I put the "ichae" in Michael

Where is my life going?

2006-09-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

So I know that I haven't posted in a while but I'm back and ready to write. A lot of change as gone on in my life since my last post, some good and some not so much. After months of laborious time spent at the the busiest coffee shop in four states, (that is 92nd street & Shea Starbucks for those that aren't up to date), I have reached the place I thought I wanted. I was sure that I wanted to be promoted and was sure my store would prosper, but things changed. My management team has changed once again and even as I type this is about to change again and I'm getting tired. It's hard to be at a store getting paid the same as others that work half as much as I do daily but are on the same level as I. It's certainly become a source of humility for my life and has taught me much patience which I guess I shouldn't complain about but it's just getting tiring.

I have also gotten sick 4 times since I got back from the D.R. and it's probably because of my overly packed schedule. I have been working forty hours or more weekly and have been taking advantage of the little breaks I have between that and school. I just sometimes wish I was on vacation, FOR FREAKIN EVER!

Oh well on a more positive note I have started a new year at church with a new group of guys and I am loving it. The guys that I have actually come and listen to me and then talk about what we taked about next week, it's great! I just want to say that I love having freshman guys no matter how immature they are because think about it you were immature once too so give em' a break.

I have officially realized that I don't really know exactly how my next year is going to go because I'm not really sure what I want to be doing. It might just be a lot of work and less school packed onto that but I'm not sure. Well hopefully I'll be back here typing regularly again and keep asking questions like how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop? Oh and where is my life going?

Queen Bee, Baked Ziti

2006-07-04T12:53:00.001-07:00

So I know that I haven't posted since school got out but don't worry I'm still around and still willing to share all the things going on "en mi vida."

So for those of you who aren't familiar with who Queen Bee is, that,would be my wonderful mother and to stop any other confusion she is making a baked ziti. Now that's out of the way let's begin.

So summer began and I was not looking forward to doing much of anything but I did it anyways. I worked everyday except for Sundays and have done nothing else but sleep and eat. I do admit I have had some good times spending my late nights/early mornings @ Denny's with my co-workers and have gotten into a strange sleep schedule. I usually turn in around 3-4 A.M. and wake up around 10 O'clock, yeah I know random.

Other things that have gone on are I am getting promoted to shift supervisor at my place if business which is the world famous Starbucks. I am excited but am still hesitant because I'm not really sure what to expect.

Finally I'm leaving for the Dominican Republic on Thursday and it is becoming more and more exciting as the day draws nearer. Please just have the team and I in your prayers for our safe travel and that the trip would be glorifying to the Lord.

Well thanks for listening and I'll be sure to post when I get back. And don't forget, Queen Bee and Baked Ziti.

Argumentative Essay & Works Cited

2006-04-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Michael Bymoen
Mike Will 11:30-12:20
Argumentative Essay

Is Rock What God Wants?

Christian music today is seen as the bible thumping, gospel preaching, Jesus praising music that anybody that’s not Christian wants to stay far away from. Joel Thorpe from Christian group Alethian says, “…From a faith aspect, I think that Christians should be making incredible music…” ("Why should the Devil have all the good music?") This is what many believe but it doesn’t always happen and here’s where the negative attitude on the quality of Christian music comes in. But being one of those believers it is these others opinions on whether Christian music is quality or not. People’s preferences cannot be judged to quickly but it can be said that not all Christian music is what society believes it to be. Growing up in a home that has always played “positive and encouraging” music is what some might see as a set back in mainstream music today but others beg to differ and show that Christians can rock. This is what should be the real basis of what Christian music is, an evangelical tool. There are groups today that play for this specific reason, they are the ones that go to bars, venues, and places nobody would expect to find a Christian artist. And although there are some artists that mean to be evangelical there are others that never really mean to be an encouragement to the secular world. In 2003 in Dallas, Texas a woman called a secular radio station to hear a blatantly Christian song “I Can Only Imagine” from the two Non-Christian hosts, Big Gay Steven and Fitz. After they played that song their station was flooded with calls and they played it the next morning with the same response. It soon became the number one requested song in the state, and after other secular stations followed it was on the top 20 for secular adult contemporary in the United States. MercyMe, the group who sings this song, had no intention of going mainstream, and still doesn’t, but see their song as a modern day miracle. After this happened many people sent letters to the group telling them how their song made them feel encouraged. This example and many others like it show how music has a way to reach people that no other thing can and can even bring people to faith. (Issac)

An evangelical tool is defined as some form of enticement that brings outsiders to the evangelist’s beliefs. ("Evangelist," 1) It is the act of making someone feel welcome and like they belong there and make them ask for more. But there aren’t many people, especially today, that will simply walk into an unknown situation and not question what’s being taught, and that’s healthy. An effective evangelical tool should be able to give them enough information to be drawn in but still have room to be questioned. (Watkins) Questioning something isn’t a bad thing in any sense, in fact it is a way to interpret something and give them more freedom in how they believe while still having the same beliefs as the person next to them. And there is always going to be non-negotiable things but they can still ask why and get an answer. Finally an effective evangelical tool can close the deal, because to simply entice is not enough it must also get a commitment from it to be considered effective. The person exploring this new faith needs to have a feeling that what they are following is correct and will only improve their lives as they move on. It needs to be a commitment that is seen and is upheld day in and day out as they learn and grow in their new found beliefs.

Christian rock not only fits this definition it exemplifies it in many senses of an effective evangelical tool. Christian rock music has the ability to be, and in some cases already is, a great transition into Christianity. Music is something that is enjoyed by millions daily and there is a genre of music out there for everybody whether that is rap, bluegrass, or Japanese folk music. Christian music has spanned over more genres than any other type of music and because of that should be able to reach more than any other. Today many Christian artists will not play in churches or label themselves a “Christian” group simply so they can reach out to unbelievers and this is what evangelism should look like. Mark Nicks from the group Cool Hand Luke says, “Because we don’t sound like Michael W. Smith I think parents or older people don’t think that’s acceptable, but we can reach kids that will never go to a contemporary Christian show.” ("Why should the Devil have all the good music?”) And because they aren’t labeling themselves they can give the message in a way that is not threatening and not “In your Face!” This is also backed up with a sound like any secular artists today and that is what seems to be wanted by the general public. Christian rock has been given a bad name because so many artists try to sound good and put the message into it and it ends up mediocre. Today artists are simply trying to sound good and share the message later. Well known ska group Five Iron Frenzy says, “Although we’re playing for God we also play for the love of the music.” ("Why should the Devil have all the good music?”) Many are still going to be against “Christian” artists all together but Christian music has come much farther as a tool of encouragement and sound.

Continuing on the point of why so many are against Christian music as a whole is not so uncommon considering all the opposing views on the topic. Christian rock in many cases has been bashed by many including Christians and other supporters of Christianity. They feel that this music is simply of the devil because of its loud sound and jungle beats. (Howard) The argument held to this view is if Christians believe that everything comes from God, including talent, then how could this music be of the devil? It cannot, God has given these artists a talent that is unique and has and will praise God whether it’s loud or not. Another point is the fact that there is a minimal amount of statistics that back up the effectiveness of Christian rock as an evangelical tool. (Bachiocchi) Of course there are no secure statistics of its effectiveness because if it were a great tool everybody would be using it and as most know that has not happened yet. Christian rock may not have percentiles or graphs to back up whether it works or not but it should not anyway. When someone comes to faith that is between them and God, it isn’t something that someone is going to write about or take a survey about it is personal to them and only them. But the case that shown true without any statistics is that once Jesus is mentioned it seems the music loses its purpose. People that are not Christian seem to flee from anything having to do with Jesus and this seems to be the case everywhere. (Green) This is why there are so many more artists that simply play because they love it. That is how it should be, it should be the artists glorifying God and letting the God speak through them in their music not them forcing it on anybody and at the same time being able to sound like anyone else. Scott Arrieta of the group Limberloss says, “When I join a new group I make my intentions clear of what I want, I want heart and if we have heart talent will follow.” (Arrieta) This can be seen as a prime example of what many of these artists are doing today, praising God with good music. But what if music is not really what you’re into? This is something that pretty much answers itself, if you don’t like music then using music as an effective evangelical tool does not apply, so don’t use it. In any form of evangelism there are always going to be people that want to see it fail but if it is effective it won’t. (Master 1-5)

So what makes Christian rock an effective evangelical tool? There are many ingredients that need to be visible and balanced to make it effective, and although nobody has perfected it yet they are doing better. In the mid eighties to early nineties when hair bands were all the rage there was a group called Stryper. Stryper, although they sounded like any other group was led by a biblical verse which says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement that brought us peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.” (Isa. 53:5) Although this group was openly Christian they could rock as well as the others. People simply didn’t like them for the reason that they were so blatant to the point they threw bibles into the crowd at their concerts. But why is Christian music a better option compared to any other secular artists out there today? The answer is the message, in many songs sung by Christian rock artists Jesus is never mentioned but the lyrics are encouraging. Sometimes people need to have the same feel of any secular artist without the negative aspects of that music and this is where they come in. Because they have so many genres of music they can have they same encouragement across the board with different sounds and with many similar artists. Famous punk rock group MxPx says, “What we realize is that the line between Christian and secular music is a lot more blurry….” ("Why should the Devil have all the good music?”) This only shows that many people that think Christian music is not quality may have been listening to it all along. There are many artists out in the mainstream today that are popular and Christian such as Switchfoot, MxPx, and Five Iron Frenzy. They may not always sound “Christian” but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t praising God and maybe even trying to reach out in their own way.

The purpose of this is not to prove others wrong because they have been listening to Christian based music all along it is to encourage. Through this encouragement it would be hoped that they might keep listening and one day understand what is really being sung about. Many artists in many groups play solely for themselves but when it comes to Christian artists they give all the glory to God. They get on stage to connect with the crowd, make their intentions clear, and play an awesome show and nothing else. Joel Thorpe says, “When we play we make sure to talk and show what we’re about and offer the chance for anyone to come and talk to us about what it is that we promote. Our biggest stance is hope among despair, because in the music scene there is a lot of darkness and hatred and we just want to show that there is hope and there is light and that light is Christ.” ("Why should the Devil have all the good music?”) Showing that Christian Rock is an effective evangelical tool cannot be documented in statistics or graphs because it is a personal issue between you and God. Christian artists are only finding new ways to help to reach out and show unbelievers what they already understand, the love of Christ.

Works Cited

Arrieta, Scott. Personal interview. 19 Apr. 2006.

Bachiocchi, Samuele. ""Christian Rock" Music in the SDA Church." Great Controversy. 23 Mar. 2000. 23 Feb. 2006 .

"Evangelist." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 2006. Columbia UP. 11 Mar. 2006 .

Green, Chris. "Can God Use Rock Music?" Last Days Ministries. 2002. Last Days Ministries. 24 Feb. 2006 .

Howard, Jay, and John Streck. Apostles of Rock. Kentucky: The UP of Kentucky, 1999. 1-312.

Isa. 53:5. 12 Mar. 2006 .

Issac, Jenni. Christian Music Planet. 2002. 1 Apr. 2006 .

Master, Peter. Pop Idiom Music. Freedom Ministries, 2003. 27 Feb. 2006 .

Watkins, Terry. "Christian Rock: Blessing or Blasphemy." Bible Media (1995). 27 Feb. 2006 .

Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? Dir. Vikki Hunter. Perf. Various Artists. DVD. Blank Stare, 2006.

Film Analysis

2006-04-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

Michael Bymoen
MWF 11:30-12:20
Film Analysis
Is "Saved!" Saved
For this film analysis I chose the film "Saved!" in hope that I would be able to get a strong evangelical message from this satire. The film takes place in a Midwestern Baptist High School and focuses on Mary, a devout Christian who has Jesus at the center of her life. Mary’s boyfriend ends up being gay and she feels obligated to help him so she sleeps with him and ends up pregnant. This is where the movie gets into the satire of the Christian religion. Mary’s best friend, Hilary Faye the hypocritical believer, shows no mercy and pours judgement on Mary. Mary is then befriended by two non-believers and they show her that Jesus still loves her. Hilary repents of what she’s done and ends up helping Mary out realizing the hurt she brought upon her. This film really seems to bring out the worst in the Christian faith but there are a lot of messages that I found that are positive and show Christianity in a positive light.
"Saved!" isn’t what some people might believe as offensive but what I see is a real message. It really gets to show the journey of Christians trying to find out where they really stand in their faith. And while on this journey really being able to connect with Christ’s message and what it’s real meaning is. It also shows the real life way that some Christians can be hypocritical to people that show their sin blatantly, specifically homosexuality. It also shows how many Christians are sheltered and shelter themselves in a world that is surrounded by other Christians that pour judgment on those who aren’t in the "club." It conveys a real American reality through it’s satire, like having a pep rally for Jesus, anti Santa graffiti and the way that Hilary performs an exorcism on Mary because she is going astray. It shows how many unbelievers see Christians these days, as bible thumping, sin hating, judgment giving, Jesus loving, strong praying people who live in a world of their own. But I would have to argue with that and say that this movie although it shows all that it shows that not all Christians are like that.
"Saved!" instead of showing the villains as unbelievers it instead shows them as the Christians who cannot figure out the real message of Christ. It does this because the two that show Mary love and compassion aren’t Christians and the one who won’t help is the Christian sister. The film tries to convey a message that I feel fell short, that All evangelicals are like this. When Hilary throws her bible at Mary and yells, "I’m full of Christ’s love," they are trying to convey that she doesn’t understand instead it makes her look crazy. This movie is exactly what I need to help change the mind set of non-believers that may judge Christians to quickly because of what one Christian may have done to them. I feel that yes there are believers out there that don’t totally understand Christ’s message or take it way to seriously but that isn’t a stamp for every single Christian.
In the film there is a scene where the Christians are having church and worshiping in the most stereotypical way thought of. With their hands raised, knees bowed and tears flowing it conveys a message, once again, of what many unbelievers see Christians as. I feel that this is the real reason people judge Christian music so quickly, because it’s all the same. It’s because it’s never been given a chance and when it has been given a chance it has flourished. I understand that this movie uses the negative aspects of Christianity to convey it’s message in a positive light but I would have to day that it’s done more than just that, it’s also brought a film to the mainstream that teaches a moral with Christian principles. I hope that I will be able to use the analysis of this essay to help my argument for evangelism in Christian rock music and help convey a message more than mere Christian principles.

Snack Bar Politics

2006-04-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

So it's that time of the year again, when spring has sprung and the little leagues begin to play baseball. Well on the note of those little leagues it's time for me to start running the snack bar again. Oh the wonderful world of the snack bar, where the nacho cheese flows like water and the children flock like the swallows of the capistrano. Yes this is what my life consits of for the next 3 1/2 months and I most certainly love it. I love talking to the parents, hanging out with the kids, thinking of new things to buy and sell, and of course the endless supply of junk food that I eat. I know it's an unhealthy diet but what else am I going to do, it's a freakin' snack bar for cryin' out loud. But yes I also have the honor of doing this task with to awesome dudes, my brother and my cousin. I guess that you could consider us the "Snack Bar Triumvirate" or "The Kings of Candy" whichever you desire. But the only problem with this team is our communication problem. See, our supervisor will tell one of us something assuming it will be told to all and usually that's the case but when it isn't it makes our job very interesting. Like for example Mike, our supervisor, told Brandon about picture day but Brandon failed to tell Randall and I so when we showed up on Sunday, our day off, at about 1 PM Mike asked, " What the hell are you guys doing, I am pissed off at you guys!" To which we replied, "Why, you never asked us to work on picture day." To which Brandon replied, "Oh yeah, he did." And that was about it because Brandon never told us we weren't at fault and we still worked 2 hours anyways. Man sometimes life at the snack bar is awesome and sometimes it is just plain stressful but no matter what I do it every year at the same time at the same place and I'll do it as long as I have the chance. Peace.

"Don't Get Lost In Heaven"

2006-03-31T09:39:00.000-08:00

Got off the plane to the country sound, I drove to the mountain and a hole in the ground. There was crack on the corner and someone dead, and fire coming out of the monkey's head.

So I was listening to this song today and thought about it long and hard and asked myself, "Self, what could this mean?" Well I figured that it must be one of those metaphors that you really will never understand, and changed the song. Now I understand that this blog is the opitomy of floccinaucinihilipilification but you can deal with it. Yeah What!

Yeah umm............

2006-03-30T10:15:00.000-08:00

so I most certainly woke up this morning. That's good enough for me.

Why do I even bother?

2006-03-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

So I woke up on Tuesday thought about my schedule which consisted of going to a class that they teach me about WORD, yes the Microsoft application that I already know, and a math class that I haven't paid any attention in all semester but I still have the highest grade in the class. And so I went back to sleep because I don't like wasting my life, and I was tired. Well then I woke up for my two "important" classes and the first was cancelled. So I sat @ SCC from 9:30-11:30 doing just about nothing. And then went to my english class and that got cancelled also. What are the chances that I skip for one day out of the entire semseter and then come to school and my classes aren't even going on. Gosh I hate wasting my time, I could have been sleeping, watching TV, eating food, listening to music, walked my dogs, read a book, re-formatted my computer, called Geoff in California, rode my Trike, or I could have cleaned the snack bar and taken inventory but I guess now all that will have to wait.

Snowboarding in AZ

2006-03-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

So yeah I understand that this sounds like an oxymoron but let me tell you this past weekend is was anything but. So I decided at the beginning of the week that I would go to Flagstaff and snowboard in the infamous Snowbowl which let me tell you is not known for it's skiing but more it's amazing frisbee golf course. Buty anyways Snowbowl was getting into their "Spring conditions" yeah what does that mean, well according to the Snowbowl staff that's secret code for we have some slushy snow and rocks. Yeah that's surely not what I wanted to board on. So I had a great idea SUNRISE. More snow, colder, a little farther away but not to bad, and better boarding for sure. Well I was right and I had a freakin' fiesta! The only part of the trip that could have been better was me not falling. For those of you who board regularly you know that if a ski resort hasn't gotten any new snow for a few days that their groomed snow is more like groomed ice until the skiers break it up and make it into good snow. Well let me tell you from experience, on this trip, that ice does not feel good when you fall on it. Yeah so here's the picture, a little girl maybe 8 was skiing in front of me and took a turn I didn't expect. So I was forced to the left which was a nice drop off so I most surely fell face first landed on my neck rolled a good 30 feet down the slope ripped up the side of my body and got my shirt bloody all so that I wouldn't hit this little inncoent girl. Now thinking about it I shoud have just hit her at full speed and hoped to have not seen her or her huge father the rest of the day. Whatever, at least I have a good story to follow it.

MolcaSalsa

2006-03-24T10:03:00.000-08:00

So many of you guys realize that I was in California for March 17th through the 19th to visit Jonny and Geoffrey @ Biola. Well one night, or maybe it was morning, we'll stick with night because it was dark outside. Well anyways we went to a resturaunt called MolcaSalsa and it could have possibly been the sketchiest places that I have been. Sketchy like I am positive more than one's persons lives have been taken there either from the food or by brutal involuntary death. Well whatever I ate there anyways, and so I'm looking at the menu for what I want (Now keep in mind that I'm not hungry anymore because of simply seeing the 20 somewhat health violations in plain sight) But Geoff says to me, "Trust me Michael, have I aver strayed you wrong?" Well right about now I thought of all the times that yes Geoff haws "strayed me wrong" but they weren't enought to really stop me from eating. So I proceed to the counter to order and Geoff tells me exactly what to eat which mind you was not even on the freakin menu! Whatever I ate it and I was in a place all my own, yeah this burrito with pico de gallo, guacamole, and carne asada, and let me tell you it was amazing, for about 15 minutes (If you know what I mean). Although from the outside I had fear burning in my mind but I have most definetly had a change of heart. Here's to MolcaSalsa!

Annotated Bibliography

2006-03-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

Michael Bymoen
Mike Will 11:30-12:20
Annotated Bibliography

1. Bacchiocchi, Samuele. “Christian Rock” Music in the SDA Church. Great Controversy. 23 March. 2000. 23 Feb. 2006. .

This article goes over the pros and cons of using rock music in Christian worship today. It has many examples of where it used not only in the United States but around the world. He defines rock music and the goes over secular rock specifically. He speaks of the roots and how it can negatively affect the church today. I will most likely use this article for another perspective on my topic, the proactive use of Christian music as an evangelical tool.

2. Green, Chris. “Can God Use Rock Music?” Last Days Ministries. 2002. 24 Feb. 2006. .

This article is another perspective on the negative aspects of Christian music. I will only be using this article to see what someone else has to say. It goes of the reasoning whether rock music is a product of hell and why. It also talks about whether this is what God wants for his people. Although he is using his own opinions I don’t think that he knows what God wants for his people.
3. The New International Version Bible. Susan Jones, gen. Ed. New York: Doubleday, 1999.

I will be using the bible as my main source of information, utilizing key verses and passages, to see how God has shown light on music and how it should be used. I understand that although many believe that the bible is outdated that it will be useless, I am going to use it as my main tool. It is the soul purpose of this essay and I know that I cannot finish this paper without its content.

4. Howard, Jay, and John Streck. Apostles of Rock. Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1999.

Apostles of Rock is a novel that goes over how Christian rock music has become such a huge part of society. Although it does have negative content it us mainly the proactive uses of music today. It goes over how not only it’s used daily around the world for sheer entertainment that it is also a huge part of the Christian worship. He goes over key examples of types of Christian music and then breaks each one down for a better understanding. This book has much information that is useless to my paper but I am going to utilize the information found in this book as best I can.

5. Long, Chris. “Should Christian Music Rock?” Christian Baptist Living. 2004. 24 Feb. 2006. .

This article comes from the most credible source in my book on the topic of Christian music, a music lover. The author of this article goes over the many reasons why Christian music is both good and bad. He also goes over, once again, how it’s used daily in the lives of many as not only an evangelical tool but also a source of encouragement. Although this article is a lot like the other articles it is going to be used as best it can to help better my case for Christian music.

6. Master, Dr. Peter. “Pop Idiom Music.” Freedom Ministries. 2003. Feb 27. 2006. .

This specific article is broken into a booklet of 11 chapters that go over specific pros and cons of Christian music in general. This article is another one of the articles that go over why rock music is sinful and why it shouldn’t be used in Christian worship today and how it is an ineffective evangelical tool. Although, once again, I don’t agree with this article I am simply going to read and use it as another perspective to make my argument stronger.

7. Norman, Larry. “Larry Norman Quotes.” Brainy Quote. 2006. 23 Feb. 2006. .

Larry Norman is a very large and well known evangelical speaker and Christian enthusiast today. The quotes that he produces about the Christian faith have really struck some raw nerves in many believers as well as non-believers to help all better understand God’s word. I am going to use his quotes because he is not only an enthusiast of the Christian faith but also Christian music. I hope that I can use at least one of his many quotes as a way to strengthen my argument.

8. Preuss, Guenter. “Rock Music and Evangelism.” Biblical Perspectives. 23 Feb. 2006. .

This is an article that gets to exactly what my argument is, “Rock Music and Evangelism.” From what I’ve gone over in this article it ahs much that can help me back up what I have to say. I hope to not only use this article for it’s opinionated parts but also the facts that the author conveys in a very real way. He is the one author that I have read from all my sources that approaches this topic very uniquely and certainly shows Christian rock music in a new light. Although it doesn’t all apply I will use what I am given.

9. Switchfoot. Nothing Is Sound. Hal Leonard Co., 2005.

The book Nothing Is Sound is a biography of one of the most popular Christian rock groups that have gone main stream, are very popular, and are totally open about their faith. It goes over exactly what I am trying to convey while telling the story of a group of guys that just want to praise the Lord. Switchfoot is the quintessential example of how Christian music is breaking out and aren’t all that bad and that people can actually enjoy this genre of music without knowing the entire meaning. I am going to use this group specifically as an example throughout my essay to show everyone that not all Christian music is bad music.

The quintessential example of selfishness!

2006-02-27T10:10:00.000-08:00

I was working on Sunday @ about 10 AM and the day was going great. I was on front bar and was really just mindin my own business until he they came through our drive through. Now one of these people was just trying to make someones day a little bit better while the other was going to piss off our entire team. The first one came up and saie hey I'd like to pay for my order as well as the one behind me. Now this is normal, actually it happens a lot more than you'd think and then itn becomes a big chain of people paying for other peoples drink which is really cool. Well this one ended in a way none of us expected. That first person when she said I'll pay for the person behind me also didn't realize his drinks cost 13.58 and she paid with no regret. Well the man behind her came to the window and we informed him as to what had happened and he stared blankly at us. Well Jimmy said you know it would be awesome if you would pay for the person behind you, their total is 3.59, and he said."No, I can't." We all wondered what do you mean you can't. Then we gave him his drinks and he said, "She shouldn't have done that." and drove away. We were all outraged and wondered how someone can be so selfish and after we blew off some steam my day was done. Gosh dang it that pissed me off!

Curling

2006-02-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

Most of you that know me know that I love curling, the sport not the act of curling your hair. Well anyways I really do enjoy watching and even playing this sport and for those of you that find this weird well did you expect anything less out of me. Well this sport has gotten a lot more coverage this year than any other year in the 2006 olympics and I've watched every game. It seems slow to watch but trust me if you understand and respect what these athletes do you would understand. Throwing a 42 pound polished scottish granite stone down a 98 foot sheet of ice and landing on the "t" or button of the rings isn't so easy. I am truly a curling lover and if you'd like to learn more I'm sure that you could find many sites on this amazing sport. If not you could jsut ask me because I don't have all that answers but I know the basics so,
GO CURLING!

Why Do I Even Bother?

2006-02-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

So every Tuesday and Thursday @ 9 in the morning I come to school and walk into my CIS class and learn hundreds of computer factoids that I already know. But that isn't the reason I dislike this class the reason is my teacher. He is one of the most egotistical people that I have met, that's a teacher. He thinks very highly of himself and I know this because he practically tells us everyday I'm in this sorry excuse for a class. He has on many occasions told us about his not one but two masters degrees in computers and music. He also tells us quite frequently random jobs that he takes outside of teaching. One he has told is a story where he was asked to fix a computer and wasn't really familiar with the processing system but "utilized his computer knowledge" to fix it. Then he proceeds to tell us "... and they then paid me 50 bucks, I would have done it for free but hey, it's 50 bucks." Gosh this is what I deal with! Also I might be imagining it but I am pretty sure he has taught us some of these lessons more than once. I'm not sure if he just forgets but or if he really thinks we need to learn this more than once. Whichever it doesn't really matter I ususally just sit in here and browse the internet, do other homework, or just play games but I can tell you what I'd rather be doing .................... sleeping.
zzz zzz zzz!

Look @ the Birds!

2006-02-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Today I was walking across campus after just getting out of my Economics class and I was minding my own business, when some kid yelled out "Look at the birds!" and chased the flock to scare them away from their feeding for whatever juvenile reason. Well those birds flew in their graceful bird flying patterns that birds follow and flew right over my head. Well my luck has it that what seemed like half the flock decided to unload their excess baggage all over me. I mean c'mon it's not like I have ever come over to them while their just skipping along and gone to the bathroom, anyways that's just silly. ( And I don't think they'd give me the chance) But that's beside the point, so I looked at that kid who scared the birds in the first place and glared at him with eyes full of rage and passion so great that if he might have fallen down dead right there I wouldn't have been suprised. My eyes said, "As we speak your soul is being ravishly torn from your body and is being ripped to shreds by the hounds of hell." Then I just went on my merry way as if nothing ever happened, because life's to short to get mad over bird crap. But I can't say I wasn't ticked off because man I was, because in the words of Forest Gump........ well nevermind this blog is rated PG and Forest Gump is PG-13. But yeah I just wish I could have made it through the day without being crapped on. Oh well I still have 13 hours left in my day so I just hope it doesn't happen again.

Another years gone by.....

2006-02-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

So I woke up @ 6:45 on another Valentines Day because my mother was so excited to say "Happy Valentines Day Michael!" I went back to sleep. I really could care less about this holiday and think that it's a stupid reason for a holiday. Everybody wears pink or red or some heart somewhere on their outfit. Everyone is so in love, as if every other day of the year isn't for that. But to tell you the truth even though I am so against this holiday I really wish that I had someone to spend it with. I remember all my other Valentines days and although they all pretty much sucked I had someone, for the most part, as my "Valentine." I know some sob story eh? Well whatever I did my best to keep my mind off of it by going to school and going straight to work for an 8 1/2 hour shift. But you know what no matter what I did to occupy my time I still was thinking about it because for whatever reason I guess a lot of people think that Starbucks is an extravegant and romantic place to share time with that special someone. (Note to self: Don't take Valentines date to Starbucks it's not romantic.) Yeah so I just dealt with it joked around about how much I hate this holiday and went home to think about things and talk with God for awhile. It was some good reflection time and I am glad I had the chance to do so and then I slept sweetly. But anyways, to all you love birds out there that had a awesome Valentines Day congragulations I hope it was a good one. But ya know although another years gone by, I'll be patient for my chance to have a good Valentines Day.

Visit Me Elsewhere

2006-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hey if ya'll want to see more of me visit me @ http://www.myspace.com/bymoen

Narrative Essay

2006-02-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Evangelism In Music

Growing up in a Christian home I have always been surrounded by “positive and encouraging” music, specifically Christian. As a child choosing music wasn’t that big of a deal to me and I didn’t have much say in it anyways. Whether I was listening to Veggie Tales or some other random cartoon that only sang about manners and Jesus I really didn’t care. I have grown up really appreciating all types of music and “Christian” is one of them. To me music is a way to relax and get away from the world around you by surrounding yourself with stories that are always different. Music, in my opinion, can be and is used as a successful evangelical tool because it works. Christian music was adopted by Christians for the purpose of praising our Lord and nowadays there are many ways to do that. Almost type of music that you hear in the secular world you can get in a “Christian” version. Any genre from rap, hip-hop, acid rock, punk, ska, contemporary, gospel, folk, reggae and the list goes on and on. So as it shows, Christian music has become the leader of many sub genres and cannot be defined by one genre and they all have on commonality. Music is all about the lyrics and no matter what type of music it is they all have the same thing to talk about and that is God. God is the reason that most of these groups come together and they try to reach out to the masses in different ways and with different sounds. There are even groups that break into the mainstream and sing of the Lord without telling everyone, groups like Switchfoot, and P.O.D. Switchfoot especially has broken out onto the mainstream in a big way and not everyone knows that they’re Christian, or that their lyrics talk about many biblical principles, but millions listen to them whether they know or not. P.O.D. and Switchfoot have made it to MTV and VH1 and they are, in reality, spreading the gospel every time they are played. I think that it is amazing that a group that is a part of such a taboo topic these days, God, can come out and share what so many push away in a way that some would never think about, music. I am sure that if anybody were to tell them they were listening to “Christian” music they would shake their heads in disbelief and walk away. I really do believe that music, especially music with a message, can reach people in a way that talking can’t accomplish.
About this topic I already know the message, the artists, the meanings and purposes of most of the songs and artists in the “Christian” genre. I have grown up listening to “Christian” music and am very passionate about the message it has and the way it can be utilized for evangelizing. In that way I hope to share my knowledge and fervency for “Christian” music and help better the knowledge of those around and willing to listen. While working on this assignment I hope to learn why music has the effects that it does and how it helps to better the message in a way that more can appreciate. The sources I will use to direct my topic are going to be found in other papers done by credible sources on the same or similar topics and also in the bible. I hope to share what I find and make it relevant by using artists and music that they my audience hears daily and use examples that can be applied to any situation. I am planning on backing up all my opinion with examples and factual evidence to better state my case for this specific topic. I already understand that this topic is extremely subjective and that not everybody that hears it will agree with some if any of this topic. I’ll need to make it clear that although music has and can work for some it isn’t for all and everybody has their own way they need to be reached. I will be defending, in this assignment, not only the purpose of “Christian” music but also in some ways Christianity.
The film that I plan on using to help people better understand my topic is “Saved.” It is a film that for the most part makes fun and over exaggerates the Christian lifestyle. I hope to use this movie that points a negative light on how Christians live and make it more positive. There are only certain parts of the movie that relate to my topic but these are going to be the parts I utilize the most and turn around to strengthen my argument.
While I am going through this semester’s assignments I am most excited for the film analysis. I feel that it will give me a better chance to not only show an effective movie that is relevant to my point but also to explain, in detail, the meaning of it all. I am not as excited about the class presentation because although I might be able to prove my point on paper I am not as confident proving it to the class. I am nervous about the presentation also because I have no clue as to what the class with think or what their previous beliefs are. In general this will prove to be a very interesting assignment that I can get really involved in and also learn a lot about. I plan on doing my best work and strongest research to back up a topic that is so subjective. I hope that when I am completed with this assignment I will have a greater knowledge and will have passed that knowledge on to my peers.

Welcome to the blog

2006-02-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

So I'm in a English 102 class @ SCC and a major part of my grade is to create a blog. Well not only is this blog going to a major part of my grade but show a major part of my life. I will be posting all my assignments that I have completed in my class as well as major occuring events in my life. The assignments that will be posted on this blog will have to do with the same topic, Evangelism in music, and will all be related. I chose this specific route to follow because my religion is a major part of my life as well as music, so I figured that I'd smash them together into an awesome superpower of creative writing and arguments. I hope ya'll keep coming back and reading my blog and seeing what I have to say. So I would like to invite you to read, enjoy and say, welcome to the blog.