Firing up the AMC 287.
[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ7DFHMbjLQ”]
The New Whip: ’65 Rambler
Here it is, in all its crusty 50-year-old glory: my ’65 Rambler Marlin.
A Modern Psalm
I was sitting at work, building time standards. And I just felt the need to worship. I’m sitting there, cutting and pasting stuff, and I’m listening to P&W and I’m worshipping… just waves of grief and remorse and joy and longing and thankfulness washing over me.
I’m so unworthy. My heart is restless.
“Your grace is enough…. Your grace is enough for me….” If only I could get that to sink into my head. Continue reading “A Modern Psalm”
Good Guys May Not Always Finish Last
One of my loyal readers (thanks, Neil! I owe you one!) pointed out my article on Installing Adobe Air for Linux was pulled from Google’s search results due to a bulk-written DMCA complaint from Adobe, Inc.
Well. Isn’t that interesting.
As it turns out, I did a little Googling (ironic, isn’t it??) and stumbled across instructions for filing a counter-notice, and disputing the claim. Of course, anyone who reads the blog knows I only host open-source or self-published content, and I would never think of hosting files owned by Adobe without their permission.
If they had actually taken the time to read the post, they’d have known this, but as so often happens in large companies, stuff gets shuffled into a stack of bulk requests, never to see the light of day again.
I’m still working on some posts, but it will take some time for me to finish them. Hopefully, you’ll think they’re worth the wait!
The “Evils” Of Advertising
If you’ve followed my blog or known me for any length of time, you probably know that I’m not a huge fan of advertising in general. And sadly, in our day and age, there is more advertising than we can reasonably cope with on a daily basis. But is advertising itself evil?
Advertising, in all its forms, is a tool… it’s not a person with evil motives. You can’t punch advertising in the face (as much as I wish I could!) In the end, it’s a product of the companies that spend money on it. And companies, as much as I despise their operating methods, aren’t people either (in spite of the government’s attempts to make them so). And neither is the government, for that matter.
For all intents and purposes, non-people entities usually have a singular focus: survival. Much like a panther that kills a Bald Eagle for food, they don’t necessarily care what rules they break to keep money coming in. Companies and governments are creatures that are sustained by money, and if the money dries up, they die.
If you were in a place where you had to break the law or do something unethical to survive, I have no doubts you’d do it. The instinct for survival is very deeply rooted in life itself, and the mechanism has been carried over into companies, lock stock and barrel. They will do whatever they think they can get away with to survive, because money is the lifeblood of the modern world.
The question we should be asking ourselves is “what can we do to put ourselves in a place where advertising works for us instead of against us?” Continue reading “The “Evils” Of Advertising”
When You Give Your Life As An Offering
Have you ever gotten a gift you wanted to return?
Maybe it was one of those horrendous Christmas sweaters. Or a pair of jeans that were two sizes too small. But at some point, you realized the gift wasn’t practical.
Have you ever given someone a gift that wasn’t practical? Did it offend you to find out that the precious silver gravy boat you gave them for their wedding shower was sold on Ebay to afford their first car? Did it shock you to find out that the kittens t-shirt you gave your brother ended up being a shop towel? You have expectations on how you feel your gift should be appreciated and used.
What about when we give a gift of money to a church, charity, or person? We put expectations on how we think that should be used, and there’s some reasoning to that. But if we specify how the money is to be used, can we honestly say it’s a gift? No, that’s not a gift… there are strings attached.
What about when we give our lives to God? When we decide, for better or worse, to give our lives over to Him. What usually happens (at least I know it did in my life) is that we give our lives as an offering but with strings attached. We want God to be in control, except when it’s inconvenient. Or something bad happens. Or I get sick, or hurt, or offended, or any other number of things.
If you find yourself trying to live for God, but are always finding that there’s strings attached, I’ve got news for you:
You don’t get to choose how that offering is poured out. Once you give it to God, it’s by definition out of your hands. You don’t get to dictate to God how He gets to use you.
5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:5-8
Upcoming Posts
Sorry I haven’t been posting as often as I’d like. My work schedule has fired back up, and I’m working on the shop floor for another 3-4 weeks. Until then, I won’t be able to get much writing done… most of my energy will be used for resting, and required family things. At this point, I’ve pulled a whole week of 11-hour days on my feet, so I’m pretty tired.
However, I’ve got lots of material in the queue for the near future. I want to fire up my next “Retro Game of the Month” feature. I’d like to do a hands-on review of the Adrenalinn III pedal, which will take more than one post. I’ve got some good theological ideas I want to flesh out and share with you, my loyal readers. I’ve also got a few pieces I want to write on Christianity, Magic, and Role Playing Games (which is something I’ve been wanting to write on for quite some time). I also want to do some more work on highlighting Linux-based guitar software, and I’ve even got a domain name set up for that… just haven’t gotten to it yet.
All in all, there’s plenty of writing to keep me busy, but it will take some effort for me to get around to it all. Please be patient, and I will try to make the best quality content for you I can. Believe me, I want to write it all. It’s just more time-consuming than I’d like.
And if I haven’t said it before now, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading. It really means a lot to me, and I appreciate the time you spend reading my thoughts. It really does motivate me to do more, and to do it better.
So thanks, and stay tuned.
Solitude, And Decisions
Throughout many times in my life, I’ve tried looking for direction. I had to make some sort of difficult decision, or do something I despised, or maybe I was just confused and looking for guidance.
Usually, I struggle through these kinds of things. Up until recently, I couldn’t really think of why… it just never crossed my mind. I just assumed every time I tried, I sucked at making decisions. This kind of thinking sets us up for constant failure.
Instead of just giving up, I needed to step back from the situation, and apply a bit of logic. I know that God’s direction for my life can be discerned, albeit if God is willing to show me. But I had become so accustomed to failing, I got to the point where I quit trying.
Finding Your Sweet Spot
First: Happy 2015!
I’ve spent the last few years trying to redefine myself as a person. I found I’d been wandering through life, just kind of going through the motions. But we know that God has bigger plans for us… not bigger in the sense of “larger” but bigger in the sense of “having more impact on the world.”
And let’s be honest: the only thing we’re here for is to serve as an example of God’s love. We have to balance “dying to self” and living out God’s plans for our lives. Where do we draw the line? How can we balance our own passions and God’s passions?
The answer is simple. Our passions are put there by God. I’m not talking about our wants and desires; I’m talking about what things make our souls fulfilled. Things of value, things that make our hearts glow with purpose.
For me, it wasn’t a matter of figuring out what I like to do, or what I’m good at. There’s a never-ending list of things I’m interested in! What I needed to ask is “which of my interests is both spiritually fulfilling, and can meet a need in God’s kingdom?” Continue reading “Finding Your Sweet Spot”
Truth Is Offensive
“In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” – George Orwell
People don’t want to hear the truth. If you doubt this, try telling everyone the truth… and nothing else… for a week or more. You’ll find out very quickly that we’ve trained ourselves to expect lies when we ask certain questions. Sometimes, pure unadulterated truth can be hard to swallow.
Almost every single person knows deep down that lying is wrong, and yet we do it anyway. Why is this the case? Why are we so willing to tell and expect lies? Continue reading “Truth Is Offensive”