Random Bits

Posted on June 14, 2009 by Jason

A few random bits on a Sunday night:

  • Am I the only one who loves this Wipeout show? I know it’s ridiculous, but I DVR’d a few episodes last week and the show makes me laugh out loud more than any show I’ve watched lately. And I’d love to take a run through the Wipeout Zone, just to see how I’d fare.
  • Is Phil Jackson the best coach we’ll see in our lifetime? The man has won 10 championships in 19 years. This year’s championship is sweet for Kobe, obviously, since he’s proved he can win one without Shaq. But I think it’s also important for Jackson’s legacy; with each of his previous Finals victories, Jackson had at least 2 Hall of Fame caliber players on his squad (Mike and Scottie; Kobe and Shaq). This year, although Pau Gasol is a nice player and all, he’s certianly not in the same class as those other players.
  • For some reason, I also like the Kobe – LeBron puppet commercials. Those things have to be cheap to make; maybe we’ll see them get their own pilot in the fall. Although, I don’t really get this one. What does the NBA have to do with jumping into a car?
  • I’m reading a great book right now: The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. Stearns, a former corporate CEO and current President of World Vision, argues for a holistic gospel that most evangelical Christians fail to emphasize, a gospel of good news for the poor, the orphaned, and the forgotten. By asking the question “What does God expect of us?”, Stearns presents a whole gospel that moves us beyond altar call “pie in the sky by and by” forms of Christianity to a vibrant engagement with the world to bring the Kingdom of God to the here and now. Read this book.
  • My St. Louis Cardinals were nearly no-hit last night by Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians. Of course, if I had the same strike zone that Lee was getting all night, I’d have fared pretty well, too. This week, I’ll have the chance to visit another new ballpark: Nationals Park in D.C. I hear the park is beautiful. We might be the only people in the stands, though. Nats / Jays isn’t exactly a big draw. Actually, Nats / anybody wouldn’t be a big draw. Who knows? Maybe they’ll ink Stephen Strasburg real quick and get him up with the big club. He’d already be their best starter.
Posted in Books, Random, Sports, St. Louis Cardinals, Television | 4 Comments

LOST Season Six

Posted on June 13, 2009 by Jason

LOST fans, click here for Matthew Fox’s comments on the final season of LOST. If you’re really wanting to avoid spoilers, you may not want to read, but I don’t think there’s anything here too spoilerish.

Leave a comment if you want to discuss.

Posted in Television | 5 Comments

Lesser Translations

Posted on June 12, 2009 by Jason

The other day I was at LifeWay Christian bookstore, looking at the Bibles. I’ll do that from time to time; I’m just a Bible junkie I guess. Anyway, while I was there, a young lady was shopping for a Bible with her grandfather. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but the Granddad was one of those loud-talkers. You know the kind; the guy you can hear from 3 aisles over because he has absolutely no concept of volume control. He had this big booming voice and when I happened upon them, he was pontificating about the importance of finding a Bible that his granddaughter could read. “You’ve got to find a Bible that you’ll be able to read and understand,” he said. They were standing in front of a wall of different translations: NIV, KJV, NKJV, NLT, ESV and maybe a few more. The little girl stood just stood there, an overwhelemed expression on her face.

Sensing that she needed some help, Grandpa said, “You’ll probably want to think about either the NIV or the New KJV.” He pointed her to where these two translations were located. “I think you’ll like one of these two the most.”

This seemed to help the little girl, at least somewhat. Instead of an entire wall of Bibles, she was now looking at one or two bookcases full of NIVs and NKJVs.

“Well,” she said, “which translation do you use?”

Grandpa explained that he preferred the New King James, that the original King James was the best, truest translation of the Bible available to man. But the New King James “cleaned up” some of the old antiquated language, like the “thees and thous” that sometimes trip us up. “These lesser translations are okay, I guess. But for my money, sweetie,” he told her, “the KJV is the most authentic translation we have.”

You have to give Grandpa credit; he only said this in response to his granddaughter’s question. He was asked for his opinion and he gave it. And I agree with him that the KJV is a great translation; it has a certain beauty and eloquence that gives the text a regal, almost majestic feel at times. And, to his credit again, he did direct her toward the NIV as well, so she had some options to choose from. But I couldn’t help but wonder if the seeds of what was being sewn in that conversation would come to haunt that little girl over the course of her life. What if she finds the “scrubbed up” KJV to be a cumbersome read? Will she one day feel guilty if she prefers the “readability” of another translation? Will she feel like she’s betraying Grandpa if she someday owns a “lesser translation” like the NIV or the NLT?Worse, will she feel like she’s betraying God?

I don’t know which Bible she decided to get; I finally made it to a part of the store where Grandpa’s voice couldn’t reach me. But I can’t imagine she walked out of there with anything but a New King James Bible tucked under her arm, grateful she hadn’t chosen one of those “lesser” translations, pitying those poor people who were less fortunate.

Posted in Faith, Scripture | 7 Comments

Happy Birthday Jackson Cash!

Posted on June 11, 2009 by Jason

Today our little man turns two years old! It’s hard for me to believe that our baby is now two. I know it’s cliche and all, but time really has flown by these past couple of years.

Jackson, you are an absolute blessing to us. Your energy, your laughter, your smile, even your mischievous nature make this family complete. I’m so thankful the Lord brought you to us, son. Our prayer is that you would live up to your namesake, that you would be strong, that you would show yourself a man, and that you would observe all that the LORD your God requires (1 Kings 2). God has indeed been gracious to us!

Posted in Kids, Video | 5 Comments

Desert Island: Top 50 Songs

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Jason

(You can tell I’m really hurting for blog ideas, huh?)

So the other day, I was bored and I started thinking, “What if I was stranded on a desert island and I could only have 50 songs to listen to for the rest of my life? What would those 50 songs be?” (I also started thinking why every island is a “desert” island. I mean, is there some other kind of island? And how can it really be a “desert” island when there’s all this water around it? I mean, isn’t a “desert” by definition devoid of water? Anyway…)

So I looked over my highest rated songs in iTunes and here’s what I’ve come up with. This was a lot harder than it sounds. But these are the 50 songs I’d want to listen to for the rest of my life.

1. Win One For the Reaper – Michael Giacchino
2. Locke’d Out Again – Michael Giacchino. These are two songs from the LOST Season 1 soundtrack and they’re incredible. One of the best things about the show is Giacchino’s moving score.
3. O Praise Him – David Crowder Band. Crowder at his best.
4. How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin
5. Lonesome Dove Theme. Another great instrumental tune.
6. Go To Sleep – The Avett Brothers. Love to hear this live. Gotta see them again sometime soon.
7. Wagon Wheel – Old Crow Medicine Band Show.
8. Rocky Top – The Osborne Bros. Every time I hear this, I feel like I’m back home.
9. Folsom Prison Blues – Cash
10. Fix You – Coldplay
11. Hard To Get – Rich Mullins
12. The Idler, The Prophet, And A Girl Called Rain – Michael McDermott
13. Deirdre Dances – Michael McDermott. He’s one of my all-time faves, but most of you have probably never heard of him. Which is a crying shame. He’s the man.
14. Breathe – U2. The best song on their latest batch of awesomeness.
15. I See A Darkness – Cash.
16. The Mercy Seat – Cash. Without a doubt, the best, most haunting songs from Cash’s American canon. It doesn’t get much better than this.
17. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
18. Thunder Road – Springsteen
19. Song of the South – Alabama. This song makes me want to roll down the windows in the truck. Don’t ask me why.
20. Daughter – Pearl Jam
21. Better Man – Pearl Jam. Reminds me of my Senior year of high school. Good times.
22. Tennessee Flat Box – Cash. For Dad.
23. Let It Be – Beatles. For Mom.
24. I Walk the Line – Cash
25. My City of Ruins – Springsteen
26. Swept Away – Avett Brothers. The non-sentimental version.
27. The Last Cowboy Song – The Highwaymen. This song makes me think of my Dad; he absolutely loved this album. Actually, I probably owe my whole love of music to my Dad. I was the only kid I knew who had the words to Folsom Prison committed to memory.
28. Imagine – John Lennon
29. If I Had a Million Dollars – BNL. Classic. I need to take Sunny to see them in concert again.
30. Piano Man – Billy Joel
31. She Talks To Angels – Black Crowes
32. You’re The One – Dwight Yoakam. Best country kiss-off song ever.
33. Used to Be – Lost and Found. I have a live version of this song. It’s my favorite song by this great speedwood band.
34. Still Ain’t Over You Yet – Michael McDermott
35. I Go To Extremes – Billy Joel
36. Scenes From An Italian Restaurant – Billy Joel. Can you tell that I’m also a big Billy Joel fan?
37. Ocean of Noise – Arcade Fire. This song has layers and layers of sound. Love it.
38. You Got It – Roy Orbison. Takes me back to Little League and being 11 years old.
39. He Stopped Loving Her Today – George Jones
40. Good Day Sunshine – Beatles. For Sunny.
41. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
42. Layla – Clapton. I am seriously in love with the instrumental outro on this song.
43. One – U2
44. The Measure of a Man – Dennis Jernigan. For my boys.
45. Paranoia in B Major – The Avett Brothers
46. Denouncing November Blues – The Avett Brothers
47. Viva la Vida – Coldplay
48. Man of the Family – Mark Erelli. Best song I’ve ever come across that expresses what a young man feels when his father dies. Great.
49. My Weakness – Moby. For my parents.
50. How Deep the Father’s Love For Us – Phillips, Craig, & Dean

How about you, music fans? Which songs would be in your Top 50?

Posted in Music | 3 Comments

New Heroes

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Jason

Today I met a few new heroes.

I sat with Clovis Steele and heard him talk about his experiences teaching school in north Mississippi in the 1960s during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Clovis was a man ahead of his time, laboring for racial equality in the heart of the Bible belt where the scars of racial tension still run deep. I looked on as he proudly showed me a picture of his brother-in-law, clad in his pressed military uniform, a young man full of life. I watched Mr. Steele beam with pride as he showed me the purple heart that had been awarded to the family after this young man had been killed in combat in WWII. And I listened as he talked about what a blessing his sweet wife has been to him, taking care of him as his health continues to deteriorate.

I met Mrs. Margie Smith who was celebrating a birthday today. Mrs. Margie didn’t want to tell me how old she was, but I’m guessing she’s in her 80s. But don’t let that fool you; Margie’s. mind is just as sharp as ever. And despite my best efforts to encourage her, Mrs. Smith only wanted to talk about my life; she couldn’t believe how old my kids are getting, she encouraged me to keep preaching God’s Word, she wanted to know what it was like to grow up in Lebanon, TN. Mrs. Margie has had a tough life; her husband passed away 40 years ago; she would later bury a daughter, a son, and both her parents along the way. Through it all, Margie has persevered, thanks in part to a Patton-esque resolve and a wry sense of humor. And I have a feeling I’ll be spending a few more birthdays with Mrs. Margie; she’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

I met Diane, a woman who has committed her life to the care of the elderly. I listened as Diane repeated with tremendous attention to detail the various health ailments of a half dozen of her patients, men and women who desperately need the care she provides them. I listened as Diane told me how, as a young sixteen year old, she just knew that she wanted to spend her life taking care of the frail and the forgotten. I watched as Diane’s eyes well up with tears as she asked for prayers for her own mother, a woman who has been dealing with congestive heart failure and a host of other ailments. I held Diane’s hand as we sought Father’s help for her mother and continued strength for Diane and her ministry.

In a society where we deify youth, the elderly are easy to ignore. But I’m convinced more and more that if Jesus were here today, he’d be spending at least a portion of his time walking up and down the halls of our nursing homes and assisted living centers. He’d be with people like Mr. Clovis and Mrs. Margie, salt of the earth people who just need to know they’re not forgotten. And He’d be right there with Diane, encouraging her and equipping her to love a particular subset of the flock in a very special way.

Like I said, I have a couple of new heroes.

Posted in Devotional, Jesus, Social Issues | Leave a comment

Growth Occurs

Posted on June 8, 2009 by Jason

I wrote last week about how much I love being out in our back yard. The family that lived here before us planted so many flowers around the property and this year we’ve done a good job of taking care of them and planting some other flowers to go with them. This is a picture of just one of our roses. We’ve also planted a garden for the very first time. Nothing big, just a few tomatoes, some okra, green beans, and cucumber. One of the things I love doing is going out back early in the morning and late in the evening to water everything. I know this isn’t a profound thought or anything, but the discipline it requires to tend a garden and routinely water our plants parallels our need for regular spiritual sustenance. When my spiritual life feels like a parched, barren wasteland, it’s usually because I haven’t been drinking deeply with God. Certainly Bible study and prayer are a big part of this, but I also have to routinely engage in what Brother Lawrence calls “practicing the presence of God.” Because just as my flowers crave water and sunlight, my soul’s deepest desire is to connect with God, to spend time with Him, to love Him and to be loved in return. When that happens, growth occurs.

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.” (Isaiah 55:1, 3)

Posted in Devotional, Scripture | 1 Comment

Uh…That Was Weird

Posted on June 4, 2009 by Jason

So I just finished tucking Jackson into bed and I started thinking about our satellite TV service. The company we’re with just increased their rates and I’ve been thinking about making a switch. In fact, a few weeks ago, I even called to talk to a representative to see what they could do for me. As I closed Jackson’s door, I thought to myself, “I need to take another look at that. Switching over would probably save us some money.”

No sooner had the thought entered my mind than my cell phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but I decided to answer anyway (which I never do). The voice on the other line was an automated operator just calling from our satellite provider, thanking me for my years of faithful service as a valued customer. Those female computerized voices always creep me out anyway, but this one was extra weird, given the circumstances.

I’m choosing to blame this one on Casper.

Posted in Casper, Humor, Random | Leave a comment

Founded Upon Love

Posted on June 3, 2009 by Jason

I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force! Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him. — Napoleon Bonaparte.

Posted in Jesus, Love of Christ, Quotes | 2 Comments

The Year in Music (So Far)

Posted on May 31, 2009 by Jason

As most of you know, I’m a music fan. Always have been. And this year, there have been some great musical releases. I’ve written about several of them already, but here are the early contenders for my annual Album of the Year award. (For previous annual music reviews, click here and here and here.) Note: all of these purchases have been made legally. I used a holiday iTunes gift card for some of these, but I found most of them either at the Amazon MP3 Store (where you can often find new releases for as low as $3.99) or eMusic (where I end up paying around .10 cents per song).

Here are some of my favorite albums of 2009, in no particular order:

  • Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels – This Canadian folk trio has a Jayhawks-esque quality about them. With its lush harmonies and a fresh, airy tone that rivals 1970s AM radio, I’ve found this album to be the perfect spring listen. Download this: Walking On A Line and Everything Is Moving So Fast.
  • Justin Townes Earle, Midnight at the Movies – The son of country rocker Steve Earle and the namesake of Dad’s mentor and friend, Townes Van Zant, Justin Townes Earle has produced a collection of songs that stand on their own merit. Midnight at the Movies, Earle’s sophomore effort, displays the young artists singer / songwriter wares. The best of the lot is the biographical confession Mama’s Eyes: “I am my father’s son/ I’ve never known when to shut up/I ain’t foolin’ no one/I am my father’s son.” But this album works precisely because Earle has determined not to trade on the family name. Download this: Mama’s Eyes, Can’t Hardly Wait.
  • Steve Earle, Townes – I guess you can tell I’ve been in an alt-country mood for most of the year, huh? Not to be outdone by Junior, the elder Earle has produced a stellar set of songs in tribute of Townes Van Zant, his mentor and good friend. The result is a beautiful and heartfelt album. But make no mistake: this is a Steve Earle album. His trademark growl and bluegrass-rock reinvigorate these songs and will hopefully make them accesible to a whole host of new fans. Download this: Pancho and Lefty, Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold (w/ Justin Townes Earle)
  • M. Ward, Hold Time – I came across this one on eMusic back in February and it’s quickly become one of my favorites. The eMusic review says it well: this is meta-music, music about music and the balm it can be for those of us who give ourselves to it. For Ward, music is present in the crevaces of life; in pain, in joy, even in death. To that end, this is an album for all seasons. I love it. You’ll see me waxing eloquent about this album again in December, I promise you. Download this: Never Had Nobody Like You, Rave On, Epistimology, Fisher of Men…just get the whole thing.
  • Ben Kweller, Changing Horses – I just realized that almost every one of these albums so far has been country or alt-country and each one is superior to most of the dreck coming out of Nashville these days. It’s a shame that most people’s only association with country music is the overproduced power pop that Music Row develops. Anyway, this album is Kweller’s exploration of country / western music. Known more as a Ben Folds-ish type artist, these songs may seem at first a stretch to the Kweller enthusiast, but his easy voice fits comfortably within the genre and the songs never seem forced. Download this: Sawdust Man, Wantin’ Her Again.
  • Gomez, A New Tide – Gomez is a rare band these days. They’ve remained intact for more than a decade and each of the five band members contributes to the song writing process. What’s more, three members share lead vocalist duties, which leads to albums that – in the eyes of some critics – are uneven and incoherent. But this same variety is the band’s greatest strength. A New Tide has a light atmosphere about it that makes it a bit more mellow than previous releases. Download this: Airstream Driver, Natural Reacation.

That’s it for now. I’ve left out the new Springsteen and U2 albums; if you know anything about me, you know that these have been spinning in copious fashion around our house for the past several months. Besides, I’ve already written about them this year anyway. Anything else I’ve missed? What are you listening to right now?

Posted in Music | 4 Comments