Madelyn now takes swimming lessons. I can't handle the cuteness.
Madelyn now takes swimming lessons. I can't handle the cuteness.
]]>You probably know what a Kindle is, but just in case... Made by Amazon, the Kindle is an electronic device that stores books. It is small, lightweight, very thin and easy to handle.
The beauty of the Kindle is it's function. In a world that seems to be getting bigger, this is an answer to a previously un-acknowledged problem: Books take up lots of space.
It seems fitting with our advancement in technology that we would embrace something like this. The fascinating thing about new inventions and gadgets isn't necessarily the fact that they are problem-solvers, but more the fact that they create a new-found need. They somehow shine a light on a problem that we didn't know we had or maybe they create the problem for us.
In rating the kindle, I'd score it high. It does what it does well.
If you search through other reviews, you'll hear kudos about it's e-ink screen. (It really does look great, even shockingly good.) You'll also read about it's ability to download books quickly - which makes sense if you have any background knowledge in the weight of data. (Words don't weigh much in the digital world, except the ones found on the sites of inconsistent bloggers, of course).
So I like it... but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the fact that this is a sort of gateway drug into the future of the literary world.
I'd like to say that books will always be around. I really really hope they are. But I think we've seen the entry into a very practical solution to what future generations will see as a given.
The artistry that accompanies books in their tangible form will be diminished if we lose interest in their weight in our hands. I think there is a sort of kinship that develops between a man and his book. You've received and pondered deep truths or even tensions from the pages that you held. If we enter into a world of digital-only text we lose something in the form of a conversation.
This blog is a good example. I can write things here and people may or may not read them, but if I have any heavy subject to share it only translates as well as my words are arranged. And reading heavy subject matter just doesn't have the same intensity on a screen.
I've got a friend who says every good reader does so with a pen in his hand. A book is best read when it's words are sloppily circled. When it's stained with coffee. When it's dog-eared pages are wrinkled and weak. Just like the transparency that comes with shared facial expressions during the translation of a sad story over coffee. It's also found in the laughter that ensues from the re-telling of a shared moment between two friends of the past.
I like technology. I like the internet. It will always be a huge part of my work and pleasure. It's accessibility is nearly immeasurable. And (like the Kindle) it's becoming more commonplace among our day to day lives. That's okay. But in the same vein as Facebook, let's not get so consumed with the time-friendly nature of technology or writing on someone's wall that we miss the beauty in the lost art of letter writing. Let's not miss the feeling of slightly raised ink on a page for the speed of the cutting edge.
So, for me... of course I'll continue to use my Kindle, but my office will always smell of old paper and my little girls bedroom will always have a bookshelf. Because as shiny and perfect as new gadgets are (and as much as I love them) there's nothing like the real thing.
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Do I look CRAZY?
It’s the thing that pops in your head nearly every time you hit the stage. What are people thinking when they see me up here? Can I be too energetic? Will people think I’m crazy?
Stage presence is such a huge part of what we do each week. HUGE. Music is really important... I don’t have to tell you that. We spend a lot more time on our rhythm and our sound than we do on our smiles. But don’t ever think it’s not important. Here is a gut check... the congregation, for the most part, will feel inclined to respond with about 60% of the energy that we do. No pressure.
When you come to the stage, you bring your life with you. The moments that you spend on stage are not separate from the moments that you live in your car, in line at Beans and Cream, and on the phone with your best friend. You are the same person. I believe the difference lies in the message. In our everyday moments our message is sometimes happy, sometimes sad, even angry. We can and will say any number of things in those moments. When we are on stage, however, our message is almost always one of praise. Singing words of praise to the God of the Universe. Recognizing how we must become less and He must become greater (John 3:30)
When we sing scripture or lift up phrases like “...if this life I lose, I will follow You” we are really saying something! If we are listening to ourselves at all, it will affect us. It will interact with our emotions. It might cause us to smile, it might cause us to lift our hands... and that’s okay.
We should be comfortable on the platform. We should smile. We should clap our hands (at the appropriate time, on two and four :) We should lift our hands. I think God wants us to be sincere. Reacting. Affected. Moved... as we worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and invite others to do that same.
Let’s all work on this together. We all know it’s a process that takes time. This is the part worship leadership that we tend to forget about. This is just a gentle reminder. Have fun!
]]>First time to see a new color
First time to hear a specific sound
First time feel a certain texture
There is something that wells up inside me every time I notice the moment she experiences a first. I want to control it. I want to be sure that she experiences things in the right order. At the right time. Because for some reason I think I know best. I think I can protect her from the darkness by controlling her exposure to the light.
One new game we play is called "daddy DJ" and it goes like this... I place her near me and press play on good quality music. We both listen. It's a simple concept but I love the idea that I'm controlling what's going into her ears. She's heard "Kind of Blue" with Miles Davis and his boys in it's entirety. She's also heard Radiohead, Coldplay and Johnny Cash. I'm confident by the time she is a year old, she will have heard more good music than most people hear in a lifetime.
I know how prideful this all sounds. But the most prideful moment for me will be when she recommends music to her dad. And he likes it. That will be a moment.
I'll try this for a while. I'll position her to hear and see and smell and feel only the things that seem safest for her. But at some point, I'll miss the mark. I'll not lock up the hatch that keeps the bad things out and she will begin to see more clearly.
Recently Ellen and I ate at a local restaurant and a waitress passed by and after looking at Maddy said...
"she doesn't know... it's such a cruel, cruel world"
She is probably right. There will be a moment when Madelyn just accepts the fact that for every good thing she sees happen, two more bad things will follow. She will begin to notice that her dad isn't as perfect as she once thought. That won't be an easy day for either one of us, but it will be the beginning of her understanding more deeply the importance of depending on her heavenly father.
So when we find ourselves face to face with the cruel cruel world... when we see the unlocked hatch and are reminded that things aren't quite as perfect as we once thought, let's lean on the unconditional love of a heavenly father and find ourselves not only more aware of the darkness, but face to face with light.
]]>"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for" -- William Shedd
]]>...should have an afternoon Espresso gathering. Thanks to this new friend, it's now a staple in our day. (we also work a lot)
The following story is from a local student pilot who is stationed here in Columbus for the next couple of years. As with everyone that we baptize, Chris allowed us to make a short film detailing his story. Because of the uniqueness of the events, we really wanted to use scenes from an airport. We were able to obtain full access to the local regional airport between flights one day and it really gave us the scenes we were looking for. The only thing we didn't have (that Chris' story did have) was a blizzard. Using FCP Color, we graded most of the scenes to have a cold harsh look. Using some reenactment and Chris' great talent in communication, we were happy with the end result.
]]>There have been times when certain individuals have made fun of me and my love for Apple products. In my interactions with this individual, who happens to be pastor I work with, I have chosen not to retaliate. Why? Because I know one, simple, profound truth: Apple products actually make you a better Christian.
Is this really possible, you ask? Yes it is. It’s more than possible, it’s true. Here’s just a few reasons why:
Apple Products Don’t Tempt You to Anger and Despair
You’ve been working on an important presentation for the last hour, furiously typing away on your PC. Suddenly, without any provocation from you, a mysterious error message appears on the screen. Due to you pressing the enter key too many times, your computer must now shutdown and erase all the work you’ve done over the last hour. You want to scream. Then you do. You momentarily contemplate hurling your laptop out the window. You’re angry at the world, then at your computer, then at Bill Gates. Then you sink into a pit of despair as you realize that you must recreate what you just lost.
Apple helps you flee from temptation.
Apple Products Are An Evangelism Tool
You’re sitting in a coffee shop, sipping on a latte, when you see a hip looking guy a few tables over reading a Bible and writing in a Moleskine journal. You can tell that he’s puzzled, and you ask him if he understands what he’s reading. “No I don’t,” he says. “Can you help me?” You grab your backpack and sit down at his table. He tells you that he’s reading in John 1, and you say that you’ll pull it up on your Bible software. You pull out your Dell laptop and place it on the table in front of you. The hip guy looks at you, then looks at your computer, then says, “You know what, I think I’ll just keep reading myself. Thanks.”
Apple helps you be missional.
Apple Products Reflect God’s Creativity
Take a moment and look at that HP laptop sitting on your desk. What words come to mind? Behemoth? Clunky? The size of battleship? A clear result of God’s curse upon humanity? Uglier than a wookie? Now look at your iPod. Sleek. Beautiful. Possibly unaffected by the fall.
Apple helps you see God’s creativity.
Apple Products Give You More Time For Prayer
How do Christian PC users spend approximately two-thirds of their days? Booting and rebooting their computers. They would pray but their prayer list was on their computer, which just locked up. And caught fire. Time to reboot.
Apple furthers your devotional life.
Apple Products Are Biblical
Let me connect the dots for you. How did Eve sin? She ate fruit. What is Apple’s logo? An apple with a bite out of it. Coincidence? I think not. Clearly, Apple is seeking to do some culture making and restore what was lost in the fall. They are redeeming the apple.
Are you seeing my point? If you want to grow, go get an Apple product.
No comment. I think this speaks for itself.
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