A quote:
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
If you are going to walk on thin ice you might as well dance
This is the personal website of Matthew Dellinger. I use it speak my mind on the continuing work of God in my life, our culture, the the church, and anything else that comes to mind.
I'm currently trying to move into a more serious realm. I want to use this space primarily to address the second and third topics I mentioned: culture and the church. I'm always looking for something to write about, so if ya'll think of anything, just ask and I'll talk about it.
Enjoy, or at least think about what I post.
I just finished reading the book of James, and am now in I Peter. These are two verses that have been bouncing around in my head intermittently for the last couple days.
James 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
I Peter 1:22
Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.
It is also important to note that today is Anna's 16th birthday. I'm not sure exactly what that means, since she's an elf and therefore won't ever die, but it's certainly worth celebrating, especially if that celebration involves delicious food. Anyway, happy birthday, Anna!
(1/31/07)
I have a science-fiction vision of the IT underground, where the only hardware not tainted with DRM is made in China and using it is illegal in most of the "civilized" countries. And the only software that allows users to do anything they want with it is (also illegal) the GNU software, developed in basements by so-called "IT terrorists" - Linux kernel hackers, former Novell and Red Hat employees and sponsored by the Bin Laden of the IT: Mark Shuttleworth. Sounds ridiculous? Well, hopefully so. But I don't think Microsoft and Apple would be protesting when this ridiculous and insane vision comes true?
To read more about how Microsoft and Apple are trying to, quite literally, take over your life, go to this page.
On a completely different tact...
Stockholm (Sweden) - Second Life has moved beyond the novelty of playing host to virtual ad space for companies, with an entire country now vying for attention in the online world. A virtual Swedish embassy will be making a presence in the game, with full support from the country's government.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry, the government body in charge of promoting travel and tourism for Sweden, will oversee the virtual project, which is reported to be the first of its kind for the Scandinavian country.
"We're constantly trying to reach new groups of people with information about Sweden. This is a very simple and cheap way to reach a large group of younger, educated people who are flooded with information," said Olle Wastberg, the director of the Swedish Institute.
According to the Associated Press, the building inside Second Life will be a replica of the House of Sweden embassy in Washington, DC, and will have interactive displays that allow users to view official websites about Sweden, and will even be staffed with real representatives from the Swedish Institute to chat with users in the game.
Sweden is not the first government-sanctioned presence in Second Life. Last year, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) set up shop in the digital world, providing real-time weather information to users. Second Life has also become the host of virtual environments for several major companies, including Dell, Sun Microsystems, and IBM. Even Reuters, the international news wire organization, created a "virtual island" in the online landscape.
I do realize that my blog has been getting a little more techy than is probably appreciated recently. I'll make it up to ya'll somehow.
(1/29/07)
Well, Christmas came and went, and I didn't get what I really wanted. I mean, what really loving parents wouldn't get their son one of these? Sheesh...
(1/27/07)
So last night I was bored, and in a bad mood, because I'd just won an argument that I'm not sure I was right on, and that I know would upset some folks. So I had to do something to cool off, and one of the best things to do is some art. I've actually decided that I don't even like the new look, so if someone else wants a blog, I'll build one for them using it.
New Look
And some random lyrics...
The soul needs beauty for a soul mate
When the soul wants...the soul waits ...
No I could never take a chance
Of losing love to find romance
In the mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman
No I could never take a chance
'Cause I could never understand
The mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman
For love and faith and sex and fear.
And all the things that keep us here
In the mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman
(1/26/07)
Virtual Second Life citizens are now getting real-life jobs. According to Fortune, companies have been holding interviews the game's virtual world and some people have even been hired without having the typical face-to-face interview.
Electric Sheep Company, a small firm that specializes in bring big corporations to Second Life, has hired several employees from Second Life. Gif Constable told Fortune that he hired people that he "never met in the real world", solely based on the work they did inside of Second Life. Second Life players can create their own objects, home furnishings and even islands. Many of those players go on to make a decent living from selling those virtual objects.
Crayon, a PR company, is another company that has hired through Second Life. Joseph Jaffe, Crayon's founder, says about 20 people have contacted him inside of Second Life asking for jobs.
On a different note...
In reference to an earlier post, I have decided to cancel the "Will You Go Out With Me" post, as after talking to some pretty smart people, they pointed out that I was looking at the issue from completely the wrong direction anyway.
(1/24/07)
soccermatt3388: do you exist?
Gracefulkluzt07: yes i do
Gracefulkluzt07: do you?
Gracefulkluzt07: I said hi a while ago, did you get it?
soccermatt3388: its says you're typing
Gracefulkluzt07: arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggg are you getting any of these?
Gracefulkluzt07: hahaha
soccermatt3388: someone who does not exist cannot type; therefore you exist
Gracefulkluzt07: yay
soccermatt3388: and if I get a message, it will mean you are literate.
Gracefulkluzt07: thats exciting, altho i am comming to think that maybe you dont exist becuase your IM or what ever is WACKED OUT!
Gracefulkluzt07: haha you know this is kinda fun, i can say what ever i want to you, and you will never know!
Gracefulkluzt07: MUHAHAHAHHAHA
soccermatt3388: she still be typing. not very strong with the force, is she
Gracefulkluzt07: HEHEHehe thats what you think, BUT ITS NOT OVER YET!
soccermatt3388: luke to echo base. Do you copy, echo base?
Gracefulkluzt07: hehe
Gracefulkluzt07: your mom copys
soccermatt3388: try now
Gracefulkluzt07: ok
Gracefulkluzt07: are you a blow fish?
Gracefulkluzt07: how about now?
Gracefulkluzt07: or now?
Gracefulkluzt07: you know i would love to be a blow fish, some ones getting to close and its just like BAM!
soccermatt3388: it did not work
Gracefulkluzt07: lol
soccermatt3388 signed off at 5:52:10 PM.
soccermatt3388 signed on at 5:52:33 PM.
soccermatt3388: try now
Gracefulkluzt07: white and nerdy
soccermatt3388: just type some random crap and hit send
Gracefulkluzt07: they see me mowin my front lawn I know they are all thinking I'm so white and nerdy Think I'm just to white and nerdy
That was one of the more amusing IM conversations I've ever had.
On another note, Novembers posts are now in the Archive section.
(1/20/07)
You will no doubt recognize that the following is not my own writing, but most disrespectfully stolen from the blog of Ali Undone. However I thought that it was worth ya'll reading, so I stuck it up. I've experienced some of what she writes about in one way or another over the last two years, and have run into some of the same issues, like being a thick-skulled ungulate and refusing to give up on things when I should. Anyway, enjoy.
"The thing about love or what I think love is, is that it gets me into so much trouble with myself. For some reason I cannot seem to be able to make up my mind about anything, least of all make sense of things. It seems that all clarity jumps out the window. and it doesn?t feel right to me. After all, how can one function as half a part of a relationship if one?s thinking is addled?
When for one reason or another the relationship fails to work, I end up between two choices: 1) this situation is merely a test. to survive it would mean love, actually. 2) it?s time to move on. To keep trying would mean love, insane and obscure.
It would have been a simple choice, if my head was screwed on the right side up, but like I mentioned earlier, clarity of mind is just one of the first things that run out on me whenever I fall in-love or whenever I fancy myself to be in love. Rational thinking just isn?t a possibility anymore, or so it seems.
As stubborn as I am, most of the time, I figure, heck, this is just a test. I can get past this and things will get better for us. sometimes even as things go from bad to worse. Somehow, I have convinced myself that love is a choice to stay committed, no matter what. Or that if I stayed on for so long, whatever mistakes we?ve made could be outgrown. The truth is, I have only given up on three things in my entire life, and that includes the failed relationships. so now I?m beginning to wonder, did I make the right choice or have I spent too much time with all the wrong people?
Be that as it may, I have no regrets about trying. in fact I'm worrying about not being able to exhaust all options to make things work. Sometimes, no matter how willing I am to keep trying, if the other half walks out on me and shuts the door behind him, there really isn?t anything that I can do about it anymore. But even then, I?m left wondering about whether he was the one that got away or if he did me a favor by walking away.
Which brings me back to: how can I tell? when am I supposed to keep trying? when am I supposed to let go already?"
(1/18/07)
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:16)
Thank you God for beating this into my head... Anyway, before the break, I was in a cru Bible study, and this was in one of the passages we talked about. We spent a lot of time talking about the righteous dude's prayer, and totally skipped the whole confess you sins part. I mean, who really wants to do that? So God started me thinking about it. Then we went to Passion, and there was this awesome guy I ran into from Uni Georgia (where are ya, dude? I ain't heard from ya) who was really big into this whole accountability partner thing (which is a really good idea). Then J. Piper talked about, and then I came home and started reading James again, and this sort of got me.
So I guess the real question is, why the heck should I tell other people about all the rotten stuff in my life? I mean, it's not like they don't have enough of their own to deal with, and it's not like they're going to think higher of me because they learn that I'm a rather arrogant person (as if they didn't already know that...). Besides, then they'll feel like they should tell me stuff about them. There are a few folks in this world that are pretty darn near perfect, as far as my rather short-sighted eye can see, so why would I want to ruin it?
Well, first off, because the Bible, and therefore God, says to.
Darn it.
See, for me, that ain't much of a reason. I mean, if you ask me, "Matthew, do you want to do what the Bible says to do?" will I say yes? You becha. But really, I have a big problem with this whole duty thing. I am aware that not everything in life will, or even should, be explained to me, but I really have a problem doing something without knowing why. Fortunately for me, God makes sense (most of the time) and so, there is actually a logical reason. That's known as the long of it (as opposed to the short of it, which would be "why does the Bible tell us to confess to each other?"). There, now you have the long AND the short of it. Doesn't that make you happy?
Well, most of you are saying, "Hey stupid, it says right there. "So that you may be healed." What's to explain?" Alright, how does it help you heal, why is it necessary to help us heal, and how does God get the glory?
One of the biggest reasons is what it says with it: pray for each other. Obviously, while you can pray for someone without knowing anything about them, it's rather difficult to be, as KJ put it, "fervent," without knowing what you're praying for. I have a feeling that James knew this.
The next reason I have is that, as my friend pointed out, accountability is rather important for the Christian life. We sort of have this mindset that that means two guys going to a coffee shop and going down a checklist. "Have you yelled at your wife this week?" "Nope." "Have you prayed for the your mother-in-law?" "No man, I failed in that area." "Alright, now you do me." Well, I don't think that's either a Biblical or effective way of doing it. Here's what I think would work better. Since I know what I struggle with, and since my friends know me fairly well, sometimes, when we're shootin' pool or hanging at the Mountain, or chatting on IM, they'll say "Matt, I think you have a problem with this" or I'll say "I've really been struggling with this recently." Why is accountability important? Three reasons: first, it means that someone else is going to find out when you screw up. Our natural disposition against shame prevents us from doing things we know someone else will find out about. Second, because, for a lot of sin, we sort of ignore the fact that it's sin. However when I tell someone else that it's sin, it actually sinks in with me. Third, because it gives us someone who will pray about that whenever we struggle with it. Think of it like Eyowen's battle with the Witch-King in ROTK. She's out there, getting the tar beat out of her, until she gets just a little help. A friend who knows your struggles is sort of like Merry there. Just a side note; there's no rule that says that you have to be accountable only to members of the same sex. There's at least one girl that I'm accountable to in some areas.
Now there's one very important thing to note here. Accountability should be joyful. If all I do is pour my problems on this other person, and get drenched in their's, that's sort of depressing. The joy comes when you can say to someone "Look at what God's done in my life. You know who I used to be, look at how he changed me. Thank you for your prayers." It would be rather miserable if accountability was just seeing what a lousy rotten sinner some other guy was.
Up next:
Confessions III - How is God glorified when I confess?
"Will You Go Out With Me?" - Why I think the American system of finding a spouse is rather dumb, and what I, with all my experience, think would work better. (also known as "A Defense of Betrothal")
This is sort of accountability; if I don't tell you that I'll write something, I may never get around to it. But now that I've told you, I'll have to do it. (unless the letters of protest cease to fit in the mailbox)
NOTE:
Please realize that I am simply putting forward what I've understood from thinking about this subject. It's very likely I'm wrong, and if so, by all means correct me. This would preferably be done through the email jobby in the [Respond] to a [Launcher] tab.
(1/14/07)