Monday, June 30, 2008

The News is the Bomb!




I received a call about 11:30 Sunday stating that some had vandalized a news rack. I was a bit annoyed as I was up all night and was trying to get some sleep. I called the police who connected me to the officer on the scene.

“It looks like it was pried open and then set on fire.” The officer said.

I laughed.

He took more info from me like the value of the rack and then stated, “It looks as if it was a victim of a hate crime.”

I had to laugh again as that was about as funny thing I have heard in a long time.

Yet as it turns out, the business where the rack was, had been vandalized before.

Here are a couple of articles the first one is from a local T.V. station the second one from the Gazette where I work.

Now, when I arrived to pick it up, it looked to me like someone had placed a small explosive in it that blew out the bottom and the door the fell off. Inside you can see the burned papers.

It was funny yet also a bit unsettling to think someone would blow up a news rack because he or she hated the owner of the business because he is black. Billings had something like this happen a few years ago and the city stood up against it. I hope Billings will do that again.

Enjoy the pics though…


Blessings,
iggy

Saturday, June 28, 2008

A Highway will Be there


Isaiah 35
1. The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2. it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. 3. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4. say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." 5. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. 8. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10. and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away
.


The Highway will be there. What a promise from God that is! In a land of parched earth and jackals, the land will become a pool giving life giving water to all. This Highway is Jesus.


I think it strange that many will quote that the the road is narrow. It is. Yet, it is a road that is set in safety to those on it. As with Highways now, this Highway gives one great speed to God. It is clear of all debris and obstacles.


Jesus is the Way, the Truth and The Life. He is the narrow Way. Do not think this Highway is anything else but the Living Savior Jesus. There is no other road. There is no other God that makes a path such as this to salvation.


Blessings,

iggy

Friday, June 20, 2008

It's too quiet here




I admit it has been silent around these parts for a time. Don’t worry or cheer too quickly as I am just taking a bit of a break. It has been hectic with work and starting the Kinship Groups at our church, yet, if that was not enough I have started or rather restarted my goal to get my Associates Degree in psychology through the University of Phoenix. They have an online department that I am taking two classes.

The classes are not that hard, though they are very much alike. I am often wondering which class the assignment is for! LOL!
I stated I started a kinship group in our church yet find that I am not that comfortable with the “group”. Don’t get me wrong it is not the people, but there are some interesting dynamic in this group that just do not seem a right fit for me and my wife. I see that with small children we are more in tune with the “family” crowd. What we are in now is a group that is quite interesting, yet comprises mostly of women, most of which are highly educated and hold multiple degrees. None of that bothers me, yet, I feel rather estrogen challenged.

As I was leading last Wednesday, I truly felt the Lord stating that one of the women there should be leading this particular group and I may need to move on to start another.

This is not a bad thing, as that is what we as leaders are to be doing. We are to keep our eyes open for someone else to be a leader, help, and encourage them to step up. It just seems this is on the accelerated course.

I do appreciate your prayers on the group and on my restarting education. Work will always be work and at times I am just ready to hand in my resignation yet know that the job is better paying than most out there. Mostly I pray that the job will change in areas it needs to change.

Be blessed,
iggy

Saturday, June 14, 2008

The Practical Princes


When I was a young child my mother bought this book for me. Since it was about a princess, I was not that interested in it. I found the book on the floor as it has now been passed on to my own children.

Note that this book is more than a story about a Princess but it is a story of the gift of common sense. I read it and thought that this is a wonderful book. I now realize it was not just for me, but also for my own princes Ciana.

As I look at it now I wonder at how small of world that I had lived in as a child. My son seems to like as it has dragons and many other things to keep a boy interested.

A book and its cover. A book about a princess?

I see this as something I learned much later that just because something looks effeminate, it might not be. Later I came to realize Jesus was not that effeminate weakling He was often presented as being... yet I also learned that grace is not about being able to carry a book on one’s head without dropping it. Grace may seem effeminate and weak, yet exceptional strength is required in order to walk in it. This strength is far beyond our own abilities, and can only come from God who enables and gives us the strength to walk in His Grace.

Be blessed,
iggy

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Here is some new music for you...



As you know (or maybe you don't) I have an online radio station. With that comes free music. Sometimes it is good and sometimes bad, yet sometimes it is very good!

Here are some artists I am playing or will be heard soon on iggyROCKS!

Blushing Well
This flesh I'm In

The first cut alone is worth the album. They sound a bit like Soundgarden meets Tool but less polished. Yet, even without the gloss of a high studio production Blushing Well stands on its own as a unique sound in Christian music. It is one I highly recommend.

Saint
Crime Scene Earth

Some of you might remember them from the eighties and nineties. They were best know for their darker presentation of the Bible. This has that Judas Priest feel and vocally Josh Kramer still seems in Metal form. It is petal to the metal from start to finish. The Judas in Me is one that I liked.

Scelerata
darkness and light

Brazil is bringing out the metal. Scelerata is bring the truth. They are hard hitting. Think Yngve Malmsteen meets Iron Maiden in high gear! Guitar playing on this effort is top notch and the drums are merciless.

Sandalinas
Living on the edge

This is one of my favorite listens right now. Rocking metal reminiscent of the nineties yet fresh. I believe this band is from Sweden and it is restoring metal to it former glory. The guitar playing is melodic and vocals are powerful.

And now for the softer side.

Carrie Newcomer
The Geography of Light

This is not just great music but great story telling. Every song on this CD brings some great imagery. The sound is folksy but don't let that stop you from checking this CD out. She is writing from the emerging church viewpoint and there is a depth that one will explore deeper and deeper with each song.