Friday Music - Gungor

Gungor - Beautiful Things

$5.00 from Amazon.com during April.

"Just as the band is about far more than one person, this album is about a God so great and grand that our response should be deep, creative, and passionate. In Beautiful Things, Gungor has achieved just that." - gungormusic.com

Probably my favorite CD ever.  Intimately deep, fantastic musically, Beautiful Things achieves the goal of instilling a yearning for God.

  

Intro - Piper's Principles (Working Title!)

Desiring God has been turning my world upside down.

I've been reading through it during April with Piper's church.  Along the way, he has been posting discussion interviews about the book.  Sadly, I have missed all of those!  But, I'm hoping they're stored away somewhere around the internets.

I am going to be sharing some sweet little nuggets from his book.  Some may be small, some may be way too deep to even try to explain on a blog, but I'm still going for it.  I'm planning to write a post for each chapter starting next week.  Let's say, on Thursdays.  We'll call the posts Piper's Principles.  Or maybe, "Desiring God" Goodies. 

I'll work on the title.  But May 5th will be the start.  It's an amazing book, and I'm excited to share some thoughts!

----- | | | -----

As a teaser, here's a big idea I've been wrestling with:

Do you want God, or do you want His gifts?  Did you receive Jesus Christ from guilt and shame, or is He your Treasure?  Do you believe that there is unending delight and joy in serving God and loving others?

Could it be that today the most straightforward biblical command for conversion is not, "Believe in the Lord," but, "Delight yourself in the Lord?" - Piper

In Support of Artists, not Thieves

Efterklang is mad at Piraters.

What is stealing?

I walk into a store.  There is that new Mumford and Sons CD sitting on the shelf.  Or maybe for you, it's Lady Gaga's new album.  Whatever.  I glance around, no one is looking.  No cameras.  So, I take that CD and put it in my jacket pocket.  Then, I walk out of the store...

We would all agree that this is stealing, right?  What about this:

I get on my computer.  I open up Limewire.  I download Mumford and Sons' new CD.

It is strange to think that this does not seem like stealing to me or my peers.  But, the common thread here is that I took a good without paying for it - that is, common theivery. 

"But Bryce, you didn't put the CD on Limewire.  Someone else did.  You're just copying some digital files!" 

Ok, so I am copying stolen items from a thief. 

By pirating music, you support thieves, not artists. 

----- | Who Buys Music? | -----

During college, I had a music-freak friend.  He was always talking about bands I had never (and still haven't) heard of.  He was starting to write music, and loved playing his favorite bands' songs. 

One day, he told me something shocking - he had purchased all of his 20 GB+ library of music. 

What?!  Who does that anymore?  We have torrents and limewires and so many other ways to obtain a digital file.  We don't even think twice anymore about downloading music.

But, he challenged me to do just that.  Instead of using the 'stealing argument', he was passionate about the converse idea: he wanted to support his artists!

By buying music, you are supporting good artists. (They are good to me, or else I wouldn't buy them!)  Can you really say you are Lady Gaga's / Mumford and Sons / U2's biggest fan if you've never actually bought any of their music?  Don't artists we enjoy deserve our money?  Shouldn't we want to support them so they can do things like buy food, pay their bills, and make more good music? 

----- | A Challenge | -----

1. Stop pirating music.  If you steal music, you do not support that artist or any message they promote.  No one who loves music will pirate music.

2. Delete all music you do not own.  Yeah, this one's gonna hurt.  But only in the beginning.  Then, you will have to become music-savvy.  Read reviews, listen to clips, etc, before buying (supporting) an artist.  Soon, you'll have a small collection of music that you actually like and listen to.

3. Buy music.  I have around 15 GB of music.  I bought all of it.  Is that tough to do?  Yes!  I have a section of budget for music.  I rigorously review bands before I buy their music.  It's tough, and it costs me something.  But, it's worth it.



Efterklang is happy that you buy music.



Support your favorite artists.  Buy their music.  Help them continue to make more good music and continue to spread their message.  Pirating is putting good artists out of business, and instead supports thieves.

Mindless Monday Fun

Two things to make Monday fly by:

The Opposite of Peanuts? - 3eanuts - This is a fantastic idea:

"Charles Schulz's Peanuts comics often conceal the existential despair of their world with a closing joke at the characters' expense. With the last panel omitted, despair pervades all."

Two of my favorites:

"To all the non-believers!!" - Bart Scott Post-Game Interview

You don't really need much background here.  Bart Scott is an infamously emotional interviewer.  This takes place just after the underdog Jets beat the Patriots.  There's some good quotes here!

Yes Monday, now I am ready to take you on.

Friday Music - Hillsong United "Aftermath"

Aftermath - $8.99 on Amazon.com

I've always loved Hillsong.  Who doesn't?  

Still, in their older albums, I was constantly skipping songs.  But in this new one, every track is phenomenal.  You will hear the gospel thirteen times.

My favorite track:

The INTJ Mind & My Achilles' Heel

I recently found this site which describes meyers-briggs personality types very well -

http://typelogic.com/intj.html

As an INTJ, I am very... misunderstood. However, I think this paragraph describes me very well.  

INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems.

As good as this is, there is a downside to being an INTJ.

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.

This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.

Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.

Well, this explains a lot!  I encourage you to check out your personality type, it will help you in many ways.

Jesus Switched Our Cups

Last year, in Israel, I was able to experience one of the most moving sermons I've ever heard.  I think about it every time I take communion, when I hear the gospel, when I think of the Garden of Gethsemane.  The following is my recap of the talk by Ross Strader, of Bethel Bible Church in Tyler, TX. 

----- | Jesus' Anguish | -----

This talk was given on our Israel trip in the traditional Garden of Gethsemane:

 

"The Matthew 26 account is the darkest, most horrific part of the Bible." Ross

Before the day of his crucifixion, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Look at His state here -

And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:44

Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”  Matthew 26:38

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

Why was Jesus in so much anguish?  Was it because He feared the path before Him?  Or was it something else?

----- | The Cup | -----

What is this 'cup' that Jesus refers to?  We may think that it was his impending crucifixion.  I believe it is referring instead to another cup numerously referenced in the Bible. 

Job 21: 20 - Let their own eyes see their destruction; let them drink the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.

Jeremiah 25:15 - This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.

Revelation 14:10 - they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

Habakkuk 2:16 - You will be filled with shame instead of glory.  Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed!  The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. 

Psalm 58:7 - In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

So you tell me, what cup was Jesus asking God to take away? 

Jesus was about to drink the cup that we deserve, that I deserve - the cup of God's wrath.  He was about to take on, in His body, the wickedness of the world.  He did not just experience our sins, the Bible says he BECAME them.  He who knew no sin, became sin (2 Cor. 5:21).   He bore our sins, in His body, on the cross (1 Peter 2:24).  He was about to experience the cup of God's wrath.

From these verses, we can begin to imagine what exactly that cup was.  The cup of wrath is described in Revelation for those doomed to hell (Rev. 14:10).  Imagine the infinite wrath of God for every murder, rape, broken heart, war, death, disease, injury, lie, genocide, suicide bombing, or rebellion.  This is the cup that Jesus drank.

----- | Jesus Switched our Cups | -----

At this time in the talk, we took communion.  We contemplated how deeply painful this cup of wrath must have been.  Enough for Jesus to sweat blood.  And then, just before we drank from the cup, Ross finished the story.

The cup we drink from today is a cup of grace.  The grape juice we drink each week is a reminder.  We were supposed to drink from the cup of wrath.  We deserve it. 

But Jesus switched our cups.  He drank the cup of God's wrath, punishment unimaginable, and gave us His cup of grace. 

Isaiah 53:6 - We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

By accepting Jesus as Lord, we are seen as holy and righteous before God.  

Romans 4:24 - ...but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.  

During Good Friday, remember what Jesus did for you.  Remember the pain, the anguish, the loneliness not just from the cross, but also from the wrath for our sinful actions today. 

And Sunday, let us be joyful of the cup we now have!  

Paleo Diet for Social Media Specifics!

A couple of days ago, I began to wonder what a Social Media Paleo Diet would look like.  Check it out here.

Keeping those goals in mind, I think my time on social media should be really, really limited.  There shouldn't be enough time to just "browse around".  It should be more like a bathroom trip - get in, get out. 

This is what I'm thinking: 

Twitter - can check once per day - 10 mins.
Facebook - can check twice per week - 15 mins each.
Google Reader - can check once per day - 10 mins
Blogger - can use any time as I want (writing new blogs)
News Sites - can check twice per day for 5 minutes.

I've also been thinking about limiting time for video games and things like Netflix.  I could see these consuming all of my time if I'm not online...  As for now, these are still being thought over.

As the month goes on, I'm hoping to shorten these even more!

Do these seem too long or short?  Are there other sites you visit?  Make up your own times! 

After all, we're not cavemen.

----- | Preparation | -----

To prepare, I'm going to do a few things. 

1. Lists.  I'm going to make lists on facebook and twitter for the people I actually care about.  That way, I don't have to surf through everything and can still see how my friends are doing.  I may even make a few for quotes, celebrities, leaders, etc. 

2. Removing all comfortability.  When I open up my internet browser, boom, facebook is just a click away through a link.  Same thing on my phone - tweetdeck is in the center of my phone.  So, I'm going to hide these away.  Goodbye links and goodbye easy access to apps. 

3. Pray.  This experience will be tough.  My only prayer during this time is this: "Lord, be my treasure.  Let me see how I am simply trying to fill a gap by doing all this social media junk.  Let me find all my satisfaction only in you."

So, anybody else interested?  May is just around the corner...

The Paleo Diet for Social Media.

During April, I was challenged to try the Paleo diet.  Basically, the diet only allows you to eat what a caveman could eat - fresh fruit, meat, vegetables, nuts, eggs.  No bread, sweets or even milk!

And I failed miserably. 

Okay, it wasn't a total loss.  The bigger goal in doing the diet was to watch what I was eating, and not just eat the same junk I've been eating since I was a sugar-hungry kid.  So, I did learn about some healthy foods by branching out, as well as how to resist the call of sugar. 

----- | | | -----

While I was doing this, I began to wonder, "What if I applied these same principles elsewhere?"  I mean, those 'paleo' men seemed to live pretty well without Dr. Pepper or bread.  What else could I do without?  Where else am I losing discipline?

One of the biggest areas for me is the internet.  I can get into this (sick) cycle of checking Facebook, reading there for a while, then hopping to Twitter to read all of the updates, then heading to Google Reader, catching up on some blogs, use Google Explore, check CNN, FOX News... then back to Facebook.  What?!  Where did that hour just go?  Just like this:

Somehow this social media / connecting thing has become an idol in my life.  Even if I'm just surfing "Christian" blogs and John Piper's twitter feed, I can still waste time trying to feel 'connected'.  It's consuming, it's an idol.  There is a void of lonliness which social media tries to fill, but it is always lacking.  So I keep coming back.

----- | | | -----

So, I thought, "What if there was a Social Media Paleo Diet?"  What would it look like? 

I don't think all social media should be cut out, but it definitely needs it's boundaries.  Strict ones.  The goal isn't to become absent online. 

The goals would be to:

1. Limit time in social media to get to important things.  There are good, beneficial uses for social media.  But, I rarely get to them b/c I stop and watch another "Friday" remix or a laughing baby. 

2. Get more involved with real relationships.  A big goal would be to build more real community.  Write a letter.  Volunteer.  Grab some coffee with a friend.  Start a regularly-meeting group.  At the very least - stop checking twitter while ten of us are sitting together.

3. Remove Social Media's power over me.   The final goal would be to begin to realize just how hooked I am to status updates, links, and tweets.  I believe it has more power over me than I think.  It's a very deceptive idol, this desire to be 'connected.'

Sound interesting?  I'm going to think more on what it would specifically look like.  But, I'm shooting for starting this in May.

We do not do discipline because we are strong, but because we are incredibly weak.