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.

It Took A Life

Today I was shuffling through some old books and photographs that I stumbled upon last week. They belonged to my great uncle Elmer, who has been gone now for quite a few years. When he died I also ended up with a canteen from his Army days, during World War II. He fought over there as a young man and as far as I can tell, came back to Minnesota and farmed until he retired. It was so interesting looking through the old black and white family photos. There were portraits, pictures of young men and women having fun together, and even a Casablanca-esque picture of a lady traveler with an airplane in the background.

It makes me sincerely long to live in a simpler time. It makes me wonder, what would it be like to spend nearly all day outside? What would it be like to work for everything? What would it be like to take nothing for granted? What would it be like to take time to talk to neighbors? What would it be like to gaze in wonder at an airplane overhead?

What would it be like to appreciate freedom? We run around all the time taking it for granted. During WWII, this country sacrificed over 416,000 men for the cause of freedom. Why would these brave men go put their lives on the line? Because there was evil that needed to be stopped. It was clear what needed to be done. And what a sacrifice.

Compare that with what we see today. "Sacrifice? You mean give up my life for someone else?" Sacrifice in our culture has turned from something honorable into something feared. But there are glimpses of hope still. Flight 93. Wesley Autrey. Our military servicemen and women. Whichever side you fall on with war, know this: people have sacrificed their lives so that we may live freely. Let us honor that sacrifice by living responsibly. It took a life.

A moment of your time, please

Ladies and gentlemen,

There are 20 days now until election day in this country. We have all been subject to political rhetoric on both sides of the campaign, and I like many of you have had my fill of campaign ads. And the spin machines make a person wonder who is actually telling the truth most of the time. For what it's worth, John McCain is certainly not a perfect candidate in my book. But the odds of finding a perfect candidate in a political process like this are fairly slim, I admit. And judging by the most recent polls, we may end up with Barack Obama in the White House come next year.

That concerns me, and that is why I am writing this little e-mail. No I won't mention Barack Obama's connections to ACORN, Jeremiah Wright, his connections to William Ayers, or the current court case to try to determine whether or not Barack Obama was born in the United States. I'm not here to talk about his plans about gun control, wealth distribution, or holding back our support of Israel. If you really want to know more about these things, I will be glad to provide information. Or you could find it easily enough for yourself.

My main concern is this: Barack Obama is not a supporter or protector of unborn life. Now I know what you may be thinking at this point. "Kevin is just sitting there in his Focus on the Family Institute shirt drinking coffee from his Colorado mug." Guilty as charged. But I digress. Mother Teresa once said, "When a mother is allowed to kill her child, what is left of society to save?" According to the Guttmacher Institute, the United States has aborted nearly 50 million human lives ("fetuses") since Roe v. Wade was enacted in 1973. I personally find that to be a staggering number. In a country of 300 million people, it is equivalent to killing every sixth person alive in the United States today. We would find that reprehensible, but somehow can find some justification to keep turning a blind eye to the 3,500-4,000 killed every day by abortion.

Imagine if there were 50 million more people in the United States aged 35 and younger than there are now. Would there be such a massive social security crisis? How about housing? Interesting things to ponder. But my main point is not to talk about making the economy better. My point is this: as a country we have killed more unborn humans in 35 years than the number of people who have died fighting all of our wars since the 1700s. This is a tragedy.

How does this relate to Barack Obama? He not only is pro-abortion, but he supported legislation that would deny the right to life to any child who survives an abortion. Here is a short video that explains it a bit more. A stance like that makes him the most pro-abortion candidate ever. That is why I cannot and will not vote for this man.

For some reason we Americans are known to vote with our wallets, or with our guns, or whatever. Whatever reason you choose to vote, let it not be for money. Let it not be a trendy vote either. I say this with a heavy heart: Human life is at stake here. Let us stop kidding ourselves about it.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. -Deuteronomy 30:19-20