The Tickets Are Now Diamonds!

One thing I think has really changed in my lifetime is the amusement derived from advertisements on television. What's even more ridiculous is that often I will remember the ad, but not what it was promoting. Maybe that means the ad isn't working really? Beer commercials are a great example. Many of them are funny, but they all try to be funny, so I can't always remember what beer was promoted. Probably a good thing...
Anyway, here are two of my favorite commercials, one of them being very recent and one of the best I've seen in a long time. Enjoy!

By Popular Demand...

Notice, it's not "back by popular demand," because these have never been here. But, I thought this might be a good place to relate and record the fun that is Penelope Mixes. So, first the story, then the actual track listings.
I love to drive, as long as there isn't ridiculous traffic. One time when there usually isn't too much traffic is the night, one of my favorite times to go for a drive. My genius brother (and I mean that genuinely, he's the bomb.com) made a mix after my sophomore year of college called "For driving at night," which contained, you guessed it, great songs for driving at night. This mix was epic. It was inspiring. I listened to it so many times. And it inspired me, since I was "taking" his car back to Wheaton with me at the start of my junior year. This inspiration came in conjunction with a desire to name the car which we shared, and now I drive. (sorry Cal..) Now, one of my great loves is the story of the Odyssey by Homer, a love which was bolstered by a wonderful song by cousin Jake Armerding called "Ithaca." For those of you that don't know the story - it starts right after the destruction of Troy, and Odysseus and his gang are getting ready to head home. Problem is, Poseidon was on the Trojan side, so he's ticked at wily Odysseus. So the journey home takes a lot longer than expected, and Odysseus endures a lot of hardship losing many men along the way. Back home in Ithaca, his wife Penelope is being pursued by a bunch of rowdy suitors that keep telling her to cave and marry one of them since her husband is clearly dead. She remains true to him, and when he comes home...yeah, awesome chapter. Great story right?! Penelope is also just a cool name, so I thought this was an appropriate name for my coche.
Now, where were we? Ah yes, mixes. So, junior year at Wheaton I decided along with some friends to go on Penelope Cruises, during which we would listen to music prepared for said journey. Hence, Penelope Mixes. Since that first night in September of 2006, Penelope has played 9 additional mixes, and I plan to make 2 more before her time is filled up (Biblical expression point). For your convenience, I have included the track listings of Penelope 1-10 here, and I hope you enjoy them. They don't only work in Penney, from what I've heard. I think they are good all around, but there are definitely songs that I wish weren't on there. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. Enjoy!

Penelope 1:
Graduate-Third Eye Blind
Move Along-All-American Rejects
I Can Get My Satisfaction-Benny Bennassi
Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)-Big and Rich
Pump It-Black Eyed Peas
Love You Out Loud-Rascal Flatts
Grillz-Nelly et al
You're My Better Half-Keith Urban
Saving Me-Nickelback
Mai Ai Hee-O-Zone
Cool Thing-Rascal Flatts
Light in Your Eyes-Sheryl Crow
Who Are You-The Who
Touch the Sky-Kanye
What is Love?-Haddaway
Fix You-Coldplay

Penelope 2:
Will Not Fade-Audio Adrenaline
Chicago-Sufjan Stevens
Whiskey Girl-Toby Keith
Lights-Journey
Somewhere Only We Know-Keane
Right Now-Rushlow
Starry Eyed Surprise-Paul Okenfold
Come What May-Moulin Rouge
My Wish-Rascal Flatts
Wedding Dress-Derek Webb
Wide Open Spaces-Dixie Chicks
Chasing Cars-Snow Patrol
Walking in Memphis-Lonestar
Swallowed in the Sea-Coldplay
These are the Days-Keith Urban
Do You Dream of Me?-Across the Sky

Penelope 4:
The Long Way Around-Dixie Chicks
Annie Waits-Ben Folds
The Distance-Cake
Too Little, Too Late-Jojo
Landslide-Dixie Chicks
Like the Last Time-Matt Wertz
Bad Day-Fuel
Echo-Vertical Horizon
Jumper-Third Eye Blind
Love-Keysha Cole
Don't Leave Just Yet-Needtobreathe
I Believe I Can Fly-R.Kelly
When You Come Back Down-Nickel Creek
Table for Glasses-JEW
I Will Follow You into the Dark-Death Cab
Capitol City-Matt Wertz

Penelope 5:
Don't Wait for Daylight-Needtobreathe
Our Song- Taylor Swift
The Sound of Settling- Death Cab
1985- Bowling for Soup
Lips of an Angel- Hinder
Days Go By- Keith Urban
Sweet Home Alabama- Skynyrd
Would You Go With Me- Josh Turner
Rollin'-Big and Rich
MMBop-Hansen
The Fleece-Jake Armerding
Mr Mom-Lonestar
Yellow-Coldplay
Wrinkles-Diamond Rio
Run-Snow Patrol
Party for Two-Shania Twain
Everyday Love-Rascal Flatts
23-Jimmy Eat World (JEW)

Penelope 6:
Entertaining Angels-Newsboys
A Praise Chorus-JEW
Escape-Enrique Iglesias
Write This Down-George Strait
You Have My Attention-Copeland,
arolina-Matt Wertz
3x5-John Mayer
All I Wanna Do-Sheryl Crow
Dance with Me Tonight-The Wonders
The Hard Way-Keith Urban
Love Liberty Disco-Newsboys
Typical-MuteMath
Umbrella-Rihanna
These Are My People-Rodney Atkins
Sleep-Copeland
Come on Over-Christina Aguilera
Hick Town-Jason Aldean
Take My Breath Away-Berlin
Call on Me-Eric Prydz
A Lack of Color-Death Cab

Penelope 7:
Clarity-John Mayer
Lucky Denver Mint-JEW
Tired of Waiting-Sean McConnell
In My Place-Coldplay
Every Time We Touch-Cascada
Somebody Like You-Keith Urban
The Way I Are-Timbaland
Mexico-Jump Little Children
Dani California-Red Hot Chili Peppers
Chase This Light-JEW
We Could Run Away-Needtobreathe
Any Other Man-Christina
What I've Done-Until June
You Love to Sing-Copeland
Life is a Highway-Rascal Flatts
Larger than Life-Backstreet Boys
Captain's Chair-Sanctus Real
What I Love About Sunday-Craig Morgan
Passenger Seat-Death Cab

Penelops 8:
Walking on the World - Jake Armerding
Mountains - Lonestar
Brink of Disaster - Mae
83 - John Mayer
Satellite - Guster
Jealous of the Moon - Nickel Creek
Seven Days of Lonely - I Nine
I Play Chicken with the Train - Cowboy Troy
Let it Happen - JEW
Here (In Your Arms) - Hello/Goodbye
She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy - Kenny Chesney
It's Gonna be Me -NSync
On Ice - Chris Thile
Breathe - Melissa Ethridge
With You -Chris Brown
Far Away - Nickelback
Sweet and Low - Augustana
Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) - The Killers

Penelope 9
Big Machine - Goo Goo Dolls
American Woman - The Guess Who
Everywhere She Goes - Across the Sky
Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Soul Meets Body - Death Cab
I'm Shakin' - Rooney
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Topp
Your Man - Josh Turner
Chicks Dig It - Chris Cagle
Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas
What a Blast - Mike Marshall and Chris Thile
Short Skirt/Long Jacket - Cake
Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf
Attitude Dance - Tower of Power
Take Me To Your Leader - Newsboys
Memphis - Sean McConnell
Back in Black - AC/DC
We Are the Champions - Queen
Please, Before I Go - Derek Webb

Penelope 10
Steve McQueen - Sheryl Crow
Gimme Three Steps - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Hope to Carry On - Caedmon's Call
Hold the Line - Toto
When a Heart Breaks - Dave Barnes
Human - The Killers
Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects
Free Ride - Audio Adrenaline
Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus (don't hate)
Lullaby - Dixie Chicks
Fireflies - Owl City
Paper Planes - MIA
Grace Kelly - Mika
Syndicate - The Fray
Forget and Not Slow Down - Relient K
Kiss a Girl - Keith Urban
Let Us Love - Needtobreathe
Table for Two - Caedmon's Call

Phew. There it is. Perhaps when Penelope 11 debuts, I'll post again. I mean, I'll post before then prolly (Carol..) but whenever it does...you get it.

"...and maybe, in the eternal realm, a fool."

This sermon kicked my butt. Matt Chandler has a tendency to do that, but still. Wow. I plan on spending some time to reflect on the words that he says here, especially his conclusion. Am I in this because of me? Am I pursuing ministry because it's my "niche"? Do I only pray in public? Am I defining success in ministry by Western standards? Or am I doing this because Jesus has been, is, and always will be enough? Tough questions, and ones I need to ask myself daily. Thanks, Matt, for this message to me. It was a wake-up call.
Here's the site where you can listen to his message. It was given at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's chapel on November 12th. Enjoy...if that's the right word.

Physical Pain - Yes, I'm Serious

There are times when hearing something like this acutally causes me physical pain. My dad knows what I'm talking about.



This is too funny. Enjoy!

The Martin - Yes, It's Time

I'm inspired by my roommate Nathan Gammie to blog more regularly and concisely - so here's a stab at a quick description of one of my favorite things.
For those of you who don't know, a Martin is a guitar, a very well made guitar that consistently blows me away with great sound. While I will acknowledge the greatness and beauty of the sounds emitted by a Taylor guitar (see second post down - btw this is my bro's blog..HILARIOUS), I must say that I love love love my Martin. The coolest part is the story behind how I got it. So I'll dedicate the post to that.
My grandfather, mentioned in an earlier post (legit dude, let me tell you), is the original owner of said instrument. Every year our family gets together for "Camp Meeting" (future post...), and for a few years he loaned me this "axe" for porch playing and such. I always loved playing it and expressed this to him several times. One year, I think it was the summer after my freshman year of college, I had been enjoying it and rocking out all week. It was Monday morning, and we were packing up to leave. I took the guitar back over to him and thanked him for loaning it to me for the week, then returned to our cabin to continue with cleaning duties.
A few minutes later, I see his wiry thin frame walking over to the cabin from inside my room. He's carrying the guitar. I'm thinking, no stinkin way. So, I came outside and told him, no, no, you can't be serious. He laughed as only he can (you have to hear it), looks back at me and says, "Yes, I can." He sets the guitar down on the porch, gives a mondo (that's huge) hug, and walks back over to his cabin. That's right - my grandfather gave me a guitar worth prolly 2 grand. He didn't play it enough, and knew I would. So thankful for him!
Lesson to be learned? Hold what you have with an open hand and be willing to share with others; this is just one example of the enormous generosity my grandparents have shown me and they have been such an example to me of how to handle money and other possessions. Praise God for the grace He has shown them and me in this way! It's times like these when I think it's important to remember that Christ is our ultimate example, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:9; "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." Thanks for demonstrating this well by God's grace, Papaw!

Stars and Bars vs. The Hammer and Sickle

Woah-ho-ho, now THERE is a provocative title. Stepping into the realm of controversy, we are, mmmhmhmhm.
Why is one ok to display and the other is not? This reality hit me the other day when I was walking across campus and saw a student with a red shirt and the hammer and sickle prominently displayed across his chest. I thought to myself, man, I wonder what would happen if someone wore a shirt that had the stars and bars and that was it.
Now, I'm not going to assume that there would be an uproar - it might not be a huge deal. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized there really is a double standard when it comes to these two symbols. Hence, a post.
A while ago, I wouldn't have had too many qualms about having the stars and bars somewhere in my possesion - not saying I would fly the flag, but the symbol was on a few things that I owned. I have since come to realize through conversations and my own thinking that I disagree with it being displayed, and here's why. There comes a point when an image cannot be divorced from things that came as a part of it. A great example of this is the swastika. It will forevermore be the symbol of the Nazi party in Germany during the 1930s-40s, regardless of how many historians remind us that it was originally something else. While not to that degree, I do think it's fair to say that the stars and bars hold that same kind of symbolism as it relates to slavery. The flag, whether we (wannabe) Southerners like it or not, does represent a group that supported the institution of slavery and fought a war to preserve their right to own slaves. (Yes, there were more issues involved in the fighting of the Civil War, but this post isn't about that topic) So, by displaying that flag, it's not completely illogical for people to assume that we could stand for that kind of thinking. I personally don't think that's all the flag stands for - but the point is that for the majority of people and for my African-American brothers and sisters it DOES connote support of slavery. It is for THEIR sake, therefore, that I don't fly it or wear it. (I think this is part of what Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 8-10; check it out!) It does nothing but divide and separate me from people (both in and out of the Church), not something I want to do in a first impression situation.
But, what bothers me about our society is that wearing a similarly powerful symbol seems to be "cool" and "hip" nowadays. I really wonder if some students and others that wear this symbol know the full extent of communism. Yes yes, you can argue that communism in it's purest form has never existed (and I agree!) - but the fact is that the symbol doesn't stand for pure communism. It's been a part of the manifestation of communism expressed through the 20th century in China and the USSR to name the most prominent examples. During this century, communist dictators such as Stalin and Mao combined with other regimes to kill 100 million people. You read that right - 16 times the number of Jews that Hitler and the Nazi's killed. (65 million deaths in China ALONE.) I haven't seen numbers on the impact of slavery in the United States, but I'd wager it's around the same number. Even if it isn't though, is this a movement that anyone should support? I guess I'm just confused on why it's cool to wear the image worn by The Red Guards who, during the Cultural Revolution, persecuted my brothers and sisters in Christ by killing and imprisoning them soley for their confession of faith. Doesn't seem to line up in my mind.
Like stars and bars, I think this is an issue of considering other people around you. Especially in our increasingly "global" society, there is a good chance there are people living in your community that have experienced the horror of communist regimes, many of them directly. That's not something you can say about modern-day African-Americans and slavery. But again, that's not even the point. The point is, the hammer and sickle stand for governments that have enslaved and murdered millions of people - and that's not cool or hip. More importantly, for my Christian brothers and sisters out there, that symbol stands for something that has done everything in its power to HINDER the spread of the Gospel to all nations! This is not a joking matter, that's a serious fact to consider.
So, before we buy our next article of clothing with a symbol, let us all consider what that symbol means - and not just what WE think it means. We need to consider what the symbol does for our relationship with others. Does it encourage or discourage relationship? Does it needlessly divide? Could someone impacted by the negative effects of this symbol be hurt by me wearing this? These are important questions, and ones I hope my generation will more carefully consider before donning the hammer and sickle.

Determination...no, this post is not about election

It's more about my determination to post stuff more often!
So, here's something for fun. My roommate Ted sent me this link the other day, and I literally laughed out loud while reading it. There are some great selections, and I also really love the names that they give these Biblical characters; I think Joseph's is the best as "Go-Go-Go Me." If you don't understand that, it's ok, I didn't until only recently.
Here is the link to the page I'm talking about. Enjoy!