Minor problem:
So, if you type in the wrong password 3 times, you're locked out, right? Well what if you're really close? I don't think that should count as one of your 3 chances - because you're probably not a hacker trying to brute-force your way in. I think there should be more lenience for close guesses.
My solution:
Have a higher threshold for number of incorrect guesses allowed. Say, 10. If your first 3 guesses are way off, you're locked out. But if you're pretty close, you can get up to 10 chances.
You may say, but wait, a bot might be able to see that it's guessing close because it got more than 3 chances, so it can narrow its search that much more.
To that, I would say, "Yes, that's a good point." To counter this, have two different "Locked Out" attributes for a user. One that is "Locked Out" and the other that is "Report Locked Out."
If 3 wild guesses are made, "Locked Out" is set. But "Report Locked Out" is not set until there are 10 incorrect guesses - regardless of how wild they are.
The response to the user is keyed off of the "Report Locked Out" field. If it is set, return "You're locked out" to the user, otherwise return "Login Unsuccessful" - or whatever you are saying for an incorrect password.
Now the only thing left is somehow to define what a "close" guess is.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Walking Alone At Eve
Walking alone at eve and viewing the skies afar,
Bidding the darkness come to welcome each silver star;
I have a great delight in the wonderful scenes above,
God in His power and might is showing His truth and love.
O for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest,
Sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest;
Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior's love,
Where I'll be pure and whole and live with my God above!
Sitting alone at eve and dreaming the hours away,
Watching the shadows falling now at the close of day;
God in His mercy comes with His Word He is drawing near,
Spreading His love and truth around me and everywhere.
O for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest,
Sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest;
Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior's love,
Where I'll be pure and whole and live with my God above!
Closing my eyes at eve and thinking of heaven's grace,
Longing to see my Lord, yes, meeting Him face to face;
Trusting Him as my all where-so-ever my footsteps roam,
Pleading with Him to guide me on to the spirits' home!
O for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest,
Sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest;
Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior's love,
Where I'll be pure and whole and live with my God above!
Bidding the darkness come to welcome each silver star;
I have a great delight in the wonderful scenes above,
God in His power and might is showing His truth and love.
O for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest,
Sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest;
Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior's love,
Where I'll be pure and whole and live with my God above!
Sitting alone at eve and dreaming the hours away,
Watching the shadows falling now at the close of day;
God in His mercy comes with His Word He is drawing near,
Spreading His love and truth around me and everywhere.
O for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest,
Sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest;
Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior's love,
Where I'll be pure and whole and live with my God above!
Closing my eyes at eve and thinking of heaven's grace,
Longing to see my Lord, yes, meeting Him face to face;
Trusting Him as my all where-so-ever my footsteps roam,
Pleading with Him to guide me on to the spirits' home!
O for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest,
Sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest;
Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior's love,
Where I'll be pure and whole and live with my God above!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Fiddler's Gun
I'm realizing that I can't remember the books that I've read very well, so I'm going to start trying to write "book reports" when I finish them. Maybe that'll help. Maybe not. Maybe I'll remember that I'm really bad at writing book reports. Oh well. Nobody reads this blog anyways ;)
Yesterday, I finished The Fiddler's Gun by A.S. "Pete" Peterson. This historical fiction is a beautiful tale of loss, love, action and pirates!
The setting for most of the book is colonial Georgia, around the 1770s. It doesn't take a historian to know that there is a lot of action to be found there, and Peterson finds it, to be sure. The protagonists is a young lady named Fin Button who is a stereotypical Tom Boy who is thrown into a set of circumstances that very unusual. At every step of the plot, the scenes, feelings and conversations are so decorated with imagery, that the reader is not only taken to 1770s Georgia, but he enjoys every nuance of the surroundings.
Not all of this book would be appropriate for young readers. There is death and slightly course language (though not nearly as much as one would expect, given the subject matter).
The weaknesses of the book were in the action scenes. They meandered and were sometimes hard to follow. Other than those blemishes, the book flows smoothly and the story is well-crafted.
The Fiddler's Gun is the first of a 2-book series. The last volume, The Fiddler's Green is due out on December 7th, 2010 and it is already on my Christmas list.
These book are (or will be) available at https://store.rabbitroom.com/
*SPOILER ALERT*
If you want to read this book, don't read any more of this blog post. It'll give away most of the plot.
Fin Button was born to a couple who had 12 girls. Her father was so disappointed that she (the 13th) wasn't a boy, that she was abandoned and sent to an orphanage in Ebenezer, GA. I wonder if this is a veiled allusion to Bilbo Baggins having 13 companions on his journey in The Hobbit.
She was a tough girl, living up to her fathers expectations (though he was completely out of the picture), beating up most of the boys in the orphanage... except Peter. Peter is the man she fell in love with and would eventually be engaged to.
One day, she was assigned to help Brother Bartimaeus in the kitchen. Because she was a teenager, and had antipathy for most authority figures, she grumbled. But she acquiesced. She came to love Bartimaeus (don't call him Bart) and he taught her how to play his violin. In the violin case, he also kept Betsy, his blunderbuss. Eventually, Bartimaeus (or was he Bart at this point?) used Betsy to save Fin's life after she ran away. This brought Bartimaeus out of the hiding he had been in and led directly to his being hanged for his past sins, when he was Bart. That of stealing, pirating, murder.
This ripped Fin up. She briefly took over for Bartimaeus in the kitchen until 6 British soldier came in demanding a meal. One of them was a near-victim of Bartimaeus's knife and Fin couldn't hold herself together. She killed all six of them and went on the run.
She left Ebenezer for the first time and landed on The Rattlesnake, a merchant ship headed by Captain Creache. Creache was a greedy, vile man who stayed in his quarters most of the time. Jack was the first mate and a bear of a man. He and Fin got along well, but her best friend on the ship was Tommy Knuttle. Knut was a shell of who he used to be, his life-force and sense beaten out of him by Creache some years ago.
Creache's greed put the crew in harm's way and Jack led an overthrow of the ship. The captain and his loyalists were set adrift and the rest of the 'Snake's crew took over.
Creache found land, reported the 'Snake's crew and what they had done and they were branded pirates. The British army wanted them for the Privateering they had done and now the colonies would hang them if they could find them. They had nowhere to go.
Eventually, the were captured and put on a British prison ship (the Justice), which they overthrew. This was rather worthless because the vessel was barely sea-worthy. As they sailed away, two British ships were easily gaining on them and when the ship-to-ship battle commenced, the colonial Marines stepped in to save the day. (It should be noted that the author is a US Marine.)
Jack, Fin and the rest of the crew make for Ebenezer which becomes the epicenter for the final battle scene. Creache discovered a map that Fin had, which told of a large cache of gold that Bartimaeus had buried at the orphanage. (Yep, 6 prepositions in that sentence.)
Creache was looking in the wrong place and Fin now knows where the gold is, but she doesn't dig it up.
The last action scene of the book shows Fin killing Creache, but losing a good crew-mate in the process. Also, Jack has lost the bottom half of one of his legs. I guess the pirate stereotype has to be achieved somehow, eh?
Peter rides in on a horse and tells Fin of the house that he has built for them. But both of them know that she has to run. She is wanted by the British for murder and she can't return unless and until the colonies win the war.
The book ends with Fin officially being made Captain of the Rattlesnake. They're sailing out into open waters to see how they can help the colonies win the war.
Yesterday, I finished The Fiddler's Gun by A.S. "Pete" Peterson. This historical fiction is a beautiful tale of loss, love, action and pirates!
The setting for most of the book is colonial Georgia, around the 1770s. It doesn't take a historian to know that there is a lot of action to be found there, and Peterson finds it, to be sure. The protagonists is a young lady named Fin Button who is a stereotypical Tom Boy who is thrown into a set of circumstances that very unusual. At every step of the plot, the scenes, feelings and conversations are so decorated with imagery, that the reader is not only taken to 1770s Georgia, but he enjoys every nuance of the surroundings.
Not all of this book would be appropriate for young readers. There is death and slightly course language (though not nearly as much as one would expect, given the subject matter).
The weaknesses of the book were in the action scenes. They meandered and were sometimes hard to follow. Other than those blemishes, the book flows smoothly and the story is well-crafted.
The Fiddler's Gun is the first of a 2-book series. The last volume, The Fiddler's Green is due out on December 7th, 2010 and it is already on my Christmas list.
These book are (or will be) available at https://store.rabbitroom.com/
*SPOILER ALERT*
If you want to read this book, don't read any more of this blog post. It'll give away most of the plot.
Fin Button was born to a couple who had 12 girls. Her father was so disappointed that she (the 13th) wasn't a boy, that she was abandoned and sent to an orphanage in Ebenezer, GA. I wonder if this is a veiled allusion to Bilbo Baggins having 13 companions on his journey in The Hobbit.
She was a tough girl, living up to her fathers expectations (though he was completely out of the picture), beating up most of the boys in the orphanage... except Peter. Peter is the man she fell in love with and would eventually be engaged to.
One day, she was assigned to help Brother Bartimaeus in the kitchen. Because she was a teenager, and had antipathy for most authority figures, she grumbled. But she acquiesced. She came to love Bartimaeus (don't call him Bart) and he taught her how to play his violin. In the violin case, he also kept Betsy, his blunderbuss. Eventually, Bartimaeus (or was he Bart at this point?) used Betsy to save Fin's life after she ran away. This brought Bartimaeus out of the hiding he had been in and led directly to his being hanged for his past sins, when he was Bart. That of stealing, pirating, murder.
This ripped Fin up. She briefly took over for Bartimaeus in the kitchen until 6 British soldier came in demanding a meal. One of them was a near-victim of Bartimaeus's knife and Fin couldn't hold herself together. She killed all six of them and went on the run.
She left Ebenezer for the first time and landed on The Rattlesnake, a merchant ship headed by Captain Creache. Creache was a greedy, vile man who stayed in his quarters most of the time. Jack was the first mate and a bear of a man. He and Fin got along well, but her best friend on the ship was Tommy Knuttle. Knut was a shell of who he used to be, his life-force and sense beaten out of him by Creache some years ago.
Creache's greed put the crew in harm's way and Jack led an overthrow of the ship. The captain and his loyalists were set adrift and the rest of the 'Snake's crew took over.
Creache found land, reported the 'Snake's crew and what they had done and they were branded pirates. The British army wanted them for the Privateering they had done and now the colonies would hang them if they could find them. They had nowhere to go.
Eventually, the were captured and put on a British prison ship (the Justice), which they overthrew. This was rather worthless because the vessel was barely sea-worthy. As they sailed away, two British ships were easily gaining on them and when the ship-to-ship battle commenced, the colonial Marines stepped in to save the day. (It should be noted that the author is a US Marine.)
Jack, Fin and the rest of the crew make for Ebenezer which becomes the epicenter for the final battle scene. Creache discovered a map that Fin had, which told of a large cache of gold that Bartimaeus had buried at the orphanage. (Yep, 6 prepositions in that sentence.)
Creache was looking in the wrong place and Fin now knows where the gold is, but she doesn't dig it up.
The last action scene of the book shows Fin killing Creache, but losing a good crew-mate in the process. Also, Jack has lost the bottom half of one of his legs. I guess the pirate stereotype has to be achieved somehow, eh?
Peter rides in on a horse and tells Fin of the house that he has built for them. But both of them know that she has to run. She is wanted by the British for murder and she can't return unless and until the colonies win the war.
The book ends with Fin officially being made Captain of the Rattlesnake. They're sailing out into open waters to see how they can help the colonies win the war.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Andrew Peterson
I was reading The Fiddler's Gun (by Pete Peterson) today at lunch when a friend from church came over for a brief chat. In my attempt to describe how I came to meet this book, I started with "have you heard of Andrew Peterson?" AP has become so ubiquitous in my own life (and this friend is an avid and long-time church-goer), I assumed a quick "sure" would be the answer and I would move on to the subject of The Rabbit Room and then the Hutchmoot, which is where I met Pete and bought his book.
However, I received a "no." I didn't hide my surprise very well and the unexpected answer derailed my response to his question about the book. I stumbled through explaining that the "A.S. Peterson" on the cover is not Andrew, but his brother Pete (prompting more quizzical faces) and mumbled a few incoherent thoughts about Rich Mullins and The Rabbit Room. I think I successfully conveyed my passion for AP's music though because toward the end of our brief conversation, my friend requested that I send him an email with a "top 10" list of AP's songs to whet his appetite.
I was giddy with excitement over a willing subject to my proselytizing AP's music. However now that I'm facing the task of compiling this list, I feel a weight of responsibility. I want to craft this list as carefully as AP crafts his songs, to win another pair of ears for my favorite Truth-teller.
My plan was to send him an email with 2 options. 1. The ADD Option: simply the list. If he just wants to get the list and judge for himself, have at it. 2. The More Involved Option: includes a description of why I included each song.
Then I thought, "I wish I had written something on my blog that I could show him. That way, he'd see that I've been a fan for a while and that it's something I really care about." In an attempt to avoid that thought in the future, here's the list (along with the enhanced attention span version).
As an aside, the order is intended not as a ranking, but as a playlist - how the songs would best flow.
1. Hosanna (Resurrection Letters, Vol 2)
2. The Chasing Song (Carried Along)
3. Queen of Iowa (The Far Country)
4. Song And Dance (Clear to Venus)
5. Canaan Bound (Love and Thunder)
6. Deliver Us (BTLOG)
7. After The Last Tear Falls (Love and Thunder)
8. Love Is A Good Thing (Resurrection Letters, Vol 2)
9. Isn't It Love (Appendix A)
10.The Ninety and Nine (Carried Along)
Honorable mention:
Fool With A Fancy Guitar (Counting Stars)
All Shall Be Well (The Far Country)
Romans 11:33 (Appendix A)
God Of My Fathers (Counting Stars)
Have Your Way (Resurrection Letters, Vol 2)
The plain list feels so hollow. I have gotten to know these creations fairly well over the past few years and they have helped to shape me into who I am. I feel like I'm introducing you to a person I love by simply telling you their name. No! If these were people, I would tell you what they do, how I met them, how they've affected my life, what we have in common and maybe a funny story or two about them. It's a little different for songs, but not much. With that in mind, here is the extended version of the list.
1. Hosanna
The album title begs some explanation: no, there isn't a RL, Vol 1 right now. He's pulling a George Lucas on us here. The prequel is yet to be written. For a more complete explanation, buy the album. The liner notes give a beautiful description.
"Hosanna" is a song that caught me up and tossed me around. It sounds like something I would hear on Christian Radio (safe for the family) with a Praise Band chorus of "Hosanna! See the long-awaited King, come to set His people free!" Yet the verses describe something heavier, far from safe. He describes himself as a liar, a hypocrite, an addict, a self-centered sinner. And this is what makes the chorus make sense. "Hosanna!" means "Save us now!"
2. The Chasing Song
This one is on his first CD (that I know of). It calls to stories from the Old Testament and the New to describe what different characters chased after and it questions what we chase after.
3. Queen of Iowa
I hope I get this story right. I believe AP wrote this about a woman from Iowa who was raped and developed AIDS. For some reason, this increased her faith. I don't get that, but praise God! Her fiance (not the perpetrator) stayed with her and they got married, but her life was obviously devastated. Apparently, AP is one of her favorite artists, so he and Ben Shive went to her house to play a few songs for her. It is a beautiful song about a beautiful woman.
4. Song and Dance
This song is a river flowing from King David through nature and history into today, declaring God's unchanging faithfulness.
5. Canaan Bound
This, the first track on Love and Thunder, also speaks to God's faithfulness. This time AP uses Abraham's story.
6. Deliver Us
The title of this CD is Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ. This concept album should be the subject of an entire blog post. But the idea of the album is to tell the story of the coming of Christ from Genesis through Jesus's life.
This song comes at the point in the story when the children of Israel are crying out to be delivered from Egyptian oppression, but is sung from an American Christian's point of view. (At least, that's my interpretation.)
Just as an informational note, Derek Webb sings this song on the album.
7. After the Last Tear Falls
This one cycles in and out of the #1 slot on my "favorite songs" list. I'll let it speak for itself though.
8. Love is a Good Thing
AP describes Love so beautifully. This is another example of that.
9. Isn't It Love
This song appeared on "Clear to Venus," but on his "Appendix A" album, he has a live version where it's slowed down to reflect the gravity of the message.
10. The Ninety and Nine
"But a Shepherd-made answer: 'This of mine has wandered away from me.'"
Honorable Mention:
Have Your Way
This one is #11. I love it, but it's kinda short. It's a beautiful Celtic prayer.
Fool With A Fancy Guitar
I felt like I should have a "Counting Stars" track on the list. Honestly, I don't like his most recent release as much. First, I haven't spent as much time with it, so I don't trust it as much. But secondly, he talks a lot about marriage, kids and family life on there - which is something that just doesn't connect with me in my current season.
I do like this song though, just not top 10 worthy.
All Shall Be Well
I love the melody, rhythm and storytelling in this song. Other than that it sucks. Haha.
Romans 11:33
I hope this makes it on a future recording some day. This is a live version of this song, but I love scripture songs and this is a good one.
God Of My Fathers
Another good one from Counting Stars - very family-oriented. Written by Ben Shive before he was married or had kids, interestingly enough.
Most importantly, if you have any interest in hearing any of these songs, please visit The Rabbit Room.
If you buy the songs through the Rabbit Room, they cost just as much as they would through iTunes, but a higher percentage goes to the artist.
Also importantly, please send me your input on these and other Andrew Peterson songs. I love discussing them.
However, I received a "no." I didn't hide my surprise very well and the unexpected answer derailed my response to his question about the book. I stumbled through explaining that the "A.S. Peterson" on the cover is not Andrew, but his brother Pete (prompting more quizzical faces) and mumbled a few incoherent thoughts about Rich Mullins and The Rabbit Room. I think I successfully conveyed my passion for AP's music though because toward the end of our brief conversation, my friend requested that I send him an email with a "top 10" list of AP's songs to whet his appetite.
I was giddy with excitement over a willing subject to my proselytizing AP's music. However now that I'm facing the task of compiling this list, I feel a weight of responsibility. I want to craft this list as carefully as AP crafts his songs, to win another pair of ears for my favorite Truth-teller.
My plan was to send him an email with 2 options. 1. The ADD Option: simply the list. If he just wants to get the list and judge for himself, have at it. 2. The More Involved Option: includes a description of why I included each song.
Then I thought, "I wish I had written something on my blog that I could show him. That way, he'd see that I've been a fan for a while and that it's something I really care about." In an attempt to avoid that thought in the future, here's the list (along with the enhanced attention span version).
As an aside, the order is intended not as a ranking, but as a playlist - how the songs would best flow.
1. Hosanna (Resurrection Letters, Vol 2)
2. The Chasing Song (Carried Along)
3. Queen of Iowa (The Far Country)
4. Song And Dance (Clear to Venus)
5. Canaan Bound (Love and Thunder)
6. Deliver Us (BTLOG)
7. After The Last Tear Falls (Love and Thunder)
8. Love Is A Good Thing (Resurrection Letters, Vol 2)
9. Isn't It Love (Appendix A)
10.The Ninety and Nine (Carried Along)
Honorable mention:
Fool With A Fancy Guitar (Counting Stars)
All Shall Be Well (The Far Country)
Romans 11:33 (Appendix A)
God Of My Fathers (Counting Stars)
Have Your Way (Resurrection Letters, Vol 2)
The plain list feels so hollow. I have gotten to know these creations fairly well over the past few years and they have helped to shape me into who I am. I feel like I'm introducing you to a person I love by simply telling you their name. No! If these were people, I would tell you what they do, how I met them, how they've affected my life, what we have in common and maybe a funny story or two about them. It's a little different for songs, but not much. With that in mind, here is the extended version of the list.
1. Hosanna
The album title begs some explanation: no, there isn't a RL, Vol 1 right now. He's pulling a George Lucas on us here. The prequel is yet to be written. For a more complete explanation, buy the album. The liner notes give a beautiful description.
"Hosanna" is a song that caught me up and tossed me around. It sounds like something I would hear on Christian Radio (safe for the family) with a Praise Band chorus of "Hosanna! See the long-awaited King, come to set His people free!" Yet the verses describe something heavier, far from safe. He describes himself as a liar, a hypocrite, an addict, a self-centered sinner. And this is what makes the chorus make sense. "Hosanna!" means "Save us now!"
2. The Chasing Song
This one is on his first CD (that I know of). It calls to stories from the Old Testament and the New to describe what different characters chased after and it questions what we chase after.
3. Queen of Iowa
I hope I get this story right. I believe AP wrote this about a woman from Iowa who was raped and developed AIDS. For some reason, this increased her faith. I don't get that, but praise God! Her fiance (not the perpetrator) stayed with her and they got married, but her life was obviously devastated. Apparently, AP is one of her favorite artists, so he and Ben Shive went to her house to play a few songs for her. It is a beautiful song about a beautiful woman.
4. Song and Dance
This song is a river flowing from King David through nature and history into today, declaring God's unchanging faithfulness.
5. Canaan Bound
This, the first track on Love and Thunder, also speaks to God's faithfulness. This time AP uses Abraham's story.
6. Deliver Us
The title of this CD is Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ. This concept album should be the subject of an entire blog post. But the idea of the album is to tell the story of the coming of Christ from Genesis through Jesus's life.
This song comes at the point in the story when the children of Israel are crying out to be delivered from Egyptian oppression, but is sung from an American Christian's point of view. (At least, that's my interpretation.)
Just as an informational note, Derek Webb sings this song on the album.
7. After the Last Tear Falls
This one cycles in and out of the #1 slot on my "favorite songs" list. I'll let it speak for itself though.
8. Love is a Good Thing
AP describes Love so beautifully. This is another example of that.
9. Isn't It Love
This song appeared on "Clear to Venus," but on his "Appendix A" album, he has a live version where it's slowed down to reflect the gravity of the message.
10. The Ninety and Nine
"But a Shepherd-made answer: 'This of mine has wandered away from me.'"
Honorable Mention:
Have Your Way
This one is #11. I love it, but it's kinda short. It's a beautiful Celtic prayer.
Fool With A Fancy Guitar
I felt like I should have a "Counting Stars" track on the list. Honestly, I don't like his most recent release as much. First, I haven't spent as much time with it, so I don't trust it as much. But secondly, he talks a lot about marriage, kids and family life on there - which is something that just doesn't connect with me in my current season.
I do like this song though, just not top 10 worthy.
All Shall Be Well
I love the melody, rhythm and storytelling in this song. Other than that it sucks. Haha.
Romans 11:33
I hope this makes it on a future recording some day. This is a live version of this song, but I love scripture songs and this is a good one.
God Of My Fathers
Another good one from Counting Stars - very family-oriented. Written by Ben Shive before he was married or had kids, interestingly enough.
Most importantly, if you have any interest in hearing any of these songs, please visit The Rabbit Room.
If you buy the songs through the Rabbit Room, they cost just as much as they would through iTunes, but a higher percentage goes to the artist.
Also importantly, please send me your input on these and other Andrew Peterson songs. I love discussing them.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Have a Little Faith
The following is an excerpt from Mitch Albom's book "Have a Little Faith." He's quoting a sermon delivered by the character he calls "Reb."
---------
A man seeks employment on a farm. He hands his letter of recommendation to his new employer. It reads simply, "He sleeps in a storm."
The owner is desperate for help, so he hires the man.
Several weeks pass, and suddenly, in the middle of the night, a powerful storm rips through the valley.
Awakened by the swirling rain and howling wind, the owner leaps out of bed. He calls for his new hired hand, but the man is sleeping soundly.
So he dashes off to the barn. He sees, to his amazement, that the animals are secure with plenty of feed.
He runs out to the field. He sees the bales of wheat have been bound and are wrapped in tarpaulins.
He races to the silo. The doors are latched, and the grain is dry.
And then he understands. "He sleeps in a storm."
My friends, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of "I could have, I should have." We can sleep in a storm.
And when it's time, our good-byes will be complete.
---------
A man seeks employment on a farm. He hands his letter of recommendation to his new employer. It reads simply, "He sleeps in a storm."
The owner is desperate for help, so he hires the man.
Several weeks pass, and suddenly, in the middle of the night, a powerful storm rips through the valley.
Awakened by the swirling rain and howling wind, the owner leaps out of bed. He calls for his new hired hand, but the man is sleeping soundly.
So he dashes off to the barn. He sees, to his amazement, that the animals are secure with plenty of feed.
He runs out to the field. He sees the bales of wheat have been bound and are wrapped in tarpaulins.
He races to the silo. The doors are latched, and the grain is dry.
And then he understands. "He sleeps in a storm."
My friends, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of "I could have, I should have." We can sleep in a storm.
And when it's time, our good-byes will be complete.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A big week
So far this week, I've received two out-of-the-blue emails from men that I admire for various reasons, asking me to share a stage with them. One of those two opportunities could even take me to Africa.
As if that weren't enough, they named a sandwich after me at my favorite restaurant today.
Big week.
As if that weren't enough, they named a sandwich after me at my favorite restaurant today.
Big week.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Running
Yesterday, about a mile and a half into my jog, I ran past a pond which two geese were standing near. For whatever reason, I really enjoy interacting with animals when I'm running. This usually takes the form of yelling "HEY COW!" when I pass by the cow fields or "Hey there puppy" when a someone is walking their dog. When I came upon the geese, I was feeling a bit froggy because I had gone farther with my run than I had anticipated, so I did my best gangsta impersonation, "Whad up, GEESE!" - complete with hand gestures, and repeated several times. It was fun.
Then about 5 seconds later, a nice young lady ran passed me from behind. It was obvious she saw/heard the whole thing. As she passed, I just meekly said, "sorry 'bout that." She didn't smile, but said, "that's alright" and sped up. I'm pretty sure I freaked her out. Oops.
Then about 5 seconds later, a nice young lady ran passed me from behind. It was obvious she saw/heard the whole thing. As she passed, I just meekly said, "sorry 'bout that." She didn't smile, but said, "that's alright" and sped up. I'm pretty sure I freaked her out. Oops.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Yesterday
Yesterday, for the second time in history, Murray State University won an NCAA basketball tournament game. The last time it happened, I was 8 years old and I remember it vividly. The guys had been to my house for dinner only weeks before - Paul King, Jeff Martin, Don Mann, Robert McClatchy, AJ Mensey and here they were: being referred to as "Cinderella" on national TV. My Dad and I watched MSU beat NC State, while my Mom took pictures from the baseline. Yep, Mom had traveled to Lincoln, NE for the game; it was so exciting to find her on TV!
I remember being so naif that I was genuinely surprised and upset when MSU lost the next game to the eventual tournament champion Kansas Jayhawks, led by Danny Manning. The refs called a foul on Carl Sias with seconds left that turned the game the Jayhawks way and I began to pout. I distinctly remember my father being amused at this and I got my first lesson in lowered expectations.
Over the subsequent 22 years, that lesson has come in very handy. The Racers tempted me many times to get my hopes up. In 1990, we took #1 Michigan State to overtime; in 1997, #2 Duke edged us out by 3; #3 UNC beat us by 4 in 2006. Each time, the thought crept in: "maybe this time." But no.
Yesterday, it was the same roller coaster all over again, except this time it was "this time." It's so weird that this team, whom I followed all around the OVC during my formative years, is now one of the main foci of the national sports media.
I honestly feel bad for my friends who are Vandy fans, but I have no idea how they feel. I can't imagine cheering for a team who's expected to win in the NCAA tournament. Much less, having that team just punch you in the gut. In Murray, we know to expect the punch.
But yesterday, at the apex of my celebratory leap, I took up that 8 year old's "blind optimism" and have been walking on air since then.
Thanks Racers.
I remember being so naif that I was genuinely surprised and upset when MSU lost the next game to the eventual tournament champion Kansas Jayhawks, led by Danny Manning. The refs called a foul on Carl Sias with seconds left that turned the game the Jayhawks way and I began to pout. I distinctly remember my father being amused at this and I got my first lesson in lowered expectations.
Over the subsequent 22 years, that lesson has come in very handy. The Racers tempted me many times to get my hopes up. In 1990, we took #1 Michigan State to overtime; in 1997, #2 Duke edged us out by 3; #3 UNC beat us by 4 in 2006. Each time, the thought crept in: "maybe this time." But no.
Yesterday, it was the same roller coaster all over again, except this time it was "this time." It's so weird that this team, whom I followed all around the OVC during my formative years, is now one of the main foci of the national sports media.
I honestly feel bad for my friends who are Vandy fans, but I have no idea how they feel. I can't imagine cheering for a team who's expected to win in the NCAA tournament. Much less, having that team just punch you in the gut. In Murray, we know to expect the punch.
But yesterday, at the apex of my celebratory leap, I took up that 8 year old's "blind optimism" and have been walking on air since then.
Thanks Racers.
Friday, February 5, 2010
My Work-Out Playlist
This will be interesting to no one.
About a year and a half ago, I was listening to some music while I was running at the Maryland Farms YMCA when Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning" came up on my mp3 player. I really like that song, so I perked up a bit. Suddenly, I realized that my steps were falling exactly to the rhythm of the song!
There have been a few moments of such epiphany in my life: a) my first kiss; b) the day I realized Excel could open web pages; c) the first time I tried hosting a website from my house and it worked; d) the day I downloaded autohotkey; e) the "Sunday Morning" moment. I remember each of these moments extremely vividly. Life changing. Seriously. Hey, stop laughing.
I'm focusing on "e" for right now, though each item on that list could be fodder for a long blog post.
When I got home from the Y, I listened to all of my favorite songs and tapped out the tempo for each of them. Sunday Morning turned out to be a 177, so that was my starting point. I sorted my work by bpm (thank you iTunes) and gathered the ones together that fell in the 160-210 range and grouped them by tens.
I immediately found that I could run about 75% farther than I was running - simply because I was running to the beat.
I've found that anything other than a 4/4 time signature doesn't really work for me, so after pruning 3/4 songs (etc) and ones that don't keep a steady tempo (live songs are bad about this), I settled into a nice playlist. Now each time I get a new album, I run it through my tempo filter to see if there are any additions. So after all this, here is my LONG list of workout songs. (Please don't read the whole list - I'm just putting it up here so I can look back at it later)
Here are the "highly recommended for running" ones
174 - Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega
177 - Rock Me Amedeus by Falco
177 - Sunday Morning by Maroon 5
183 - That Swing Song by Two Or More
185 - Zoot Suit Riot by Cherry Poppin' Daddies
185 - Aserejé by Las Ketchup
187 - Albuquerque by Weird Al Yankovic
188 - All That She Wants by Ace of Base
189 - The Remedy by Jason Mraz
The first half of the list
171 - Me and Becky by Chris Rice
172 - Waterfalls by TLC*
172 - Leave Me Alone (a cappella) by John McLemore
172 - Shiver by Maroon 5
173 - Death By Beauty by Sylvie Lewis
174 - Live High by Jason Mraz
174 - Voice of Truth by Won By One**
174 - Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega***
174 - God Is My Redeemer by Glad
175 - Good News by Chris Rice**
175 - I've Got News by Andrew Peterson
176 - Springs of Life by Ginny Owens
177 - Ramona by Randall Goodgame****
177 - Rock Me Amedeus by Falco***
177 - Sunday Morning by Maroon 5***
177 - He Restores My Soul by Kepano Green
178 - Secret by Maroon 5
178 - Pillar of Fire by Andrew Peterson
179 - You Found Me by FFH
179 - Hosea by Andrew Peterson
179 - The Difference by Rescue
180 - Shiloh by Andrew Peterson
--- - Love Handles by Sean Altman
181 - Sing To The Glory by Acappella
181 - Daisy Simone by Sean Altman
181 - Keeping the Faith by Billy Joel**
182 - Everything's OK by Chris Rice
183 - Rodeo Clowns by Jack Johnson
183 - Gloria by Glad
183 - Consume Me by DC Talk
183 - Free by Ginny Owens
183 - Love Enough by Andrew Peterson
183 - That Swing Song by Two Or More***
184 - Rocket by Andrew Peterson
185 - So Excited by Rescue
185 - Forgiven Not Forgotten by The Corrs**
185 - Next To You by Randall Goodgame
185 - Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkle
185 - Zoot Suit Riot by Cherry Poppin' Daddies***
185 - Aserejé by Las Ketchup***
185 - Africa by Toto
185 - Only Truth by Acappella
186 - Do Right by Take 6**
187 - Albuquerque by Weird Al Yankovic***
188 - All That She Wants by Ace of Base***
188 - The Rumor Weed Song by The W's
188 - Testify To Love by Avalon**
188 - Good to Be Free by FFH
189 - The Remedy by Jason Mraz***
Okay, this is getting ridiculous, so I'm going to stop. I'm still not sure why I'm blogging this, but oh well.
*Where I usually start these days
**Sometimes gets skipped
***Highly Recommend for running
****Where I used to start - I need to speed back up
About a year and a half ago, I was listening to some music while I was running at the Maryland Farms YMCA when Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning" came up on my mp3 player. I really like that song, so I perked up a bit. Suddenly, I realized that my steps were falling exactly to the rhythm of the song!
There have been a few moments of such epiphany in my life: a) my first kiss; b) the day I realized Excel could open web pages; c) the first time I tried hosting a website from my house and it worked; d) the day I downloaded autohotkey; e) the "Sunday Morning" moment. I remember each of these moments extremely vividly. Life changing. Seriously. Hey, stop laughing.
I'm focusing on "e" for right now, though each item on that list could be fodder for a long blog post.
When I got home from the Y, I listened to all of my favorite songs and tapped out the tempo for each of them. Sunday Morning turned out to be a 177, so that was my starting point. I sorted my work by bpm (thank you iTunes) and gathered the ones together that fell in the 160-210 range and grouped them by tens.
I immediately found that I could run about 75% farther than I was running - simply because I was running to the beat.
I've found that anything other than a 4/4 time signature doesn't really work for me, so after pruning 3/4 songs (etc) and ones that don't keep a steady tempo (live songs are bad about this), I settled into a nice playlist. Now each time I get a new album, I run it through my tempo filter to see if there are any additions. So after all this, here is my LONG list of workout songs. (Please don't read the whole list - I'm just putting it up here so I can look back at it later)
Here are the "highly recommended for running" ones
174 - Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega
177 - Rock Me Amedeus by Falco
177 - Sunday Morning by Maroon 5
183 - That Swing Song by Two Or More
185 - Zoot Suit Riot by Cherry Poppin' Daddies
185 - Aserejé by Las Ketchup
187 - Albuquerque by Weird Al Yankovic
188 - All That She Wants by Ace of Base
189 - The Remedy by Jason Mraz
The first half of the list
171 - Me and Becky by Chris Rice
172 - Waterfalls by TLC*
172 - Leave Me Alone (a cappella) by John McLemore
172 - Shiver by Maroon 5
173 - Death By Beauty by Sylvie Lewis
174 - Live High by Jason Mraz
174 - Voice of Truth by Won By One**
174 - Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega***
174 - God Is My Redeemer by Glad
175 - Good News by Chris Rice**
175 - I've Got News by Andrew Peterson
176 - Springs of Life by Ginny Owens
177 - Ramona by Randall Goodgame****
177 - Rock Me Amedeus by Falco***
177 - Sunday Morning by Maroon 5***
177 - He Restores My Soul by Kepano Green
178 - Secret by Maroon 5
178 - Pillar of Fire by Andrew Peterson
179 - You Found Me by FFH
179 - Hosea by Andrew Peterson
179 - The Difference by Rescue
180 - Shiloh by Andrew Peterson
--- - Love Handles by Sean Altman
181 - Sing To The Glory by Acappella
181 - Daisy Simone by Sean Altman
181 - Keeping the Faith by Billy Joel**
182 - Everything's OK by Chris Rice
183 - Rodeo Clowns by Jack Johnson
183 - Gloria by Glad
183 - Consume Me by DC Talk
183 - Free by Ginny Owens
183 - Love Enough by Andrew Peterson
183 - That Swing Song by Two Or More***
184 - Rocket by Andrew Peterson
185 - So Excited by Rescue
185 - Forgiven Not Forgotten by The Corrs**
185 - Next To You by Randall Goodgame
185 - Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkle
185 - Zoot Suit Riot by Cherry Poppin' Daddies***
185 - Aserejé by Las Ketchup***
185 - Africa by Toto
185 - Only Truth by Acappella
186 - Do Right by Take 6**
187 - Albuquerque by Weird Al Yankovic***
188 - All That She Wants by Ace of Base***
188 - The Rumor Weed Song by The W's
188 - Testify To Love by Avalon**
188 - Good to Be Free by FFH
189 - The Remedy by Jason Mraz***
Okay, this is getting ridiculous, so I'm going to stop. I'm still not sure why I'm blogging this, but oh well.
*Where I usually start these days
**Sometimes gets skipped
***Highly Recommend for running
****Where I used to start - I need to speed back up
Friday, January 8, 2010
My favorites
Top 4(ish) of 2009 - in no particular order
Books I read:
1. Lee Camp's "Mere Discipleship"
2. Don Miller's "A Million Miles In A Thousand Years"
3. C.S. Lewis's "The Problem of Pain"
4. David Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty One Day" (not the first time I read it though)
Movies I saw:
1. Star Trek
2. Avatar
3. Up
4. Zombieland
Albums I heard for the first time:
1. Andrew Peterson's "Resurrection Letters, Vol 2"
2. Andy Gullahorn's "The Law of Gravity"
3. Derek Webb's "Stockholm Syndrome"
New TV shows I like:
1. Community
2. Glee
3. Modern Family
4. Sing Off
Youtube Clips (sorry, I got carried away):
1. Autotune the News #2 2:40
2. Autotune the News #6 3:01
3. A cappella MJ medley 3:56
4. Weird Al song- "CNR" 2:42
5. The Web for Beginner 1:37
6. ...Goes the Dynomite 3:54
7. Literal TotalEclipse 5:33
8. Letterman v. Phoenix 5:04
9. Murder News Hilarity 0:10
Top 4(ish) of 2010
Books I want to read (but haven't yet):
1. Andrew Peterson's "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness"
2. Andrew Peterson's "North! Or Be Eaten"
3. Francis Chan's "Crazy Love"
4. David Dark's "The Sacredness of Questioning Everything"
Movies I want to see (but haven't yet):
1. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
2. Where The Wild Things Are
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. (500) Days of Summer
5. An Education
6. The Princess and the Frog
Artists whose new album I want to hear:
1. Caedmon's Call
2. Andrew Peterson
3. Vocal Union (yeah, like that'll happen)
TV Shows I'll probably stop watching:
1. Lost (it's ending)
2. The Office (losing interest)
3. The Big Bang Theory (meh)
4. How I Met Your Mother (we'll see)
------
Miles run:
2009 - 540(ish)
2010 - 701
Weight lost:
2009 - 5(ish)
2010 - 20 (6 so far)
New places:
2009: Belfast, Ireland; Saskatoon, Canada; Manitoba, Canada; Voodoo Doughnut; Glacier Nat'l Park, Montana; Coure D'Alene, ID; Erin, TN
2010: Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
Books I read:
1. Lee Camp's "Mere Discipleship"
2. Don Miller's "A Million Miles In A Thousand Years"
3. C.S. Lewis's "The Problem of Pain"
4. David Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty One Day" (not the first time I read it though)
Movies I saw:
1. Star Trek
2. Avatar
3. Up
4. Zombieland
Albums I heard for the first time:
1. Andrew Peterson's "Resurrection Letters, Vol 2"
2. Andy Gullahorn's "The Law of Gravity"
3. Derek Webb's "Stockholm Syndrome"
New TV shows I like:
1. Community
2. Glee
3. Modern Family
4. Sing Off
Youtube Clips (sorry, I got carried away):
1. Autotune the News #2 2:40
2. Autotune the News #6 3:01
3. A cappella MJ medley 3:56
4. Weird Al song- "CNR" 2:42
5. The Web for Beginner 1:37
6. ...Goes the Dynomite 3:54
7. Literal TotalEclipse 5:33
8. Letterman v. Phoenix 5:04
9. Murder News Hilarity 0:10
Top 4(ish) of 2010
Books I want to read (but haven't yet):
1. Andrew Peterson's "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness"
2. Andrew Peterson's "North! Or Be Eaten"
3. Francis Chan's "Crazy Love"
4. David Dark's "The Sacredness of Questioning Everything"
Movies I want to see (but haven't yet):
1. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
2. Where The Wild Things Are
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. (500) Days of Summer
5. An Education
6. The Princess and the Frog
Artists whose new album I want to hear:
1. Caedmon's Call
2. Andrew Peterson
3. Vocal Union (yeah, like that'll happen)
TV Shows I'll probably stop watching:
1. Lost (it's ending)
2. The Office (losing interest)
3. The Big Bang Theory (meh)
4. How I Met Your Mother (we'll see)
------
Miles run:
2009 - 540(ish)
2010 - 701
Weight lost:
2009 - 5(ish)
2010 - 20 (6 so far)
New places:
2009: Belfast, Ireland; Saskatoon, Canada; Manitoba, Canada; Voodoo Doughnut; Glacier Nat'l Park, Montana; Coure D'Alene, ID; Erin, TN
2010: Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Hosanna
The following is an excerpt from a sermon by Russ Ramsey. To hear the context, you can download the free podcast called "The Rabbit Room Podcast." I transcribed this from Episode 12, so any typos or grammatical mistakes are mine. I pick up around the 24:08 mark, where Mr. Ramsey is discussing Luke 19:28-44, particularly verse 38.
--begin transcription
"Blessed is the King!" - those are strong words in the ears of Caesar. And everyone knows they mean Jesus. Some of the Pharisees who are present, they go up to Jesus, and they say, "Hey! Stop this! Make them shhhh! Because You know what could happen if this gets back to somebody in the higher ups."
...
See, Israel had struck a compromise with Rome and it is insidious when you look at it. The compromise was this: they (Israel) could continue their worship practices so long as they obeyed Roman rule, paid their taxes and kept the peace. But any hint of insurgency was going to be dealt with, make no mistake, swiftly and without mercy. And this, for Rome, was just brilliant. Because, think of it, Rome had persuaded Israel that their right to worship the God that their national identity was built upon was a privilege that was granted to them by Caesar. That is just politically brilliant. If you want to be an oppressor, and you don't want to constantly have to be bullying people to keep them in line, and their national identity is built upon their worship of one God in stead of many, let them. But make sure that they understand that you can take that privilege away in a heartbeat. And then they will worship with the knowledge that their privilege of worship is granted to them by Caesar. What this does, is it takes the religious leaders and it divides their loyalty between the God of their Bible and the ruler of their occupying force.
--end transcription
There is much more that Mr. Ramsey has to say, but this knocked me down with its available application to today's American Christians.
It is a brilliant political plot, indeed, to make sure that all religious Americans are constantly reminded that their religious freedom hinges on America's existence and domination. With an unspoken hint of "the ends justify the means," it's a quick jump to a holy war.
I do believe that God has blessed America. I balk at attempting to assign a reason for that blessing (or a reason for that blessing's apparent waning).
If America ends (and I have NO idea what that means), I will still be able to praise my Lord and Savior: Jesus, the Christ. Nor will I be beyond the reach of His Love.
Come, Lord Jesus.
--begin transcription
"Blessed is the King!" - those are strong words in the ears of Caesar. And everyone knows they mean Jesus. Some of the Pharisees who are present, they go up to Jesus, and they say, "Hey! Stop this! Make them shhhh! Because You know what could happen if this gets back to somebody in the higher ups."
...
See, Israel had struck a compromise with Rome and it is insidious when you look at it. The compromise was this: they (Israel) could continue their worship practices so long as they obeyed Roman rule, paid their taxes and kept the peace. But any hint of insurgency was going to be dealt with, make no mistake, swiftly and without mercy. And this, for Rome, was just brilliant. Because, think of it, Rome had persuaded Israel that their right to worship the God that their national identity was built upon was a privilege that was granted to them by Caesar. That is just politically brilliant. If you want to be an oppressor, and you don't want to constantly have to be bullying people to keep them in line, and their national identity is built upon their worship of one God in stead of many, let them. But make sure that they understand that you can take that privilege away in a heartbeat. And then they will worship with the knowledge that their privilege of worship is granted to them by Caesar. What this does, is it takes the religious leaders and it divides their loyalty between the God of their Bible and the ruler of their occupying force.
--end transcription
There is much more that Mr. Ramsey has to say, but this knocked me down with its available application to today's American Christians.
It is a brilliant political plot, indeed, to make sure that all religious Americans are constantly reminded that their religious freedom hinges on America's existence and domination. With an unspoken hint of "the ends justify the means," it's a quick jump to a holy war.
I do believe that God has blessed America. I balk at attempting to assign a reason for that blessing (or a reason for that blessing's apparent waning).
If America ends (and I have NO idea what that means), I will still be able to praise my Lord and Savior: Jesus, the Christ. Nor will I be beyond the reach of His Love.
Come, Lord Jesus.
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