"Crossroads" Tracy Chapman

I absolutely love the music in this song. The acoustic guitar and percussion are awesome! The song really stuck in my head from the first time I heard it.

The subject matter of the song is interesting. Chapman speaks of the devil, and I think gives a good description of how the devil is and what he does. She says, "He's a fool he a liar, conjurer and a thief. He try to tell you what you want, Try to tell you what you need." So she gives this description of how the devil and demons mess with people. But the end of the song is bad theology as Chapman sings of saving her soul, saving herself. We have no power to save ourselves. Only Christ can save us from the power of the devil.

Like I said though, musically, I think the song is brilliant.

Listen and purchase here.

"Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain"

Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness,
Loosed from Pharaoh's bitter yoke
Jacob's sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot
Through the Red Sea waters.

'Tis the spring of souls today:
Christ has burst His prison
And from three days' sleep in death
As a sun has risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From His light, to whom is giv'n
Laud and praise undying.

Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendor,
With the royal feast of feasts
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to gladden faithful hearts
Which with true affection
Welcome in unwearied strain
Jesus' resurrection!

For today among His own
Christ appeared, bestowing
His deep peace, which evermore
Passes human knowing.
Neither could the gates of death
Nor the tomb's dark portal
Nor the watchers nor the seal
Hold Him as a mortal.

Alleluia! Now we cry
To our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars
Of the tomb's dark portal.
Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness!

Text: John of Damascus tr. John Mason Neale
Tune: Johann Horn

This is such a joyful Easter hymn proclaiming Christ's victory over death and speaking of God delivering His people. I especially like v. 4.

The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XII Repentance (paragraphs 80-81)--Philip Melanchthon

"The promise, however, is received only through faith. It is necessary for contrite persons to take hold of the promise of the forgiveness of sins granted for Christ's sake through faith and to be confident that they have a reconciled Father freely for Christ's sake. This is Paul's meaning when he says, 'That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed' (Romans 4:16). And 'The Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe' (Galatians 3:22). This means that all are under sin, neither can they be freed except by grasping the promise of the forgiveness of sins through faith."

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

I have shared this psalm with many people. I find so much comfort in it. He is our refuge and fortress and is with us in times of trouble. V. 4 gives us such an awesome image of how God protects us and cares for us. No matter what we face in life, no matter how dark things may seem, the LORD is there always. He has promised to be with us and help us, and to send His angels to guard us.

Crepes

Crepes are a type of very thin, cooked pancake usually made from wheat flour. I like the sweet crepes the best--the kind that are stuffed with a sweet cream cheese and have fruit like raspberries or blueberries.

Millennium Park--Chicago, Illinois

The website for Millennium Park describes it this way: "Millennium Park is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers."

One of my favorite things in Millennium Park is the Cloud Gate sculpture, or "The Bean" as some like to call it. It is pretty cool to see the city reflected in it. Another cool thing is the Crown Fountain, "The fountain consists of two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images from a broad social spectrum of Chicago citizens, a reference to the traditional use of gargoyles in fountains, where faces of mythological beings were sculpted with open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to flow out. Plensa adapted this practice by having faces of Chicago citizens projected on LED screens and having water flow through a water outlet in the screen to give the illusion of water spouting from their mouths. The collection of faces, Plensa's tribute to Chicagoans, was taken from a cross-section of 1,000 residents."

There is a lot to see in the park. Check out the Millennium Park website here.

The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XII Repentance (paragraphs 75-77)--Philip Melanchthon

"But if the Law is enough for receiving the forgiveness of sins, what need is there of the Gospel? What need is there of Christ if we receive forgiveness of sins because of our own work? We, on the other hand, call consciences away from the Law to the Gospel, and from confidence in their own works to confidence in the promise and Christ. We do so because the Gospel presents Christ to us and freely promises the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake. In this promise it asks us to trust, namely, that we are reconciled to the Father for Christ's sake, not for the sake of our own contrition or love. For there is no other Mediator or Atoning Sacrifice than Christ. Neither can we do the works of the Law unless we have first been reconciled through Christ. If we would do anything, we must believe that for Christ's sake, as Mediator and Atoning Sacrifice, we receive the forgiveness of sins, and not for the sake of these works.

Yes, it is a disgrace to Christ and a repeal of the Gospel to believe that we receive the forgiveness of sins because of the Law, or any other way than through faith in Christ."

"Allison Road" Gin Blossoms

Allison Road
By Gin Blossoms
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This is the best Gin Blossoms song in my opinion. Musically, it's awesome, and I love the lead singer's voice, and when the rest in the group come in with some harmonies. I heard an acoustic version of this not too long ago that I really liked. I'm still trying to locate that version to purchase.

"Allison Road" was on the New Miserable Experience album released in the early 90s. It can also be found on greatest hits albums. Purchase/download here.

Ruth--Concordia Commentary by John R. Wilch

I used this commentary a lot when I was preparing to lead a Bible study on the book of Ruth. It's really excellent--it elaborates on the key themes in the book of Ruth and speaks of other Scripture passages that relate to the book. The description of the commentary on the CPH website says this:

"The Book of Ruth tells the story of a destitute foreigner who came to believe in Israel’s God and was welcomed into God’s people. By grace she was privileged to become an ancestor of Jesus Christ, the Savior of all people.

The commentary focuses on the themes of God’s covenant; His loyalty, reflected in the lives of His faithful people; the theology of missions and evangelism; Boaz as a redeemer, prefiguring Jesus Christ; and the promise of eternal life. The commentary’s Christocentric hermeneutic elucidates the rich Gospel message of Ruth and its relevance for the church today. The author’s international perspective and decades of service as a pastor and professor have given him unique insights into the message of this neglected book."

Graduation

I have been through several graduations in my life--8th Grade, High School, University for my undergrad (in 2000), and Friday, May 16, 2008 I graduated from Concordia Seminary with my Master of Arts degree. That was my favorite graduation. I think I appreciated it more than the others. I mean, I appreciated all of them to some extent, but this being an advanced degree and knowing I worked hard for it, and earned it while working full time in the church--well, it was an awesome feeling. I felt really emotional at the ceremony Friday thinking of how good it felt to get the degree, thinking of all the people who supported me, thinking of how much God has blessed me and how He has been with me every step of the way. I thought I would feel really pumped up Friday, and though I was excited, mostly what I felt was peace. I felt at peace knowing I finished my program, have my MA, and have closed that chapter in my life. Some people have asked me if I will go for the PhD. Well, I have no immediate plans to do so. But I did like the look of those PhD. robes! Who knows what God has in store for the future. But for now, I am very content with my M.A.

Oh, my favorite moments of the ceremony Friday were receiving my hood (which is white for Arts and Letters, and has green and gold lining which are the Seminary colors), and having the president of the seminary address us as alumni of Concordia Seminary.

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

This is short psalm, but it really says a lot. It reminds us God is our Creator and our Shepherd, and that He is always faithful to us. His love endures forever!

I am so thankful for all the blessings God has given me. Most of all I am thankful for His forgiveness and for salvation which I have through Jesus Christ. And in addition to this, He has given me so many other blessings--awesome people in my life, a wonderful vocation, and a million other little things that make me happy. God has been so good to me, and I pray I will continue to proclaim to others with joy all He has done.

"Evening and Morning"

Evening and morning, Sunset and dawning,
Wealth, peace, and gladness, Comfort in sadness:
These are Thy works; all the glory be Thine!
Times without number, Awake or in slumber
Thine eye observes us, From danger preserves us,
Causing Thy mercy upon us to shine.

Father, O hear me, Pardon and spare me;
Calm all my terrors, Blot out my errors
That by Thine eyes they may no more be scanned.
Order my goings, Direct all my doings;
As it may please Thee, Retain or release me;
All I commit to Thy fatherly hand.

Ills that still grieve me Soon are to leave me;
Though billows tower, And winds gain power,
After the storm the fair sun shows its face.
Joys e'er increasing And peace never ceasing:
These shall I treasure And share in full measure
When in His mansions God grants me a place.

To God in heaven All praise be given!
Come, let us offer And gladly proffer
To the Creator the gifts He doth prize.
He well receiveth a heart that believeth;
Hymns that adore Him Are precious before Him
And to His throne like sweet incense arise.

Text Paul Gerhardt
Tune: Johann G. Ebeling

This is such a beautiful, beautiful hymn. It reminds us God is always watching over us and taking care of us. Everything is in His hands. V. 2 is my favorite--it's a wonderful prayer.

Buckingham Fountain--Chicago, Illinois

This fountain is one of the largest in the world. It is a pretty cool thing to check out. Whenever my friend Abigail and I go to Taste of Chicago in Grant Park, or really whenever I'm in that area with someone, we always stop by the fountain and get some pics.

Sudoku

When I first saw Sudoku, I didn't want anything to do with it. I knew there were numbers involved and I hate math. But my friend Jeannie told me it's not about math, but rather logic. And when she showed me how to do it, I got hooked.

The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each. The puzzle setter provides a partially completed grid. There are different skill levels, and sometimes it is really challenging trying to fill everything in. It is fun to do these puzzles by yourself, but it is also fun to compete with a friend where both of you do the same puzzle and see who can complete it first. There are game versions of Sudoku and endless Sudoku puzzle books out there. I really enjoy it.

Meatball Sandwich

I am digging meatball sandwiches more and more. They're very delicious, especially with lots of cheese on them.