Late OFF 1

The darkness hid the passing of the cloaked figure. With barely a sound, the silent walker slowly circled the feeble light thrown by a flickering lantern. With faintly glittering eyes, the hooded figure closed upon the raucous inn. Inside, the local celebrity was entertaining the crowd with the tales of his exploits while a crowd gathered around the fireplace. He was indeed full of stories of danger and intrigue. Of course due to his unsavory character traits, he was often the instigator of the evil of which he spoke.

As the phantom in the road approached the inn, the now visible eyes held pools of deep set hatred. If only those inside could have seen those eyes, they would have warned the jovial villain. Yet unnoticed went the audience outside the inn.

Yet there was a deed to be done. The figure had been sent by a larger group, a group that desired the bitter end of this uncouth and reckless storyteller. And so, with steady resolve the hooded visitor slipped into the side of the inn and settled near the corner. Slender fingers now gripped a small yet deadly dagger. As the stories and laughter filled the room, nobody took notice as the assassin moved in slowly closer. The time had almost come and the figure grew closer yet lingered just out of sight waiting for the final sign.

With a loud splash, the fire was extinguished by water cascading down the chimney. The dining hall was plunged into the darkness of midnight. Loud cries and exclamations splintered the darkness but the silent figure acted quickly. It took only a few minutes to rekindle a light but the light showed a dead and bloodied wolf. To this day the only clues were a scrap of red fabric and claims of a pig’s squeal on the roof.

Battlefield Thoughts

This weekend I was able to walk across some of the fields and hills surrounding Gettysburg, PA. It was upon these fields that over one hundred thousand Americans met in battle and over fifty thousand lost their lives. It was overlooking these fields a few days after the battle that Abraham Lincoln gave one of the well known speeches in American history. Yet, it was my first time to walk upon that land and it truly was a humbling experience.
Out of all that I saw, there was one scene which still lingers in my mind. The current landscape which I saw in early fall is filled in with imagination of what it looked like in the heat of July in 1863. I stood upon the intersection of rocks known now as "The Angle." As I look west from my perch upon this slight rigde, I can see the vast plain laid before me with a line of trees a mile away. On that last fateful day of the Battle of Gettysburg, it was from those trees that the final Confederate charge was led across the open field. With naught but occasional rail fences for cover, 12,000 men traversed that mile under a steady rain of cannon and rifle fire. In the end, only a small handful of men made to the line of Union defenses and scaled the small wall at the point at which I stood. There, after so much effort, they fought hand to hand in an attempt to seize control of some ground. But it was for naught as they were defeated along with all who made that charge.
Such bitter moments of bloodshed proved to be a turning point in the war. And as I stood upon that geographical spot of earth, I pictured the scene. Thousands of men walking and running towards an almost impossible goal, sacrificing their life in the face of fire from fellow countrymen. We remember the words of Lincoln, but we forget the eyes of the soldier. What motivation and circumstances brought the country to that point in history? Stubborn men convinced of the necessity of their belief extinquised the lives of thousands and wrote the darkest chapter of this country's short history.
As I stood upon that battlefield, I could not help but be torn by the thought of history and the questions it brings. What is courage? What cause is worth sacrifice? What motives and arguments fuel the fire of hatred? What is the cost of freedom? Whose freedom is most important? Does victory of arms validate an ideal? Where is legacy created?
It is ironic that Lincoln stated that few would remember his words while the actions of these men would live in memories. Instead, history has glorified his speech and reduced the lives of men to a battlefield diagram and description. History only has space for a few, but death captures everyone. It was a humbling experience to see the ground where so many individuals spent their last breaths and passed into the beyond. My short time of living will eventually matter very little. The eternity beyond death is the only place where true value can ever be realized. How will that impact my life today?

Book Review

I love to read and I love to write. However, I have never written a review of a book outside of the demands of a class. That is about to change as I write a brief review here of the book "I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist." While it is technically written to those who would claim to be Christians, the book approaches its thesis in such a way that anyone could read it. The main claim of the book is to show that atheism requires more intellectual assumptions than the belief in the God of the Bible. In order to prove this point, the authors, Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, work through a twelve step process to prove the existence of God as the Bible describes Him.
The premise in general is that any historical study requires what the authors call "judicial proof." The concept is that if anything is not observable, then only an investigation of evidence offers truth claims. In court, lawyers present evidence and testimony to prove a case. Likewise, this book claims that while the evidence will never completely prove the existence of God, it leads to a sufficient basis for belief.
The book proves its worth by presenting an overwhelming amount of evidence in a compelling and readable fashion. It provides a great tool for any Christian to learn and develop the confidence to explain their faith. And, it can effectively be given to a friend who is reluctant and would be open to some discussion. There are few books that really get me excited and this is one. I highly recommend the book and it is relatively cheap to buy if you desire.

Autobiographical Playlist

I have decided to explore my musical roots. I love music. I even love all kinds of music. However, I don't have a "but." By that I mean that I don't like any music but . . . I merely like all styles of music. I transition without a problem from rock to rap, country to classical, folk to pop, indie to mainstream, worship to electronic dance. My playlists normally involve such a wide variety of songs they are hard to name. I decided to create a playlist exploring my musical growth from a cloistered beginning to my current tastes. What were the themes and styles which I moved through during my life. It will be an exciting and unusual playlist. From my childhood days of Patch the Pirate to my current appreciation for As I Lay Dying. Maybe when I finish, I will share the list on the blog. You should all try to create a developmental playlist from childhood on up. Maybe you will find some old classics.

Language

I spend a lot of time reading for my Master's study. And recently, I have been amazed at the wonder of language and writing. When the scope of what writing truly means captures my thoughts, I am struck by the power of simple things. In basic form, writing is merely a system of patterns to which we have ascribed meaning. Small marks, inscribed on paper, seem so insignificant. But with just 26 unique marks, the world is set on fire. With those letters grouped together to form words, the human mind begins to create. In various sequences and number, authors of many kinds have recorded thoughts for thousands to share. With words, simple in form, one person can capture and share thoughts and concepts. These miscellaneous markings paint pictures and images. The language as written can transmit knowledge and spark emotion. Lives are ruined and the course of history changed with phrases, books, articles, and essays. So much of life flows from that which has been written. All of this from 26 symbols which capture semi unique sounds. Now from this concept, imagine the songs and poems, stories and sonnets which will be possible in a perfect heaven with God's language. What worship and praise, what emotion and glory will be heard and seen. If this world is a dim and blurry image of what can be, should not language and its power share the same suppression. And thus in heaven, those who love to write, will have all eternity to explore the potential of a perfect language unhindered by our current restraints. How about that?

Abbreviated Analysis About Apple

Well returning to school (albeit online) has proved to be detrimental to my ability to blog.  Moving as well has crimped any available time.  However, I had promised to post my reasons for my decision to never purchase an Apple product. After completing a 12 page paper, I have decided to at least write the shortened version of this post. Perhaps someday when time is freely available (will we blog in heaven?) I will write the extended version. So without much ado, here is a list of the major reasons that I will not purchase an Apple product.

1. Price-As my wife will tell you, I am frugal. As anyone can tell you, Apple products are expensive. So naturally, this makes sense. However the point goes further. Since Apple carefully protects where their product is sold, they also carefully control the cost. You will not often find new Apple products on sale. And in most every case imaginable, I can obtain a similar (if not better) product for a much cheaper price.
2. Accessories-Go ahead, pick up an ipad or an iphone. Then try to see if any item from any other company will work with that machine. Sorry. If you want to connect anything with the ipad you will need specifically designed accessories (see Price). Likewise, my phone is wondeful in that I can insert and manage my media with a SD card. Never will you find any memory card slot on an Apple product. They just don't trust you or anyone else.
3. Software-Basically, there is only one approved place to get Apple software and only a certain collection of individuals making software for Apple products. While this isn't wrong, I greatly prefer a product in which there is extensive competition because everyone is allowed to make and offer software choices (see Price).
4. Adaptability- I am somewhat of a geek. I like to open my computer from time to time and mess with stuff. I like to buy a computer and keep it for 10 years because I update and upgrade it. This is why I have a dislike for laptops as well. However, any Apple product is "as is." Don't mess with it ever. They come across as cute little computers but really all they are saying is "Don't touch anything." As technology progresses and everything gets smaller, I guess that I will have to get better or let this go. But not yet.
5. "i"-I believe this stands for such things as "illuminati" or "imperious." Is there really a need for such repitition? (Yes I dislike the "Mc"whatever as well)