Disqus - Friends of monicabrand

Re: Does Everything really have to change?

RickD335 — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:17:33 -0000

Amen - can anyone read this and not struggle with the implications for the church in the west? Specifically the church in America? As regards the question in the title? When I was in early sobriety, I was told that I only had to change one thing - everything - but that I could work on it one day at a time. Still trying to follow that Good Orderly Direction that I received so long ago.

Thanks for the post!

Re: Who are we reaching?

RickD335 — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:24:47 -0000

Speaking as a musician and a member of one of the older folks, I like Smitty's music, but I don't believe his stuff today is for everyone, and I don't know how many people would find themselves being confronted about where they stand on Jesus when they listen to Agnus Dei (though back in the day, "You Need A Savior" did the trick nicely). I haven't heard LeeLand, or Switchfoot, or Family Force 5 - heard of them, but haven't heard them. They might not speak to me as well as, say, Phil Keaggy as an instrumentalist does or Harry Chapin do lyrically, but that may be a matter of taste and exposure as well as one of age. Joy tells me I have heard Switchfoot, but I don't remember - there's that age thing again :)

I don't, as a general rule, listen to Christian music - but then again, I don't listen to a lot of the stuff I used to listen to, Christian or secular. The why I listen to this artist and not to that one has less to do with whether they are a "Christian" act or a secular act than it has to what are they saying lyrically (please rhyme intelligently) and musically (not every song should be in the key of E, or played on a dropped D tuning). There are times when the "secular" artist is putting out a better message and living a better witness of their faith (which they choose not to use as a means of landing in a recording contract or niche) than some in the "Christian" music world. Regardless of musical style or tradition, we should be bringing our best to bear on making music and living lives before God that demonstrate to the world whose we are. Sadly, we often give better witness for the opposition, or give those whom Christ would want us to reach more reason to say "What's the difference?"

That being said, I'm still part of my own generation in other ways - I'm not at all fond of hip-hop, rap, urban, whatever title someone wants to hang on the drum machine / spoken word / sung chorus stuff out there, regardless of whether or not is "Christian" in orientation. I'll listen to folk, funk, rock, bluegrass, reggae, ska, skiffle, punk, classical, bop, fusion, on through zydeco without batting an eye - but I've never been one who likes the heavy on repetition, beat them over the head with the hook kind of music, and I like lyrics that speak in subtleties and nuance rather than "in yo face." At some point, that will likely become what will replace contemporary christian music in worship services - and I will gladly surrender the guitar chair to someone who feels comfortable there, as I wouldn't.

Re: History and Novelty?

RickD335 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:37:34 -0000

Personally, I'm not convinced the top slots of either party are filled by the best, most qualified candidates. Obama as a national leader is truly an unknown (beyond the hype machine), Biden is a Washington insider who has never held a job in the private sector (US Attorney does not count as a private sector job, and being a lawyer doesn't give one the qualifications needed for the top slot). McCain has been a maverick in the Republican party for a long time. Palin, besides the novelty factor, seems a pretty solid choice for the top slot - she's had to balance a budget for her home as well as for her city, she's garnered experience on the local level of government as well as the state level, she lives her values (to the best that we can see through the lenses of media). My only problem with her is that she's in the wrong slot - reverse the positions. :)

Seriously, I'd be happier with people who demonstrate Godly character in all they do in leadership positions - experience comes by the living through crises, and none of the current crop of potential leaders have had to face the worst-case scenarios that are in our world's future. For that matter, neither have our current crop done well with the crises that came up on their watch. For that, I hold the unelected ideologues that advise those in power responsible.

Re: Angel ≠ wimp

RickD335 — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:35:44 -0000

Dave, I've been a fan of Lewis since my introduction to his work, and just read Peretti's This Present Darkness earlier this year (along with the Left Behind series, and a bunch of others). Anyone who doubts the existence of angels is, sadly, considered normal by the standards of the world - the numbers from this poll or that poll may be up, but the norm in our culture is to discount, deny, and debate.

My argument is still one of dump the cupids, the wimpy crybabies, the female-only or child-only depictions - they do more harm than good.

Re: Amused, not confused

RickD335 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:59:28 -0000

As an aside, while I was driving into work today, my wife and I were talking about (among other subjects) the meaning of words and how language becomes altered over time. The title of this article - Amused, not confused - came to mind. Why? The root word muse, or to think, with a prefix of a means to not think. What I'd initially meant as something that I laugh about but am not confused about now appears to be titled something I don't think about - which is true in one sense but not another.

If you've followed that, then hopefully you'll see the humor as well as the problems inherent in out use of language without knowing what words themselves mean, and where they come from.

Re: “Reality” of TV

RickD335 — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:20:30 -0000

Joy used to talk about simplifying our lives - and this just happened to synch up as an issue we could agree on. I did go through a bit of withdrawal (I have to be honest), but it really has become a non-issue, save as a chuckle when I hear how many people are hooked into idol worship - whether it is American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, Survivor, whatever.

Re: Truth, Justice, and Cook County?

RickD335 — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:51:21 -0000

To update this story, Sheriff Dart will resume evictions after striking a deal that includes the following:

• The bank holding the mortgage must provide a court with a detailed description of the building and names of all occupants at the time of the initial foreclosure filing.

• Before the entry of an eviction order, banks must provide a date that bank representatives last inspected the property.

• Banks must prove that they informed tenants of a 120-day grace period, which state law grants to allow tenants to find new housing before moving out.

By not holding the renters responsible for the sins of the mortgage holders, justice is served.

Re: Sola Scriptura?

RickD335 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:16:45 -0000

Absolutely - there is no direction without the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will never contradict the plain sense of Scripture. My difficulty may simply be in how I read the author's words - they seemed to suggest that the Holy Spirit plays no part in the life of a modern day believer, save that of the illumination of Scripture. If the Spirit is not available to me to understand and illuminate (and transform) my thinking in my daily life, why did Paul's writing focus on it?

Re: “Reality” of TV

RickD335 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:54:25 -0000

Marcus - you're welcome for the link. Lots of good stuff there!

We looked at cutting the high-speed internet access as well, and while it would have been more cost effective to cut the TV and the net, it was never really just a simple financial decision for us. Like I noted in the post, we prayed about this one and discussed it at length - the time frame was over a period of months - before we acted on it.

Hulu.com was mentioned over at Gadgetopia a little while back, but now that the addiction has been broken, I'll pass on the temptation :)

Re: I’m taking a social media sabbatical

RickD335 — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:51:59 -0000

Corrie Ten Boom once said don't wrestle; nestle. I know I find it hard to do when I'm working on communicating all the time - enjoy the time away, and we' look forward to more later

Re: Attraction vs. Promotion

RickD335 — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:29:03 -0000

Angel,

I don't have any problems with that approach - I was struggling with how to word that section. People used to approach me on the street, or knock on the door, and baldly ask me "Have you been saved? Do you know you are going to Hell if you aren't?" and then proceed to hand me a Chick tract. I find that approach at best counterproductive - total stranger walks up, asks the state of your spirit and then hands you a fear-based piece of literature with poor artwork before they walk away to inflict the same on another hapless soul - and at worst? Serving the Enemy comes to mind...

Thanks - I've been clean 26 years now. I no longer attend either NA or AA meetings on anything like a regular basis. I did help get an NA meeting going at our church, and helped launch the Celebrate Recovery program there as well, before my schedule at work made attending that difficult.

Like you, I had limited patience for chronic relapsers - but I also had to remember that if I approach life in recovery as a single-front war, I've lost - if, on my own power and not believing in or relying on God's power, successfully close the door marked active alcoholism but open the door marked online porn, I've only changed cells in the same prison. Substitution is often the way addicts cope. Also like you, I am a tough love sponsor - some would say I'm the opposite only because they are not believers in Christ, but merely believers in a 12 Step program - it works, and people get clean or sober, but there is so much more offered by God (I guess you can tell I came to faith in Christ as a result of attending 12 Step meetings, yes?)

Re: Disqus Comments, Lijit Search, Better Sidebars and Lederhosen

RickD335 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:48:50 -0000

Lederhosen - now why would anyone living in Texas want to wear leather shorts...oh...I see...hot weather...cacti... hmm :D

I've started trying it out as well - it has some positive features, but there are a few things that you give up when you implement it. Having users register as subscribers and agree to an AUP? Disqus seems to bypass that - I may not have dug deep enough on the settings, but it does seem to be the case.

Re: Speak English?

RickD335 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:17:04 -0000

It is rare that I miss it - my BS detectors are tuned to "high", and it irritates me when people refuse to speak the language they learned in school. That doesn't mean that we have to bring the language of every playground we've played on into every conversation, but it does mean (at least to me) that we do our best to be authentic - as real as possible - to those in the family.

Want to make someone feel like they are less than a member of the same family? Use Christianese :)

Re: Humans (still) for sale

RickD335 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:39:57 -0000

I like the climate there, and a few of the hotels and restaurants in the area (ok, a lot of them) were wonderful experiences. Live there? I'll pass - but mostly because I prefer that the ground on which I stand stays solid :)

Having been through one earthquake, I'd prefer to not experience another one while in California unless I'm equipped with a flotation device and a Nomex suit.

Re: A Higher Calling…

RickD335 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:41:21 -0000

Thanks, Angel - maybe it was a timing thing?

Re: A Higher Calling…

RickD335 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:09:00 -0000

I love it - now, if only Blogrolling.com could get fixed as easily :D

Re: A Higher Calling…

RickD335 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:39:14 -0000

Now it is my turn to welcome TheRogueAngel into the ranks of High Calling Blogs, and to thank Marc and LL for getting us all together. If we don't meet face to face this side of heaven, be sure to look us up when you get there!

Re: A Higher Calling…

RickD335 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:26:41 -0000

CT, welcome - and thanks for the addition to the roll!

Re: Discuss Disqus

RickD335 — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:44:58 -0000

It has some decent features :) .Tthe login is onto the Disqus system, and not onto the blog itself, which at first I didn't like. It doesn't use a CAPTCHA (the other system I have installed here to register for the blog does) and the Acceptable Use policy never gets seen, but as long as the system runs smoothly and I'm not inundated with spam, all is well. The plugin's co-founder has been pretty quick to respond to me as well - another plus.

Re: In the Crosshairs

RickD335 — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:42:34 -0000

I like a story also - being the reader that I am, I'd say I like them a lot :)

(Per Caughtthinking's input, I've moved the comment content that he referred to into the body of the post.)

Re: Dancing with the Media Stars

RickD335 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:14:20 -0000

Yes, but can they merengue? :)

Re: In the Crosshairs

RickD335 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:17:02 -0000

Caught, I didn't think of that until you suggested it - now, I guess I'll have to do it :)

Thanks for the kind words, as always!

Re: A Dozen Great Halloween Books - Defending Spooks and Zombies and Halloween

RickD335 — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:14:14 -0000

Biggest problem with Hallowe'en? A lot of kids without an older chaperone or guide, dressed in dark clothing, out after dark on badly lit subdivision roads is an invitation for someone to get hurt. Otherwise? I've seen some of the "hardcore" videos; it helps to know the history, but if we're going to go that route, you might as well ditch Christmas as a holiday (didn't occur in December, and was a means of expropriating a pagan celebration).

Even once a week - good to see you back!

Re: Lives In The Balance

RickD335 — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:18:44 -0000

Monica!

Welcome, and keep coming back - there's more where this came from :)

Re: What’s in YOUR values?

RickD335 — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:17:18 -0000

Remember them? I was only a few months from being one of them - critical few months, as it turned out - and spent a long time trying to be one. Absolute waste of time - I was never cut out for that lifestyle :)