MSOE has a multitude of mailing lists, one of which is used to sell stuff. I’ve gotten several emails with the subject [Sale] Roommate needed. Though it’s clear what they mean when you read the email (they want a roommate with whom they can share their apartment), it looks weird at first glance.

I know…that was lame. But it’s about the most amusing thing I could come up with today. Jill and David had their first day of school today so it was nice and quiet, except there was no reason I needed it to be quiet around the house. Stan‘s already at school and Megan started today and Hans just got back from Texas, so I pretty much exhausted my local supply of friends and sat around and did nothing today. I’m gonna go visit Stan one of these days, though, so that’ll be cool

I went to the John’s Christian Stores in Carol Stream this evening and picked up the second Insyderz CD, Skalleluia. I had a 25% off coupon so I only paid about $8 for the CD. Now, I just need to get their other CDs for a decent price and I’ll be all set, music-wise. I’ve already listened to the CD once-through since getting home and I figured I had to share cause it was so awesome.

That’s all for now, folks!

Last night Scott’s friend Lauren called him while we were heading back to his house. He got into a discussion about drinking with her, pointing out the Scripture’s clear commands against drinking. I looked in my brief concordance in the back of my Bible and it referenced me to Romans 13. I’ve always referred to Romans 13 with regards to obeying the government and such, but found out last night I’ve always quickly skimmed over the last part of the chapter. I figured I’d share it with anyone who comes across my site / blog and reads this…

Romans 13:11-14
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

I know this passage has a lot more to it than condemning drunkenness, but that’s part of what’s so cool about it. Rather than satisfying the flesh, we are to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” How cool is that?

Friday morning my brother and I met my roomate for this year, Adam, at Scott’s place in Union. We hung out all afternoon…played a game Monopoly in which Scott monopolized the board. We had some interesting deals made. For example, Adam and I combined our assets in attempt to keep Scott from bringing us down any further, but losing was inevitable. Then, in the evening, we loaded up Scott’s and his friend Jimmy’s race cars and drove out to Sycamore Speedway, where they raced. It was Jimmy’s first time out and he did pretty well, despite getting spun around two full rotations. Both their cars, though, had some problems by the time the night was over, but it was a good time. Afterwords, we went to White Castle then went back to Scott’s and played another game of Monopoly. I won that one, after Scott’s small effort to thwart my monopolization. David and I got back home at about 4:45 am. I slept until about 10 then hung out at my house for a bit before heading back to Scott’s to hang out with Scott and Adam again. We played Clue and a few other games, threw a mini football around a bit, then came to my house, where we ate dinner. My friend Megan joined us in another game of Monopoly, which ended up not really working, because everyone was too stubborn to trade. Afterwords, we went to Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robins, where everyone else ditched Megan and me. Megan and I talked for a while…until my brother came running in and made us chase him back to the car. Adam was driving and attempted to keep us from getting back in. Anyway…it wasn’t so bad, I guess, though I could have done without Scott wrestling me in attempt to look cool. Scott, Adam, and I went back to Scott’s where we spent the night. This morning, we went to Scott’s church and went out for lunch. Now, I’m back home, passing the time before I go the evening service at church.

Last night Stan and I were bored, so we drove around, like we always do when we’re bored. But this time, we brought a camera. We rode around West Chicago, Wheaton, Naperville, Warrenville, and who knows where else, stopping at random spots, posing and then shooing pictures. Stan has done a nice job of creating a Photo Gallery script these past few days and has already put up the pictures we took last night. I can’t really say that these are senior-picture quality photos, especially since I selected my apparel according to our plan to go for a bike ride, but hopefully they’ll give you a nice laugh. Sorry for those of you with slower internet connections…Stan insisted on putting up the full quality image, in case you want to print or something?

In the process of writing this entry, I had the following conversation on MSN:
(10:28:59) (Name removed for Anonymity): what r u doing
(10:29:05) Erich Musick: posting in my blog
(10:29:41) (Name removed for Anonymity): whats blog???
(10:29:49) Erich Musick: online journal

I thought everyone knew what a blog was.

Last night, a collected a bunch of pictures of me off my dad’s computer so I could send them to a friend. I figured since I’d already gone to the trouble of doing that, I might as well put them on my web site as well. I removed all the old images and put only these new images up. Some of the pictures are more than a year old, but I don’t think I’ve changed that much…you can get a pretty good idea what I look like from the several I’ve put up. Check out my pictures.

I finished reading Peretti’s The Wounded Spirit yesterday, so I stopped by the library today and picked out a new book. I had no clue what to get so I searched the computer for “Christian Fiction” and came across Catacombs, by Paul McCusker. After checking it out and coming home, I read up about the book on Amazon.com and it appears it might not be all that great, but at least some of the readers enjoyed it. Hopefully it’ll be interesting.

I’m feeling a bit tired and thus lazy…I think I’m going to go lie down.

So I find out my brother’s going to Steak n Shake with Mr. T (one of the leaders at his old youth group). I was bored so I tagged along. We’re sitting there, hanging out, and it was cool, for the most part. But then all these people I recognized from high school started showing up and I realized how glad I am that I’m beyond that stage of life and around more mature individuals. Not that ALL high schoolers aren’t mature…I know a few that are allright…but for so many it’s all a show. Everyone’s trying to be cool but ends up even dumber in the process.

Yet somehow, while I’m undoubtedly grateful I’m done with high school, I’m not looking forward to going back to college. I’ve had an awesome summer…some cool road trips with friends (Scott – the Dells, Stan – Michigan), lots of late night Wendy’s runs, and more. Sure, I can do some of those things at school, but I’ve got added onto everything a bunch of homework and school-related activities.

Well, I’m going to make the most of the rest of time I have left this summer and talk to a friend of mine. Later.

I’ve wanted to post on here the past few days, but I can’t seem to come up with anything that’s happened in my life that any one would want to hear about, so I’ve pretty much refrained. I guess I’m going out on a limb assuming that people find what I write here interesting, but you never know…I’ve seen people say “why would anyone ever read what I write” and for wahtever reason, I find it interesting.

Enough rambling regarding that…

Tuesday after my therapy appointment, I checked out Frank Peretti’s The Wounded Spirit, which though it’s autobiographical in nature, the intent behind its writing is to encourage and assist those who have had experiences similar to those of Peretti. The book reminds me somewhat of John Eldridge’s Wild at Heart, but I think I like Peretti’s perspective better, at least in the three chapters I’ve read. I think the intent behind the two books differs. Where Eldridge addresses those influences which attack a man’s manhood, Peretti deals with deeper issues – those underlying every one Eldridge talks about. I haven’t read either book in its entirity as of yet and I’m probably not the best judge on such topics, but that’s just my two cents.

Peretti discusses the ways in which those who have been picked on equate themselves to monsters – “the kind you never see, never epect, until they snap and take desperate, violent measures. And all of us – those who have been wounded as well as those who wound others – need healing, forgiveness and a new herat attitude toward our fellow human beings.” Several months ago, I wrote about Rachel Scott’s father’s powerful presentation about the Columbine school shootings. That, in addition to Peretti’s disucssion of such events makes me wonder how different this country, really, this world could be. Why is it that people become gay or even go out and sleep around with people of the opposite gender? Because of hurt in their lives…because of a need for belonging. Jesus commands us to love others…and what a world of difference it would make if we quit following our own selfish ways and looked out for the needs of others.

Mark 12
30And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’This is the first commandment. 31And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ‘There is no other commandment greater than these.”

1 Corinthians 13
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Who is your neighbor? Do you love your neighbor?

A few days ago I promised to write about the few seemingly erroneous messages conveyed in Ted Dekker’s Three, so here we go.

On page 302, Dekker’s character, Dr. Slater states, “A person’s inner natures have nothing to do with religion. They are spiritual, not religious. Two natures battling. Good and evil. They are the good that we would do but do not do and they are that which we would not do, but still do.” While the portrayal of two natures is accurate, I get the impression that every human being has two natures – a good and an evil one. Assuming this were true, it would be theoretically possible for a person to make their good nature better than their evil one is bad and earn their Salvation. Additionally, scripture is clear that good works are not a result of our own goodness, but of Christ’s work in our life. The notion that all people have within themselves a good nature is incorrect. Romans 3:12 quotes the Old Testament saying, “They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” Paul writes in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.” Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Shortly thereafter, Dr. Francis says, “The three natures of man. Good, evil, and the man struggling between. ‘The good that I would, that I do not, but that which I would not, that I do.’ There are really three natures in there! One, the good. Two, that which I would not. And, three, I!” (332). I guess this could make some sense if the “good” nature was equated with the Holy Spirit…then there’s the sinful nature and the person who has a new nature because of Christ, struggling between the two. That doesn’t really seem to work, though…the Bible only ever talks about two natures – the sinful, Old Man, and the new man. Maybe this third nature, though, is just Dekker’s way of portraying the struggle Paul describes between his two natures, even though that’s not actually a separate nature. I won’t worry about it too much, I guess. I really enjoyed reading the book and, after all, it is fiction.

Ever since the storms Tuesday night and Wednesday morning ended, we’ve had absolutely amazing weather. It almost feels like fall in the evenings and is comfortable during the day. I got out and played catch with David some and he got a chance to try out the new glove my parents gave him the other day for his birthday. VBS went really well, too, with the nice weather – it was more enjoyable to be out there in the sun with the kids when I wasn’t sweating gallons of salty-substance. Tomorrow is the last day and afterward we, the leaders, get to have an ice cream party and then the annual water fight…should be cool. You can keep in your prayers a few kids…there’s Kevin, who is somewhat autistic and doesn’t focus too well. Jared also doesn’t focus well, but it’s because he’s starved for attention at home and goes to whatever means necessary to get it. I had a friendly talk with him today, so hopefully he’s feeling more loved than usual.

After getting home from physical therapy today, I worked most of the afternoon and evening (with the exception of playing catch) on David Bales‘ web site. The site is nearly complete and he’s putting his photos on now. You should check it out…he’s quite the talented photographer. The DNS records are currently propagating and his new site should be available within a day or so…probably less.