Update from Hawaii

I’m so glad Ricki and Rody found a good church. The last time I was out here I knew they were having problems finding a church. The pastor did a good lesson on taming the tongue and listening. Afterwards we went with some friends from church to an Asian pancake house which not only featured your standard pancake fare, but also unique dishes like the Moco Loco, which I had, as well as coconut and pineapple syrup. Then we drove around the island, talking and stopping whenever there was something cool to see. We particularly liked when we saw an older woman decorating a random tree along the highway with Christmas ordainments. We finished up the evening with a stop at the Dole Pineapple Plantation where I had some Pineapple ice cream. If your jealous you can’t find Pineapple ice cream back home, the only other place I know that sells it is the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland, and it tastes exactly the same.

Goodbye mainland!

I love ya, but I really need a vacation. I am so ready to go. The flight was smooth except for the constant up sale for the $5 headphone rental and $15 on demand movie rental as they were blocking the aisle and people including myself really needed to go to the restroom. Guess making the extra buck is more important than ones comfort. Friendly staff though. *(pic $10 burger king meal)
Rody was in baggage claim waiting for me, so we went to his church to pick up Ricki. She was helping the pastor’s wife decorate their house, which was attached to the church, as well as the church. She was totally into the small Christmas houses. After picking up some Burger King and two of their $4 Xbox games for playing later, we drove around to see some great Christmas decorations around town. As a gift, I got Ricki a Strawberry Shortcake bath set, Rody the book A Field Guide to Evangelicals and their Habitat which is a satirical look at the Christian church, and extremely funny, and for the both of them a Mickey & Minnie ordainment. We all will pick out a tree tomorrow and decorate it! All of us played Wii Sports for quite a while before Rody and I played Gears of War before going to bed. I can’t even begin describe the how good it feels to lay down, close your eyes, and relax.

School is finished! Vacation here I come!

It has sure been a journey, but I have finally graduated! Though I will walk next year, last Tuesday was my last day of class. It still has not sunk in, as I am a little concerned that there is some stray ½ credit that is not finished or a hidden hoop I didn’t jump through, even though I have double checked everything. One chapter of my life closes while another one opens. Life is always an adventure. By the time you read this, I will be in Hawaii with my good friends Ricki and Rody for a much needed vacation. Rody is graduating with his Masters degree, and his wife Ricki will be taking off work for a week, so it will be a vacation for all of us. By the time you read this, I will already be here eating macadamia nuts and drinking pineapple juice. I will be posting pictures and updates, so be sure to check back!

My celebrity impersonators

And if I was more famous than I already am (humbleness Jason, humble), I would be:

He or he?

Ok. So I have had this NLT (New Living Translation) study bible for the last few years. It is quite good, with the history, statistics, who it was written to preceding each book. Dates, times and distances are also translated so modern Americans can understand instead of odd cubit measurements, and dates such as the fifth moon of the bawwing of the sheep.

I did much research before I switched versions, but one thing I still have not shaken though is that when a pronoun is used for God or Jesus, it is not capitalized as most translations do. The word "Lord" is capitalized, just as "God" is, but "he", "his" and "the one" when referring to God or Jesus are not. Before this NLT, I had a NAS (New American Standard) for nearly my whole life.

How do you feel about this? I don't really see it as disrespectful, as I think God is much more interested in the bowing our hearts toward him instead of capitalizing our pronouns. Yet, it still bugs me as most other bibles don't do it this way.

PS: Is it bible or Bible?

The assault is no coincidence. I have witnessed some major attacks on 10/31. Without fail nearly every year on Halloween something happens at work or some flair up happens between friends so people are pitted against each other. This is no random occurrence.

There is enemy out there and he wants your spirit crushed and bleeding. He does not want you dead. A common war strategy is to wound the enemy so they can no longer fight, and so they drag the remaining warriors down and put a strain on their resources. A wounded or discouraged Christian is excellent fodder for non-Christians to look at and not desire to be.

The attacks are usually on a personal level and have been quite unexpected, sometimes even between close friends. Be on your guard, pray, this is a spiritual battle.

Only in America

Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave. But I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors; I've done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house). According to the protesters, not only must you let me stay, you must add me to your family's insurance plan, educate my kids, and provide other benefits to me and to my family (my husband will do your yard work because he too is hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part). If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be there. It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm hard-working and honest, um, except for well, you know. And what a deal it is for me!! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of selfishness, prejudice and being an anti-housebreaker. Oh yeah, and I want you to learn my language so you can communicate with me.

author unknown

Cool/Uncool list:

Uncool - Stores closing before their posted time
Cool - Stanton Warriors
Cool - My Name Is Earl
Uncool - Hershey chocolate shake
Cool - Mr. Hershey himself
Uncool - Slow customer service
Cool - Montana's Cookhouse
Uncool - Male discrimination
Cool - Layo & Bushwacka!
Uncool - Corporate branding on the butt of your shorts

Exhausted. School, work, life. These past two months has been nothing but non-stop. This weekend I am going with Mariners church on a weekend mission trip to help at out at an orphanage there. Immediately after I get back I am off to Niagara Falls in Canada for an entire week for work. As Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it." I would definitely appreciate a friendly voice while I am out there, eh?

Kid + Parent + Video = healthy interactions?

(from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060404/ap_en_tv/baby_video_flap_9 )
The creators of "Sesame Street" are releasing a new line of videos Tuesday targeted for children as young as six months... "These are not 'baby videos' — these are DVDs designed to promote healthy parent-child interactions,"

FREAKING TALK TO AND PLAY WITH YOUR CHILD!! As much as I like media, TURN OFF THE TV AND INTERACT WITH YOUR CHILDREN! YOU DON'T NEED A VIDEO TO HELP YOU!

I am thankful for the little things.

Lord, God, Jesus. I am thankful for…

…legs that can walk

…hands that work

…eyes that can see

…nerves so I can touch and feel

…hair that I can comb

…a nose so I can smell the fresh air

…a well built body to take care of

…teeth that can chew food

…a mouth so I can smile

…feet to dance with

…a competent mind to ponder things on earth and above

…ears so I can hear music

…muscles to lift and move things

…the ability to swim in water

…a church to worship you in with other Christians

…talents to help others

…taste so that food is much more enjoyable

…a family that loves me

…a family who are all Christians

…the ability to take care of myself

…a God that never changes

…a God who loves me

I have so many little things to be thankful for. I may worry or complain my looks, life, talents, abilities, others and situations, but taking a step back and pausing for a moment, I am so grateful for being blessed with what I have. Thank you God for all of them!

Everything is biased.

There is no such thing as an unbiased opinion. Everything has an element of bias, and bias is not necessarily bad. I was doing some reading about sex and the media for class:

“Alternative sex educators, such as parents, may supply only restricted or biased information.”

As if biased information is bad?! It is a parent’s job to be biased! If the parents do not tell there kids what is right and wrong in this world and how to act, then they are being bad parents. When I have kids, I am telling them sex is good, but sex outside the bonds of marriage is always wrong and will always bring about negative effects. Schools may tell you to wait, but if you are going to do it then you better have protection. That is not unbiased information, there is a bias there saying sex outside of marriage is ok, which is being called “comprehensive sexual education”. In movies, the ratio of unmarried sex to married sex is 32:1. Sick. Almost never in mass media is sex within marriage glorified, which is if to say sex outside of marriage is satisfying and normal, which is far from the truth.

Where has the good Christian music gone?

The 90s was a great time for Christian music. As a Christian in the early 90s, I forced myself to find some I could listen to. The only artists I even liked was Petra and Michael W. Smith, but even then, it was not me. For those that know me, I have this affinity for electronic music that runs very deep. I heard “Axel F” by Harold Faltermeyer and it was all over, then “Rock It” by Herbie Handcock just reinforced what I already knew, electronic music is all me. When I heard Newsboys open for Petra, right before they were to come out with the“Not Ashamed” album and WOW! I dropped Petra like a hot iron skillet and found other great bands with an electronic vibe such as Code of Ethics and World Wide Message Tribe.

Then the year 2000 hit and BOOM, Christian music just went poof! Newsboys released Love Liberty Disco, and it was all downhill from then on. Smitty didn’t grow with the times, and DC Talk jumped on the alternative bandwagon. World Wide Message Tribe stepped down to do their Manchester ministry and re-established/renamed their band “The Tribe” with all new young faces that stank in every way possible. Audio Adrenaline got soft for my taste after Underdog (and they groovy enough for my taste). My favorite Christian band of all, Code of Ethics disbanded. At least Code of Ethics leaves a great legacy with every album being amazing musically, lyrically and biblically.

Driving to LA today, I listened to World Wide Message Tribe: Dance Planet again. That was a pretty spectacular album. In My Life with the great baseline and use of samples, Life with great synths and lyrics, and Peace with the very unique musical transition that you never heard on the radio because they cut it (silly Air 1). This was a great album. I still listen to Code of Ethics. Every album had a very unique sound and lyrical approach to it, each great in their own right. Their last album Blaze is the best praise album I will likely ever hear.

Also in the 90s, electronic music finally established itself as something that was not going away and became solidified as a bonified, respectable music genre. Leftfield, Fluke, The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, Massive Attack, Chemical Brother, Royksopp, Mint Royale, Kraftwerk, The Crystal Method, all electronic artists that consistently put out amazing music that pushes the boundaries and, sorry to say but I find it true, rivals and surpasses nearly anything Christians can put out (biblical based lyrics aside).

For those naysayers, not listening to Christian music does not make me any less of a Christian, and this is also not a rant about me “loosing my Christianity” (which is ludicrous anyways for anyone who has read the Bible). Believe me, I would love to listen to more Christian music, but I can only take so much “guitar band” music that all sounds the same and worship music that is often substandard musically, what you have already heard in church, and sometimes contrary to what the Bible teaches (those songs were written by fallible humans remember).

This is one place I want to be proven wrong. PLEASE, prove me wrong! I know I am not the only one who feels this way as I have talked to other Christians, and most of them feel the same way I do. Are there any good Christian bands anymore? Bands that push the boundaries lyrically, musically and have a very solid basis in Christ? Also if they could have a fairly ample amount of groove, all the better!

Maybe next year.

History repeating. Isn't it just weird how God allows you to read passages that directly relate to your life and the situations you are currently experiencing? Genesis 31-32.

God put a smile on your face. Coldplay played at the Arrowhead Pond and I went with my friends Roberto, Lyndsey and four of her friends from Biola. For me their music is awe inspiring, mysterious, and has comforted me when I needed it. While they may not officially be a Christian group, they sing songs with positive messages, praise God's creations, explore the mysteries that is life and ask questions that make us all human. During the concert I found myself wanting to explore the mysteries of God even more. This may sound weird, but I am scared of their music. Scared of what I might find. It took me a while to finally listen to all of "Rush of Blood to the Head", only selecting a few songs here and there a few years back. I didn't even listen to X&Y when it came out until Roberto assured me that it was a worthy successor. Yet I find myself and others doing the same thing with life. We are scared of what we might find out there, good or bad, and would rather stay where we are and not venture forward. I have taken leaps of faith, often expecting to fail, but God has always been there by me and I look back and His hand has constantly be on me. Yet I find myself in a state of disbelief again, but this may be the best place to be because I know I will look back at this moment and see God's hand in motion. Ah, the mysteries of God.

I changed my phone number! Can’t everything stay the same? Guess not, but change is good. With me being in Orange County and all, I decided to go with the 714 area code because the 760 was freaking people out. I'm not posting my phone number on the web, so if you did not get a personal email from me, email me and I will send you my new number.

I also switched providers and now am on Verizon and I am part of their “IN” network thingie. If you are on Verizon and are on their IN network, we can talk for free anytime, so let me know if you are! I also have this cool new phone where I can attach pictures to my contacts, so if you could, please send me an updated picture of yourself. My e-mail and website (www.heydigital.com) are still the same. So update your phone books, send me an e-mail with your picture for my contact list, and give me a call because I would love to hear from you!