As I seek to fulfill that which is right and true I am faced with choices and judgement calls, I have struggled with two questions that have naturally made their way to the front of the pile: In the words of that classic, romantic, writer "TO BE?" or "NOT TO BE?" I consider those practical moral choices, value judgements, and even life altering decisions that can take our hearts on a trip through the choosing process.
I would fight with myself in circular reasoning which honestly distorted the reality of the right choice; the choice which you deep down know the answer to, however, are allowing yourself fight.
Yes, there is a time for self-discovery (I speak of one's calling); however, I have met with people like myself who are/have fought that spark down inside that continues to surface: the right choice. That choice: you know its true because God has confirmed it in you--the topic keeps coming back--and there's nothing in God's Word that would keep you from this choice.
I would beckon today, that the question is not "To be or not to be"-that has already been confirmed. The real question should rather be "How to do?"
I have become into the midst of a few major decisions. Decisions of relationships; decisions of career. I find myself sorting through the clutter of people-noise, popular opinion, my ego, and even my unhealthy attachements the comforts of the Roads More Traveled. In both of these questions, I have known the correct answer; it has been clear for years.
Now I must submit. There is no more time for putting it off with the excuses of uncertainty and "To be? or Not to be?".
I must now ask myself, rather "How to do?" and seek guidance and decision from this perspective to build a plan and strategy for execution. God is speaking. Quit wasting time.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Way I May Listen to Music
Today I was thinking about tones
Tones are a powerful tools for communication.
Have you ever noticed that you can communicate on an emotional level just fine with anyone? Okay so maybe you may feel a bit uncomfortable getting deep with anyone on the street, but the truth is you do whether you realize it or not through tones. Even with people who don't speak your language. The way people use tones is universal understanding.
Consider the tones you relate to when thinking of emotions such as apathy, anger, joy, when you are embarassed. There are a collection of universal tones you utter whether in your mind if you are more introverted, or our of your voice if you are more extroverted like myself.
It's impressive how it seems that humans and animals alike have come into the world with a pre-programed understanding of what tones are connected to what emotions. Make sense? For instance, when I call my puppy Eddie's name with a low to high and lifting tone, cheerful, he comes trotting up to me with tale wagging. He knows naturally and understands that a lighter perky tone means that I am happy with him. Eddie is a natural people pleaser so he is happy when I'm happy with him. However, when I call Eddie with a heavier, firm tone, lets even reverse the accent of my tone from high pitch to low pitch, Eddie comes walking more slowly but submissively, with his tale between his legs, and head lowered, even in shame. Whether he understands why I am calling him or not, he thinks that I am disappointed. Eddie's desire to please me has apparently been communicated as a fail, now he is ashamed and sad. People are the same way-all you need for understanding is to have a pair of ears and a working heart.
My point is this, tones, whether put together through our voices or composed through a clarinet, audible tones carry a pre-package emotion or feelings associated. Who wrote this law, God. Some might call it a phenomenon, I call it a thumbprint of divine design.
...going on a bit of a directed path I take you to MUSIC.
Therefore, composed music is especially powerful. We can bring joy by the way we accent tones and associate them together.
People use music to try to make sense of their emotions and feelings. We identify with given tones, intervals, and chords,
It is interesting how people can resolve feelings with the tones in music. We use music to make sense of the way we feel. If there was an emotion we were feeling and couldn't make sense of this feeling beforehand, we will search for the musical that will make sense and define how we feel.
When I was in Jr. High, I began to fill a need to make myself feel "macho" or to show aggressive pride in my masculinity, so I found a fulfillment of my need to express myself through the preachy lyrics of rap music mixed with pounding rock chords behind. I even found a reconciliation with my insecurities in these areas by subconsciously playing such music that used "emotional" more dissonant chords within the soundtrack. After expressing my insecurity through the song, I would feel resolution, and could move on and start building confidence. I always wanted to be confident in myself. So I would seek out music where the tones of the voices rapping or singing sounded confident.
After a period of time, it was interesting to see how this, what I simply called enjoyment, was actually shaping me to believe I was actually mocho, masculine, and confident.
All because of tones, the ones that we have been pre-programed with.
There is so much more to be typed about this, however, for the moment this should feed our thinking machines. Ya!
Tones are a powerful tools for communication.
Have you ever noticed that you can communicate on an emotional level just fine with anyone? Okay so maybe you may feel a bit uncomfortable getting deep with anyone on the street, but the truth is you do whether you realize it or not through tones. Even with people who don't speak your language. The way people use tones is universal understanding.
Consider the tones you relate to when thinking of emotions such as apathy, anger, joy, when you are embarassed. There are a collection of universal tones you utter whether in your mind if you are more introverted, or our of your voice if you are more extroverted like myself.
It's impressive how it seems that humans and animals alike have come into the world with a pre-programed understanding of what tones are connected to what emotions. Make sense? For instance, when I call my puppy Eddie's name with a low to high and lifting tone, cheerful, he comes trotting up to me with tale wagging. He knows naturally and understands that a lighter perky tone means that I am happy with him. Eddie is a natural people pleaser so he is happy when I'm happy with him. However, when I call Eddie with a heavier, firm tone, lets even reverse the accent of my tone from high pitch to low pitch, Eddie comes walking more slowly but submissively, with his tale between his legs, and head lowered, even in shame. Whether he understands why I am calling him or not, he thinks that I am disappointed. Eddie's desire to please me has apparently been communicated as a fail, now he is ashamed and sad. People are the same way-all you need for understanding is to have a pair of ears and a working heart.
My point is this, tones, whether put together through our voices or composed through a clarinet, audible tones carry a pre-package emotion or feelings associated. Who wrote this law, God. Some might call it a phenomenon, I call it a thumbprint of divine design.
...going on a bit of a directed path I take you to MUSIC.
Therefore, composed music is especially powerful. We can bring joy by the way we accent tones and associate them together.
People use music to try to make sense of their emotions and feelings. We identify with given tones, intervals, and chords,
It is interesting how people can resolve feelings with the tones in music. We use music to make sense of the way we feel. If there was an emotion we were feeling and couldn't make sense of this feeling beforehand, we will search for the musical that will make sense and define how we feel.
When I was in Jr. High, I began to fill a need to make myself feel "macho" or to show aggressive pride in my masculinity, so I found a fulfillment of my need to express myself through the preachy lyrics of rap music mixed with pounding rock chords behind. I even found a reconciliation with my insecurities in these areas by subconsciously playing such music that used "emotional" more dissonant chords within the soundtrack. After expressing my insecurity through the song, I would feel resolution, and could move on and start building confidence. I always wanted to be confident in myself. So I would seek out music where the tones of the voices rapping or singing sounded confident.
After a period of time, it was interesting to see how this, what I simply called enjoyment, was actually shaping me to believe I was actually mocho, masculine, and confident.
All because of tones, the ones that we have been pre-programed with.
There is so much more to be typed about this, however, for the moment this should feed our thinking machines. Ya!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
..Which transcends all we can understand.
Phil. 4:4-9
Even this day in my twenty-somethingth year of embrace to and of the presence of God, I am deeply moved.
Within the various realms of life, we can often see the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility at work. This law conveys that the more we consume of anything, the less exciting or enjoyable it is [subjectively]. Yes, I have experienced this effect in many areas. I consider how even my favorite cereal brands become bland when I get too used to them.
Simply stated: I have never experienced the effects of this law when remembering the presence of God and the true peace He has so generously given. It's like God has created every other kind of pleasure to be increasingly less satisfactory than Himself-He has separated himself (his nature) from the nature of anything else created.
When I step back to look at my life's timeline, even through the eyes of a Jesus follower, I kind of chuckle. Traditionally, some of the things we've witnessed first-hand have proven tragic or grotesque, yet while experienced hand-in-hand grasp to the living God, a true Shalom, as the Jews call it, overlays to trump any 'events' that come our way. This peace never ceases, nor does it diminish over time. Even in the sad face of my Mother's recent brain tumor-the tears were largely shed, yet God's peace never left our hearts. A full and complete peace. Yes, a peace that even transcends all of the things we can understand! It's often overwhelming. It is the presence of God.
These last couple hours or so, I've just had to stop everything to honor God for his leadership and peace over my life and to others. My prayer is that God would use this beacon of hope, better yet, fulfillment of hope, to beckon others to know God for who He is: He is the God of peace who has enabled us to know his peace in all aspects of our life stories, fully!
Amen.
Even this day in my twenty-somethingth year of embrace to and of the presence of God, I am deeply moved.
Within the various realms of life, we can often see the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility at work. This law conveys that the more we consume of anything, the less exciting or enjoyable it is [subjectively]. Yes, I have experienced this effect in many areas. I consider how even my favorite cereal brands become bland when I get too used to them.
Simply stated: I have never experienced the effects of this law when remembering the presence of God and the true peace He has so generously given. It's like God has created every other kind of pleasure to be increasingly less satisfactory than Himself-He has separated himself (his nature) from the nature of anything else created.
When I step back to look at my life's timeline, even through the eyes of a Jesus follower, I kind of chuckle. Traditionally, some of the things we've witnessed first-hand have proven tragic or grotesque, yet while experienced hand-in-hand grasp to the living God, a true Shalom, as the Jews call it, overlays to trump any 'events' that come our way. This peace never ceases, nor does it diminish over time. Even in the sad face of my Mother's recent brain tumor-the tears were largely shed, yet God's peace never left our hearts. A full and complete peace. Yes, a peace that even transcends all of the things we can understand! It's often overwhelming. It is the presence of God.
These last couple hours or so, I've just had to stop everything to honor God for his leadership and peace over my life and to others. My prayer is that God would use this beacon of hope, better yet, fulfillment of hope, to beckon others to know God for who He is: He is the God of peace who has enabled us to know his peace in all aspects of our life stories, fully!
Amen.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Regarding the Conversation of Value:
In my three years of study at Southeastern University, I have naturally come across the numerous discussions of humanity, religion, politics, and beyond. These passionate conversations, however they become, seem always to root down into our values. These values appear to become the determining factors of an individuals pre-suppositions and process of reasoning. The below is a conversation of value from a glance, which roots from my personal philosophy of effective understanding and communication, particularly in realms of heart and value. Such simple subjects, when processed in the right order appear naturally to find context and, therefore, community amongst its often diverse individuals of conversation.
Viewing the Marriam-Webster dictionary, value is widely defined, multi-purposed word:
1: a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged. 2: the monetary worth of something: market price3 : relative worth, utility, or importance value at the price> value of base stealing in baseball> value to say>4 : a numerical quantity that is assigned or is determined by calculation or measurement x take on positive values> value for the age of the earth>5 : the relative duration of a musical note6 a : relative lightness or darkness of a color : luminosity b : the relation of one part in a picture to another with respect to lightness and darkness7 : something (as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable values instead of human values — W. H. Jones>8 : denomination. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, (Merriam-Webster, 2009)
From messages of relative economical worth, especially concerning the argument of what is fair; to topics of monetary measurement; numerical quantity; concerning the duration of musical notes; shades of colors; desire; and even denomination, value is a delicate word to be received and used only in the protection of a well-constructed context. Once a sure context can become established, only now, naturally, can an effective exchange of common understanding initiate.
Regarding the further decoding of the discussion: value, it appears vital that, as two, or three, or multiple individuals converse on such topics, an establishment of one of two bases become confirmed: subjective or objective value. As written by C.S. Lewis in his book The Abolition of Man:
“The doctrine of objective value [is] the belief that certain attitudes are really true, and others really false, to the kind of thing the universe is and the kind of things we are. . . . The Abolition of Man (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975), 31-32’. (Williams, 2009)
Furthermore:
“Subjective Value[:] …values are whatever we choose to pursue and whatever we desire. It means there is no such thing as good or evil, except what you think is good or evil. (Jeff Landauer and Joseph Rowland, 2001)
We can gather that as individuals begin to try to reason with one another to converse over the reason of what is truly valuable; we must recognized the diversity and contrast between the gathered value of that which is objective and that which is, therefore subjective.
With respect to the above, we can see that as we sit at the table of discussion to speak of the weight (or otherwise, weightlessness) of value, there are some who discuss a value that means nothing from what they can feel or taste or touch. In discussion, these advocates covey reason from a worldview that revolves completely around its object (hence, objective of reality) or source of truth. Some examples of such objectivity can be seen the value systems of world religions revolving around God or others made of gods or idols, various ethical systems, etc. On the contrasting end of this table of discussion sits the man to breaths and reason subjectively: from his own impulses and comfort he reasons. When discussing and weighing the meaning of these things which are ‘more valuable’ we must consider the object or subject from which each individual draws from for his discussion of such topics.
The theme of this document, as brief as it may appear, as stated simply is that the conversation of value as a general topic is incomplete. Value, generally speaking, and without a, first, deeply established framework would, therefore, fail and make itself out to pose a fallac. Furthermore, a fallacy in the world of words, ideas, and methods of clear communication-especially for the cause of reasoning.
If you would request further Citations/Sources of my research, feel free to message me :)
Viewing the Marriam-Webster dictionary, value is widely defined, multi-purposed word:
1: a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged. 2: the monetary worth of something: market price3 : relative worth, utility, or importance value at the price> value of base stealing in baseball> value to say>4 : a numerical quantity that is assigned or is determined by calculation or measurement x take on positive values> value for the age of the earth>5 : the relative duration of a musical note6 a : relative lightness or darkness of a color : luminosity b : the relation of one part in a picture to another with respect to lightness and darkness7 : something (as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable values instead of human values — W. H. Jones>8 : denomination. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, (Merriam-Webster, 2009)
From messages of relative economical worth, especially concerning the argument of what is fair; to topics of monetary measurement; numerical quantity; concerning the duration of musical notes; shades of colors; desire; and even denomination, value is a delicate word to be received and used only in the protection of a well-constructed context. Once a sure context can become established, only now, naturally, can an effective exchange of common understanding initiate.
Regarding the further decoding of the discussion: value, it appears vital that, as two, or three, or multiple individuals converse on such topics, an establishment of one of two bases become confirmed: subjective or objective value. As written by C.S. Lewis in his book The Abolition of Man:
“The doctrine of objective value [is] the belief that certain attitudes are really true, and others really false, to the kind of thing the universe is and the kind of things we are. . . . The Abolition of Man (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975), 31-32’. (Williams, 2009)
Furthermore:
“Subjective Value[:] …values are whatever we choose to pursue and whatever we desire. It means there is no such thing as good or evil, except what you think is good or evil. (Jeff Landauer and Joseph Rowland, 2001)
We can gather that as individuals begin to try to reason with one another to converse over the reason of what is truly valuable; we must recognized the diversity and contrast between the gathered value of that which is objective and that which is, therefore subjective.
With respect to the above, we can see that as we sit at the table of discussion to speak of the weight (or otherwise, weightlessness) of value, there are some who discuss a value that means nothing from what they can feel or taste or touch. In discussion, these advocates covey reason from a worldview that revolves completely around its object (hence, objective of reality) or source of truth. Some examples of such objectivity can be seen the value systems of world religions revolving around God or others made of gods or idols, various ethical systems, etc. On the contrasting end of this table of discussion sits the man to breaths and reason subjectively: from his own impulses and comfort he reasons. When discussing and weighing the meaning of these things which are ‘more valuable’ we must consider the object or subject from which each individual draws from for his discussion of such topics.
The theme of this document, as brief as it may appear, as stated simply is that the conversation of value as a general topic is incomplete. Value, generally speaking, and without a, first, deeply established framework would, therefore, fail and make itself out to pose a fallac. Furthermore, a fallacy in the world of words, ideas, and methods of clear communication-especially for the cause of reasoning.
If you would request further Citations/Sources of my research, feel free to message me :)
Clean.
Above all gifts, from the Father, my King, I long to have a heart of pure innocent, cleanliness. In everything, I groan not even to attain masked rebellion. Clean like a white sheet. clean like a virgin child's mind, clean like water from the ground at the base of a mountain range, clean like new carpet, clean like hands that have become so thoroughly soaped, clean like Jesus has taken away my uncleanliness at His cross and resurrection; the rebirthing of myself in its deepest soul sense; a complete renovation of my mind to attain a heart of pure innocent cleanliness.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
To the be accompanied by Marche Funebre. Lento by Frederic Chopin
"IT-IS-FINISHED!!!!!!"
His head, which once balanced purposefully with didactic authority over masses upon the masses now lunged forward-came to rest over his bruised and blooded chest. In a crack of lightening--God-power, the Son of God was plunged into the deep where the temple of judgement has always waited to either lift or damn it's subject. Up the lengthy marled stretch, the King of the Jews approaches one thong-less foot after the other. Naked and unaccompanied, His mutilated, corpselike body slowly, yet steadily nears the seat of judgement. His body is expired fully, yet never appears to infirm the bowl of gold-attoped with His own blood of purity, submission, and soon redemption. His surroundings are blank, Jesus, the Christ enters the only fully fearful room of time and space. The structure remains while the air within vibrates at the royal sight of a truly noble King zealous with angry compassion for His sinful people; He adores them. Now the Christ moves fluently to the thone of judgement. With the grace of a young bride, the ambition of a young pursuing man, the tears of a new Father, the embrace of a long Mother-Yeshua approaches. Now in a crescendo of massive justice, seeming unjust-the cosmos shakes and tilts in struggle at the sight of innocent blood spilling from a bowl over the seat of damnation and heavenly glory and power.
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