"Chroma"

So Chroma is a Greek word meaning saturation. Just thought I’d throw that out there.

And the definition for saturation is “a state of maximum impregnation” and “complete infiltration.” If you find that as interesting as I do, then we’re on the same page.

You might have noticed that all of the titles of my posts have been album names from various musical artists. From the first post to the most recent I have used the titles of albums by Blindside, StrongArm, Five Iron Frenzy, Gym Class Heroes, Muse, Anberlin and Dogwood, respectively. And Chroma is the title of Cartel’s latest album. Although I have gone in alphabetical order (I don’t count indefinite articles as “real words”) I always have an idea of what I’m going to write about after I decide which album title to use. It’s a God-speaking-through-mysterious-avenues type of situation. Before I saw the word Chroma, I had no idea what to write about as I sat down to the keyboard. But, as soon as I saw it – without even knowing what it meant – it came to me.

God called each of His creations to be fruitful. We interpret the context He used with Adam and Eve to mean by reproducing and having children. But if you look throughout the Word, God is constantly talking about being fruitful. The fig tree, “go and make disciples,” the parable of the talents. And I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: People mistakenly quote God without truly understanding what He is saying. I heard someone once say that people who don’t know God do not have the capability to understand His Word, regardless of their education. You can go to seminary, learn Greek, Hebrew and Armenian, and read all the research books written about the Bible, but if you don’t know the Author, you will never know what He really means. That’s why I don’t understand the concept of book clubs getting together to try and figure out what the author means. It can only live up to be meaningless analysis of an incorrect assumption. Once in a blue moon can someone accurately decipher an author’s feelings and meaning, and even then, it’s merely luck.

Yet people try to do it with God constantly. We sit down with our Bibles and our concordances, map books, Greek-to-Hebrew-back-to-Greek dictionaries, reference books, and sermon notes and we try to figure out God. All the while, God is looking for someone to simply come to Him. He didn’t say “Figure out the Kingdom of God, and all things will be added unto thee,” or “try to figure me out, and you will find me.” On the contrary, He said “Seek.”

We live in a time when we don’t have to go to our local temple with a spotless lamb in order to make a sacrifice for the atonement of sin. In that day, only priests who were blameless in the eyes of God were allowed to see Him. Our only connection to God was through the blood of an unblemished being. That’s why Jesus was sacrificed – so that we could have free access to God at any time.

Again, pardon the tangent. It ties into what I’m about to type.

Without the undeniable access to the Creator, we could never know Him. And conversely, He could never know us. Yes, I did write a couple of days ago that God knew us prior to our natural birth, but imagine having a child and immediately having to give that child into the hands of an adopting family whom will take the baby to some far-off, distant land. Though you created that being, you will never truly know who they are or what they will become but by the chance that your paths cross again. Furthermore, without the knowledge of who His people are, God doesn’t get the opportunity to create something within them. A dream. A goal. A destiny.

In order to be in a state of Chroma, you have to know who God is. You can’t soak a sponge unless the sponge is under the water. You can’t fill a glass without the pitcher being directly over top said glass. In the same way, God cannot saturate and impregnate what is not near Him. If you’re not under God, the best hope you have is to catch a few dispersed sprinkles.

And as far as I know, that’s not the same as “a state of maximum impregnation” and “complete infiltration.”

"Building A Better Me"

Disclaimers are usually a dead giveaway for excuses. But I’m going to use one anyways, regardless of what anyone thinks. I am not as shallow as this column could perceive me to be. I am a cultured, intelligent, smart human being, despite the fact that I watch a lot of TV. Or maybe it is because of the fact that I watch a lot of TV. Either way, I’m probably in the minority.

Television was once viewed as a “Hell-evision” by pastors and Christian ministers nationwide. Parishioners across the country were implored to throw their “Hell-evisions” away because they allowed evil into your home and spirit. That was the message being preached for years no matter how incorrect it was. To this day, some churches continue to preach that same message. (The funny thing is, these same pastors and ministers still have a TV in their homes.) But what people fail to understand is it is not what you see and hear that corrupts you; it’s what you do with what you see and hear that corrupts you. The television is no more corrupt than the person you sit next to at work who drinks on the weekend and sleeps with anyone with a job and a car. Just because you work with them doesn’t mean that you’re a sinner, too. It’s the same way with television. If you spend more time in front of the TV than you do in prayer or reading the Word, then it’s not the TVs fault. I believe that’s why we were given free will.

It always drove me crazy when I was a teenager in a Christ-centered youth group and a couple of people always said that “TV was a time-wasting, evil box ran by the devil.” And no, I’m not making that up. I felt condemned sometimes because I owned a TV and I liked to watch it. It’s amazing how Christians can make other people feel about what they do, no matter how truly insignificant. Just because I like to watch Survivor, 24, Heroes and Jericho, does not mean that I’m not a “real Christian.” That’s a ridiculous notion. I have enough willpower to know when enough is enough. I have enough discipline to turn off the tube and spend some time in prayer. But the notion that because I have a TV in my home makes me somehow less of a person is ridiculous.

Wait, I own two.

Oh, the shock and horror.

Anyways, that’s the not the reason I’m writing today. I just got sucked into a little tangent.

The last couple of weeks, I’ve been hooked on a show called 30 Days. It hasn’t been on the air in a year (although I hope a third season is in the works), so I’ve had to resort to downloading the first two seasons to my Zune. And it’s been an enlightening two weeks for me to say the least.

(And by the way, Zunes are amazing. It’s the first thing that Microsoft has copied from Apple and actually improved upon. If you’re in the market for a MP3 player, I highly recommend them.)

30 Days was created by Morgan Spurlock, who was nominated for an Oscar® for his documentary Super Size Me, an experiment on what his life would be like if he lived on McDonald’s for a 30 straight days. (I highly recommend this movie. It’s a real eye-opener.) In the same vane, 30 Days follows various people in mirrored opposite ways of life for 30 days so they can see how other people live. In one episode, a conservative Christian man from West Virginia moves to a densely populated Muslim community in Michigan and lives as they live. He had to follow their prayer schedules, eat the same food, dress the same, and participate the same traditions and duties as any given Muslim-American. It gave him the opportunity to witness first hand that, while the beliefs pertaining to God, Allah, Jesus and Mohammed are vastly different, not all Muslims believe in terrorism or destroying America.

The thing that I took from it was that, if anything, Christians could actually learn something from Muslims. Christians are very good at abusing God’s grace by using the excuse – whether consciously or otherwise – that “it’ll be ok, God will forgive me.” Muslims on the other hand are self-disciplined because they try to appease Allah as best they know how.

The Qur’an says that alcohol is off limits, in not so many words, but the Muslims portrayed in this episode did not look for a loophole. They did not let alcohol touch their lips. The Bible says that drinking is not the problem, rather getting drunk. However, I know several Christians that disregard that passage completely because “it is fun,” or “Jesus turned water into wine, so it’s ok,” or “I was too legalistic about it in the past, so I’m just loosening up now.” See what I mean? Christian loopholes.

But all in all, it’s a lack of self-control and an inexistent desire to truly please God.

So I’ve learned a lot by watching TV. Think what you will, but the fact remains that TV isn’t as bad as people have said. It’s actually quite enlightening at times.

"Blueprints for the Black Market"

It’s tough work beginning your own business. Ask me, I know. But the rewards – though they seem distant at the foundation – are tremendous.

Unemployment is no picnic either. Other than having a part-time janitorial position for about 5 months, I’ve been unemployed for 22 months. Usually I don’t put my business out there like that, but for the sake of this post I will. Most people don’t understand the situation I am in trying to look for work, searching for clients, and trying to pay the bills month after month. The unsolicited “advice” that I have received has been a discouragement more than what it should be – encouragement and support. And no, I’m not looking for a handout.

God wants His people to prosper. Immediately, people think of money when they see that word, but prospering is so much more than money. Prospering is to become strong and flourishing – monetarily, emotionally and physically. It’s really not worth it to thrive economically if your unhappy, depressed and you hate your job. Where’s the joy in that?

The thing is I know what I’ve been called to do. People don’t understand that. Think of the parable Jesus told about the three men that were given talents – five, two and one, respectively. The men with five and two invested their talents and doubled what they had been given, while the man with one buried his away for “safe keeping,” only to find that he did wrong and the one he had been given was taken away. Let’s put that in modern terms and use my situation to bring it to better light. God has given me a number of talents – administration, graphic design and desktop publishing, and writing. If I was to take what God has given me and not utilize those talents, I’d be in the same position as the man with one talent. Who’s to say that I wouldn’t lose my creative nature, my gift of writing or my skills of administration? If I don’t use them – according to the parable – wouldn’t they be taken from me and given to someone else? So why then would I put my destiny in jeopardy just so I could flip burgers and make five bucks an hour? It’s a better life to do what you’ve called to and trust God with the finances anyways.

Where there is a God-given vision, there is always provision. God’s plan for me is not to wait tables. It’s for me to wait on Him. And there’s no better place to be.

"Black Holes and Revelations"

I have all the sweet hook-ups.

Last night, I watched Robin Williams’ latest movie Man of the Year. (Yeah, I know it doesn’t come out until next Tuesday. I told you I have all the sweet hook-ups.) Williams plays a political commentator named Tom Dobbs who is much of the same ilk as Jon Stewart or Bill Maher. On the support of some audience members, he decides to throw his hat in the ring as a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. Long story short, Dobbs is elected President because of a programming error in the electronic voting system. After coming to this realization, Dobbs declines to participate in the run-off, but the breath of fresh air he initially provided caused voters to really think about what they were doing when it came to elected public officials.

During the televised debate, Dobbs took over the event with his witty banter regarding foreign policy, politicians who say what people want to hear rather than the truth, and natural fuel production in the U.S. His comedic, yet truthful approach to such crucial issues was an eye-opener, both in the movie and in my own life.

I’ve had a slight appreciation for Robin Williams as a comedian. My problem with him is that he is usually really dirty and his use of inappropriate language is unbearable at times. That’s my problem with most “comedians” nowadays anyways. If you can’t be funny without using foul language or dirty jokes, then you weren’t funny to begin with. Regardless, Williams was great in Good Morning, Vietnam and Aladdin, and in Man of the Year, he was able to act like himself. Most of the time, that’s not a very good thing in Williams’ case, but he held back this time in order to uphold the PG-13 rating.

I’ve always been a person that isn’t moved by the popular ideas. I make my own decisions, follow my beliefs, and live my life based on those decisions and beliefs regardless of the popular opinion. So, since I’ve been of age, I have voted – as I stated in a previous post – according to a candidates character, beliefs and views on important issues, not based on party affiliation. That’s why I so much liked this movie. Dobbs was a candidate that didn’t pussyfoot around the issues. He wasn’t the perfect man – in fact, there was a scene in which he divulges everything he did in the past (from smoking marijuana to looking at pornography to beating up a kid in the 5^th grade) and airs his “dirty laundry” before anyone else had an opportunity to. If you want my opinion – and I sense that you do – I think more people should do this. In addition, Dobbs didn’t spend a dime on Media coverage (i.e. commercials, flyers, etc.) because he said it would mean he would “have to keep promises to political lobbyists because of their contributions regardless of how he felt about the issue.” Smart move.

Although Dobbs (a fictional character) didn’t really win (a fictional election), his unique political tactics – though romanticized at times – were a step in the right direction for this country (both fictional and otherwise).

Here’s to the truth being spoken over the next 20 months. Hopefully.

"As Cruel As School Children"

The most overused and misrepresented word in the history of the English language is “hero.” We attach the word to athletes, entertainers and everyday Joes, regardless of who they really are, what they’re really about, and why they do what they do.

A man is not a hero because he can crush baseballs over 450 feet. He is not a hero because he can rhyme to a hot beat. He is not a hero because he can throw down a 360, two-handed slam off of one foot in a dunk contest. He’s not even a hero because he can accurately portray a true-to-life hero on the silver screen.

But the notion to continue to anoint such characters as heroes is ridiculous.

John Amaechi, the former NBA center who had a five-year career in the league, recently announced that he is gay. And for the last week, Amaechi has been ordained a hero for his courage in coming out of the closet. Courage isn’t exactly the word I would use. Here’s the deal: He waited until years after he was out the league. Plus, he came out the same week he announced a book deal to explicate his life as a gay man in the NBA. So, if the definition of a hero is a money-grubbing man who waits until its most convenient for him, then yes, he is a hero.

Otherwise, I say he’s just a man. And call me a right-wing zealot, a religious nutcase, whatever, but I say he’s just a man with his own problems, just like any other man. But the fact of the matter is homosexuality – no matter how you view it – is immoral. Before you start writing me letters and saying how judgmental I am, hear me out.

Some people contest that homosexuality is a trait passed genetically just like hair color or sex. I’m no scientist, but that may be true. Does that mean that God created homosexuality? No.

As Adam and Eve fell, it caused the entire Earth to be shrouded in sin (read: iniquity). Iniquity simply means twisted. Thus, as each new baby was and is born into the Earth, they are twisted versions of who they were intended to be. In Jeremiah 29:11, God said that He knew us before we entered our mother’s womb. In which God knew us as the perfect being He created us to be. But as we were born into sin, the disfigurement, if you will, turns us into an alternate form. In saying that, do I believe that homosexuality is a genetic trait? Sure. But it is no different a genetic trait than anger, rage, malice, depression or lust. They’re all things that have to be untwisted and restored to what they were actually created to be.

Otherwise, we’ll live incomplete, unfulfilled lives with only ourselves to blame.

"Are We There Yet?"

There’s a slight difference between love and psychosis, I think. Don’t get me wrong; I love my wife. Would I crap my pants for her – repeatedly? That’s the real question.

Love will undoubtedly make you do some crazy things. Watching an entire football game knowing you have absolutely no interest in the sport (Rachel can attest), going to an opera, or sitting through My Best Friend’s Wedding. But is it lying to do any of the aforementioned – aside from crapping your pants, I should say – if you wouldn’t do them alone? I certainly wouldn’t go to an opera with the guys or by myself for that matter. So am I being dishonest by agreeing to go to one with my wife if she so desired?

I don’t think it is lying so much as it is compromise. There are inevitably going to be times where you will have to do something you don’t care to simply because you’re in love. Do I want to give up the big TV with the surround sound when the Thrashers are going into overtime with the best team in the league so Rachel can watch a TiVoed episode of Gilmore Girls? Der. But I do because I love her and, frankly, it’s better to sacrifice than be kicked in the groin. But would I crap my pants over and over again?

Lisa Nowak did. But she’s a space cadet. And, yes, in EVERY sense of the word.

Nowak, a mother of three and a decorated member of the Navy and NASA – she actually flew on the shuttle Discovery – left Houston, TX for Orlando, FL to confront fellow astronaut, Colleen Shipman, with whom she was in a romantic struggle for the affections of yet another fellow astronaut and Navy Commander, William Oefelein. Nowak felt as if Shipman was moving in on her “territory,” and decided to take action. And for the 900-mile journey, Nowak decided it would be faster if she didn’t have to make any restroom breaks, so she put on an adult diaper and decided that “love” was worth the discomfort of sitting in her own waste. Kind of makes you all warm and fuzzy on the inside, doesn’t it?

In addition to her diapers, Nowak was armed with a steel mallet, a knife, some rubber tubing and large garbage bags. Needless to say, when she was captured, Nowak was charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted first degree murder – all for love. Not only that, but according to the detective’s affidavit filed with the court, Nowak “‘stayed at a hotel where she used cash,’ using a false name, and ‘stealthily followed the victim, while in disguise.’”

Aren’t military personnel and astronauts put through strenuous testing to make sure they’re not loony? And you can’t call this a crime of passion. This is in no way the same as a man walking in on his wife cheating on him and he picks up a lamp and beats the guy to death. This was premeditated. She went to the store, purchased a package of diapers, large trash bags and a steel mallet, found some rubber tubing and a knife, and went to confront the woman who was moving in on her man.

But the kicker for me: She peed on herself for 900 miles because she didn’t want to stop. She does know that gas stations have facilities, right? Or does she have the new 75-gallon onboard gas tank attachment only available to NASA lunatics?

“Bend me, shape me anyway you want me. If you’re gonna love me, than it’s alright.”

"All the Hype That Money Can Buy"

Since the beginning of Modern Civilization, man has found it necessary to debate and argue on anything and everything. From politics, to sports, to the best way to screw in a light bulb, man has evolved into a walking deliberation factory – yet it doesn’t seem to help when it comes to “heated exchanges” with the wife. (I once heard somewhere that women go to a special class when they are younger to learn how to win arguments. I might have to look into that.)

But one argument that can officially come to rest is the debate of who the greatest quarterback is in the history of NFL.

For years, Dan Marino was always viewed – by most – as the greatest quarterback, statistically, to ever walk the gridiron. While that may have been true for the most part, many disagreed because of the simple fact that Marino never won a Super Bowl.

Starting in the early 00s, Peyton Manning joined the fray as “arguably the greatest.” However, Peyton was in the same boat as Marino – he hadn’t won a Super Bowl, much less been to one. Until now.

Sunday night, Peyton Manning quieted the critics, silenced the detractors and stunned the skeptics. After winning Super Bowl XLI, Manning stands alone as the greatest to ever stand under center.

While Joe Montana won four Super Bowls, he didn’t have career numbers that match Manning’s. Plus, Manning has never played with as many potential Hall of Famers as Montana did (Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Roger Craig, Ronnie Lott, Dwight Clark – although only Lott and Montana are in the Hall as of today, the other four could be potentially.) Manning has had one superstar wide receiver to work with (Marvin Harrison – who still has yet to show up in a playoff game) and a couple stars that won’t be Hall worthy (Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Bob Sanders, Dallas Clark). It’s the same argument Tom Brady apologists use, so why shouldn’t it work for Peyton?

John Elway was Peyton Manning before Peyton Manning. He was always the guy that couldn’t win the big one. But once again, his statistics don’t measure up to Manning’s.

In his 17-year career, Marino averaged 292 completions out of 491 pass attempts, 3,609 yards, 24 TD and 15 interceptions per season. So far, in his 9-year career, Manning has averaged 347 completions out of 543 pass attempts, 4,176 yards, 30 TD and 15 interceptions per season.

If you use the Marino template and say Manning will play 8 more seasons in the NFL, his career stats would demolish those of Marino. Based on a 17-year career, Manning would throw for over 70,000 yards, 510 TDs, nearly 6,000 pass completions to over 9,200 attempts – a completion percentage of nearly 64%. Marino’s career numbers are 4,967 completions to 8,358 attempts – a percentage of 59.4% - 61,361 passing yards, 420 TDs and 252 interceptions.

And Peyton plays in the Salary Cap Era – a time when it’s hard for teams to keep the same core guys together for consecutive seasons. Something Montana, Marino nor Elway had to deal with during their careers.

In addition, Manning got over the hump and won the Big One. Something Boomer Esiason can tell you Marino has never done.

Oh, if looks could kill.

"The Advent of a Miracle"

Usually I don’t care to engage in conversations that pertain to politics. I think it’s really a waste of time. Why? In the history of the United States government, there has not been a single “perfect” candidate/representative, that’s why. So every conversation is the same, monotonous exchange.

“Your Republican guy is an idiot.”

“Yeah, well your Democrat lady is ruining this country.”

No creativity. Just name-calling and whining.

Just the other day I was asked if I was a Republican or a Democrat. My answer: Neither. Does that mean I am Libertarian, Independent or a disciple of Ralph Nader? Nope. I vote based on each individual, regardless of their party affiliation. I think that’s how everyone should vote. It’s the most logical.

Then again, that’s probably why more people don’t do it.

I brought this up because if we had to vote tomorrow, I’d probably vote “YES” on the proposition to make it illegal for the House and Senate to vote on ludicrous propositions. Our lawmakers are wasting time on ridiculous items, yet we have troops fighting for their lives in Iraq, thousands of babies being murdered everyday, and America being infiltrated by illegal immigrants. There should probably be a paradigm shift in regards to the importance of these issues Congress is addressing.

In the first week of the New Year, Congress voted to work a full work week, every week. That means eight hours a day, five days a week, only observing national holidays. However, on the 8^th of January, Congress closed early (after only a couple hours of work) because of the overwhelming desire to watch the NCAA Football National Championship between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators. Whaa? Now, don’t get me wrong. I am all for getting together and watching football, but there are a couple of things wrong with this picture:

1.) I could be wrong – which I’m not by the way; sometimes I just like to sound overly humble – but didn’t that particular game begin at 8:30pm EST? And isn’t Washington D.C. on the east coast? Couldn’t they have worked their full day like they had voted on not one week before?

2.) I love football as much as the next guy, but I am aware that a game isn’t as important as some of the issues we’re facing as a nation (and no, I can’t believe I just typed that).

Here’s the kicker for me though: Over the course of the next few days after the game, the House voted on whether or not to recognize the Boise State Broncos on their undefeated season after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the New Year’s Day Fiesta Bowl (I don’t recognize bowl games by their sponsorships). They had a similar vote to recognize the Florida Gators as National Champions after defeating the Buckeyes. Would they not have been “true” champions without the acknowledgment of the House of Representatives? Would Gator fans forfeit their chance to purchase National “Chompions” t-shirts because Congress failed to identify them as such?

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I wish Congress would get it together and actually figure out how to fix this country. 40 million Americans don’t have medical coverage (although that is as much our own fault as anyone else’s – we elected to have lower taxes instead of national healthcare). The sanctity of marriage is being annulled; the people of New Orleans and Biloxi are still waiting on FEMA; the state of California is debating on whether or not to make spanking your children a crime.

Maybe I’m just asking for too much.

"About a Burning Fire"...

I've neglected my love.

Yet she hasn't left me for another.

Call it grace; call it mercy; call it whatever you feel appropriate. But just know that I am grateful. Humility is my nature at this stage.

The last time I utilized the gift within me was August 2005. Amazingly, my knack for writing has not abandoned me, as I did it. Though I don’t understand the reason behind it, I have wasted enough time by sitting on my hands and not using this gift.

I call it a gift because not everyone has ability to fluently put their thoughts, ideas or dreams to paper. It’s just like singing. Have you seen an audition episode of American Idol recently? There are thousands of people who “know they can sing,” yet they have as much talent at singing as I do at giving birth. Writing is much of the same idea. We come from a belief system in the States that if it is available to you, you should do it. Never mind the fact that you may not have a calling, talent or gift for that thing, but “what the heck.” In the last three weeks I have witnessed at least 10 (probably more – I lost count) contestants on Idol who have had some sort of “professional training” to aid their “gift” (or lack there of). Isn’t training, no matter the trade, supposed to make one better? I thought so. But these kids – although some are over the age of 20, they still act like children when they are told the truth – grow up with mommy and daddy always telling them how good they are, how talented they are, how they can do anything they want if they set their mind to it.

*ALERT – This may sound a little negative. Just understand that I am a realist, and I have a pure heart about which I write.*

And Christian parents are even worse – sometimes. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (NKJV) What I want to focus on is the last part of that passage. Christians read this and automatically think, “I can do whatever I want and be successful at it.” What they fail to realize is that if they have no calling, no gifting nor talent, they will not succeed no matter what they confess. If Christ hasn’t strengthened (read: given ability to; equipped) you, you can’t succeed. I hate to be the bearer of bad news.

That’s the problem with a lot of Christians today. They are trying to establish themselves in a position that wasn’t made for them. It’s the square-peg-for-a-round-hole scenario. What we get is the feet of the body of Christ trying to hear, the eyes trying to do all the talking, meanwhile the ears and the mouth aren’t able to do what they’ve been called to do because someone has filled their position.

About a year and a half ago I preached a message to a group of youth entitled “One Body, Many Parts.” It took the concept of 1 Corinthians 12 and broke it down into actual body parts. Through that process I was able to illustrate how the Body of Christ is made up of many parts with specific roles, just like the human body. Needless to say, the Body would work correctly if the feet would act like feet, the eyes would act like eyes and the ears and mouth would get in their correct office. But people have the thought that being a janitor is somehow lesser than being a high profile lawyer. Sure, the pay scale is different, but without the janitor the building where the lawyer works would be a cockroach and rat infested mess. Thus, the lawyer would have no where to practice.

Maybe if parents would raise their children in the mindset that no position is lesser than another, the Body of Christ could come together as a complete unit.

I said all that to say this. I’m back. And I’m utilizing my gift. I am using what is in my hand to attract my Pharaoh.