It’s always nice to read, especially in the Summer when one actually has time to read what one wants. So, I’ll give a quick overview of what I’m reading right now.
Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem. As the title suggests, this isn’t exactly light reading. It is exactly what it sounds like: Systematically going through theology. It explores different facets in every chapter. For example, a section may be on Jesus, so one chapter will be on his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Then it goes through, sort of super expanded bullet point style. Its got verses to go with everything, but some of the best stuff is the difficult passages that seem contradictory or different theories that make one look at something in a whole new light. Of course, most are explained excellently and really help me gain a great appreciation for the Bible for how true it is. I mean, when one sees a passage of Scripture that doesn’t seem to line up with the rest, it can create a lot of doubt, but then to get it explained and for it to make sense feels so reassuring. I actually had started reading it last year, and read a lot over the Summer, but then sort of took an extended hiatus during the school year, and now I decided to pick it back up again. I’m on like page 640 and there’s over 1,200, so I’m uh, either well on my way or not even close, depending on the way you look at it. But I’m in no rush. It’s been a great book and really has set a great foundation for my faith. The only big gripe I have with it is that it seems to lean toward an interpretation of Genesis 1 that has the earth being millions/billions of years old. Now this is one issue that I was raised on strongly, and I believe in a literal day/apparent age theory, so I was frustrated by that. And a lot of these issues I haven’t really explored or never really knew it to be an issue so it’s been enlightening.
Introduction to Comparative Politics by Mark Kesselman et. al. Not really light reading either, this 600+ page college level textbook is something to prepare me for the AP Comparative Government and Politics exam. It’s one of the more interesting textbooks I’ve read because of the way information is presented. Basically, it goes through numerous case studies of countries around the world, “Democracies, transitional democracies, and authoritarian regimes” are the three main topics and there are over 10 countries studied, from the US to India, to Mexico, to Iran, and everything in between. It has really been an eye opener for me and has been very interesting. Here-to-fore I had never really known anything about the actual way the governments of other countries worked. I mean, I knew most were parliamentary, but that was the miniscule extent of my knowledge. Annoyingly though, being a “normal” college textbook, it oozes liberalism through every page. I kid you not, I believe every single time the word “conservative” was used, it was negatively. People who believed in free markets in places like Brazil were called “Neoliberals” in terms of economics. I mean, ugh. On the bright side, the book has really made me appreciate my country a lot more. Regardless of how they slam the Constitution as creating a government that is purposely inefficient and contentious (ie. the way a President and Congress can be of other parties and be diametrically opposed to the point that legislation is extremely difficult to pass) I really am thankful I do not live in Brazil or Russia. And I haven’t even reached the Authoritarian regimes section either!
The Greatest Among You by Randy Sims. I just received this book from a friend at camp a few weeks ago, but I have just gotten around to reading it now. When I heard it’s title mentioned, my ears immediately perked up. It sounded cool and I was told I could have it soon. Lo and behold, there it was in the package at camp (Which also contained some delicious chocolate chip cookies). The title is self-explanatory. The book speaks to people my age (Specifically students) about how to become leaders through servanthood (How is that not a word? Two words? Are you kidding me?). As it may sound already, the book is written from a Christian perspective, and emphasizes first of all that none of the change and growth encouraged in this book is possible without Christ in you, it takes an entire chapter to emphasize that the foundation for our character is Christlikeness. (Grr, that’s a word. Don’t give me this dictionary…). I’ve only gotten through that part because I’ve decided to schedule out my reading to one chapter a day so I can be consistent, take it in, and not read through it too quickly.
I guess I should put it up there, but I’m also reading through the Bible in a year. Our church did it last year chronologically and this year we’re going through “normally”. Basically, in order to keep things fresh and cool, we start at Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs, and Matthew. Genesis goes through the entire old testament (Sans Psalms and Proverbs obviously) and Matthew goes through Revelation. We go through Proverbs once and Psalms twice. I’m going through it with my ESV Study Bible that I got for Christmas. It is really beneficial and is the best Bible I’ve ever had, not only because of it’s insight and lodes of information that help one understand things better, but also the fact that it’s an ESV (English Standard Version) translation. In short, I think it’s the best, but more on that later. So I really hope that by the end of the year, I will be able to say more about myself than that I’ve finally read the Bible from cover to cover, but that it’s really changed my life and made me a better person, more sensitive to the prodding of the Holy Spirit and more like Christ than ever before.
Oy vey, I need to get ready for bed. I need to get up early tomorrow and I’ve got a long day…
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Christian Rap: The Confusion, the Truth
In a car riding home from a few hours of door to door work with other Roskam interns, we were on the topic of music and I brought up the fact that I like Christian rap. The reaction from my non-Christian audience was quite comical. “What?”, “There’s such thing as that?” and other statements of confusion were immediately uttered.
As a Christian, a lot of the music I listen to is Christian. Not all of it, but most. And so it’s interesting to explore different genres of Christian music in places that might be unexpected. For example, Christian rap. Now, to some, that may seem like an oxymoron. Many Christians in society have a knee-jerk bad reaction to any forms of rap, which has been given a bad name by many secular rappers, whose music is admittedly disgusting. However, this doesn’t mean that all rap is bad, and actually, when one really listens to the lyrics, they’re as Christian as that of Michael W. Smith, Hillsong, and all the other worship bands and artist out there.
Another reason why I like Christian rap is that it’s creative. What I mean is, some worship songs are really really simple and really really repetitive. Now, let me emphasize here that there is a spiritual and Biblical benefit to repetition, as it can really have someone focus on the lyrics of the song that put them in a position of better worship to Christ. However, as one who is not as spiritually “turned on” so to speak by music, it’s nice to have people singing lyrics about how God has changed their lives and actually producing full trains of thought. Sometimes I think that anyone can make a worship song, you just have to get a chorus and a verse or two and just repeat it to death for 4 minutes. Again, for some people, that might really help them focus on Christ, but for me, I can appreciate all the thought and creativity that has to be put into a Christian rap song, simply because it requires more lyrics and often a rhyme scheme.
So essentially, I think Christian rap is massively misunderstood and has been given a bad name, yet in reality, it is an awesome way to not only worship, but to hear the testimonies of so many people who God worked incredible miracles in.
As a Christian, a lot of the music I listen to is Christian. Not all of it, but most. And so it’s interesting to explore different genres of Christian music in places that might be unexpected. For example, Christian rap. Now, to some, that may seem like an oxymoron. Many Christians in society have a knee-jerk bad reaction to any forms of rap, which has been given a bad name by many secular rappers, whose music is admittedly disgusting. However, this doesn’t mean that all rap is bad, and actually, when one really listens to the lyrics, they’re as Christian as that of Michael W. Smith, Hillsong, and all the other worship bands and artist out there.
Another reason why I like Christian rap is that it’s creative. What I mean is, some worship songs are really really simple and really really repetitive. Now, let me emphasize here that there is a spiritual and Biblical benefit to repetition, as it can really have someone focus on the lyrics of the song that put them in a position of better worship to Christ. However, as one who is not as spiritually “turned on” so to speak by music, it’s nice to have people singing lyrics about how God has changed their lives and actually producing full trains of thought. Sometimes I think that anyone can make a worship song, you just have to get a chorus and a verse or two and just repeat it to death for 4 minutes. Again, for some people, that might really help them focus on Christ, but for me, I can appreciate all the thought and creativity that has to be put into a Christian rap song, simply because it requires more lyrics and often a rhyme scheme.
So essentially, I think Christian rap is massively misunderstood and has been given a bad name, yet in reality, it is an awesome way to not only worship, but to hear the testimonies of so many people who God worked incredible miracles in.
Who I is?
Yes, the inevitable post of selfishness where I talk all about me. As much as I like myself, the post is somewhat obligatory. I’d rather talk about what I think. However, it is important to understand where I’m coming from and what I believe because all these things with certainly color my writing and be quite evident in it.
So first and foremost, I am a Christian. I have been one since I was 4 years old and it is the most central aspect of my life. This of course is easy to say, but hard to live out. It’s a constant struggle for me to put Christ and what He wants to do with me before myself and my desires. My favorite verse sums up myself quite nicely. 1 Corinthians 15:10 says: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. This verse really means a lot to me because I have been given much. I can easily credit my accomplishments to myself, but it is God and His grace working through me that has enabled me to be who I am. I want to be the person who in this life, works their tail off serving Christ and doing my best, all through the power of God.
I also have very strong political views. I will not hesitate to say that I’m a conservative Republican and I actually am interning for my Congressman, Rep. Peter Roskam of the 6th IL Congressional District. So some of my posts now and in the future might involve interesting things that have happened while volunteering there.
My laptop (An IBM ThinkPad T40) is one of my most treasured electronic companions. I use it all the time and have really poured quite a bit of my life on it, considering all the Documents, pictures, and other things loaded on it. However, it is getting old and worn, so I’m hoping to get one in the next few years, depending on how much money I can acquire.
I also love photography. My Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 point and shoot has served me well for over two years and I’ve taken thousands of pictures with it. If you ask my friends, they’d say I’m obsessed with taking pictures and it occasionally annoys them when I shoot them relentlessly at camp and pretty much everywhere.
I also love to read. I’ve always been a reader, whether of books or online articles. I’m hoping that I can find a widget or some custom thing to have a “Currently reading” section somewhere on this blog. My reading style can be quite odd though, as I read extremely fast, so my comprehension isn’t all that fantastic. At least with novels and exciting books, I want to read to know what happens, so I try to find out as fast as possible. I also like academic reading of AP textbooks and other things that will help me for the classes and tests and make me feel smart too.
My favorite music is another odd thing. I really don’t have too many favorites. I am not that loyal to artists and usually only like 1 or a few songs of theirs. I do like Taylor Swift a lot though. Her songs are really well done and her voice is fantastic. I like all sorts of Christian music, but Hillsong’s worship music is just phenomenal. Also, some Christian rap songs are really cool too, but more on that later.
Well, that should be all. I’m done. There are better and more exciting things to write about and I’m sure you’ll see further aspects of my life and personality come out as this blog continues.
So first and foremost, I am a Christian. I have been one since I was 4 years old and it is the most central aspect of my life. This of course is easy to say, but hard to live out. It’s a constant struggle for me to put Christ and what He wants to do with me before myself and my desires. My favorite verse sums up myself quite nicely. 1 Corinthians 15:10 says: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. This verse really means a lot to me because I have been given much. I can easily credit my accomplishments to myself, but it is God and His grace working through me that has enabled me to be who I am. I want to be the person who in this life, works their tail off serving Christ and doing my best, all through the power of God.
I also have very strong political views. I will not hesitate to say that I’m a conservative Republican and I actually am interning for my Congressman, Rep. Peter Roskam of the 6th IL Congressional District. So some of my posts now and in the future might involve interesting things that have happened while volunteering there.
My laptop (An IBM ThinkPad T40) is one of my most treasured electronic companions. I use it all the time and have really poured quite a bit of my life on it, considering all the Documents, pictures, and other things loaded on it. However, it is getting old and worn, so I’m hoping to get one in the next few years, depending on how much money I can acquire.
I also love photography. My Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 point and shoot has served me well for over two years and I’ve taken thousands of pictures with it. If you ask my friends, they’d say I’m obsessed with taking pictures and it occasionally annoys them when I shoot them relentlessly at camp and pretty much everywhere.
I also love to read. I’ve always been a reader, whether of books or online articles. I’m hoping that I can find a widget or some custom thing to have a “Currently reading” section somewhere on this blog. My reading style can be quite odd though, as I read extremely fast, so my comprehension isn’t all that fantastic. At least with novels and exciting books, I want to read to know what happens, so I try to find out as fast as possible. I also like academic reading of AP textbooks and other things that will help me for the classes and tests and make me feel smart too.
My favorite music is another odd thing. I really don’t have too many favorites. I am not that loyal to artists and usually only like 1 or a few songs of theirs. I do like Taylor Swift a lot though. Her songs are really well done and her voice is fantastic. I like all sorts of Christian music, but Hillsong’s worship music is just phenomenal. Also, some Christian rap songs are really cool too, but more on that later.
Well, that should be all. I’m done. There are better and more exciting things to write about and I’m sure you’ll see further aspects of my life and personality come out as this blog continues.
First Blog Post
Well, I've finally done it!....again. After a previous failed attempt at creating a blog, or rather, a website that I was able to update with my thoughts, I was quite leery of making one, especially considering that I would have to deal with pretty much no one reading it. Add to the fact that I am not the kind of person to share my thoughts with the world, and you have one quite hesitant blogger. However, I realized that so often I have so many thoughts and no where to put them. I've attempted journaling (How is that not a word?) a couple times, but never got consistent. This also happens to be one of my fears, as I hope I will be able to continue this for years to come and not have it fizzle out after a few weeks (or days).
So, this blog, as the title and subtitle explain, is simply my thoughts as they happen to pop into my head. I am an organized person, but this is certainly not meant to be. It is meant to be unlimited by topic or anything for that matter. It also is from the perspective of a person with a quite ordinary life. While I do not consider myself an ordinary person, the life that I live is. So if you also expect blog posts concerning recent trips to Brazil, Bulgaria, or anywhere outside of the Continental US, look elsewhere or be quite disappointed.
Well, that's about it for the moment, I still have some setup work to do.
Aut Vincere Aut Mori
So, this blog, as the title and subtitle explain, is simply my thoughts as they happen to pop into my head. I am an organized person, but this is certainly not meant to be. It is meant to be unlimited by topic or anything for that matter. It also is from the perspective of a person with a quite ordinary life. While I do not consider myself an ordinary person, the life that I live is. So if you also expect blog posts concerning recent trips to Brazil, Bulgaria, or anywhere outside of the Continental US, look elsewhere or be quite disappointed.
Well, that's about it for the moment, I still have some setup work to do.
Aut Vincere Aut Mori
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