Talking Animals November 30, 2009
It has become a Thanksgiving tradition for our family to go the Cleveland Zoo.
I have some mixed emotions when I visit the zoo.
The Cleveland Zoo is pretty amazing. It’s got to be one of the best zoos in the U.S.
I mean…
Any zoo that has a Polar Bear and a Grizzly Bear has got to be one of the best.
Look at that bear!!! I love bears.
But I always feel a little sorry and sad for all these wild animals kept in cages.
I have a deep longing to be friends with these great creatures.
Not all of them, but most of them.
This last time in Cleveland I had a special moment with a beaver.
I can’t remember ever seeing the beaver in action, but this time was different.
I call him Beavis now.
His home is behind glass and as he swam up out of his pond, and walked over to the glass…
I was right there to greet him.
Beavis was looking me right in the eyes with his two-toothed smile.
Two inches away from my hairy smile.
(He probably named me, Butthead.)
He clawed hello to me on the foggy glass, then walked away as other people came to catch a glimpse.
And I named him.
Because we met face to face.
And he is awesome.
It was too up close and personal to even get a picture.
Have you ever thought about why it is that we love the idea of talking animals and being friends with them?
Think of all the movies and shows that involve talking animals.
We want so bad for it to be true.
And I don’t think that desire comes from our fallen nature.
I think it speaks to the way things once were before The Fall.
And the way things will be will be when all of creation is renewed.
But for now…
We and the animals will have to be content.
Knowing that one day the God-Man-Lion-Lamb will forever set us free from our cages.
Give me your Worried Shoes November 24, 2009
Sometimes I worry, and I don’t even know I’m worrying.
Worry is like that most of the time I guess.
I knew something was wrong with me the past couple days, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.
I knew it had something to do with seeing my Mom again this week…
With Dad missing.
And finding out yesterday that my best friend might be facing cancer…
Again.
But today this song “Worried Shoes” came on my playlist.
And I realized how much I was worrying about things.
Because I always want to be in control.
And when the clouds come in
I forget there is a sun.
But the Son never stopped shining behind the clouds.
He’s always there whether I realize it or not.
And He loves to take off my worried shoes.
“Worried Shoes”
I took my lucky break and I broke it in two
Put on my worried shoes
My worried shoes
And my shoes took me so many miles and they never wore out
My worried shoes
My worried shoes
oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo
My worried shoes
I made a mistake and I never forgot
I tied knots in the laces of
My worried shoes
And with every step that I’d take I’d remember my mistake
As I marched further and further away
In my worried shoes
oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo
My worried shoes
And my shoes took me down a crooked path
Away from all welcome mats
My worried shoes
And then one day I looked around and I found the sun shining down
And I took off my worried shoes
And the feet broke free from there
I didn’t need to wear
My worried shoes
And then I knew the difference between worrying and caring
‘Cause I’ve got a lot of walking to do
And I don’t want to wear
My worried shoes
-Daniel Johnston
Guilt and Shame November 22, 2009
How would you answer the following questions:
Do you live with a simmering sense of guilt?
Do you consistently feel inadequate?
Are you overwhelmed?
Are you afraid to take on new challenges?
Do you avoid people?
Are you defensive when corrected?
Do you assume you know other people’s motives?
Do you feel like you’re being set up by God?
My answer is…
“Yes”.
To all of them.
Today at church the sermon was once again about the good news of Jesus Christ.
Sunday after Sunday we gather together to hear our elders preach the same thing.
Sounds boring, huh? But it’s exactly what preaching should be.
It’s exactly what we need from our pastor/shepherds – to point us to The Good Shepherd.
This morning we were taught from the Old Testament book of Judges, chapter 13.
This chapter is awesome.
Manoah and his wife, the parents of Samson, get to see the angel of the LORD.
From the text it seems that this is a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus.
Jesus gives them a promise, and then Manoah and his wife offer him a burnt offering in faith.
This is what it says.
Verse 15 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you and prepare a young goat for you.” And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.) And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.
The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these.”
I should die. But in Jesus Christ, I have an answer to my sin, and guilt, and shame. He became my burnt offering. Through faith in Christ I can gaze upon the glory of God and believe His promises are sure.
The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 8.
Verse 31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
This is what I need to hear every moment of every day.
It is only this kind of grace that can free me from my guilt and shame. This grace fuels holiness.
If holiness begins with me just doing “righteous deeds” as my way to earn God’s favor…
Well, then I have just eliminated grace altogether.
And without the grace of God…
I would never be saved.
*I know I’ve been posting songs by these guys a lot lately, but their music just continues to blow me away.
7 years old November 18, 2009
“Seven”
Missing teeth.
Who needs meat.
I have eyes and ears
To feed on life.
Let’s go fast.
Let’s rocket blast.
I can climb the rope
To the top of the gym.
Tickle me.
Wrestle me.
You be the monster again, Dad.
Just the pretend kind.
I don’t like REAL monster Dad.
I am seven.
And I remember everything.
-Thunderbeard
November 18, 2009
In Loving Memory November 16, 2009
I never thought I would tattoo my Dad’s face on my body, but…
Here it is.
I know many people think tattoos are wrong…
I do have a biblical theology behind my tattoos, but that is for another blog.
I like this drawing for several reasons…
It’s old-fashioned. Dad was old-fashioned.
It’s cartoony. Dad was a character.
It’s puzzly-looking. Dad was puzzling.
And it’s mouthless. Not only does it enhance the beard, but I also liked Dad best when he listened.
I added “Since 1950″ because he was born that year…
And this is not the end.
Thanks to Troy for the drawing. You can read his story behind it here. (I did the mirror-image because Dad parted his hair on the other side, and I also wanted to get it on my left leg.)
And thanks to Wade for the tattooing. Thank Jesus for great friends.
*Here is a picture of Dad with our firstborn, Noa (Dad’s beard was getting pretty white by then). I think it is the first time he got to hold him. Noa will be 7 on Wednesday. We miss Grandpa.
Grieving November 15, 2009
The past month was a blur, but sooner or later reality begins to sink in. And when you aren’t ready for it, it hits you the hardest.
I thought I was ready for it. When it comes to losing someone you love…
I don’t think you can ever be ready for it.
I think a lot about death. I don’t like death, but I know that death is real. I know I could die at any moment. And I knew that Dad was going to die of cancer. We all had 3 years to prepare…
But you can’t know what it is going to feel like until it actually happens.
While I was in Michigan, I experienced a peace beyond all comprehension. I could almost feel God surrounding me with grace and peace through that time.
But this last week, I cried a lot. Sad thoughts constantly entered my mind. Every song I heard was reminded me of the pain of death.
In case you’re wondering, I really do believe that Dad is doing just great right now. I believe that he is in heaven with Jesus Christ. I’m not grieving about any of that. But there are many reasons to be sad.
This is why I grieve…
I grieve because my Mom is a widow, and I can’t be there to comfort her or take care of her.
I grieve because my oldest son’s birthday is this week, and he won’t ever get to hear Grandpa sing to him again.
I grieve because I don’t know if I’ll ever hear my Mom laugh that way again.
I grieve because I was just getting to know my Dad, and now he’s gone.
That stuff hurts.
Savior Jesus, we need you. Our debt is too much to bear.
Hello Hurricane November 12, 2009
Switchfoot.
There are many reasons to like this band…
What I like most about them is that they write good music.
Those of you who knew about Hello Hurricane already know…
And those of you who didn’t know, probably don’t care.
But this album is probably their best one yet.
I say “probably” because The Beautiful Letdown is amazing.
And if you were to compare the best songs in Hello Hurricane with the best songs in
Any of their previous albums…
I wouldn’t say that these are better.
But there is something about the overall package found in Hello Hurricane that seems
The most complex.
The most lasting.
The most significant.
Because these songs are about
Pain. Brokenness. Sin. Hope. Life.
And Love.
And when a band as talented as Switchfoot writes honestly and truthfully about these realities…
You can’t help but feel it down in the depths of your heart.
“Where?”
Down in the depths of my heart.
*The three songs below are my favorites (right now) from this album. What are your favorites and why? (I know. It’s hard to pick. But do it!!!)
Listening – The Universal Love Language November 8, 2009
Melanie and I got into a fight on Thursday night.
I don’t know if you’ve read The Five Love Languages book. I read it not too long after Melanie and I were married. There were some things in that book that I really didn’t like, but I also remember it being helpful in some ways…
This guy was saying there were mainly 5 ways a person will feel loved. And a huge reason that many of us struggle with being understood in our relationships with people is that they don’t “feel” loved in the same ways that we do. You try to show love, but they don’t understand it. Some people feel most loved with kind words…others by touch…and others by an act of service, and so on, and so forth (I forgot the other two). The point is, if you want someone to know you care about them you need to learn to “speak” their love language.
What I can’t remember is if this guy really talked much at all about “listening” in his book. I don’t think he did. Because it seems to me that you would have no need to read a book about love languages if you were actually listening to the people around you. I think if we listened to people more, we would learn their language pretty quickly. Hasn’t that always been the best way to learn a language – living life with the people who are speaking that language and listening to them? It seems to me that the biggest problem in most of our screwed up relationships is that we don’t care enough to take the time to listen.
Because the truth is…
We love ourselves more than anyone else.
Which brings me back to my fight with Melanie. We started fighting because I thought she wasn’t listening to me. And then she got mad because I wasn’t listening to her. After about 30 minutes of working through the frustration, we realized that was exactly what the problem was – neither one of us cared enough to really listen. So we repented…
And then that led to a discussion about the differences that men and women have when it comes to listening. I think it’s true that women are amazingly better at multitasking. And their ability to multitask makes them better listeners. Here is an example…
When Melanie gets together with her Mom and sisters at Thanksgiving, they can cover about 100 topics in 30 minutes. Each person interrupting the other. Each one asking a different question or taking the conversation in a different direction. (To be honest…I’m not sure how much listening is actually going on in these conversations because it sounds schizophrenic to me.) But they look like they are in heaven – perfectly fine with several different conversations all going on at once and all going down rabbit trails. While I am in hell trying to figure out just one thing that was said in the first minute of the conversation – ending up utterly confused. I seriously have to leave the room or turn the TV up. Otherwise my brain gets fried.
If I were an animal, I would be the Unitasker.
Sort of like a Unicorn, but not nearly as beautiful, or as lucky, or as rare.
So… pretty much nothing like the Unicorn.
I almost can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. And I think this is a common characteristic of men. Here is an example. This was crazy, but I don’t believe it was any coincidence. That very night after discussing our problem of not listening and then discussing the difference between men and women’s ability in this area…
I was sitting at the computer, looking at this super cool, gnarled-up, spooky tree for home decor on ebay. You know… Something we have a super huge need for in our already cluttered house of various collections. And I hear Melanie say, or I should say… sing, “HELLOOOOOO!”
I look over at her and say, “WHAT!?” I’m annoyed by anyone singing that word at me.
She says, “I SAID…’Can I GET you anything’?” obviously annoyed by my nonresponse to her question.
I started laughing – thinking that she had whispered it or something. And I told her that I swear I didn’t hear a single word of that sentence. She swore that she said it at a normal volume. It was crazy. I somehow went into deaf-focus-mode looking at the details about this tree on ebay. For all I know, I might have lost every other sense at that moment as well. She didn’t believe me at first. But eventually it made sense to her that if I was only selecting to hear what I wanted to hear, why would I select not to hear…
“Can I get you anything?” I love hearing that question from pretty much anybody.
So, that was the beginning of a new world of understanding between my wife and I. It explains all the times that she has said, “I told you that yesterday! You were looking right at me!” And I’d swear that she didn’t tell me anything. I would say, “How could I not have heard that important piece of information? I would have wanted to know that!” It is true that in my selfishness, sometimes I will tune out Melanie’s voice. But I did not know that I had this ability to uni-task so well that my body actually turns off one of its senses for greater focus. It happens involuntarily sometimes. (I know. I tried to make that sound like a good thing, but I’m not sure if it is. Maybe I actually have a disability. Now that sounds like I’m asking for pity. Whatever.) But maybe that’s why Michael Jordan was so good at basketball. He had this extreme focus ability. Nobody knew that in those moments when he was slamming the basketball down Patrick Ewing’s throat, he was actually deaf, and couldn’t feel, or taste, or smell. I knew I was like Mike. I know I wouldn’t want to have any sense of hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling, or even seeing if I were ever that close to Patrick CHEWing. I’m guessing, but I think Michael Jordan is a Unitasker like me!!!
I really don’t know.
But I’m glad my wife and I are learning that one of the best ways to let someone know you love them is to listen to them.
So, I had better go.
Melanie might be trying to tell me something right now.
Weezer, “If You’re Wondering If I Want You To (I want you to)”…do better November 7, 2009
Weezer’s newest album, Raditude, came out this week.
I don’t have much to say about it because it’s not very good. I hope they just needed to get this out of their system.
And if the album was meant to just be a joke. I don’t really get it.
Weezer, you can do better than this.
I will leave all you readers on a good note though.
Here are some tasty nuggets that have come as a result of Weezer’s latest effort…
These AOL Weezer sessions are very entertaining. I mean, how could mixing Weezer with Kenny G, Chamillionaire, Sara Bareillis, and Green Day not be awesome in some way? Hopefully itunes will make these available for purchasing. Take not that these are variations of some of the songs on the album, and some that are not.
This Weezer Snuggie infomercial is funny… with appearances from Weezer and some other random people mixed in. I’ve considered getting the Weezer Snuggie for my Mom. She would love it.
And below I have embedded my favorite song from the album, “Put Me Back Together.” Too bad the rest of the songs weren’t all nearly as good as this one. Because this is one of Weezer’s best ever in my opinion.
Also, you can read some excellent reviews of the album here if you’re interested:
This one on Strong Odors is good.
And this one on Pitchfork as well.
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