Two Pizzas?? (Can that be right?)

Somewhere along the lines, my family got big. It seems silly but I just realized it tonight. We have always been a 1 pizza family. It's a staple on the Wal-Mart list. I don't even have to write it down. I just pick up a frozen pizza every time I go grocery shopping. Now I am going to have to pick up two.

We had pizza tonight for supper and 1 just didn't make it. When dad is cooking, the meals are always a little sketchy but usually plentiful. Not tonight. The Red Baron did not quite make his destination. I guess 5 people eating 1 pizza does sound a little chinchy. With 3 kids feeding from the trough, I guess I'm going to have to start buying a little more. Now when kid number 4 gets here... it might be time for dear old dad to learn something about side dishes.

I added a countdown timer to the sidebar so you can see how much longer untill we will officially be a 6 member family.

Song of the Week: "Receive" by The Wedding

This song has been rolling around in my head ALL week. Even my 6 year old son has been singing it with me. Their blend of pop-punk infectiousness with hardcore inspired screams and breakdowns had me hooked since I first heard them on Power FM.

I missed seeing these guys back in August. They were playing at a church 30 minutes away, but I had committed to a prior engagement... I hope that won't happen again. I can imagine this band is a sight to see live. Here are the lyrics:

I can hear a train a-comin'
I hear the ground beneath my feet
This is not speculation, this is my bones growing weak.
The sound of angels screaming
The drums are marching off to war
This is not speculation, please do not televise The King.

It's like a fire coming down
We got it, We got it now.
Burn it up, burn it red
We got it, We got it.
It's like the rising of the sun
We got it, We got it now.
Turn it up, breath it in
Full redemption.

Clap your hands for breathing
Feel your heart begin to beat
This is our desperation, this is the deep calling deep.
You cannot keep us silent
We are the prisoner set free
This is our desperation, we are the service of The King.

All aboard. I hear, hear a train. Do you hear it?

Go check them out on their MySpace page. It's the first song on the player.

From my journal...

To even catch a glimpse of how amazing God's love must be for us can be life changing. I think we get a glimpse at salvation. We get a taste right then of our own filthiness and of the Lord's sweetness. But then we have to keep our eyes open for the next taste- not because it's so big, shaking, and rare, but because it is so prevalent, subtle, and easy to miss.

Pray with me, like Paul prayed, that we could have the power to grasp how wide, how long, how deep, and how high Jesus' love for us truly is.

Worship Wednesday

It's something I came up with years back when I was in college. I'm not even sure how the idea came about, other than Jesus inspiring me to do it. I call it Worship Wednesday and I do it like this.

First, you have to understand fasting. Fasting is a time when you voluntarily set something aside to focus more on God, and his provision and providence in your life. Usually this is with food, but it can really be done with anything. Worship Wednesday is a type of fast.

Second, you have to be pretty into music or at least listen to a lot of it. Music is the thing that gets fasted so music needs to something you will actually miss if it is gone.

Okay, here it is and it's real simple. I stop listening to all of my usual music for the day. No metal, no hardcore, no punk, no Power FM. Nuthin. When I'm in my truck on Wednesday, the radio is off. I use that time to pray and clear my head. During the day I only allow myself to listen to 2 types of things. I will listen to music that is very praise and worship oriented, or I will listen to podcasts of my favorite preachers like Ed Young, Mark Driscoll, or Perry Noble.

I feel refreshed and recharged by the end of the day. And when Thursday roll around, I feel very appreciative and enjoy my "regular" music that much more.

You could really do Worship Wednesday with anything that vies for your time. Try it out, and let me know how it goes.

Song of the Week: "Anyone Can Dig a Hole, But It Takes a Real Man to Call It Home" by Underoath

I have really been enjoying the new Underoath album this week. All in all, it is some of their most mature work to date. I found myself going back to one song in particular this week. It gets bonus points for having such a long title: "Anyone Can Dig a Hole, But It Takes a Real Man to Call It Home."

This song so perfectly sums up my emotions during the last few weeks of my life it is scary. I am always amazed at the level of connection that is possible through music. I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves:

I'm no leader, I'm just a mess
It's not the way it's supposed to be
It's just the way it is
I'm afraid we're all victims here
And I'm the one who's in charge
I've lead us all astray again

Oh, how the plot thickens
Are we too far gone
We always assume the worst
I'm afraid no one's listening anymore

I'm freaking out
I'm so sick
I'm making me sick
Don't look down, don't look down

The only thing in my way, is myself
I'm just thinking out loud, I'm just thinking
How can I still be alive
I should have been gone so long ago

I can't get away from it all
I messed up like I always do

I gave you nothing
I took you nowhere
You're still listening

The world around me has taken a turn for the worst
I'm left alone
Climbing to the top
Should I jump, should I stay,
Can I make another day

I am the one who's wrong
God forgive me

Unfortunately, this song has not been legally released on the web yet, so I can't share the whole thing with you. If you check my recently played played tracks on the right, or go to my Last.fm page you might be able to grab a 25 second listen. You can check out their other stuff on MySpace and PureVolume.

I actually bought a NEW, NEW, NEW CD!

I actually did it. I think this is the first time it has ever happened. I purchased a CD that was new in all three categories! Let me explain.
*Category 1- Condition: I usually buy old CD's. You know- used, pre-owned, previously listened, gently loved, etc. It's a big thing for me to buy a new CD.
*Category 2- Freshness: I usually buy older CD's. Most albums I get have been around for a little while. Some may be fairly new to me or they might be old bands I have liked for a long time.

Most CD's are used/old or used/new to me. Some are new/old and a precious few are new/new to me. But today something magical happened...

*Category 3- Release date: I have never acquired a new CD on the super special Tuesday that all things new are released. This category has always been "old" until today. Today it all aligned and I have my first new, new, new CD! And it is sweet:

UNDERØATH Lost In The Sound of Separation

I have made it through half of the album as I type this. I am very impressed so far. I am a bit biased as these guys are one of my all time favorite bands ever. I was a little disappointed with their previous release "Define the Great Line." It never grabbed me like their previous work did. This new material is drawing me in much more. I think I already have the song of the week picked out...

Check them out on MySpace and let me hear your thoughts.