Noeo Commentary ~ Matthew 5

This section of Matthew contains 5 different parts, Anger, Lust, Divorces, Oaths, and Retaliation. All of these sections are not Jesus changing the law – simply expanding it and making it more relevant to modern culture. And boy, every single one of them is very, very relevant to our culture. I’ll try to go over all 5 parts here. The first two I’ve personally struggled with, but the last 3 I probably don’t have too much insight on.

Anger
Everybody knows it’s wrong to murder. I highly doubt that anybody reading this has ever killed anyone, or at least I would hope not. But in verse 21-26, Jesus takes it a few steps further than simply taking someone’s life. Jesus plainly states here that to be angry with someone is to murder them in your heart. You will be punished fully for your hatred and will be liable for the hell of fire. Jeez. I’m a serial murderer. I’ve murdered people because they talked too much, because they’ve called me when I’m trying to sleep, because I had to wake up too early. In fact, everyone reading this is a murder. That’s not a friendly thought, is it? A little bit of anger – they’re good as dead in your heart. We should all try to… well… kill as few people as possible. Murder isn’t actually something you want. It’s a tough thought.

Lust
This section was quoted in Every Young Man’s Battle, a book which all the guys got at O2 last fall. This is quite possibly a scarier line than the previous one – every time you look lustfully at a girl, you’ve committed adultery. Now I don’t know about the girls reading this, but this is surely a major problem for guys. We’re genetically coded to lust – it gives chemical highs and releases neurotransmitters like endorphines and dopamine, giving pleasure. One study showed that the average male thinks about sex once ever 52 seconds (which really scares me, as there must be guys to balance out the guys like us who… don’t). Lusting after a girl is like committing adultery. And that just doesn’t mean on the computer screen or in a magazine. That means in the hall at school, on the sidewalk when you’re driving, on that billboard. In your mind. Committing adultery. That’s something to thinking about. Please, if you’re a guy and you didn’t go to O2, please get your hands on a copy of Every Young Man’s Battle. Email me at brandonhorst@gmail.com, and I’ll bring my copy to SI or school or wherever and you can borrow it for as long as you want. It’s a great book that has undoubtedly made a change in my life, and if you’re even remotely struggling with this topic (which science proves that you are), please read this book. The bible says that if you’re eyes are causing you to lust, rip them out of your head. That’s how urgent this is. Consider it.

Divorce
This talks about the idea today that marriage isn’t an important thing. Some people seem to think that if a marriage goes through a tough spot, you’d better get a divorce and find somebody new. Now I’m no expert on this field, but I can tell you now, your marriage is going to go through a tough spot. Plain and simple. When you get married, you need to know that and be able to push through the tough parts. Marriage is meant to be a big thing. Outside of marital unfaithfulness, Jesus says that you’re stuck with your wife/husband for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health… I’m no expert on stuff like this, perhaps someone else could give some more insight here?

Oaths
Don’t swear. I’ve often heard people tell me ‘it’s alright to swear, they’re just words.’ I wish I’d have known this verse. The bible says ‘for you cannot make one hair white or black.’ Swearing doesn’t accomplish anything. It’s just a stupid, rather immature way to make yourself sound… uh… what does it make you sound like? It sure doesn’t make you sound smart. Or mature. It’s just something that shouldn’t be done. This is one of the easier ones on this list, as swearing isn’t a natural behavior. I don’t know, just don’t do it. I’ve never really had a problem with swearing, perhaps someone else could give more insight on this topic. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Retaliation
People are going to give you crap. In life, whether it’s high school, college, or on the job, someone’s going to be pushing you around. And if there’s one thing that you learned in Elementary school, it’s that it doesn’t do much good to push back. Fighting so often leads to trouble… it’s another problem that I know people have trouble with but I really never have. If someone forces you to do something… you might as well do it. Society would label that as being a wimp or a loser, Jesus labels it as being holy. Which label do I care more about? Again, someone else could probably give more insight into this topic.

Hope you guys all have a great weekend!

Noeo Commentary ~ Matthew 5

Salt
You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Salt is a spice of sorts. It’s used to keep meat from rotting. Its chemical formula is NaCl. It works as an electrolyte and to lower the freezing point of water. It was used as currency in ancient Rome. It’s used to give flavor to foods. But if left alone for too long, salt will lose it’s… well, saltiness. It then becomes a desolveable material somewhat like sand. Sure, it’s still salt, but is it good for anything? Not really. That’s what Jesus is saying here. In a classic metaphor, Jesus compares the people of the world to grains of salt. Over time, since the days of Noah, we have been consistently losing saltiness. Heck, I’m sure if this metaphor were to taste us now, we’d be well past bitter on the saltiness scale. And it’s not improving. Homosexuality, theft, murder, suicide, adultery, violence, abortion… we’re losing saltiness by the second. And what does Jesus say to do with sand-salt? Toss it, let people walk on it – it’s not good for anything. Well, God’s already assured us that he’s not going to ‘throw us out,’ (look at that Rainbow!), but what can we do to get ourselves back some flavor? How well we go back to a state where we shouldn’t be thrown out to walk on? We’ve got to tell people about the goodness of being salty. We’ve got to give some flavor to the flavorless. One grain of salt at a time.

Light
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Light is a powerful thing. Quantum Physicists will tell you that it is both a particle and a wave. Do-It-Yourselfers will tell you it’s an electrical appliance. Weight Watchers will tell you it’s a goal. Smokers will tell you it’s relief. Fanboys will tell you it’s a side of the Force. It has 23 uses as a nown, 4 as an adjective, and 11 as a verb. It’s something that you bring to, you come to, you see, you shed, or you hide under a bushel (no!). But what is Jesus saying here?
It is ridiculously easy to hide your Christianity. Oftentimes you don’t even need to deny it, you can simply avoid all situations that would require you to do so. But is that what God truely wants us to do? To conceal the fact that we are complete and utter servants of his? Of course not, this verse explains that wonderfully. We (Christians) are a light to the world. We reach out as far as we possibly can to show people the way. We’re a guiding light, designed to illuminate both the door and the path to get there. It’s our job to show lightless people the way. To tell then where they need to go, to show them how to get there, and ultimately, to toss them a flashlight. Needless to say, our bulbs aren’t burning as brightly as they should. That’s not because the fuse is dying… it’s because it’s simply not receiving enough electricity. We pump some juice into that thing, and it’ll shine as brightly as we need it to.
The point: the problem is not with the bulb, despite what you may think. You could do a great job showing other people to Jesus. God makes quality light bulbs. The problem is in the batteries.

Worship

Student Life groups met tonite, and this was our first meeting with a new group, house, and teacher. And I must say, I really enjoyed it. Bibza did a great job, considering that he didn’t prepare at all. Our passage was in Samuel II, chapter 6 if I recall correctly. To summarize, the Ark of the Covenant was being returned to the main city, and David was happy about it. In response, he worships God in… interesting ways, much to the distress of his wife. Here I go.

The bible states that David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might. An ephod is a long-sleeve robe-like piece of clothing that extends to the hips. And only to the hips. That means that, as David was dancing his heart out, some… uh… stuff was showing. His wife, along with our entire small group, thought it was inappropriate and wondered why he was doing it. David simply explained that he had done it for God – not for other people. It was meant for God, the others were not the intended audience.

It brings up an interesting point – who do we worship for? It kind of sounds like an obvious question, but really think about. When you sing (or don’t) at SI or wherever you go to church, why do/n’t you do it? Is it because everyone else is doing it? Is it because everyone else isn’t doing it? Is it because you think you have a great/terrible voice? Or do you just zone out when it comes to singing? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you’ve got a problem. Singing is for God. Plain and simple. Nobody else. God created us, he asks for us to worship him. And we should do it.

I remember that once at an SI-related event, a guy was singing heartedly but slightly off-key. I asked him if there couldn’t possibly be some other way for him to express his love for God. He just gave me a funny look and kept on going. I was confused, I thought he was annoying or stubborn. But as I think about it, I was in the wrong. He was worshiping God! Who am I to interrupt that? I was not the intended audience of his expression, I should have not payed attention.
Two people are having a conversation, who am I to break in and correct a grammatical error? They aren’t talking to me, I’m simply overhearing. I should ignore their conversation. I’ve often looked at the people who raise their arms while they pray and asked ‘what are they trying to prove?’ Who am I to judge their worship with God?

In conclusion, the purpose of Worship is not to look good, to show off, or to sleep. The purpose is to communicate with and praise God. You’re speaking directly to him, not to anyone around you.

There we go. I should have been in bed a long time ago, it’s late, I bet I made lotsa mistakes. How about that, Keith?

Noeo Commentary ~ Matthew 4

Matthew 4:1-11. I find this to be a truely amazing set of verses, and I’m looking forward to writing about them.

We’ll start at the very beginning (it’s a very good place to start). Jesus had just fasted for 40 days. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve once fasted for 3 days, and I was completely shot by the end. (Due to some tooth problems, it was too painful to eat…). Anyway, the very idea that he could hold out for 40 days amazes me. It’s truely an act of faith to give up a necessary biological function for the glory of God. The majority of my not-eating takes place somewhere between dinner and breakfast, and I can’t even imagine going without major food for 40 days. Jesus had amazing faith and trust in God. We should all use that as an example.

But the next part is far more striking to me. I wrote some on this chapter a few posts back, but I’ll talk more about it here. Every single one of us fights with temptation. It’s a human trait. We are biologically programed to sin. It’s in our DNA. It takes everything we have to fight the urges our body throws at us, and people know it. Companies feed on this. A drive down the highway, a stroll through a record store, a Google search. Everywhere we go contains art and advertisements specifically tailored to take advantage of our innate characteristics. And I’m not talking solely sexual things. Shiny food prompts our desire to load our system with calories. Nice-looking objects stir up feelings of envy, jealousy, and greed. Hundreds of people are hired for the sole purpose of tempting us. And they are incredibly good at what they do. As I sit typing this, my iPod sits beside me, which I know contains 4 gigabytes of very good music. Just to my right is a cupboard filled with yummy fat-filled treats. A quick click to the ‘home’ button (Google) would bring up access to thousands of sites to promote my laziness or much, much worse. My Wii seems to be beckoning another couple rounds of boxing.

How are we supposed to oppose the onslaught of temptation that is thrown at us every waking hour? What does Jesus do? He uses God. He quotes the bible. He considers consequences before acting. A lot of the time it’s even things we’re familiar with. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit adultery… we know this stuff. But what does it take for us to follow through with our resistance? How can we possibly fight the powerful human urges to steal, to lust, to overeat, to envy? Only through God. Only through God! After all, this guy already broke the laws of physics and chemistry – what makes you think he can’t fight biology as well?
What did Jesus do? He called on God for his assistance. He asked the creator of the earth for help. If he’s on our side, who can be against us? We have the ultimate weapon on our side in the fight against temptation. We’ve got the greatest asset of anybody in the history of the world. The question is how we use it. How do we use God’s word, God’s instruction? That’s the part that’s up to you. But remember, Jesus was fully man, but he did it.

Student Life is tonite, I hope you guys all have a great time delving deeper into God’s Word. Peace out.

Noeo Commentary ~ Psalms 3

One thing that really stuck out to me in this reading was the passage in Psalms. David is being attacked, many are rising against him. He’s in big trouble. But what does he do when he’s in a mess? He prays. He talks to God. “You, O Lord, are a shield about me.” You protect me, you save me.
But he continues in the next line by stating that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” This is a bit of a confusing part. He’s trusting in God to protect him from harm – he’s basically putting his life on the line. But yet he still ‘fears’ God? I think this is an interesting topic, which we briefly discussed over at Byfleet’s blog. Dictionary.com, which I’m very fond of if you look back in the posts, defines ‘fear’ as reverential awe, especially toward God. It’s not that we’re supposed to tremble at the mention of God, or be afraid of his judgment. We’re supposed to be in awe of his power and greatness. That is the “Beginning of Knowledge.“

The next two verses also stuck out to me. I’ll just post them here.
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
Listen to your parents – do what they say. We’ve always heard that coming from the bible. But this verse takes it a step further. A garland and a pendant – both strong symbols of accomplishment and honor. The bible says the teachings of your parents are actually honors bestowed upon you. It’s a pretty interesting thought.

I’m back in school now, so my commentaries are not going to be as long as they were before, but I’m continuing to read all of the passage and all of whatever else I can. So everyone, keep reading, keep writing, this really is a great thing we have going here.

Noeo Commentary ~ Genesis 3-4, Matthew 2

First of all, I’m going to say that that must have been a terribly awkward moment for Adam and Eve. Like one of those dreams where you’re doing your normal day, and then look down and realize that you’re naked. Only not in a dream.

Well, that’s my commentary for the day. Just kidding.

The story of Cain and Able really strikes me. I mean, it’s probably been less than 50 years since Adam and Eve left Eden. That’s a complete guess, but I’d say it makes sense. Either way, the world is very, very young. There are 4 people on the entire planet. A mom and a dad and two kids. Just after the creating, humans are already beginning to kill each other. That’s amazing to me. That the ruthless killing that goes on today was going on way back when the world had a total population of 4. I think that really speaks for the depravity of human nature. It’s sad, that in thousands of years time, people are still making the same mistakes Cain made way back when, only on a much larger scale.

Also about Cain and Able is the part about sacrifices. Able grew sheep, and he gave the Lord his best sheep, and the lord looked upon him with favor. Cain grew fruit, and he gave the Lord some of his fruit, but the Lord ignored him. It’s not because God really likes mutton… it’s because Able gave his best, Cain gave the same old stuff. It reminds me of that parable where the poor woman gives 2 cents in offering to the church, but Jesus said she gave the most, because 2 cents was all she had. God wants our best, our all. God does not want our leftovers – he wants our main course and dessert. I mean, after all, he created us. He gave us everything. He could take everything. All he wants is something. If someone gives you a thousand bucks but only wants the best hundred back, by all means take the deal! God deserves everything, all he’s asking for is our best.

Herod’s story tells us another sad story about human nature. King Herod is a big guy with lots of power and money. And his greatest fear is losing it. The wise men tell him that a king has been born who is going to save Israel. One who will Shepard them and help them. And what’s his first thought? Kill him! Was he thinking about what’d be best for his people? Nope, he was thinking of what’d get him more money and power and anything else being a king gives him. It’s a terrible trap. Herod is quite possibly the most powerful human in the world at the time, and is he content? Nope, he wants more and more and more. Do money and power truly make us happy? Just look at Herod. If we truly want rest, comfort, and joy, we need the guy who makes light out of nothing.

There we go. That’s my commentary for the day. Looking forward to reading everyone else’s thoughts.

Noeo Commentary ~ Genesis 1-2

OK, I’m excited. This is my first commentary of a set which hopefully will number near 365 by 2008. I wish everyone participating a great new year and the persistence to continue this great idea. So, without further ado…

I’m going to start this one off with a short commentary on my New Year’s Resolutions. My family happens to own a bunch of Legos. You know, those little plastic bricks that you build stuff with. We have tons. When I was around 5, my older cousin gave me his (large) collection, and nearly every birthday and Christmas has added to those numbers, not to mention any my mom can find from people who’ve “grown out of them” (That’s not possible). Needless to say, we’ve got lots of Legos. My aunt recently challenged my little brothers to construct a structure using every single Lego. Every brick. They were up for it, so we decided to make that a Resolution – to build something using all of our Legos. And, despite the fact that we’ve only been doing it for about a day, it’s very difficult. It’s hard to come up with ideas, search for pieces, and keep it from falling apart. Good thing we’ve got a year to do it.

What I’m actually getting at here is the absolute monstrosity that the first two chapters of Genesis present. God made something out of nothing. Then, out of that something, he created a magnificent Earth with delicately balanced ecosystems, incredibly complex organisms, and awesome natural wonders. The bible says “and there was light.” It says that rather nonchalantly, but it’s an amazing task. There was nothing – then there was something. That’s chemically impossible, but as I’ve said before on this blog, God doesn’t need to play by the rules of math and science. He broke the first law of Thermodynamics – that’s something nobody’s ever been able to do. It shows God’s awesome power – he spoke four words and broke an established and proven scientific law.]

Let’s move on. He created the water and then created the sky. He created the systems that keep the water in the middle and the clouds in the sky. Then he created dry land. I don’t know how many of you have been out west, but things like the Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, the Badlands… it all speaks God’s great power. Not only did he make the whole world, but he did it with such diversity and creativity. Anyway, I’m rambling on. Then he created the animals and humans. Taking biology and psychology for the first time this year really forces me to realize the absolute miracle of the human body. Cells, each made up of basic elements like Carbon, using basic chemical processes involving stuff like Sodium, work together to allow an organism to sense, to be aware, to think, comprehend, and plan. If you ever get to study cellular makeup, it’s truly amazing. There’s like a whole city in a cell, with individual pieces, each made of basic elements and too small to be observed with nearly all microscopes, working together to create a living cell. That kind of stuff does not ‘come together.’ It was created. There is no possible way that intricate network of amazingness sprang from some amoeba in a swamp.
And (though I’m kind of going off on a tangent here), how did that amoeba come to be? It would have to be able to reproduce in order to create evolution… did some random parts just come together to give some elements the ability to reproduce? It seriously makes no sense at all that life could come out of… well, not-life. Unless it was done by the same guy who made light out of nothing. And who made water and rock out of nothing. It’s the only possible option. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

This is already way too long, so I’m not going to comment on the next parts. But to conclude: God is incredibly powerful. He makes stuff where there wasn’t stuff before. Evolution makes absolutely no sense. God makes sense. Evolutionists wonder where our proof is about Intelligent Design – bam, first page of the Bible.

OK, that was really long. If you read it, feel free to post a comment. 1 day down! I enjoyed that.

Ascend

Changed my mind, I’m posting.

I’ve decided to (tentatively) title the site ‘Ascend.’
Dictionary.com describes it as to move, climb, or go upward; to rise to a higher degree; proceed from an inferior to a superior degree or level; to acquire. That’s what each and every one of us needs to do in our walks with god. We need to move closer to God, to intensify our relationship with God, to improve our spirituality, and to aquire more knowledge and trust.

I hope that made sense. I like the name, it’s enigmatic, so it stays for now.

This is Your Life!

I’ve decided to write a pretty lengthy segment on Alistair’s sermon this morning, as I really enjoyed it and I felt that it fit in perfectly with the current holiday. So, to begin, I’m going to post the lyrics to a song by Steven Curtis Chapman. So without further ado, “Next 5 Minutes.”

I can reminisce about the already
I can worry and fret about the not yet
But when it all comes down I know it really
Really all comes down to the right now
So right now …

I’m living the next 5 minutes
Like these are my last 5 minutes
‘Cause I know the next 5 minutes
May be all I have
And after the next 5 minutes
Turn into the last 5 minutes
I’m taking the next 5 minutes
And starting all over again
Starting all over again

Every moment God is giving is precious
Every heartbeat, every breath I take
We’ll never have them back once they’ve left us
There will never be another right now
So right now …

I’m living the next 5 minutes
Like these are my last 5 minutes
‘Cause I know the next 5 minutes
May be all I have
And after the next 5 minutes
Turn into the last 5 minutes
I’m taking the next 5 minutes
And starting all over again
Starting all over again

This is the day, this is the hour
This is the moment the Lord has made

The next 5 minutes may be all I have… it’s kind of a scary thought. That all of our plans for the future and everything may be over any second. But that’s the truth: nobody knows when anyone’s going to die. Doctors can give a ballpark, but nobody’s ever been able to acuratly predict the time of someone’s death. Are these your last five minutes?
I don’t mean for this to strike a morbid tone, as the meaning of this post is quite the opposite. I think I’ll post some lyrics to another great song, “This is Your Life” by Switchfoot.

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now
Yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

This is your life, are you who you want to be? Now lets combine the messages of those two songs.
You don’t have long. We are but mist. Have you done what you want to do? What’s stopping you from doing it?
I want to talk about laziness. It’s a problem that everyone has a problem with. It’s simply easier to sit in bed than it is to go out and, well, do stuff. I’m a lazy kind of guy. I’ve spent days laying around the house in my pajamas, doing nothing for the majority of the day but surfing the web, playing video games, and watching TV. At the end of the day, I’ll usually end up feeling pretty bad, and vow to get things accomplished the next day. And perhaps I do, but later on I always fall back into the same trap. There’s just so many ways in the world to eat time without actually accomplishing anything. Just clicking the little ‘minimize’ button on this window reveals about 7 different ways to procrastinate from writing this article (including but not limited to Trillian, Firefox, Age of Empires III, Google Earth, iTunes, Solitaire…). But is that the best way to spend my ‘Next 5 Minutes?’ I don’t really think so. In fact,there’s plenty of things that I have do to before school starts up again, perhaps I should try those.

Alright, now I’m going to post some lyrics to Pink Floyd’s “Time”. Classic rock bands are definitely not the place to go if you’re looking for spiritual enlightenment, but it fits my point.

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say

It kind of reminds me of the movie ‘Click.’ I know I’m putting lots of culture references in this, but bear with me. The main character (Adam Sanders) gets a magical remote that allows him to ‘fast forward’ his life. Before he knows it, he’s an old man and he wonder’s where his life’s gone. It’s not a great movie if you’re looking to watch it with your little siblings, but it’s a great point. We go through our lives always waiting for tomorrow. I’ve thought that many times myself. “Life’ll be so great once I go to school!” “Life’ll rock once I become a teenager.” “I can’t wait ’til I can drive.” Now I’m already looking forward to college. It’s kind of a brutal cycle, as I know a few months after I get there I’ll probably be itching to graduate.

So what am I saying here? Carpe Diem. Seize the day (shoot, another movie reference). This is your life, are you who you want to be? After all, the next 5 minutes may be all you have. There’s so many things you could be doing! There’s so many things to do. I know I need more help with this stuff than probably you do, but it’s something that could help us all. There’s 24 hours in a day. That 16 full hours that we can do great things. 16 full hours that could be used growing closer to God. 16 hours that could be used for growing in relationships. 16 hours with which to learn, with which to create, with which to transform. So, before your 16 full hours turn into your last 5 minutes… do something great.

It’s New Years Eve. It’s common practice to make a set of resolutions. It’s also common practice to forget those resolutions by March. I urge you, make something great out of your life. Get out there and experience life. Seize the day. And stick to it. I’m trying it, perhaps I’ll tell you what it’s like…

I’m hangin’ with family tonite for New Years, so I doubt I’ll post again today. This was long enough. I’m off to go do something. So… I’ll see you guys next year.
D.V.

Some Things About the Site

 I feel like posting, so I’m gonna write a few things about the site. I’m bored.

Sucessfull conversion to the new site! Welcome to a new domain.

I’m thinking maybe I could get a domain name. It’s like 8 bucks or so, heck, I could get a .info domain on GoDaddy for like 2 bucks. Unfortunately, Brandonhorst.com is taken. Check it out, it’s some photography site. Thief! I don’t know what I’d have to do then, and it’s not like it’s really important or anything, but email@brandonhorst.net would be pretty cool. Heh.

I also think I’ll change the name of the site. I don’t really like it, as Syz is my moniker for online games, which isn’t really what I’m shooting for here. I’m not sure what I want to call it, something with a enigmatic yet powerful meaning. Heh.

I’ve gotten around to basically changing all of my contact information, as it’s easy to remember and I hated my old AIM SN. My new AIM SN is Brandonhorst, my e-mail is BrandonHorst@gmail, and my password is *******. Yeah…

On a side note, I finally got around to updating to Firefox 2.0, which is cool. I’m really enjoying it (the spell check as I’m typing this is useful). For… reasons I won’t disclose, I can’t download IE7, so I’m stuck with what I believe to be IE5, but I may be wrong about that. I’m too lazy to check. And, as a small interjection (partly) to piss off a certain reader, I am currently using a theme called iFox, based around MacOS 10. Completely ignoring everything else about the OS’s, this brushed theme looks sexy. It matches my iTunes.

That’s it for now. Tomorrow’s New Years Eve, get some sleep tonite!

Apple and Nintendo

I’ve decided to try something new and do a little analysis of some companies. I’m not sure why, but I’m driving home from Virginia and I’m bored. First of all, I’m a huge fan of both of these companies. That makes me a large minority in the nation at the moment. I own a Wii and an iPod, and I plan to make my first computer a Macbook and eventually I’ll get around to getting a Nintendo DS. I’m currently typing this on my mom’s old iBook. I’ve noticed a few similarities between the companies and I feel like typing them up.

1: Ease of use. Macs have long been known as the simplest systems to use – an intuitive interface designed with you in mind – without stupid options or menus. Microsoft is gaining back ground in this area, but I’d still argue that MacOS is a lot easier to than Windows (albeit I’ve never used Vista). Nintendo uses the same ideals. The motion controller on the Wii and the touch screen on the DS are all designed to make use as simple as possible. Don’t hold forward on the stick, hold L and press B, just shake the controller. The touch screen is possibly a better example, everyone and their grandma can put the stylus on a button. They both boast simplistic and intuitive control schemes. As a little addition to this topic, they’ve always focused on tasks that people want to do. Nintendo believes that someone who buys a game console wants to play games, not watch movies or buy music. Likewise, Apple thinks that people want to use their computers to do stuff with media, not play games or make SQL tables.

2: Money-Making. This one is not as apparent, but both companies make money on their hardware, which is primarily designed to play first-party software. While Sony loses 200-300$ with every Playstation3 sold, Nintendo makes about 12 bucks. Apple does the same thing (though with a bit larger of a number…). Traditionally, Nintendo systems have been designed to play Nintendo games – an excellent example being the Nintendo64 and Super Mario 64. Apple designs the majority of their software as well, partly because few other companies do it.

3: Innovation. The iPod largely created the MP3 player market. It was because it had the best navigation system, as well as the best storage. People would argue that the majority of innovation in the Operating Systems consisted of Apple creating and Microsoft improving. Likewise, the game pad, shoulder button, trigger button, analog stick, 4-button diamond layout, and motion controls were all originally created for Nintendo Systems (NES, SNES, N64, N64, SNES, Wii respectively). They also created handheld gaming as we know it. Needless to say, neither gaming nor computers (or the music industry for that matter) would be the same without these companies.

4: Strategy. When Apple created the iPod, nobody knew it. It was just the iPod – you had to search pretty hard to figure out that it was made by Apple Computers. That was because the people had in their minds that Apple made crappy stuff. iPod was something new, without preconceived notions. As a result, when the iPod exploded, people found out that Apple made it and started to believe that Apple made good stuff, and they’re still known as the best computer for all types of media and such. Nintendo is doing the same thing. Every Nintendo system before has proudly boasted the name Nintendo. Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS. At the beginning that was a good thing, the word Nintendo was synonymous with Video Game (you know, Sony’s new nintendo…). That’s not the case anymore, though, and Nintendo’s (finally) realized that. Gamers think of it as a system for kids, adults think of it as a system for their kids. Lets hope they pull an iPod with the Wii and get Nintendo to become a good name again.

5: Appearance. This is what really got me interested in the similarities between the companies, as it’s now hard to look at a Nintendo system without thinking of an iPod. Though I consider it a blatant rip-off of Apple’s style, I defiantly think it’s a change for the better. Compared to the purple lunch box known as the Gamecube. The DS lite was released in Apple Polar White, and the Wii was then made of the same material. Even the Wii logo is reminiscent of the iPod. Also, each company makes a home system (Mac, Wii) and a portable system (iPod, DS), and in both cases the portable is more popular.

6: Competition. Just a little interjection here – they’re both competing against Microsoft. Heh.

7: User base. Both companies have a solid, devoted user base who won’t use anything but their respective products, and often have some mean and nasty stereotypes attached to them. Heh (Not like those Apple commercials help, despite my love for them). They’re both largely trailing their industries, with a fraction of the install base.

Jeez, now I feel bad that I’ve written more about Computers than about the Bible. Oh well, once Noeo starts I’ll have more to discuss. Almost done here.
Speculation: OK, so the companies have lots in common. But do you think that’ll ever lead to something? I doubt it, but it’s cool to think about. What if Apple and Nintendo were to merge? Will I ever get syncing between the Wii and the iPod. Will I ever get an iTunes Channel where I can access my iTunes library remotely and listen during games without a HDD? What about viewing movies, pics, and music off my Mac Pro remotely from my DS at any Hotspot? Could we actually get a Mario, Metroid or Zelda on a Mac? Who knows? Just something to think about. And Steve or Reggie, if you’re reading this, I only want a small royalty for the idea.

What Would Jesus Do? (TWGT2)

For my second examination of biblical characters, I’m gonna go for the big guns and choose Jesus.

We’re always trying to emulate Jesus. The entire WWJD campaign which was so popular during my elementary school years proves that. And of course, there’s nobody who would be a better choice as a role model. He was perfect, meaning he never did anything wrong, sin-wise. He was fully God and fully man. Does this prove that the authors of the Bible can’t do math, or is there more at work here?

Fully God
OK, this is the hard one. Nobody in the world can truthfully boast that they are even .01% God (though many have tried), but Jesus did a few better than that. He never sinned. That means he never killed, stole or had sex. That means he was never jealous, lustful, untruthful or idolatrous. That’s quite some shoes to fill. I’d bet my life on the fact that everyone reading this sentence can’t boast those credentials. If there’s someone that we should try to be, shouldn’t we shoot for the very top? When learn to hit a ball, it’s much better to try to be a Babe Ruth or a Sammy Sosa than some obscure guy who lives across the street. 

Fully Man
OK, this is the part that we can relate to. We’re all pretty good at being human, unfortunately. Like all of us, Jesus was tempted. He was offered land and kingdoms as far as he could see. But he turned it down. Lets say I would (and could) offer you the entire nation of Canada China, and all you had to do was steal something – or no, lets take it a notch further – you had to tell a simple lie. A small white lie and you get trillions of dollars of wealth and unimaginable power. What would you do? What would did Jesus do? It’s something to think about: this is what we’re truly saying when we attempt to be like Jesus.
And you also have to consider his sacrifice. It’s easy to say that we would give our life to save someone else’s. But let’s take it a notch further. A terrible man is about to be given the electric chair for the purposeful murder of an entire family. You could confess to the murder that you had nothing to do with and spare the man’s life. You know you will be killed unmercifully. Do you do it? Now I’m not suggesting that you do something like that… but that is ultimately what Jesus did. Something to consider.

200%
It’s very important that I stress the word Fully. This means 100%. Why is it so important that the bible be mathematically illogical? Because that’s the reason that Jesus means anything. Nobody set within the bounds of 1/1 would be good enough. Without being fully god, his sacrifice would have meant nothing, he would have been a nice looking lamb with a shining coat and strong legs, but he wouldn’t have been perfect and spotless. That’s what it takes. He also needs to be fully man so that he could relate to us. Jesus came to earth to bridge the gap between us and God. Take a look at the slogan for this blog. There’s a huge difference between what we are and what we should be. Without being fully human, he couldn’t have truly related to us. 50% just wouldn’t have been good enough. You want to argue math with God?

What this means to us
It’s hard to emulate someone who’s never done anything wrong. Bam, we’re already out of the running. It’s impossible for us to do everything Jesus did. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. One of his roles on this planet was to be a role model. Something to shoot for. Sure, you’re going to sin. Sure, you’re not going to do miracles or be sacrificed. But his actions show a perfect example for how we’re going to live.

I wrote that in 3 separate sections, I hope it made sense.

Back!

I’m back! It was a great trip, lots of fun. Day 1 was mainly spent with my dad’s side, and we played lots of ping-pong, pool, and Rook (best card game ever). We also ate far too much, which isn’t so much a problem for me as for the rest of my family. Perhaps one day I’ll write about them. We slept at uncle Ken’s house, as pictured below.
{noimage}

Anyway, second day was spent with my mom’s side, at Uncle Larry’s house. It was enjoyable because my little cousins-once-removed were there. That’s Liem on the left and Levi on the right. Good times.
{noimage}

We left about 10 this morning and got home at the time this message is timestamped. Glad to be back!

Greetings from the South

Howdy, folks. I’m in Virginia at my Uncle’s house at the moment (on his computer, so I’m not gonna post anything big), but I just wanted to post something. I’m having a pretty good time, albiet a family-filled pretty good time. Visiting my aunt today, and I am glad SI is cancelled as I couldn’t make it. Taking some good pictures, perhaps I’ll upload a few, but this computer doesn’t have the right Software. So yeah, this post really has nothing to say but it’s fun to press that big ‘Publish’ button…

On a side note, my iPod’s batteries are dying, and I’m gonna call up Apple’s Customer Service and try to heckle them into giving me my money back. Thats what they get for selling me a Nano a week before the new nanos came out. I can pick up a 30g for the same price. Hopefully I’ll pull that one off.

Ok, Noeo starts in a few days (I’m excited), cya soon.

Family Matters

An entire Christmas to write about, no time with which to do it. Going to my Uncle’s (Mom’s side) house tonite, then strait to bed so I can leave for Virginia (Dad’s side) at 4 in the mornin. Back on Friday, just in time to get back together with family (Mom’s side) for New Years. Great time. I’ll be bringing this laptop though, so I can write stuff and hopefully there’s wireless at the place in VA. I love blogging for nobody.

So yeah, I had a great Chirstmas, can’t wait to write about it.