New Videos for Asia's Hope

Please check out these new online videos for Asia's Hope. They are very well done. They focus on the new work that is being done in Thailand. There is another video that is behind the tab on the right hand side, when you are watching the first one. Click on the "More Videos" link. These are excellent!

Here are a couple of pictures of the Blue Flame Jazz Band
playing at the Renaissance Theater this month.

What a chunk!

Here is my faithful (and FAT!) companion, Patches...

The Rebel Jesus by Jackson Browne...

Here is a song that I have begun to treasure over the years... I consider it one of my top 20 favorite "Christmas" songs... I love that is tries to unwrap the pathetic commercialism of our November and December... now I need to live something like it...

All the streets are filled with laughter and light
And the music of the season
And the merchants' windows are all bright
With the faces of the children
And the families hurrying to their homes
As the sky darkens and freezes
They'll be gathering around the hearths and tales
Giving thanks for all God's graces
And the birth of the rebel Jesus

Well they call him by the Prince of Peace
And they call him by the Savior
And they pray to him upon the seas
And in every bold endeavor
As they fill his churches with their pride and gold
And their faith in him increases
But they've turned the nature that I worshipped in
From a temple to a robber's den
In the words of the rebel Jesus

We guard our world with locks and guns
And we guard our fine possessions
And once a year when Christmas comes
We give to our relations
And perhaps we give a little to the poor
If the generosity should seize us
But if any one of us should interfere
In the business of why they are poor
They get the same as the rebel Jesus

But please forgive me if I seem
To take the tone of judgment
For I've no wish to come between
This day and your enjoyment
In this life of hardship and of earthly toil
We have need for anything that frees us
So I bid you pleasure
And I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus.

Okay, time for some new books...

Here we go with some of the newest books I have completed...

Boys Will Be Boys - a book (published by The National Trust) that I was given by a friend after he came back from England. The National Trust is some type of charitable organization in England that contributes money from book sales to I don't remember what... The book was actually an alphabetical collection of 'boyish' sayings that have entered the vernacular, but that we may not always know the meanings of. (I laugh as I enter a sentence ending with a preposition!!!)

The Mark of the Christian by Francis Shaeffer - one of the dearest of Francis Shaeffer's books... the mark of the Christian is... love based in truth. I love (no overstatement here) this book. It sets a standard that I want to live out... and a standard that Jesus calls all us to. I truly respect and cherish the challenge that Shaeffer does not back down from, that the world has the right to judge the veracity of the Christian faith based upon the manifested love of Christian people... a standard that I fail regularly, but that I am glad exists...

The Big Four by Agatha Christie - a good read, but not one of my favorite Poirot novels. Here Poirot goes up against an intenational spy ring. It is definitely interesting, but I did not really like it as much because you do not get to know the characters as well as you usually do. The story and characters are shrouded in obscurity and vagueness... I like the details that come out in getting to know the specific characters.

The Closers by Michael Connelly - this is my favorite Michael Connelly since Angel's Flight. Don't get me wrong, I like all of his books... but this was one of the best in a while. Great plot, great character development... I think that I really got into this one because the case is about a victim that was murdered in high school in 1988... in other words I am the exact age as the victim... I was 16 in 1988 just like the victim... but many other aspects of the book made it good and believable... good reading. The Harry Bosch character needs to be classified as a classic in the mystery novel literature... Connelly has crafted him so well over the years... excellent.

My Friend Seda

Have a great week friend! Dr. John gave a copy of this picture.

Don't laugh too hard...

One of the fun things of the past year has been playing a bit of set... I've got a long way to go, but it is been fun to pretend like I'm Ringo...

Now that's a big cat!

Someone in China has been feeding their cat a little too much... it has a 31 inch waist and wieghs 33 pounds... there is actually a humerous video at www.foxnews.com but I found an actual article here...

Pheakdey in Thailand

Here is a picture of my friend on her recent trip to Thailand with Pastor Dave and Dr. John

Francis, Agatha and Clive

If you are looking for something to read... here are three good recommendations that I just finished...

1) The Murder of Roger Akroyd - by Agatha Christie... I actually put this on my profile as one of the best books I have ever read... it may be the most perfectly conceived novel I have ever read... from start to finish, there is nothing left out, no mistakes in the flow of the book... nothing, Poirot sifts through the facts of the case, and Agatha creates a fantastic beginning and ending... highly recommended...

2) The Weight of Glory - C.S. Lewis... a good book, maybe not in top 5 of Lewis readings, but it is a good collection of fairly short speeches that he gave in England during and after World War II.

3) The Church before the Watching World- Francis Schaeffer... The man never ceases to impress... he has been dead 20 years and is still the foremost Christian philosopher of our time. This book essentially deals with the need for theological purity, but keeping in mind that Jesus gave unbelievers the right to judge the veracity of the Christian faith based upon the life and testimony of believers... excellent.

More from Clive Staples Lewis

"... I return to enquire how we are to decide on a question of morals. We have seen that every moral judgment involves facts, intuition, and reasoning, and if we are wise enough to be humble, it will involve some regard for authority as well. Its strength depends on the strength of these four factors. Thus if I find that the facts on which I am working are clear and little disputed, that the basic intuition with the particular judgment is strong, and that I am in agreement or (at worst) not in disagreement with authority, then I can trust my moral judgment with reasonable confidence. And if, in addition, I find little reason to suppose that any passion has secretly swayed my mind, this confidence is confirmed. If, on the other hand, I find the facts doubtful, the supposed intuition by no means obvious to all good men, the reasoning weak, and authority against me, then I ought to conclude that I am probably wrong. And if the conclusion which I have reached turns out to flatter some strong passion of my own, then my suspicion should deepen into moral certainty."

- from 'Why I am not a Pacifist' in The Weight of Glory, (my thoughts on this passage have nothing to do with war or peace - GHG)

"I begin to suspect that the world is divided not only into the happy and the unhappy, but into those who like happiness and those who, odd as it seems, really don't." - C.S. Lewis

The Chronic of Narnia Rap

I haven't watched Saturday Night Live in years because it just got too rank, but a friend showed me a rap that was made up based on two guys who are going to see the Chronicles of Narnia... very funny.

I met Dave Brubeck!!!

I met Dave Brubeck! I can't believe it in some ways. This guy truly opened the doors of jazz music to me. I had been in jazz band in high school, but I never truly got 'jazzed' about jazz until I heard The Dave Brubeck Quartet play Blue Rondo ala Turk. I was amazed and awed. Even though he is an older man now, and his writing has gone in different directions, it was an honor to meet him, however briefly. He is among America's living legends, and has impacted more people than I can ever hope to. I honestly had that feeling like, "I never want to wash this hand again." I know that is ridiculous, but when you shake hands with someone of that stature, it really makes you excited. Cool...

Tribe makes a bone headed move

I have not read a ton on the Coco Crisp trade, but from all that I can tell, it was like giving the Red Sox an extra ace and taking in return an 8 of clubs. What a crappy deal. I am tired of hearing about potential. I want to see runs on the board, and Crisp was a guarantee for that. Now we are going to have to depend on one less guy to get the job done while these newbies get their act together. Whatever...

4 year old trumpet player???

Keeping with the theme of brass players... here is link to a video clip of a 4 year old trumpet player, that if you listen closely is already playing some jazz standards...

The Baghdad Brass Quartet

Here is another picture that my brother sent of some Iraqi children having a good time.

Love your unborn neighbor

Love your unborn neighbor - a message by John Piper that is well worth reading.

C.S. Lewis thoughts

Here are some really powerful thoughts that I ran across from C.S. Lewis in his collected works book "The Weight of Glory".

Speaking of God's claim on our whole lives he says:

"For He claims all, because He is love and must bless. He can not bless us unless He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore in love, He claims all. There's no bargaining with Him. That is, I take it, the meaning of all those sayings that alarm me most... Law, in his terrible cool voice, said 'Many will be rejected on the last day, not because they have taken time and pains about their salvation, but because they have not taken time and pains enough'; and later... ' If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God, it will make in the end no difference what you have chosen instead.' Those are hard words to take."

And on forgiveness he says:

"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life - to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son - how can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers every night 'forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.' We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse God's mercy for our selves."

of photogenic brothers....

Here is a new pic of my brother in Iraq... he is definitely the photogenic sibling of the three of us... below the picture is a little commentary that he sent with this and some other shots...



Greg here. Hope all is well with the lot of you. Time continues to move along here. I have lost the concept of what day it is. I reflect back on the photgraphs taken over the past months and wonder about what the future holds for the people of Iraq. In some of their eyes I see the glimmer of hope and optimism for their future. In others there is a blank-listless gaze inspired by decades of unrest,poverty, and psychological beatings. Idealistically, I would like to think that we may just be the first to say "enough, here is a new opportunity," and stick around to back up what we say. Needless to say, our good intentions are portrayed incorrectly and our shortcomings are magnified beyond reality. I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed the time durring which I took them. Take care of yourselves and each other.

Two (strike that) Three more books

Here are two other books that I have read lately...

Scripture Alone by R.C. Sproul is a worthwhile read for anyone who has an interest in the authority of the Scriptures. Some chapters are definitely not directed at someone who has a less than passing interest. Sproul from time to time include Latin phrases or words that may not be well known, and that can be a bit of a distraction, but the book in itself is excellent. The first half of the book is a compilation of different writings that he has done in the past. The second half of the book is an exposition, for lack of a better word, on written statement called the Chicago Declaration, which was a statement about evangelical beliefs concerning the autority of the Scriptures. While this book is not a facts and figures book (like some of the older Josh McDowell books), it does give good and well reasoned philosophical answers for why we can and should trust in the authority of God's written Word, the Bible.

The Wounded Spirit by Frank Peretti is not one of his fiction works. This is actually the only Peretti book I have read, and it is his only non-fiction book. Actually, a large portion of the book deals with some of his own personal experiences, which makes it a fairly easy read. However, the book is more than just an autobiographical sketch. It is for anyone who has ever been hurt by words, fists, or ideas. It is a quick read on the whole. I am a slow reader and it only took me two nights. Every teacher and parent should read this book even if as a reminder of how it feels to be treated poorly as well as what could and should be done about it. It is a solid reminder of how all of us have been given dignity because we are made in God's image, and that image is to be treated with that same dignity.

The Narrows by Michael Connelly. I just devour these books, and after reading at least a dozen, you start to get an easy handle on where Connelly is going. But I really liked this one. I have been a huge fan of the Harry Bosch character from the first novel, but even at that, sometimes I feel that Connelly tries to tie in too many different things/people from other books. I also am still getting used to Harry Bosch in frist person (this is only the second in the series written that way). All of that being said, thumbs up on The Narrows. Next book please.