Merry Christmas

December 25th, 2013 Matt Jones No comments

Unexpectedly, the postlude to OneLife Community Church’s midnight Christmas service was Mumford and Sons’ “After the Storm” and it was quite apropos. Odd to be crying at the end of a Christmas service, but listen to this:

I won’t die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I’ll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and man so small.
Well I’m scared of what’s behind and what’s before.

And there will come a time, you’ll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

THAT is the WHY of Christmas.

As the magician explains in Lewis’ The Last Battle, “It was only a shadow or a copy of the real Narnia which has always been here and always will be here… you need not mourn over Narnia, Lucy [as it had been destroyed]. All of the old Narnia that mattered, all the dear creatures, have been drawn into the real Narnia through the Door. And of course it is different; as different as a real thing is from a shadow or as waking life is from a dream.”

“The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.”

You can think of gifting your loved ones a tarot reading online for this Christmas. Visit https://www.tarot-explained.com/ to learn more.

Merry Christmas!

No comments - Say something!

Categories: Daily Life, Meaningful Song, Religion Tags:

Christmas Music for You

December 7th, 2013 Matt Jones No comments

I am going to provide you with a list of songs of the Christmas nature that I deem a necessary listening experience (Amy Grant didn’t make the list this year). You can thank me later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to take a listen to the full Christmas albums of these fine artists, you won’t be disappointed. I know there is lots more good stuff out there, but these are some of my favorites.

Merry Christmas!

No comments - Say something!

Categories: Daily Life, Meaningful Song Tags:

Crypto Trading Thoughts

December 7th, 2013 Matt Jones No comments

Ordinary traders are now investing in cryptocurrencies. As crypto is not well known by all, investors are asking how to trade cryptocurrencies. So, analyzed about krypto trading and the platforms used for trading and put up a general thought here.

There are different types of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc., Bitcoin is the most famous among them and investing in it will generate profits in the coming years.

You must check out the best place to trade cryptocurrencies and how to invest in the trading platforms. Below are the steps to be followed during trading:

1) Choose the right platform
2) Register in the platform
3) Follow the verification process provided
4) Deposit amount and do the trading

No comments - Say something!

Categories: Daily Life Tags:

Tough Mudder Seattle 2013

December 1st, 2013 Matt Jones No comments

In early October I took part in Tough Mudder Seattle:

Tough Mudder events are hardcore obstacle courses designed to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses, over one million inspiring participants worldwide to date, and more than $5 million raised for the Wounded Warrior Project, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world.

We ran an 11 mile course (here my MapMyRun course) with a number of obstacles of varying degrees of difficulty. I definitely couldn’t have done it alone and was greatful to have help getting over various walls that are somewhat challenging for the vertically challenged. The obstacles that I failed miserably at were the monkey bars and the swinging rings, next year I need to actually practice on those to have a fighting chance. Some of the pictures below I took before and after, some David took during, some were from the official photographers, and some are just of a few of the various obstacles. One of the very last obstacles was Mount Everest, a big curved wall you have to run up. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do it, but after failing the first time, I made it up (with some help of course!).

Greg wore his GoPro camera and made a video of some of the obstacles:

There are also two other clips: Arctic Enema and Walk the Plank.

I have already signed up for next year and am really looking forward to it! It was a great challenge and I recommend it to anyone!

 

No comments - Say something!

Categories: Daily Life, Photoblog, Sports Tags:

Oops

November 17th, 2013 Matt Jones No comments

So apparently I deleted the wrong database when backing things up. So all my posts after May, 2010 are gone. Oops. Well I don’t think there were actually that many posts, but still, stupid mistake.

I am slowly adding them back using the Internet Archive (the “Wayback Machine”) but all of the comments are lost.

No comments - Say something!

Categories: Blogging Tags:

Matt Jones Blog Hiatus

September 28th, 2012 Matt Jones No comments

Welcome to Matt Jones’ Random Acts of Verbiage. I appreciate the visit! Due to personal reasons my blog is on hiatus for now. It is my hope and desire to write again, but I do not know when this will happen. You can still follow Matt Jones @ Twitter or check out Matt Jones @ about.me. There are other various ways to contact me, feel free should you have the desire. I will still be monitoring things here but do truly hope to blog again. Thanks for being a reader!

While you are here, please visit Matt Jones’ Random Acts of Verbiage Archive Page to check out my past posts!

A few of my favorite pages and posts:

  • Mattithyahu – a little about me
  • Space Saturday Archive – cool astronomy photographs
  • The Lonely Forest – lots of info, pictures, and videos from the Seattle band
  • Late Tuesday – lovely music from a lovely band
  • Jason Harrod Live – a great performance from the folk singer at Seattle’s Zoka Coffee in 2003
  • The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller - thoughts about Keller’s book
  • On the Meaning of Christmas – with links to my other various posts about Christmas
  • Bruce Waltke: Myth, Evolution and Genesis 1-3 - issues of interpretation
  • Logic and the Universe - irrationality is important too
  • Providing Water to Families in Africa: Water Filter Comparisons - there may be new technologies out now, but the point is, it’s easy to help!
  • Some thoughts on John 19:30 – see also Τετέλεσται
  • The Word: How the Bible Came About – see also Origins of the New Testament
  • The Three B’s of the Church – Belong-Believe-Behave
  • Who do you say Jesus is?
  • A Response to the “Proof of God” Debate - Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron prove God?
  • The God of the Bible is also the God of Science
  • Rosie the Physicist – in which I mock Rosie O’Donnell and her “Truther” ideas
  • The Shema - שמע: Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Ehad
  • Apostasy and Shusaku Endo’s Silence – difficult ideas to mull over
  • Creation Science – in which I discussion belief in Creation, but not Creation Science – see also Science vs. Religion
  • Judges 19 – a difficult passage
  • What if the Earth stopped spinning?
  • Peterson on Child Birth – Eugene’s funny
  • 1 Peter 2.24-25 – an exegesis paper on a great passage
  • New Testament Foundations – notes on the New Testament
  • The Passion of Jesus Christ
  • “The Synoptic Problem” and Harmony “Issues” - oh those darn Gospels
  • Ash on the forehead, beads around the neck - a look at Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday
  • Nouwen’s Return of the Prodigal Son – a favorite book (and Rembrandt painting)
  • On Distant Shores – a brilliant Five Iron Frenzy song, especially the bridge
  • Jesus IS God – it’s true
  • String Theory Primer – I’m sure it’s all changed now though, darn science
  • Predestination and Free Will
  • Picturing God
  • Aliens Cause Global Warming - looking at an essay by Michael Crichton
  • So take a look. Categories listed to the right. Browse around. Donate cash. Whatever.

    No comments - Say something!

    Categories: Blogging Tags:

    The Earthquake in Japan

    March 13th, 2011 Matt Jones No comments

    There are lots of posts up all over the net about the devastating 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Japan (there have been nearly 400 earthquakes off the coast of Japan in the last week, 34 of them have been of magnitude 6 and higher). I just thought I would post the links, images, and videos that I found must striking.

    Japan Tsunami

    A tsumani triggered by a powerful earthquake makes its way to sweep part of Sendai airport in northern Japan.

    Links:

    Google Crisis Response: 2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami
    World Vision Japan Quake and Tsunami Relief
    Video: Earthquake in Tokyo from 22 stories up and 230 miles away from the epicenter
    Quake moved Japan coast 8 feet, shifted Earth’s axis
    NHK World TV

     

    Satellite Imagery:
    NY Times: Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami
    ABC News: Japan Earthquake: before and after
    NASA Satellite Imagery

    Photo Essays:
    The Atlantic’s In Focus: Earthquake in Japan and Japan Earthquake Aftermath
    The Big Picture: Japan: earthquake aftermath

    Tsunami:
    NOAA Japan Earthquake Tsunami Model
    OurAmazingPlanet: Japan Tsunami Earthquake Explained
    Video: Raw Video: Tsunami Wave Smashes Boats and Cars
    Video: Tsunami Flooding in Japan
    Video: Flooding at the Airport
    Video: Amateur video: Tsunami destroys Japanese village

    Nuclear Reactor:
    Why I am not worried about Japan’s nuclear reactors
    Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT
    Nuclear Energy Institute: Information on the Japanese Earthquake and Reactors in That Region
    World Nuclear News: Efforts to manage Fukushima Daiichi 3
    World Nuclear News: Battle to stabilise earthquake reactors
    ANS Nuclear Cafe: Media updates on nuclear power stations in Japan
    How the nuclear emergency unfolded with an image that helps articulate why people don’t need to freak out:

    Radiation Dosage Comparisons

    Radiation Dosage Comparisons

    No comments - Say something!

    Categories: Around the World Tags: