Archive | May, 2008

Bands I like!

28 May

Tueday Edition of: Bands I like!

Today’s feature a long time favorite: Ben Folds (Five)

I remember the first time I heard Ben Folds (Five at the time) in 1995 at my friends house. He told me that I needed to hear this guy, so with open ears and with anticipation to be blown away, and I was. The ipitome of a piano rocker. The song was Philosophy, off their selt titled debut. I love/loved his oddball lyrics about depression, melancholy, self-conflict, and humorous sarcasm. Whatever and Ever Amen will always be one of my favorite albums.

As he went solo, my appreciation for his music incresed with the album Rockin the Suburbs. I remember walking into Virgin Record store at Triangle Square, putting on the headset and from the first 10 seconds of the first song I was hooked/had to buy it. I have every album of his except for the underground stuff. Give a listen, you might already be a fan.

Also if you get a chance to seem him live, do it! Truly amazazing!

Ben Folds Five – Philosophy

Ben Folds Five – Brick

Ben Folds Five – Battle of Who could care less

Many Great others from Ben folds Five

Solo Projects:

Ben Folds – Rockin the Suburbs

Ben Folds – Jesusland

There are so many great songs! Many of his songs available to view on You Tube!

Hope you like!

 

Monday’s Scattered Thoughts

28 May

For yesterday I thought I would talk about money!

This weekend my wife and I had my parents over for the weekend and it was quite an event filled weekend. I was a little bummed about the weather but my parents loved the relief of cool/cold weather in response to living in El Centro (AKA Hell Centro).

Well the first day we decided to go out to the Lake Elsinore Outlets (not the greatest of places to shop but its close) and wow my parents went to town. Which brings me to my thoughts. It seems as though we spend so much more money/we think we can or are okay with spending more money when we are surrounded by people that do. No baggin on my parents, they work hard and are very smart with their finances. But Jami and I are defintely not in any place to splurge.

Odd isn’t it? We know where we stand with what we can’t spend but yet something just sweeps over you and want it to. There are lessons to be learned along this path, particularly as we are just youngins in this parade called marriage. So as I rummage through the newly bought things, some of which are needs, I am humbled at the present circumstances and remain hopeful as we try to disassmble/deconstruct what we do know with what we should/need to know.

Where do you find it most difficult to say no/hold back? What successes have you found in your finances?

 

Stealth Conference: Los w/ Mark Driscoll

21 May

Live .TV show provided by Ustream

Bands I like!

20 May

Tuesdays new special: Bands I like!

Today being a most beautiful day of reading and enjoying a mix of music from the amazing video ipod, I decided to let you all in on some of my favorite artists. Caution: I am no musical genius but feel I have a somewhat good taste in music. Call me vein or whatever but without further ado.

One of my favorite bands right now and for the past 3 years has been Annuals. If you click the link you will read: Annuals infuse their music with an array of intense emotions. As young as they are, Annuals draws influences from a diverse range of artists such as Mike Patton, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, Radiohead, the Beatles, Hank Williams Sr., Bjork and Aphex Twin. The mixing of styles, from electronic to folk to rock results in a totally singular sound. Reminiscent of high drama acts such as Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens, this musical collective appeals to both experimental and pop fans who appreciate well-produced material and artristry(Would have wrote my own review but this one said it best).

Check Them Out:

Annuals – Brother

Annuals – Carry Around

Annuals – Dry Clothes

Hope you enjoy! I’m plannin on seeing them live in San Diego for my Bday. So excited!

Monday’s Scattered Thoughts

19 May


Today’s Scattered Thoughts is something I have been thinking about for a while now. Four the better part of the last 3 or 4 years I have had quite an assortment of jobs. None of which I felt really connected to. You know those jobs that pay the bills but you know you hate doing it. Or you just feel no fullfillment. Well that has been me in past few years. But I am coming to a sort of crossroads in my thoughts, that it’s not so much what I do to make money, it is the other things outside of that time (work time) that I am not doing (i.e. teaching, reading, exercising, learning, ect.). I dream job would be to do Spiritual Formation for a church/Marriage and Family Therapy. And when I get older I’d like to be a professor. Anywho I realized that with the vast years ahead of me my outlook needed a little tweak. The question I had to ask myself was, What are you doing now to do the things you want to? How are you going to get to that place? Well there is not really an answer for now, but a new/fresh perspective to move forward. So what have I done thus far? Well I am volunteering at church, nothing large but get myself plugged in and perhaps challenge myself in new roles. Also I have commited myself(I’m not very discplined in this area) to getting back into shape both physically and intellectually.
I am encouraged by the fact that I don’t have it all together right now nor have I found the perfect plan of action but it is progression from yesterday and the day before that and so on and so on and so on….

What do you do find meaning in your life? What feeds your soul?

Monday’s Scattered Thoughts

19 May


Today’s Scattered Thoughts is something I have been thinking about for a while now. Four the better part of the last 3 or 4 years I have had quite an assortment of jobs. None of which I felt really connected to. You know those jobs that pay the bills but you know you hate doing it. Or you just feel no fullfillment. Well that has been me in past few years. But I am coming to a sort of crossroads in my thoughts, that it’s not so much what I do to make money, it is the other things outside of that time (work time) that I am not doing (i.e. teaching, reading, exercising, learning, ect.). I dream job would be to do Spiritual Formation for a church/Marriage and Family Therapy. And when I get older I’d like to be a professor. Anywho I realized that with the vast years ahead of me my outlook needed a little tweak. The question I had to ask myself was, What are you doing now to do the things you want to? How are you going to get to that place? Well there is not really an answer for now, but a new/fresh perspective to move forward. So what have I done thus far? Well I am volunteering at church, nothing large but get myself plugged in and perhaps challenge myself in new roles. Also I have commited myself(I’m not very discplined in this area) to getting back into shape both physically and intellectually.
I am encouraged by the fact that I don’t have it all together right now nor have I found the perfect plan of action but it is progression from yesterday and the day before that and so on and so on and so on….

What do you do find meaning in your life? What feeds your soul?

Emergent Church Forum

19 May


Last night Alex invited me to go with him to a forum on the Emergent Church @ Rancho Community Church. I was initially hesitant about going to this forum because I thought it would be very one sided and that it would just be an emergent church bashing. To my surprise it was very informative and respectfully done.
The first part of the forum was a powerpoint presentation on the basic beliefs of the “Emergent Conversation”. It listed the good things that they do as well as the dangers that present themselves. I felt that the time frame given to study the Emergent Conversation wasn’t given justice. To wrap up a synopsis of the movement in about 20 min can be dangerous. I understand the time constraints but still. I felt that with every arguement of what was dangerous, it was always compared to truth. Well what truth are specifically talking about? It was kind of lazy. Not everything that the emerging churches do or believe or are seeking is an attack on truth. For the second part of the forum it was open to questions and discussions. I didn’t feel like there were any profound questions, just reservations about if their church was headed that way. Given the people that were there are predominantly uber conservative, there was still a large sense of ignorance. But I walked away with a tremendous respect for the leadership at Rancho. Although I did not completely agree with everything that was said, generalities being presented but all in all it was well rounded.
My fear (not spurred from this forum) that as we seek to inform ourselves of other practices of Christianity, we will only use such information to load our arsenal and point out why everyone else is wrong. Where’s the love?

Feel free to comment on your thoughts of the emergent church.

The Artistic bug

16 May


I wish I were more artistic. Sometimes I get these ideas for a cool design or I just want to make something out of nothing, you know? I have always been interested in photography but not really driven/motivated plus I don’t think I have an eye for it. I can be rather plain or dull. So in my attempt to have fun with my camera I took some pictures. It was fun, may not be the best but nonetheless it was fun.

I would love to learn how to do wood sculptures as well as have a pottery wheel. (You know like in the movie GHOST, HEY OH!)

Jami made a funny!

16 May


While we were in El Centro Jami had noticed this axe that was lying on the ground outside. We left to go out to eat at Burgers and Beer (OH YEAH!) and walked around the mall (still can’t believe El Centro has a Mall). We finally got back a few hours later and as we near the door Jami looks down and says,”It’s good to know the axe is still there!”
I love my wife!

EL CENTRO

16 May

Last month Jami and I had a chance to head down to my hometown of El Centro, Ca. It was nice-hot but nice. There are must dos when we go down to El Centro.
1. Eat at Celias and/or Burgers & Beer (MMMMMMMMMMMM!)
2. My mother makes the best little lattes’
3. Enjoy the Beautiful mornings in the Spring time.

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