It’s been quite some time since I offered advice on how to spend eMusic downloads. No theme this time. Just some notes on how I ran through my 40 downloads … and a few spares I had received from customer service after a downloading problem.

Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket. This is actually the first MMJ album I have downloaded. I guess I just missed the bus on these guys the last couple of times around.  I listened to the whole thing on their MySpace last week so I knew I’d want it. I haven’t yet had the chance to listen to the whole thing again. Favorite tracks so far: Evil Urges, I’m Amazed

The Smithereens: Live in Concert - Greatest Hits and More! I totally forgot how much I loved The Smithereens about 15 years ago. This live set is stunning. You’d swear it was done in a studio except for the occasional crowd noise. It has all my favorites — A Girl Like You, Blood and Roses, Beneath the Wall of Sleep. Good stuff.

Day&Nightdriving by Seven Mary Three. I just stumbled upon this one. Last Kiss is a great summer song. Slide back the sunroof, put down the windows and enjoy.

So, I don’t know that you’re in sin because you didn’t have a quiet time today but I can’t imagine having the opportunity to meditate on God’s Word and not doing it. We don’t have a scroll that’s kept away somewhere with only limited chances to memorize it and carry it around with us, we actually have it available in our culture all the time. So we are able to be faithful and to do things that previous generations quite literally died for.

— Mark Dever, in an interview on the New Attitude blog.

I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but things just seem to take off at a ridiculous rate of speed. Sometime within the next 48 hours, I have to …

• Clean a corner of the spouting so the rain that’s predicted doesn’t run into the house.
• Watch a nephew play basketball.
• Go to a graduation party
• Read library books that are due soon.
• Put some plants into the currently empty garden.
• Prepare materials for the mission trip meeting on Sunday.

Of course, I absolutely don’t consider any of these activities a burden. I love each one. It’s just that they all crowd together.

I’m especially excited about the mission trip, which is only 21 days (give or take) away. We’re taking 21 people from the church — youth and adults — to Lakeshore, Mississippi to help with the work at Lakeshore Baptist Church. Thanks to the wonder that is Twitter, I have discovered not only what we are doing but also the name of the person (family?) for whom we are doing it.

But it wouldn’t be fair to say it here before the team finds out, would it?

An article in today’s local newspaper reveals that lovely southcentral PA hides a dirty, little not-so-secret. Despite the beautiful mountains and criss-crossing creeks and streams, we have a mighty large carbon footprint.

According to a recent study, the region’s residents generate about 3.19 tons of carbon emissions per year to maintain their lifestyles. The study does not include commercial sources so the overall impact of carbon emission must be much higher. Certainly, there are folks in this area who are devoted to driving their large SUVs to work by themselves Development is also such that there are communities located far from grocery stores, gas stations and other basic shopping. Even transporting our students to rural schools factors into the whole equation.

But, to defend the locals, it’s not just us …

My opinion — which the article addresses only peripherally — is that the carbon footprint of my region is inextricably tied to the interstate highways that pass through here. If you are going north to New England, you pass through here. If you are taking goods west from New Jersey, you are using the highways that adjoin our backyards. Let’s not forget the numerous warehouses in the area and the truckstops. Stop by either at any time of the day and find diesel trucks idling.

With this study in hand, activists are hoping to influence lawmakers to focus attention on areas such as ours with policies intended to lower carbon emissions.

This is what scares me.

That may not be the exact right phrase, but it is what comes to mind just now. Who exactly is going to bear the brunt of any proposed policy revisions? I’m guessing that it’s going to be me and my neighbors — not the trucking companies. Of course, even if those companies were to bear further restrictions, the cost will inevitably be passed on to consumers.

Again, me and my neighbors.

What’s the solution? I don’t know. It’s unfair to have the locals bear the brunt of policy changes in consideration of the millions of cars and trucks that are just passing through. Yet, it’s hardly feasible to create some sort of restrictions on those drivers.

We can’t change the fact that high levels of traffic pass through our area. We can, however, take individual steps to lessen our carbon footprints. Little steps taken individually create a greater impact in the world around us.

And that’s the only fair thing … to take care of God’s creation.

I posted some thoughts on Psalm 25:3-5 on the photoblog.

“If we’re going to follow Jesus, let’s do this thing 100 percent.”
Francis Chan, Passion::DC, 23 February 200

My new best friends … hiking boots … and the debris they leave on the floor of my car.

Technorati Tag: PhotoHunt

If you’ve seen Louie Giglio’s “How Great is Our God” talk, you know all about laminin. Here’s the Snopes (the great catalog of urban legend) take on it.

I will note, for the record, that some of their observations fall a little short for me. For example, they say that laminin’s structure predates the accounts of the life of Christ. And? Is it not possible that an omniscient God knew the whole story and planted this structure in the very cells of our beings that one day we would find it and gain some sort of strength from it?

They also note that the cross shape is a simple structure that occurs naturally or by accident. Again, an obvious disconnect from the Christian viewpoint that all things are under the control of God.

Anyway, there’s more. Have fun reading. I guess this makes Louie famous now. Only he doesn’t want to be famous. God’s supposed to be the Famous One.

First, I found this on YouTube. Memories for those who were there. A glimpse of the event for those who were not.

Amazing. The Passion World Tour is underway. If you’ve been praying for them, you have to watch these …

Anybody here love Jesus? (People who were at the regionals know what comes next!)

Prayer over Kyiv

You could hear it starting in the background of the above clip. Here it is … stay with it to the end …

Make sure to visit the 268Blog to see Louie’s reports from the tour!

So. WordPress does not allow applications that use certain scripting mechanisms. This means that although I have made a lovely collection of music over at Project Playlist, I actually can’t share it here.

Well, not exactly.

I can tell you the songs that are on it. You can click the middle button. You will hear what I hear.

This week’s theme is “Stuff on my iPod (except for one).” Can you guess which one it is?

Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? — She and Him

From The Inside Out — Hillsong United

A Savior On Capitol Hill — Derek Webb

Paisley Pattern Ground — The Black Hollies

Albertine — Brooke Fraser

Tunnel — Third Day

Hemorrhage — Chris Daughtry

Revelation Song — Kari Jobe

In Christ Alone — Travis Cottrell

Crazy — Gnarls Barkley