In lieu of the DEMF, I recorded my own “electronic” music using a djembe, a shaker, my hands, and an acoustic guitar. Edited with Garage Band; this is raw, rough, and probably out of tune. Here it is:

Organic Minimal Techno

Happy Memorial Day!

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about resolutions… Jonathan Edwards got me started on this with his 70 resolutions he’d set for himself that he read over weekly. I think they’re worth a read, more than once for help developing a personal list of resolutions.

Edwards has inspired me to look into the resolutions of other men of God, which lead me to find 10 Resolutions for Mental Health (one of my favorite articles I’ve ever read) and 20 Resolutions on Taming the Tongue.

Resolutions are thought of as something to make at the beginning of the year–but what if we set them (or added to them) every season? every month? every week? every day? What would happen?

Currently, I’m praying through the development of my own “resolution” list, something less abstract and more concrete.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
-Acts 4:13-20

Interesting, John and Peter, who were uneducated in the eyes of the religious leaders, seem to be the only ones who actually care about what God wants. Where did they learn that? The life and example of their Savior, “they had been with Jesus.” These religious leaders appear so self-consumed here that they’ve completely lost sight of why they’re even in power in the first place.

It is possible though, to fall into the same trap as the religious leaders:

• To have power and cling to that power so tightly over the God that gives it
• The desire to please “so-and-so” without considering whether or not God is pleased
• Not being completely honest because of fear of consequences over the fear of God
• Ignorance of what God is actually doing because we want Him to do something else

To follow the same Jesus John and Peter had been with is to stop making idols of people, power, privilege, and perceptions; but instead to worship God freely and boldly.

Nothing can ever — no, not ever! — separate us from the Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love of God he showed us in Jesus!

From the Jesus Storybook Bible