It's been a long time since I've posted on my blog. My wife was in the hospital twice last year and it has been a difficult ever since. She's dealing with severe physical and emotional symptoms. To be available to offer my wife love and support and help, I dropped the course I was enrolled in at Reformed Theological Seminary last fall. Things have become a bit more stable for her, though the struggles continue. My wife often raises the question of why are all these things happening to her? Why does life have to be so hard for us?
So I have been doing a lot of ruminating-- in light of our challenges, what should be the next step? I have long wanted to be pursue my passions in music, writing and reformed theology, in such a way as to be able to do these things in a full-time career/ministry. But I have been hindered by indecision about how to best focus my efforts. Part of the hesitation is a practical concern about being able to make enough money to live on, if I do make a transition from my current work into more Christian-oriented work. So there's many questions-- do I resume seminary (which will take at least 5 years as a distance student)? Should I focus more on music? Is it possible to be disciplined enough to do both? In addition can I also do some writing and blogging, as well as serve in various church ministries?
In my free time, I continue to read on reformed topics. I have also been playing guitar a lot (learning covers of songs by artists I admire) and recording new song ideas. I played a couple of gigs-- one at a church function where I got to play a whole set of original songs-- and another gig at a coffeehouse in Manhasset where I also played my own stuff.
As I become a reformed thinker, I believe God is sharpening my understanding of the gospel. I attend a church that does a marvelous job of helping the congregation look to the gospel of Christ, not just for salvation, but also for living the Christian life on a day-to day practical level. When one learns to see God more and more as the Bible portrays Him-- majestic, sovereign, mighty, without equal, thrice-holy-- and learns to see themselves properly-- with the dignity we have as God's image bearers yet with the humble recognition that we are very sinful, weak creatures who can do nothing apart from God-- only then does one begin to live more in tune with God's purpose for one's life.
So I desire to blog again, sharing any insights I may gain in these current struggles, or at least to point to helpful articles and resources I encounter. My motto right now, is 'Just do it!' I want to break my 'paralysis of analysis'-- and get feedback from reality by taking action-- whether it's to write an article, record a song, play a gig, perform special music at church, do a teaching or whatever. In this way, I hope to get past the theoretical and my cursed perfectionism, to gain a better sense of what God would have me to do. Won't you remember me in your prayers?
Showing posts with label From Me to You. Show all posts
Showing posts with label From Me to You. Show all posts
Monday, January 10, 2011
Monday, May 10, 2010
Facelift for Jordan's View
UPDATE: May 12, 2010-- I've been working on adding a functional horizontal menu near the top of the blog but I don't really know how to do it. Please be patient if you click on something and it doesn't work...
Well I just couldn't take it anymore. I was looking at my old blog layout and I just couldn't stand looking at it for even another minute and I had to change it. So I used the "blogger in draft" template designer to find a new template and installed it. I'm quite happy with the results of just a few hours work. And it didn't even take that long to actually apply the changes, it was more previewing various templates and deciding which one to go with that took up the time.
What I like about this particular design is that it will be easy to modify in the future using the template designer in blogger draft. I can just select a different background picture, tweak some elements, click apply to blog and I'm done.
So I plan to update periodically, whenever I'm getting bored with looking at the same old layout... and next time, will not wait till I can't stand to look at it anymore and I'm just going to puke from looking at it.
OK. Well now that I have got that off my chest I do hope you like the new look. And I think that the blog will hopefully open up more quickly since I've discarded some of the old widgets that made it so slow to open and was probably torturing anyone visiting the blog. But you'll still find most of the resource links -- some of the best sidebars in the East.
Still quite busy with seminary and over the next few weeks will be finishing up work for two courses. Yet it is still my hope that I can get back to more regular blogging, one of these days.
So welcome to the new Jordan's View. Hope you like the new view.
Well I just couldn't take it anymore. I was looking at my old blog layout and I just couldn't stand looking at it for even another minute and I had to change it. So I used the "blogger in draft" template designer to find a new template and installed it. I'm quite happy with the results of just a few hours work. And it didn't even take that long to actually apply the changes, it was more previewing various templates and deciding which one to go with that took up the time.
What I like about this particular design is that it will be easy to modify in the future using the template designer in blogger draft. I can just select a different background picture, tweak some elements, click apply to blog and I'm done.
So I plan to update periodically, whenever I'm getting bored with looking at the same old layout... and next time, will not wait till I can't stand to look at it anymore and I'm just going to puke from looking at it.
OK. Well now that I have got that off my chest I do hope you like the new look. And I think that the blog will hopefully open up more quickly since I've discarded some of the old widgets that made it so slow to open and was probably torturing anyone visiting the blog. But you'll still find most of the resource links -- some of the best sidebars in the East.
Still quite busy with seminary and over the next few weeks will be finishing up work for two courses. Yet it is still my hope that I can get back to more regular blogging, one of these days.
So welcome to the new Jordan's View. Hope you like the new view.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Happy New Year 2010...Belated
Greetings to everyone in 2010!
I've not been posting here on Jordan's View lately and I'm quite frustrated about that. But I can say that one of the reasons behind my lack of posting is very good news-- I was accepted to the distance Masters of Religion (MAR) degree at Reformed Theological Seminary and officially began my studies a few weeks ago. So this has been keeping me quite busy. I think I've mentioned here a few times that I was contemplating going to seminary and I had been doing research on possible seminaries for several years. Although it was my desire to get the best possible education and therefore I considered the top reformed schools such as SBTS, RTS or Covenant, all seemed prohibitively expensive. But God worked that out now, and I am happy to studying at a very fine and well-regarded school.
In other good news, my wife and I officially became members of the very solid reformed Baptist church we've been attending. We're now part of a church discipleship group that includes three other couples, and we're reading and studying through a book called "The Love Dare". It's related to the recent movie "Fireproof" that starred Kirk Cameron as a firefighter with a failing marriage, and how he was helped to save his marriage by applying Christian principles.
So good things are happening but at the same time I do get frustrated in not being able to spend time doing everything I'd like to do-- including working on my music and writing on this blog. I am hoping to develop a routine where I somehow fit all these things into my schedule on a daily basis, but it will require a discipline that I admit has eluded me in the past.
Also, get this-- I have to memorize portions of the Westminster Shorter Catechism for an upcoming quiz, and to get credit you have to be spelling and punctuation perfect! Pray for me!
But I do want to say I am thankful for progress-- I never would have thought a few years ago that I'd be calling myself reformed in theology and studying at a reformed seminary now. Yet I believe that the truths I am learning in seminary will be be of great value to my spiritual life and ministerial goals, both now and into the future. I just have to try to be patient-- four years of school (which is what I'm anticipating) seems like a very long time.
My wife seems to making progress with her health and vitality also, thank God! So I am encouraged by that and hoping that if it is God's will that we should have children that she'll be well enough to pursue the vocation of motherhood and that I will have the faith to believe that we'll have all the resources necessary to raise a family.
So Happy New year to you all... sorry it's already February.
I've not been posting here on Jordan's View lately and I'm quite frustrated about that. But I can say that one of the reasons behind my lack of posting is very good news-- I was accepted to the distance Masters of Religion (MAR) degree at Reformed Theological Seminary and officially began my studies a few weeks ago. So this has been keeping me quite busy. I think I've mentioned here a few times that I was contemplating going to seminary and I had been doing research on possible seminaries for several years. Although it was my desire to get the best possible education and therefore I considered the top reformed schools such as SBTS, RTS or Covenant, all seemed prohibitively expensive. But God worked that out now, and I am happy to studying at a very fine and well-regarded school.
In other good news, my wife and I officially became members of the very solid reformed Baptist church we've been attending. We're now part of a church discipleship group that includes three other couples, and we're reading and studying through a book called "The Love Dare". It's related to the recent movie "Fireproof" that starred Kirk Cameron as a firefighter with a failing marriage, and how he was helped to save his marriage by applying Christian principles.
So good things are happening but at the same time I do get frustrated in not being able to spend time doing everything I'd like to do-- including working on my music and writing on this blog. I am hoping to develop a routine where I somehow fit all these things into my schedule on a daily basis, but it will require a discipline that I admit has eluded me in the past.
Also, get this-- I have to memorize portions of the Westminster Shorter Catechism for an upcoming quiz, and to get credit you have to be spelling and punctuation perfect! Pray for me!
But I do want to say I am thankful for progress-- I never would have thought a few years ago that I'd be calling myself reformed in theology and studying at a reformed seminary now. Yet I believe that the truths I am learning in seminary will be be of great value to my spiritual life and ministerial goals, both now and into the future. I just have to try to be patient-- four years of school (which is what I'm anticipating) seems like a very long time.
My wife seems to making progress with her health and vitality also, thank God! So I am encouraged by that and hoping that if it is God's will that we should have children that she'll be well enough to pursue the vocation of motherhood and that I will have the faith to believe that we'll have all the resources necessary to raise a family.
So Happy New year to you all... sorry it's already February.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christ in you: The Greatest Christmas Gift of All
Today of course is Christmas Eve and many of us are eagerly looking forward to getting together today or tomorrow for happy moments with our families, exchanging gifts and enjoying hearty food, basking in all the abundance God so richly provides. Others are not so fortunate; they may have no one to celebrate this day with, and perhaps don't even feel much like celebrating. And perhaps because they are lonely or feel disconnected from family, the holiday season for them brings on sadness.
Pray today for the lonely ones; lift them up to the Lord. And if you can do more, like inviting a lonely one to your gathering, dropping off gifts at a homeless shelter or serving a meal to the hungry, why not do it?
As I celebrate later tonight with my family, I will try to enjoy all the blessings of family itself-- to have loved ones you can be with is far more precious than whether or not we can lavish one another with gifts, or whether the time together is a successful social occasion. How easy it can be to get all wrapped up (pun intended) in gift-giving and merriment, and lose sight of deeper blessings.
Yet though having family and friends to celebrate with is a truly wonderful blessing, the true riches of Christmas go beyond our natural families and loved ones. At the heart of Christmas, after all, we are celebrating the entry of Christ into human history, the God who loved this world so much that He became one of us, lived with us and died for us, to take away our sins (Matthew 1:21, 1 John 3:5).
Do we recognize this? If Christ does not take away our sins, what are we to do with them? One may object, "but I am not so bad! I may not be perfect, but I do many good things. My good outweighs my bad. God will accept me"
Perhaps your good deeds do outweigh your bad. But is this the basis upon which God evaluates our lives? Why then did Christ come into the world and deliberately die upon a cross, as the many prophecies recorded in Scripture hundreds of years earlier predicted He would? Jesus' death on a cross was no accident. It was not God's reactive plan to a world gone wrong. God planned before the foundation of the world to bring spiritual blessings to His chosen ones. To believers the Scriptures declare,
The provision of redemption through Christ's blood (shed at the cross of Calvary), the forgiveness of sins (paid for by His death at Calvary), fulfills God's eternally conceived purpose. It is a purpose that expresses God's lavish grace, wisdom and insight, one which will culminate in the uniting of all things in Christ, things on heaven and things on earth.
Is this really true? If it is then God's great Christmas present is to save people from the consequences of their sins and make them into His children, in fulfillment of the plan He made long ago. Let us not miss the greatest, most critical gift of all, God's own son, the One who alone can save us from sin.
There's more to life than family and presents and earthly blessings, lovely as these are. Sin keeps us apart from God. Sin will keep us from being part of God's family and living with Him in His heaven, where all gifts are perfect and never-ending. As Scripture declares, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9-10).
There is no greater Christmas present we can receive than to humbly recognize that Jesus became a human baby, grew up into a man and lived a perfect life of obedience to the Father, and then died in our place upon the cross, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). He performed what we could not do-- we cannot rid ourselves of our sin, nor as weak and sinful human beings can we live in such a way as to meet God's standards of holiness. Jesus' perfect obedience and His death on the cross justify us before God, as we by faith put our trust in Jesus as our substitute. And "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Receive today the greatest Christmas gift ever given-- the gift of eternal life through Christ. No gift on earth can be compared to it. This salvation is what every one of us truly needs, more than any earthly gift.
Receive the real gift of Christmas-- Christ in you (Romans 8:10-11).
Merry Christmas!
Pray today for the lonely ones; lift them up to the Lord. And if you can do more, like inviting a lonely one to your gathering, dropping off gifts at a homeless shelter or serving a meal to the hungry, why not do it?
As I celebrate later tonight with my family, I will try to enjoy all the blessings of family itself-- to have loved ones you can be with is far more precious than whether or not we can lavish one another with gifts, or whether the time together is a successful social occasion. How easy it can be to get all wrapped up (pun intended) in gift-giving and merriment, and lose sight of deeper blessings.
Yet though having family and friends to celebrate with is a truly wonderful blessing, the true riches of Christmas go beyond our natural families and loved ones. At the heart of Christmas, after all, we are celebrating the entry of Christ into human history, the God who loved this world so much that He became one of us, lived with us and died for us, to take away our sins (Matthew 1:21, 1 John 3:5).
Do we recognize this? If Christ does not take away our sins, what are we to do with them? One may object, "but I am not so bad! I may not be perfect, but I do many good things. My good outweighs my bad. God will accept me"
Perhaps your good deeds do outweigh your bad. But is this the basis upon which God evaluates our lives? Why then did Christ come into the world and deliberately die upon a cross, as the many prophecies recorded in Scripture hundreds of years earlier predicted He would? Jesus' death on a cross was no accident. It was not God's reactive plan to a world gone wrong. God planned before the foundation of the world to bring spiritual blessings to His chosen ones. To believers the Scriptures declare,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1: 3-10)
The provision of redemption through Christ's blood (shed at the cross of Calvary), the forgiveness of sins (paid for by His death at Calvary), fulfills God's eternally conceived purpose. It is a purpose that expresses God's lavish grace, wisdom and insight, one which will culminate in the uniting of all things in Christ, things on heaven and things on earth.
Is this really true? If it is then God's great Christmas present is to save people from the consequences of their sins and make them into His children, in fulfillment of the plan He made long ago. Let us not miss the greatest, most critical gift of all, God's own son, the One who alone can save us from sin.
There's more to life than family and presents and earthly blessings, lovely as these are. Sin keeps us apart from God. Sin will keep us from being part of God's family and living with Him in His heaven, where all gifts are perfect and never-ending. As Scripture declares, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9-10).
There is no greater Christmas present we can receive than to humbly recognize that Jesus became a human baby, grew up into a man and lived a perfect life of obedience to the Father, and then died in our place upon the cross, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). He performed what we could not do-- we cannot rid ourselves of our sin, nor as weak and sinful human beings can we live in such a way as to meet God's standards of holiness. Jesus' perfect obedience and His death on the cross justify us before God, as we by faith put our trust in Jesus as our substitute. And "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Receive today the greatest Christmas gift ever given-- the gift of eternal life through Christ. No gift on earth can be compared to it. This salvation is what every one of us truly needs, more than any earthly gift.
Receive the real gift of Christmas-- Christ in you (Romans 8:10-11).
Merry Christmas!
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Thursday, November 26, 2009
Give Thanks to the God of all Blessing
Al Mohler has written an excellent reflection on the topic of thanksgiving. He points out that "giving thanks is one of the most explicitly theological acts any human can contemplate." On Thanksgiving Day in America, who are we giving thanks to, if we don't acknowledge God as the foundation of human blessings?
We may be thankful to one another, but do our friends and family provide us life, health, jobs, food or houses to live in? If God is not behind the universe then who do we thank for such blessings? Ourselves? Luck? Fate?
In my family we have had a tradition in the past few years of writing on little slips of paper those things we are especially thankful for and sharing these with one another. It's a good thing to do and it convicts me of how thank-less I sometimes am for the everyday blessings that come to me through family. Often I take for granted these blessings that come through those close to me. But this year I hope that as I give thanks for all my blessings I'll remember the One behind them all-- for when I bless you or you bless me, we are only ministering back to God the blessing He's given to us.
My friend Rick wishes this Thanksgiving, for himself and others, a thankful heart, one that recognizes God's good and loving hand in all things. I agree-- it's hard, even for Christians, to be thankful for bad circumstances, trials and sufferings unless we really acknowledge God as being in control and working through all things (Romans 8:28).
Someday it will be revealed that our acts of kindness to one another were all done unto God, by His grace alone (Matthew 25:40, 1 Cor 8:6, John 3:21).
Psalm 65: 1-4 reads
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!
We may be thankful to one another, but do our friends and family provide us life, health, jobs, food or houses to live in? If God is not behind the universe then who do we thank for such blessings? Ourselves? Luck? Fate?
In my family we have had a tradition in the past few years of writing on little slips of paper those things we are especially thankful for and sharing these with one another. It's a good thing to do and it convicts me of how thank-less I sometimes am for the everyday blessings that come to me through family. Often I take for granted these blessings that come through those close to me. But this year I hope that as I give thanks for all my blessings I'll remember the One behind them all-- for when I bless you or you bless me, we are only ministering back to God the blessing He's given to us.
My friend Rick wishes this Thanksgiving, for himself and others, a thankful heart, one that recognizes God's good and loving hand in all things. I agree-- it's hard, even for Christians, to be thankful for bad circumstances, trials and sufferings unless we really acknowledge God as being in control and working through all things (Romans 8:28).
Someday it will be revealed that our acts of kindness to one another were all done unto God, by His grace alone (Matthew 25:40, 1 Cor 8:6, John 3:21).
Psalm 65: 1-4 reads
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Inspiration and Idols
Yesterday it was my birthday. I hung one more year on the line...So maybe on my birthday I ought to have been out celebrating, or doing something a little special, but instead I stayed home all day (I had asked for the day off from work). How did I celebrate my birthday? Well, I spent a good deal of time just cleaning around the house and getting things organized in my home office. Also I managed to have an daylong argument with my wife about keeping the house clean. Fun stuff.
Paul Simon
Anyway, lately it seems I have lacked inspiration, or to be more accurate, my motivation (for living for Christ and for pursuing certain goals) waxes and wanes. For example, a blog series on reformed theology I was excited to jump back into-- well I just haven't found the energy and focus to keep at it. I haven't been writing new songs either, which is always a bad sign. I mean, usually when I'm in a creative state I have lots of song ideas that come to me spontaneously-- melodies, which I will record. Actually I still have been getting ideas but I haven't been diligent enough to record them. The ideas haven't felt "inspired", so I didn't bother.
And my job. I have a real tough time getting excited about going into the office each day. The work is simply not something I'm motivated by. I know it's not what I am meant to be doing, if you know what I mean.
I know others who are also experiencing spiritual/life doldrums. What is the problem really? Why do I have such a hard time staying excited and motivated about God and about my life path?
Well I think the answer is pretty simple really. It's just putting the simple solution into practice that's the challenge. What is the solution? Well, it's just this: walking closely with God each day, and having a "big picture" life-goal, one that is dynamic and visionary, yet is subdivided into measurable daily objectives.
The key to it all is being connected to the Lord Jesus Christ-- abiding in Him continually, drawing life and inspiration from His life flowing in and though me. Out of this everything else will flow-- vision, goals, energy, motivation.
OK, this sounds simple, yet it's so easy to get distracted by the daily activities of life, isn't it? You get up each day and jump right into whatever it is you have to do next, and before you know it, you're off and running and God is forgotten. But as Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)." A Christian can't flourish without being in close communion with God through His Word. After a while the soul begins to feel its hunger and its weakness.
I feel as if the Spirit has been reminding me again and again about making God the "one thing" I desire more than anything else, by getting rid of idols that compete with Him for the affection of my heart. Most of my sins-- at their root-- have to do with frustration that I'm not getting something my heart longs after. And that thing I long after functions as my "god" in that moment. But "it" (whatever "it" may be) is not God, but only a substitute for Him. So even if I had/get it, I wouldn't be happy or fulfilled. The things of this world can't satisfy the longings of our soul. They were never meant to.
I'm convinced that all believers struggle, in varying degrees, and in thousands of different forms, with this problem of "idols in the heart". Which is of course why the Bible commands us not to worship other gods (Exodus 20:3, 1 John 5:21). It is a deep sin, a sin that underlies and is at the root of so many others.
If am not loving God with everything I have and all that is within me (obeying the great commandment, Matt 22:37, Deut 6:5) I need to ask myself-- what is competing for the affection of my heart? This will eventually lead me to identify my specific idols. Living under the sway of false gods ruling in the heart makes one callous to the presence of the true God. These "gods" redirect our attention to the things of this world, rather than the love of the Father (1 John 2:15-17). They demand that we sacrifice unto them-- our time, our money, or energy, our affection, our joy, our life. And the more we give them, the less satisfaction they provide, which in turn causes us to give them even more, hoping to get more, like a person who mindlessly puts all their coins into a slot machine in the hope of winning a big cash payout. Whatever small returns these gods put out, they never satisfy. Their promises are lies.
So I need to learn to see the truth and the love of God everywhere, to keep Him and His truth before me always. I need to know, not just in theory, but to be conscious of, the fact that He is really there for me, that He truly is with me, that He is working all things together for my good because we are in a love relationship that will never be severed (Romans 8:31-38, Matthew 28:20).
How will I know these things, deep in the bowels of my soul? I don't think such knowledge is to be sought in mystical encounter with God, nor necessarily in the hearing of inspired sermons or message. Regarding the former, I'm not sure that Christianity is really about that at all, despite the fact that having experiences with God wherein one feels Him somehow is all the rage these days in many Christian circles. I don't see in Scripture that body of Christ is being instructed to seek after God in this way. As for sermons and good messages, they are helpful when they bring out clearly some particular truth of God's word. The Holy Spirit applies those truths to us specifically, if we're listening.
So I think that true spirituality is found primarily in connecting with God through His word; in the doing of the simple daily acts of obedience that demonstrate trust and faith. Sowing these little seeds will eventually bear good fruit-- I'll sense more the presence of God and His pleasure. He'll become more and more the treasure of my heart, as I learn to savor His good pleasure in me more than I savor anything this world has to offer. It also involves getting together with the the family of God, to encourage one another, pray together and band together, as we live for God in this world that is not our home. And of course, taking the Lord's supper regularly, so that we remember what Christ did and is doing for us-- He is saving our souls through the gospel-- is not to be neglected.
Lord, keep my heart focused on You. Stir within me a hunger for more of You. Give me a hunger for Your word and eyes and ears to understand it. Direct me in your paths, and reign me in when my heart and life begins to go astray-- lead me back into the way everlasting, the way of truth, of peace, and of eternal joys at your right hand.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11)
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Paul Simon On His Lyrics & Songwriting
Coinciding with the release of a book collection of his lyrics to date, "Lyrics 1964-2008
", Paul Simon sat down with Katherine Lanpher for a "ONE-ON-ONE" interview about his career, lyrics and songwriting. The interview took place Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at the Barnes and Noble bookstore located in Union Square, New York City, with a live audience present. Since I work in Manhattan, I had hoped to attend, but the timing (during work hours) proved inconvenient. Fortunately, Barnes and Noble (as well as enterprising You-Tubers) have recorded the whole interview on video.
If you're a Paul Simon fan (personally, he's my favorite songwriter, other than Paul McCartney) I think you'll find the interview fascinating and full of interesting details-- among other things, Paul tells funny stories about his early career, talks about his songwriting process, performs old songs like "The Only Living Boy in New York" and even a new song titled "Love and Hard Times". Great stuff!
You can watch a high quality video of the interview right here:
For videos put togther by fans, I've collected a bunch on this YouTube playlist: Paul Simon at Barnes and Noble in NYC- Nov 13, 2008.
", Paul Simon sat down with Katherine Lanpher for a "ONE-ON-ONE" interview about his career, lyrics and songwriting. The interview took place Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at the Barnes and Noble bookstore located in Union Square, New York City, with a live audience present. Since I work in Manhattan, I had hoped to attend, but the timing (during work hours) proved inconvenient. Fortunately, Barnes and Noble (as well as enterprising You-Tubers) have recorded the whole interview on video. If you're a Paul Simon fan (personally, he's my favorite songwriter, other than Paul McCartney) I think you'll find the interview fascinating and full of interesting details-- among other things, Paul tells funny stories about his early career, talks about his songwriting process, performs old songs like "The Only Living Boy in New York" and even a new song titled "Love and Hard Times". Great stuff!
You can watch a high quality video of the interview right here:
For videos put togther by fans, I've collected a bunch on this YouTube playlist: Paul Simon at Barnes and Noble in NYC- Nov 13, 2008.
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
And Now for Something Totally Different
UPDATE 12-31-08: I've discovered and I'm listing below still more sites for listening to music on the Internet. Now, some of the sites I've listed below are not new (such as AOL, Live365 or Yahoo Music), but they seem improved.
But many of the newer sites blend listening to music on the web with social networking (i.e., sharing music with others). It seems there's a lot of companies jumping on the bandwagon as they vie for market share and the consumer dollar.
Anyway, all the competition equals more and better choices for you and me (always a good thing).
Also, there's many different types of sites these days, as you can discover in this article, Online Music: 90+ Essential Music and Audio Websites. This well-researched and comprehensive resource lists music sites under the following categories: Internet Radio, Music Discovery Tools, Social Networks, Music Sharing Applications and Widgets, Music Marketplaces, Karaoke, Jamming, Remixing, Mobile Music Services, Music Charts, Artists Databases, Lyric Databases, Audio Conversion Tools and Miscellaneous Music and Audio Tools.
So, what's your favorite site?
Happy listening and have a Happy and Blessed New Year!
AOL Music (Check out especially AOL Sessions and AOL Radio)
Wolfgang's Vault ("Live" music- classic and contemporary concert recordings)
Jango (internet radio and social site)
Spinner (subset of AOL music)
Pandora
Slacker
Shoutcast.com
Yahoo music
MusicMesh
Deezer
Musicovery
Live365.com
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Just sending out a quick note to readers of this blog that I am still alive and well and continuing work on the next article in my series on healing that critiques the popular charismatic view. I hope to post it very soon.
In the meantime, here's some tips for those of you who enjoy listening to music on the Internet or while sitting at your computer. There are some great sites out there for this purpose, besides YouTube.
One site I've recently been using is Last.fm, which is well-organized and makes finding music very easy. You can create an account, then add artists or individual tracks to your on-line library/station, or create playlists of songs. You can even share your playlists and/or your station with friends. It's a terrific site and, best of all, it's FREE! UPDATE 12-19-08: Oops, it ain't free! But a subscription isn't too expensive either].. There's also a cool extension for Firefox users- Fire.fm- that gives "direct access to the extensive music library on Last.fm."
Another site with a similar concept is Playlist.com, also known as Project Playlist. Like Lastfm, one creates an account, searches for music by artist or track and then you can create playlists of tracks. A very nice feature is the widget you can create to share your playlist on your website, Facebook, Myspace or blog. My widget playlist can be found right here on Jordan's View-- just scroll down to the bottom of the blog.
But many of the newer sites blend listening to music on the web with social networking (i.e., sharing music with others). It seems there's a lot of companies jumping on the bandwagon as they vie for market share and the consumer dollar.
Anyway, all the competition equals more and better choices for you and me (always a good thing).
Also, there's many different types of sites these days, as you can discover in this article, Online Music: 90+ Essential Music and Audio Websites. This well-researched and comprehensive resource lists music sites under the following categories: Internet Radio, Music Discovery Tools, Social Networks, Music Sharing Applications and Widgets, Music Marketplaces, Karaoke, Jamming, Remixing, Mobile Music Services, Music Charts, Artists Databases, Lyric Databases, Audio Conversion Tools and Miscellaneous Music and Audio Tools.
So, what's your favorite site?
Happy listening and have a Happy and Blessed New Year!
AOL Music (Check out especially AOL Sessions and AOL Radio)
Wolfgang's Vault ("Live" music- classic and contemporary concert recordings)
Jango (internet radio and social site)
Spinner (subset of AOL music)
Pandora
Slacker
Shoutcast.com
Yahoo music
MusicMesh
Deezer
Musicovery
Live365.com
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Just sending out a quick note to readers of this blog that I am still alive and well and continuing work on the next article in my series on healing that critiques the popular charismatic view. I hope to post it very soon.
In the meantime, here's some tips for those of you who enjoy listening to music on the Internet or while sitting at your computer. There are some great sites out there for this purpose, besides YouTube.
One site I've recently been using is Last.fm, which is well-organized and makes finding music very easy. You can create an account, then add artists or individual tracks to your on-line library/station, or create playlists of songs. You can even share your playlists and/or your station with friends. It's a terrific site and, best of all, it's FREE! UPDATE 12-19-08: Oops, it ain't free! But a subscription isn't too expensive either].. There's also a cool extension for Firefox users- Fire.fm- that gives "direct access to the extensive music library on Last.fm."
Another site with a similar concept is Playlist.com, also known as Project Playlist. Like Lastfm, one creates an account, searches for music by artist or track and then you can create playlists of tracks. A very nice feature is the widget you can create to share your playlist on your website, Facebook, Myspace or blog. My widget playlist can be found right here on Jordan's View-- just scroll down to the bottom of the blog.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Going to Carolina (and Back)
Dear Friends and Followers of Jordan's View:
I attended a couple of conferences these past weeks, and I am currently in Clayton, North Carolina, visiting with my wife's family. We plan to hit the road today as we head back to New York, hopefully feeling well enough to get together for Thanksgiving with my family.
Both conferences were really helpful and have challenged me to get serious in my walk. They both featured excellent teaching and well-prepared messages. The first was my church's annual retreat, which was held at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference in Harvey Cedars, NJ the weekend of November 9th. I had the privilege of being on the song leading and worship team for this conference. The energetic speaker, Dennis Newell, exhibited passion and dead earnestness yet, at the same time, very pointed humor, as he gave a hard-hitting 5-part series of messages on discipleship. You can listen to these messages and also view some photos from the retreat, via this link.
The second conference I attended (last Friday-Saturday) was titled "The Truth War- Contending Earnestly for the Faith". It was the 2nd annual Fall Pastor's Conference, of Reformation Truth Ministries (a ministry branch of Springs of Life Church in Durham, NC). The conference was held within the Springs of Life church, which is a little more than an hour's drive from where my wife and I were staying in Clayton (however, I attended the conference solo).
It was a great treat to hear in person two reformed teachers I have been following for some time, have learned from and admire greatly. "Pyromaniac" Phil Johnson, one of my favorite bloggers, gave several messages about defending the faith handed down to us by the apostles in the context of today's postmodern society. James White, the sharp reformed apologist and debater of Alpha and Omega Ministries, was fresh from a debate the night before with an Islamic apologist. He spoke on the challenges of Islam, as well as the reliability of the New Testament documents, an issue which he emphasizes is already a central object of attack in "truth war".
I wasn't familiar with the third speaker, pastor Andy Davis of First Baptist Church in Durham, but found his messages equally impressive in quality and gravity. It was reported, by pastor and master of ceremonies Stan Geyer, that Mr. Davis has memorized the entire New Testament; Andy's command of Scripture was clearly evident during his presentations. Mr. Davis also generously provided a free, small volume on Scripture memorization technique afterward. All the talks, as well as a question and answer session, were recorded, and will be available for purchase as a set.
I had the chance to introduce myself to Phil Johnson and his wife, but unfortunately, didn't avail myself of the opportunity to introduce myself to the other speakers, James White and Andy Davis, being that I was engaged in getting to know other attendees. Those participating included many pastors and elders, as well as some, like myself, who are in training for further leadership. I also briefly spoke with the event's worship leader, Geof Kimber, who intrigued me, especially because he combines in his edifying ministry some of the same talents I hope to also combine in future ministry (musician/songwriter, author, teacher). I intend on staying in touch with him, as well as some of the other men I met there.
Our hosts, David and Linette Price, were very hospitable and accommodating, even as we brought our little terrorist cat Pooky along. David is also a wonderful cook! Our six month old kitten Pooky (also known more formally as Priscilla) set out to dominate the other cats in the Price home from the moment we stepped in, and was successful with her intimidating tactics of growls and hissing. Faith and I joked that our "only child" was really embarrassing her parents by her rude behavior in front of company. I had momentary fantasies of leaving her out here in NC, but she's too darn cute and anyway, they've already got 5 cats to contend with.
Ellen and Emily are sure growing up fast and are sharp as nails (I found this out especially when they strategically whooped me when we played a game of "Life"). We also saw briefly Nicole, (my wife Faith's half-sister), Nicole's two year old, Blaise and significant other, Sanden. Nice folks all. Unfortunately we'll miss Carol Jean, my wife's aunt, who is visiting here for Thanksgiving but doesn't arrive till tomorrow.
I attended a couple of conferences these past weeks, and I am currently in Clayton, North Carolina, visiting with my wife's family. We plan to hit the road today as we head back to New York, hopefully feeling well enough to get together for Thanksgiving with my family.
Both conferences were really helpful and have challenged me to get serious in my walk. They both featured excellent teaching and well-prepared messages. The first was my church's annual retreat, which was held at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference in Harvey Cedars, NJ the weekend of November 9th. I had the privilege of being on the song leading and worship team for this conference. The energetic speaker, Dennis Newell, exhibited passion and dead earnestness yet, at the same time, very pointed humor, as he gave a hard-hitting 5-part series of messages on discipleship. You can listen to these messages and also view some photos from the retreat, via this link.
The second conference I attended (last Friday-Saturday) was titled "The Truth War- Contending Earnestly for the Faith". It was the 2nd annual Fall Pastor's Conference, of Reformation Truth Ministries (a ministry branch of Springs of Life Church in Durham, NC). The conference was held within the Springs of Life church, which is a little more than an hour's drive from where my wife and I were staying in Clayton (however, I attended the conference solo).
It was a great treat to hear in person two reformed teachers I have been following for some time, have learned from and admire greatly. "Pyromaniac" Phil Johnson, one of my favorite bloggers, gave several messages about defending the faith handed down to us by the apostles in the context of today's postmodern society. James White, the sharp reformed apologist and debater of Alpha and Omega Ministries, was fresh from a debate the night before with an Islamic apologist. He spoke on the challenges of Islam, as well as the reliability of the New Testament documents, an issue which he emphasizes is already a central object of attack in "truth war".
I wasn't familiar with the third speaker, pastor Andy Davis of First Baptist Church in Durham, but found his messages equally impressive in quality and gravity. It was reported, by pastor and master of ceremonies Stan Geyer, that Mr. Davis has memorized the entire New Testament; Andy's command of Scripture was clearly evident during his presentations. Mr. Davis also generously provided a free, small volume on Scripture memorization technique afterward. All the talks, as well as a question and answer session, were recorded, and will be available for purchase as a set.
I had the chance to introduce myself to Phil Johnson and his wife, but unfortunately, didn't avail myself of the opportunity to introduce myself to the other speakers, James White and Andy Davis, being that I was engaged in getting to know other attendees. Those participating included many pastors and elders, as well as some, like myself, who are in training for further leadership. I also briefly spoke with the event's worship leader, Geof Kimber, who intrigued me, especially because he combines in his edifying ministry some of the same talents I hope to also combine in future ministry (musician/songwriter, author, teacher). I intend on staying in touch with him, as well as some of the other men I met there.
Our hosts, David and Linette Price, were very hospitable and accommodating, even as we brought our little terrorist cat Pooky along. David is also a wonderful cook! Our six month old kitten Pooky (also known more formally as Priscilla) set out to dominate the other cats in the Price home from the moment we stepped in, and was successful with her intimidating tactics of growls and hissing. Faith and I joked that our "only child" was really embarrassing her parents by her rude behavior in front of company. I had momentary fantasies of leaving her out here in NC, but she's too darn cute and anyway, they've already got 5 cats to contend with.
Ellen and Emily are sure growing up fast and are sharp as nails (I found this out especially when they strategically whooped me when we played a game of "Life"). We also saw briefly Nicole, (my wife Faith's half-sister), Nicole's two year old, Blaise and significant other, Sanden. Nice folks all. Unfortunately we'll miss Carol Jean, my wife's aunt, who is visiting here for Thanksgiving but doesn't arrive till tomorrow.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Technical Difficulties (or, "Wacky Widgets")
I noticed when trying to open my blog today that I kept getting messages about an "unresponsive script". Turns out that three podcast players on the blog (Jordan's Podcast, T4G Podcast Player and Apologetics Podcast), which I created using Odeo.com, are no longer functioning correctly. Therefore I have removed them from the blog for the time being.
I like the podcast player widgets from Odeo.com, but Odeo has been doing a lot of upgrading to their site lately, which in one sense is good since what they offer will improve in the future, but in an immediate sense, it's bad because I put a lot of time into creating podcasts that right now aren't working!
Anyway, just thought I'd let you know. Besides, these kinds of widgets add to the time it requires to open up the blog, which I've had a few complaints about and I know some find a bit irritating (I get impatient myself, trying to open my blog).
Blessings,
Alex
I like the podcast player widgets from Odeo.com, but Odeo has been doing a lot of upgrading to their site lately, which in one sense is good since what they offer will improve in the future, but in an immediate sense, it's bad because I put a lot of time into creating podcasts that right now aren't working!
Anyway, just thought I'd let you know. Besides, these kinds of widgets add to the time it requires to open up the blog, which I've had a few complaints about and I know some find a bit irritating (I get impatient myself, trying to open my blog).
Blessings,
Alex
Tags:
Friday, July 11, 2008
Jordan's View Needs a Facelift
7-14-08 UPDATE: Rather than perform a major design re-haul of my site, I've just done a bit of tweaking for now... I'm also doing research for the soon-to-come post on illness and Christians...
Today, I noticed that one of the sidebar elements that was a big part of the design of the blog suddenly vanished-- and I'm not sure I can re-create it. Which leads me to thinking I've become real tired of the current look/layout of Jordan's View. So I'd like to do a major overhaul, but... I just don't know that I'm up to the task.
What a dilemma.
Well, hopefully I will find a solution that is somewhat easy and painless to implement.
By the way, I'm still working on the article on sickness and the Christian-- and before I've even posted it, I've had a comment. I have a feeling my post may end up stirring up a bit of controversy. But as long as one is challenged to think through the issues biblically, I don't mind.
Today, I noticed that one of the sidebar elements that was a big part of the design of the blog suddenly vanished-- and I'm not sure I can re-create it. Which leads me to thinking I've become real tired of the current look/layout of Jordan's View. So I'd like to do a major overhaul, but... I just don't know that I'm up to the task.
What a dilemma.
Well, hopefully I will find a solution that is somewhat easy and painless to implement.
By the way, I'm still working on the article on sickness and the Christian-- and before I've even posted it, I've had a comment. I have a feeling my post may end up stirring up a bit of controversy. But as long as one is challenged to think through the issues biblically, I don't mind.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Forthcoming Article on Sickness & the Christian
Dear friends
You may have noticed that it's been a while since I posted anything new here at Jordan's View. I want to let readers know that I have been dealing with muscle aches and pains again. This has prevented me from being able to sit and type at my computer during my free time as much as I'd like.
Dealing with these pains has turned my mind again to the subject of sickness in the Christian life. I have touched on this topic before but surprisingly I haven't posted a blog article about it yet.
I think that sickness is a very important topic, since virtually everyone is touched by physical infirmity from time to time, including Christians. Yet there is a teaching going around that Christians ought never to be sick, or that if/when they get do become sick, it's always an attack of the devil. In this common view illness is something that is never used by God in the life of a Christian-- as an attack of the devil it is something to be rebuked. Apparently God teaches us no lessons when He permits disease to touch our bodies, other than the lesson that we must "rise up and persevere in faith" to defeat illness.
Dealing with chronic illness in my wife, and now also personally, I have come to the conclusion that the assertions made by this teaching (identified mostly as Word/Faith, and common among teachers such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Frederick Price and others) are faulty. I am gathering my thoughts and hope to be able to post an article on sickness that I hope will be helpful as well as biblical.
Please pray for my healing and that I would honor God in this task.
You may have noticed that it's been a while since I posted anything new here at Jordan's View. I want to let readers know that I have been dealing with muscle aches and pains again. This has prevented me from being able to sit and type at my computer during my free time as much as I'd like.
Dealing with these pains has turned my mind again to the subject of sickness in the Christian life. I have touched on this topic before but surprisingly I haven't posted a blog article about it yet.
I think that sickness is a very important topic, since virtually everyone is touched by physical infirmity from time to time, including Christians. Yet there is a teaching going around that Christians ought never to be sick, or that if/when they get do become sick, it's always an attack of the devil. In this common view illness is something that is never used by God in the life of a Christian-- as an attack of the devil it is something to be rebuked. Apparently God teaches us no lessons when He permits disease to touch our bodies, other than the lesson that we must "rise up and persevere in faith" to defeat illness.
Dealing with chronic illness in my wife, and now also personally, I have come to the conclusion that the assertions made by this teaching (identified mostly as Word/Faith, and common among teachers such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Frederick Price and others) are faulty. I am gathering my thoughts and hope to be able to post an article on sickness that I hope will be helpful as well as biblical.
Please pray for my healing and that I would honor God in this task.
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Monday, May 19, 2008
My Nephew's Commercial
Hey friends
My nephew Joshua (youngest son of my brother Daniel and sister-in-law Sheila) stars in this new commercial for Underjams! He's a great little guy, full of energy-- I think the commercial captures a bit of his real life personality-- although now he's looking older than in the commercial. I'm a proud uncle, of course. Also, his older sister, Lydia Jordan --is quite an accomplished actress... I think I'll need to do an interview with her here, just so I can keep up with all the projects she's been involved in so far!
Of course, my nephew Christopher, oldest of the three siblings, is quite impressive too-- he ponders physics (for fun), can solve the Rubik's cube, does magic tricks, and has done a fair amount of acting himself. It's a pleasure watching them all grow up so smart and accomplished (great job, Danny and Sheila!)
Friday, April 25, 2008
Widgets Overboard!
Some may have thought I was going "overboard" with widgets here on Jordan's View. Well, now I've thrown "overboard" a whole bunch of widgets; made them "walk the plank", as perhaps Jack Sparrow might say. I guess these widgets weren't that essential since now that I've dumped them I can barely remember what they were. Anyway I believe the blog is now uploading much more easily, though the last two enhancements I added-- the one that turns each article into a podcast you can listen to, plus the green "share" button-- still manage to slow things down a bit. But it's certainly loading better and faster than it was just earlier today.
I've also been tweaking what I previously titled the "Reformed Podcast Player" and am now calling "Jordan's Podcast Player". I've changed the colors and added fresh audio-- just click and you can easily listen to the 5-part debate on Calvinism between James White and Steve Gregg that I mentioned in a previous post.I'm going to try to add I have added all the recent "Together for the Gospel Messages" to the player T4G 08 Podcast Player so that you can listen to all the messages in one convenient location. I've also brought this podcast player to a more prominent place on the blog, because I think it's especially important to bring to readers' attention the strong, interesting excellent teaching/preaching going on in reformed circles nowadays, that we may all be challenged and edified. Feel free to recommend any messages or preachers-- now that I've finally figured out how to quickly add messages to the player, I plan on keeping it updated regularly.
Plus, if you go to this site you can subscribe to this "Best of Reformed Podcasts" feed, or, get the flash player for your own site.
I've also been tweaking what I previously titled the "Reformed Podcast Player" and am now calling "Jordan's Podcast Player". I've changed the colors and added fresh audio-- just click and you can easily listen to the 5-part debate on Calvinism between James White and Steve Gregg that I mentioned in a previous post.
Plus, if you go to this site you can subscribe to this "Best of Reformed Podcasts" feed, or, get the flash player for your own site.
Tags:
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Widget Overload?
Well, I have been noticing lately how long it sometimes takes to upload my blog page, what with all the widgets I've accumulated and added over time. For those who have visited Jordan's View and given up because it was taking way too long to upload, my apologies. I'm often frustrated too when the widgets don't work or slow things down. It may be time to trim some of them away...
Tonight it seems there was problems with vodpod (which powers the Jordan's Video section) and also Clustermaps (the little graphic down at the bottom right that shows what countries visitors to Jordan's View are from), so page loading was especially slow.
Anyway, thanks to all the new visitors who had the patience to load up the blog and read the articles. You're the best.
Blessings,
Alex
Tonight it seems there was problems with vodpod (which powers the Jordan's Video section) and also Clustermaps (the little graphic down at the bottom right that shows what countries visitors to Jordan's View are from), so page loading was especially slow.
Anyway, thanks to all the new visitors who had the patience to load up the blog and read the articles. You're the best.
Blessings,
Alex
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Christ The Lord Is Risen Today!
Did you know... Christ the Lord is Risen today! (click link to listen to the triumphant tune, and sing this famous Easter melody whose lyrics were penned by John Wesley, a staunch Arminian-- proving they're not all bad, just misguided :).
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Missing But in Action
Dear friends/readers
I know it's been weeks since you've read a new post here. I have been ruminating about beginning a new blog project and indeed have already begun taking steps towards launching a new blog, one that will be titled ReformingChristianity.com.
As I was explaining to a Reformed blogging friend, the mission of ReformingChristianity.com will be to promote biblical reform in the 21st century evangelical church, by pointing to reformed theological thought, and especially, by applying reformed doctrine (or, in other words, the gospel) to one's daily walk in a practical way.
It is also my goal and hope for ReformingChristianity.com to become a collaborative venture that is contributed to and maintained by many. It is my desire too that it would become a means of building community among Christians, Reformed and otherwise. I don't believe that being Reformed or Calvinistic in one's theology ought to produce arrogance or a self-righteous attitude. Therefore the blog/website will try to persuade people biblically, boldly and respectfully regarding Reformed theological views, but not condemn other Christians who may believe differently.
At first, I planned on making this new project another Blogger-based blog, but I have really wanted to give Wordpress a try for a long time. So I plan on creating the blog as a free Wordpress.com blog and using my domain name ReformingChristianity.com as its web address.
I am also at work on several new posts, including a long-delayed next article in my series on Arminianism vs Reformed theology. I plan to have these posted in the not-too-distant future.
I know it's been weeks since you've read a new post here. I have been ruminating about beginning a new blog project and indeed have already begun taking steps towards launching a new blog, one that will be titled ReformingChristianity.com.
As I was explaining to a Reformed blogging friend, the mission of ReformingChristianity.com will be to promote biblical reform in the 21st century evangelical church, by pointing to reformed theological thought, and especially, by applying reformed doctrine (or, in other words, the gospel) to one's daily walk in a practical way.
It is also my goal and hope for ReformingChristianity.com to become a collaborative venture that is contributed to and maintained by many. It is my desire too that it would become a means of building community among Christians, Reformed and otherwise. I don't believe that being Reformed or Calvinistic in one's theology ought to produce arrogance or a self-righteous attitude. Therefore the blog/website will try to persuade people biblically, boldly and respectfully regarding Reformed theological views, but not condemn other Christians who may believe differently.
At first, I planned on making this new project another Blogger-based blog, but I have really wanted to give Wordpress a try for a long time. So I plan on creating the blog as a free Wordpress.com blog and using my domain name ReformingChristianity.com as its web address.
I am also at work on several new posts, including a long-delayed next article in my series on Arminianism vs Reformed theology. I plan to have these posted in the not-too-distant future.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
When Christians Sin- The Call to Integrity
As one who views blogging as ministry, I recognize that everything I do-- both "on-blog" and "off-blog"-- affects the quality of my relationship with God, and in turn, this affects how much positive fruit my life is bearing-- on the blog and off. Since I write about the truths of Christianity and exhort others to consider and live by these truths, I must make sure that I am living by these truths. There must be consistency between what I write about on this blog, and how I live my life when I'm not blogging. This is what it means to have integrity.
Success in the world's eyes is usually measured by outward things, but God sees the heart and is mostly concerned with character-- how I treat others and whether my conduct reflects one who belongs to a holy God is of the utmost importance. If I want Jordan's View and my life to be something that will truly make an eternal impact, I must learn to walk with this kind of integrity: my behavior and attitudes ought to reflect Christ at all times and in all places. But is this possible?
I am quite sure I have never claimed on this blog to be anything more than a humble recipient of God's abundant grace through Jesus Christ, which alone has power to forgive sinners, reconcile them to God and transform them into saints. Yet I must also confess that in a certain area of my life I have dishonored God by "secret" sins.
These sins of course are not hidden from God, but can be hidden (to a certain degree) from others. My sins have been in the area of sex, an area of weakness before I became a Christian that has continued to be an area in which I have been prone to sin. I'm too ashamed to go into detail about the particulars of these sins (and I'm not sure it would be edifying anyway). I will say that I haven't had an extramarital affair, but that these sins nonetheless constitute unfaithfulness to the Lord and to the vows I made to my wife, and for that I am truly and deeply sorry.
I have already confessed the specific sins in this area to God, to my pastors and to certain friends. My wife too is aware of my sins and has been incredibly gracious. I know enough theology to recognize that God's love and grace through Christ are greater than all my sin, and that as I confess my sins to Him, God is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Praise God for this.
However I know also that confession that never continues on into repentance, turning radically away from the sins it has confessed and replacing them with biblically right actions, is ultimately not true confession. In other words, the one confessing must intend also to repent, to "go and sin no more", otherwise confession is a hollow and hypocritical exercise.
"Physician, heal yourself", goes the old saying, which basically means, if you say you are capable of healing others, prove it by first healing yourself. But its meaning can also be: if you are going to go around trying to help others, first show that your remedies work in your own life. This applies to me as a Christian blogger-- if the Christian principles and truths I expound upon in this blog are not radically changing me into a more visibly Christ-like person, how can I hope to persuade others that Christianity is real and true and right? Of course, the failure of Christians like myself to fully and consistently live out their faith does not necessarily prove Christianity false-- rather, it shows that sin is a very stubborn reality in human beings, even after conversion to Christ (a truth the Bible explicitly teaches, see Romans 7, or 1 John 1:8). But on the other hand, when Christians sin-- when media headlines show prominent Christians divorcing, committing adultery, engaging in pornography, misusing or stealing church funds, and other sins-- the name of Christ and His glory are both dishonored. This may give non-believers an excuse for avoiding consideration of the truth claims of Christianity ("look at Mr. Pastor who had an affair, left his wife, kids and church behind and has now run off with his assistant to start a new church-- see, these Christians are just like everyone else-- so why should I become a Christian?").
This is a great shame to the church, because it is also unnecessary-- for the power of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are available to me and to all Christians, that we may live lives that bear good fruit and bring glory to His name. But with the reality being that Christians will never be absolutely sin-less, we Christians perhaps should practice being more transparent about our on-going struggles with sin. Then, if and when our sins become exposed, great scandal will not ensue, and their exposure won't make us look so hypocritical.
The problem arises when Christianity is presented as a being the miraculous deliverance from all sin into a life of on-going victory and prosperity. In this portrayal, sin, sickness, trials, suffering and other kinds of problems are not supposed to affect the believer in Christ, and the believer no longer really a sinner who struggles with sin. If such is really the Christian life, then when a Christian is found to be sinning it seems to the world like there's a huge gap between how we have presented ourselves and what our lives are truly like (in other words, it seems like hypocrisy, and perhaps often is).
But the "sin-free" portrait of the Christian life is neither accurate nor biblical. All Christians sin, and will continue to do so until we meet Christ face-to-face. Even for believers, there continues to be a "law of sin that dwells in my members"(Romans 7:23), which means, not that we must sin (1 Cor 10:13), but that the possibility and temptation to sin is always present within us (Romans 7:21). Now one of the hopes of the Christian is that God's transforming power is gradually squeezing sin out of our lives, as we learn to think with the mind of Christ, and to value the things that are eternal over the things of this world.
Through the scriptures the believer in Christ is given great confidence in the outcome. We learn that the struggle with sin as well as the trials and sufferings undergone in this life are only temporary. We are promised that "for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). We understand then that God's sovereign purpose is being worked out in our lives in all things (Ephesians 1:11)-- including even our struggles with sin (which do not take God by surprise).
And with this eternal perspective we learn to how to endure in all the circumstances of life, including the most painful trials. "So we (Christians) do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
In regard to sin, the Christian also is comforted and encouraged by the truth that He is both forgiven and justified by the cross of Christ. Depending solely upon God's empowering grace, the Christian knows that he or she is slowly progressing forward in becoming like Christ (aka, the process of sanctification). But if we understand God's grace to be a license for sin, we have fallen into the Devil's deception. For though God has poured out his abundant grace to us through Jesus Christ, grace more than enough to pay for all sins (Romans 5:20-21), this grace is not to be abused. Paul wrote, "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2). To my great shame I admit that sometimes I have sinned in the presumption that God would forgive me. This is definitely an abuse of God's grace and a testing of the Lord that just added to the sinfulness of my actions.
I want to leave behind such shameful ways. I want this moving forward in holiness and bringing glory to the name of Christ to be the witness my entire life proclaims. By holding on to certain habitual sins I have been expressing mistrust in God and his goodness, showing that my heart still grips certain idols. But today I must remember that when God calls something sin, it can never, ever be good for me, no matter how much temporary pleasure one might find in it or how I may try to rationalize why I need this sin. The things that God has provided, on the other hand, are always good, and good for me (James 1:17). May I with God's help destroy all idols in my heart.
Let's face it, change is very hard. Becoming a Christian does not normally produce instantaneous transformation in ones' thinking, lifestyle and habits. Some have testified to being instantly delivered from a cigarette, alcohol or drug addiction. They are the exceptions, however. New Testament Christianity is all about lifelong change that occurs from the inside out as we replace deeply ingrained sinful patterns of thinking and behavior with new, godly ways of thinking and behaving. So change does indeed come, but only as I act on my responsibility to renew my mind by God's word and to daily abide in Christ. The battle with sin has not been made easy for us; it is a fight on a spiritual plane and requires spiritual strategies and power to win. The Bible exhorts us over and over again to understand the true nature of this battle and to fight it with all the weapons given by God, that we may be victorious in it.
"So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good...
... you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:1-2, 9-12)."
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm (Ephesians 6:10-13)
My friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. Please hold me in your prayers as I re-commit myself to fighting the good fight of faith and to believing and trusting in God's good promises, that the deceitful, unfruitful ways of sin may be rooted out completely from my life, and that my life may bear increasingly good fruit, to the glory of God alone.
"For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)."
Success in the world's eyes is usually measured by outward things, but God sees the heart and is mostly concerned with character-- how I treat others and whether my conduct reflects one who belongs to a holy God is of the utmost importance. If I want Jordan's View and my life to be something that will truly make an eternal impact, I must learn to walk with this kind of integrity: my behavior and attitudes ought to reflect Christ at all times and in all places. But is this possible?
I am quite sure I have never claimed on this blog to be anything more than a humble recipient of God's abundant grace through Jesus Christ, which alone has power to forgive sinners, reconcile them to God and transform them into saints. Yet I must also confess that in a certain area of my life I have dishonored God by "secret" sins.
These sins of course are not hidden from God, but can be hidden (to a certain degree) from others. My sins have been in the area of sex, an area of weakness before I became a Christian that has continued to be an area in which I have been prone to sin. I'm too ashamed to go into detail about the particulars of these sins (and I'm not sure it would be edifying anyway). I will say that I haven't had an extramarital affair, but that these sins nonetheless constitute unfaithfulness to the Lord and to the vows I made to my wife, and for that I am truly and deeply sorry.
I have already confessed the specific sins in this area to God, to my pastors and to certain friends. My wife too is aware of my sins and has been incredibly gracious. I know enough theology to recognize that God's love and grace through Christ are greater than all my sin, and that as I confess my sins to Him, God is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Praise God for this.
However I know also that confession that never continues on into repentance, turning radically away from the sins it has confessed and replacing them with biblically right actions, is ultimately not true confession. In other words, the one confessing must intend also to repent, to "go and sin no more", otherwise confession is a hollow and hypocritical exercise.
"Physician, heal yourself", goes the old saying, which basically means, if you say you are capable of healing others, prove it by first healing yourself. But its meaning can also be: if you are going to go around trying to help others, first show that your remedies work in your own life. This applies to me as a Christian blogger-- if the Christian principles and truths I expound upon in this blog are not radically changing me into a more visibly Christ-like person, how can I hope to persuade others that Christianity is real and true and right? Of course, the failure of Christians like myself to fully and consistently live out their faith does not necessarily prove Christianity false-- rather, it shows that sin is a very stubborn reality in human beings, even after conversion to Christ (a truth the Bible explicitly teaches, see Romans 7, or 1 John 1:8). But on the other hand, when Christians sin-- when media headlines show prominent Christians divorcing, committing adultery, engaging in pornography, misusing or stealing church funds, and other sins-- the name of Christ and His glory are both dishonored. This may give non-believers an excuse for avoiding consideration of the truth claims of Christianity ("look at Mr. Pastor who had an affair, left his wife, kids and church behind and has now run off with his assistant to start a new church-- see, these Christians are just like everyone else-- so why should I become a Christian?").
This is a great shame to the church, because it is also unnecessary-- for the power of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are available to me and to all Christians, that we may live lives that bear good fruit and bring glory to His name. But with the reality being that Christians will never be absolutely sin-less, we Christians perhaps should practice being more transparent about our on-going struggles with sin. Then, if and when our sins become exposed, great scandal will not ensue, and their exposure won't make us look so hypocritical.
The problem arises when Christianity is presented as a being the miraculous deliverance from all sin into a life of on-going victory and prosperity. In this portrayal, sin, sickness, trials, suffering and other kinds of problems are not supposed to affect the believer in Christ, and the believer no longer really a sinner who struggles with sin. If such is really the Christian life, then when a Christian is found to be sinning it seems to the world like there's a huge gap between how we have presented ourselves and what our lives are truly like (in other words, it seems like hypocrisy, and perhaps often is).
But the "sin-free" portrait of the Christian life is neither accurate nor biblical. All Christians sin, and will continue to do so until we meet Christ face-to-face. Even for believers, there continues to be a "law of sin that dwells in my members"(Romans 7:23), which means, not that we must sin (1 Cor 10:13), but that the possibility and temptation to sin is always present within us (Romans 7:21). Now one of the hopes of the Christian is that God's transforming power is gradually squeezing sin out of our lives, as we learn to think with the mind of Christ, and to value the things that are eternal over the things of this world.
Through the scriptures the believer in Christ is given great confidence in the outcome. We learn that the struggle with sin as well as the trials and sufferings undergone in this life are only temporary. We are promised that "for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). We understand then that God's sovereign purpose is being worked out in our lives in all things (Ephesians 1:11)-- including even our struggles with sin (which do not take God by surprise).
And with this eternal perspective we learn to how to endure in all the circumstances of life, including the most painful trials. "So we (Christians) do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
In regard to sin, the Christian also is comforted and encouraged by the truth that He is both forgiven and justified by the cross of Christ. Depending solely upon God's empowering grace, the Christian knows that he or she is slowly progressing forward in becoming like Christ (aka, the process of sanctification). But if we understand God's grace to be a license for sin, we have fallen into the Devil's deception. For though God has poured out his abundant grace to us through Jesus Christ, grace more than enough to pay for all sins (Romans 5:20-21), this grace is not to be abused. Paul wrote, "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2). To my great shame I admit that sometimes I have sinned in the presumption that God would forgive me. This is definitely an abuse of God's grace and a testing of the Lord that just added to the sinfulness of my actions.
I want to leave behind such shameful ways. I want this moving forward in holiness and bringing glory to the name of Christ to be the witness my entire life proclaims. By holding on to certain habitual sins I have been expressing mistrust in God and his goodness, showing that my heart still grips certain idols. But today I must remember that when God calls something sin, it can never, ever be good for me, no matter how much temporary pleasure one might find in it or how I may try to rationalize why I need this sin. The things that God has provided, on the other hand, are always good, and good for me (James 1:17). May I with God's help destroy all idols in my heart.
Let's face it, change is very hard. Becoming a Christian does not normally produce instantaneous transformation in ones' thinking, lifestyle and habits. Some have testified to being instantly delivered from a cigarette, alcohol or drug addiction. They are the exceptions, however. New Testament Christianity is all about lifelong change that occurs from the inside out as we replace deeply ingrained sinful patterns of thinking and behavior with new, godly ways of thinking and behaving. So change does indeed come, but only as I act on my responsibility to renew my mind by God's word and to daily abide in Christ. The battle with sin has not been made easy for us; it is a fight on a spiritual plane and requires spiritual strategies and power to win. The Bible exhorts us over and over again to understand the true nature of this battle and to fight it with all the weapons given by God, that we may be victorious in it.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2)
"So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good...
... you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:1-2, 9-12)."
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm (Ephesians 6:10-13)
My friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. Please hold me in your prayers as I re-commit myself to fighting the good fight of faith and to believing and trusting in God's good promises, that the deceitful, unfruitful ways of sin may be rooted out completely from my life, and that my life may bear increasingly good fruit, to the glory of God alone.
Tags:
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The "Random" Meme (Isn't that Redundant?)
My Godblogger 2005 friend Charlie Lehardy has tagged me for a "meme". What's a meme, you ask? Well, on the Internet it seems to be defined simply as one blogger asking another blogger to answer a series of questions, so that we all can get to know each other a bit better. Isn't that special?
I don't always like memes, but this one looks like fun. Charlie's meme answers were both interesting and amusing.
Here's the rules for this particular "Random" meme (which, as I ask in the title of this post, seems redundant, since all memes are a bit random, right?):
* Let others know who tagged you.
* Post 8 random facts about yourself.
* Post these rules.
* Tag 8 others to continue the meme
And now here are 8 random facts about myself.
1. Lousy jobs I was lousy at: One of my first jobs was being a messenger (by foot) for a printing company in Manhattan. I once lost a package en route to my destination (left it on the seat in the subway platform--miraculously, I wasn't fired).
I was also an ice cream scooper at a popular Häagen-Dazs store in Greenwich Village. Somehow, I beat out an entire city block of people who had interviewed for this coveted position. Soon thereafter, I quit. (At the time, I could eat a pint of their ice cream and not gain an ounce. Now, I gain weight just thinking about eating a pint of Häagen-Dazs).
In the summer of 1985 I had a job folding towels in a factory- yes, really. I got fired because I wasn't folding fast enough (I don't know how I got this job in the first place--I suck at folding towels)!
2. To calm me down as a baby, my Mom would put on some music, which mesmerized and fascinated me. I was so cute.
3. When I was in fifth grade I won my school's spelling bee, but then lost in the regional competition. I remember the spelling of words by "seeing" them in my mind.
4. I didn't get a driver's license until I was already in my early twenties (which isn't completely unusual if you're growing up in the New York City area). My first car was a white Toyota Tercel I bought from my Mom for a dollar. It lasted a long time, but towards "the end", the steering wheel would shake almost uncontrollably whenever I drove the car, like it was possessed. Fortunately, I turned in the car to the dump before it killed me (turns out the axle was on the verge of snapping).
5. Charlie and I have this trait in common-- while I often don't remember the words to songs, I have fantastic "auditory" memory. Especially on songs I really like, I can recall their parts in detail; bass lines, harmonies, drums, guitar parts, etc.
6. When I was 18 or 19, I played the lead part of Tony, leader of the Jets, in a community production of "West Side Story".
7. I wasn't raised in a church-going family, but by God's grace came to be a Christian in my early twenties. Among the odd means God used to reach me was the Hal Lindsey book, "The Late Great Planet Earth, and also a documentary film called "Say Amen Somebody".
8. I would have thought I'd be interested, but for some reason I never examined the Arminian/Calvinist debate very closely until recently, after already being a Christian 20 plus years. However I believe life-changing and positive results will emerge from this study of the "doctrines of grace".
To continue the meme, I hereby tag the following bloggers:
Steve Camp
Dan Edelen
Josh Harris
Mark Swanson
Tim Challies
Rich Tatum
Amy K. Hall
LaShawn Barber
I don't always like memes, but this one looks like fun. Charlie's meme answers were both interesting and amusing.
Here's the rules for this particular "Random" meme (which, as I ask in the title of this post, seems redundant, since all memes are a bit random, right?):
* Let others know who tagged you.
* Post 8 random facts about yourself.
* Post these rules.
* Tag 8 others to continue the meme
And now here are 8 random facts about myself.
1. Lousy jobs I was lousy at: One of my first jobs was being a messenger (by foot) for a printing company in Manhattan. I once lost a package en route to my destination (left it on the seat in the subway platform--miraculously, I wasn't fired).
I was also an ice cream scooper at a popular Häagen-Dazs store in Greenwich Village. Somehow, I beat out an entire city block of people who had interviewed for this coveted position. Soon thereafter, I quit. (At the time, I could eat a pint of their ice cream and not gain an ounce. Now, I gain weight just thinking about eating a pint of Häagen-Dazs).
In the summer of 1985 I had a job folding towels in a factory- yes, really. I got fired because I wasn't folding fast enough (I don't know how I got this job in the first place--I suck at folding towels)!
2. To calm me down as a baby, my Mom would put on some music, which mesmerized and fascinated me. I was so cute.
3. When I was in fifth grade I won my school's spelling bee, but then lost in the regional competition. I remember the spelling of words by "seeing" them in my mind.
4. I didn't get a driver's license until I was already in my early twenties (which isn't completely unusual if you're growing up in the New York City area). My first car was a white Toyota Tercel I bought from my Mom for a dollar. It lasted a long time, but towards "the end", the steering wheel would shake almost uncontrollably whenever I drove the car, like it was possessed. Fortunately, I turned in the car to the dump before it killed me (turns out the axle was on the verge of snapping).
5. Charlie and I have this trait in common-- while I often don't remember the words to songs, I have fantastic "auditory" memory. Especially on songs I really like, I can recall their parts in detail; bass lines, harmonies, drums, guitar parts, etc.
6. When I was 18 or 19, I played the lead part of Tony, leader of the Jets, in a community production of "West Side Story".
7. I wasn't raised in a church-going family, but by God's grace came to be a Christian in my early twenties. Among the odd means God used to reach me was the Hal Lindsey book, "The Late Great Planet Earth, and also a documentary film called "Say Amen Somebody".
8. I would have thought I'd be interested, but for some reason I never examined the Arminian/Calvinist debate very closely until recently, after already being a Christian 20 plus years. However I believe life-changing and positive results will emerge from this study of the "doctrines of grace".
To continue the meme, I hereby tag the following bloggers:
Steve Camp
Dan Edelen
Josh Harris
Mark Swanson
Tim Challies
Rich Tatum
Amy K. Hall
LaShawn Barber
Tags:
Monday, July 02, 2007
New at Jordan's View
Dear readers:
You probably noticed the new "Navigation jump links" I have added, near the top of the Jordan's View page, to help with jumping to the resource sections you might be interested in. Just click on the link, and the page will jump to that portion of the screen. Notice that some links are for the left-column resources, and others for the right column.
I have also recently added new resource sections. There is a section at the top of the right column containing links to several "Gospel Presentations". Right below is the "Jordan's Video" section, to which I will add videos that are educational as well as for just fun.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am a songwriter (and also play guitar), though I have been busy focusing on other things for quite awhile. However I am trying to get myself inspired and busy with music again, by setting some goals for the near future. One is just to work on my guitar skills, which for me tends to lead to more inspiration for new songs. Another is a longstanding goal-- to record everything I have written to date, in digital format. Another is to finish off many new songs already in process by writing the accompanying lyrics. And yet another objective is to begin sharing podcasts (or vodcasts) of my music right here.
To help with the goal of improving my guitar skills, I was researching guitar lessons and guitar software on the web. There is a wealth of good material and resources, many of which are free. I am sharing the fruits of this research with you in several new sections here, which you'll find under "Culture"-- Guitar Education Software/DVDs, Guitar Lessons & Music theory Online, and Guitar Lessons Software- Reviews. Click on the "jump-links" and you'll find these sections quickly. if I find a particularly helpful site or software that I am using myself, I'll be sure to recommend it to my readers.
Also, keep checking "Blips of the Blogosphere" for regularly updated link recommendations to interesting articles. I hope to post before the end of this week the next article in my series on Arminian vs Reformed theology.
Blessings to you,
Alex
You probably noticed the new "Navigation jump links" I have added, near the top of the Jordan's View page, to help with jumping to the resource sections you might be interested in. Just click on the link, and the page will jump to that portion of the screen. Notice that some links are for the left-column resources, and others for the right column.
I have also recently added new resource sections. There is a section at the top of the right column containing links to several "Gospel Presentations". Right below is the "Jordan's Video" section, to which I will add videos that are educational as well as for just fun.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am a songwriter (and also play guitar), though I have been busy focusing on other things for quite awhile. However I am trying to get myself inspired and busy with music again, by setting some goals for the near future. One is just to work on my guitar skills, which for me tends to lead to more inspiration for new songs. Another is a longstanding goal-- to record everything I have written to date, in digital format. Another is to finish off many new songs already in process by writing the accompanying lyrics. And yet another objective is to begin sharing podcasts (or vodcasts) of my music right here.
To help with the goal of improving my guitar skills, I was researching guitar lessons and guitar software on the web. There is a wealth of good material and resources, many of which are free. I am sharing the fruits of this research with you in several new sections here, which you'll find under "Culture"-- Guitar Education Software/DVDs, Guitar Lessons & Music theory Online, and Guitar Lessons Software- Reviews. Click on the "jump-links" and you'll find these sections quickly. if I find a particularly helpful site or software that I am using myself, I'll be sure to recommend it to my readers.
Also, keep checking "Blips of the Blogosphere" for regularly updated link recommendations to interesting articles. I hope to post before the end of this week the next article in my series on Arminian vs Reformed theology.
Blessings to you,
Alex
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