the dreaming tree

Ξ October 30th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

you guys will have to excuse my deathly post from wednesday…it was completely off the wall. i don’t go around thinking about stuff like that all the time…anyway…yeah…

i just bought a cd at wal-mart: sounds of nature. you would not believe how relaxing it is to put on a thunderstorm and study…or write music. actually, writing is the main reason i got it. i’ve heard that a lot of composers have tapes or cds of ambient sounds to help them focus while writing. i’m not sure why they do it, but i find myself needing extraneous sounds to get work done. in the past, if i go to a practice room and sit at a piano and there is no one else in the hall, i pretty much can’t do anything. the silence causes this annoying buzz in my ears and i have to have noise to keep me from going insane. but i can’t sit there and think through something if i’m having to play the piano at the same time. kinda weird how that works, huh?

i love the feeling i get when i write music. it is hardly describable, actually. i find pride in it…amazement…satisfaction…astonishment…how much more does God enjoy seeing his creation in action? i know when i hear something i’ve written, it drives me wild. i can’t even imagine. he created so many cool things…light…photosynthesis…millions of creatures…our minds. wow. this world blows my mind.

Ξ October 29th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

this is gonna be completely random and…well…prolly rather morbid. i’m sorry, i’m just in that kinda mood, i guess. but here’s the question: have you ever wondered what it would be like to kill someone? not from afar, like if i shot a plane down or something, but up close and personal. to be there when they die and see the life pass from them…dead by your hand. i’ve never been next to someone as they take their last breath. and so i wonder what that is like, too. but i think that has to be a completely different feeling. especially if it’s someone you know. i don’t think i would enjoy either one…i just want to experience it, for some odd reason. to understand the ending of a human life firsthand…it seems paradoxical, but it just might make me appreciate life more.

**disclaimer: i am not planning to kill anyone…ever…

Ξ October 29th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

mitch hedberg presents…three one-liners

I’m against picketing, but I don’t know how to show it.

It’s hard to dance if you just your lost wallet. “Whoa! Where’s my wallet? But, hey this song is funky…”

It’s very dangerous to wave to people you don’t know because what if they don’t have hands? They’ll think you’re cocky.

Ξ October 28th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

am i irrational? let me count the ways…

Ξ October 27th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

a question that hopefully won’t apply to you…

what would you choose as your last meal before execution?

i’d go with a lot of stuff. ice cream, pie, cake (!), peanut butter, steak, mashed ‘taters, broccoli ‘n’ cheese soup…and something just weird that i never had before…

Ξ October 27th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

today’s funny quote…brought to you by mitch hedberg

That would be cool if you could eat a good food with a bad food and the good food would cover for the bad food when it got to your stomach. Like you could eat a carrot with an onion ring and they would travel down to your stomach, then they would get there, and the carrot would say, “It’s cool, he’s with me.”

Ξ October 25th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

i think there are two major rules to be considered a true rockstar…

1) be your own, original person
2) wear jeans

Ξ October 21st, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

on the whole, i would say i prefer old hymns to new, streamlined praise choruses. for me, it’s a lot easier to worship with the thick theology present in many hymns. (for the sake of this post, i won’t go into which ones are good and which ones aren’t…and i’m speaking very generally here.) and i don’t mean to discount praise choruses because i know that people can, and do, legitimately worship with them. i’ve been one of those people on many occasions. usually, though, singing those hearty verses, which are so eloquently written, just give me a picture too deep for idle words. and fill me with unescapable joy. they confound me, and at the same time enlighten me. and suddenly i find myself stuck on where to move from here. on one hand, i just said that worship can’t be adequately described. on the other, there seems to be so much that i could say. and so, rather than making a stab at it and thus proving myself entirely in over my head, i will quote an excerpt from an essay on worship by RUF minister brian habig…

It is not enough that a song merely mentions God or Jesus Christ, or that it picks up on biblical themes about
Christian living. We strive to use those songs that are lyrically God-centered rather than man-centered. In addition, we strive to use God-centered songs that are theologically strong and substantial in their content (the more God-centered they are, the more this should hold true!). This accounts for why R.U.F. tends to make use of hymns more than gospel songs, psalms more than choruses. We welcome gospel songs and choruses that are God-centered and substantial in content, but we also strive not to compromise our standards in the interest of what is easier

just to be clear, i’m not trying to down on any particular style or instrumentation for worship. all i hope for is a true, complete focus on Christ Jesus in any worship service i attend…or create, for that matter.

and that’s that.

Ξ October 21st, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

Amazing Love (And Can It Be)
words by Charles Wesley

And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, my God, should die for me?

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above; so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race!
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for, O my God, it found out me.

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?

Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast-bound in sin and nature’s night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke–the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free!
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee!

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?

No condemnation now I dread. Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Ξ October 19th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

i try to read theology and understand it. i’m currently on a mission to read the whole of the westminster confession of faith. i’ve also been on a downloading kick recently. no, not off of kazaa…but sermons. yes, i have downloaded sermons. call me a nerd or whatever you want. i don’t care. i’m learning and learning and learning. one of my favorites to listen to is ravi zacharias. he truly is brilliant and i often have to rewind and listen to stuff twice. another of my favorites is r.c. sproul…he is also pretty freakin amazing. just…brilliant. and one final guy i suggest is les newsom. he is an RUF minister down at ole miss, and you can find some of his sermons here.

annnnd i think i just broke my record for most links in a single post.

Ξ October 17th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

i love camping. i was reminded of that this morning as i helped pitch tents for the pma/sai joint campout tonight. the thing that sucks is that i don’t even get to go cause mayor dave is playing a fifth quarter. i haven’t been camping for about two years. i used to go camping once a month when i was in scouts. those were the days…we’d have so much fun on those outings. usually. but you wouldn’t believe some of the meals we came up with. anything was possible, and we most definitely shot for the moon. one time we (my patrol…i think at the time we were the flaming arrows…) won a troop-wide cooking contest in which the prize was breakfast cooked by the adults. and.it.was.awesome. we got to sleep in…we didn’t have to clean up dishes and stuff…we laughed at the other patrols. ahhhh…good times, good times. i think it’s about time i make more time to go camping.

Ξ October 14th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

so last week i met yet another person that i originally came into contact with on the internet. her name is morgan and she was visiting my school, ouachita, because she is planning to come here next year. it was a fun visit, and it got me thinking once again about online friends. if you had told me last summer that i would have met and cultivated friendships with people on the internet, i probably would have laughed in your face. or maybe later, because i don’t like to be rude to people. but it really is amazing how certain things can draw us together, even over great distances, and a true bond can be forged. it isn’t fake. and i wouldn’t trade any of my online pals (yes, i said pals) for anything…well, nothing cheap. j/k. and now, a word from morgan:

me: ok, quickly because i have to leave
me: what are your thoughts on online friends?
morgan: um…
morgan: they rock…and online friendships react just like real ones for the most part
morgan: but you really should meet the people…cause that’s good
morgan: (right?) Um…yeah
me: is that your final answer?
morgan: Is this being published?
morgan: if so, no…if not, yes.

and there you have it…morgan’s incomplete thoughts on online friends. more on this topic later as we receive new developments…

Ξ October 11th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

why do you always make things so complicated?

what if the hokey-pokey really was what it’s all about? life would be so much simpler, eh?

Ξ October 10th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

it’s friday again…

1. Do you watch sports? If so, which ones? yes, i watch baseball, football and basketball, and hockey on occasion

2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes? my favorite teams are the texas rangers (mlb), the dallas cowboys (nfl) and the arkansas razorbacks (ncaa). i have a lot of players that i respect and love towatch.

3. Are there any sports you hate? not really.

4. Have you ever been to a sports event? heh, yeah.

5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? How long did you play? i played baseball starting at age 5 and played into college. i was a pitcher, first baseman and outfielder. i quit last year, though. i played football in high school (wr).

Ξ October 9th, 2003 | → 0 Comments | ∇ could be anything |

for sometime now, i’ve felt numb to school. my mind seemed to be asleep and i felt apathetic towards everything. for whatever reason, i finally am breaking out of it. i feel like i’ve rediscovered my mind. i was sitting in class, and i had a sudden feeling that i can hardly express in words. it was if i had a cold for a long time, to the point that i forgot what it meant to breath comfortably, and in an instant, all the congestion evaporated. suddenly, my mind was acutely aware of the class and making connections. it might sound stupid, but it is the only way i can think to relate it. i’ve never felt anything like it before; it is very exciting to me. i have suddenly new motivation for finishing school on a high note. actually, i have motivation, period.

i’m listening to marvin gaye’s “let’s get it on” which always reminds me of high fidelity. i love that movie. and that’s about all i can say.