Digging ditches

I heard something on the radio today that made me think. It was a commercial for some tech school and the guy was saying something about not wanting to dig ditches all his life. So I started thinking "does anybody really do that anymore?" People used to threaten their kids with that right? "You better stay in school or you're gonna be digging ditches for a living". But seriously, I don't think I've ever seen anyone actually digging a ditch. Then I started thinking what if you were ok with that? What if you were like "whatever...I'm cool with digging ditches...pass me a shovel and clock me in bro". So you're thinking that you beat the system and life is sweet. You get to party all through the 10th grade and then just slide right into your ditch digging career and it's all good because you don't need much money and you don't really have a problem slinging that shovel. Just think how pissed you'd be after you dropped out of school and the realization began to dawn on you that contrary to all your father's threats...there are no jobs available in the ditch digging sector.

Some random musings on Rich Mullins

A poet for the common man...That's what they used to say about Rich Mullins. I always sort of thought that was kind of a cheesy marketing line, but the more I listen to him the more I think that is such an accurate way to describe what he was/is. September 17th will mark the 9th anniversery of his death. I found a Wiki page that contains several quotes that have been attributed to Rich. Here are 2 of my favorites -

"If you've ever known the love of God, you know it's nothing but reckless and it's nothing but raging. Sometimes it hurts to be loved, and if it doesn't hurt it's probably not love, may be infatuation. I think a lot of American people are infatuated with God, but we don't really love Him, and they don't really let Him love them. Being loved by God is one of the most painful things in the world, it's also the only thing that can bring us salvation and it's like everything else that is really wonderful, there's a little bit of pain in it, little bit of hurt."

"Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in your beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken."

Jdubz referenced this in one of his posts the other day and it's absolutely worth a listen. This is a tribute that 20 - The Countdown Magazine put together after he died.

I recently downloaded a cd called Rich Mullins - Here in America off of Yahoo Music the other day. It's basically a bunch of songwriter demos and live recordings of some of Rich's earlier songs. What I realized as I was listening to the live tracks was that I actually miss hearing him speak as much as I miss hearing him sing. One of the things I loved best about seeing Rich in concert was the things he would say before and after the songs. He wasn't the best singer in the world, sometimes his voice was rough and he couldn't hit all the notes but when he spoke it came from his heart. Every time he spoke I was humbled by how unimpressed he was with himself and his celebrity status. These songs are rough and the sound quality is poor but they may be the most beautiful music I've ever heard. If you can find it do yourself a favor and pick it up. You won't regret it.

Rest in Peace Mate...

Sad news today...Steve Irwin, TV's beloved Crocodile Hunter was killed in a freak accident with a stingray while diving off the Great Barrier Reef. I didn't really watch his show very much but I have to say I always kind of respected that crazy little dude. Whatever you thought about his schtick...you have to admit he had a set of berries on him. For what it's worth, I predicted his death many years ago. I never said when, but I always said someday one of these animals that he was chasing around was going to kill him. Granted, I would have thought his demise would come in the mouth of a giant croc or a king cobra or something and not getting stabbed through the heart with a Stingray barb. From what I hear, stingrays are really very docile. I got to pet one at the Georgia Aquarium a few weeks ago. That's sort of like getting killed by puppy. Alright... a puppy with a razor sharp venemous tail but you get my point. He had probably put his hands on hundreds of stingrays over the years and never been stabbed through the heart by one. I'm not sure what the moral of the story is here. Maybe there's not one...I guess when it's your time to go it doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing. He could have just as easily choked to death while enjoying a juicy Kangaroo steak if he had decided not to go scuba diving that day.

You had to know I was gonna see this movie...

I'm starting a new feature here in Tbone's world - movie reviews! I like to watch movies, I like to write, I like to write about movies...so it only makes sense. The movie I am reviewing this week is, you guessed it, Snakes on a Plane. That was actually pretty much the whole review right there. What else can you say about a movie called Snakes on a Plane? It was as bad and therefore as good as you probably imagined it would be. It's got Samuel L. Jackson in it so that's something right there. Other than that...yup...it's pretty much about a bunch of snakes...on a plane. A bunch of people get bit on all sorts of body parts. Lots of snakes hiding in all sorts of nooks and crannies and compartments just waiting to jump out and bite somebody on the lip or the eye or something creative. It's not going to win any awards and it's pretty short on anything socially redeeming but let's face it, You don't go to see a movie like this expecting to see the next Godfather or Casablanca. You go to see (as Sam Jackson would say) mutha****** snakes on a mutha******* plane. And that's exactly what you get...

Broken Hearted Entrance...

This is a passage from a poem by Oscar Wilde that I ran across today. It's an interesting take on the concept of being broken hearted before God. A lot of people who used to mean an awful lot to me, and several more who still do are facing some form of heartbreak right now...I hope it's over soon. I hope they don't hurt for long...


Ah! happy they whose hearts can break
And peace of pardon win!
How else may man make straight his plan
And cleanse his soul from Sin?
How else but through a broken heart May Lord Christ enter in?

For more on this concept, read my partner in crime, Jdubx's post today...he also is a fan of posting lyrics to songs that he finds particularly meaningful. The one he posted today is really good one...

a retraction

I have changed my mind about Boston...this is in fact a very cool city. I switched to a different hotel...much nicer than the one I was in. and I am now in downtown Boston...right by Harvard Yard...sorry, Havahd Yahd. I'm on the 15th floor...my room overlooks the Charles River...great view of the Boston skyline I ate an incredible meal (Atlantic Fish Company). The city was just alive...people walking everywhere, pubs and bars all lit up like Christmas, I was walking down the street just thinking how amazing it was that 100 years ago people were walking down the same streets looking at some of the same buildings. I saw the steeple of the Old North chapel (from Paul Revere's ride..."one if by land, two if by sea"). I'm going to try to get out and see some of the more historic sites tomorrow. There's a graveyard where John Hancock and some of the founding fathers are buried. These pics aren't great...but here's a few I snapped today.

The Silence of God

I don't know if anybody gets tired of me posting the lyrics to songs that I like out here or not...frankly though it's my blog and you should humor me. After all, I'm taking time out of my busy day here to share my heart with you people. Sorry if that sounded harsh...it's late and I'm tired and lonely. Anyway, this is the Andy Peterson song I was listening to on the plane when I was overcome by that perfect storm of homesickness, music and the view out the airplane window.

The Silence of God

It's enough to drive a man crazy; it'll break a man's faith
It's enough to make him wonder if he's ever been sane
When he's bleating for comfort from Thy staff and Thy rod
And the heaven's only answer is the silence of God

It'll shake a man's timbers when he loses his heart
When he has to remember what broke him apart
This yoke may be easy, but this burden is not
When the crying fields are frozen by the silence of God

And if a man has got to listen to the voices of the mob
Who are reeling in the throes of all the happiness they've got
When they tell you all their troubles have been nailed up to that cross
Then what about the times when even followers get lost?
'Cause we all get lost sometimes...

There's a statue of Jesus on a monastery knoll
In the hills of Kentucky, all quiet and cold
And He's kneeling in the garden, as silent as a Stone
All His friends are sleeping and He's weeping all alone

And the man of all sorrows, he never forgot
What sorrow is carried by the hearts that he bought
So when the questions dissolve into the silence of God
The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
In the holy, lonesome echo of the silence of God

On MIT, flying and a general feeling of sadness...

I'm writing this post from my hotel room in Boston. This is my first trip to "Beantown" and I have to say, so far I'm really not impressed. It's a very overwhelming city. Driving here is all bridges and tunnels and ramps and...roundabouts. Yeah, that was a new one for me too. My hotel is a dive and it's in a really crappy part of town. Picture Matt Damon's neighborhood in Good Will Hunting or if you prefer a different frame of reference...Sean Penn's house in Mystic River. It's a freaking Sheraton which I've always thought were nice, but I'm actually afraid to walk out to my car after dark here. I'm switching to the Doubletree tomorrow.

My training class is in Cambridge, right next to the MIT campus and as I was driving back to my hotel tonight I saw all these people walking around the campus...some students, some professors and I was struck by the fact that I was quite possibly in the presence of some of the smartest people in the world. That's a little intimidating if you think about it...

When I was flying into Boston, I was looking out the window of the plane and listening to Andrew Peterson and I was overcome with this feeling of melancholy. I'm not sure if it was the music, or that I was feeling sad about leaving my family for this trip, or maybe that the move to Atlanta is starting to hit home now. (I've been too busy to be homesick so far...it's starting to catch up with me though.) Anyway, I took some pictures out of the airplane with my Treo. I didn't think they were going to turn out but these actually aren't bad. When we pulled through the clouds, the sky was a kind of blue I'd only dreamt of. I've heard of people describing something as so beautiful that it made them feel sad, but this was the first time I'd ever experienced it for myself.

Georgia on my mind...

As anyone who ever reads this blog knows, I recently moved to Atlanta...Hot-lanta if you will. One thing I've learned is that nobody calls it "The ATL"...that's only on TV apparently. Other than being so far away from friends and loved ones, we really like it here. It's hot and humid, but it's not unbearable. The scenery here is really pretty compared to Kansas. There are so many trees and hills. I work on the 14th floor of my building and there is a really nice view of the mountains off in the distance. The traffic is as horrible as I had heard, but since I knew what to expect I think maybe it's not so bad. There is a lot of stop and go driving on the freeway, but as long as there aren't any wrecks I can make it to work in about 30-35 minutes. The hours are longer here...I'm not getting home until around 7 most nights, and (like tonight) I have to log in and do a little work from home from time to time. It's not my favorite arrangement, but all in all it's not bad. The boys started school this week and they are both doing really well. Nicky was so excited to start Kindegarten...Conner's not quite as fired up about 2nd grade. They're both making lots of friends though so we're glad about that. Well, gotta get back to work...I'll write more later.

George Bush singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

Thanks to http://onegoodmove.org and Rx @ http://thepartyparty.com/