There are some who call me...Tim

Tim's Book Reviews

2012-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

In order to do something with all those free books I won (and keep winning and collecting) I decided to review some of them and create yet another blog. Not only has one of my reviews earned me a gift card at Powell's Books, it has also put me in a place to get even more books, with the potential to make a little money on the side. I also will do occasional giveaways, as I have already given one book away to one lucky reader.

So go read my reviews, and if you are moved to purchase a book there are links to Amazon on the bottom of each review that will earn me a small commission. If it helps your purchasing decision, we are looking at possibly becoming a single income family soon.

Tim's Book Reviews

VOCALPERC.COM on Facebook

2011-12-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

I started a Facebook page for my vocal percussion website. If you like a cappella music and vocal percussion you should like it.

WWW.VOCALPERC.COM on Facebook

Woman Afraid of Kittens

2011-11-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

While I'm not afraid of cats, I can't say her fears are unfounded. The motives of cats are suspect and we have every reason to be wary of them.

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Braces: 1 Year

2011-11-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

It has been exactly one year since I got my braces. The orthodontist says my teeth are moving very quickly and everything else is now just fine tuning.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

Ethan Josiah Lewis

2011-09-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

Ethan Josiah Lewis
8 lbs. 8 oz. 21 in.
3:25 p.m.

Mom is recovering after C-section because of breech, baby is doing well, and dad is beaming with pride.

Moneyball

2011-09-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I like baseball movies. Maybe it is because I like baseball and I like movies.

Moneyball is the story behind Billy Beane, the Oakland Athletics General Manager, using computer-generated data to draft players. While being successful for a team on a budget, we can't forget the factor that good pitching had on the success the A's had for quite a while, especially with the trio of Zito, Mulder, and Hudson. While their pitching is respectable currently, they are nowhere near the numbers those guys had. Combine that with only one player batting over .300, it gives them a record under .500.

I still want to see this and relive the days when a budget team consistently made it to the playoffs because of smart moves and quality players.

Winning

2011-08-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

As you all probably know by now, I am a fan of free stuff. I especially go out of my way to cash in on some freebies on my birthday. Over the past few months I have also entered in dozens of giveaways, mostly for books but including other things as well. This picture is of the things I have won since April. Here is what you are looking at:

A few pins of Stubby the Rocket, the mascot for Tor.com
A Song of Ice and Fire books 1-4 by George R.R. Martin from Tor.com
Star Wars Clone Wars Monopoly on Free Comic Book Day from Tony's Kingdom of Comics
Hellhole by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson from Tor.com
The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson from Tor.com
Two copies of Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora by Maria Wilhelm and Dirk Mathison from Bookperk

The biggest prize here was actually the two Avatar books because with it came a two night stay at the Marriott in Seattle and two tickets to the Avatar: The Exhibition at EMP which we enjoyed last weekend. They also provided us with one of their incredibly knowledgeable people to give us a guided tour and give us the VIP treatment.

Some of the science fiction displays at the museum: Battlestar Galactica, Avatar, and the police car from Blade Runner.

These are me in the interactive Avatar exhibit and a video of me enjoying myself with my Avatar.

They have a spontaneous dance party at EMP sometimes, and this is the result. The guy in the black shirt with the long gray hair is Neil. He knew a lot about everything there and told us more than we could have learned from just the audio guided tour.

What trip to Seattle would be complete without a stop at Pike Place Market?

And here is a random picture in the food court at the Space Needle of kids from the Tibetan Association of Washington singing the national anthem of Tibet and the United States.

And now I have an extra copy of Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora and a couple extra Stubby the Rocket pins to find something to do with. Maybe I should do my own giveaways with all the extra stuff I don't need.

Braces: 9 Months

2011-08-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have been wearing a band on the left side to move teeth in the back. It seems to be working. They also added some extra wires to keep the teeth on top immobilized.

Chocolate Cookie Cake

2011-07-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

Our church had a men only cake contest again this year. Again I didn't win, but my chocolate cookie cake turned out even better than last year's cake. I ran into a few problems making this, but it turned out better than I hoped. The cake is chocolate-infused, with cookie filling in between each of the four layers, chocolate frosting, icing, and cookies on top. There were more participants than ever this year, so I feel a little sick from sampling most of them.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 26 - New VP Video

2011-06-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have been needing to make another vocal percussion tutorial for a while, so the 30 Days of Creativity gave me an excuse to make one. In this one I talk about choosing microphones for vocal percussion. You can visit my vocal percussion website WWW.VOCALPERC.COM to see more geeky a cappella stuff.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 25 - Garden 2011

2011-06-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

I know I've missed a few days for the whole 30 Days of Creativity thing, but today I planted my garden, and that took a lot of work. It would have been a little more appropriate for yesterday's theme (lawn gnome) because today's theme is board games.

On the right you can see the soil is a different color. This is because I am experimenting with land reclamation. I tilled the area, removed rocks, and added lime to see how hard it is to turn rocky clay soil into useable soil for a garden. In that area I planted honeydew melons, and in the rest of the garden there are peas, squash, more melons, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and a broccoli plant that somehow survived the winter that we are going to see if it will produce this year. I am also experimenting with planting peppers and tomatoes from seed in the ground without starting them indoors. They are not likely to grow, let alone produce anything, but being this late into the season and having weather predicted to be consistently about 70 degrees for the next week I thought I might try it.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 19

2011-06-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today's theme for 30 Days of Creativity is beach ball, but since today is also Father's Day I am posting the card I made for my dad and father-in-law. I technically made it yesterday and knew it wouldn't get to them in time through the mail, but I emailed it to them this morning.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 15

2011-06-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Today's theme for 30 Days of Creativity is sea creatures. He doesn't breathe air yet, so I think this is fitting. This is a template for a birth announcement that I whipped up. It's nothing fancy but I think it gets the point across. Kori didn't really care for the weight that I put on there. You'll notice in this picture he is singing.

Braces: 7 Months

2011-06-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

Two months later, here is the progress made on my teeth. I think the front bottom teeth have moved the most since the last picture.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 12

2011-06-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today's theme for 30 Days of Creativity was Abe Lincoln, but I made enough food that I decided to just post what I made as my creation for the day instead of defacing some pennies.

First I grilled this salmon fillet with black pepper, lemon juice, garlic, and dill. I have leftovers, too.

After lunch I made some low fat fat vanilla ice cream in our 1 quart ice cream maker and topped it with chocolate syrup.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 11

2011-06-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today's theme for 30 Days of Creativity is crayons. Colored in a Moleskine pocket sketchbook with Crayola crayons.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 7

2011-06-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today's 30 Days of Creativity theme is fashion, but I ran out of time to create any clothing or jewelry or anything so I am posting pictures of the T-Shirts I designed several years ago for my vocal percussion website. You can buy them and I'll even donate $5 for each one purchased to World Vision.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 6

2011-06-06T18:43:00.001-07:00

30 Days of Creativity haiku for today's theme: argyle.

Diamond line pattern
Preppie or retro throwback
Argyle sweater

30 Days of Creativity: Day 5

2011-06-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today's theme for 30 Days of Creativity is unibrow. I think this is pretty straightforward, although it may not be as creative as a colored pencil drawing.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 4

2011-06-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

Today's theme for 30 Days of Creativity is cat meme. I wouldn't consider myself an artist, like my friend David Vallejo, but I think it came out looking pretty good. Drawn in a Moleskine pocket sketchbook with Prang colored pencils, then scanned and text added in Photoshop.

30 Days of Creativity: Days 2 & 3

2011-06-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

Day 2's prompt for 30 Days of Creativity was ice cream but I actually edited and submitted a story to an anthology, so I counted it as my creation for the day. Day three prompt is chrome, so I wrote a short bit of chrome-injected story snippet.

The New Suit

The artificial lights glinted off the shiny unused armor. The flawless surface reflected distorted images on every surface and it made Alex squirm. He looked down at his own rusted and worn armor, scraped at a patch on his chest, and frowned.

"I feel sorry for these newbies," he muttered.

"They don't know any better, Alex," Bree startled him.

Alex didn't flinch, but he turned quickly. "It's not like they're going to be using it very long anyway. You know the survival rate out there."

Bree brushed a loose strand of amber hair from her face. "But some of them will, and this will help them make it. They're not all as experienced as you are. Their training won't prepare them for the crags. That's why they need us to teach them. That's why they need you to be a leader."

Alex nodded. "But I'm not their leader. Remember? They gave that job to Jack."

She stepped closer and tapped on his armored chest. "But they look up to you. Whether you like it or not, you're a leader."

"Give me my own tried and true armor any day. That new shiny stuff hasn't been tested."

"It's supposed to be much stronger and lighter than the carbon weave. Some new allow that is more flexible but harder under extreme pressures and impacts."

Alex shook his head. "It just looks like old fashioned chrome to me. I don't-"

The alarm sounded and red lights began flashing down the hallway.

They both shoved on their helmets and Alex adjusted a fitting on Bree's shoulder. "It looks like they'll get a chance to test it sooner than we thought," he said, patting her on the shoulder.

30 Days of Creativity: Day 1

2011-06-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Each day for the 30 Days of Creativity, there is a creative prompt to get creative juices flowing. The theme for today is biking, but I couldn't think of anything so I made some bookmarks with about $1.50 worth of supplies at a bead store. The cross is obviously signifying the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The octopus is representing H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu.

Creating Stuff

2011-05-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago I wrote something in passing about wanting to be a creator instead of a consumer. Some people from an ad agency started a project last year encouraging people to be creative. Similar to NaNoWriMo in November, they use the month of June to create something new each day over a thirty day period. Their project, while not necessarily allowing the time to create something such as bonsai, is still, in my opinion, a worthy endeavor.

Our culture constantly encourages us to be consumers of products. We are inundated with new and improved ways of spending money, which only encourages us to make more money rather than make do with what we have. Consuming becomes a status within the culture. The 30 Days of Creativity encourages people to make things with their own hands. The temptation may be there to see it as being on the creator end of the consumer spectrum, only to eventually peddle your wares to those who are waiting with fistfuls of cash to buy your creations. But you can also look at it as a practice in making things in spite of the culture.

The creative endeavor can take many forms: drawing, writing, painting, woodworking, knitting, songwriting, and more. If you have some creative inclinations, I would encourage you to take part in something like this. You don't necessarily have to take part in this particular one, but I encourage you to create more stuff. Step away from the consumer end of the consumer spectrum. In fact, strive to step away from the consumer spectrum completely.

Oh Boy

2011-04-25T18:03:00.001-07:00

Today we found out that we are having a boy. The pictures I won't post for fear of being turned in are definitive. Now you can start to ponder the thought of a male offspring of myself in the world. I think his mother will be able to keep us both in line.

Braces: 5 Months

2011-04-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a few months since the last update. Here is the progress that has been made in only about five months. I have been told the total time will be about two years, although it's amazing how fast they have been moving.

Donations to World Vision at WWW.VOCALPERC.COM

2011-03-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

Events such as the disasters in Japan should be an eye-opening experience for everyone that none of us are safe from suffering on this earth, but also giving us hope in that we have opportunities to help others during those times. In the wake of a disaster, World Vision is often one of the first organizations to begin relief work by distributing pre-positioned emergency supplies and sending highly-trained staff to assess and respond to the most urgent needs. They remain on the ground for the long haul, rebuilding communities and restoring hope.

In addition, they continually strive to keep their overhead rate low. In 2010, 85 percent of their total operating expenses were used for programs that benefit children, families, and communities in need. No matter how little we have, we have opportunities like this to help with what we do have.

In trying to find a way I can help with the disaster relief in Japan and to help fight poverty worldwide I have decided to donate $5 of every t-shirt sold on my website to World Vision. It's not much, but every little bit helps. Tell your a cappella loving friends to get what I think are cool T-shirts, and in the process give money to a wonderful organization helping people around the world.

Offspring

2011-03-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

This is a scary time to raise kids, with so much change going on in the world. We hope we are up to the task of raising kids who love God and love their neighbors, and that we make the right decisions to prepare for their future. Needless to say, we are excited. This is a picture at 9 1/2 weeks.

Reading List 2011

2011-02-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

I have never really prepared a list of books to read in the coming year, but with the Kindle providing me so many free classics I couldn't help but get excited about reading. So far this year I have read seven books:

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Magician's Gambit by David Eddings
Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings
Enchanters End Game by David Eddings
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I am currently reading:

Dracula by Bram Stoker
Echoing Silence: Thomas Merton on the Vocation of Writing

I made it about a quarter of the way through a thousand page collection of Arthur C. Clarke's short stories before I returned it to my dad. While not all classics, I have plans to read many more, many of which are on the Kindle. Here are a few on the to read list:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
The Gods of Pegana by Lord Dunsany
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
The Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The People of the Mist by Henry Rider Haggard
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
The Art of War by Sunzi
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

I am certain I will come across others, so I have left a little space on the list for more.

Braces: 2 Months

2011-01-04T18:51:00.001-08:00

Today I had my bottom braces installed. The orthodontist was pleased with how quickly my teeth are moving. I have to say that I am, too. I'll tag all pictures I post of my dental progress as I post them so that you can enjoy them all at once.

New Toy: Amazon Kindle

2010-12-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is a grainy picture of our new toy: a Kindle. It allows me to hold in my hands more books than I can ever read. Already, I have downloaded a few dozen free books that are now public domain, with many more to follow. While I will enjoy the ability to take so many volumes wherever I go with such ease, it still will not be able to replace the paper books on my shelves. You can't buy a used ebook, nor can you lend an ebook to a friend. A first edition ebook can't be appreciated, and there is no way to sign an ebook when you meet the author in person.

My shelves will continue to be full of books, but now I will have the ability to read classics for free without a trip to the library.

Dogs Smarter Than Cats

2010-12-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

Oxford University recently did some research involving dogs and cats that lead them to conclude that dogs have bigger brains than cats because they are more sociable.

Last year, a study was done with cats and dogs (link to video) involving pulling on a piece of string to obtain a treat. Dogs were more able to figure out which string to pull in order to get the treat, leading them to also come to the conclusion that dogs are smarter than cats.

I have already said before that cats are evil, but now there is evidence that they are also not as smart as dogs.

Braces

2010-11-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, I got new glasses. Today, I had my first appointment to get braces. Growing up, my parents sacrificed a lot for us, but couldn't afford to get me braces. With three kids all wearing glasses, corrected vision was a little more important than straight teeth. Now in my 30s, we are in a place where we can afford braces, and with my parents' health problems I want to make sure to take care of myself now.

Now that I'm getting all this hardware, maybe the next thing on my list will be getting that implant in my brain repaired.

Terry Brooks

2010-10-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had an opportunity to meet one of my favorite authors. Terry Brooks is probably the first fantasy author I ever read. Whether or not you like his books, he is the epitome of a successful writing career. While spending about seven years as a lawyer he wrote his first book, The Sword of Shannara, which is the first fantasy book to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list. He has written 22 bestsellers and has sold over 21 million copies.

Terry spent some time reading from two of his books, and then took questions from the small audience. He shared some insight behind his stories, his life as an author, and gave advice for new writers. Since this was a writer's group, there were quite a few wannabe writers in the audience, so his advice was falling on willing ears. I appreciated that of all things a writer needs to get published, he said the number two thing on the list was perseverence, while at the top of the list was luck.

Here's me fanboy geeking out:

Swear Words

2010-09-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have been a part of the discussion many times over whether it is perfectly okay to swear. One point that comes up is that a word only has the meaning that we attribute to it, therefore saying a swear word is subjective based on the context. Another view is that sometimes a point can only be made by using swear words. I recently listened to a podcast from Grammar Girl on the subject of swearing that gave voice to something that I have assumed, and that is that swear words are connected to emotions. Here is a part of that episode:

...a swear word is NOT just “a word like any other.” People who suffer a loss of speech because of damage to the language-processing parts of their brain often retain the ability to curse...
~ Grammar Girl's Quick & Dirty Tips

If you follow the link to Grammar Girl's website, the text from the episode is there and worth a read. It's short so I'll wait for you to go do that...

If you didn't click the link, it goes on from there to say that swear words are processed in the limbic system, the area of the brain responsible for emotions. Swearing triggers an emotional response. With that said, this means that the use of cursing in normal speech should, at best, be limited to situations where a certain emotional response is desired. Given that, Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

includes but is not limited to the use of swear words in our speech and our writing.

I come from the point of view that swearing should be avoided, especially when it comes to Christians, considering that a fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Constant or consistent swearing shows a lack of self-control. Especially for those who are articulate enough, I see using swear words as a means of getting across a point of severity or intensity as lazy, as more carefully formulated words should serve the purpose. As noted, cursing in this case only serves the purpose to shock people into paying attention to you and not really coming out of wisdom.

This isn't to say that all swearing is necessarily unjustified, useful, or even necessarily bad in certain situations, but overused words lose their intensity, and over time they lose their meaning completely. For those who believe in shocking people into listening to you, a quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi is fitting:

Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.

Jerry Rice Inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame

2010-08-08T21:04:00.001-07:00

Since the day he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1985, Jerry Rice had a work ethic unmatched by the showboating and selfish players of today. He holds more records than any receiver in history, many of which will never be touched. After playing for 20 seasons, it was pretty much a given that he would enter the NFL hall of Fame.

Yesterday, Jerry Rice fulfilled his destiny and was inducted into the Hall of Fame, cementing his place in history as the greatest receiver of all time. Claims for any other player will go unsupported, for they just don't have the numbers or the work ethic to back it up. The only thing that might go against this claim would be that Jerry Rice caught passes from the greatest quarterback of all time and therefore made catching passes that much easier.

Birthday Freebies

2010-07-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

I'm all about getting free stuff, and your birthday is the best time to do this. Not only is it a chance for people to give you gifts (feel free to send them), but restaurants and other places use this as a chance for promoting their businesses. This evening, I will be eating a free burger at Red Robin, walking across the parking lot to the Cold Stone Creamery for free ice cream, and then going to Cost Plus World Market to spend the free $10 gift card they sent me.

I know a lot of other places that give away free stuff, including food and entertainment. I have heard of at least one MLB team that gives away a free ticket on your birthday. What other free stuff is out there?

Crater Lake

2010-06-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Kori and I just got back from a vacation starting in Medford, and then a visit of her family in Gold Beach. Now that I am off my six month trial service at work I am able to take time off. I am under the philosophy that vacations shouldn't be more tiring than your normal everday life, so trying to pack too many things into a short period of time doesn't make much sense. Even still, our time was filled with tours of vineyards, chocolate makers, the Rogue Creamery, mountains, beaches, lakes, and rivers, and mostly all in awesome sunny weather. We spent a few hours one day around Crater Lake and made sure to take some pictures. I'm only sad that I have to go back to work now, but that's what I get for being responsible.

Cat Leash Laws

2010-06-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a law I can get behind.

It's hardly world-changing news, but a city in Vermont is determining whether existing leash laws should include cats, especially after complaints that they are using people's gardens as litter boxes. We have problems with this, and it shouldn't be up to me to spend money on ways of keeping them out. The financial and time burden should fall on their owners.

Leash Laws To Include Cats?

Chocolate Espresso Mousse Cake

2010-05-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight, our church had a men only cake contest. While I didn't win, I still enjoyed making a mess in the kitchen and creating this chocolate espresso mousse cake from scratch. It wasn't as sweet as most of the other cakes, which were loaded with sugar and fat. This cake was lower in fat and sugar, with the consistency of something in between a brownie and cheescake. It was quite tasty, but after sampling all those cakes I won't want to see any for a while.

Margin

2010-04-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

After working an extra hour and a half overtime today, I got to thinking about something that I heard at a Kairos church planting workshop several years ago. It was there where I heard the idea of balance in my life put into words that we can all understand. Sonny Guild spoke to a room full of people about to embark or having just jumped into the world of starting a new church where there was not one before, and there he interjected the idea of margin, and it has stuck with me every day since then.

Margin is the idea that in whatever things we do, especially the difficult and time consuming ones, we should keep a measure of restraint to limit ourselves from pushing too much of ourselves into something lest we become overwhelmed with stress, and burn out into uselessness. There are times when we feel that something will not be done unless we are the ones doing it. Sometimes, frankly, this is true. Today I had to stay late to finish a project or else it would not have gotten done, and it absolutely had to be done today. However, if something stretches you to the point where you neglect everything, including your family and your own well being, then you must reevaluate the amount of time and effort you are putting into that thing. Even if it is something that you love to do, it will eventually burn you out and you will grow to resent it. Just ask anyone who turns their hobby into their job.

I thought I was laid back before Sonny spoke his words of wisdom, but now I think my cares are limited to only the most important things. Basically, this is me just giving you an excuse not to be lazy, but to take the initiative to sometimes say no to that extra amount of work and have some down time to yourself or with your loved ones. God took a sabbath, and so should you.

Facebook Games

2010-03-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

Facebook games are more and more getting on my nerves. I've said it before that people may start to see me abandoning them, and that they are a waste of time for someone who wants to be a creator. Well, the time has come. I just deleted one of these games from my page, and there will more than likely be more to follow. When the games started asking for me to give them my email address, apart from Facebook, it made me reconsider how much enjoyment I was actually getting from them.

I'm not abandoning Facebook (yet), but my time there is definitely going to be diminishing. My Facebook posts updates from my Twitter feed, so updates are still a text message away, but this blog, along with my other writing, has suffered long enough. On the plus side, I have written at least 100 words every day this year on my writing blog. Now I need to get back to writing that novel (or the new one that's percolating).

Closing Doors Can Open New Ones

2010-02-20T09:58:00.001-08:00

Last year many people had to struggle through the closure of their beloved college. Some are still grieving over the loss. It was a challenge for me to fully express what the loss meant for me and what I perceived for the northwest. Seeing the good that God has in store can be difficult when in the midst of such a loss.

About five or six years ago, Cascade Hills Church of Christ was born, as my part in it was documented in my very first post on this blog. With the struggles with momentum combined with the economy and discouragement, Cascade Hills will be closing its doors this Sunday. Again, it is a challenge for me to fully express what the church has meant to me and what its loss will bring, however God is still alive and working.

Over the past years I have grown in my faith, along with my wife (who wasn't my wife when we started!) I have experienced the thankfulness of people blessed with food or clothes or money when they were in the middle of hard times. I have seen many people baptized into Christ. I have felt the support of an entire movement of church planting behind a small group of people pioneering the idea of starting a new church where there was not one before.

Here's what you can do:

Pray for me and my wife as we begin our transition into our new church home: the Keizer Church of Christ.
Pray for the members of Cascade Hills that will now have to find a new place for them and their families to feel at home and challenged in their faith.
Pray for the Christians who are still young in their faith, that they will not be discouraged and fall away.
Pray for Jason and Melissa Campbell, who have given their lives over in service to the community in Salem for the past six plus years as they move into the next chapter in their life.
Pray for other church plants that they can be encouraged from our successes and learn from our mistakes as they seek to spread the Gospel throughout their communities.

I am sure that I have left a lot out, but I expect many good things to come from God through this.

Back to Writing

2010-01-31T21:36:00.001-08:00

I'm back on the writing horse. In fact, I have written at least 100 words every day this year and posted most of what I've written each day on my writing blog. Having a day job keeps you from really getting the time in to get much writing done in any given day, but if the desire is there you can accomplish quite a bit. I have been taking part of my lunch break to jot down quick ideas into a notebook and type them out later, which gives me more time after work with my wife and when I want to just vege out for a while. Now I just need to figure out how to fit working on the novel into the schedule.

I found this piece of news interesting, especially considering how writing is a hobby of mine with the potential to be affected by it. Macmillan is a book publisher that has been slow to enter the e-book scene and recently they ran into an impass with Amazon.com as as far as pricing and availability of their book titles. I am sure it had much to do with Amazon's attempts to corner the market with their Kindle device, but the news came right around the same time as Apple announced its new device, the iPad, which has one of its functions to be used as an e-book reader. I have already heard enough from authors that Amazon and other discount stores like Target and Walmart have already done enough to kill authors trying to make a living by cutting down their profit margins, but it makes me more and more want to buy things from local businesses instead of from global enterprises.

On a somewhat related note, there is a growing trend of authors willing to give away their books in the form of podcasts or e-books in order to build a fanbase that is proving to actually help them sell more physical books. By doing this, they end up making the relationship with the reader a more interactive and personal thing. They are using social media in order to connect with readers on a daily basis, which gives the readers a look into their lives, that they are real people and that being a full time writer is not necessarily as glamorous as it is sometimes portrayed. For some reason I find myself still wanting to write, but I've written enough for today. And my readers can't complain as of now because sometimes you get what you pay for.

C.S. Lewis On Originality

2009-12-19T22:02:00.000-08:00

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.
~ C. S. Lewis

A Day of Accomplishments

2009-11-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

My time with Terra Gardens came to an end a couple of weeks ago, though I will still continue to maintain their website, along with some of their social media and email marketing, until they can find a suitable replacement. Today I started my new job working for the Oregon Department of Justice. I will not be able to share much about the actual work I will do, other than that I will be transcribing interviews and basically typing all day. I think it will be interesting work, with lots of benefits that will be good for me and my family.

On another note, today is the final day for NaNoWriMo, something that I said I was doing this month. The goal is to write 50,000 words during the month of November (hence the name "National Novel Writing Month"), which is the length of a short novel. I followed through and finished a very poorly written novel in those 30 days, and now I will be taking some time off, probably through the end of the year, from writing much fiction. I will probably post occasionally on my writing blog, but now that the daily writing discipline is very attainable, I think I need a small break from it.

I want to get back to writing on this blog more often, plus I restarted my vocal percussion website and want to add more content to that. I have a few more ideas rattling around in my brain, and I can't wait to see what next year will bring!

The Sing-Off

2009-11-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

I like a cappella music. I know, it's a big surprise to a lot of the people who read my blog right?

I've watched a lot of American Idol, and while listening to the people sing I think to myself a lot of the time that the singers on the show really need the band in order to sound good. There is a new show coming in December on NBC that I can forsee myself liking more than American Idol, except for maybe the audition process where I get to hear people sing horribly and experience the reality part of reality television.

The new show is called The Sing-Off, where a cappella groups compete against each other for a recording contract. They will have judges from other musicians familiar with a cappella music such as Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men and Ben Folds.

On a related note, I am in the process of reworking my vocal percussion website to make it more functional and interactive. Instead of a static website, it will have tips and audio that will be put into a feed that users can subscribe to. There is more to come, with the possiblity for articles and audio from guest musicians or even a podcast.

At Least It's Paid Off

2009-11-12T19:40:00.001-08:00

We only have one car. It is something we decided to do in order to save money. Our job situation is such that we are able to car pool to and from work. Not long after we bought our house, we paid off our car, using the first time home buyer's credit to do so. This way we figured we would have fewer bills and we would just drive the car into the ground and the need arose to buy another car. It was a great thought, and it's worked well for us so far.

Hopefully we will be able to get our car fixed. Tonight my wife was out driving and someone rear-ended her. It was dark and rainy, and the intelligent driver decided these were the optimal conditions for holding a conversation on her cell phone while attempting to drive down a busy street. I have said it before that trying to hold a conversation on a cell phone has been proven to be equivalent to driving drunk, whether you're using a hands-free device or not.

The most important thing is that my wife is not injured. I suppose we are lucky that the person didn't take off, and at least they were insured, but I can't help but wonder what might happen if getting a license required a little more proof of driving ability than they do now.

I also am taking the night off from NaNoWriMo. Not only have I been having to figure out what to do next with the car, I'm also getting a cold.

Church Marketing

2009-10-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

If you work for a retailer, like me, marketing is something that you just have to do. To sell products you have to be visible to your customers, which means advertising and marketing. I also think about marketing because of my hobbies. If I want to be a writer or a musician, especially at a professional level, then I need to be able to market myself as such. If you are in a church that wants to reach out to people do you need to be able to do marketing, especially considering the growing numbers of internet-savvy generations? I would venture to say for churches that you have to be able to do marketing, whether you like it or not.

Marketing gives people a sense of who you are as a church. It triggers emotion in people. Advertising gets people to the events you plan. If you advertise and people find it off-putting, they will not come to your event and are less likely to ever come to your church. If you do not advertise then the only way they will find out about you will be through word of mouth (a form of marketing) and the sign in front of your church (again, whether you like it or not, a form of advertising).

These days a lot of marketing gets done through websites, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (ick), and the like. To have someone who can regularly update these things with events like clothing drives, concerts, and movie nights can be invaluable. The thing about online social media is that much of the marketing is done by having that initial connection with people, both members and visitors, creating an entry point at all levels.

The challenge lies with managing time around these things, for they can become a hindrance to your work schedule and an excuse to not interact in person. I know they are for me. They keep me from doing things that I should be doing, and really that I would rather be doing. What are your thoughts on church marketing?

More Free Food

2009-10-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I alerted you to some free food offers, which didn't even include the free burger and ice cream you can get on your birthday. This year KFC tried to give away free chicken, but thanks to the marketing power of Oprah, they had too many customers, ran out of chicken, and had to cancel the promotion. Today they are trying it again. For today only, you can get one free piece of grilled chicken. You may have to wait in line, or they may have annoyed enough customers that the promotion has worked against them. Who knows? But hey, free food.

Working in marketing can be challenging, especially when a promotion goes sour. You risk the danger of actually turning away customers who may never come back again. Bad commercials can offend people, which is one reason I can't eat at Carl's Jr. even though I think their food tastes good. A bad promotion can do the same thing. When customers think you are so inept that you can't create a valid coupon or have enough product to back it up, they are more likely to think you are inept in other ways.

I think I feel a post on church marketing coming...

NaNoWriMo Every Day

2009-10-19T22:14:00.001-07:00

I have been doing a lot of writing over the past year or so. Most of that has not been on this blog. Some of it has not even been on my writing blog. I have been working on a novel for several months now, slowly chipping away on the word count while forming characters and plot. In the past I have mentioned participating in National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. While I have participated in this venture a couple of years, I never really quite made it to the final word count. I think it must have been the mental block most people run into when they try climbing the 50,000 word mountain for the first or second time.

The thought of spending 30 days of agony trying to write at least 1,667 words every day makes me sort of cringe, especially knowing how much free time I actually have, how much of that I want to spend with my wife, and how many stupid distractions there are to keep me from the goal. I am now fairly certain that the 50,000 word goal has nothing to do with writing a good novel, but has everything to do with the discipline of writing through the distractions, the boredom, the pain, sort of like one does at a job. That's the ultimate goal for many who participate in this thing isn't it? They want to be writers. If someone really wants to be a full-time writer, they need to be able to write every day, regardless of how they are feeling about it. I think it is for this reason that I will be dusting off my NaNoWriMo chops and giving it another go, not that I think I will be a full-time writer any time soon, but if the option were there I would like to know that I could do it.

Wasting Tim

2009-09-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

I've been a little lax on writing on my blog. Most of my recent writing has gone into my writing blog or into working on one of my novel ideas. This isn't to say that my ideas are novel, just that I have this strange desire to write them.

A couple of months ago, after wrestling with crashing issues on my not-so-awesome PowerMac, we finally decided to buy a new computer. For this, we purchased one as cheap as possible, which happened to be a $500 17" Toshiba laptop. Our only problem now is figuring out how to share it. We considered buying a second one, but since we are fairly frugal folks, we figured that we could do without.

Apparently, when computing becomes easier, you waste more time doing it, and it is for this reason I have been saying for a while that I "secretly" want Facebook to go away. To all of my friends playing with your mafias and farms, don't be surprised if sometime in the near future I suddenly fall off the Facebook map. It is a time sink, and for someone who has the desire to be a creator and not a consumer, I have to choose what I put my time into. Five years from now, what will I have to show for myself with all my efforts?

On Writing Daily

2009-08-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Writing daily has been an eye-opening endeavor. I began this experiment to test myself to see if I had the chops to write every single day for an extended period of time. It started off well, following the rules I had set for several months. I then decided on pushing myself into the process of writing a novel. This did not last as long, until more recently, when I lowered the daily word count to something I felt was more attainable. During this time, I have come upon several things which I think could be helpful for others interested in writing.

Some of these thoughts are as follows:

Your daily writing does not have to be good. Editing is much easier when you have something to edit. It is much more difficult when there is nothing there. Get it written even if you think you'll remove it later. What you think is horrible now may actually turn out to be worth keeping in the final draft.

Your word count does not have to be high. One hundred words a day is attainable, as I have already written more than that in this post. If that is too much, try fifty. If it is too little, make it five hundred. Every little bit adds up over time, and it may even lead you to write more each day than you have set as a goal.

The more you write, the more ideas you will be able to build on. Several ideas for short stories and novels have grown from simple writing prompts or randomly generated ideas from various sources. If you keep the ideas in your head, you are not very likely to ever write them.

Find a time that works best for you to write. At first I wrote right before I went to sleep, but I found myself staying up later than I should have in order to make my word count for that day. I recently used a drop in my work hours to my advantage, finding an extra hour after work where it made no sense for me to go home before I had to pick up my wife from work. This extra hour has been invaluable in that I have found it to be productive in writing anywhere from one to five hundred words each day on various projects.

Life has distractions, and they can be an excuse not to write. I found a nice place to write in the local mall. I found some tables near the front door with heavy foot traffic. The tables are across from a Starbucks where everyone orders their drinks. It can be noisy sometimes. Try writing during lunch breaks, with your morning coffee, or even sitting on the couch while someone else watches T.V.

Having other people read your writing as you go can lead you to be a better writer. Putting my stuff out for everyone to read and comment on has made me more receptive to criticism. I think it has helped my writing improve, and like anything, the more you do something, the better you will get at it.

Even if you get out of the habit, you can forgive yourself and get back on it. There have been a few times that life circumstances have made it impossible to write. There have been times that I have just been lazy and found excuses (not specified in my list of excuses) to put off writing. The temptation is to give up completely, but by putting the past behind you, the ability to keep going is always there.

I hope some of these things I have learned are helpful and encouraging to others. Hopefully there will be much more to read from me.

Some Thoughts About Writing

2009-07-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

Imagination is not, like thought, concerned with abstractions from particular things, experiences, and relationships. Both [C.S.] Lewis and Tolken as writers, therefore, valued looking at reality in a symbolic and mythopoeic way.

Fiction, for Lewis and Tolkien, was therefore the creation of meaning rather than the literal restating of truths. It reflected for them the greater creativity of God, when he originated and put together his universe and ourselves.

~ Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship by Colin Duriez

Back From Gold Beach

2009-06-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

My wonderful wife and I just got back from a trip to Gold Beach for a memorial service for her grandmother. It was a good reminder to me that this life is tainted by sin and the corruption of death, but that those who have faith in the Lord Jesus are covered by grace and will have a new body on the new earth when the Christ returns. God has plans for His creation, to resurrect it from the death we all face. Thanks to Jesus for confronting death, for taking away the sting, for giving us the Spirit which is the love of the Father and the Son with us. We are known by our God, and He makes himself known to us, and on the day Jesus returns, we will see God in His full glory. Keep my wife and her family in your prayers.

With all the traveling we've done and stuff that is happening right now, my writing has suffered, but the good thing is that I've done lots of reading. Sitting in a plane or a car for hours can do that. I'm thinking that Facebook and Twitter are getting in the way of blogging, but it may not be a bad thing for everyone. Many people started a blog because they wanted to give people a way to keep people updated with things happening in each other's lives. Facebook and Twitter is an easier way to do that more frequently and quickly. Blogging is a more formal way to fill this same function, but also a more suitable place for lengthier thoughts. The writer in me likes blogging more than Facebook, for it gives me a better outlet for forming thoughts. I think a lengther post on the subject of social media and writing is called for, but I will save it for another time. I thought I would just let everyone know I am still here. Life is good.

No Excuse for Cheating

2009-05-09T15:06:00.001-07:00

Manny Ramirez was recently suspended for 50 games for getting caught using steroids, adding him to the list of players suspected of using or getting caught using these drugs. I have thought about this topic for a while, and have heard various viewpoints on it. Many think that steroids will not help you become a better baseball player. Many people think they help you hit home runs. Here is my take on it.

Steroids will not make you a better baseball player. I should qualify that statement. Steroids will not make you a better hitter. If you are already really good at hitting the ball, however, they will help you get more hits, and a higher percentage of those will be home runs. Let us look at this logically. A player that routinely hits line drives and fly balls will hit many of those for home runs. Take away the performance enhancing drugs and twenty feet off the flight of the ball, and instead of going over the outfield fence the ball goes into the outfielder's glove, or at best between or in front of the outfielder for a base hit.

Now consider even with the steroids that the player is simply good at hitting the ball in the gap. A faster, stronger runner will more likely be able to run out a base hit and turn it into extra bases or stolen bases. Consider the four players who have hit 40 home runs and had 40 stolen bases in the same season. The first was in 1988 and following: Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano. Soriano is the only one on the list not suspected of using steroids.

So while baseball is still just entertainment (some people would argue otherwise), there is no logic in thinking that steroids do not help baseball players, or for that matter baseball teams, achieve higher performance in the sport. When one player does better, the whole team does better. This is one reason why you do not see much effort on the part of the owners to do anything about this epidemic.

Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa — don't cry for any of these guys. In fact you should be glad something is being done for the sake of the kids that look up to these players or aspire to be one of them. As for Manny, I only wish he were still playing for the Red Sox so that I could enjoy his suspension even more.

Don't Believe Everything You Read On The Internet

2009-04-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

April Fools!

Sorry to anyone who believed what I posted about not blogging anymore. While my blogging has been a little sparse recently, I am not giving it up entirely. I have been busy doing other things, and blogging is not at the top of my list of things to do. I do secretly wish that Facebook would crawl back into the depths from which it came with its stepbrother MySpace, but until that time people can continue to stalk old high school friends or send pillow fight requests to their hearts' content. Just know that I will not be accepting any of them.

R.I.P. Blogging

2009-04-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

While I have found this experience fulfilling in a way that allows me to discover my thoughts on certain subjects in an organic and public way, I have decided that blogging is dead. No one wants to hear people's opinions on theology or robots, unless they are sufficiently qualified to form an educated opinion, likewise no one wants to hear my opinion on politics, movies, or any other topic. I have decided that it simply takes up too much of my time, and it is not fair to others anyway if I hardly ever post anymore, so I am done blogging. You all should be done too. Besides, we have Facebook now.

St. Patrick is Dead...

2009-03-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

...or at least that is what this day signifies. Chasing out snakes, leprechauns, shamrocks, green beer, and pinching. These are all things we probably think of when this holiday comes around. It was initially, however, a holiday: a holy day to remember the death of Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick used a shamrock to describe the relationship of the Trinity, superimposed the Sun onto the cross to redeem a pagan symbol into God's plan. He brought Catholic Christianity to Ireland, essentially taking a pagan people and bringing the love of God to them.

Is that not what the church is called to do?

This is why church plants exist. We each go into a pagan world that worships different gods (money, sex, the self) and we bring the love of God to the world. If only there were a Saint Patrick for the United States, it would take the burden off individual Christians to remember that it is up to each of us to do our part. Our country and world can be redeemed, and the message of hope that comes from Jesus is on our lips to share. We can use everyday things to get our point across, or even use a once holy day to share with others what is truly holy.

Want Some Free Food?

2009-02-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

If you're trying to save money, today there are a couple of deals going on where you can get some free food.

IHOP National Pancake Day
Between 7AM and 10PM you can get a stack of three pancakes for free. The only string attached: they ask you make a donation to Children's Miracle Network

Two Free Tacos
Between 12AM and 11:59PM Jack In The Box is giving away two free tacos to support Jack and his broken head. You must print out the coupon to get the tacos, but that's all you need.

These two deals are only going on today, so you've got to move if you want your free food.

Million Subs Giveaway
Quznos is giving away a free sub sandwich if you give them your contact information. Once you have signed up, you can go back and opt out, or you can also sign up to win subs for a year.

Stephen King Blasts "Twilight"

2009-02-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

Since I have yet to post anything vampire related, and the backlash was so great when others did, I'll put my neck on the line (pun intended) and throw out this article that I found, where Stephen King compares J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer's writing. His comments for Meyer are less than complimentary.

Stephen King Says Meyer Isn't Very Good

Stephen King said, “Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people… The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.”

Since I am on the subject of vampires, I am reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and so far I think it is actually pretty good. Now on with the random drive by comments.

Wealth

2009-01-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

One of the things my wife and I have been putting effort into over the past year or so has been to be good stewards of our money. We have done this in order be able to purchase our first house, which we did in November. We made changes in order to help support some friends that are missionaries in Uganda. We also did this so that one day we might actually be able to retire, and with the current state of our country's economy, it looks like we were doing this just in time.

The temptation is there to do this in order to make ourselves more comfortable financially, or to be able to buy bigger toys in the future, but I have to tell myself that I do not do this for myself. I recently came across some good verses about wealth and riches that reinforced what I already know. Hopefully it will only focus me more as I grow to know God more every day.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
~ 1 Timothy 6:17-19

This tells me that the things I have are fleeting, and even making wise financial decisions does not mean that all I have cannot go away. Anything can happen to take away everything, such as illness, accident, or theft. Even more convicting to me than this is that it says I am to share what I have with others. I can save money so that I may retire someday, but these verses tell me that I have a responsibility to share with others no matter what I have, but especially if I am rich.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
~ Ephesians 4:28

The work that I am commanded to do, and do well, not stealing from my employer, is done so that I may have more than enough for myself in order to share with others who do not have enough. Riches are not for myself to make my life easier or more comfortable, and even in churches our culture tells us the exact opposite. We assume that if we are unable to pay our bills that the problem is that we do not have enough money. God gives us all we need, the only decision is what we do with it.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
~ 2 Peter 1:3-4

I sometimes wonder if I don't read scripture as much as I should because I am lazy or because scripture is too convicting. The question is: can't it be both?

Facebook Sacrifice

2009-01-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Burger King came up with a promotion that if you install their Facebook app and delete ten of your friends, you will receive a coupon for a free Whopper. We all have those people with whom you were acquaintances with in high school that now comment daily on your Facebook wall, this is your chance to remove them with the excuse of "Hey, I need to save all the money I can."

Whopper Sacrifice

New Curriculum Graphic - Lost

2009-01-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

This is a first draft version of another curriculum image I am making for my brother. The city in the image is Portland. I have a couple others in the works as well.

Our Christmas Tree

2008-12-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

This is the only conifer in my house.

New Bonsai: Pinus Mugo 'Slowmound'

2008-12-21T15:16:00.000-08:00

before

after

This is what I did during my day being snowed and iced in (notice the white in the background outside). I turned this dwarf mugo pine into a bonsai. I'm still new at the whole bonsai thing, so I'm learning as I go. The scientific name of this one is Pinus mugo 'Slowmound' and they normally only grow to about 2 feet tall. It makes for an easy bonsai as far as controlling its size. The needles should fill out more in the spring, but in order to make them look older than they really are you remove growth on the undersides of the branches. More pictures to come, especially when my Japanese maple grows back its leaves. Right now it's a stick.

Short Story on The Writing Show

2008-12-19T13:06:00.001-08:00

I recently wrote something for a holiday short story celebration by The Writing Show. The Writing Show is a podcast and website for writers to help them with their writing. They have a variety of topics for everyone from screen writing to children's books. I didn't win the contest, but my story can be found on the website along with a few others if you are interested in reading it. It is also posted on my writing blog that has not been updated because I have not written anything since I wrote the story.

I hope you enjoy the story. Have a great Christmas!

Youth Curriculum Graphics

2008-12-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

I have been creating some graphics for my brother to use with his youth group curriculum over the past year. These are a few of them, and if he wants more I'm happy to oblige. If anyone else is looking for something like this, I work cheap.

"Meh" Is Now A Word

2008-11-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

Meh becomes a word thanks to The Simpsons.

Acer Palmatum Atropurpureum

2008-11-01T16:49:00.001-07:00

Here's a current look at my red leaf japanese maple bonsai. I repotted it, did some pruning after it grew a lot late this summer, and did a little wiring to change its shape. I recently took the wires off to keep it from scarring. The driftwood is from Gold Beach. You can see the changes since the first day it was repotted here, which was about six months ago.

Cascade College to Close Its Doors

2008-10-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

It was announced yesterday that Cascade College will close its doors after the Spring 2009 semester. I attended from 1996-2000 and received a Bachelor's degree. I met people who will be friends for the rest of my life. I found a new desire and passion to lead worship and to be involved in the church. Because of Cascade College, I joined with a group of people starting a church plant in Salem, Oregon. It is the place where I met my wife. I have many memories from that place even after I left. I directed the singing group, Witness, and developed relationships with people that I never even went to school with, bound simply because of the love we had for this school.

Pray for Cascade College and the future of Christian education in the Northwest, pray for the churches that will be impacted by this loss, and pray for the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and people that will be affected by this unfortunate event.

Cascade College to Close Its Doors

Pray for God to work through all of this in the lives of people in the Northwest.

New Home

2008-10-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Our offer to buy a house was accepted. We are going through the process of buying a house built this year (2008) on the South end of Keizer, Oregon. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with a decent backyard. No more rent, just a bigger payment that will eventually, in 30ish years, turn into no payment (except those pesky taxes). We hope to have our friends and family visit us soon, unless something freak happens and we can't buy it. Also, if no one gets any Christmas presents from us this year, now you know why.

Go to my wife's blog to see pictures: Kori's blog.

Thanks to Trevor Elliott for all his help.

Spiritual Crisis

2008-10-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

We are currently in a crisis in our country and in the rest of the world. Our citizens are losing or have lost trust in our politicians and our government. We are facing a rapid decline in the integrity of our economy. Falling housing values are eminent. Even in our interconnected world, people are lonelier than ever. None of these, however, are the crisis I am talking about. We are in a spiritual crisis.

People are putting their trust in faith in politicians to fix our struggling economy and to make decisions affecting our standing in the world and the country's citizens. I see people putting their hope in a certain candidate to uphold a morality for our country and to lead us into better times. People are looking for hope in a crumbling world around them for love, friendship, and acceptance through buying a certain image and level of comfort that is unprecedented in the history of our country. People are criticizing government for all it does yet look to it to solve their problems. People are looking for direction where there is none.

Christians should know better than to put our trust in people, or money, or a false hope or anything besides God. Our trust belongs to God alone, yet He allows us to give it freely to whom we choose. Hope can only come from God, for without God there is no future for anyone. God loves His people so much that He gave up everything to prove it to them. These current crises are simply evidence to us that we Christians have a lot of work to do. We have got to stop worshiping money, power, comfort, people, government, and everything else this world has to offer. God must be first and only in everything.

Here is my encouragement to you: with God you have nothing to worry about. If the government falls apart and is no more, there is still God. If the economy implodes and you lose everything you have, there is still God. If you and your family are hungry and homeless, there is still God. If you lose your life, there is still God. With God there is a kingdom in heaven prepared for us, where there are no moths or rust or rot and where streets are paved with gold, where no one goes hungry or thirsty, and where everyone lives forever. This is the hope that people need. This is the hope that we are called to share with others. This is the hope that will change our country and the world.

Hobbies

2008-09-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

I'm convinced that I have too many hobbies. I like to think that I'm good at so many things that there just isn't enough of my time to go around. I like to think that, but more likely it is that my attention span is short and my talents are so spread out that they rarely come to their full fruition, becoming a Jack of all Trades and a master of none.

I've been in the process of setting some of my hobbies aside to make way for those that currently interest me more, figuring out which ones are deserving of more time. Unfortunately, the process actually takes me away from doing the hobbies themselves. I've been getting a lot more reading in, but my writing has suffered along with music, graphic manipulation fun, and (as you probably noticed) blogging. I haven't been blogging. That's how much I haven't been writing. Add in other fairly new hobbies, such as gardening and bonsai, and there just isn't enough time. This doesn't account for other things I consider hobbies, like watching movies, video games, word puzzles, hiking and camping. I know there are some in there I'm missing too.

I want to say that I'm going to be paring down the hobbies, but more likely I'll add more and more. What I need to be doing is arranging my time to enjoy them all more fully, perhaps even lowering expectations for some of them and adjusting my time accordingly. It all comes down to enjoying hobbies for what they are and not turning them into a chore I don't like doing anymore. I don't want a hobby to feel like a job. Here's a question: if my job were one of my hobbies, would it cease being fun?

On that note, my wife got a job with the state. She likes it better than her last job.

You Don't Have To Yell

2008-09-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

It seems like whenever people get to talking about politics, they become more heated than they normally do about other things. Many Christians get more excited about these things than they do about talking about and living like Jesus. In a time of recycled and heartless music, there are few artists that portray the heart of a poet and of a servant. Chris Rice is one of these few. I thought I would share these lyrics with everyone, and when you start thinking about politics and opinions, remember who you serve.

You Don't Have To Yell
by Chris Rice

So-called reality
Right there on my TV
If that's how life's supposed to be, well
Somebody's lyin'
The camera's on and we can tell
To keep your fame you have to yell
'Cause tensions build, and products sell, and
We're all buyin'
I hope we're smarter than this

Everybody take a breath
Why are all your faces red
We're missin' all the words you said
You don't have to yell
Draw your lines and choose your side
‘Cause many things are worth the fight
But louder doesn't make you right
You don't have to yell, oh
You don't have to yell

I tuned in to hear the news
I don't want your point of view
If that's the best that you can do, then
Something's missin'
And experts on whatever side
You plug your ears, you scream your lines
You claim to have an open mind, but
Nobody's listenin'
Don't you think we're smarter than this?

Everybody take a breath
Why are all your faces red
We're missin' all the words you said
You don't have to yell
Draw your lines and choose your side
Many things are worth the fight
But louder doesn't make you right
You don't have to yell
You don't have to yell

Everybody take a breath
Why are all your faces red
We're missin' all the words you said
You don't have to yell
(If everyone will take the step
Back away and count to ten
Clear your mind and start again
We won’t have to yell)
Draw your lines and choose your side
Many things are worth the fight
But louder doesn't make you right
You don't have to yell
You don't have to yell

Copyright 2006 Clumsy Fly Music (ASCAP) (adm. By Word Music, LLC)

Vote: Would Jesus Vote?

2008-08-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

I know, the title is ironic.

The question is: would Jesus vote? Would He participate in the democratic process? It's a fairly yes or no answer, and I intended it that way. No third party option to skew any results. You can leave your comments here, but also take a second to click the poll on the sidebar in order to track these results. You only get one vote, so don't ruin it for everyone by trying to vote more than once. I know I'm asking for big trouble here, so I'm not even going to bother saying what I think, since many of you who read this blog probably already know how I feel. This will run up until election day, so there's plenty of time to think about it. After that, the poll (as well as this post, depending on how nice everyone is) will probably go bye bye. Don't forget to vote in the sidebar poll.

4 Years of Blogging

2008-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have been writing on this thing for four years now. I have seen other blogging friends come and go but hopefully I have not been, and will not be, someone who gives it up completely. I have started other niche blogs, but this one will always be a blog about Tim as long as it exists. Here are my attempts to give others a glimpse into the chaos in my brain. So much has happened since I first began this blog, and here are some things that have changed since then:

I lived in Portland with my sister
I was running sound for a professional a cappella group
Cascade Hills didn't exist yet
I wasn't married to the most wonderful woman in the world

So now that all of these things have changed, I think it is safe to assume many more things can take place in the next four years. Already, my sister will soon be following me to Salem, my interests in new things are taking shape, Cascade Hills continues to grow and has launched a daughter church, and my wife and I continue to make new plans for our life together. I hope you continue to tune in here for happenings in my life and my perspectives on God, life, politics, media, and many other things in the world.

Horrible Books

2008-08-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

I'm currently reading what is turning out to be a horribly written piece of fiction. It is full of grammar problems, incomplete sentences, characters that I don't care about, and a world full of plot holes filled with pretension. When you're faced with this situation, do you keep reading or do you plod through it in order to use it as an example of bad writing? Do you consider this a waste of time? I recently forced myself to finish what I consider another awful book only to gain more appreciation for those better books (see Rich's list, excepting that first Lewis guy). It makes me feel a little better about myself, but it also causes me to think about what I write and the challenge there is in even getting a book published. Why are there so many bad books? So what do you do, keep reading or toss it aside?

3 Decades

2008-07-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

30 years ago today, something happened that would change the face of history. This date to be remembered is the anniversary of the day that Timothy Mark Lewis came into the world. Celebrate in whatever way you would, but the preferred method is with cash. Cash, or wiener dogs. My parents decided both would be appropriate. This is my birthday wiener dog.

Thanks to my family for the awesome party.

Golf = Lame

2008-07-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

I use the "sports" tag very loosely here.

First read this article. Michelle Wie was disqualified from a golf tournament this weekend. She was in second place. The reason: not signing her scorecard before leaving the playing area. In any serious sport an athlete or team is supposed to win because they are the best. With more questionable practices by professional sports, such as steroids, possible official scandals of fixing games, and owners and cities fighting over new stadiums to be funded by taxpayers, I would say this one takes the cake. Imagine if the NBA is about to hand Michael Jordan the championship trophy when the officials look at the scorecard and realize he didn't sign the final scorecard. They hesitate and pull the trophy away and gasp, saying, "We're sorry Michael, but we're going to have to give this to the Pistons. You forgot to sign the scorecard."

I know what you're going to say. It's about tradition, etiquette, etc., blah, blah, blah. The scorecard is superfluous. If you watch golf on television you can check the score as they go. They have officials there to keep track of their scores for them. These are professionals and when we're talking about hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, it should not be up to the athletes, if you can call them that, to work on the honor system anyway. Of course, they're all millionaires anyway, and because of this little flap, Michelle Wie lost $155,252. That's second place. I reiterate: golf is lame.

Writing: The Next Step

2008-07-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

The past few months I have been practicing the discipline of daily writing. I set up rules that allowed me to take certain days off from writing, but for the most part I have been pretty successful in keeping with my goal of writing at least 500 words each day of various subjects and forms. I even set up a blog to keep track of these goals and for others to track my progress.

Having kept these goals and tasted the discipline of daily writing, I feel that focusing this writing may be the next step. I will continue to keep the daily writing blog, but I will also be spending more time refining some of the ideas that arose from this practice. These will not get posted because they will be the beginnings of a book (or multiple books) and I would hate to ruin my chances of having them published, because my wife wants me to write a best seller (or multiple best sellers) so that she can quit her job.

So that's it. I will be refining the rules on my writing experiment in order to begin writing a book. I will not be giving it up totally because I have had so much fun with it, but I want to stretch myself even more, and I think this is the way to do it.

Diablo 3

2008-06-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

Today Blizzard announced that they are working on Diablo 3. The gameplay videos look amazing. Take a look for yourself. I haven't bought a video game in years, and I still play Diablo 2. I think I see my next game coming up soon.

James Dobson Criticizes Obama's Theology

2008-06-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here's an article about James Dobson's criticisms of Barack Obama's theology. If he and Oprah have the same theology, then it's pretty obvious he's pandering to get votes, not that McCain is any better. Don't be fooled that Obama is a theologian.

Dobson Accuses Obama of 'Distorting' Bible

I feel a post about social consciousness coming on...

Donaghy Says Refs Fixed Playoffs

2008-06-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

He may be just trying to lighten his sentence or take others down with him but I've been saying this for years so this gives me a feeling of vindication. If these allegations are true, the Sacramento Kings really did beat the Lakers in 2002, and therefore should have gone to the finals. The NBA is a joke right now, especially with the calls from this year's finals. It won't change until we stop watching (just like not buying gas). If you like basketball then give professional wrestling a chance.

Here's the story. It's obvious Donaghy is talking about the Kings/Lakers series.

No More Gas

2008-06-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

I read about this guy who decided not to use gas for a month because of high gas prices. I think he's more in tune with what will make a difference than the email forwards you receive calling for a one day ban on gas. If we all decided to make drastic changes in the way we travel it would send a much bigger message to oil companies and the government (who receives more money in taxes than the companies do in profits, by the way).

Ultimately it comes down to a change in our lifestyle if we want to save money. If we can't afford something, don't buy it. If it means we have to move in order to save money, then move. This is a huge reason for so many foreclosures (people buy houses they really can't afford) and why the definition of middle class has changed (a "middle class" lifestyle today is nothing like it was even twenty years ago). We are a people with more than we know to do with, but the problem is we have become accustomed to having more so we waste it all on things we don't need. A recession might make us live leaner, but it might just be good for our character as a people.

Christian/Jewish Theme Park

2008-05-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

Seriously? Although...it is owned by TBN.

You just won the Super Bowl, what are you going to do next?

I'm going to the Holy Land!

Political Peace of Mind

2008-05-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would write another political post in such a short period of time, but considering what many others are thinking and talking about currently, I found it fitting. We keep hearing what a pivotal time this is in our country's history, and it is, but it is easy to be carried away in pride and allegiance to the wrong things.

We have the voice and our government works because of those who take the time to inform themselves and vote according to what they feel is best for the country. This is true if you have candidates that care more about the good of the country than their special projects or perhaps simply just getting elected. I feel we may have some candidates now that really care about the country, but my allegiance is not to this country. While it may be a great country and I am blessed and grateful to live here, there is no hope in a candidate, our government, a party, or in having our political voice heard. Our hope is only in Jesus, and that is the most amazing gift.

Having said all that, we still have the right and privilege in this country to have a say in who is elected or what our laws contain, even though there are others, such as the superdelegates who have more say when it comes to choosing some of those leaders. Much good can be done by doing our part in voting for our leaders and our laws. These things still will not bring us happiness, and they cannot give us hope.

When Paul tells us in Romans 13 that we are to submit to governing authorities, it is in the context of obeying the laws, living in peace with our neighbors, and paying taxes. It does not prescribe our duty to be active in the government, though it does say that governments are there because God put them there. If the economy were to tank tomorrow, or our country were to be invaded or destroyed and ruled by another, while authorities change and fall and rise, my loyalty is still to God. In Colossians he makes clear that it is God that rules over authorities.

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ~ Col. 1:16

And it is by the power of the risen Christ that God proved this authority over them.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. ~ Col. 2:15

Even in the Pax Romana, the Roman government was supposedly the greatest on earth at the time. Jesus came and said that there can be only one Lord, and it is not Caesar. When Jesus is asked what to give to the ruling government, He makes it clear what we are to do.

Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. ~Mark 12:17

If this is true, pay your taxes and vote for whoever you want, but do not give them your heart. That belongs to God.

So go and cast your vote, but remember that our peace and hope will not come from a tax cut or universal health care, but in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who loves us, and our adoption as God's children and the redemption of our bodies.

This is real hope.

My First Bonsai

2008-05-18T17:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I took a beginning bonsai class given by my boss at my place of work. Bonsai (not to be confused with banzai) is pronounced bone-sigh and literally means "tree in a pot". For my first bonsai I chose an acer palmatum atropurpureum, also known as a Red Leaf Japanese Maple. I learned some of the basics on choosing a plant, potting, plant care, and beginning the training process. I'll post more pictures as I go, but remember that this is a life-long endeavor, and one doesn't get good at it right away, but also in order for some bonsai to really start to look presentable it also takes years.

Writing An Update

2008-05-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

The writing experiment has gone quite well so far. In almost an entire month I have missed two days, both with reasonable excuses for not writing. I think I have come up with several chunks of writing with some potential for turning into a pretty decent short story, and even a couple of full-length novel ideas. The trick now is to continue on this daily discipline of writing, but turning some of the writing into something more substantial, and perhaps even profitable. I do not know how this will happen, but time during the day is always against me. One tool that would help is a laptop, so if anyone wants to donate to the Tim Needs A Laptop fund, I am happy to accept the donations.

I've been bad about posting personal things on my blog in order for people to keep up on me. I've had a couple of doctor visits recently. I had a cold about a month or so ago that affected my breathing, but it wasn't getting any better. I tried breathing strips, sinus congestion medicine, even a sinus rinse (weird sensation). I visited the doctor and it turns out it was a sinus infection, so he gave me some antibiotics for the infection, but also suggested I have a CT scan. In the scan they found cysts in my sinuses, so I visited a specialist to go over what I should do, since breathing is still a little difficult through my left nostril, especially at night. I got to see the scan, which show I have a cyst filling the entire left nasal sinus. I have an appointment to have it drained with a long needle. Hopefully this will relieve the pressure it gives on the air passage and I will be able to breathe normally again.

This Saturday I'll be taking a bonsai class at work. This art of "tree in a pot" (literally) takes full-size trees and pruning them and training them to stay small and able to live in a small pot. I'm looking forward to learning this, for I've heard it's quite fun and relaxing, and taking years to become skilled in it, I am starting now, looking forward to having trees in my house. I hope to post many pictures of my journey in bonsai.

In case you didn't know, this is my 200th post! Hooray for milestones!

The Truth of Idol: The Self

2008-04-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

We have seen a phenomenon in our current culture when it comes to what we watch on television. There is something to say for the popularity of reality television shows, such as Survivor, The Biggest Loser, and even Dancing With The Stars. Probably the biggest in influence and popularity of these shows is American Idol. Initially, it gives the viewer an insight into the process of becoming a signed professional musician, from the auditions to the record label. We get to see the singers interact with the judges, withe each other, and with their fans of the American public.

Along the process we see the growth of singers but, with an element of humor, we see the crash and burn of horrible auditions. I think we all get a little ego boost from each of these we watch. Either we can say to ourselves, "Hey at least I'm not that bad a singer," or if we are that bad, "at least I'm not that oblivious to the fact." I think one of the biggest fan-retaining elements to the show is that the process is given the air of being ruled by the voting masses, and though teenage girls' opinions may not speak for the rest of us, we are still given the sense that we are in control.

I think this aspect of American Idol is ironic, because it speaks to how we live our lives, especially in this country. I believe the biggest idol we can create above God is ourselves, putting us above any other, assuming we have control and the final word in all aspects of our lives. We are our own little American Idols in our own minds. It is something that we tend to do in this country, because we have so many freedoms and rights protected by our governments. We take them for granted when we have them, yet many of us impose them onto how we live our lives morally and spiritually, even when it hinders our faith and the faith of others. Paul reminds us that "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is is beneficial."

When we place ourselves as idols, we make the assumption that our vote is the only one that counts, and that we have won on our own merits, regardless of the outcome of the vote, the opinion of the fans, or even whether or not the record label even wants us to sign. We sign our own contract before it has even had a chance to be written. We make our own critiques apart deaf to any others' and we ultimately win the competition, regardless of our own talent and ability (in singing or in life). When our opinion counts more than God's, we are essentially worshipping ourselves. We become the other god or idol that God is talking about in Exodus chapter 20 when He says "Do not worship any other gods before me" and "Do not make idols of any kind," and when we are the idol it is difficult for us to see that we have done this.

Sports News Worth Mentioning

2008-04-24T15:31:00.001-07:00

A's Sign Frank Thomas

Seahawks Let Shaun Alexander Go

Knowing the Rules

2008-04-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

When I was a teen, my church youth group would occasionally play a game at our devotionals. It was especially suited for large groups and lots of visitors. For those of us who had been around for a while and had played it before, it was up to us to make the game work, for in order for the game to work properly, it was up to each person to figure out the rules of the game for themselves.

The person facilitating the game would take a fork, a knife, and a spoon and place them on the floor in the center of the group. One person, usually who had never played, would be chosen to leave the room, and while that person was gone the rest of us would choose one person to be "it". Through the assumed hidden clues and codes in the way the silverware was placed, the new person would have to guess who was "it". Before everyone caught on to how the game was played (some of them never got it), we would sometimes have someone who knew the rules do the same, just to show that it could be done. The secret to the game was that it was a simple game of misdirection.

The secret of the game is that the hinting came not from the silverware, but from those who knew the rules. Whatever position the "it" person took, whether sitting or standing or crossing their legs or folding their arms, it was up to the others to mimick them as subtly as possible. Whenever "it" moved, everyone else followed.

The game acts as a metaphor for our worship services. Our worship services are places full of language, tradition, and actions that are foreign to visitors. Every once in a while someone will have the "aha!" moment when they finally get it. The silverware, the people moving together. Once they know and understand the rules and language, they will wonder why others don't. Our worship services have their own ways of inclusion and language and tradition that when it is finally understood, it sometimes means more to people than if they were more overt in its language. Jesus did this through the use of parables, that were obvious in their meaning to some and confusing to others.

Sometimes it takes someone telling them the rules. They won't get it until they get hints or until some of the distractions are taken away. At times we had to take away the silverware and play a couple more rounds of the game. Removing some of the non-essential pieces sometimes can be helpful in getting others involved. Sometimes with our worship services we have to take away some of the confusing language or distracting components. Like the silverware it serves a purpose, but sometimes that purpose is only confusing to those who don't know the rules. In order to be more inclusive, sometimes we must take away some of the forms, language, and distractions that only get in the way of people knowing the real rules and truth of the game.

Unfortunately, some walk away from the game and never get it. They never learn the rules either because of their frustration, the lack of explanation of the language to them by others, or because of their own indifference to learning the rules. Our worship services can be just as exclusive sometimes, with us unwilling to teach others the language necessarily to be involved, however it is also up to those people to make an attempt to learn the rules in order to participate.

My Writing Experiment

2008-04-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Having become somewhat frustrated with unsuccessfully keeping forms of writing disciplines, I finally decided to do something a little more public to keep myself on track with writing. I've heard it said that writers simply write. They don't talk about writing, but simply do it without regards to initial quality or consistency. I've come up with an experiment to help me get into the habit of writing daily, and possibly come up with some good ideas along the way. The goal is to get myself to write at least 500 words each day (with some exceptions allowed). Check it out, read the full rules, and get ready for some random writing!

Tim's Writing Experiment

Our Prayers Have Been Answered

2008-04-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Over two years ago, I paid tribute to a friend of mine that I missed dearly, and still do. In that tribute, containing what may be the most comments on any one of my posts ever, someone wrote an additional comment that he should have a blog, for "it would be the most random and awesome blog in the world". The wait is over. Behold the blog of Rich Jandt.

The Adventures of Rich Jandt

Wayward Artillery Shell Kills Cat

2008-04-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

Misfired Artillery Shell Kills Cat

Score one for the good guys.

Shout to the Lord

2008-04-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

I just saw the top eight on American Idol sing Shout to the Lord on TV. No really. All of them. Together. As one of their group songs.

For what usually amounts to being really cheesy, this one was actually pretty good. It's amazing that when you put a message into a song that has eternal significance how much more impact it has. I'm sure there were many uncomfortable people in the audience and watching who either thought there was no way the show could pull off something like this or who were just totally turned off, but after thinking about it I am only amazed at how our God demands a response and how our worship is only a response to what He has already done.

Emerging Motivation

2008-04-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Motivational posters for the postmodern Christian.

Emergent-See Po-Motivators

The World's Oldest Sound Recordings

2008-03-29T11:14:00.003-07:00

The world's oldest sound recording has been found. So technically, it's not a recording, but a French inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville invented the phonautograph, which creates a visual representation of soundwaves by using a device that used a needle that moved in response to sound, etching sound waves into paper coated with soot from an oil lamp.

The fascinating thing is that the vocal recording was made in 1860, 17 years before Edison invented the phonograph, but because we now have the technology, they have taken high resolution scans of the recordings, converted the soundwaves into audio files, and now, almost 150 years later, we can listen to what originally was never meant to be listened to. The audio is kinda creepy sounding, but it's almost 150 years old, so give the lady singing some slack. They have more that are even a few years older that they are working on turning into audio.

Read about it

Hear the audio

Chuck Norris The Only WMD In Iraq

2008-03-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

For fun I was going to post one of the funniest websites in the world.

Chuck Norris Facts

I then came across this article that says that though American troops look up to Chuck Norris, so even do Iraqi troops.

Chuck Norris A Hero Even In Iraq

Enjoy and remember: There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live.

Only One Source Of Hope

2008-03-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

I usually choose not to get on many political topics on my blog. After seeing this poster on the television I just can't help myself. I have had many people ask me who I am voting for, and have heard many people get into political discussions. I usually use this as a chance to escape the conversation and avoid the topic completely, not for my own sake, but for what I feel is a chance not to offend. On my blog, however, I can choose my words more carefully and use as a place to edify and teach (myself included). Back on topic, I have had people ask me who I am voting for. While my wife has the wise explanation of not having the time to inform herself of the candidates and the issues, I have other explanations of why I am not voting this year, if ever again.

I have heard that it is our civic duty, our chance to implement change (Obama for change!), and our Christian opportunity to influence the world. Let me give a few reasons why I feel this may not be as important as we think it is. First, if we are Christians, our faithfulness should never be toward anything or anyone before God. Our duty to our family still comes second to God, though our faithfulness to God means being faithful to our family.

Too many of us rely on others to change the world, such as politicians, government agencies, Christian leaders and "official" ministers. As a disciple of the Christ and a servant of the living God, my ability to change anything has nothing to do with my power, but the power of the God I serve. Influencing the world does not happen with me checking a box. It comes when I serve the least of the people (Read Matt. 25). It is when I allow myself to be used by God to serve others when true change happens in myself and the rest of the world.

I have seen too many people become obsessed with these elections, putting their hope in a candidate, as the poster above shows, and this isn't me against one candidate. In fact Obama might be the change we need to realize that one man can't change the world, unless that man is Jesus Christ. Too many people buy into one person's promises to create change, when change comes from our own actions by the power of the Lord our God. This is why I am choosing not to vote, and I've got some other reasons, but since I can't post without doing some sort of Photoshop work, I thought this might bring home the point. I know I just opened a can of worms by talking politics, but Jesus took on politics every now and then, and I can argue that this easily becomes a worship issue when we rally behind a candidate more than we put forth the effort to rally behind Jesus Christ.