10.31.2005

How do those Kenyans do it?

The verdict was most definitely malaria. After being hospitalized for five days, they finally let me out yesterday, but I have a couple of weeks before I actually feel normal. That's a whole month worth of sickness! And Kenyans get this all the time! How do they live their normal lives? Anyways, thanks for the prayers and the visits (for those of you in the area). I didn't know how many friends I had until I got sick. It's kind of like when people die, everyone says nice things about them, and you realize how much people cared for you, except you can't cuz your dead. Well, I'm glad I got to find out before I died :)

10.25.2005

Malaria?

So, I might have malaria. They can't figure out what's wrong with me, so finally my mom decided to come be with me and fight the doctors and look up stuff online. We'll see. That would be just peachy. I go to the doctor tomorrow to find out. Hopefully they'll have some answers. On the bright side, the last record of people dying in the US from malaria was in 1995, and all six of them waited a very long time to get treatment. I think I won't die, yet. But I am still left at home to ponder the finer things of life...

For starters, I think the word "devotions" and words "quiet time" are a bit stuffy. Personally, I haven't had one in two weeks. Gasp! I'm actually not sure myself how I feel about that, coming from my evangelical background. What does spending time with Jesus look like? I think it's gotta be some concentrated time with him, but it can't be a certain quota. And, what about all the other time in my life? Is that not spending time with Jesus also?

10.21.2005

Musical roots

Yep, this is one of my less philosophical blogs tonight. As you can see, this is where the family's musical talent comes from. Behold, my grandpa on the saw! (That's my dad on the piano behind him, but everybody plays the piano, you know?) Grandpa lives in California, and was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. He's still doing fairly well, but no one knows how long he's got to live. This picture was taken last Christmas when we went out to see them. Posted by Picasa

10.19.2005

What style is your theology?

You know what irks me? It's when people let their style preference guide their theology. (Before I get much farther, I have to say that this is probably true of me in some areas, but if that is so, please, friends, point it out to me.) It's like the rock-music-with-drums-equals-the-devil mentality never left. I'm not saying that mentality is still prevalent in the Christian community at large today, but there are other mentalities. For instance, out-of-the-box music: anything that is not streamlined Christian radio or Chris Tomlin-ish in sound, or anything that is not words put together in a fashion that we are used to hearing (ie: cliche). At the sound of this music, we sometimes get confused and think that it is sinful music. We are judging music by our personal tastes, people, and while that is okay to do if you are judging it and claiming that you don't like it and don't want to listen to it but it is okay if others listen to it, it is NOT okay if you are judging it and claiming that you don't like it because it is sinful and God will have none of it. That is criticizing some artists whom God has chosen to make/write music. As a writer, I have recently had my work criticized. Now, I don't take criticism well (what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...), but I could take this, because it was simply a matter of opinion (and I knew the person cared about me). But, imagine someone not liking your work because he/she claimed that it was sinful?

10.16.2005

Sickie

Today I am sick. I've had a fever for the past three nights, with last night's getting up to record high 102.6. It's wierd, though, because I've been fine during the day. I even went recording yesterday, and everything seemed fine. It's kind of freaky. Maybe I have like a disease or something. I sat with this guy on one of my plane rides home, and I ate some of his sweet bread. You know how your mom always told you not to accept food from strangers? Well, maybe that's why I'm sick. Oh well, I just hope I'm well enough to go to work tomorrow.

10.15.2005

Josh Garrels

Hey, I saw this guy in concert last night in Columbia. He is very different from any other Christian artist I've heard. I bought his cd. Check him out at his website: www.joshgarrels.com

10.14.2005

Coincidental Meeting

I was talking with someone at the Emerging conference I went to this week (maybe you're now reading my blog), and they told me about the artist Sufjan Stevens. Well, I looked him up one morning in my hotel room, but the wi-fi was a bit too slow to actually listen to him, so I just listened to the first 14 seconds of his song like 4 times.

On the way home to Columbia today, I had a layover in Atlanta, and I met a guy attached to an ipod (of which I was extremely jealous), and he is an actor/musician type. On a whim I asked him if he had heard of Sufjan, because he seemed like he would be into that kind of indie original music. He was like, "Yeah, actually, I have some of his stuff on my ipod; do you wanna listen?" Too cool. His name was Colin Smith, and I'll probably never see him again, but we had a good chat about the evils of the music industry, and the vision that artists should be allowed to create the art that is within them, instead of the art that their producers think they should formulate. By the way, I really like what I've heard of Sufjan. Anyone know any other indie artists in the same vein? Ever heard of Iron & Wine? That was another one he introduced me to.

Anyways, the emerging conference was amazing. I needed to be there, and to chase thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head for a while. I have a lot of thinking and conversing to do.

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