Monday Morning List
Reflection on the week past:
Had some successes with being more intentional this past week. Lots of room for growth. Big thing to learn: being disciplined in the morning is built upon being disciplined in the evening. If I don't go to sleep at a reasonable time, then I won't get up before Lincoln does. If I don't get up before him, I'll be running to catch up for the rest of the day. To have a successfully intentional day, I need to be pro-active rather than re-active. Action step: Don't plan a week ahead, just plan a day ahead.
Friday:
- Took Lincoln on an "adventure" to the local zoo (i.e. Petsmart) to see the cats and fish.
- Lincoln refused to take a nap so we just went out for groceries.
- My dad called while we were at Walmart and invited us to dinner for my brother's birthday, so Katie met us all and we had a great dinner. I think that Joe's Crab Shack is Lincoln's new favorite restaurant. He's a big fan of the 80's music, disco ball, and dancing waitstaff.
Saturday:
- Ran some more errands - one of them was to Office Depot, which I should have more to tell of later this week.
- Lincoln refused to nap again, but Katie was kind enough to let me get a nap. Seriously, I have to stop staying up til 2am and getting up at 7:30.
- Cooked some killer Chicken Enchiladas.
Sunday:
- Church.
- Ran some errands during Lincoln's nap.
- Went and watched the Academy Awards Pre-Show with Dan and his family. Good times. Lincoln had a blast playing with Judah and we had a blast hanging with friends.
- Watched the rest of the Awards at home.
Simple Truth
The opposite of selfishness in not selflessness.
The opposite of selfishness is gospel-focused living.
So long as I am trying to be selfless, I'm still focused on myself. Gospel-focused living will take the attention off of me and my behavior will be transformed as a result.
____________________
This is Illogical Theology.
"...because God doesn't make sense"
New Eisley Drops Next Week – Hear it Now
Ok, I realize that my music updates are probably not as critical to your daily life as I may like to think. But I won't let that stop me from posting them.
One of my favorite groups for the last decade has been Tyler, Tx own, Eisley. To be honest, I wasn't that into their last full-length record, Combinations, but their last EP, Fire Kite, really got my attention. I've been pretty psyched for their new record, The Valley, since it was announced.
Yesterday, Spin magazine posted a streaming version of the whole album, and I can't stop listening to it. It could very well be the best album that will be released this year. I think that music has shifted and advanced to a point that they would now find a place within the mainstream - without having to change a thing.
You can buy the record from Eisley's site and I'm all for giving as much money as possible to the artist... but, iTunes has a deluxe version with some acoustic tracks - so that's the route I'll be taken when I purchase it. (This strikes upon a lengthy diatribe about multiple versions for multiple outlets that I'll spare you from.)
So, go listen to it. It's amazing.
A Helpful Reminder
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:1-7 ESV
Continue Standing Strong
- Battle in Prayer (v.1) - "struggle", a determined effort, not giving up when faced with exhaustion
- Spur to Unity (v.2) - deeply united with one another
- Center on Christ (v.2-3) - "boredom is finding your satisfaction in something other than Christ" - Ray Stedman (paraphrase)
- Discipline in Truth (v.4-5) - so that you will not be deluded or mislead by things that sound good but are not true
- Rehearse the Facts (v.6) - remind yourself of the gospel and respond accordingly; it is personal truth, not just general
- Grow in Christ (v.7) - deeply rooted, so that you are not uprooted when it storms
- Overflow with Gratitude (v.7) - if you are a chronic complainer, then you have missed some part of the gospel
Adapted from Ross Sawyers, 121 Community Church
Sermon, Feb 20, 2011, "Standing Strong"
What I’m Listening To: February
In case you never actually visit my website, you may not realize that I keep a section off to the side where I post the records that I'm listening to. So, I thought I would go ahead and post about them.
Amos Lee: Mission Bell - I was vaguely familiar with Amos Lee and had spent a little bit of time with his Supply and Demand album. I feel like that album is a bit more pop than this, which is decidedly more blues. I love that it is very stripped down and let's the songs speak for themselves. Download: "El Camino" and "Violin"
NeedToBreathe: The Outsiders - I had pre-ordered the new Adele record but started listening to this album and had to go cancel Adele so that I could get this one. These guys are like a blend between Kings of Leon and Third Day. Download: "The Outsiders"
We Were Promised Jetpacks: These Four Walls - I mentioned these guys a few days ago. The album just kind of draws you in and takes you on a journey. Hopefully they'll head stateside sometime this year and bring a tour through Dallas. Download: "It's Thunder and It's Lightning", "Short Bursts", "Conductor"
David Gray: Draw the Line - This has become a go-to whenever I don't know what to put on. In fact, it has my highest play counts in iTunes right now. It's just too bad that his next album didn't live up to it. Download: "Fugitive" and "Nemesis"
NeedToBreathe: The Heat - Listening to this record, sparked my interest in purchasing their album above. The song, "Again", has become an absolute favorite. Download: "Again", "More Time", and "Signature of Divine".
Also, in the sidebar (just above this list), I stole an idea from a friend's blog and decided to post books that I've read this year.
Monday Morning List
Friday:
- Finished reading The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
- Lincoln refused to take a nap
- Regular Friday grocery trip
- Watched Stealing Harvard. Classic
Saturday:
- Played with Lincoln
- Took a nap - need to stop staying up 'til 1am
- Replaced brake pads on the car
- Cooked dinner
- Won the Super Bowl in Madden
- Watched From Paris With Love. The first hour was pretty atrocious, but interesting enough to make me want to know where it was going. Glad I stuck with it because it came together pretty well in the end (despite massive plot holes)
Sunday:
- Church
- Family time
- Did some reading and cleaned the house
Purge – Removing Distractions and Seeking Intentionality
Yesterday, in an attempt to become more intentional with my time, I decided to remove some time-stealers. As the photo indicates, I de-cluttered my virtual desk. I cut my number of RSS feeds by about 40% (which amounts to about 70% of the daily content updates). I knocked "unfollowed" a number of twitter accounts - many of them representing the feeds that I had just cut. I also cut my DVR down to 2 shows for myself, one for Katie, and one for Lincoln.
In some cases this was an issue of too much noise in the channel. The "loudest" voices were drowning out the ones that I really cared about. And sure, I may end up being a little bit behind the times about the latest movie casting updates, but I'm sure I'll survive.
I've often said that "intentionality is key to a life well-lived." It seems, however, that I've allowed things to creep in, one-by-one, that have robbed me of that intentionality. So, this is the first step in taking it back. It's not about being in control, mind you. It's about finding freedom within discipline. It's about removing opportunities for laziness. It's about doing what you have to do, in order to better value those things that truly matter.
What’s a Dad to Do?
A friend posted this article on Facebook this morning: Sexualization of Young Girls - Media Effects on Young Girls.
While I would not call it shocking, it was certainly, quite disturbing. Here are a few select quotes:
Take this so-wrong-I-hope-it's-not-right statistic: According to a survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and cosmogirl.com, 22 percent of girls ages 13 to 19 have sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves online.
Sexualization is not only imposing sexuality on children before they're ready and viewing girls as sexual objects, but also valuing a girl for her appearance over her other attributes. "Princesses are just a phase," Orenstein writes, but they mark a girl's "first foray into the mainstream culture.... And what was the first thing that culture told her about being a girl? Not that she was competent, strong, creative, or smart but that every little girl wants — or should want — to be the Fairest of Them All."
Obviously, this should be disconcerting. There are several books noted in the article that I would like to look into. I think that the whole thing only solidifies the demand for engaged parenting - that is, not simply saying "yes/no" or "right/wrong" but discussing what is going on. The days of "because I said so" being a valid explanation are gone.
New Music Discovery: We Were Promised Jetpacks
This is We Were Promised Jetpacks. With a name like that, how can you not like them? They're from Scotland, home to the great Frightened Rabbit. I found them last week and the very next day received an iTunes card in the mail with which I bought their record.
I have dug deep into them yet, but so far, I'm liking what I'm hearing. So check them out.
To be fair, I like this acoustic recording far more than their record which is a lot louder and harder to keep up with. Still, worth a listen
Monday Morning List
Friday:
- Took Lincoln on a tour of the local shopping center: Half Price Books, PetSmart, and World Market (all favorites)
- Worked on a little marketing project
- Went grocery shopping
Saturday:
- Got up early and delivered coffee to Run 4 Justice
- Ran some errands with Katie and Lincoln
- Did a little cleaning up around the house
- Watched Russell Brand on SNL. He killed it during the first half of the show and then just lost it in the second half
Sunday:
- Made it to church, though I wasn't feeling so great
- Took an incredible nap
- Played music with Lincoln. He played djembe while I played guitar on Just a Dream by Nelly, but I couldn't set up the Flip in time to capture our greatness
- Watched the Grammys. Best part was Jolene by Norah, John, and Keith. Hoping that we get a studio version of that at some point
Monday:
- Happy Valentine's Day to my wife of almost 4 years. You keep me confident and help me to believe in myself. You're a great mom and I love you.
.jpg)
