Today I didn't plan on playing during Church. Sometimes, however, God has things planned differently. Our bass player ended up being unable to show up today, so I filled in. I was the only one on stage in jeans because I didn't think I was going to be on stage today, and I hadn't practiced any of the songs on the bass. It could have been a complete disaster, but when we are weak, God uses us. I was able to get through both services, even with or possibly through my weaknesses and difficulties.
2 Cor 12:10
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (NAS)
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Need More Hangers
With a new addition to the collection, we are running out of space in the office/music room. It's time we got another guitar hanger.
Today for Christmas, my dad took me to pick out a bass guitar. It was a decision between a black Yamaha and a blue Squire. The blue bass won because it had better tuning mechanisms and it was blue. Just one more guitar in the collection, and probably the last for a while. Next: a banjo.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Another movie
Here is another verse showing how God has no equal:
Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom and no understanding and no counsel against the LORD.
(NAS)
Today, I went and saw Alvin and The Chipmunks with my nephew and mom. It was a pretty good movie. Again, it wasn't quite what I expected, but it was funny. It also had a pretty good plotline for being a movie about singing rodents.
Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom and no understanding and no counsel against the LORD.
(NAS)
Today, I went and saw Alvin and The Chipmunks with my nephew and mom. It was a pretty good movie. Again, it wasn't quite what I expected, but it was funny. It also had a pretty good plotline for being a movie about singing rodents.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Joseph's Uncle
Today, I saw a rather entertaining Christmas program. I must admit, I am rather biased.
It was my 8 year old nephew's school Christmas program, and he was excited about it.
Why was he more excited about the Christmas program than Christmas break? I think it may have something to do with the fact that he got to be Joseph in the nativity. All I know is that when I was his age, that would have been a good reason for me not to look forward to the event. In any case, he did a good job (again, biased opinion) even if he didn't have any lines to remember. By the way, Christmas break also started for him today. Now we're all free.
Disclaimer:
Sorry for sort of copying subject material, fellow blogger. You know who you are...
It was my 8 year old nephew's school Christmas program, and he was excited about it.
Why was he more excited about the Christmas program than Christmas break? I think it may have something to do with the fact that he got to be Joseph in the nativity. All I know is that when I was his age, that would have been a good reason for me not to look forward to the event. In any case, he did a good job (again, biased opinion) even if he didn't have any lines to remember. By the way, Christmas break also started for him today. Now we're all free.
Disclaimer:
Sorry for sort of copying subject material, fellow blogger. You know who you are...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Light trumps all
I John 1:5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.(NAS)
There are many ways in which the metaphor of God being light can be taken, but the most recent idea that I have found in this verse is this: when you shine a flashlight on a shadow, the light overwhelms the darkness, not the other way around. God, in His holiness, is infinitely more powerful than anything evil. In many religious beliefs and cultures, the common belief is held that good and evil are equal, or that Satan is the opposite of God. God has no equal opposite. There is nothing that stands up when compared to God's holiness. The darkness melts in the presence of the light. End of story.
There are many ways in which the metaphor of God being light can be taken, but the most recent idea that I have found in this verse is this: when you shine a flashlight on a shadow, the light overwhelms the darkness, not the other way around. God, in His holiness, is infinitely more powerful than anything evil. In many religious beliefs and cultures, the common belief is held that good and evil are equal, or that Satan is the opposite of God. God has no equal opposite. There is nothing that stands up when compared to God's holiness. The darkness melts in the presence of the light. End of story.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
What happened on Christmas...
I Jn 1:1-3
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life--2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.(NAS)
We don't always take the time to consider just what happened on that first Christmas day. But we definitely should. Jesus, the Son of God, but also God in the flesh, and eternal life manifested, came to dwell among us. He became human. He did all of this so that we could have fellowship with the father through His redeeming blood. Jesus is eternal life because it is only through Him that we can dwell eternally with Him. There is so much more to Christmas than we sometimes think about, and to find the joy to be found in Christmas, we need to think on these things not only during the Christmas season, but all throughout the year. That's what Christmas is. Think about it, tell people about it, and we will see change.
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life--2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.(NAS)
We don't always take the time to consider just what happened on that first Christmas day. But we definitely should. Jesus, the Son of God, but also God in the flesh, and eternal life manifested, came to dwell among us. He became human. He did all of this so that we could have fellowship with the father through His redeeming blood. Jesus is eternal life because it is only through Him that we can dwell eternally with Him. There is so much more to Christmas than we sometimes think about, and to find the joy to be found in Christmas, we need to think on these things not only during the Christmas season, but all throughout the year. That's what Christmas is. Think about it, tell people about it, and we will see change.
Monday, December 17, 2007
lunch and a show
Today, I saw I Am Legend with a few friends. It was different than I expected it to be. I think it was better than I expected. Really, I don't know what I expected out of it, but what I got wasn't quite it. It was an okay movie, but it was a little slow moving. I don't want to say too much about the movie because I think it was worth seeing and wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone.
I also learned a lesson today: sometimes less is more. Before the movie, I ate at the Panda Express in the mall. Everyone else got a rice bowl, but I decided to get a two entree plate. It turned out to be a little too much after a McDonalds breakfast just an hour earlier, and the brocolli beef was less than amazing, having brocolli chunks too large and beef too small and not very good quality. The orange chicken was okay, but I've definitely had better. The chow mein was good.
I also learned a lesson today: sometimes less is more. Before the movie, I ate at the Panda Express in the mall. Everyone else got a rice bowl, but I decided to get a two entree plate. It turned out to be a little too much after a McDonalds breakfast just an hour earlier, and the brocolli beef was less than amazing, having brocolli chunks too large and beef too small and not very good quality. The orange chicken was okay, but I've definitely had better. The chow mein was good.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
A Step Toward Christmas
I think today was another major step toward Christmas. Tonight at church we had a Christmas program where we sang Christmas carols all evening. We also got some history about the origins of the Christmas carols we sang. It was pretty interesting.
The message in church today felt like it was tailored just for me. It was a pretty amazing message, and just what I needed. The title of the message was "The Joy of Christmas," so I was surprised when Pastor Dan told us to turn to John 15:4-11.
But it all made sense as he elaborated that the basis for the joy of Christmas was that we are given the opportunity to bear fruit for Jesus, the true vine. This gives Him glory and in turn joy, and we have joy because of making God happy. The way we keep this joy year-round (which we should) is by abiding in Jesus, abiding in His Words, and remaining in His Love. We cannot bear fruit unless we abide in Jesus and think about Him. If we abide in His word, we will better know the will of God, and if we obey His commandments, we will abide in His love. All of these lead to joy as well as other rewards. The big part that hit me was that in order to abide in Jesus and have this joy, we have to keep pursuing that goal. It doesn't just happen.
The message in church today felt like it was tailored just for me. It was a pretty amazing message, and just what I needed. The title of the message was "The Joy of Christmas," so I was surprised when Pastor Dan told us to turn to John 15:4-11.
But it all made sense as he elaborated that the basis for the joy of Christmas was that we are given the opportunity to bear fruit for Jesus, the true vine. This gives Him glory and in turn joy, and we have joy because of making God happy. The way we keep this joy year-round (which we should) is by abiding in Jesus, abiding in His Words, and remaining in His Love. We cannot bear fruit unless we abide in Jesus and think about Him. If we abide in His word, we will better know the will of God, and if we obey His commandments, we will abide in His love. All of these lead to joy as well as other rewards. The big part that hit me was that in order to abide in Jesus and have this joy, we have to keep pursuing that goal. It doesn't just happen.
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