MyPod: See the Morning

Posted on September 25, 2006 by Jason

I have an advanced copy of the new Chris Tomlin album See the Morning. In a word…WOW! This album is unreal. Musically, a few tracks rock a little harder than some of his previous work. But the lyrics make this CD a terrific spin. My early fave: Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone). I’ll post a full review of the whole album later after I absorb it a bit more. You can pick up a copy here. Do so. Now.

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

Chili’s / St. Jude’s

Posted on September 24, 2006 by Jason

Monday, September 25th, Chili’s restaurant will donate 100% of their profits to St. Jude’s Children Hospital. For nearly 50 years, St. Jude’s has been making a difference in the lives of countless children from all 50 states and over 70 foreign countries. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer center where families never pay for treatments that are not covered by insurance. Families that do not have insurance are not asked to pay. St. Jude relies on contributions to support its research and to provide medical care to kids fighting for their lives. For more information about St. Jude’s, visit their website.

On Monday, why not visit your local Chili’s, enjoy some great food and make a contribution to the work at St. Jude’s? Again, 100% of the profits go directly to St. Jude’s. Enjoy!

Posted in Huntsville, Social Issues | 4 Comments

Football Friday

Posted on September 22, 2006 by Jason

Time for another football post. Last week was my worst week so far, but I’m still 26-8 on the season. I never expected Kentucky to beat Ole Miss or MSU to lose to Tulane. Oh well…on to this week’s picks, starting with the NFL.

On Sunday night, we have Denver at New England. New England doesn’t look like the powerhouse of years gone by. Free agency and coaching defections have killed them lately, but as long as Belichick and Brady remain, they’re dangerous. The Broncos have had trouble scoring points this year. Maybe this is the season Mike Shannahan realizes he can’t just drag any bum off the street and stick him behind that offensive line. Jake Plummer, that sound you hear is Jay Cutler warming up, buddy. I see the Pats winning in a game that shouldn’t be that close.

The Monday nighter will be a must-watch for me as the Saints return home to New Orleans. I know it’s only a football game, but the city of New Orleans needs this right now. Nearly 13 months after Katrina, the 2-0 Saints face off against the 2-0 Atlanta Falcons. No way do the Saints lose this. Brees, McAllister & Bush are too much. Saints in a close one.

Now on to the SEC:

I think Arkansas / Bama will be the best game of the week. Most everybody else is beating up on some weak non-confs (except Florida, who gets weak conference foe Kentucky). This truly is a swing game and I could see it going either way. Early on, I picked the Hogs to be a sleeper team in the West. And while they have done little to validate my early confidence in them, I gotta stick with my pick. I say Arkansas over Bama in a tight one, 23-21.

Ole Miss / Wake looks to be a close one, too. Wake comes in 3-0, but these teams look pretty even on paper. I give the slight edge to Orgeron’s Rebs at home.

Auburn / Buffalo looks intriguing. Maybe the Tigers can contain Willis McGahee…oh wait, the Tigers are playing the Buffalo Bulls not the Buffalo Bills. Even sans Kenny Irons, I think the Tigers will somehow muster enough strength to win. Parenthetically, didn’t Auburn learn anything a couple years ago? They have no business playing some MAC cupcake. At least play a MAC powerhouse like Marshall (wink, wink). Anyway, Auburn wins 44-6.

Florida will maul Kentucky in the Swamp. We might actually see if Tebow can throw the ball. I say the Gators beat Kentucky by at least 25.

Georgia should clobber Colorado. If you’re the Buffaloes AD, do you go ahead and fire the head coach NOW? Georgia by 20.

LSU will be out for blood after last week’s loss to Auburn. Poor Tulane. Another SEC beatdown. Bayou Bengals by 30.

South Carolina will get fat against Florida Atlantic. Heck, Vandy should even get off the shnide when they face TSU this week.

And of course, the game I’m most concerned about is the UT / Marshall showdown at Neyland. I’m hoping my Vols will get to lick their wounds a little bit against the Thundering Herd. I’m looking forward to a rout, but my Vols have a way of playing down to their competition (see Air Force). Regardless, I’m looking forward to an awesome day. Sunny and I are taking Joshua to his first UT game! The little man is pretty pumped and so am I! Go Vols!

Posted in Football | 12 Comments

While I’m Away…

Posted on September 18, 2006 by Jason

Sunny and I will be packing up the ol’ family roadster and heading for the beach in the morning for some much needed R&R. Last year, we were at the beach one day before Hurricane Katrina forced us to evacuate. We’re really looking forward to some time to relax & eat some great seafood. I don’t plan on doing any blogging this week, but while I’m out, I thought I’d commend a few things to you:

– Over at Lane’s World, my buddy Lane is soliciting some teaching material on homosexuality. Lane is a youth minister in Guntersville, Alabama and has been a lifelong friend of mine. Check out his blog and if you have any suggestions, give him a holler.

– If you haven’t done so already, pick up a copy of the new Jars of Clay album Good Monsters. It’s easily their best effort since their self-titled debut. This is Jars Plugged Up. A rich, diverse, aggressive rock sound coupled with deep, personal lyrics — this is rock music with a conscience. A must-own. Check it out.

– If you’re looking for a good read, pick up a copy of Trolls & Truth by Jimmy Dorrell. A good friend recommended this book to me and I’ve been reading through it in between grad school readings. Some 10-12 years ago, Jimmy Dorrell began reaching out to the downtrodden & homeless individuals living underneath an interstate in Waco, TX. Today, he ministers to a diverse group of people — business men & bag ladies, the homeless, the helpless and the meek — that’s known as “the church under the bridge.” This book calls us to a deeper understanding of the Lord’s church and all He intends her to be. A great read.

Those are your assignments while I’m away. There will be a test.

Posted in Books, Music, Random | 2 Comments

Random Thoughts on a Monday Night

Posted on September 18, 2006 by Jason

With the High Fidelity soundtrack spinning, here are some random thoughts on a Monday night.

– My Vols were manhandled by the Gators Saturday night. I said it before the game: you can’t win in the SEC without a running game. We proved that Saturday night. I know we only lost by one, but when Tim Tebow comes into the game on 4th and 1 and everyone knows he’s going to run the ball…and you still can’t stop him, that’s just getting beat up front. The Gators are the superior team. I expect them to play Auburn in Atlanta in December.

– At least my fantasy teams are rolling. I nearly doubled up on my opponent in one league. In my other league, I’m up on Freeman, but he has Matt Jones and Jeff Reed going tonight. Hoping for a low scoring affair, no field goals.

– You know how you hear people using the word “uncouth”. Like, “Burping in public is so uncouth.” How come nothing’s ever “couth”?

– I would love my son even if he didn’t love sports. But it makes life that much sweeter that he’s as big a fan as I am. “Yayy, b-ball!”

– How long do you have to wait before you know if your kid is right-handed or left-handed? Joshua does nearly everything left-handed. Most notably, kid’s got a rocket arm (I’m hoping for a Billy Wagner-type career for him.) He even swings lefty. Is it safe to spring for a real, leather left-handed glove for him? I need input from you Dads out there.

– I’m halfway through LOST Season Two on DVD. This is the best show on TV, hands down. It’s a travesty it wasn’t nominated for this year’s Best Drama Emmy. Sure, the show’s sophomore effort is a bit more nuanced, but that’s the price of character development. And DVD is the perfect format for this serial. The best bonus feature: a track of all of Sawyer’s put downs from Seasons 1 & 2. Season 3 is nearly 2 weeks away. Sweet!

– Speaking of TV, how did we ever watch the evening news without Katie? I think I’ll give Studio 60 a shot tonight. Never been a huge Sorkin fan, but it looks decent. But I’ll have a quick hook. I don’t really have time for a new show.

– I have a screenplay I’m working on. It’s called Stingrays on a Plane. I’m hoping Ed Begley Jr. will read it.

– I’m going to go ahead and make this prediction: the Yankees will win the World Series this year. They can’t pitch, but their lineup reads like a fantasy roster. I guess the Mets will come out of the NL, but it won’t matter. Yanks will win in 5.

– iTunes 7 is sweet. Love the new look. If you’re not on board, what are you waiting for, people? The revolution is on; enjoy the ride!

Posted in Football, Random, Television | 7 Comments

A Great Read

Posted on September 18, 2006 by Jason

I’m reading a great book right now. Frost & Hirsch’s The Shaping of Things to Come is a powerful, challenging call for the church of Jesus to reclaim her missional roots. The emerging postmodern landscape requires the church to redefine itself as a missionary movement rather than an institution. The authors note that we are currently living on the precipice of the greatest spiritual awakening in the history of Western culture. While some are bemoaning the pervasive loss of morality in society, Frost & Hirsch point out that people are actually asking more spiritually minded questions than ever before. How will we — the church — answer these questions? Will we continue to adhere to a tired, dying attractional model of ministry? Or will we embrace a missional stance to embrace our culture without compromising the gospel? This book reminds me that we — the church — are the hope of the world. It also challenges the way we think about “doing” church. Follow the link on the right to Amazon’s page and order a copy of this fine book.

Seems like the “we” questions keep on coming up, right Scott?

Posted in Books, Theology | 8 Comments

Tipping and a Test

Posted on September 15, 2006 by Jason

We’re having an ethical dilemma over at Double Stuf on the nature of the tip. Check it out and weigh in.
_______________

And I can do his voice, too….

Which Fantasy/SciFi Character Are You?

Posted in Sunny | 2 Comments

Friday Football Predictions

Posted on September 15, 2006 by Jason

I’m going to try and limit my football related posts to Fridays. Otherwise, I could blog about college or pro football nearly every day. I mentioned earlier in the week that I was 19-1 in my SEC picks thus far. Granted, there usually aren’t that many tough games to pick early on. Anyway, I’m going to use my Friday posts to make my predictions for each of the SEC games and the Sunday night and Monday night NFL games. For the sake of accountability, I’ll include my picks for last week’s NFL games to my tally. (I was wrong by picking Miami over Pittsburgh and the ‘Skins over the Vikings, but I was right about San Diego over Oakland and Peyton over Eli. So that puts my total W-L at 21-3 heading into week 2.)

Anyway, here are my picks for the weekend, beginning with the NFL games:

Sunday night’s game should be a great one. ‘Boys / ‘Skins always is. I like the Redskins in this one. I’m seeing Bledsoe getting hammered, forcing Parcells to make a QB change during the bye week. Go ahead and get warm, Tony Romo. (And you thought Tony Romo was a ribs place.)

As for the Monday night game, I see Pittsburgh in a surprisingly close one over the Jags. Will Rothlisberger play? It won’t matter. The Steelers are for real, again.

On to the SEC, the best conference on the planet:

Bama over UL Monroe (yawn)
Hawgs with a vengeance over Vandy
Georgia over UAB
Ole Miss in a squeaker over Kentucky
Spurrier’s Gamecocks over Wofford (who?)
Mississippi State beats Tulane

And for the biggies…

Auburn beats LSU on a last second field goal by John Vaughn. How’s that for redemption?

And in the big rivalry game for my Vols, I’m changing my prediction. The news that Justin Harrell is going to play — torn bicep muscle and all — has me feeling crazy. I’m picking the Vols in a really, really close one. Harrell’s inspiration in front of a packed Neyland stadium will make the difference in this SEC East showdown. UT 24, Gators 21. Go Vols, baby!

Feel free to weigh in with your own picks. You gotta love football.

Posted in Football | 4 Comments

Daddy

Posted on September 14, 2006 by Jason

Sunny told me something tonight on the way to my softball game. She went to pick up the kids from preschool yesterday and there was a guy behind her walking to the same classroom. He was about my size with a cap pulled down kinda low as I’m prone to do from time to time. Sunny walked into the kids’ classroom to pick them up and Joshua came streaking toward her like he always does. Running toward the door at full speed, he started yelling, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” at the top of his lungs (again, like he always does.) The thing was, I wasn’t there. He thought the guy at the door was me. Sunny told him, “No, that’s not Daddy,” and when Joshua realized his mistake, he just turned and walked away.

There’s a part of me that gets really upset about this. Don’t get me wrong: I’m certainly not upset at Joshua. I have no reason to be. He’s two for crying out loud. This won’t be the last time something like this happens and it’s really not that big of a deal. But there’s something about the thought of him using the word “Daddy” and applying it to someone else that just rips my guts out. I can’t stand it. I don’t know who that dude was at the door, but he ain’t Joshua’s Daddy. That name is reserved for one person and one person alone: me. Nobody else will ever fill that role for them. I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, but nothing fills me with more pride than to hear my kids call me Daddy. The thought of my son honoring someone else with that title is unbearable.

And then I thought: I bet that’s how God feels when we fail to recognize Him as Father. Yeah, I’m pretty sure about that.

Posted in Devotional, Theology | 7 Comments

25 Things You May Not Know About Me

Posted on September 13, 2006 by Jason

1. My middle name is Al. That’s it. Just Al.

2. Yellow is my new favorite color. Ask Abby Kate to say it and you’ll see why.

3. I’m really quite introverted. I truly enjoy my alone time. These days, that’s pretty much limited to my time in the truck on the way to and from work.

4. If I weren’t a minister, I’d want to be a sports journalist. Or the Cardinals general manager.

5. I hate meatloaf.

6. I also hate chewing gum.

7. When I read a magazine, I start from the back and work my way forward. Don’t ask me why.

8. I’ve played in two fantasy NBA leagues in my life. I won the title both times.

9. When I was little, I created my own superhero: Rockman. His superpower was his ability to transform into a mammoth boulder at will. I know, pretty lame.

10. I can name the starter at any position for any major league baseball team.

11. My father wanted to name me Wesley Xavier. Seriously.

12. I have a fleck of orange in my right eye.

13. My best friend growing up was a Japanese girl named Yuki Shibahara. She moved back to Japan when I was ten. I wish I knew how to get in touch with her.

14. I played the role of Rolf in my high school production of the Sound of Music.

15. I’ve never lost a game of Scrabble.

16. I tried very hard to get Sunny to elope with me.

17. I grow a beard every November.

18. I slurp my cereal in the morning. Drives Sunny crazy.

19. I’ve never had a Starbucks.

20. I have a thing for Bibles. Leather bound, hard cover, wide margin, pocket size, paraphrase, inter-linear, study Bible, Serendipity Bible, Couples Devotional Bible, NIV, TNIV, NASB, NASB Update, ESV, KJV, NRSV, The Message…you name it, I own it.

21. My first car was a 1987 Oldsmobile Firenza.

22. The one movie that always makes me cry: Father of the Bride.

23. I have a collection of potted meats from around the globe.

24. As a child, I accidentally shot another kid in the leg with a BB gun.

25. I’m blessed. If you don’t believe me, see below.

Posted in General | 32 Comments