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ErosionSinger
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Name: Tommy
Country: United States
State: Louisiana
Metro: Shreveport
Birthday: 8/17/1983
Gender: Male
Interests: Music, Movies, Video Games, Guitar, Singing, Songwriting, Sleeping, Teaching, etc.
Expertise: Leading Worship, Playing Halo 2, Breaking Guitar Strings
Occupation: Other
Industry: Other
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  DdMnWlkng6
Member Since:
2/7/2005
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| So I ordered these rice bowl things from RiceBowls.org. Essentially, they are piggy banks in the shape of rice bowls that you give out to a group of people for them to put loose change in. At the end of a month or so, you gather all the rice bowls, compile the change, and write a check to the Rice Bowls organization. This money goes towards feeding the hungry.
Every Monday morning, I have to wake up early and drive down to Jena to give guitar lessons. To get the energy I need to make the two and a half hour drive without falling asleep, I swing by PJ's Coffee and order my regular: Small Medium Roast, some skim milk, and three Splendas, please. Thank you very much.
I handed the barista two bucks, she gave me fifteen cents back and my cup of coffee. End of transaction. No paper needed. Don't act like I didn't buy that coffee. (RIP Mitch)
So, I get pretty excited about this 15 cents. I can add it to my rice bowl, right? I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. I'm helping to feed the hungry. Then God punches me in the face. In a very simple way. It essentially went something like this.
"Tommy, you say you care about the needy, but based on this, you care about yourself. You spent $1.85 on a cup of coffee and have the audacity to feel good about yourself for putting 15 cents in a piggy bank? 92.5 percent of that went towards yourself."
(Ok, He didn't tell me the exact percentage, I had to use a calculator for that.)
We have to be careful that when we pursue acts of charity we don't do so in order to feel better about ourselves. To appease our guilt. To feel better and higher than a culture trapped by materialism. If these are our motives and goals (consciously or unconsciously), then are our efforts really charitable? Or selfish? Jesus has some pretty strong words about these kinds of things.
"Be careful not to do your charitable acts before men, to be seen by them...When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."
"When I was hungry, you gave Me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited Me in. I needed clothes and you clthed Me. I was sick and you looked after Me. I was in prison and you came to visit Me...that which you have done to the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me."
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| The Corolla is totaled. I know what you're thinking. How can a vehicle that priceless ever be totaled? I was confused too. My worldview has been shattered.
So, for now, Ashley and I are in one vehicle. Her baby blue Volkswagen Beetle. The epitome of manhood. I have fun driving down the road and seeing young guys peering into the car, expecting to see a hot college chick. And they get me. Staring them down with a look that can only say, "Yea, baby, it's a Turbo."
Does what you drive define who you are? Considering the Beetle has a built-in vase to hold flowers, I hope not. Driving this vehicle around has definitely made me nail down my security and "manhood".
In a few months, I will have been married for a year. In a few more months, I turn 25. It's scary to think how much of a kid I still feel like. It's difficult sometimes to really define what it means to be a man, and to compare notes and see if I measure up.
I'm reminded of when Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:11, "When I was a child I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things." What does that mean? I always just thought it meant I hid my toys in the closet.
Does it mean that I don't stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing video games? Probably. Does it mean that in the morning when I wake up, instead of turning on Sportscenter I should begin my day in the Word? Probably.
But more than that, I think of what it was to be a child. A child's worldview is that everything centers around him and his desires. To be a man, I have to leave that behind.
To make decisions that are in the best interest of my wife, not myself. To conduct myself in a way that is a good representation of my congregation and the Kingdom, not my own selfish ambitions. To put the needs of others above my own, in all circumstances. A man has the perspective that life is much bigger and more important than himself.
Based on that definition, I know a lot of men that act like children, including myself.
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| I'm kind of maybe working on some new acoustic stuff. I've been really influenced lately by some great songwriters (Dylan, Derek Webb, Eddie Vedder on the "Into the Wild" soundtrack), have had a lot on my mind lately, and feel like this will be a healthy way to flesh some of it out. I'm sure I'll record some of it soon, so I'll keep you updated on the Myspace updates. This song is called "This Chest That We Keep Him In" in reference to either the Ark of the Covenant or our own, literal chest. Or both.
This Chest That We Keep Him In
Have we pushed ourselves to the brink again
Carrying this chest that we keep Him in
Who can understand the heart of God
When all we care about is who’s right or wrong?
O God, o God, o God help us somehow
Did we miss the point of our offerings
In ignoring those who were suffering
Blood’s the easiest stain to cover up
But the hardest one to wash away
Why do we keep drawing more lines in the sand
I can't wait for the high tide to come
I can't wait for the high tide to come
And wash them all away
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| I have had a lot on my mind lately. With the presidential election coming up, I've decided it's time for me to finally figure out where I stand on some of these issues, although I'm sure as I grow older I will continue to refine and rearrange my stances. It's impossible to claim that the Christian political stance is exclusively Republican or Democrat. (which should be obvious) There are ideas on both sides that I think Jesus would be for, and definitely some on both sides He would be against. So what do you do? How do you decide which issues are more important than the others? Or how can you believe either side will really make progress on the issues they are for?
I really like Donald Miller's thoughts on this. Essentially, in a system of checks and balances like we have in America, it is very difficult for substantial progress to take place. If we really want change to happen, it must happen on a grassroots level, within our communities. We can spend a lot of time, energy, and money trying to change policies (which isn't altogether useless), but if we don't change people's hearts and minds, what good would it do? (think of the prohibition. we changed the policy, but the behavior continued and perhaps even grew, and eventually the policy was reversed.)
I've read a lot of Jim Wallis' thoughts on Faith and Politics lately, which has brought a lot of insight. I've also been reading some of Obama's book, Audacity of Hope. He has a lot of interesting perspectives.
I have been reading through the book of Isaiah. (One of my New Year's Resolutions is to read through all of the major and minor prophets.) Isaiah is extremely politically involved. Now he was a part of the nation of Israel, so it makes sense to mix their political and religious ideals, and for him to be involved at both levels. I'm curious as to how we interweave faith and politics in America, and how much involvement should Christians have in these arenas in proportion to our activity in the Kingdom of God. Are they exclusive? Integrated? To what degree? Can we overstep our boundaries? Let our agendas infringe/disrespect the goals of non-Christians? etc.
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| This new year came fast. I wasn't really prepared. I haven't set aside time to think of goals, resolutions, etc. for '08. Do you guys have any?
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