bread&tea

So I want to do one last post before the year is done. But that's a poor reason to post. No post is necessary unless it is conveying a message or something of importance, right? Well maybe. Because I hope that when you read this blog, two things occur: one, that the post is relevant and influential, and two, that by reading a post, you become more liable to come back again because it was an enjoyable read, and you liked it. Both are important, because without one, the other becomes rather useless. Without enjoying the read, there really is no incentive to come back for another dose of poorly written, uninteresting or irrelevant stuff. And without the stuff with substance to it, there really is no point for me to be writing it, because it's pretty much a waste of time. That said, I think about you often. I wonder at what lives you must lead, if my blog grants some reassurance, or whether it has helped. I picture people that I know, and reflect their convoluted, unique live

Christmas reminds me of who started the giving. We give, because he gave to us, quite similar to the verse 1 John 14:19, "We love because he first loved us." Problem is, I often stop at the remembering part, and never move on. Remembering the whom, that Christmas is all about is good, being reminded of the one who loves and lay down his life for the worlds sin. But I stop with that. And it's not far enough. Either remembrance should lead us to repentance, or lead us to action for others, or both. Without the second part though, there's really no point. If I am not allowing God to shape my life, remembering that he exists will not change that. In addition to allowing his good work though, now that's when remembrance can bring a powerful change for the better. A pause in the yearly lifestyle to settle back, and simply meditate again, on the one whom my faith is in.  More than remembrance. Christmas isn't a time to just recognize Jesus and drink hot chocola

Something important I've learned over the past few months. God doesn't just want trust, he wants total dependence. And that's not a bad thing. With first thought, it may seem weak to add dependence to trust in God. After all, we trust him, but we are not meant to simply sit around and depend upon him to meet our needs. What's being assumed here is dependence that signifies an inability of self-sufficiency. Dependence upon God is stronger than that though. It is a dependence of actions, of emotions, of control. We trust that he is in control, or that he is guiding our actions. When we depend upon him in our actions, emotions are controlled as well, for it's not just trust in that he is doing something good, but the strength of everything relying on someone greater. More capable. As I don't feel entirely convinced as to what I'm saying yet, I guess I'll continue to define what it is I'm trying to show. Let me take a few steps back. Matthew 11:2

Planting an idea in someones head, is not as easy as it sounds. If I told you to think about balloons, what would you think about? Balloons naturally pop up, but you know it's not your idea. To plant an idea, so that another person genuinely thinks it's their own, is all contained in the word inception. Inception, though aptly named, is still largely about other things. Discerning the difference between what is real and what is not. Confronting the difference between what we believe to be real, and what really is. Daring to question whether reality is relevant, or established. If Inception simply stopped there, I might find it interesting. However, Inception is filled, and nicely paced with some sweet action throughout, as well as amazing visual scenes. In my opinion, the interweaving of these two genres, action and thought-provoking questions, combined with stunning visuals, makes for success in my book any day. Negatively, Inception does have some foul language. We shou

I've been reading "The Church Of Irresistible Influence", by Robert Lewis and Rob Wilkins. After a couple of chapters, here's something I'd like to share that I found interesting, "Our ideas, in time, become our realities". I didn't really agree 100%, but I noticed that what it didn't say, was that our thoughts become our realities. That made sense, because while our thoughts are all over the place, our ideas are specific. (or at least more so) There's only a fine line between thought and idea, but I do think they defer in application. Thought is just the beginning. It can be good or bad. But action only comes from thought, that has progressed into an idea, regardless of the idea's complexity. Here are some definitions from  Dictionary.com Thought. - the product of mental activity; that which one thinks: a body of thought. - a single act or product of thinking; idea or notion: to collect one's th

I appreciate music. I suppose most people do. Recently though.... I came across an interesting class you can take in school, Music Appreciation. Hm, says I, I wonder what goes on with something like that? So after jumping around on the web for a while, (not the sticky version, that doesn't work to well and it's very hard to find one big enough) finding out what music appreciation classes are all about, I came to some conclusions. Music appreciation, good. Learning why people listened to what they listened to in the past, good. Listening to music..... Um.....what? Well it makes sense that a class called "music appreciation" would involve listening to music, but the reality is, how much music do you already listen to every day? If it were as easy as that, then everybody would appreciate music. How much music does the average American citizen listen to in a day? An hour? Our household has music nearly non-stop, but I don't think that's the norm. If you r

This is a 1-page paper for school. One page is hard to snap off, but too short for me to get carried away, so it's a good exercise for me. Enjoy the read. Constitutional Concern Although the vast majority of Americans today are not familiar with the Constitution as a whole, almost all carry with them the clause, “All men are created equal”.             This stems from the written Constitution of America. I say written, because that is an important fact. America was essentially the first country to develop based off of a written document. A document compiled to designate how America was to be run, and also how it was not supposed to be run. “In questions of power, then, let no more be said of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” (The Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, Annals of America , 4:66.)             How so? Today the government is so large it’s difficult to see clearly how it is bound by the Constitution anymore, much less w

An IMAX movie is so cool to see. I mean ya go in there, in that giant room, and there's the screen. Only it's a giant wall, or the whole curved roof. You just kind of settle down in a seat, and the atmosphere is just so much fun. Anticipation for what's coming. There's one thing I don't get though. Going to see a 3-d IMAX, about nature . Really? Twenty dollars to go see nature in 3-d? Come on... we live in 3-d nature. Instead of pining for the feeling of nature pushing against our faces, we could just accept that we are standing in it. The sky is a bigger screen than anybody will ever make in history. IMAX ain't got nothin' on the sky. It's like a little seven inch netbook next to a, well a sky screen. After mulling over this incredibility, the only reason I can fathom for this inexplicable scenario, is that we pay to see it... limited. In other words, it's too big for us to take in unless it's shrunken. Is that the way it's suppose

Does this sound good? "Working to reach out to the community." A simple statement, not meant to be a trick question. A group that is working to reach out, is a good thing. I was thinking about the idea, what ways to reach out are and the implications of it all. Here are some thoughts. Reaching, or reaching out, doesn't really denote much movement. Reaching implies moving something like an arm, to grab something nearby. Opening the extended hand to take something without a lot of effort. What seems to be more important, is what it does not signify, movement of the body. Now, in reference to a group effort, like a club that meets in a building, reaching applies fairly well. A base of operations can only be reached out from, or people sent out from. The true church though.... the true church is often referred to as the body of Christ, and that is not a stationary base . We have no reason to reach. Not no reason to reach for others, no reason to use the method of reach

Heads up. This is going to sound odd, because I'm arguing for evolutionists today. Yep. Of course in the end, I own a completely different set of beliefs and evolution crumbles anyway, so no surprise there I guess. It all started with thinking about animal rights, yeah... see here's how it goes: humans have rights, we're no different than animals, so animals should have the same rights as humans. I have a problem with that. Forthwith is my attempt at discussion about animal rights from an evolutionary point of view. Would love comments on how it turns out. Seems to me, that the very fact that humans control animals could be seen as evidence for evolution. Why give animals rights, when we are clearly more highly developed? They shouldn't even have survived when we as humans surpassed them. A good many of them didn't. Humans now give animals the right to exist as a species. That isn't individual rights, but it's better than the alternative of total extinct

I have the privilege to be able to help with a program for kids called AWANA. Those letters stand for, "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed", which comes from 2 Timothy 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." AWANA is held on Wednesday nights, and tonight I was working with a kid on scripture memorization. We had come to a section in his club book where he needed to explain to me what it meant to trust Christ. At this point he proceeded to tell me, in a kids way, what that meant. "Oh, yeah! We need to, uh, believe in him, and, and to love him." So good. :-) Yeah, he was a young boy. One of the ninety percent with short attention spans, and an extremely flittery, (new word?) or maybe you'd say antsy temperament. So, part of his answer was probably just default response. You know how the saying goes, Jesus is the right answer half of the tim

This is a short story I wrote, which I suggest reading to the song, "Hufupukar", by Sigur Ros, if you have it. Enjoy! Good Memories/The Hufupukar Moment It’s the middle of the afternoon. Through the chill, fall wind, pushes a large pick-up truck, towing a mighty trailer. The cargo is a cabin, dismantled into beams and rafters. They are carefully stacked, but simply by the sheer amount that are visible, it is hard to tell. The middle of the afternoon, the day not over, and yet the riders of the truck are tired, thoughts either absent from their minds, or kept to themselves. Music is soothing their nerves, it is Hufupukar, by Sigur Ros. It starts then. First the sun breaks through the low-hanging blanket of gray stratus clouds, illuminating with a soft, yellow light. The view is breathtaking as the riders look on with happy, satisfied faces. They are nearing home. As the truck crests the next hill, the music swells and the faces change to delight. Down in the valley lies a

Civilian vehicles, as in minivans and four-door gigs, look pretty high-tech and polished these days. Matter of fact, I guess that applies to most cars now. Last week I happened to have a good long look underneath my van. An event that is almost always due to unfortunate circumstances, which I suspect applies to most under-the-vehicle excursions. Long story short, the whole thing didn't look quite so high tech and polished from down under. More like a bunch of hulking metal chunks welded together. (which it was, now that I think about it) Still, it was complex, intelligent, designed for a purpose, and built to be used. Consider the walls of a house, not from the outside, but from inside, between the sheets of drywall. Dirt, insulation, dead things. Yet the two by fours are positioned sixteen inches (I think?) apart, with multiple screws in them, and attached securely to the roof and floor. Altogether forming a complex, intelligent, purposely designed structure, built to be used.

It's interesting. Ideally, what you read here becomes beneficial to you somehow. This is my goal when I write, that the written word will spark thought in your mind, that other things don't always achieve. Thought that is transferred into action. It's interesting, that despite my efforts to concentrate an benefiting readers, most posts end up also benefiting myself. Not just because of the obvious reward of thinking through a topic for myself before writing it, and the physical act of writing itself. Here's the confession, subconsciously or not, there's usually a writing goal in mind. Meaning, different styles of presentation. (introduction, article, conversational, etc) This helps me get better at writing. And what's interesting, finally, is that it's just as beneficial for you, as it is for me. The task of finding different ways of presentation, and the subsequent act of receiving said writing differently, changes the end result. Of course, although

Sometimes life gets especially hectic, and a blog post seems un-doable. Sometimes the internet refuses to cooperate for several days in a row, and blogging really is un-doable. Sometimes I would have to say that neither of those were problems, and I just simply didn't blog. Whereupon an apology would be appropriate. Although there have been long, looonnng, breaks before, I've been feeling somewhat more convicted to write more often. Thus, I'm sorry there hasn't been anything to read for this last week or so. At this point, I don't know if that conviction is out of a need to write things for others, or for some other reason, so take that apology, um, however you want to I suppose. As it turns out, life has been much more hectic than usual this last week or so, and the internet has been down too. But wouldn't have saying that first sounded evasive? Uncaring? Distant? Like an excuse? I am to prideful. It's not hard to admit. Many areas of my pride are

Due to having no fully thought-out thoughts, (right now anyway) here is yet another story. This was written several years ago. Yes, I'm having to dig down into the archives quite a ways now. It's supposed to be written like the script for an on-stage performance, with a narrator reading the parts that aren't acted. Enjoy :-) Two Rats: A Short Story Of Injustice The setting is a snug little study, lit only by a warm, gently glowing lamp. A desk with papers sits in one corner, with papers scattered on top. “Ey Krinktail, suppose we write a story, what are we going to write about?” Krinktail looked up at Bentclaw. “Well… I think we should write about rats.” “I think that’s a great idea! The rats can be the good guys and lets have, oh, how about a pig for a bad guy?” Krinktail thought for a second. “I like that idea. You know, why are rats always the bad guys? I mean, it’s not right, rats should be the heroes sometime.” “You’ve got a point there, well our story will have

I wrote this scene yesterday, and finished editing today. It's meant to go with music. I used the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: Davy Jones song, as background music to write this. It goes okay, but I'm working on a song that will fit it more closely. Enjoy. :-) Of Darkness & Peace He lay, the babe, silent and undisturbed. In his cradle next to the fire, which was glowing with a soft orange light. His surroundings bespoke of a simple livelihood in the forest. Cabin of logs, various woodsmen tools, dried plants and herbs hanging from rafters. Yet, the family was not home at the time. They would not return. The darkness was settling in, and the flames were burning lower. The babe was alone and unprotected. And the sun set, leaving not but shadows behind. Beyond the walls of the cabin, beyond the small clearing, darkness became oppressive in the forest, with only a thin slice of moon to see by. Over the twisted roots of looming trees galloped a dark hor

October 20, 2010 Twenty-Eight Principles There are few indeed who have not heard of the Founding Fathers, at some point. Each lived an exceptional life that influenced thousands, and continues to influence each generation of new Americans. Separately, they teach important lessons, but it is together that perhaps their greatest influence comes across.             Together, the Founding Fathers put together America’s government, the accomplishment of which resulted in the strongest and most prosperous nation there has ever been. This was made possible by about twenty-eight different principles that the Founders built on. These overlapped somewhat, but without separation they would become to complex to be of much use.             These principles addressed such things as, man’s unalienable rights, what the government was and was not supposed to do, and reasons for basing the government on the ideas they were proposing. Each and every principle built on the previous principles, or added

I love John 3:30, "He must become greater, I must become less." Love it. So often I hear the lesson that's it's not about me. Not about you. Not about us. So often, and in so many different and forceful ways, that really it all just sort of gets acknowledged and then shoved out of the way. It's nothing new. I've been thinking about that lately, and ended up asking myself some other questions with just a slight change. Why should it be about me? How could it be about me? What good would it be if it was about me ? Though I certainly thought of answers, when I sought the root of them it was all quite pathetic. Back to John 3:30. It says I must become less. Not that I don't matter. The objective is becoming less than God. Working to be humble and reminding myself that it's not about me isn't a bad thing. It isn't about me, that's very true. The point though, is not that it isn't all about us, but that it is all about God . He

"Hmm," is not a good way to start out, but that's sure what I'm thinking. 1 Peter 3:15a, reminds me, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." And at this point it's not knowing what the reason is, but, where to start ? There are enough reasons for why I believe in a literal view of the bible, along with Christ, that an in-depth explanation could go on for many posts. So, I'll enlist the help of some bullet points and launch from there. First off, the bible is recognized as the most accurate historical document we have. Archeological digs have found several towns spoken of in the bible, and the two match up. That's fairly hefty, but what is really amazing is that the bible was written over fourteen hundred years or so, by about forty different writers. (inspired by God) Writers that wrote the most accurate and non-contradictory

Earlier I said that God exists. That the argument between God and no God is big enough to need a separate post for itself. So, I decided to start with that. Why do I believe that God exists? And more specifically, the Christian God? While the former isn't to difficult to answer, the latter would take a long time because of so many reasons, so I'm not promising a complete discourse on that. To sum up the ending, (which I'm using as a beginning) it really comes down to simple faith. And by "simple" I mean Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Because, what created the universe? What started it all? What was there, and always was there, that never had anything else that made it? That's what simple faith is in. Simple faith can believe that the universe has always been here, nothing was before it. Simple faith can believe that nothing was before God, and that he made the universe. Despite the m

Alas! For the freedom to write unprohibited, and without the chains of grammar, proper capitalization, paragraph spacing, and a logical/organized structure. None of which are necessary to lay out thoughts. And yet without which, those same thoughts come across as only a blob of unintelligible daydreams. To a good many anyway. Thus, despite many spikes of interest, half of the material brainstormed for the written word, ends up falling away in the process of transferring it to a readable state. Enough bemoaning. I do actually have a few feeble sparks flitting about, trying desperately to connect themselves and exist in something of an understandable form. But only a few, so I've stuffed logical/organized structuring under the couch, that being the heaviest object to first pop into mind. He always takes the most work. After which I wrote far to much of my post without the dastardly/needed/brain-impeding/essential/annoying/necessary guidelines of his buddies, and have ended up wit

I was in a group a while ago, making Halloween plans. As I've never done it myself, it was rather entertaining to help others plan. Somebody brought up the idea of carting around a door to put in front of others houses, so that when the housebound candy-givers answered, they'd be faced with a door upon opening their own. Long story short, one of my buddies was spitting out words a little to fast at this point, and came out with, "And Jesus is asking you to come into his heart!" Of course his small... error was realized. Usually it's supposed to come out something like this, "And Jesus is asking if he can come into your heart." Now that's not in a literal sense; Jesus doesn't appear from somewhere and inhabit your pumping muscle known as the heart. He indwells your spirit, in spirit form. John 14:16-17 says, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept

These are the first lyrics of a four part song I'm writing. "I Do Not Fly" (check the month of August) is actually being revised and is part two, being renamed to "Approach". And no, guild doesn't really rhyme with child. Oh well. Voice contortion can do an awful lot. Enjoy :-) Grow I’m just a boy The world is a toy I’m so filled with joy And seeing no ploy Eyes filled with wonder Taking in the world asunder Hearing the sound of thunder I’m no pretender Why should I care About anything else What else is there But to live and be happy Is there something more Why should I care about that Bridge – Instrumental – Key Change I’m no child now I can do it, and I’ll be proud I will live life loud Stepping ahead of the crowd Yet I’m older Perhaps a little bolder Expand the border Time to disrupt the order And time to ponder Why I’m in this world yonder Is there any greater honor A way to live longer Why should I care About anything else What else

Leadership is an interesting topic. Why do we follow them? What inspires them? How do they inspire us? Maybe this is not the proper way to begin, because I actually don't intend to answer any of those questions. Rather, what does it take to be a leader? Well I'm no example, but here's a story that can be. It was time for another wood gathering expedition. As usual, many people of all ages trundled around favoring their own tools for collecting wood. From the younger ones with nothing more than tough gloves, through eager youths with axes, (a somewhat unstable combination) to grown-ups trying to pretend that their chainsaws were not toys. Yet trundling about was all that was accomplished. They had gathered at the pick-ups, old beaters and new alike (referring to pick-ups and people). Now they awaited something. Or someone rather. Off to the side the director was briefing a young lad who frequented the acreage. There was a slight uncertainty behind the young eyes, but it wa

Noah Webster is one of my role models, for a number of reasons. Here's a 1-page quickie I did about him for school. Thought you might find it somewhat interesting. September 15, 2010 Edited and Finalized September 20, 2010 Noah Webster There are many reasons to respect Noah Webster as a role model. He was, like the founding fathers, a man of great character. This is of importance to remember when reading about his accomplishments. Noah was a lover of language, which he saw as the use of words and their meaning to influence others. Let’s look at a few ways he did that. America did not always have a common tongue. Noah Webster’s speller, commonly known as the blue back speller, is what caused this. Noah was able to provide a distinctive American centered schoolbook, and it caught on. Over sixty million copies eventually spread out into America. This book offered an excellent, organized resource, which in addition to teaching spelling, also instilled patriotism for America.

'Tis still the season for campfires every now and then. Although it is a little more dangerous with all the fall winds and dry crops. Had a nice campfire last week, and since it was a brushwood pile, it needed frequent replenishing. After I had finally put a log on instead of small branches, it died with time. But one smallish flame remained. I couldn't help but notice that it seemed to shine exceptionally bright against the darkness. Upon reflection, it wasn't that the flame was any brighter really, it was simply a greater contrast. Similarly, I think that a single person can perhaps shine in a sharper contrast to darkness than a group can. Not in a greater way, but perhaps in a more distinct way. It's not that I'm suggesting that a group of dedicated people make less of an impression than a single person. But that while a conflagration lights up a great deal, a single flame simply shows a more extreme difference. If light is common, then what is so special about i

You know those people that influence you without even trying? And I mean in a good way. How do they do that? Sometimes they don't even look at you or say anything to you, you just notice them. I hope to frame one reason for how they do this by the end this post. Hopefully. :-) Here's the dangerous generalization I made in part one, "You, and I, are impacting in some way, every person we come into contact with." The trick is making that a good impact. It could be said that there are three ways that impact comes across to people. Good, neutral, and bad. Neutrality is passive though, and what arises from that, is how can something without any meaningful difference be of any worth? If it's not worth anything, then it's a waste of time that could have been a meaningful, or good, difference. So whether neutral is neutral, or actually just more bad impact, is debatable. Another way to see it, neutrality most of the time, is just indifference to others' existence