Home again

Hey everyone,

The procedure went off without a hitch. I’m back home with a limp and a fever, but otherwise I’m all right. My leg should be back to normal soon enough and I hope the fever gets going too. If those abnormal vessels were the cause of bleeding, then I should have no further problems because they were sealed during the procedure.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayer.

Procedure tomorrow

Hey everyone,

Tomorrow I’ll be undergoing a cardiac catheterization. For those of you familiar with it, you know there is some small percentage of risk that goes with the procedure. I’d appreciate your prayers for my safety during the surgery, and also your prayers for the procedure’s efficacy: I’m told sometimes it help stop bleeding, and sometimes it makes no difference, or can even make it worse. I wouldn’t want to undergo risk and then have my condition worsen.

Thank you all for your care and concern. God bless!

It’s getting hard not to be frustrated

If I were David, I would write a psalm right now about how I understand why God is allowing me to go back in the hospital two weeks after I got out and when I have so much planned and coming up in what looks like an exciting July.

In the meanwhile I will try not to think I know more about what’s best for me, and just pray.

I’d appreciate your prayers as well.

A Question on Movie-Watching

I wonder if after reading this you’ll all think I’m a fundamentalist or something for asking the question, but I’ll ask anyhow.

Since the acquisition of Netflix (the most amazing thing in the universe) I’ve been engaging in a lot of movie watching. Usually I try to see movies that are good pieces of filmmaking that leave me with plenty of things to think about later, like Babel or The Last King of Scotland and so on. Sometimes, however, a lot of things I’d rather not be seeing are introduced in the film; occasionally they actually pertain to the plot, but most of the time I consider them completely unnecessary exaggerations of nudity of violence.

I remember David’s statement in Psalms 101:3, saying he will set no wicked thing before his eyes. I wonder if we should take the same stance, forfeiting some truly remarkable art in some movies because they include unncessary displays of sexuality of violence. And if we don’t take that stance, why shouldn’t we? Is it something we just have to deal with in a fallen world, cleaving to the good and abhorring the evil?

I ask because lately I’ve found myself saying, “Yeah, this was a really great movie, except it had plenty of sex and violence.” What do you all think about this, or am I just a fundamentalist for even asking?

If I were a missionary…

My grandmother was rummaging through my old papers and found this fifth-grade assignment, written by me in a cursive handwriting I could not reproduce today.

“If I were a missionary…I would go around Florida. Miami is where I would start, because I live in Miami. Then I would go to West Palm Beach, after I would go to Tampa Bay. Later I’ll go to Disney World in Orlando. I can preach in Disney and I’ll get a vacation. Then I’ll go to Jacksonville and Tallahassee. If I was going to start a church it would be like the church I go to….”

Nobuo Uematsu’s Favorite

Nobuo Uematsu claimed this was the most beautiful thing he’s ever written, and I have to say I agree. Here is an orchestral arrangement of Uematsu’s “To Zanarkand” from Final Fantasy X.

Pick the next book I read

 I have finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, leaving my next reading options open. So I’ll ask you all for your help.

I’ve been doing this with a few friends so I thought I’d open it up to the people who glance at this page occasionally. I’m trying to read through all the books I own that I’m actually interested in without accumulating more everytime I walk into a bookstore (I’ve already failed at this so far this summer, but perserverance is key). So I ask you all to aid me.

My Library.

I haven’t gone through and tagged all the books I’ve already read, so if you choose one and I”ve already read it or I’m not interested in reading it, I’ll have to decline. First person to choose one not falling in the above two categories will have the privilege of saying he influenced Rob’s direction in summer reading, haha.

(By the way, no one choose ‘left behind’ – I have already read them, am not interested in reading them, and put them into my librarything solely for the sake of representing all the books I own =D)

Thanks a bunch!

The Postal Service

I’ve recently discovered this group called The Postal Service. I recommend The District Sleeps Alone Tonight if you’re all inclined to give them a listen. Cool electronic sound with some nice vocals and thoughtful lyrics.

The Tower We Built

If I were Edward from the Chronicles of Narnia, and the Witch were to tempt me with anything, it might just be Netflix. At the moment I’ve spent the summer indulging in books and movies (what more can you ask for?). Last night I watched Babel and the night before I saw An Inconvenient Truth at a rather inconvenient time of night. Both were illuminating and enjoyable.  An excellent review of Babel can be found at The Fire and the Rose.

As far as reading, I am still finishing up the latest Harry Potter. After that I will be working my way through Scaling the Secular City. Though it is not the most riveting read, I’m interested in hearing J.P. Moreland’s case for substance dualism after reading a challenging essay in Harry Potter and Philosophy concerning neurobiology’s attacks on such dualism.

out of the closet meme

I can just imagine the interesting hits I’m going to get from that title alone.

Anyway, before I come out of the theological (or otherwise) closet, I will say I am out of the hospital. Thanks for your prayers. I came upon this meme at Ben Myers’s fantastic blog. With that, I give you my confessions:

I confess I cannot stand most Christian Contemporary Music

I confess I used to be an expert in Left Behind, fluent in both the young adult and adult novels

I confess I considered burning my Harry Potter books at one point in my life

I confess that I think N.T. Wright’s voice is soothing

I confess I think N.T. Wright is one of the best things to happen in a long time

I confess I enjoy the Roman Catholic liturgy, though occasionally I feel quite confused at what to do and when

I confess that when I could not find my parents, I feared the rapture had occurred

I confess that literature, theology and biblical studies consistently fight for first place in my life

I confess that as much as I enjoy Dvorak or Bach, few things pump me up as much as Japanese Rock.

Okay, I tag Matt, Mike, Byron, and Kyle.