President Obama's Inauguration Speech

*This post was started the day after the speech, just never got finished because I ran out of time, as explained. So here's the rest...

Well, I was

 working yesterday when President Obama gave his inauguration speech. So I decided to watch it today before I go into work (which is about in 20 mins, so I can't take long).

I'll just say that I thought his speech went very well. Of course, as long as you're a good reader I'm not sure how you can mess up the speech. I wish I could know how much of it he wrote. He might have written the whole thing? But I doubt it. For the sake of this post, I'll just assume he wrote it, because even if he didn't I can at least assume that he meant all of it.

I only watched it once, so I didn't completely grasp everything he talked about, and I'm not going to "nitpick" the speech. I just wanted to give a few 

thoughts I had for the sake of blog

ging.

First,  I was completely dumbfounded at the amount of people I saw on the lawn in D.C.! I heard it was in the millions! I'm not sure if that was normal or not. But I'm sure lots of people went so they could say " I WAS THERE!" the day history was made.

Second, I am very proud of our country for picking a "mostly" African American President. And I'm glad I that I will be able to talk about it first hand, even though I did NOT vote for Obama. I still disagree 

with some of his points, morals, and I wish he was a Republican.  :)    

Nonetheless, I still respect him as my President, will gladly fight for my country under his leadership if drafted, and will support his decisions unless they conflict with the Bible. I believe this level of respect should be given to EVERY President! Past, Present, and Future. But I never expect that to happen in our society.

Third, I will say that he's got a lot of work to do and he probably has the biggest expectation laid upon than the past three Presidents. 

If you ask me, he always looks like he's tired. 

I

'm sure he is.

Forth, I'll be praying for our Obama that God will give him wisdom and, most importantly, that Obama will seek it. Whether he does or not, I can have peace knowing that God is in control.

Dec 20- Jan 13

Well, Christmas was great! We went home for the holidays and spent some time with our families.

So what does our Christmas look like?  ...Before we left home for TN Jordan and I swopped gifts! I got Jordan a chair massager, clothes, and a locket. (Which she didn't get until a couple of weeks ago...   long story). Jordan got me some cool gadgets, an espresso machine (LOVE IT), and a cool man purse! We left for TN December 22nd.

Christmas Eve the Thompsons all get together. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents...  the whole bunch. This is anywhere from 20-30 people. We've being doing this for about 3 decades. Everyone brings a dish, we all catch up with what's going on as we eat dinner. The we all gather in the living room. We sing some Christmas carols and some of the cousins will normally perform on an array of instruments that have been learned or perfected over the past year. Jordan and I sang "Baby It's Cold Outside" while I played guitar. The Kings got to come a little later, which was great!

Then the gifts are past out. A couple months prior everyone draws a name for who they will be buying a gift for. This prevents everyone from buying 30 gifts!

After we open gifts we thank everyone and people start to head off to the other Christmas events they have going on.

Christmas day we opened presents with the Kings! 

That was lots of fun. Jordan's dad got us all these little "musicians". I like them a lot. Jordan's parents also got us  Wii! Which I have wiily enjoyed! Go to my facebook if you want to see who got what...    Why Scott is the tall guitar player, I'll never know.

After that we went over to my parents house, opened presents and ate breakfast with my grandparents. My parents got us lots of cool stuff! Mom got jordan lots of crocheting equipment and they got me lots of Starbucks stuff!!! Yeah!   ...I know, it's said that I work there and yet I still love it to get presents from there! They also got us a 4gb camera card.

While we were home, my brother Logan and I also filmed another Afro Man episode! 

We've been doing these periodically over the past 2 years and they're lots of fun!

 If you want to check them out...    click here...   Afro Man.

You can see episodes 1-3.5!   :)

New Years Eve we were with Jordan's parents! They took us out to the Spaghetti Factory in downtown Nashville! Then we walked over to the piano bar to go watch some live music (it was extremely cold outside). We walked up to the front and it was $50 a head! Yeah right! So we walked back to the car, drove home, had some cake and ice cream, and watch the ball drop.

Hope everyone a great holiday and doing well on your resolutions!

nov 7 - dec 19

Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything. It's the holiday season and a lot has happened!

Jordan and I took our first trip to the Big Apple! It was truly amazing! We went right before Thanksgiving. So a lot of the Christmas decorations were up. Which is the main reason we wanted to go.  :)   We were only there for three days and there was so much we wanted to do! In reality, it takes about three days just to realize that you're actually in NYC. So needless to say, we didn't get to do most of want we wanted...  but then there's always next time!!!   We really enjoyed being there, but I think the best part was getting away from everything and just hanging out with Jordan. We had lots of fun getting lost and lots of laughs. She's awesome!  We didn't stay for the parade because we figured it would have been too crazy. But when we got back, we regretted it a little. It was also good seeing my cousin Tim and our friend Nancy, both who live there.

Then there was Thanksgiving! I had to work all of 

Thanksgiving and the following weekend. But like I always say...  if you got to work on a holiday...  you better make it fun!   Hence my turkey hat that I

 asked Jordan to make me. It turn out perfect and I made a lot of costumers laugh....  which was my goal.

My partner (starbucks co-worker) Amy invited Jordan and I over for Thanksgiving with her cousins. Jordan and I were really glad because this was our first Tgiving away from family. We wanted to try and invite a bunch of people over, but with the NYC trip we just never got around to planning it.

We decorated the place for Christmas! Actually...  we decorated back on Nov 10th! :)  What can I say...   we love Christmas!!!

We're also doing live Christmas music at Starbucks this Saturday and raising money for H.E.L.P. (the organization that I went to Nigeria with). Hopefully it will go well!

We'll that's a quick update. I'll try and be better about the frequentness of my post.   :)     -grace and peace everyone!!!

The Hateful OT God... really?

I know this looks like a long post, but it's really not.

It's just a lot of verses that I wanted to share. I'm only going to say a little. So don't be afraid that when you start reading this blog that I'm rambling on and on. I'm not... just listen.

So I'm reading the One Year Bible. I'm in Ezekiel. Most of the time when people are reading through the Old Testament (OT) the image of God they begin to perceive is a hateful and vengeful God that just wants to kill everyone. Rem

ember, what you are reading was not written TO you. It was written TO God's chosen people of the OT. So unfortunately for us today, there is not as much detail we would like. Detail like... "What the heck did God's people do to incredibly piss Him off so bad?!?"

Well... if you read long enough you will find a great explanation of why God was so wrathful. Like this beautiful simile that God gave Ezekiel to share with his people, Jerusalem. A simile of how God's people have treated Him.

I'm beginning in Ezekiel chapter 16, in the middle of verse 8 through verse 43, then verses 60-63. I KNOW IT'S LONG! But please read it! And let me know what you think!

And remember... God is giving a simile of Jerusalem's waywardness.

God begins the chapter by

describing Jerusalem as a new-born infant left in a field to die, who nobody wanted. God found her (Jerusalem), brought her in, raised her to health, and made her is own...

"...I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, God, th

e Master

, gave my word. You became mine. 9 I gave you a good bath, washing off all that old blood, and anointed you with aromatic oils.

10 I dressed you in a colorful gown and put leather sandals on your feet. I gave you linen blouses and a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing. 11 I adorned you with jewelry: I placed bracelets on your wrists, fitted you out with a necklace, 12 emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tia

ra. 13 You were provided with everything precious and beautiful: with exquisite clothes and elegant food, garnished with honey

and oil. You were absolutely stunning. You were a queen! 14 You became world-famous, a legendary beauty brought to perfection by my adornments. Decree of God, the Master.

15 "'But your beauty went to your head and you became a common whore, grabbing anyone coming down the street and taking him into your bed.

16 You took your fine dresses and made "tents" of them, using them as brothels in which you practiced your trade. This kind of thing should never happen, never. What a Sick Soul! 17 "'And then you took all that fine jewelry I gave you, my gold and my silver, and made pornographic images of them for your brothels.18 You decorated your beds with fashionable silks and cottons, and perfumed them with my aromatic oils and incense. 19 And then you set out the wonderful foods I provided - the fresh breads and fruits, with fine herbs and spices, which were my gifts to you - and you served them as delicacies in your whorehouses. That's what happened, says God, the

Master. 20 "'And then you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had given birth to as my children, and you killed them, sacrificing them to idols. Wasn't it bad enough that you had become a whore? 21 And now you're a murderer, killing my children and sacrificing them to

idols. 22 "'Not once during these years of outrageous obscenities and whorings did you remember your infancy, when you were naked and exposed, a blood-smeared newborn. 23 "'And then to top off all your evil acts, you built your bold brothels in every town square. Doom! Doom to you, says God, the Master! 24 At every major intersection you built your bold brothels and exposed your sluttish sex, spreading your legs for everyone who passed by. 25 "'And then you went international with your whoring. 26 You fornicated with the Egyptians, seeking them out in their sex orgies. The more promiscuous you became, the angrier I got.

27 Finally, I intervened, reduced your borders and turned you over to the rapacity of your enemies. Even the Philistine women - can y

ou believe it? - were shocked at your sluttish life. 28 "'You went on to fornicate with the Assyrians. Your appetite was insatiable. But still you weren't satisfied. 29 You took on the Babylonians, a country of businessmen, and still you weren't satisfied. 30 "'What a sick soul! Doing all this stuff - the champion whore! 31 You built your bold brothels at every major intersection, opened up your whorehouses in every neighborhood, but you were different from regular whores in that you wouldn't accept a fee. 32 "'Wives who are unfaithful to their husbands accept gifts from their lovers. 33 And men commonly pay their whores. But you pay your lovers! You bribe men from all over to come to bed with you! 34 You're just the opposite of the regular whores who get paid for sex. Instead, you pay men for their favors! You even pervert whoredom!

35 "'Therefore, whore, listen to God's Message: 36 I, God, the Master, say, Because you've been unrestrained in your promiscuity, stripped down for every lover, flaunting your sex, and because of your pornographic idols and all the slaughtered children you offered to them, 37 therefore, because of all this, I'm going to get all your lovers together, all those you've used for your own pleasure, the ones you loved and the ones you loathed. I'll assemble them as a courtroom of spectators around you. In broad daylight I'll strip you naked before them - they'll see what you really look like. 38 Then I'll sentence you to the punishment for an adulterous woman and a murderous woman. I'll give you a taste of my wrath! 39 "'I'll gather all your lovers around you and turn you over to them. They'll tear down your bold brothels and sex shrines. They'll rip off your clothes, take your jewels, and leave you naked and exposed. Then 40 they'll call for a mass meeting. The mob will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They'll burn down your houses. A massive judgment - with all the women watching! 42 By then my anger will be played out. My jealousy will subside. 43 "'Because you didn't remember what happened when you were young but made me angry with all this behavior, I'll make you pay for your waywardness...

60 All the same, I'll remember the covenant I made with you when you were young and I'll make a new covenant with you that will last forever. 61 You'll remember your sorry past and be properly contrite when you receive back your sisters, both the older and the younger. I'll give them to you as daughters, but not as participants in your covenant.

62 I'll firmly establish my covenant with you and you'll know that I am God.

63 You'll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you,

make everything right after

all you've done, it will leave you

speechless.'" Decree of God, the Master

The New President Elect

Well Barack Obama is now Barack Obama President Elect...   two brief statements. 

The first is that I'm disappointed, sad, and even a little astonished. But not really surprised. What does surprise me are the reactions I've been watching the past hour or so. I have never seen people so obsessed with a President as they are with president elect Obama. Especially the reactions of the world. I just heard that Kenya just made a Nation Holiday supporting Obama's win.

I've never really been able to grasp how the world could fall under one leader until tonight. It has given me a much better perspective of what I believe is going to happen during the "end times".

Second, even though I am far from satisfied with the new president elect, I believe he deserve a level of respect from me. If not for any reason, simply because he will be my new President, and for that I will give him the respect he deserves. I am also happy of the new achievement for black history.

As great or as scary as it might seem, only one thing truly matters. There is only one God Almighty. And no matter how alone, small, unsafe, or afraid I could feel...    I do not feel. Because I know God is in control. And as cliché as that unfortunately sounds...   it is the only fact that keeps me my soul at peace.

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20)

Election Day '08

Well...  tomorrow is the big historical day!

I think Jordan and I are planning on hitting the poles around 9-10am. Hopefully that will leave me plenty of time to be at work by 2pm. But who knows?!?

I will go ahead and tell you who I am voting for. It doesn't bother me if everyone knows. I'll be voting for Senator John McCain.

I will be the first to admit that I am not the brightest when it comes to these two presidential candidates. But there are several reasons why I'm voting for John McCain, and several reasons why I'm not voting for Barack Obama. But there's no way I'm writing all that (and I'll probably sound stupid). I'll just leave it at these two simple reasons why I'm for McCain.

1) McCain does not support abortion or homosexual union. These topics are very important for me, being a Christian. I believe that when it comes down to it, McCain has much better morals than Obama.

2) It is obvious that Obama is very popular

 among all Hollywood, media, and most young people. The fact that he is favored by those who are "popular" makes it in itself "popular" to vote for Obama in this election. Whether most people believe Obama or not, or even truly knows what he stands for, they will vote for him simply because it's the popular thing to do. Ask them why they're voting Obama and there answer is...  you guessed it...   CHANGE!   That's all they know.

I don't think Hollywood has ever backed up a presidential candidate as much as they have Obama. And if you really look at how messed up Hollywood is, that is almost enough proof itself  that I don't need to vote for Obama. I would be voting with the same people that live and preach the exact opposite of what I believe.

Well, like I said, you're not going to find any deep and witty reasons to vote for either party here. I will say that I believe you always need to respect your President, whoever it may end up being. I will.

I will be at work while the results come in. It will suck not knowing until later, but I'll just have to deal with it.

All in all, I know whoever gets in office is exactly who God has decided to be there. There's no point in worrying. All I can do is pray and participate in my right and privilege to vote.

massive update

Ok. Last post was  1 1/2 months ago. Sad...  very. But I'm not going to harp on it.

 I'll just say that my life is going to be much more organized thanks to Moleskine!!!   Yes, Moles!!!!  

The cute little creatures that terrorize the worms in your back yard and tease your dogs can now organize your life!

Ok... not the real moles...   although that would be awesome!

Moleskine is just the brand name of this pocket journal I bought.

My thought is that it's small enough to fit in my pocket, so I will always carry it around and have on hand to write to do's, ideas, etc. And since it's $300 cheaper than my original plan (iPhone), it's a win win!  Especially with my horrible record of randomly 

losing my cell.   :)

Ok, back to the update...

On a sad note, I am no longer with the church plant here in Bluffton. It's a very, very long story, but to sum it up...  the vision for the church plant was vastly different than I had expected. I greatly disagree with leaving a church based on trivial reasons, but these were just too foundational for me (and several others) to ignore. The pastor and I are still friends, he understands my decision and supports it. And I know that this transition will work out better for him and for me, thanks to the wise plans of God. Also, thanks to the advice of Señor Scott Beebe, we did not follow the call of that pastor to Bluffton. We asked God to call us to the area if He wanted us, not to the opportunity for a particular church plant.

On a much lighter note. I think Jordan and I finally found our ONE tv series. And no it's not Lost or Heros!

It's House M.D. baby! I don't need to explain it, I just need to say that it's TIGHT! If you like mystery movies (and NOT the scifi type!) then you'll love this series. 

I also think it's awesome that 1 out of every 10 words is some crazy medical term I've never heard before and have no idea the meaning.

Sometimes I feel like I might as well be watching a Spanish soap opera.

Anyway, since we've just become dedicated this during season 5, we've been renting the seasons at the library. We're addicted man! It's sad...   right now we watch about 1 episode every night before we go to bed. Then we watch the new ones Tues nights at 8pm.

We went on a cruise with Jordan's fam! It was nice and we had a lot of fun, but I think it's the last cruise we will go on.

I mean...  when you think about it, it's 3000+ people crammed onto one ship. I can't believe more people don't get sick. The cleaning crews must work incredibly hard. Honestly, I think the best part is the waiter you have each night. They rock too!

Ok... so a really fun fact that I wanted to share is this reading venture

 I've decided to partake in. And I'll talk about this quickly because I need to go to bed. I've been reading the One Year Bible for a while now. And that's been working really well for me. When I can stick to it.                                                                                                                           

So I'm always trying to find a good  book to read along with the Bible. I've decided to read Homer's Iliad, the works of Plato, and the works of Aristotle. I'm thinking it might take me a year to get through them all. And since they're such great classics I figured I couldn't go wrong. Although I will definitely need my dictionary to get through some it.   :)