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Right now I'm listening to City and Colour on shuffle, the current song playing is "Hello, I'm in Delware" - feel free to listen to it while you read. Tonight, I went to the Anberlin show at first ave with my sister's fiance, and my future brother-in-law Joe. I haven't been listening to Anberlin for to long, maybe two months at most. There were three opening bands at the show, Between the Trees was pretty good (http://www.myspace.com/betweenthetrees) but the other two were not anything special in my opinion, Camera Can't Lie and Madina Lake (terrible). I wish I knew Anberlin's music a bit better because shows are soo much more than simply just entertainment when I am familiar with the music, lyrics, artists, etc. I know, what a monumental thought, you enjoy a show better when you know the songs. Anyway, Anberlin was really good - I could sense their heart and passion, just in watching them, it almost seemed contagious. It was also a great opportunity to get closer with Joe and enjoy a new castle after a long day at work. It's really interesting to talk about a person, in this instance my sister, when you are able to hear someone else's opinion of that person, which is totally different than your own opinion (that sounds like a negative thing, but it's not.) It helps you to realize that even us, as people, have different 'value' and purpose in life depending on who we are closest with. I'm really thankful that my sister has met a man like Joe and that she has decided to let him marry her. (that's my attempt at joking about being a protective brother) Believe it or not, this was the first show that I've ever gone to at first ave. Joe and I enjoyed the show from the 21+ balcony, after the show on our way out we made a stop in the men's room. As I was urinating in the troff, I looked up and saw the following (see image) written on the checkered wall tiles, right in front of my face. Jesus Hates Christians! My instant reaction was joy, pleasure and a sense of belonging. I took a picture of the writing and proceeded to exit the venue. The whole time I was walking down the stairs and through the streets of downtown Mpls to were my car was parked, I was thinking about this "message." I was talking with Joe, but at 3/4 capacity because I couldn't shake this message from my little mind. I got home and instantly, and proudly showed my wife the picture I took - "Isn't this awsome?" I asked. She than instantly made the connection to Rob Bell's book that I'm currently reading, Jesus Wants To Save Christians. And then it began, the realization of this weird, opposing parallel of this graffiti message and the title/purpose of the book I'm reading, which my friend Jake lent me. (thanks buddy) Then my brain got caught on the word hate. And then I focused on the word save. Because the title of the book and the message are the same accept for these two, four letter words. HATE vs. SAVE - Hmmm... Hate and Save, I've been here before. This is basically the story of my life, the constant struggle of aversive and sanctified feelings. These two words are polar opposites, like good and evil, God and the absence of God, light and darkness, and so one. In this one stage/ portion of my life, I have personally been shown, by powers beyond my own, the greatest truths known. And how coincidental, this is all happening at the exact time that I have been seeking truth for my heart and soul. I would love to hear what your initial reaction is when seeing this photo. I could also talk about this for hours, and probably do what I've been told my whole life that I do, which is talk circles around the subject or as some like to put it, beat a dead horse. (yes, I'm talking about you Loran) Whatever the meaning of this bathroom message or Rob Bell's book, I just want to take this time to thank my God for having someone write that message on the bathroom at first ave. I believe that everything is truth, good or bad - because what might be bad to a club-owner may be good to random patron, but it's still truth, regardless of who you are. Maybe I'll post another blog discussing this and hopefully dig deeper into the terms HATE and SAVE.
Peace.
I just got Now, Now Every Children's new album "Cars" from my friend Kyle that I work with. This album is so refreshing! Let me know if you want it, and I'll send it your direction, otherwise you should definitely check them out. They are a duo from Minneapolis, and yes, I want to see their next show whenever it is... I'll look into it. Anyway, I'm listening to it right now and drinking an OK glass of Trader Joe's French Market 2006 Merlot (a wopping $5). Well I went back to work this week, which is good, I really enjoy my job and the people I work with, but not working was also nice. I really wish I could just take 2 weeks off, but not have plans, just do whatever. I guess I could do that, but it's hard when you're married and have family events and you have to worry about damn vacation time. Oh well, life is never going to be perfect in my selfish eyes and I think that it's important that I remind myself that. In Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell discusses the term perfect and what that means. Perfect basically means that it's finished, that it's as good as it gets. Life, ourselves and our experiences are never finished (perfect) because they are living, ever-changing things. Here's a feeble example, these are the types of things I think about all the time... let's think about that tire iron in your trunk, (the wrench you use to take your car's wheel of if you have a flat) right now you have no need for that wrench and it's the last thing on your mind. Lets say you are driving tomorrow in 0° MN temperatures, and you get a flat. You need to fix the flat by putting your spare tire on. Now, suddenly, due to alive and changing circumstances, that tire iron becomes one of the most valuable objects in your life at that time. Thinking like this blows my mind, it's even more intense when you think like this about things you need for survival like water, shelter, etc. So, maybe my example doesn't relate to you, but I view my life and experiences in the same way. The value of things, people and beliefs are all relative to my life and what I'm going through. This whole world is so damn far from perfect, and far from being finished. I'm terrible at relating my writings to the titles I give them, so let me try to get back to the topic. I guess it kind of correlates to what I was just rambling about. A lot of my thoughts right now are inspired from Velvet Elvis, this book has been a much needed saviour to me. A lot of the book is self evaluation and less educational. It points out the things that you know, but it makes you think about them with intention, which sometimes is what we need. If I try to have the attitude that life's meaning and truths is in the journey and not the destination, just look at how drastically things would change. I would not view my job as a stepping stone to get to the next place in my career, rather I would value each day as the pinnacle of my career. I would view every interaction with a friend, (or person) as valuable and not take random hang-outs in vain. Living in this way is one of the most dramatice lifestyle changes that I can fathom, becuase it's not simply making a single choice, but it's agreeing to make an infinite amount of choices for the rest of your life in the name of truth (sound familiar). My best friends Jake and Lizzie and their baby (I think they should name it Lydia if it's a girl and Sebastian if it's a boy) recently were in town and now they have left to go back to their current day, social-minority-war that they experience on a Native American reservation in Pine Ridge, SD. Aside from getting spanked by Jake at our last 2 games of chess, I really enjoyed hanging out with them. There's something soothing about hanging out with the Ladd's because I seldom think that they have an agenda or expecations when we're hanging out. It's almost as if they are literally living in the now, and that's all that they are concerned with (which I know isn't exactly true). But it causes people like me, who have a plan or intentions for everything to slow down, lay back a bit and just be concerned with the current time. Anyway, for that, I am thankful, so thanks Ladds. I'm sitting here writing this and I looking around our apartment, I see Rocky, our male cat just sitting and looking around... I wonder what he's thinking? Is he just thinking about his next meal? Is he thinking about how I yelled at him with my angry voice when he jumped up on the computer desk earlier? Just watching him makes me realize how little control I have in life. This seems to be a common occurance lately, that random things help me to realize this. Well, I'm sure most everyone quit reading this when I started talking about our cat, so I will stop here. If you gain anything after reading this, just think that living life for the journey and not the destination is a constant lifestyle choice. Peace.
It is officially 2009, I can't believe it! When I think back, I can't even fathom that it was 2002 when I graduated high school, or that the whole Y2K fiasco was almost a decade ago. The whole concept that time can feel like it's going faster or slower, is bizarre. It's an absolute thing that never changes, yet the majority of us would agree that every year goes by faster than the last, or I should say 'feels' like it does. Don't let me forget to talk about why I titled this blog what it is. Right now, I'm sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Tifton, Georgia. I am riding back to Illinois with my wife, Loran's family and we are having some major car trouble, so we need to go to a mechanic first thing in the morning... Did I mention we still have about 1,000 miles to go, and then we have to drive Loran's cousin Natalie's car back 300 miles to Minneapolis. The plan was to get home Sunday night, but I don't think that is going to happen. This is just another example of how we really don't have the control that we think we have of our lives and this world, it forces us to recognize that there's a bigger picture here. Without getting too deep on that, let me talk about the cruise that we took and what a beautiful thing the ocean is. Once you can get past the 'beyond massive' cruise ship we were on, that is magically floating in the middle of the atlantic, you experience something so astounding, and I really mean that. Several times, maybe even dozens, I was speechless as I looked over the side of the ship into an utterly perfect harmony of blues and greens. As I stare at a perfectly straight horizon line of water 360° around me, I realize that even on this gigantic lump of man-made steel, I am such a tiny spec in all my God has created. And than there's the movement of the water, an energy that dances and plays with the water, yet without the water, it is not existent. And then there's the wind, the clouds, the SUN! Just as I'm writing this, I am realizing that my favorite part of our vacation were these awe-inspiring moments. Throw in fellowship with family, constant eating, visiting Key West and Cozumel, Mexico and singing Dr. Dre and Snoop's "Aint Nuttin' but a G Thang" to Loran's grandparents at the Karoakee bar and you have one great trip! The name of this blog was going to be "Everything is truth, and truth is God" because I read Velvet Elvis and I have soo much to talk about it, but I'm not going to have time in this post so I will save that discussion for tomorrow hopefully and I will give this post a new title. (Unfortunately, I wasn't listening to any music while I wrote this post.)
Right now I'm listening to City and Colour on shuffle, the current song playing is "Hello, I'm in Delware" - feel free to listen to it while you read. Tonight, I went to the Anberlin show at first ave with my sister's fiance, and my future brother-in-law Joe. I haven't been listening to Anberlin for to long, maybe two months at most. There were three opening bands at the show, Between the Trees was pretty good (http://www.myspace.com/betweenthetrees) but the other two were not anything special in my opinion, Camera Can't Lie and Madina Lake (terrible). I wish I knew Anberlin's music a bit better because shows are soo much more than simply just entertainment when I am familiar with the music, lyrics, artists, etc. I know, what a monumental thought, you enjoy a show better when you know the songs. Anyway, Anberlin was really good - I could sense their heart and passion, just in watching them, it almost seemed contagious. It was also a great opportunity to get closer with Joe and enjoy a new castle after a long day at work. It's really interesting to talk about a person, in this instance my sister, when you are able to hear someone else's opinion of that person, which is totally different than your own opinion (that sounds like a negative thing, but it's not.) It helps you to realize that even us, as people, have different 'value' and purpose in life depending on who we are closest with. I'm really thankful that my sister has met a man like Joe and that she has decided to let him marry her. (that's my attempt at joking about being a protective brother) Believe it or not, this was the first show that I've ever gone to at first ave. Joe and I enjoyed the show from the 21+ balcony, after the show on our way out we made a stop in the men's room. As I was urinating in the troff, I looked up and saw the following (see image) written on the checkered wall tiles, right in front of my face. Jesus Hates Christians! My instant reaction was joy, pleasure and a sense of belonging. I took a picture of the writing and proceeded to exit the venue. The whole time I was walking down the stairs and through the streets of downtown Mpls to were my car was parked, I was thinking about this "message." I was talking with Joe, but at 3/4 capacity because I couldn't shake this message from my little mind. I got home and instantly, and proudly showed my wife the picture I took - "Isn't this awsome?" I asked. She than instantly made the connection to Rob Bell's book that I'm currently reading, Jesus Wants To Save Christians. And then it began, the realization of this weird, opposing parallel of this graffiti message and the title/purpose of the book I'm reading, which my friend Jake lent me. (thanks buddy) Then my brain got caught on the word hate. And then I focused on the word save. Because the title of the book and the message are the same accept for these two, four letter words. HATE vs. SAVE - Hmmm... Hate and Save, I've been here before. This is basically the story of my life, the constant struggle of aversive and sanctified feelings. These two words are polar opposites, like good and evil, God and the absence of God, light and darkness, and so one. In this one stage/ portion of my life, I have personally been shown, by powers beyond my own, the greatest truths known. And how coincidental, this is all happening at the exact time that I have been seeking truth for my heart and soul. I would love to hear what your initial reaction is when seeing this photo. I could also talk about this for hours, and probably do what I've been told my whole life that I do, which is talk circles around the subject or as some like to put it, beat a dead horse. (yes, I'm talking about you Loran) Whatever the meaning of this bathroom message or Rob Bell's book, I just want to take this time to thank my God for having someone write that message on the bathroom at first ave. I believe that everything is truth, good or bad - because what might be bad to a club-owner may be good to random patron, but it's still truth, regardless of who you are. Maybe I'll post another blog discussing this and hopefully dig deeper into the terms HATE and SAVE.
