Of Floods and Folly

Today I kind of feel like ranting about a couple of things that have been bugging me this week. This doesn't happen very often, but today just happens to be the day.

First of all, I can't stand the global warming theory. Whoever believes it needs to come to Minnesota. Right now it's 19 degrees outside. Five days from now (April 1) our forecast high temperature is 31. This year we can use that day to celebrate the foolishness of the global warming crowd together. The crazy thing is the way the media has spun the Fargo/Moorhead flooding, as if it is all being caused by the warming earth. That's funny, because I was up there a couple of days ago and didn't see a single person in a swimsuit or flip flops. In fact, it's been snowing there almost all week. Also, a big reason for the high river levels in North Dakota is that there are ice jams in the rivers. Global warming indeed. They might have convinced me, but for all that pesky ice and snow.

Before my next topic, I will take a moment and point the finger at myself first. I'm altogether imperfect. I screw up all the time. My only saving grace is from God, who is working on me constantly. That said, I truly wish that excellence was something that I saw more people pursuing these days. It grates me when something gets done halfway and then left alone because it's "good enough." This attitude is what ends up destroying the drive to do anything well. I realize that not everyone is capable of doing everything like a prodigy, or at least not at first. But that in no way excuses us from desiring to do what we do excellently. If you are capable of doing better at something, then you should.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men... Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. -the apostle Paul (Colossians 3:23, 2 Timothy 2:15)

Never settle for "good enough."

Till We Have Faces

I just finished reading C.S. Lewis' epic retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. Though it usually takes me awhile to make it through his books, I finished this one in three nights' time (albeit late nights, but three nonetheless). The story, written in a first person perspective, is set in a barbaric world occupied by humans and mythical gods. It largely revolves around the mystery surrounding the main character's life, which finally unfolds in the last chapter or so. I won't give anything away, but the last paragraph makes a profound statement which I would like to include here:

I ended my first book with the words no answer. I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice? (p. 308, Till We Have Faces)

One of the main points of the book is that we must approach one another and God with unveiled faces. To be honest; to mean what we say. To voice our concerns and cries instead of keeping them inside, because holding them in will make us bitter and rob us of answers. Let us remove our veils of offense and pride, and honestly approach the One who himself is the answer; meet him face-to-face.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. -Hebrews 4:16

This Year

This here is an update to my blog. What can I say? It's cold. The little indicator in the corner of the screen says -22 degrees, and that isn't a bit surprising. The Camry never woke up this morning, but thankfully my folks let me borrow the truck, which started like a champion.

This is also a note to say to those of you who actually read this and are interested, "I'll be busy for about the next four months and subsequently away from the blog-o-space." Two jobs, three classes, and life have caught up with me now and I have no choice but to tighten up the spare-time belt at least two notches (it was pretty loose over Christmas break).

So here's to buckling down and getting through the next semester. To all of you who are in the same boat, I call,

I heard in Addison's Walk a bird sing clear
'This year the summer will come true. This year. This year.
'Winds will not strip the blossom from the apple trees
This year, nor want of rain destroy the peas.
'This year time's nature will no more defeat you,
Nor all the promised moments in their passing cheat you.
'This time they will not lead you round and back
To Autumn, one year older, by the well-worn track.
'This year, this year, as all these flowers foretell,
We shall escape the circle and undo the spell.
'Often deceived, yet open once again your heart,
Quick, quick, quick, quick!—the gates are drawn apart.' (1)

As the frost thickens around the windows, I look forward to the end of the semester and to new adventures just around the bend.

(1) C.S. Lewis, "What the Bird Said Early in the Year

Resolution

This is a fitting song for today and for me. I didn't write it; it's an old Supertones tune actually. Nevertheless, it means a lot.

I've meant to do this for some time
I've gotta get it right this time
This time my God I will be Yours
All my heart, my soul, and mind
Been so long since I truly smiled
But You touched my heart today
Reached through my mind of mud and mire
Consumed the idols in Your way
So I am brand new
Today I make my resolution

Been down so long that it seems like up
I took it now I've had enough
Of the life that I've been living
It feels so cold this far away
So today I will make a change
I will make a change today
Purge my mind of mud and mire
Cast all my gods away
So I am brand new
Today I make my resolution

Looking back the way I used to be
It was just me and God
Can I be there again?
Today I make my resolution.

MewithoutAutism

Hey there. Long time no post. I understand, I miss me too. :) Well, a lot has been happening; mostly finishing school, working, and getting stuff done whilst on Christmas break. You may expect a serious blog post due to my long absence, but I guess that will have to wait.

I was talking to a girl last spring about the band MewithoutYou, and I made the comment that they are a very strange band. Indeed they are; especially the lead singer, I noted. She remarked, "You know he's autistic, right?" Umm... no, I actually didn't. I knew about his masterful lyrics, but I didn't know that. Well, that nugget rested somewhere in my cerebral cortex until a conversation I had last weekend with the owner of a drum shop (an especially good one in St. Cloud called Kracker Jacks). He told me that there was a study done on brilliant musicians which found that the really good ones all have a touch of autism. I'd never heard that, but it sort of makes sense in a way.

The people I've met who have autism aren't that great at a ton of things, but they are really great at certain things. For instance, there was a kid I knew who was autistic, and all he talked about all day was playing video games. He'd go into great detail about it. For hours. Autism is manifest in different ways, and some people who have it are way more functional than others. But for those musicians (in particular) who are super good, do they have a tinge of autism?

(genetic cheater?)

The really good musicians (I know a couple) also attribute their abilities to lots of hard work. But there is also something to be said about being "born with it." Kind of an interesting thought I guess. Well, that's it for now.

Merry Christmas all!

Involvement

William Wilberforce was one man who had a profound influence upon Great Britain and the world. Today I watched the last session of the Truth Project (Community & Involvement) in preparation for next week's meeting. In it, Dr. Tackett talked about William Wilberforce and his mission to end slavery in Great Britain.

Immediately after I finished watching the video, I walked over to my office shelf and picked up How Christianity Changed the World by Alvin Schmidt. Hmm, I thought when I noticed a bookmark still in the pages. I never finished reading the book after I was done with the required chapters (a byproduct of late nights at FFI). So I flipped it open to the marked page. Lo and behold, there before me was a description of William Wilberforce. It talked about his marked efforts in the Parliament over 20-some years to bring about the abolition of the slave trade and freedom of slaves. It was an effort he devoted his entire life toward. Literally a few days before his death, he finally received word that Parliament had passed the Abolition Act, freeing some 700,000 slaves in the English colonies.


As the book describes it: "No proponent for the abolition of slavery ever accomplished more." He heard the sound of the slave chains more clearly than perhaps anyone else around him. And according to his love for and fear of God, he was compelled to do something about it. He could not stand idly by.

"If you want to follow Him [God], then you must be involved in the battle." Dr. Del Tackett

Zzyzx Scarecrow

Near the gateway to Mojave
I saw a place
Both beautiful and blistering
And cruel and cold the same
The sun was like a lion
Bearing down upon its prey
Death Valley stained in crimson
For the moon to wash away
And I envisioned rows of gallows
For the world to look upon
One step to bringing order
To a planet tempting chaos

Can you feel it coming down?
The righteous wrath of God
Revealed from out of heaven
For the innocent blood
Crying from the ground

While the wicked seem to prosper
And glory in these days
As if their ways were hidden
As if they had escaped
We have lost our sense of justice
Smearing lines of right and wrong
Despising any standards
We blindly stumble on
Bleeding hearts may scream compassion
What of those that cannot cry?
A life is worth a life
Justice... merciful and blind

Innocent blood
Is crying from the ground

It's coming down

-Zzyzx Scarecrow by Stavesacre

While I normally avoid putting song lyrics in a blog because it's not the most creative thing to do, tonight these words are appropriate to think about.

I am sorry, little ones. You are not forgotten. You are not forgotten.