Doug Van Pelt

I never do, but probably too much

From my perspective, I hardly ever talk about football here in this blog. I think about football quite often (love the game), but show restraint in not talking about it incessantly here. This is on a music magazine's website, after all. I feel like I successfully avoid the subject for that sake.

From an unbiased angle, though, I probably bring up the subject quite often. Oh well.

Today is the day I get in the car and, Lord willing, make the trip to Dallas to see the 10-1 Dallas Cowboys showdown with the 10-1 Green Bay Packers. It's a Thursday night game, so it should be a real festive atmosphere. I am looking forward to it. I see that the Packers really have a good team this year. Their defense is pretty darn strong. I hope the Cowboys offense can torch them for 56 points. It'd be great to see the Cowboys defense really stick it to the Packers. I'd like to see the great Brett Favre get sacked several times and throw a few picks. Whoever wins this game looks to be the one that'll claim home field advantage throughout the playoffs this year.

As a Cowboys fan, it's real exciting to have the team playing well this year. It's nice to have your team be talked about so much. While over-confidence can be bad, of course, after suffering through severall 5-11 seasons not too long ago, it feels good to be winning again.

One thing about this season for the Cowboys: It has some of those "ingredients" that a championship season has. They say that -- to make a run for a championship season -- you've got to have a good team, play well, avoid injuries, and the ball has to bounce your way a few times. In other words, you have to get lucky. For the Cowboys (and specifically Tony Romo, who had the ball "bounce the wrong way" one dramatic time in the playoffs last year), the ball has bounced right back up into his hands on several plays this year. These bounces of an oblong ball can be quite random. Fortunately, after a few bad snaps or a batted ball, it's bounced right into his hands and he's been able to scramble around and make a first down out of an obviously "broken" play. His play reminds a lot of people of his nemesis tonight -- Brett Favre. He's a competitive player and a "gunslinger" that'll toss the ball in there to make a play. One defensive player this year was asked about Brett Favre, and this guy (obviously young in age) said he "looked like an older Tony Romo." That ironic statement is a huge compliment for Romo.

Tonight there'll be a few people I know in the crowd: Tooth & Nail's Brandon Ebel will be there. Greg and Marie Bobick (my nephew and neice-in-law) will be there. I didn't realize this at first when I picked this game from the schedule to attend (my printer is gracious enough to take us to a game each year) that it would be such a pivotal game and that it would be broadcast only on the NFL Network.

I should bring a big sign that says: "Marry Me, Bradley Hathaway," but I won't. Last year I went to a sports bar to see a Thursday Night game. It was a thriller between the Atlanta Falcons and the Dallas Cowboys. I advise the same for any football fans tonight. It can be a pleasant and fun experience. I found out that the NFL Network is also broadcasting the game on the internet. Here's a link for that.

Deadline 5 - DVP 2

Well, I finished the latest (Jan/Feb) issue last night.
Phew!

I'm taking a little break to refresh. I hope to be "back on it" soon.

Nirvana Shirts at Walmart

I saw one of those cross-eyed smiley face Nirvana shirts in the latest Walmart flier on sale for $7.83. I think I might get one. If Kurt Cobain's spirit were still inside his body and in the grave, of course, he'd be "rolling over" in it. The marriage of discount-priced heavy volume retailers with the punk rock ethos-following band is quite the dichotomy.

Whew... I'm in deadline still. I'm finally at the stage where every single page is accounted for. I've made corrections to all the errors found in proofreading and all that's left is "printing" each page to a "post script" file, which in turn gets "ripped" into a PDF file by Adobe Distiller. Since upgrading to Adobe Creative Suite 3 recently, I have to set my post-script settings and such according to my printer's specs. Once I get this done, it's pretty fast moving.

I am SO ready for this issue to be at the printer. I might take a day off tomorrow to rest. Lord willing, my wife and I are going to the Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys game on Thursday night. That should be a festive occasion.

I've got some stuff to get to after this deadline... Besides choosing editorial for the next (March/April) issue, I need to fix a lot of stuff on this website. When I try to upload images, the usual windows in this backend editing program don't function properly. No one can leave comments on the site. And the banner ad program needs to be upgraded. Here's hoping I can get that done soon.

We've got some cats out at the ranch now (again). Samson and Delilah took off after keeping them in the shed for three weeks. I haven't seen 'em since (save for one sighting down by the broken pond). I'm keeping these guys inside for about that long (in a small laundry room with a wood floor and a litter box). So far they've been neat. We'll make sure they "know" that this is their new home and I'll build a coyote-proof cathouse on stilts that they can live in. These cats have been named Surely, Goodness, and Mercy.





Surely is the orange Tabby with the longest hair. Goodness is the other orange Tabby; and Mercy is the white cat.

I really hope to take a few days off soon and finish my novel. I'm real frustrated at not having that done now.

Friends are friends longer than the lifespan of Michael W. Smith's famous song...

One thing I've learned from participating in a "viewing service," a "memorial service" and then a funeral is that if I am blessed to live a long life and die at an old age, I want to have lots of friends or at least a few good ones. My dad wished his kids at his recent birthday party that we'd all be "fortunate enough to have a friend like Leak" (not sure if that's how you spell it, but that's how you say the name of one of his dear friends).

In order to reach my goal, I am going to try and be a good friend. One of my favorite bands of the 80s was Kerry Livgren's band AD. They had a song that I never liked (musically) too much, but it had a great message:

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."

I'm thankful

Our beloved MaMa passed away early yesterday morning. We rushed down here at midnight, hoping to get here before she entered glory, but missed being here in time. My wife had been able to care for her the last few weekends and had some good talks with her grandmother, but you never know when the last conversation is.

I am thankful for the blessing of marrying into this family. We will surely miss MaMa. She was a cheerful and loving woman. Staying at her house now I can think of a couple lessons she taught me. One was a simple one about respect and responsibility. She keeps a very nice and clean house, and we always knew it wasn't a place to leave clothes around, etc. It was never much of a hassle to keep ourselves picked up, because we knew we were way more important than her home, so it was out of love and respect that we kept it that way. A weird lesson to think about, but I'm just a strange guy.

Another one was dignity and love. She made sure her husband's lasting memories were fond ones, with just little decisions she made. That spoke volumes to me that she would be thinking of others even while she was so sick. I love that about her.

She was an encourager about the Lord and that is a lasting legacy that she leaves with us. I can only imagine what sort of glorious things she's seeing and doing right now.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

The Kidnapping of Susie Slicker: Day 6

Another message from Susie: "tHings are finE ... realLy! Please let me be.

It looks like my website is having some real problems, and one of those problems is not allowing any comments to be left. If you'd like to comment, send me an email, and I'll post it here (perhaps with a response, too). I won't be able to look into fixing this until after deadline (priorities...), so thanks for your patience!

The Kidnapping of Susie Slicker: Day 5

Another message from Susie: "please, just leave me alone! i am Happy and wElL here in this Place!!"

It looks like my website is having some real problems, and one of those problems is not allowing any comments to be left. If you'd like to comment, send me an email, and I'll post it here (perhaps with a response, too). I won't be able to look into fixing this until after deadline (priorities...), so thanks for your patience!

The Kidnapping of Susie Slicker: Day 4

Now we have a message from Susie: "I AM IN a BettEr pLace. don'T bOther with the raNsom, jusT lEave me xlone!"

It looks like my website is having some real problems, and one of those problems is not allowing any comments to be left. If you'd like to comment, send me an email, and I'll post it here (perhaps with a response, too). I won't be able to look into fixing this until after deadline (priorities...), so thanks for your patience!




COMMENT #2: SS Is Watching


The dreaded SS reigned terror in Nazi Europe.


Now the SSS (SAVE SUZY SOCIETY) is on the march in central US..

The Almost & Paramore Concert Blog

Went to see the finale of my trio of concerts last night. It was another sold out show at Stubb's. It started early, presumably to cater to the all ages crowd. The Almost went on at 6:30 and gave the crowd a good time for 40 minutes. While the crowd was into it and the band was having fun, the mix was a little heavy and dense, which didn't give the music a lot of "breathing room" to hear the breadth of its sound. Ah, well. If you knew the songs, they were certainly recognizable. They just didn't out-perform the recorded album. They saved "Say This Sooner" until late in the set. Lots of movement was shared between Aaron and the crowd.





After that song Aaron stated that he was "messed up," admitting that they "mess up all the time. We're no different than any of you just because we have an instrument. None of would be here without the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. We're not trying to tell you that so that you'll get offended... We're all in this thing called humanity and we think you're all great!"





Lastly they played "Amazing, Because It Is." The audience was silently asked to sing the last few choruses, which sounded good and almost full up front, but from the back of the capacity crowd were almost lost in the mix. Aaron stood up on the barricades and joined with the crowd during the louder parts.





Paramore came on with their new stage props sporting actual riot photographs (rather than the Riot graffiti they used on Warped Tour), along with a giant video projection on top of the canvas canopy/pavillion that Stubb's has (it looks like one-third of the Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The crowd was clearly in the palms of Hayley Williams' hands throughout the night, even when she told a story about the Sunny Day Real Estate cover they played -- "Faces In Disguise." She explained how she met the guys in the band at a private high school and one of them gave her a CD of songs, and this one changed her life ("...and is still changing my life," she added). The lighting for this somber tune was perfect. It was a large beam of spinning light that hit the back of her in such a way that it appeared like giant feathers rotating around her silhouette, while films of humming birds fluttered above her.





It was funny to be in the middle of the crowd for most of the show, where brittle ear-piercing screams from many young females in attendance that were digging the show. They added perfectly timed chorus responses of "Crush, crush, crush!" during the song of the same name. That little bit was classic and actually not annoying at all (nice job, girls).





They ended their hour set with "My Heart," which had a nice film to it, featuring birds on a wire and a passage of text that flashed up several times, but I couldn't make it all out. It read something about "My heart being yours" and a declaration/response that "I will sing praise."


They came out for a couple of encores. Hayley got the video camera and splashed a live feed of the audience and various band shots during the song. They ended with a tune they knew the audience had been waiting for -- "Misery Business," which certainly rang out the show on a high note. Very nice.




I learned another media life lesson at this show: Read the fine print and don't assume that your photo pass covers the entire event. I had been given credentials to photograph The Almost, and I just assumed that it was handed down by the publicist for the whole tour and would cover all the bands (first three songs in the photo pit, no flash). This worked fine during The Almost, and when I started taking photos with my little fan-cam (a simple Fuji digital model that cost no more than $150) I probably stood out. I get a kick out of this, because it works and my photos are published, even though my peers around me are shooting with ten times the equipment. Paramore's burly road manager jumped in my face and told me to leave midway into their second song. It was humbling, but funny to me. Even if I'm in a hurry, like last night in the midst of deadline, I'll try to always take the time to know exactly what I've been permission to do in these situations.

The Kidnapping of Susie Slicker: Day 3 - The Army Protection Racket

This is getting out of hand, but here's another message:


pay THe ransom oR susiE might gEt run over, colenol.


The link above has some words at the beginning that might scare you off (the word "nude" can be alarming, but this is a joke. Don't worry. It's the prelude to the Army Protection Racket skit. Trust me on this one...)


It looks like my website is having some real problems, and one of those problems is not allowing any comments to be left. If you'd like to comment, send me an email, and I'll post it here (perhaps with a response, too). I won't be able to look into fixing this until after deadline (priorities...), so thanks for your patience!




COMMENT #1:
We've been contacted by the NSA and mum is the word (something about a clandestine monitoring operation) -- what's going on? Are you safe?

REPLY:
Yes, we are safe. What have you done to be contacted by the NSA? Are you in trouble?

mewithoutYou, Thrice, Lovedrug, Shiny Toy Guns

Though it is deadline and deadline has not been met (I'll have to change the marker board from Deadline 04 - DVP 02 to Deadline 05 - DVP 02), sigh, I had scheduled a bunch of shows to see right after deadline was supposed to be met and over. I went to a show at Stubb's BBQ, which is a great venue if it's outdoors under the Sydney Opera House type awning/pavillion. This one was a big outdoor show, and it was a sell-out. Normally, one of the privileges of being in "the press" is getting complimentary admission to these shows. At this show apparently 12 people were on the guest list for the support band (Thrice) and the headliner (Brand New)'s label (Interscope) only allowed for 2 people on this guest list. The poor publicist had to contact 10 of those 12 and say, "I'm sorry." This show was important enough not to blow off (in my estimation), even though I have work to do, so I went. I stood behind the wooden wall of the stage and listened as mewithoutYou held court. They finished their show with another rousing rendition of "Feed The Goat." Of course, it went over well, as it was a fantastic performance, building and building and then just exploding. I wish I could've seen the faces of new instant fans that beheld it.

Thrice went on next to loud approval from the audience. They played songs from their whole catalog, but I couldn't tell you which songs from The Alchemy Index were played, because it's one of those "still new" albums for me and I haven't memorized song titles yet. That time will come. They finished things up with a passionate performance of "The Earth Will Shake" that had the crowd singing along at loud volume levels. When they unloaded the equipment out back after their set, I noticed several "bars" that looked like 2" PVC pipe with tape all around it, or something else. Perhaps they had lights inside them that glowed brightly. They had enough to replicate prison walls (the "iron bars" they sing about). It was my only regret of not seeing the show visually. I don't know how they utilized these things.

That was Friday night. Last night I went to the big arena in town -- The Frank Erwin Special Events Center. It's an 18,000 seater where the University of Texas Longhorns basketball team plays. It was setup sideways to house a crowd of 7,000 for this show. I interviewed Shiny Toy Guns in their dressing room in the bowels of this place. It went really well. I found out things about this band that I never imagined. Then we saw the show, which Lovedrug started. They had a stuffed animal tiger on stage and something else lumpy next to it. It was a guy in a sleeping bag, taking a nap right in front of the drumset. Wow! Lovedrug sounded great. It was nice to see them sound "on" and bring their magic to a large (probably new) crowd. Good for them.

Shiny Toy Guns went on next and played a fun set that showed off singer Chad Petree's voice at full tilt. Loved the energy. Their drummer, Mikey Martin, was going for it all night, swinging his arms all over the place and hitting the drums hard. Carah Faye and keyboardist/bassist Jeremy Dawson traded places a lot between keyboard stand and solo mic stand. Their light show was well done. And one of Jeremy's comments about being addicted to smoke was spot on. They had the stage filled with fog for much of their set.

Yellowcard came on next and played a spirited set. Their funny stanced vocalist pretty much stood in one place the entire show, but you'd never accuse him of sitting still, as he really put out vocally from song to song. It was quite impressive how hard he and the band brought it.

All the bands talked about how this last night of the tour made them grateful for the experience and how happy they all were that somewhat local Blue October were ending it here in Austin, Texas. I came to this show not knowing many of their songs too well, and came away quite impressed. Their vocalist also brought it -- for the entire set. They reminded me quite a bit of The Call -- mixing some Americana style rock with their heartfelt lyrics.

I couldn't help but revel in joy at how many really good musical acts are out playing these days. Blue October must've gotten the invisible memo that demanded artists to "Pursue excellence, bring it full-on with each performance, let your voice soar with confidence, and pour your heart out in each song, making the audience believe that you care." It's such a joy to be able to witness so much good music. Blue October was a pleasant surprise and reminder of that current quality supply.

Hooray!
And tonight I get to go see The Almost and Paramore (at Stubb's). This should be good.

The Kidnapping of Susie Slicker: Day 2

Against our better judgment, here's another message:


Pay THe ransom oR an "accidEnt" might happEn.




It looks like my website is having some real problems, and one of those problems is not allowing any comments to be left. If you'd like to comment, send me an email, and I'll post it here (perhaps with a response, too). I won't be able to look into fixing this until after deadline (priorities...), so thanks for your patience!

Susie Slicker Has Been Kidnapped!

We've been given this message (and the authorities encourage us to post it, against our better judgment):


Pay THe Ransom or nEver sEe su$ie slicker again.




It looks like my website is having some real problems, and one of those problems is not allowing any comments to be left. If you'd like to comment, send me an email, and I'll post it here (perhaps with a response, too).

What did Doug do?

"'e used sarcasm, dramatic irony, metaphor, satire, pathos, puns -- 'e knew all the tricks!"

So goes a line from my favorite Monty Python skit of all time: "The Piranha Brothers." I couldn't help but think of it when seeing the title of McManus' latest entry: Pathos.

pa-thos \ 'pa-,thas, -,thos, n [Gk, suffering, experience, emotion, fr. pashein (aor. pathein) to experience, suffer; perh. akin to Lith kesti to suffer] 1: an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion 2: an emotion of sympathetic pity.
(from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary)

Interesting choice of words. The entry is centered around Star Wars. Many surmise that the successful stories and movie series is fixated around George Lucas' Hindu worldview. In the prequels, Anakin must choose between the Jedi way (which is void of passion) and the way of the Sith (which is ruled by passion). He has fallen in love with Queen Amidala, so his dilemma is great. He goes the way of the Sith and becomes the infamous Darth Vader.

On one side is a life void of passion, a life of detachment. The other is unbridled passions that recklessly lead to ruin.

"...unrestrained passions, passions lacking a moral compass, will lead us to a life that is self-destructive and will hurt anyone who chooses to come near to us."

That sounds so true in the story of Darth Vader's life, doesn't it?

"Jesus gives us another way," McManus states. "Let him change you at your core, then let your passions fuel your life." Notice the use of the verb "fuels" instead of "rules?" Big difference, huh?

"Spirituality and desire are not in conflict from the perspective of Jesus. In fact, he teaches that a genuine spirituality results in the passionate pursuit of life."

Lars Van Pelt wanted by Garden Grove Police

Dr. Tony Shore is also wanted for questioning in the "incident."

It was many years ago, back when Frontline Records ruled the Christian rock world (back when Brandon Ebel was probably still in college in Oregon) when I paid a visit to the LA area for some business-related reason. One of their employees (Tony Shore) and I went out to see a movie (The Abyss in some movie megaplex in Orange, CA that probably doesn't exist anymore) and, while on the way home, he makes a u-turn across two lanes of empty traffic, blaming it all on the quality of my directions/instructions. Unbeknownst to us, we were then followed for a good mile towards "old town" Garden Grove. It was the best job of tailing that I'd never seen, as the police car stayed on side streets out of our view until we stopped outside of my cousin's apartment complex. All of a sudden red and blue lights start flashing and Tony has to explain his unusual u-turn back there. We weren't arrested, as the "legend" goes, but it sure makes for an attention-getting inside joke over the years.

My Story (short version)

I was a young guy (age 11) when I became convinced that there was a God. I bought the story that He became a man, lived on earth for 33 years and died on the cross so that I could be forgiven of my sins. It made sense to me, so I believed it. It was exciting to walk with God and learn more about Him and hanging out a lot with other believers. I don't know why, but that whole thing lasted about six months. For the next nine years I pursued pleasure. I kind of put God out of my mind. Deep down inside I still believed He was real, but if I just ignored the notion, none of my lifestyle choices could be questioned (at least by my conscious). As a high schooler I lived in a pretty typical home environment -- it had rules and restrictions, but nothing real oppressive. I couldn't wait to get out on my own, though, and freely pursue all of the pleasure I wanted. When I graduated from high school my dad gave me a New American Standard Bible with my name embossed on it. He had underlined at least one significant verse in each of the 66 books. It was packed with my things to go to college, but the first day it sailed above my closet to stay unread for the next nine months. I remember thinking a little bit about God during my sophomore year in college. I formulated a plan based around the imminent return of Jesus Christ to planet earth. Like a lot of others, I figured that He would return "within a generation after the fig tree blossomed" (meaning the re-birth of the nation of Israel), which was about 40 years by biblical estimates. That meant He would return in 1988, so I figured I'd straighten out in '87. Until then, it was more partying and life for me. The next summer I was confronted with the idea that "if I was a friend of the world, then I was an enemy of God." This didn't sit well with me. I knew that this "friendship" wasn't the love and caring kind of friendship that we like to describe, but like an allegiance with a system of thought, a "side" in a battle of wills. I realized that I'd been playing games with God and that by ignoring Him I had been choosing the world over Him. One night I decided that it was the better choice to choose Him, which meant saying goodbye to getting high and "mating" with girls that weren't my mate. At the time it was a serious choice, because those were both things that I talked a lot about and basically craved and lived for. I was amazed by the power that God gave me to overcome my psychological addiction to marijuana and live by these renewed convictions. I have enjoyed my new life and have never seriously looked back with the intention of turning my back on such great a love as I know in Jesus. Life hasn't been one great big bundle of joy, but in the ups and downs I have a sense of peace that's really like an "anchor to the soul." I've got Someone to cry out to when I'm grieving and thank when I'm rejoicing. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

He who froths up the most foam = the bigger man

This cappuccino is alright. There's foam at the top. Notice how I sprinkled some cinnamon on top? That's the finishing touch, right there!

I remember back in the old days (1995-1998), back when Brian McGovern roamed these offices (well, not these offices, but the office of the day, which was at my house). We both loved cappuccino. I think he was the one who mentioned the perfect name for a Christian coffee house -- He Brews.

Anyway, we both used to crave the perfect cup of cap, and we'd feel so much better about ourselves (well, speaking for myself, I know I did...) if we frothed up a monster amount of foam for the cappuccino's we were making. With our little home unit it wasn't always as easy as those baristas at the local coffee shop make it seem. They have unlimited access to steam, whereas we only had the amount of water past the brewed espresso level with which to make that milk bubble and turn to foam.

:?)

My Heartstrings Come Undone

God is good.
There's cows everywhere.
And I have a lot of work to do on the next issue of HM.

McManus zeros in on our God-given passions in ENTRY #23. It is easier to control people if you standardize them, make them all generic -- clones of some arbitrary standard. According to McManus, Buddhists and Hindu's work to achieve freedom from desire. The author contrasts that with the passion-filled character of Jesus. God has created us with passion. He's a passionate being.

Unbridled and unredeemed passion, of course, can rage out of control and lead to mis-channeled passions and negative results. To neuter passions is not the answer, though (thank goodness). Discipline and self-control will reign in passions and control them to develop restraint, wisdom, and the ability to choose.

The oft-quoted verse has an interesting light on it in this chapter:

"...delight in Him and He will give you the desires of your heart."

God is like a fire that burns within your soul.

The Hives new album, this mug of Starbucks, and the latest entry in Soul Cravings

This is quite the liberating chapter. After describing how the church has fallen in line with the rest of the world and tried to force everyone to conform and be the same. In all fairness, "the church" (the universal body of Christ) has not actually done this, but if you looked at our behavior as a body of believers, we have been guilty of doing this. It's unfair to apply guilt to the whole body, but it would be false, also, to absolve it completely of this crime.

Anyway, in this chapter McManus tells the reader that resisting this -- resisting legalism -- is not resisting God. In fact, it's fighting against those things that God would have you resist. I am sure this is liberating to many, because resisting the efforts of a church person or body can be a painful thing that nags us with the implied doubt that we are somehow resisting the authority of God. In fact, though, we are resisting something that would harm us and damage the uniqueness that God has made. Being different is not a crime. In fact, it is very beautiful.

Are there any Dream Interpreters in the house?

I had another of a recurring dream last night. It was one of those dreams in that stage of sleep just before I awoke. In the dream I was in a school setting. I think it was in a college environment. Like always, I was unprepared. It was like there was one or two classes I was just never taking the books home and studying or doing the homework. This time I was in the class and we were having to do some problems there in the room. It was a sense of impending doom for my procrastination. I knew I was going to get burned for it and have to answer for it -- one day I would come up short in that class -- but that unannounced time had still not come around. There's almost a helpless feeling, like I won't be starting to work on this class, even though I know there's still time or I could at least try.

Weird. I've had variations to this same theme/story several times in the last year or so. I can't seem to tie it to anything going on, though. I'm not currently taking any classes... Any stabs at what that could mean?
:?)

ENTRY #21: A Fresh Start to a Dead End

"I was introduced to reincarnation at a young age..."

Thus begins the latest entry in Soul Cravings. He clarifies at the end of the sentence, "...but it was the Western version." He was talking about the idea that we were someone famous in a previous life. He kinda changed his tune when he visited places like India, Thailand and Cambodia.

I remember hearing Kemper Crabb talk about mothers drowning their babies in a river in India, to get them reincarnated quicker or something. I couldn't belive it. His dad, apparently, has been a missionary over in India for years.

McManus makes a good case here of how superior the teachings and Way of Jesus are to Hinduism and Buddhism. While reincarnation is really a curse of coming back until you "get it right," Christianity allows one to start anew. He brings up a good point about how the caste system of India keeps millions of people trapped in poverty. A philosophy, a religion keeps them there. The only hope the poor in India have is of living out this life and getting a better one next time. That does sound pretty awful, doesn't it?

Without making a joke out of it, McManus talks about the so-called "reality" of billions of souls living in roaches and rats at this very moment. It's kind of a weird way of living, don't you think?

Mute Math + Eisley

Last night my daughter and I went to see Mute Math and Eisley. It was a really good show, which is what I expected. Eisley played a 40-minute set, filled with mostly material from Combinations, their grand new one. They really shined in the tune "A Sight To Behold." It was certainly also a sound to behold, for they rocked with a solid beat that was super cohesive and massively heavy. I couldn't help but think of the power of tunes like "Kashmir."

Uh-oh. I can feel it coming. This "concert review" is going to be littered with Zeppelin references.

Mute Math came on and proceeded into "Collapse," but this version sounded different than the last time they played this same venue in the spring. This one seemed to rely more on louder voices, with the swirling "ah-ah's" reaching higher notes with more volume. Earlier performances had sounded like they were a jazz band getting the feel, starting slowly and building up. This one didn't sound "rushed," per se, but it was faster than before. Maybe they were eager to launch into "Typical" and get the show going. The stage setup was better. They had six large rectangle screens with lots of light, fuzz, and filmed imagery going. At one point in the show they used live footage of the performers. It was cropped and edited together really well. This helped in a sold-out and packed club with giant pillars and tall people blocking the view of the stage for many.

The played a new one, called "Clockwork" (possibly "Clockworks") that sounded really good. It started off with lots of guitar, having a slightly different feel than their last album's material, but still very much Mute Math.

Other highlights included guitarist Greg Hill hitting his guitar (it looked like a hollow body from way back in the back of the club) with a mallet. Bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas beat on a drum in more than one song (the all-out improvisational number known as "Break The Same"), alternating between that and the stand-up bass. The band even pulled a seldom-played old one (from the Reset EP) for one of their encores -- "Peculiar People," which vocalist Paul Meany coaxed many a helpful chorus of "ohh-whoa-whoa-whoa's" from the crowd. It felt quite good. The band, while somewhat beat up (drummer maniac Darren King apparently sprained an ankle at an instore performance earlier in the day), seemed relaxed and glad to be there. The 1,000 or so people in the club sure were.

L4R5 15 G4Y

I heard my neighbor bringing his garbage can to the end of the driveway today as I headed back in. I turned and said, "Good morning, Terry," but all I could think about was that Proverb that says a neighbor will curse us if we sing loudly to him in the morning (or something like that). I kept my voice as low as it could be and yet still be heard across the street. And I wasn't singing. My neighbor smiled as he returned the greeting, so hopefully he wasn't muttering, "Curse Doug, that blasted loudmouth!" as he drove to work this morning. I'd hate to come home to a TP'd house this evening.

I just finished my Bradley Hathaway article. Sometimes it's really beneficial to "jump right in" to something when I first arrive at the office. I like to start my day off with a devotional, and this blog is part of that, and hopefully most days I will.

By the way, Bradley's new album, The Thing That Poets Write About, The Thing That Singers Sing About is a brilliant package. Double disc (cd + dvd) and 80 pages inside the book case are filled with poems, conversations, photos, thoughts and lyrics. I highly recommend getting it, but be prepared for a shock -- he's singing. This is music! If it wasn't so darn good, I'd be upset about it...

David Crowder Article + some extras

Here's the online version of the David Crowder Band cover story I wrote for CCM. They've also posted some "bonus material" and there's photos and mp3 samples of the electronic gadgets the band uses over at the myccm.org place.

ENTRY #20: THe Secret Longing Of the Soul

From Catcher In The Rye:

"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around -- noboody big, I mean -- except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff -- I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be."

McManus says that this is a perfect way of describing our longing to make a difference. He says our soul is starving for hope -- not just to have it, but to give it. I love that. When something resonates within us... When our stomach tightens and we get a lump in our throat and maybe a tear in the corner of our eye, we know something to be true... That is the affirming feeling of some innate longings. The longing to help people.

We can get numb and jaded, but still the God-given sense of justice in us gets rubbed when something is wrong -- especially so when we have an opportunity to do something about it. The more jaded we are the more we might hope someone else gets involved and helps, but the urge is still there.

It's cool to read this book and be listening a lot to David Crowder Band's Remedy album simultaneously. The ideas about changing our world and bringing the kingdom to earth is exciting and it's being stirred up. It'll be rad to see what we can do in the near future.

Don't hinder my prayer, man!

1 Peter 3:7 says: "Husbands, in the same way* be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."

Mis-using this verse to try to lord over women is certainly not a way of showing respect. That's not what I'd like to focus on here, but it's hard to ignore a "hard" word or controversial point. I'm more interested right now in this concept of "hindered prayer." If my prayers can be hindered, I would seriously like to know how to avoid that. I don't want my prayers hindered, man.

The verse begins by making reference to "the same way." Previous to that, it talks about wives being submissive to husbands. So, by referencing "in the same way," it's telling us that husbands should submit to wives. Previous to the passage about wives, it talks about Jesus submitting to His Father. Previous to that, it's about slaves submitting to their masters, every man submitting to his authority. I think the lesson here is about humility and submission.

If we aren't submissive and humble, I guess that means we're resistant, obstinant, opposing, fighting, and prideful. If there's one thing (and there are actually very many more) thing that other religions, faiths and cultures can respect about Christianity, it is the central teaching to be humble. To act humbly is almost like spending currency in the "cred" department. Humility is something that can't be faked very easy (and not be detected). To be humble, though, sometimes just takes a reminder. God's Word is good about that. I believe God's Holy Spirit, sent to live with us and teach us, also empowers us to live in humility. It's more than just self-talk and psycho babble. There is something amazing about regeneration.

Getting "saved" or converted is real. Something really happens there.

PS Wow, would I like to complain right now! I've got 9 days left of deadline, but yet I need to secure a new email sending software solution for my website, upload the new issue on the website, and lay out the new issue of the Heaven's Metal fanzine, too. Wow. I'm thankful, though, that I can look outside my window and see beautiful, big horses eating grass here. That's really cool. Also, yesterday I got copies of the new issue of CCM, which features a cover story on David Crowder Band I wrote. Also, UPS delivered 3 boxes of new shirts for us -- the 2008 Worship at Full Volume shirt and the "scenester" shirt. Very fun.

Katrina inside of us

In McManus "latest" entry of his Soul Cravings book, he brings up "Becoming The Change." It's very similar to the call of David Crowder Band's recent album, urging us to "be the remedy."

He talks about how lions and gazelles are not driven to pursue a better life. They don't contemplate their personal destiny. He suggests that our altruism is "not very Darwinian." I see the point and ultimately agree with it, but I can also hear the protests of Evolutionists in my head...

Did I just say, "I'm a schizophrenic, and so am I?"

Sorry, my taste for humor has lousy timing and is sometimes insensitive to those with difficult problems.

Anyway, I hear the retort of, "Well, yeah, making the world a better place is an example of our evolving state making mental choices to improve our conditions, which will -- in the long run -- help our species continue on and survive." I mean, it's not like the argument that caring for others flying in the face of survival of the fittest is going to cause an evolutionist to go, "You know what? You're right. There is something more to this life than our meat and bones and the struggle to survive. I'm going to check this out."

So, even though it doesn't settle the evolutionary debate once and for all with a deathblow to its logic, McManus still brings up a great point about our uniqueness as creatures made in God's image. He told a story about how his church felt compelled to rise up and "be the church" in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "This is the time for Christians to stand up and help." When the teams returned after serving in Houston (where a lot of evacuees were sent), one person mentioned how this even changed them. They could no longer just sit by and act like the world was okay. The author put his finger on that very conflict: Why?

"What is it inside the human spirit that tells us something must be done?"

Why do we care about other people? Why are we compelled to do something? Why do we feel guilty if we don't? An evolutionist might argue that it's a result of our societal conditioning; and this argument is hard to debate because this "conditioning" is so ingrained in us; which is why I choose the "divine side" of the argument -- that compassion is ingrained in us innately, that it's part of our God-given DNA.

Not caring or not feeling guilty could correctly be labelled as being "jaded." It'd be an interesting study to look at why people would get numb, jaded, and uncaring. I bet it'd largely be an accumulated effect of pain, self-awareness, and a defensive mechanism to block out the pain. Getting hurt can be a powerful agent of change.

Lifeway Christian Bookstores

This retail chain is big. They used to be called "Baptist Bookstores," but I think they wisely chose a new name to appeal to the broader body of Christ, instead of just serving their own denomination. About three years ago this distributor stopped carrying HM Magazine. On the very day that I received the news that they were "dropping" our title, I got another email from a mainstream distributor. Lifeway was dropping us, which counted for 500 copies per issue. This new distributor was asking for 500 copies. It seemed like no coincidence -- that while one distributor (who, from all appearances, should have been on our side) was cancelling their distribution of HM, another one was beginning. It seemed like the old adage of "God closing a door, only to open a window."

It's been three years now. We're still being distributed by that other mainstream distro, but I'd sure love to have our magazine in the growing Lifeway chain again. To keep things positive, I'd love to encourage the readers of this blog to politely and gently ask their local Lifeway store to please carry HM Magazine. Perhaps if enough customers ask for it, they'll start carrying it.

ENTRY #18: Driven, Destined, and Determined to Change

Only God can take you where you were born to go. THere are a lot of roads you can choose, but one path chooses you.

After that memorable quote, McManus brings up his previous entry, where he has a fictitious conversation with Elvis Presley, telling him that nothing matters, because there is no God and we are all insignificant. The author tells us that it's the right thing to do if that were true. Even though we feel it's a moral wrong to tell someone that they are insignificant, it is actually a moral right to tell them this if there is no god, we're all just drifting through time and space, no progress...

It's interesting that these things conflict. We sense some moral outrage to have one human tell another that he or she is insignificant; but we refuse to believe that there is a God Who gave us significance. We have this innate drive in us, but let's pretend that it evolved or is artificial. A koala bear apparently sleeps 22 hours a day, waking only to eat and poop. Eating eucalyptus, apparently, is like being sedated. While sedation might feel really good at times, it would be a shame to be sedated all the time.

He leaves us with a few other unnerving thoughts:

Our need to become is intimately connected with our need to create. You cannot engage the future without activating your creative nature. The more proactive you become in pursuing your destiny, the more responsibility you will take for your life. When you choose to become, you become an enemy of the status quo. To become is to change and to bring change.

Two people agree...

It's nice when one person can share with another how someone is being a thorn in their side, isn't it? I was talking with a friend of mine who is in a band. He brought up being at an autograph table and someone brought up the Transformers movie, which they had recently seen. A youth pastor mentioned that he didn't like all the profanity in it. My friend couldn't bear to keep quiet. "You're kidding, right?" He infered that the only words he remembered was "pissed off" (and another one I can't remember). Certainly mild compared to most movies.

It's always interesting when two cultures intersect or collide. There are always differences. For us in the USA, saying "that's a bloody mess" is an innocent phrase that reminds some of us of our neighbors in England and their British accents. According to Brits, however, the metaphor of "bloody" used to color or describe something else is likened to a mockery of the blood of Christ, and is quite offensive. In Australia, the word "fanny" (or "fannie") does not refer to the derriere, but is instead quite a rude reference to a female body part. The old "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" song would have a rather off-color remark in it if sung to an Australian audience. I'm told that "to root, root-root for the home team..." would imply some physical behavior that would easily be classified as "sinful." But to millions of US citizens, it's an innocent and fun song to be sung with others during the seventh inning "stretch."

Recently someone's wife emailed me, asking me to justify my DVD reviews in HM Magazine. In their eyes, a review of a DVD in HM Magazine equals an endorsement of said movie. If a movie has a high rating of "cuss words" in it, it should never have been reviewed. My perspective, obviously, is different. I try to pick movies that are either popular with our audience; or are movies I know something about and happen to think will be of special interest to our readers. If one of these movies has lots of cusswords or explicit sex or gory "blood and guts" in it, I know that some of our readers would like to know this about the film. This information might help them make a decision on whether to watch it or not. Some people are so turned off at profanity that they might walk out of a theater if the movie is full of it. I see my information as a non-judgmental way of informing my diverse audience. Some believers don't have the same sort of strong adverse reactions to profanity in a film they're watching. For them, if I took a strong, strict and conservative approach and included lots of personal bias against profanity or something in a review, it would likely narrow my audience in a tactless way that could easily be avoided by a little restraint.

Having to explain this to a person that sees movies in black & white can be an exercise in futility for someone with my attitudes/beliefs/convictions that's in my position. Many of my friends would just avoid this type of conflict. Some people "won't dignify such and such with a comment." Some won't "suffer fools." I think they see engaging in a debate about something so petty as being a waste of time. I realized this as I went in, as well as my incredibly long To-Do list, but I nevertheless endeavored to dialog with this person.

I think we have to "pick our battles." None of us can fight every battle that comes our way. Same with opportunities. I probably shouldn't have picked this one. It's been draining and discouraging. But it really makes me appreciate encouragement when I get it.

You are the Vine, We are the thorns

Wow.
I'm back from vacation. It was a good one.
Something weird happened at one point, though.
One of us was physically in pain and wanted healing. A bunch of us gathered 'round this person (some reluctantly, because of the context, which included anyone walking by the beach). During the prayer, which included reading Bible verses and real Palm Olive Oil, a couple people started praying in tongues -- loudly.

I was reminded about one of the four mini-lessons in a Bill Hybel's study called Walk Across The Room that a small group from my church watched together. It's a really cool study that shares ways and methods on how to share the life of Christ we have with others. One of the lessons had a point called "Weird God Stories." We were shown a few video clips of examples and strongly encouraged to keep it simple, leaving out weird God stories. Why? Because they're weird. They can freak people out. The wailing in tongues was an interesting example, to say the least. Even with an interpretation (there was none given), that's a weird thing. It's weird for those believers who haven't experienced it; it's weird for those of us who have; and it's whacked out for those who might witness it and not be a believer themselves.

Is it possible to do bad things for the kingdom?
Is it possible to turn a non-believer off?
Is it possible that we could mess things up so bad that only a miracle could bring that person around?

I think we have incredible potential for good. I also think that we have this incredibly destructive potential to do things for bad. I laugh at the comedy on Terry Taylor's solo album: Edward Daniel Taylor's Miracle Faith Telethon of Love. He has someone check the "Fruit O Ministry Tote Board," which adds up the number of souls saved by "this ministry" and subtracts the number of hearts permanently hardened to the Gospel, to give a grand, "Fruit 'O Ministry Total." That's funny, but it's sad to think about being a real bad or freaky example to a non-believer.

We so believe in a God that has proven Himself to us. We want to share the good life, the satisfaction, the feelings of cleansing and forgiveness, the healing of our souls, the ability to love and even a fresh new ability to resist sin. We long to share that with those we know and meet. When you discover something good, you simply want to "turn on" our friends to the cool, good thing. If/when we find someone that opens up and exhibits traits as a "seeker," who is exploring spiritual things. That's an exciting place to be. If God is real, we can trust that He'll be active in this process -- even if we are not; and sometimes in spite of us.

David Crowder recently explained to me how he could have peace about allowing someone to enter his church, ask questions, and then leave without being given an answer. He mentioned how sometimes our answers are trite and/or "place a period" at the end of that sentence. In other words, our quick answer turns the person off and they turn around and never want to engage you in conversation again. You've made them extremely uncomfortable and they want to get away. Also, Crowder emphasized that "God was present in that person's search before they came into my space, and He will be present after they leave my space, too." He wasn't espousing never opening our mouths and sharing answers we've found. He was just emphasizing how we can over-do it. We can get a "Messiah complex," which makes us feel like God isn't working in another person's life unless we are there actively working, too. God doesn't need us. He does, however (hallelujah), often provide golden (and sacred) moments for us where we have the opportunity to share the right thing at the right time. Sometimes we won't even know it.

During the times where "I do know it," I tread carefully, knowing I could say too much or too little or being intrusive or insensitive or mean-spirited or prideful. I've seen the unsolicited answer offered before and watched it "fall" on "deaf ears," simply because it wasn't invited.

Don't buy it? Don't believe what I've said here?
Okay, after this paragraph, get up and leave your computer, run (or drive) to the nearest person and say, "Jesus is real. He died for your sins. You can be forgiven and not go to Hell if you believe and receive His forgiveness. You can pray with me right now. Would you like to?" I bet if you do that (save for the grace of God opening the doors) right now that it would be an example of perhaps "the right words at the wrong time."

A teacher friend of mine shared:
"They don't care what you believe until they believe that you care."