tollie.org/blog

I’m having difficulty unifying these into a narrative, so I’ll just leave it at bullet points.

Caution: Some science ahead. But perhaps it’s interesting, and maybe even insightful.

* I’ve grown accustomed to going to sleep while listening to something. TV, music, podcast, or audiobook.

* Yes, it’s possibly causing permanent hearing damage from long-term exposure.

* Who knows what effect it has on how the brain processes sound ordinarily? Maybe this is why I have a hard time distinguishing words from background noise and music. Perhaps that process is controlled by chemicals that the brain normally stores up during down-time, and I’m getting none. I simply don’t know.

* I usually listen to podcasts to fall asleep. It helps me catch up, and the content is such that I rarely feel like I should take notes, nor that I am greatly missing out if I never go back and pick up from where I fell asleep at.

* Occasionally I’ll listen to audiobooks, however, they have to have a unique quality about them. They have to be engaging enough not be frustrating or grating, but yet, they can’t be so engaging that I simply must stay awake to listen to them.

* Other times, it’s music. Usually orchestrated film score. However, this can be too ‘non-stimulating’ – leaving my brain free to run around in circles with whatever non-sense has clouded it. On the other hand, for this reason, sometimes music is helpful in reaching the “sweet spot:”

* There is a sweet spot between regular thought and sleepily drunken stupor – and in that sweet spot, wonderful ideas occur. That’s why I keep a pen and paper nearby at all times.

* I’m listening to “The Ring Goes South” as I write this bullet point. It’s from The Lord of the Rings soundtrack.

* Listening to nothing, I can fall asleep, but depending on my level of exhaustion, it may take a great deal longer. It’s not that the sound wears me out. Therefor, I wonder how unique vs. universal this “lulling” effect is, and to what degree it’s social.

* In fact, if suffciently tired, I am more easily made to fall asleep listening to a half-dozen people talking, than to nothing or some generated “noise” such as a fan.

* Another trapping of classical music: the sameness. The process of appreciating the musical quality is, for me, an almost active one. Appreciate it, and the mind is too engaged. Reducing it to mere background melody tends to make for monotony, and the mind is bored.

* I’ve said nothing of TV yet. TV is perhaps the most dangerous. First: good luck finding a channel worth listening to. If you do, who knows what junk will be on in 2 hours, invading your sub-conscious? Then there’s commercials and this awful trend of turning up their volume. The FCC should fine networks for doing this – decibel neutrality. (That’s sarcastic.)

* What about a movie? This usually works as far as stimulation levels go, as long as it’s one I’ve seen before. However, inevitably, the change from dialogue to theme music for the credits will wake me up in 2 hours.

* I’d be interested in your thoughts. What applies to you? What doesn’t? Am I factually right or wrong anywhere?

- Sound sleep to you,
Tollie

I noticed a number of people in the choir wiping tears as they sang “When I See the Risen Lamb” today. I’m sure some of it is the powerful musical qualities of the song. But how the musical qualities of the song, and more importantly, the truth of its lyrics to forgiven sinners, cause us to reflect on and ponder the greatness of our Savior. It’s a song that moves one into great happiness and thankfulness.

When I See the Risen Lamb:

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However, pondering the imagery of the next song broke me.

Following “When I See the Risen Lamb” today was “Behold the Lamb.” In this order, I suspect that our music minister, Tom Clay, was intending to paint the picture of the resurrection and the glorified, risen Christ. However, for some reason, my mind went “backwards” to the Old Testament, instead of forwards into the New Testament church.

I could attempt to describe this in the powerful way that it broke me, but almost undoubtedly my words would hinder, and not help, you experience this same brokenness. So I’ll try to keep my words to a minimum, in hopes that you’ll ponder the truth of them:

God is angry and wrathful against the evilness of humanity.

Lambs are baby sheep, less than a year old – the imagery of innocence.

Showing the magnitude of his righteous anger, God ordered his people, from time to time, to slaughter lambs, ripping their bodies apart and spreading their blood on an alter.

Jesus is called the Son of God. God the Father loves his Son. Jesus is also called the lamb of God.

Jesus was slain just as the lamb was slaughtered – innocent and blameless – and because of God’s intolerance for sin, his righteous wrath compelled him to be pleased in the death of his own son.

His wrath was carried out against the Lamb, his son, so that he could love me and adopt me as a son – even though I am the sinner who deserved only the wrath and anger.

What mercy. What love.

Behold the Lamb:

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You can see the service with these songs being sung, as well as the message that was preached, at Grace Life Church’s website here. Look for the 9/20/2009 AM service.

Hosea 2:14

== God’s drawing the unworthy ==

“Behold, I will allure her.”

Man’s evil is so complete impending judgment (what Hosea has been talking about so far, and what will still come) could never turn man back. (cf. Gen 8:21) Instead of giving up, God lovingly entices us back. This is grace. (cf. Rom 5:20)

- This means God will gradually unfold before them the majesty of his excellence. He opens their eyes.

- God will out love all former lovers combined. More love, honor, respect than any other has ever been able to give. The pleasures of God are greater than the pleasures of sin.

- It comes by surprise. The people weren’t expecting it. (eg. Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis). (cf. John 6:41-44)

== God’s bringing to the truth ==

“And bring her into the wilderness.”

When God saves you, he puts you into a new wilderness – a new awareness of sin and guilt. He lets you see the truth about yourself. (cf. Luke 7:40-47)

== God speaks to the heart ==

“And speak tenderly to her.”

(cf. John 16:8-11) The root of sin is unbelief. God speaks kindly to the heart, convincing sinners they have been given the credit of God’s righteousness – unconditional forgiveness. It is God’s work, and his means is the ministry of the gospel.

The full kindness of God is beyond our ability to comprehend. (this morning’s sermon)

Hosea 2:8-13

Idolatry’s Punishment

== Israel’s Sin ==

- (v. 8a) Deepest ingratitude: (They do not know.) God had lavished wealth on Israel, but their hearts were so hardened in sin, they did not recognize that it was God. (cf. Hebrews 3:13, 2 Cor 4:4) Wealth is dangerous, but poverty is not a virtue. The issue is your heart. (v. 13) “She forgot me.”

- (v. 8b) Most offensive use: They turned their unmerited blessings and used them openly in betrayal. Idolatry is in the heart. ‘Do you misuse blessings by looking TO them for your joy, rather than looking THROUGH them for your joy?’ (cf. Prov 22:2)

- It is the converted heart that causes genuine worship. It can not be codified through extra-biblical rules and laws.

== God’s Response ==

- (v. 9, 12) He will remove their blessings to get their attention.

- (v. 10) He will bring public humiliation to demonstrate his power and the impotence of their false gods. Not all humbling is a response to sin. Occasionally it is to bring about maturity.

- (v. 11) He destroys false worship. Why do you go to church? (cf. Amos 8:5)

- (v. 13) Imagery (not meant to be legalistically interpreted) of a wife dressing up erotically for an affair, rather than for her husband. (cf. Ezekiel 16:10-13)

Christ has adorned us with grace. We are married into royalty. Repent of spiritual adultery.

RE: This Times Daily article.

I wish this light news story had balance. Does it really matter to the reader that author of this piece used the incorrect plurality of “is” following the participle phrase? Of course not. Why? Because the author’s words communicated her message.

This is the point of texting. We (those under 30) aren’t writing incorrectly; we are evolving the English language.

Back to balance: Surely there are those who disagree with Mr. Warren, who says that “cursive writing is always going to be a needed skill.” If Mr. Warren, who is the secondary curriculum director for Florence schools, really believes that all third graders should be taught cursive because they might end up being postal carriers then – I need not elaborate. Perhaps that time would be better spent teaching them the fundamentals of digital messaging. If the postal service is still around when they graduate high school in 10 years, then they can earn their technical degree in Cursive Writing.

“Text language” as it’s being referred to here is the result of necessity and creativity. Previously, when typing was the bottleneck to electronic communication, acronyms like LOL and AFK (Away From Keyboard) were used to keep the conversation moving at quick pace. Now, the limited space of SMS messages is the driving force behind even more abbreviations.

Yes, crafting these abbreviations requires some degree of creativity and is an art. For instance, take <3 which stands for "love." (It's a sideways heart). Because <3 is easier to type than "love", in some contexts <3 may be pronounced as "heart" and is used more playfully than the more formal "love" would.

None of this should be confused with 1337 speak ("leet", short for elite), which is a more personalized slang used primarily for distinction in a text-only environment. In l337 speak, numbers are substituted for letters not based on their sound (2 for "to"), but on their proximity in appearance (7 for T, 3 for E, 4 for A, etc). It also has evolved to include the use of irregular capitalization and extraneous punctuation. (eg. ~*!* mY!coOOL!w3bP4g3 *!*~) It is an art - subjective for sure - but an art.

Again, the meaning of language is communication, and texting is resulting in many clever ways to communicate more with less. I wish the article would have reflected some of these points for a more balanced view.

Oh, by the way. The grammar rule violated that I referred to earlier? "[T]he vast amount of cell phone text-based abbreviated communications teens use is showing up in more formal writing." Ignoring the phrases, we are left with "The vast amount is showing," and of course, vast amount would imply plurality, thus necessitating "are" rather than "is."

However, let's solve the problem another way:

via PewInternet.org – Txt abbrvtions being used in formal writing.

74 characters. That leaves us roughly 70 characters to comment on the quote and link to the report. Perfect.

Grace and Peace,
- tollie
www.tollie.org

PS. The Pew report that the July 16, 2009 Times Daily article cited as “recent” is dated April 24, 2008 and the data used was published November 16, 2007.

Look at the extent US soldiers go to avoid civilian causalities, even as enemies are approaching them with mortars and RPGs:

*** Intro ***

Titus 3:1-2 = Conduct of the Changed

- Ready for the good deed. Be peaceful. Show every consideration for all men, as much as possible. Titus 2:11-14 = Grace of our God.

Titus 3:3 = Conduct of the Unchanged

- Foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved, envious.
- All of these things, the saved once were.

*** The Hope of God’s Kindness and Love ***

Titus 3:4

Romans 5:8

5/31/2007. AM service. Jeff Noblit.

It is biblical to rest from ministry. It can be prideful to think that you do not need rest.

*** The Commission for the Disciples ***

Integrity. (Mark 6:30) The disciples reported everything they had *done* – not just what they taught. We ought to be doing what we are teaching. Today there is a lot of great writing (a lot of bad too), but the doing seems disproportionately behind – even though we are getting good instruction.

Accountability. (1 Corinthians 4:3 "It’s a small thing that I’m examined by you.") (Mark 6:7 – the disciples were sent out two by two.) (Ecclesiastes 4:9) (Proverbs 27:17)

*** The Concern for the Disciples ***

Mark 6:31 – As much of a command of the Lord as it was to go out a preach the gospel. The context is mostly preachers and preaching, but it applies to all saints. Some call it a hobby, or an escape, but really it is a mandated spiritual discipline.

We are encased in weak flesh. We have a limited physical capacity and a limited emotional capacity. Jeff: "You have to rest, or people don’t want to be around you the next day. God does not have to rest, and he’s wonderful everyday." (Genesis says God "rested" but this is an anthropomorphic illustration to say that God was done with the creation work. The Bible also says that he never rests.)

However, when the work gets tough, don’t let this be an excuse to drop the work of the gospel first. Take all matters to the Lord and allow him to judge.

*** Conclusions for Practical Application ***

#1 – Get away WITH Jesus, not from Jesus. Don’t let God only remind you of your work boots. Associate him with your slippers as well.

#2 – Don’t turn yourself into a sloth. (Proverbs 6:6-11) (Mark 6:31 "… for a while")

#3 – Expect it to be difficult. Even as he went to rest, crowds would still follow Jesus. We probably won’t have that problem. We may deal with guilt.

#4 – You can take mini breaks to draw closer to God while separating from the world.

One of the things I admire about my church is its commitment to Biblical lyrics. I’m heard our music minister, Tom Clay (@brotom / thomasclay.blogspot.com) say “If we can’t preach [the lyrics] from the pulpit, we don’t sing it.” And I assure you, for those unfamiliar with Grace Life CotS, what comes from the pulpit is highly scrutinized against a biblically doctrinal understanding of the Bible. (Yes, the way I described that is unnecessarily complex, but I wanted to fully qualify what I was saying for purposes I’d rather not go into, lest I fall completely off topic. If you’re really curious, just search for Jeff Noblit or Paul Washer on YouTube.)

However, in the flesh, I am a sinner tempted in all sorts of ways, and likewise, when we sing these wonderfully true, powerful songs, it is tempting to idolize them. By this, I mean I am tempted to revere the song itself rather that reverencing God.

I try to avoid this form of idolatry by thinking upon the truths of the lyrics and their implications. It may not feel as emotionally “powerful” as when the song is also enjoyed for its musical pleasantry, but it does keep me grounded in the truth of the song, rather than its emotional appeal.

On the other hand – and I shall seem to talk out of both sides of my mouth here – sometimes I will treat the song simply as good, pleasing music and set aside the theological truths. This way, I’m not ascribing any more worth to the song than it’s due, instead I’m simply enjoying it as something good that’s excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

But thankfully, most often I am able to do both – to both enjoy the song for its musical qualities, and to worship my God for his eternal qualities. Although I rarely sing publicly – my heart indulges itself in rejoicing and praise through biblical music.

Likewise, I would like to share with you some songs that I *almost* idolize, but praise be to God – this is a sin I constantly overcome, allowing me to rejoice with other believers in the worthiness of our God.

I am using Lala.com to embed these songs (legally). You should be able to play them once, full quality, without signing in and for free. If you are not able to, you may need to clear your cookies and your Flash cookies. I strongly encourage you to patronize them if you are able and willing. They “get” the new business model.

The Power Of The Cross – Stuart Townend

Be Unto Your Name – Robin Mark

Before the Throne of God Above – Dave Hunt

update: I truly should include “In Christ Alone”, even if this particular arrangement isn’t my favorite. The lyrics here are so comprehensive and deeply rich with truth; truly an example of the kind of song that could be preached from the pulpit. (That’s not to say that it is equivalent to the Word, as certainly, there are some phrases here and there that are extra-biblical, but the truth of its message is certainly in line with truth.)

In Christ Alone – Stuart Townend

PS. This is a good time to also mention that I dissociate myself from many stereotypes given to Christians, and at the same time, I confess I am a fallen sinner. I do not view myself as “more holy” – quite the opposite – nor do I desire to “push my beliefs” onto anyone.

God’s grace to you,
- tollie

Wow. I don’t normally find myself reading many slashdot comments, but this one caught my attention as I think it’s dead on.

From: http://bit.ly/kG5dH [slashdot.org]

Is Copyright still a fair deal? (Score:5, Insightful)
by thesupraman (179040) on Friday April 03, @08:13PM

This is not the question to ask.

The question to ask is what good are the public getting in return for giving up such freedoms, AND paying for the giving up of such freedoms (dont forget who pay for the FBI, Police, etc), and paying for the protection of the revinue to copyright owning entities.

Now, this is supposed to be the entering in to the public domain (as in becoming free..) of creative content at the end of the copyright period – a fair and equitable arrangement one could say – we protect their profits for a period, and at the end of that, we gain the advantage of their creativity openly.

However, that was in the days of limited copyright periods, these days thanks both to DRM (an unbroken DRM means an item cannot become free after its legal protection stops) and changes to copyright periods (a lot of things we have already paid to protect should be public now, and are not..) we, the people, have lost our end of the ‘bargain’.

Perhaps it is time for the copyright owners to be carrying the full costs of enforcing their copyrights, since they don’t feel the public should be allowed future advantage of their content?

I wonder what the yearly government costs of copyright enforcement is, it seems more and more public resource is bring piled in to protecting it..

Or perhaps the people (that is, government) should simply cease on their end of the bargain in return, and in light of technological DRM, revoke copyright laws, as they were enacted to protect otherwise unprotectable items (such as books) – does DRM mean we shouldn’t have to suffer copyright laws?

Once upon a time there was balance, an equitable deal between the state and copyright holders – the copyright holders have long since stopped holding up their end of the bargain….