the normal christian blog

Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing by Larry Brooks

2011-10-05T14:31:00.002-05:00

Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing
by Larry Brooks

The six core competencies of successful writing, according to Larry Brooks, are: concept, theme, character, structure, scenes, and voice. The first four are elemental components; the last two relate to execution.
And that was the summary this book needed. Honestly, I read this book and I had to search for a place in the book where the main point of it could be easily discovered. There are two helpful pages tucked at the end of the book (218-219). Otherwise? Good luck. This book does not seem heavily edited.
But first, the positives: Brooks has been immensely helpful in providing writers with an alternative model of story-writing other than "pantsing," as he calls it. Since Stephen King's memoir "On Writing," I've had this image of the writing process in my mind where you just feel your way forward, write the whole thing about three times, and hopefully discover a story along the way. That's pantsing: flying by the seat of your pants.
Brooks offers an alternative. In short, plan ahead. Sketch the story, all of it, from characters to scenes, ahead of time. That was phenomenally helpful. King and others give the impression that anything other than pantsing it is not true art. Brooks knocks that idea flat. It's about the story first; art second. It has to be a story before it can be art. Tell a good story; make good art.
Brooks' six competencies may also be helpful. I'll have to go back and think about it because they were drowned in a deluge of analogies and lists. Oh! the metaphors. Oh! the lists. What I'm about to say may sound like an exaggeration, but it is not: This book contained thousands of analogies/illustrations/examples/metaphors. I estimate an average of a dozen a page. Seriously. And lists. Lists sprouting all over the place! We start with six items, but each item grows a half dozen more items, which each grow sub-lists that appear to be in pairs or triplets and may even have list-offspring of their own! Lists and comparisons, in other words, drown out the genuine help Brook offers.
He says it is a presentation of a course he offers. It feels that way. I only wish it had been a distillation of that course as well.

*I received a copy of this book for review.

"Redistributing...chocolate bars and ice cream cones."

2011-08-09T10:10:00.000-05:00

Hilarious quote. Something truly profound lurking here:

"This is the uprising of the working class. We're redistributing the wealth," said Bryn Phillips, a 28-year-old self-described anarchist, as young people emerged from a store with chocolate bars and ice cream cones.

UK PM recalls Parliament for London riot crisis - Yahoo! News

Your joy

2011-06-25T09:19:00.000-05:00

"Every joy is deeply opposed."

from: "Know Your Deepest Opposition."

(who knew John Eldridge and John Piper had so much in common?)

They Did Not Give Up

2011-06-14T14:05:00.003-05:00

"They Did Not Give Up."

This collection of anecdotes and quotes captures a bit of the vision behind my "normal Christianity." That is, it's a commitment to following Jesus that embraces, as He does, our failures and sinfulness as opportunities. Opportunities to embrace His love afresh, to glorify His sacrifice, to receive the Spirit, to enter God's life, to etc. ad infinitum
There is a natural resilience in the human spirit, placed there by God no-doubt. But it pales in comparison to the supernatural resilience of the Faithful Spirit of God.

Art Project, powered by Google

2011-06-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

This is flat out one of the coolest things the internet has ever provided: Art Project by Google.

Winnie-the-Pooh quotes by A.A. Milne

2011-06-10T14:08:00.002-05:00

Some serious, seriously awesome, and funny quotes
from a bear Of Little Brains.
Winnie-the-Pooh quotes.

Favorites:
"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."
"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day."
"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called."

Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Photo, Iceland Wallpaper – National Geographic Ph... - StumbleUpon

2011-06-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. Glory. at NatGeo.com.

review of: Max on Life, by Max Lucado

2011-04-21T09:52:00.002-05:00

In Max on Life, best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado addresses 172 questions from seven different areas of life. He writes with wit, graciousness, and clarity. And most important, he addresses each question with biblical wisdom. The message of Max on Life is that the Bible matters for life, for every area of our lives, for every question. From hard things to regular things, God's Word can help.
Max Lucado is an extremely gifted writer. He gets right to the point. He hones in on the heart issue. He does not flinch. And he does it all with sensitivity and humor.
Max knows his Bible. I am a pastor. I know my Bible. But Max...Max knows his Bible. And he answers the questions as only someone who knows their Bible can answer a question. If the Bible is not clear about something, Max does not make it clearer. If the Bible is clear about something, Max does not equivocate. Where the Bible offers differing perspectives, Max gives us its latitude.
Which highlights the fact that on every page, Max is writing to hearts. He hears hearts in the questions and writes to hearts with his answers. He is sensitive and careful. He writes with love. Again, as a pastor, I found each answer extremely helpful. I can only hope that the Spirit of God will help me answer these difficult questions with something like the humility, graciousness, and confidence that Max answers them.
Which brings up the final point of applause: Each answer is shorter than a page and a half. Most are less than a page. In other words, Max answers these questions--some quite difficult--with all the knowledge, all the finesse, all the pastoral wisdom described above, all in about one page.
When the biblical writers talk about the Spirit giving gifts, I do not think that they mean that the Spirit gives people gifts as much as the Spirit gives gifts through people. This book is a gift. Receive it and be glad.

*I received a copy of this book for review from 'booksneeze.com.'

2011-03-25T14:23:00.003-05:00

Is this true of us? It's not that we're lazy: we're working harder than ever. But like the hamster on his spinning wheel, we're not going anywhere.
What good are you? Be of good.

2011-03-05T08:37:00.002-06:00

update: I'd love to be blogging more these days. But alas, my writing time is swallowed up in other enterprises. However, I am reading a great deal. If you're looking for the best of the-web-that-doesn't-suck, subscribe to my GoogleReader Shared Items feed.
TTFN

The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

2011-02-04T15:47:00.002-06:00

The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

The subtitle of this book is: "the spiraling adventure of the spiritual life." This is a good summary of the best of this book. Chittister explains how the observing the liturgical calendar works as a spiral. The effect is not instantaneous or remarkable. But, over time, the participant discovers themselves to be increasingly aware of redemption history by their reenactment of it throughout the year. Of all the benefits Chittister argues for, this is the most persuasive.
The liturgical year itself gets scant attention in this book. Note: the first chapter to address an actual calendar item is chapter 9, on Advent. Then, chapter 12 on Christmas; chapter 17 on Lent; 18, Ash Wednesday; 22, Holy Thursday; 23, Good Friday; 24, Holy Saturday; 25, Easter; 27, Paschaltide; The Sanctoral Cycle and Marian Feasts in 31-32. So, about ten actual calendar items in thirty-three chapters. Chapters also include, "Joy," "Asceticism," "Suffering," "Celebration," "Fidelity," and "Models and Heroes." Better than half of the book is taken up with these loosely related essays.
In addition to offering us little information about the Liturgical Year, the book is difficult to read. Chittister's devotional thoughts are generic, introduced by unrelated stories; her prose reads like a series of spoken addresses that have escaped significant editing.
The book is light reading and offers some enjoyable moments for those willing to meander with Chittister through the high points of the Christian calendar… and related thoughts. Those seeking information about the Liturgical Year will be frustrated.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Batman: Knightfall

2011-02-01T15:48:00.000-06:00

I love Batman stuff. Found this Wikipedia article to be helpful and full of new, exciting paths in the Batman-myth-universe. Batman: Knightfall.

Internet Archive

2011-01-29T15:39:00.002-06:00

I posted about this before but recently had an opportunity to examine the list of live concerts available on the Internet Archive a bit more thoroughly. Here are some artists who caught my eye:

OnesIlike.
Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken
Red Sparowes
Pinback
Waterdeep
Matt Pond PA
The Decembrists

OnesImight.
Ancient Harmony
BreatheOwlBreathe
The Weepies
The Clarks
Jose Gonzalez

OnesWithCoolNames.
Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Beethovens 7th-Alegretto

2011-01-26T09:10:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite pieces. This guy does it a bit faster than I prefer, but the beauty and power of the piece is inescapable. Give yourself a break and enjoy.

who spent what

2011-01-23T09:26:00.001-06:00

Very interesting graphic display of which companies spent the most in advertising in 2010: Paying for Your Eyeballs.
Here are a few observations:
1. GM spent 1.5 billion of OUR dollars to sell US products? (up 20%!) I don't know if there is a clearer example of government misuse of taxpayer dollars. Of course, I'm joking. There are hundreds of better examples. (NASA?)
2. Looking at the companies on the list, I wonder if we could make a direct connection between amount of money spend on advertisements and amount of stuff a company wants to divert our attention away from? It's not so much that the companies most excited about their products want to attract our attention, it's that the companies most interested in hiding things divert our attention with ads.
3. The above two observations help to solidify my theologically given view that whether it's capitalism or socialism, the bottom line is people wasting money in order to cover evil and stupidity. Bottom Line: you loose. Unless it's you wasting the money and doing the foolishness. In that case: you loose BIG TIME.

trick or treaters

2011-01-22T15:05:00.001-06:00

This comic made me laugh because I had the same idea. I suggested to wifey that we order pizza and put a slice in the bag of each kid. Other *great ideas included a cup of warm cider in each baggie.
Ha! What a funny guy I am.
Anyways, this is funny:

spring's coming

2011-01-21T09:07:00.003-06:00

It's 9degrees tomorrow, but spring's not far off.

On a side but related note: consider the suburban obsession with lawn care.
It's as if a large part of our moral concern and accompanying distribution of shame and social guilt got transferred mid-century to external appearances, i.e. lawn care. Since our neighbors were no longer known, we were only given access to each other's lives via facades. But we still had to judge each other, condemn, praise, etc., and assign moral values (read: make sense of our universes). But now we only have access to each others externals. Thus the importance of lawns.
It is only by happy chance (our movies tells us) that we discover the single elderly woman who doesn't keep her garden well isn't a witch. Who knew? Her lawn's shaggy. How were we to suspect anything different?

'Fasting' by Scot McKnight

2011-01-18T20:11:00.002-06:00

Fasting?
Why would I? What does it involve? Is it biblical?
To hear talk of fasting is, for most people, like being cast into a fog in a strange land. Unfortunately, many books that discuss fasting talk about in ethereal terms: sensations, mystical experiences; the Bible, and clear explanation, appears very little.
Scot McKnight offers a corrective to that problem and a prescriptive to all the above questions, and more. McKnight's thesis is simple: "Fasting is the natural, inevitable response of a person to a grievous sacred moment in life." He deals with what he calls an "instrumental" view of fasting, where fasting is a ploy attempting to get something instead of a response. McKnight thoroughly proves his thesis, from Scripture and from history; he also demonstrates how, in those cases where an instrumental view is taken, people can be harmed.
If anyone has a question about fasting, whether from a biblical passage, a historical anecdote, or a practical concern, McKnight addresses it. McKnight provides an A-Z, plain, simple, clear explanation of fasting. Those who read this book will have a solid footing—a clear, biblical understanding of fasting—from which to embark on a life that incorporates this practice.
In additional, McKnight’s style is simple and thoroughly readable. There is no jargon that he himself does not introduce and explain. He is used to writing for the common person. Easy to understand and always interesting, McKnight has provided the Church with a gift in 'Fasting.' Now pastors have something to recommend, and believers have a starting place from which to begin, when the question of fasting comes up.

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”]

one-sentence theology

2011-01-15T07:15:00.002-06:00

Dane Ortlund posts a series of responses to the question: What's the Message of the Bible in One Sentence?
Many very helpful responses in the bunch.
My favorite:

Doug Wilson:

Scripture tells us the story of how a Garden is transformed into a Garden City, but only after a dragon had turned that Garden into a howling wilderness, a haunt of owls and jackals, which lasted until an appointed warrior came to slay the dragon, giving up his life in the process, but with his blood effecting the transformation of the wilderness into the Garden City.

rethinking foolishness

2011-01-13T20:36:00.000-06:00

Some great stuff from StrongOdors today.
Loved this in particular:

To me foolishness is missing out on your children’s childhood because you’re too busy working for retirement… busting your butt for 40 years so you can sit on it for the last few you’ve got on earth.

SO YOU CAN SIT ON IT FOR THE LAST FEW
This may be the best summary of the basic operating religion we all come programmed with: Waste your youth on 'productivity' so you can waste your aged-ness on 'relaxation.'
(Is that what they call it when you have no relationships and no hope? Relaxation?)
Go through Hell; Get to Heaven. Game Over. SucksToBeYou.

Think on these things: Troublemaker.

Also:
try,
Don't Waste Your Retirement

'more of a big picture guy'

2011-01-12T10:55:00.000-06:00

peacemaking and children

2011-01-11T13:36:00.000-06:00

Ken Sande of Peacemakers hits it on the head.
We parents need to consider this closely:
Peacemaking: A Key to Socializing Children.

a long defeat

2011-01-09T13:15:00.002-06:00

"A Long Defeat"
I've been troubling over this phrase and attendant concept since it was introduced to me by Wesley. Originally from JRR.
Perhaps it will provide you with helpful questions as we embark on 2011. Once we pass 30 (I'm 30), we forever leave behind the idea of 'improvement.' I am not getting smarter, fitter, handsomer, etc. I am not getting nicer, cleaner, more resolute. My morality, like my tendons, is loosing its elasticity. Would it were not so.
But,...
Can I fight a long defeat?
I'll die. I'll do bad things. I'll say horrible, foolish words to people I love with my whole heart. I'll ignore pain in others. My neighbors will get their damned divorce. My friends will ruin their family's too. Our country will come to an end. Our culture will become more self-destructive. Our illusions will unexpectedly vanish.
It's true. We will be defeated.
But then, after the defeat... what comes next?
This is why fighting the long defeat is okay. It is an acceptable form of the victory we've been promised.
What comes next makes it okay.

Here's some other thoughts about and involving "The Long Defeat."
The American Scene: "The Long Defeat."
The Inklings: "The Long Defeat."

Boredom and Church...not a bad thing?

2011-01-07T13:33:00.002-06:00

The always provocative D. Fitch posted this a few weeks back. I have read it a few times, ruminating on its validity and how to jive it with other versions of church I've been taught to value. Something draws me to this.
What say ye?
"One of the Best Things Our Sunday Morning Gathering Can do is Bore 'The Hell' Out of You."

The Most Impressive People

2011-01-06T11:27:00.000-06:00

This quote has been haunting my thoughts as I prepare to embark on numerous challenging and exciting projects in this new year.
It begins: "The most impressive people I know are all procrastinators." You know you want to learn more. Here.

'the problem with the future...'

2011-01-05T09:35:00.000-06:00

2011-01-03T11:18:00.000-06:00

Stay at Home Dad?
Not too many of them that I've known. At least, that were happy in that condition.
This article ('Taking Stock of My Life as a StayAtHome Dad') presents some interesting challenges to our ideas of masculinity and gender roles in the home. I was struck by how servant-like this dad was while at the same time failing in more classic male occupations, like bacon-bringing. Perhaps the best sort of compromise would be for husbands to stop asking their wives to be breadwinners and homemakers and instead to be both breadwinners and homemakers themselves. That is, to work for the family's financial security and also to demonstrate for the family Jesus-like servant leadership.
We all love the Proverbs 31 woman, but what about a Proverbs 31 MAN? How about us guys 'manning' up and being more like this virtuous woman?
Because the reality is that, man or woman, the more virtuous we become, the more Jesus-like we become. And all mythical notions of 'me-time' and 'checking-out' as necessary components to a life well-lived would be exposed as hooey.
So, husband or wife, father or mother, let the Spirit of the Lord guide you into a life of getting more and more of His Life by giving more and more of yours to those around you.

'Practice Resurrection'

2011-01-01T11:05:00.002-06:00

I've begun spending more time sifting through online resources (aka, in most cases, blogs). You can enjoy the best of what I've read on my GoogleReader Shared Items Feed.
But some of the best of the best I will repost here with comment. This allows me to more easily access them for my own use, but also offers any too-hurried reader a second chance to consider these things.

Wendell Berry is a challenging ethicist. I don't know if he would call himself that, but he has been this for me. He has grabbed me by the nap of the neck and held my face down, inches from 'the good', forcing me to see, to admit, to confess--to stop making excuses about unappreciated complexity bemiring me from attending to good. It's not that complex. Doing good is pretty straightforward in most cases. Anyhow--off topic.
Here's a great poem by Berry: "Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front."

Don't return it--Bury It

2010-12-30T14:17:00.003-06:00

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

2010-12-24T14:43:00.000-06:00

Worst Movie of 2010

2010-12-20T10:44:00.002-06:00

Sylvester Stallone has earned himself his second straight 'Worst Movie of the Year' award from yourstruly.
I haven't seen a movie as dumb as The Expendables since last year's Rambo.
Stunning. Breathtaking.
I feel genuinely wronged.
Vow: to never again knowingly watch a macho-movie directed by Sylvester Stallone.
Congrats Sly.

strong odors 10 best albums

2010-12-19T10:25:00.000-06:00

The genius behind StrongOdors has done more than any other mortal to propel me into the world of music that is also art. If I have good taste in music, I have it because he has helped to craft my taste buds.
His picks are all (as far as I know) excellent selections. Where I differ from him, I do so with humility. Where I am yet uninformed, I anticipate satisfaction.

(...with the exception of stuff by Weezer!)

Strong Odors: 10 Best Albums 2010.
Also, you could peruse his 'music' tag with benefit.

2010-12-17T22:36:00.000-06:00

This quote was just too good to leave where it sat. Thanks to whomever Luke is.
Quote: 'the most impressive people.'

'Will it save his soul?"

2010-12-16T08:30:00.001-06:00

2010-12-15T14:28:00.002-06:00

Mumford & Sons.
I apologize, everyone. The album Sigh No More is phenomenal.
It should have been on my end of the year list.
Up near the top.

2010-12-15T11:01:00.002-06:00

Jar's "The Shelter" $5 at Amazon: Jars of Clay presents the Shelter.
Made it up high on my best of list.
There are a couple other good albums in this month's $5 specials. Check it.

Helpful aggregation

2010-12-14T21:27:00.000-06:00

largeheartedboy has provided us a one-stop shop for book and music end-of-year lists. Hooray! Who doesn't love lists?
More lists is more better.
Best Books Lists.
Best Music Lists.

favorite eggnog?

2010-12-12T21:20:00.000-06:00

excluding homemade. favorite store-bought eggnog?
Seriously, I need some suggestions...soon!

2010 Favorite Albums

2010-12-10T10:32:00.002-06:00

1. The Age of Adz, Sufjan Stevens. A masterpiece. I couldn't say it better than the Odoriferous One did: Age of Adz on Strong Odors.
2. Hello Hurricane, Switchfoot Okay, released Nov 10, 2009. So what. That's practically 2010. A strong, diverse, thoughtful, impeccably produced album. Sonically and lyrically disturbing in a way that I couldn't be long away from.
3. The Suburbs, Arcade Fire. The most accessible AF album to date and the most theologically profound. Beautiful and poignant. Strong Odor's assessment.

*Note: the above albums constituted well over 50% of what I listened to this year. I tried to make it a point to listen to music more in 2010, but what I listened to ended up being those three albums. Unfortunately the rest of the list, while offering good listening experiences--all tremendous albums--do not come anywhere near the kind of artistry demonstrated in the above three.

4. Jars of Clay Presents: The Shelter, Jars of Clay. I love Jars. Always have. Always will. A much stronger album than "The Long Fall..." On par with "Who We Are Instead" and "The Eleventh Hour" if not quite attaining to "Much Afraid."
5. A Thousand Suns, Linkin Park. LP's getting mauled in the reviews for this. Here's my theory: despite a greater concentration of profanity than 'usual' for LP, this album also contains the highest concentration of the Gospel than any of their previous outings. Indeed, it has more honest, unflinching biblical truth than many 'Christian' albums I've come across.
6. The Medicine, John Mark McMillan. John Mark has one of the best production ears I've come across in a song writer. Each song is a work of art and contemplative experience in ways that are as rare as they must be. He works too hard (or not hard enough) on some of his lyrics, but that's really okay.

*Note: at this point the listening drops off severely. I've listened to the following albums less together than any of the previous three individually.

7. Women and Country, Jakob Dylan. Honestly, we're getting into the listened to very little categories. JD is easy on the ears with the occasional turn of phrase that stops you dead.
8. Raising Up the Dead, Caedmon's Call. Heralded as a return to the CC we all fell in love with back when we fell in love with everything "Raising Up" certainly tries to resurrect its former self. The folk sounds are back as are the obtuse lyrics (I mean that in a good way). Only extended listening will determine if this will be the next great album hidden beneath ultra-conservative college dorm mattresses.
9. Junky Star, Ryan Bingham. Good folk country. Every song sounds...similar. Not a holistic album in the sense that some of the above are, but good for a batch of recordings that scratch where and when you "niche" (he he!). Sometimes, living in the land of plaids and never-quitting can-do pick ups, even I can't resist laying down some old time he-haw. When I must, I reach for Ryan Bingham. He's a little cooler.

Honorable Mention: All Day, Girl Talk. Probably the most creative thing I've heard in years.
Hopeful for, Magnetic North, Aqualung.

'Unstoppable' review

2010-12-08T10:39:00.000-06:00

'Unstoppable' is a train-movie.
These sorts of movies are metaphors. Trains as fate, time, disease, the political process--processes far larger than we are gone out of control endangering many people. And it's up to us to stop it all.
This was a particularly enjoyable version of this kind of movie, thanks in large part to its likable leads. Having lived in PA for a few years, I think they nailed their characters.
PA is this enigmatic state, part pre-apocalyptic beauty, part dystopia. But it is filled with guys just like the leads in 'Unstoppable.' Regular 'joes' who are terrible at relationships, frustrated with life, caught in the gears of a capitalist wasteland and a socialist nightmare. But they're regular guys who will lay down their lives for you with very little provocation. They can be bitter and mean and juvenile. But show them danger, a so-called ethical dilemma, and watch out. They're in it.
I can't think of a single PA man I knew who didn't wear a Superman suit under their 20 year-old jeans and free t-shirt. From wealthy businessmen to jobless ex-cons: you need help? You got it.
'Unstoppable' was a powerful testament to guts and hard-knocks. Intense movie.
Rotten Tomatoes gives it an 86%.
Reviewed at Plugged in Online.
Note*I appreciate the service Plugged-in Online offers families, but seriously, I've never read a review that didn't focus on the most peripheral 'objectionable element.' It can be silly. A classic example of what results from a culture of Pharisaical-fear-mongering-commie-hunting: everything is "not officially recommended," everything is "be careful." Okay. Be careful.
and Be careful you don't strain the gnat and swallow the camel.

Book Review: 'Pirate Latitudes' by Michael Crichton

2010-12-07T17:04:00.000-06:00

Michael Crichton was my favorite modern author. He was a brilliant person as well as a phenomenal writer. He succeeded in numerous fields in addition to fiction.
"Pirate Latitudes" was discovered after his death. Crichton did not apparently think it was ready for publication. Indeed, no where near ready.
In short, the book is a flop--for Crichton, a flop. It's not bad, but it's not good either. It is undoubtedly the worst Crichton book I have read. It's formulaic and straight, which Crichton's novels never were.
"Pirate Latitudes" can only be read with pleasure by a die hard Crichton junky (I consider myself one). And yet, honestly, it's not a very good novel.

Some of my favorite Critchton novels include: The Great Train Robbery, Eaters of the Dead, The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Sphere, and The Jurassic Park series.
Mid-level novels include: Next, Prey, Timeline, The Terminal Man, and Airframe.
Poor outings include: Pirate Latitudes and State of Fear.
Unread: Disclosure and Rising Sun.

What I'm Listening To

2010-12-07T11:49:00.002-06:00

Mickey Mouse Operation, Little People.
Outstanding. Chill. Good reading/studying/thinking music.

"Hello Hurricane" only $3.99

2010-12-06T08:05:00.002-06:00

Amazon special. Get it while it's hot. One of my favorite albums of the year. Fantastic album; amazing price: Hello Hurricane, Switchfoot, at Amazon.mp3.

Sci-fi Recommendation

2010-12-05T17:00:00.003-06:00

I am into the second book of the Safehold series by David Weber. So far the books have been well written with an interesting premise and story. In addition they have been far cleaner than any comparable sci-fi I have ever encountered (and most fiction). A little violent at times, but that, for the most part, can't be helped.
David Weber's homepage.
Wikipedia entry of Safehold titles.

Holiday Strife

2010-12-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

Here are some good words from the good people over at CCEF.
Walking in Peace Amid Holiday Strife.

DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL BIG!!!

2010-12-03T09:24:00.000-06:00

This comic is applicable to any situation in which a dramatic couple or triangle diverts the majority of our time and energy away from productive life.

ignorance

2010-11-30T08:22:00.000-06:00

hello hurricane

2010-11-29T10:29:00.000-06:00

"Really?"

2010-11-28T10:46:00.001-06:00

'Amusing Ourselves to Death'

2010-11-27T08:48:00.000-06:00

You may be familiar with the ideas this Comic (entitled: 'Amusing Ourselves to Death') but the ideas are so painful, counter-cultural, and *dagnabbit* true, that we should all review this from time to time.
That it comes in comic form is nice.
You can read the original in the preface of "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman.

Live Music Archive

2010-11-26T14:05:00.000-06:00

I thought this was cool: Internet Archive. Live Music.

Arcade Fire, 'The Suburbs' for $1.99 today.

2010-11-26T07:58:00.002-06:00

Amazon mp3 'black friday week' deal. As will become plain in the next week or two, this is one of my top three albums this year. Amazing deal. Definitely worth all 199 pennies. The Suburbs.

Increase Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T16:03:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving devotional: Increase Thanksgiving

Futile Devices. Sufjan Stevens

2010-11-24T10:26:00.000-06:00

Someday...You will be LOVED

2010-11-23T20:33:00.000-06:00

Death Cab for Cutie - Someday You Will Be Loved

'the most frightening prospect'

2010-11-22T08:41:00.001-06:00

I've Google-shared this but thought it profound enough to straight link to the sight at which I first read it: from 'Writing in the Dust', "And to the extent..."

Waiting for the End, LP

2010-11-21T19:23:00.000-06:00

Kind of a weird video, but the song is tremendous.

Uncle Chesterton Quotes

2010-11-20T09:11:00.000-06:00

Cool G. K. Chesterton quote-shirts. This one's my favorite: Inconvenient Adventure.
More at Eternal Revolution.

Whiskey BBQ Sauce

2010-11-19T15:59:00.000-06:00

My favorite hamburger IN THE WORLD is the Whiskey River BBQ Burger from Red Robin. (In the World!)
So, for my 30th bday I tried to replicate their BBQ sauce and put together this burger for my (self and my) friends. This recipe was excellent! You may have to do a little culinary espionage as my wife and I did to nail down the ingredients and the order, but it's worth it.
Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce from allrecipes.com.

"More Like You?"

2010-11-18T10:18:00.000-06:00

Timmy Curran, Horses on the Range

2010-11-17T10:45:00.000-06:00

Timmy Curran- "Horses on the Range" from Mattson Culbert on Vimeo.

"Just Drink Me In"

2010-11-16T10:16:00.003-06:00

how he loves

2010-03-23T22:28:00.002-05:00

Original Version from John Mark McMillan:

New version:
HOW HE LOVES played by David Crowder Band.

monstrous

2010-03-23T22:23:00.000-05:00

"And for us to make that great which the Scripture makes little, and that little which the Scripture makes great, tends to give us a monstrous idea of religion; and (at least indirectly and gradually) to lead us wholly away from the right rule, and from a right opinion of ourselves, and to establish delusion and hypocrisy."

(Edwards, Religious Affections, 358)

2010-03-23T22:19:00.001-05:00

Heard on Pandora, and liked:
Sad, Sad Song
from "Transfiguration of Vincent," by M. Ward

2010-03-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

Next-Wave eZine March 2010

2010-03-18T20:22:00.003-05:00

Some great articles in this months Next-Wave eZine.
Interview with Neil Cole.
What About My House?: Materialism and Discipleship in America.

are you very useful?

2010-02-25T20:29:00.000-06:00

Thomas the tank engine is. Or tries to be.
(The Ethics of Sodor, by D. Griff's.)
Is Sodor a micro examination of real-world ethics? Created by Rev. W. Awdry, the characters of the Thomas and Friends series have two goals in life:
1. Be very useful.
2. Avoid causing confusion and delay.

This very missional, don't you think?
God created the world and said it was "good." What did He mean by good? Good, to God, means useful.
And what is bad, in God's book? Doing things that cause the mission to be distracted and delayed.

the blog world

2010-02-08T20:18:00.002-06:00

I am now down to ten (10) "feeds" in my GoogleReader. This is down from, at its peak, nearly 70.
Here are some observations on the multi-year long shrinking of my "unread" lists:
1. A lot of good blogs and good writers got axed. A body just can't read everything. And even the best writers/thinkers end up beating the same drum.
2. A lot of "important blogs" stink. The people I want to read, never write; the people who write, I never want to read. But because of the amount of their posts, they become important. And, because of the amount of their posts, they get *deleted*.
3. Of the 70 blogs I followed, a full 20 had to be merely spit-swapping blogs. Do you know this phenomenon? These are blogs that post zero to one (0-1) original thoughts a week, but each one that does gets linked to by the other 19. Net result? 20 posts a week. But, *hint hint* it's the same stuff. Net result? *deleted*
Just some thoughts. I been reading blogs for YEARS. (dork)
Application: read less blogs.

shaving brush

2010-01-18T16:17:00.003-06:00

For the last several years now I have shaved regularly (at least once a week!) with a shaving brush. I had worked through several cheap, Walgreen's brushes, because I am a cheap, Walgreen's kind of guy.
Then Al Gore connected me with the World Wide Internet.
A simple google--"best cheap shaving brush"--put me in touch with Tweezerman's shaving brush on Amazon. At $13.50 it falls far below the $35 entry price for any other kind of badger hair brush. But, as the reviews describe, the bristles actually stay in!
This is good because the bristles hold the water and the heat. The better they do that, the better they are. Then, because at some point they all do that, the softer they are the better they are.
So, you can get a brush with the chest hair of an endangered silver-back badger from the Isle of Man, with silver accents and mother of pearl, or something like that for around $600.
Or, if you, like me, are "new money", then stick with the Tweezerman from Amazon. Been using it for about six months now and it's holding up nicely.
Oh, but I still use shaving soap from Walgreens.

a habit we never lose

2009-12-22T08:28:00.000-06:00

That was the moment when I began to think of myself as a failure. It's a habit I never lost. Anyone who has ever received a bad review knows how it outlasts, by decades, the memory of a favorable word. In my heart, to this day, I am always sitting at a big table in a roomful of chairs, behind a pile of errors, lies, and exclamation points, watching an empty doorway.

Michael Chabon, Manhood for Amateurs (7)

interviewed at NPR: Michael Chabon on "Manhood for Amateurs."

"even far things..."

2009-12-19T18:48:00.002-06:00

...We quietly wait.
The wind keeps telling us something
we want to pass on to the world:
Even far things are real.

William Stafford, "Whispered into the Ground" in Stories that Could be True.

Wikipedia entry: William Stafford

Dr. Tererai Trent

2009-11-23T13:24:00.001-06:00

An inspiring story: Triumph of a Dreamer.

little people:.MICKEY MOUSE OPERATION:.basique

2009-11-17T18:48:00.002-06:00

twits

2009-11-11T13:10:00.000-06:00

Great thoughts on twitter from Skye Jethani. Applicable to more than just twitter: Why I Don't Tweet...

HT: Reclaiming the Mission

...and beyond

2009-11-06T15:19:00.001-06:00

The subtitles don't exactly add. But it's still a great scene.

scarcely fill a cup

2009-11-04T15:12:00.000-06:00

"The world is full of dark shadows, to be sure both the world without and the world within ... But praise and trust him too for the knowledge that what's lost is nothing to what's found, and that all the dark there ever was, set next to light, would scarcely fill a cup."

Frederick Buechner
(emphasis mine; online source)

2009-11-03T15:24:00.003-06:00

forch (forch). verb.
1. being roughly forced. ex. "They really forched me on that subway!"
1.1. related: being forked with something hot. ex. "Thankfully, I was forched instead."
1.2. related: a style of preaching. ex. "You didn't preach tonight, brother, you forched!"
2. opening the skin by itching. ex. "Stop itching that bite or you'll forch it!"
3. slang: rural, mid-American euphemism for 'pitch forked.' ex. "Why ain't youse-guys get that stuff forched upindere?"
4. ?????? (contributions welcome)
also, forch (n.), forcher (n.), forchy (adj.)

(HT: Strong Odor's love of language.)

enemy. jack johnson

2009-11-02T09:36:00.000-06:00

just in case...

2009-10-31T20:27:00.000-05:00

you haven't heard: Bon Iver, "Flume," from For Emma, Forever Ago.

Action...not intention.

2009-10-28T10:17:00.000-05:00

"Assurance is not to be attained so much by self-examination as by action." (123)

"Godliness consists not in a heart which intends to do the will of God, but in a heart which does it." (348)

from Religious Affections, by J. Edwards.

NASA = The Tower of Babel

2009-10-26T10:38:00.002-05:00

Cost of NASA in today's dollars: $806.7 billion. (wikipedia: NASA Budget)
Cost ending world hunger: $30 billion per year. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

NASA = The Tower of Babel.

More:
from the above FAO article:

in 2006 the world spent US$1 200 billion on arms while food wasted in a single country could cost US$100 billion and excess consumption by the world’s obese amounted to US$20 billion.

and consider this:
Cost of the 2009 U.S. "bailout": $7.5 trillion. (ABC) That's 200 times the amount needed to end world hunger.

driscoll on idolatry

2009-10-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

Very good video: Mark Driscoll on idolatry.
Key quote: "When a good thing becomes a god-thing, it becomes a bad thing."

i'm owed, baby, i'm owed

2009-10-20T21:14:00.001-05:00

It doesn't get much better than this: (from here)

HT: Kinnon.tv

2009-10-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

Would it be too much to ask all the loyal followers of this blog to put their resources together in this time of hardship and hook-a-brother-up?
Cowboy at Cross Bible Cover.

Deep Exegesis

2009-10-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

Peter Leithart has published a new book called Deep Exegesis. If these two quotes (One and Two) are indicative of the kind of fresh perspective this book contains, it will be a joy to read.

More:
Peter Leithart's blog
Buy me a copy?
Writing in the Dust

Teddy Bear's Picnic

2009-10-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

Our family really enjoys the singer's dance moves.

Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy

2009-08-08T21:58:00.002-05:00

Update: hulu.com lost the video. Here's a link to it on youtube: Everything's Amazing but Nobody's Happy.

MOVE THE AFFECTIONS!!!

2009-07-20T09:48:00.000-05:00

"If it be so that true religion lies much in the affections, hence we may infer that such means are to be desired as have much of a tendency to move the affections." (Jonathan Edwards, RA, 50)

Interesting quote, don't you think? What means should we use in the church to communicate the Gospel? "Such means...as have much of a tendency to move the affections." Hmm. Sounds like someone interested in spreading the Gospel, deeper and further. You know, this guy's alright.

Maybe you like more reading, yes? Sinners in the Hands of the Emergent Church.
Tall Skinny Kiwi offers thought-provoking suggestion. Hmm.

Church-Seminary conversation

2009-07-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

Many young pastors and young seminarians (like me) struggle with relating the Church with the Seminary.
Here are some helpful thoughts from Will Willimon, author writing in From Midterms to Ministry (at Amazon and Google Books), reproduced on William Willimon's blog:
Advice for New Pastors,
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Food, etc.

2009-07-14T21:44:00.001-05:00

What? You don't have enough to worry about?
Seriously though, the following resources have changed the way I view economics/food/environmental issues.

The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan
In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan
Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser
The Future of Food on Hulu
and trailer for Food, Inc.

At the end of the day, there is good and there is not good.

John Calvin's Birthday

2009-07-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

I'll be honest: I don't really know a lot about Calvin. From all accounts, he's one of the most helpful Bible scholars in the history of the Church. Even apart from the theology bearing his name, his handling of individual texts (in his commentary series) still gets discussed in modern commentaries.
But here's a different angle on the celebration: Thinking of Servetus on Calvin's Birthday. Basically, Calvin had this theological opponent arrested and killed for...his theology!

What did we learn today, children? Um, people are goofy? I mean, screwed? That's right.

It is entirely possible, friends, to be deeply pious, personally holy, biblically faithful, and Spirit-gifted and still kill people, literally (not "in your heart"). Like, murder. For real.
Well, may we all be so blessed to have a legacy of helping the church that far outweighs our contributions to the fall and the spread of the curse.

sadness and prayer

2009-07-11T16:16:00.002-05:00

Friends, should anyone read this post, please whisper a prayer for Curtis Bergman and their three kids. Mommy just went to be with Jesus: Joanna.

neo- who?

2009-07-11T09:52:00.000-05:00

Extremely helpful, nuanced distinction between great, helpful strands of modern evangelicalism:

Deciphering the Nuanced Differences Between Neopuritanism and Neocalvinism
John Piper and Tim Keller
Jonathan Edwards and Abraham Kuyper
Passion Conference and Jubilee Conference
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Calvin College
Mark Driscoll and Gabe Lyons

no further

2009-07-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

"Men will trust in God no further than they know Him." (Religious Affections, Edwards, 104)

humble broken-hearted

2009-06-26T07:06:00.003-05:00

From an Edwards-chomping friend abroad:

"All gracious affections that are a sweet odour to Christ, and that fill the soul of a Christian with a heavenly sweetness and fragrancy, are broken-hearted affections. A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is a humble broken-hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires. Their hope is a humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable and full of glory, is a humble broken-hearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit, and more like a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behavior." (266)

At FBC we've been meditating on the story of the Samaritan Woman at the well. How could we read that story, or interact with people like that, that is, everyone, in church and out of it, without feeling a gravitas breaking our hearts and humbling our joys?

HT: dh

more secret and gradual

2009-06-12T09:37:00.001-05:00

"It is true, that for any to expect to receive the saving influences of the appointed means of grace, is unreasonable presumption...It is also undoubtedly true that the Spirit of God is very various in the manner and circumstances of His operations, and that sometimes He operates in a way more secret and gradual, and from smaller beginnings, than at others." (The Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards, 65)

prngrphy

2009-06-08T17:00:00.002-05:00

Pornography is evil in so many ways.
There's the people involved, often there against their will or for lack of better options.
There's the people who spend money on it, who worship worthlessness.
There's the marriages it wrecks.
There's the single people who cannot form normal relationships with the opposite sex because their understanding of gender and sexuality has been misshapen by pornography.
There's the believer who's walk with the Lord and effectiveness in ministry is governed by guilt and shame.

Must Read: Porn-Again Christian, by Mark Driscoll
Get Help: Covenant Eyes
Get Friends: xxxChurch
Other Readings: John Piper material, CCEF material, Gospel Coalition material on Temptation and Sexuality.

Serving the Future You

2009-05-22T13:26:00.002-05:00

Great article by Jason Jaggard in this months Next Wave e-zine: "Serving the Future You."
The thoughts correspond to a long-view perspective on Discipleship that the Lord's been reminding me of lately. In a nutshell:
Sure, you suck now. You do. You suck. But in five or ten or twenty years...how much less could you suck? A lot less.
Take this idea from a variety of angles:
What books do you want to read? Projects finished? Not by next year, but by 10 years out. whoa.
Or think of yourself in thirty years, alone, divorced, estranged, embittered, in poor health. What would you give to be standing beside your beautiful best-friend in front of an orphanage that you helped build with your grown children taking your picture and your grandchildren, named after you, playing happily behind them? Millions? A kidney?
Do now what your then-self would have you do. Read A Christmas Carol. Life is vapor and is far too short to waste it on ourselves. Love and give and fight sin. The long-view gives you context and courage by which you can more calmly and forcefully implement the Divine-will over and against your own.

Root of Bitterness?

2009-05-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

Hebrews 12:15, "See to it ...that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled."
Who are the “many” who will be defiled? We are. Our Church is the "many."
What will defile us? A root of bitterness.
What is this thing, this root? It could be almost anything: personal, theological, situational. Anything in your craw that sticks there and makes you testy and sour and snappy. Could be something about God or the Bible. Could be something about me. Could be something about my son. Or the chairs. Or the president. Or...or...or... Any of the various serious to silly things that tick people off, make them mad, and poison God's people.
"See to it," friends.