The Year of the Sheep

Honestly, in many ways, I’m glad that 2014 is in the past. We lost a few of our cherished celebrities (Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Williams, among others). We saw the outbreak of Ebola (a disease that Western civilization considered all but extinct). We saw more mass shootings. Political and civil unrest in many countries lead to incredible acts of violence and many deaths. We wrestled with racism and bigotry. We watched as militant, religious zealots committed unspeakable acts of violence and hatred to innocent women and children. The news last year was so depressing.

But, there’s hope.

Choose the Path of Peace

It’s been two weeks since my friend came through Rockford, but something he said is still ringing in my ears.

My friend, Michael Corin, is a singer and songwriter who currently resides in Colorado. He’s also one of the wisest people I know. He’s always displayed a wisdom well beyond his age, and it’s always a treat to spend some time talking with him.

Two weeks ago, he came back to Rockford to visit with some mutual friends and have something of a reunion band session in a friend’s basement. It was an incredible night that did wonders for my soul. It was great to see Michael in person, after several years of distance. It was great to see all of these friends making music together again, after years of varying states of differences built up between them. It’s a bit of a story to tell but, suffice it to say, it was great to be included in that crowd.

The next night, many of us went out to dinner. We went to an old, kind of dirty, national-chain diner that we always used to go to and ate meals that we were known for eating back then. Over dinner, conversation turned towards how these friends starting talking again. That’s where Michael said something that’s been ringing in my ears ever since.

The Highest Priority

I once heard an illustration given—you’ve probably heard it too—about a professor (or some such person. It doesn’t matter who, really.) who wanted to teach his students a life lesson. On the table, he had a few jars. The first jar had three big rocks in it. He asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The second jar had some smaller pebbles in it. Again, he asked the students if the jar was full. Again, they agreed that it was. The third jar was filled with sand. A third time, the professor asked if the jar was full. And, a third time, the students agreed that it was.

Alpha

“I am Alpha… the First… the Beginning…” (Revelation 22:13, NLT)

I’ve often heard that name: The Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. In the past, my main thought is that such a name is significant in that God was before everything and will continue long after everything we know has passed. God was before the creation of the world, and He will be long after it passes away. And, I still believe this is true.

But lately, I’ve seen this Name in a new light.

John Witvliet

“[Worship is] the celebrative response to what God has done, is doing, and promises to do.”
—John Witvliet, Worship Before Understanding

Matthew Henry

“It is not enough for us to be where God is worshipped, if we do not ourselves worship Him.”

Adam Greene’s Campaign to Redesign Scripture

Adam Greene had an originally set his sights on raising $37,000 for his “Bibliotheca” Project—a project to redesign the Bible from its standard format into a literary work of art. At the time of writing, with only 50 hours left in the campaign, he’s already raised well over $1 million.

Just Getting Started

This is a new blog for me.

I’m not sure, yet, what to write about but I have some ideas. I’d like to showcase some of my audio production projects, my graphic design work, and maybe even some pedal builds that I undertake. The problem, these are things I don’t get around to very often.

I’d also like to write about what movies I’m watching and what new music I’m finding. I don’t know how good I am at doing such things though.