The Bourne Ultimatum & Sunshine
Packer's Death of Death Intro
This is online elsewhere, but The Gospel Coalition has now put up J.I. Packer's introduction to John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. Good reading. (HT)
Phriday is for Photos 8.3.07
in Photography
Sorry I don't have much in terms of new photos this week, but I do have this photo of my smokin' hot wife who has pretty much completely recovered from her Chiari 1 Malformation surgery 3 weeks ago. She has now starting driving and is doing incredibly well post-surgery. We are so blessed and thankful, so I offer you this wonderful view of her.
Go Cubbies!
in Sport
The Cubs are now in 1st place in the NL Central thanks to a great mid-summer stretch of exciting, well-coached (rare in these parts) baseball. From Sportsline...
The Cubs, who were 8½ games behind on June 23, finallyovercame the Milwaukee Brewers -- at least for a day. Chicago's win, coupled with the Mets' 8-5 win at Milwaukee, puts the Cubs a percentage point ahead of the Brewers.
"You can't make too much out of it on the first of August," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "We've got a lot of baseball to play. We can't get caught up in it."
It could all change tomorrow, as I know having lived through 2003, but this has been a fun summer for Cubs fans...especially my son, Elijah. He has gone from watching the occasional game on our limited cable setup to following all of them in real time on Sportsline.com. I've really enjoyed cheering along with him as he comes into my office to give me the latest update on who's on base, who hit the latest homer, which players are on the bench, how much he loves Soriono, and so on. A few days ago we got him a Soriono T-shirt. And yesterday (Wednesday) we followed the latest game on the computer, then listened on the radio for a bit as we sat in the car, then back on the computer again, then to the radio for the finish. Lots of fun with my little athelete.
Piper on the Bridge Collapse
John Piper reflects on the bridge collapse in Minneapolis today. For some reason this paragraph (near the end) stood out to me...
The word “bridge” does not occur in the Bible. There may be tworeasons. One is that God doesn’t build bridges, he divides seas. The other is that usually his people must pass through the deadly currents of suffering and death, not simply ride over them. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2). They may drown you. But I will be with you in life and death.
Two Keller Sermons
in Gospel, Preaching, Theology, Tim Keller
Thanks to an email from James I can offer you two links to new Tim Keller sermons preached at St. George's-Tron Church in Glasgow. Enjoy.
3 by 5 Rule
in Missional
I remember asking Ed Stetzer about interacting with unbelievers and getting something similar to what Gary Rohrmayer wrote in his post Engaging in More Spiritual Conversations...
Evangelism has moved in the last 20 years from being a monologue (one-sided conversation) to a dialog (two-way conversation.) Thereare people all around us who are receptive to spiritual discussions and open genuine spiritual guidance. George Barna sites, “That 62% of American adults consider themselves to be not merely ‘religious,’ but ‘deeply spiritual.’” This means that there is more than a 50-50 chance of getting into some type of spiritual conversation with people who travel in and out of your life. Learning to engage people in a meaningful, spiritual dialog is critical for a spiritual leader.
[...]
It is important for a leader to think strategically about their conversations throughout the week. If you don't plan it or make room for it, the likelihood is that it is not going to get done. I agree with Brian McLaren’s statement, “We should count conversations rather than conversions, not because I don't believe in conversions, but because I don't think we'll get many conversions if we keep emphasizing them.” The number of conversations you have is directly related to the number of conversions you will see happen over a year. In coaching church leaders we use the 3 by 5 rule. If leaders are going to be serious about connecting with people they need to uncover at least 5 new contacts a day, equaling about 35 a week, which will lead to 3 "sit-downs" for a meaningful conversation.
Music Monday 7.30.07
in Music
Hey, hey, it's Music Monday.
I've been enjoying some Dr. Dog lately. I read a quote from Jeff Tweedy recently where he mentioned Dr. Dog. Then I happened upon Dr. Dog's new album, We All Belong, at a Borders . Decided to take a risk and I dig their Beatlesy vibe. This is a fun introduction...
Got a free download from the Kinetic Stereokids (MySpace) and it's really good. Love this...
The new Spoon CD, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is fantastic. I dig the live Letterman version of "The Underdog", though you may wonder when Gary Busey started a band...
I'll leave you on a funny note. Flight of the Concords' "Part-Time Model" just kills me. Warning: It's not for kids. But adults with a sense of humor will dig it.
Gospel Coalition: Tim Keller Interviews
The Gospel Coalition website (which has gone from a little helpful toward really helpful in a short period of time) has a number of short video interviews (linkable) with key players: Don Carson, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, and yes, Tim Keller. As you could have guessed, I'm linking the Keller (and Carson/Keller) ones here for you. To see them more quickly, just go to the interviews page and scroll to them. And don't forget to visit my Tim Keller Resources page.
Phriday is for Photos 7.27.07
in Photography
It's All Good (Post-Surgery Appt)
in Family, Molly & Chiari
Great news today. Despite another awful drive to the U of Chicago (rain, accidents, ugh), Dr. Frim and his colleagues thought things were great and that Molly's few remaining issues were normal.
Actually, the only issue that really concerned us was lightheadedness when Molly stands up. Dr. Frim told us that lightheadedness is not only not a bad thing, it's actually a good thing. Now that the brain/brain stem area is decompressed her CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) just falls out of her head, so to speak, making her lightheaded. To have this problem at times post-surgery means the area is sufficiently decompressed. And eventually her body will compensate and this issue should go away. Awesome.
So, yeah, really good news. We are very, very thankful to God for his many blessings in recovery, but also for the peace we have had throughout these two scary months.
Things are going so well we are beginning to plan a train trip into Chicago with the kids in a couple of weeks (or so), a trip to see my family soon, and more. Trust me, Molly is still taking it slow. It's still months before she can lift anything of any weight at all and she is being extra cautious. But things like walking, driving, and doing most other normal life activities are based on how she feels. And she feels great.
Thanks yet again for praying for my wife, for me and for our kids.
Post-Surgery Appointment
in Family, Molly & Chiari
We are headed out (with our kiddos) at 7am for a 9:40am appointment with Molly's surgeon, Dr. Frim, at the University of Chicago. We expect to hear only good things and have a handful of questions for him. On our way home we will, Lord-willing (and we're sure He is!), stop at P.F. Changs for the greatest Chinese food on the planet.
Thought this would be a good time to put up our favorite "get well" card. Love this...
Challenging Pleasures vs Easy Comforts
Dana Gioia, American poet and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, delivered the commencement address at Stanford in June. Here's an excerpt, but you should read the whole thing...
Marcus Aurelius believed that the course of wisdom consisted of learning to trade easy pleasures for more complex and challenging ones. I worry about a culture that bit by bit trades off the challenging pleasures of art for the easy comforts of entertainment. And that is exactly what is happening—not just in the media, but in our schools and civic life.
Entertainment promises us a predictable pleasure—humor, thrills, emotional titillation, or even the odd delight of being vicariously terrified. It exploits and manipulates who we are rather than challenges us with a vision of who we might become. A child who spends a month mastering Halo or NBA Live on Xbox has not been awakened and transformed the way that child would be spending the time rehearsing a play or learning to draw.
[...]
Art is an irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world—equal to but distinct from scientific and conceptual methods. Art addresses us in the fullness of our being—simultaneously speaking to our intellect, emotions, intuition, imagination, memory, and physical senses. There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories, or songs, or images.
Art delights, instructs, consoles. It educates our emotions. And it remembers. As Robert Frost once said about poetry, "It is a way of remembering that which it would impoverish us to forget." Art awakens, enlarges, refines, and restores our humanity. You don't outgrow art. The same work can mean something different at each stage of your life. A good book changes as you change.
(HT: BHT)
Molly, Music and Misc Links
in Family, Molly & Chiari, Music
I tried to put this up yesterday, but I've had no shortage of computer issues. A Molly update and links on the way...
Molly Update
She had brain surgery 12 days ago and for the most part is feeling good and getting around fine. The stuff she is dealing with right now are lightheadedness when she stands up, some neck pain, and some numbness on her scalp. Her balance is doing wonderfully. I was very surprised yesterday as she tested what she can and can't do. She is experiencing no numbness in her limbs as she had before. It seems the rest of her symptoms have either gone away or been depleted, but we are still taking our time to determine exactly what will happen with those.
She felt well enough to go out to dinner with me last night to celebrate our 14 year anniversary. Man, I love my wife. This picture was taken yesterday. Want to see what the incision area looks like?
Cheap, Good Music
Personally, I don't download much music. I buy CD's. But the temptation to download has just increased. iTunes now has some great CD's at very low prices, which is a new thing. At the iTunes store click on the "Next Big Thing" box and you will find some great CD's for $6.99 by Peter, Bjorn and John, Brandi Carlile, Hot Chip, and LCD Soundsystem. Really great deals.
Links
I think Justin Taylor has written some great stuff on Genesis: Origins.
Michael Foster kindly links to all of Driscoll's Death by Ministry series.
Billy Graham preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (Edwards) in 1949. The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale has provided analysis.
My wife and I have signed up for Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints. Here are some Desiring God pre-conference videos.
14 Years of Joy
in Family
Molly and I met at Southern Illinois University in the fall of 1991. It didn't take long before all we wanted to do was be together. We were engaged in the summer of 1992 and married on July 24th, 1993 in my hometown, Pontiac, Illinois.
She is my sweetheart and my best friend. She is the one who listens to me and loves my ideas simply because they come from me. She is the one who puts up with all my crap and sin and struggles and loves me anyway. She is an unbelievable woman who is way out of my league. She is a gift from the Lord.
It took a lot of prayer to find the courage necessary to put up a wedding photo of me. But it took no thought to put one up of my bride. Gorgeous.
Music Monday 7.23.07
in Music
Though I haven't found them in a store yet, I'm on the lookout for 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand (MySpace). David Eugene Edwards is involved in both (or was, in the case of 16 Horsepower) and both have a thick spiritual flavor. Check this powerful Paste Magazine article, "Woven Hand: The Uncomfortable Faith of David Eugene Edwards." A quote...
"I'm just singing from first-hand experience of how wretched people are. And I don't need to go any further than myself," says Edwards of his body of work, formed first as the lead vocalist and main songwriter behind Appalachian goth-folk outfit 16 Horsepower and now the center of his solo project, the more experimental Woven Hand. "I don’t have to point my finger at anybody else, because there is no need." In so doing, Edwards, like Cash, creates a world rendered in stark black and white, peopled with characters that murder and steal and frantically try to stay one step ahead of the judgment they know is trailing them. As with Cash, Edwards uses his personal frailties and deep Christian faith to make unsettling comments on the human condition that are designed for a purpose startlingly out of step with the majority of contemporary entertainment: Edwards aims to make his listener uncomfortable.
16 Horsepower
"Hutterite Mile" - Fantastic. Brilliant!
This cover of "Alone and Forsaken" is great, though there are some feedback issues.
Woven Hand
"Winter Shaker"
"White Bird"
Critical & Generous
We need to be as critical of ourselves as we often are of others, and as generous to others as we always are to ourselves.
John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, BST, p 180.
Phriday is for Photos 7.20.07
in Photography
Welcome to an extended edition of Phriday is for Photos. I'll throw in a couple of extras this week.
A smattering of newer photos. Stuff from the University of Chicago hospital and area. Stuff from the week prior. Enjoy all my photography.