[OiBoyz]

Can't sleep. Ugh.

[OiBoyz]

I was playing around today... sorry for the crappy sound quality, I was using my mp3 player. Sorry for the crappy guitar playing.

http://www.oiboyz.com/ITHOG091709.mp3

[dogfood]

heya.
yeah ive started my new job too, so i work on sundays once a fortnight. im going to miss church heaps. but at least we have a house of prayer that meets at our church during the week and that gets pretty intense in a good way so i can get input from that.

[OiBoyz]

I've been wondering how you're doing on the new job. Glad to see you around.

[OiBoyz]

I've been on Facebook for a couple of months now. Well, longer actually. I signed up for an account probably a year or more ago but didn't do anything with it.

Recently, I've gotten in touch with some folks from YEARS ago. Most of them are just in my friends list, we don't actually communicate, but they're there in the list.

But there's one guy that I've been chatting with. I only knew him one year in high school (had the BIGGEST crush on him) and he's been sharing pictures of his wife, kids, motorcycles, guitars. Yup, he's a guitar player. In fact, back in the day, he was the best I'd ever heard live.

Today in our chat, we learned we have a shared love for Gretsch guitars! Who knew? It's really fun catching up with old friends.

He's on the far left in both of these pics.



Are they Eighties awesome, or what?

[OiBoyz]

Odd the ministry stuff that pops up in the oddest places...

I have a friend, who had the idea to do an outreach on - of all places - YoVille. If you haven't been sucked in to the Facebook games, you won't know what it is.

So anyway, we've been setting up a chat event every Thursday night, 10 pm Pacific (if you're a YoViller, come join us. Look for us under Events: Discussions: Night Owl Chapel.) Most of the time, it's just silly. But once in a while you catch someone who is hurting. And searching. Last night, I met a guy going through a really rough patch, and calling out to God for help.

We talked with him quite a while, prayed with him, and I've sent him a couple little notes today.

It's funny the stuff God can use.

[OiBoyz]

We have had a traveler nurse for the last two days. He kept asking me questions about my political views and my faith yesterday, Today, five minutes or so before his shift ends, he said "I have a quick question for you. Do you believe that someone who dies who isn't a Christian goes to hell?"

I looked at him and said, "Nothing like a light little question to answer in two minutes. Ok, I believe that Jesus is the only way to God."

He said "Oh, now you're skating."

I said "No, I'm not, but you really set me up to not be able to answer adequately. If you'd like to give me your email, I'd be happy to discuss this in length with you." He, of course declined, so I just said again "I believe Jesus is the only way to God."

Oy.

[bravesfan007]

Oy indeed. Dealing with people and their remarks is sometimes the hardest thing about getting through to them. It seems like they're all for the idea that God is love, but for whatever reason they can't wrap their mind around the fact that God is also jealous.

[OiBoyz]

I don't know how to feel about this gift.

[OiBoyz]

I got a direct message on twitter from Mark Hall of Casting Crowns. It was in response to my tweet that I had posted the video for the new release on my facebook.

Not much really, just a thank you. But still.

[OiBoyz]

I've already mentioned that I volunteer at a minimum security men's prison as a Religious Services volunteer. Thursday nights I show movies for the inmates, and I have always shown either Christian movies or movies with a positive message. (This is a voluntary program, the inmates that come are those who want to be there.)

I've been thinking lately that perhaps there was room for just good clean fun too. So I asked the Chaplain his opinion and he agreed with me, so I'll be including movies once a month that are just for entertainment, not necessarily for any deep message.

So I was trying to find some good clean fun for tonight. What's more gooder, cleaner or funner than a Weird Al concert? Nothing, that's what!!

So I took WAYlive and the videos out with me. I'd have to say Al was about an 85 - 90% hit. There were about five guys who left before the medley. One guy, probably in his 60s left after DTBS, mumbling "I guess that song says it all..." I guess you can't please everyone.

But the vast majority of the guys loved it and had a blast. Many of them thanked me for bringing out the video, one guy said to me "When it started I felt like it was a big waste of my time. But I don't think that anymore. I realized that I was wrong and I needed to have a good laugh."

Prison can be a pretty bleak experience. I think Al would be proud that he brought a little breath of joy out there tonight.

And of course there's the "first listen" factor. One of the things I love about the concert experience is seeing the reaction of people who aren't familiar with Al beyond "Eat It" as they hear the other songs and see the performance. It's the next best thing to a "first listen" of new Alness. There were a lot of first listen reactions as well as those who remembered the videos from back in the day. Very gratifying to my geeky fangirl heart.

Oh, and we had it set up on a projector so the screen was probably 8 feet or so across. Nearly life size, and with surround sound (I know it's Prison, but we have a pretty sweet sound system out there) it was cool getting to see it in that format.

One thing for me that was different, was that I haven't seen WAY live since before I started playing guitar. Just generally now, I find myself watching the guitar players in any music video to see what they're doing with their hands. Very frustrating to me was that not only didn't they show Jim as much as I'd like, they hardly ever showed his hands. But what I did get to see, I can appreciate much more than I used to. He's an amazing guitarist.

[OiBoyz]

Happy Birthday, Al! You're my very favorite fifty year old accordion playing parodist of all time.

[OiBoyz]

Why yes, I did chat with one of the writers/producers of the upcoming newsboys album tonight. Thanks for asking!

[OiBoyz]

Stolen from Bill:

1. What time did you get up this morning?
9:20 am

2. How do you like your steak?
Medium-rare

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
District 9

4. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Israel.

5. What did you have for breakfast?
Never eat breakfast.

6. What is your favorite cuisine?
Not sure.

7. What foods do you dislike?
I like most things.

8. Favorite place to eat?
My kitchen

9. Favorite dressing?
Thousand Island

10.What kind of vehicle do you drive?
1993 Nissan Sentra

11. What are your favorite clothes?
Something comfy.

12. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Aus, NZ, UK, Israel. Not necessarily in that order.

13. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
Usually 1/2 full. I'm pretty easy to please.

14. Where would you want to retire?
I don't care as long as I get to retire.

15. Favorite time of day?
Late at night when the house is quiet.

16. Where were you born?
Burns, Oregon. In a hospital that no longer exists

17. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Men's gymnastics. Or tennis.

18. Who do you think will not tag you back?
...........................................

19. Person you expect to tag you back first?
............................................

20. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
----------------------------------

21. Bird watcher?
No.

22. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night.

23. Do you have any pets?
My current pet is a poodle-something dog. His name is Dusty Doodles.

24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
No. My life is pretty tame.

25. What did you want to be when you were little?
Veterinarian.

26. What is your best childhood memory?
When my folks gave me my appaloosa pony, Rhubarb.

27. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dog.

28. Are you married?
No. But there's still time. I'm not dead yet.

29. Always wear your seat belt?
98% always.

30. Been in a car accident?
Yes.

31. Any pet peeves?
People in my job, who don't think they're responsible for all aspects of the job. Which leaves it to me to pick up the slack.

32. Favorite pizza toppings?
Canadian Bacon. Unfortunately, since it's usually pork, and I don't eat pork... I haven't had it in years.

33. Favorite Flower?
Lilacs, roses.

34. Favorite ice cream?
Mint Chocolate chip?

35. Favorite fast food restaurant?
KFC. Or Burger King.

36. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
I passed it the first time. I'm the only one I know who did.

37. From whom did you get your last email?
Someone I just met on YoVille. Deb someone.

38. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Any store that sells computer gadgetry.

39. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Does this quiz count?

40. Like your job?
I do like my job a lot.

[OiBoyz]

I hope this isn't cross posting, but I made a comment (kind of off topic) in another topic, and I wanted to post about it here.

My original post:

Originally Posted by OiBoyz

I've got a gripe that I've been thinking about all day, and it was sparked by some of the "loving" posts I've read on CGR lately. I realize that some of what I've seen (especially in CPF) is long standing in-jokes that I'm not a party to. And that's ok, but from the outside looking in, it's very disturbing to see such abrasive things said amongst one another. Even in jest.

I keep thinking about a couple of Scriptures: John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. And Rom. 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

I'm not suggesting that we don't use discernment, or that we aren't called to correct a brother or sister if they are in error. But where's the love? Anyone remember the guy last week in the Theology forum who was willing to dismiss every other Christian in his home town as heretics? Without ever meeting them?

I don't understand that attitude. And I see it everywhere. I think it must really break His heart to see His kids tear and bite at each other.

And a reply:

Originally Posted by MisterDominator

OiBoyz, I've been a member here a long time, and tend to see CGR as a giant in-crowd of cliques.

I didn't mean to say I was complaining about the people here. It's just what got me thinking. In my real life, I'm surrounded by Christians who are so closed minded, so self righteous, and not at all loving. Starting with people who live under the same roof.

Example: Yesterday, (I work at a hospital) and the retired Catholic priest came by to say hello. One of our nurses is SDA, and very closed to anyone who doesn't worship on Sabbath, and even then it must be like he does it to be good enough.

Anyway, he's new to the area, so I mentioned to him that the man who had just been there was Father H. He looked at me and said "And I care, why?" So I told him, because you may have Catholic patients who want you to call for him, and you'll have to do it whether you like it or not. What I wanted to say, but didn't was: Because he's a human being, created in the image of God. When did it become ok to be hateful of those whose beliefs don't mesh with ours? It's not like I was asking him to convert to Catholicism. Just be polite to the man.

This man's wife, who is also a nurse, actually told another one of our nurses that she was wrong about something and it's because she reads her "Catholic Bible." I don't remember the subject, but it had nothing to do with biblical interpretation. It was just some random political statement.

Even as a Christian, I'm not the least bit enticed to check out their church. (I do know not all SDA's are like this. I'm just saying, if I didn't know any better, I'd be seriously turned off by their faith.)