Lunar Boulevard

  It seems like only yesterday I was scouring stores in Nashville. Switchfoot, a band I had been a huge fan of for several years, was releasing their new album, The Beautiful Letdown , and I didn't want to miss the moment. It was their first album in three years and their first on a major label, a big jump for a band that had slowly progressed and gotten bigger with each record. I wanted to be there to experience it and finally managed to track down a single copy at a local record shop. Before the convenience of streaming and digital downloads that was how it was done. You went out into the world and hoped to return home with the treasure of your choice. I was fortunate enough to strike gold and the band did the same. One listen and I was thrilled: my band had made it. The album was nothing short of stellar.  Over time Switchfoot went from being a small band that only a few of my church friends knew to a mainstream success. Suddenly I wasn't ...

More and more it seems that God is teaching my patience, or at the very least reminding me that He is bigger than my problems and short-sighted dreams. The other night I was cleaning up debris in the yard, the aftermath of a rainy day. I suddenly looked up and saw this, a crescent moon with a couple of stars (or maybe planets) shining brightly. I stared at it for a while and couldn't resist taking this photo, as it was too beautiful to ignore.  The in midst of chaos and disorder God is there, His gentle reminders always present if only we take the moment to look.  

  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to witness the sunrise on another planet? If you happened to be on Mars the sun would appear blue. This is due to the fine dust on the planet's surface making the sky near the Sun appear more blue. God's universe never ceases to amaze. 

  In 2017 Weezer was on a roll. After the success of albums like Everything Will Be Alright in the End and The White Album , things were looking bright for the band and their fans. They had returned to the sound that made them famous and seemed intent on giving fans what they wanted. Many, myself included, were thrilled, and buzz about the The Black Album had us even more excited. We waited anxiously for what was sure to be a heavy, dark album full of big sounds and cloudy days to counterbalance the sunny sounds of White . That wasn't the album we got, but that's a discussion for another time. But before that the band announced Pacific Daydream , which seemingly materialized out of nowhere, with Rivers Cuomo stating they were songs that came together quickly and warranted their own record.  Released in the fall of 2017, it was met with scorn from many fans and decent, if unenthusiastic, reviews from critics. After two back-to-basics records it felt like Weezer was b...

  A couple days ago I was doing my morning devotional, reading from Jeremiah 27 when a small bird (I have no idea what it was, though ornithology is on my list of things to start exploring in the near future) landed on the window for a few seconds and then flew off. It happened to be right at the moment I was reading verse 5: "It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me." It was just a nice reminder of God's goodness and the beautiful world He has created. I long for the day when it will be restored, but until then I'll continue to bask in the wonder of it all, from the smallest bird to the largest mountain.  Take a moment today and marvel at God's handiwork. You won't be disappointed.