ddfbjlee's Xanga

Wordpress

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:37:45 GMT

I may be joining the mass Xanga exodus; I really like how customizable wordpress is.

Anyway, I may start posting here.

-bj

limericks

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:38:32 GMT

If you catch a Chinchilla in Chile
And cut off its beard, willy-nilly
You can honestly say
That you have just made
A Chilean Chinchilla's chin chilly

***

There was a zookeep from Nantucket
Who was struck by a fish -- couldn't duck it
He was thrown from the cage
By a pinniped's rage.
Quoth the walrus, "You can't has mah bukkit!"

***
A young psychic midget named Marge
Went to jail with the most heinous charge
But despite lock and key
The next day she broke free
And the headlines said "Small Medium at Large"

More here: http://www.limerickdb.com

-bj

kazookeylele

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:43:04 GMT

Dude, I want one.

Epic.

For those of you who never have heard of jon mclaughlin, watch this interview (and listen to his self-titled cd and his "Indiana" cd before listening to his newest cd.)

-bj

Monday, October 06, 2008

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:03:40 GMT

Oh man, what an awesome game: Kung Fu Election!

-bj

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:23:13 GMT

cool physics game: http://fantasticcontraption.com/

a CRAZY design: http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=1034479

-bj

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:26:56 GMT

-bj

excerpts from my current rhapsody playlist

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:01:41 GMT

when you're soaring through the air
i'll be your solid ground
take every chance you dare
i'll still be there
when you come back down
-nickel creek, "when you come back down"

***

on and on
we keep going
crowded like cars
on and on
to the beat of our noisy hearts
-matt nathanson, "to the beat of our noisy hearts"

***

'cuz it hits me like a lightning
that love must keep fighting
that somehow, everytime
love is gonna break through
-chris rice, "love is gonna break through"

***

i can't change the world
'cuz trying to make a difference makes it worse
it's just an observation i can't ignore
but people should smile more
-newton faulkner, "people should smile more"

***

our step mom, we did everything to hate her
she took us down to the edge of decatur
we saw the light and the kangaroo take her
down to the river where they caught a wild alligator
-sufjan stevens, "decatur"

***

you are my undertow
caught in a riptide
and i am currently in love with you
-keaton simons, "currently"

***

'cuz i left my mind in the airport
my thoughts in a taxi
my heart in reception
and the last thing i saw was you
-sondre lerche, "airport taxi reception"

***

you were born to stumble and to learn
in a stardust covered universe
we demand the impossible
and tomorrow is earned
-jakob dylan, "stardust universe"

***

because the world is spinning, turning day to night
and my thoughts are running at the speed of light
got an empty filling that i never want to fill
absolutely still
-val emmich, "absolutely still"

***

i shut the world away from here
drift to you, you're all i hear
everything we know fades to black
half the time the world is ending
truth is i am done pretending
i never thought that i had any more to give
pushing me so far, here i am without you
drink to all that we have lost, mistakes we have made
everything will change, but love remains the same
-gavin rossdale, "love remains the same"

***

oh crystal ball, crystal ball
save us all
tell me life is beautiful
-keane, "crystal ball"

-bj

mondo

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:40:48 GMT

Condo! Hopefully it will be done soon.

-bj

Ahh, coworkers...

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:58:17 GMT

Jon: You know those times where you really have to take a dump? During those times, have you ever considered letting a little out just to get that small bit of relief to carry you over until you can reach the bathroom?
Me: Dude! No! You're sick.

****

Henry: You know what I can't wrap my mind around? I've been wondering a lot about this lately.
Me: What's that?
Henry: Baby pandas. I mean, do the momma pandas even know when the baby is born? The babies are so tiny! How do they not get squished?

****

Jon (again): Let's say you were dying of starvation. Would you cut off part of your body and start eating it? Do you think you'd get any nutritional value out of it, and would that be enough to negate the blood loss?
Me: Uhm, gross.

****

Sometimes we just need to vent. Is venting different than complaining?

****

It's pretty liberating to recognize your own frustrations and to voice them.

****

YOUR FACE!

****

Jason: Yay, it's time for ice cream!
Me: It's time for FACE CREAM!
Jason: Why'd you have to bring that up? I know! I had a really bad breakout.

Oops.

-bj

Isaiah

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:54:49 GMT

I love the book of Isaiah.

"'Woe to the rebellious children,' says the Lord, 'Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who walk to go down to Egypt, and have not asked My advice, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame, and trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation.'" (Isaiah 30:1-3)

This passage really resonated with me as I meditated this morning. On the surface, it appears like the Israelites weren't doing anything blatantly wrong. God wasn't telling them to stop worshiping idols. He wasn't telling them to stop their adultery. Instead, he condemns their self-reliance and their reliance on Egypt. To put it another way, God is condemning their lack of reliance on Him for EVERYTHING.

Now, as a Christian here in America, this really struck me. We live a pretty comfortable life here in America. It's easy to become complacent in our comfortable little bubble and trust that our government will handle everything. But this is exactly what was happening to the children of Israel. The Israelites were becoming comfortable in Egypt. They were relying on Egypt for safety and protection from their enemies, when God had explicitly warned Israel not to return to Egypt or to form an alliance with them. (Deuteronomy 17:16, 31:1). The Israelites placed more faith in Egypt than they did in God.

It seems like we're in a similar situation now. We trust in our military to keep us safe. We trust in our scientists to come out with the cures for all our ailments. We trust in our economists to ensure our job security and to protect our wealth. And what does God say to this? He will turn this reliance and trust in anything but Himself into our shame.

I have to admit, I don't go about my day seeking God's will. God knows that even if man tries to plan his own way, God, in His sovereignty, is the one still directing the movement. As Solomon points out, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) Still, God desires that we be seeking His will, expressing our full reliance on Him through prayer.

Why does God insist on reliance solely on Him? He knows that anything we place our trust in that is not Himself will fail us. See what he says a chapter earlier. He tells the Israelites, "Therefore, behild, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the wisdom of their prudent men shall be hidden." (Isaiah 29:17). God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom. Human wisdom will fail us, but God never will.

See the contrast that God is making, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. But you would not, and you said, 'No, for we will flee on horses' - Therefore you shall flee! And, 'We will ride on swift horses' - Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift." (Isaiah 30:19) Trusting in the things and ways of man is not how God wil save us. God saves us when we are quietly confident in Him. He saves us when we are fully reliant on His plans for us. As David wrote, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember (trust) the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7)

God was pronouncing woe, or judgment, on the children of Israel for their lack of reliance on Him. He is adamant in the necessity to trust only in Him. We need to understand how serious God is that we are not to misplace our trust. Putting our faith elsewhere is idolatry. It's taking away glory that is rightfully His and placing it on His creation. This infuriates God. We need to have a healthy fear of displeasing God.

Yet, we have the hope that just as God was gracious to the Israelites, so He will be grateful to us. Here's what he told the Israelites. "Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him." (Isaiah 30:18-19) God is exalted in His mercy towards us. Brothers and sisters, we must wait expectantly for Him. Wait on His plans and His timing. Trust solely in Him to direct our paths.

I love the book of Isaiah because you see how much God is displeased by sin, but I feel I get a better glimpse into God's heart in this book than anywhere else in the Bible. He just is so personal. He will save His people. He will be gracious to us and have mercy on us. He blesses those that wait on Him.

-bj