Well Tempered Convictions

2008 Christmas Program

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:28:00 +0000

Here are some of the kids I teach. We are putting on a 45 min. Christmas musical on December 11. It includes singing, acting, movements, and some cheesy jokes. Here's the sign our Middle School art class created for the event. It's probably 4 feet tall.

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:33:00 +0000

Amazing Grace - Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:33:00 +0000

I am just finishing the book "Amazing Grace" by Eric Metaxas. This book comes with my high recommendation. Wilberforce was known mostly as the primary force in abolishing the slave trade and slavery from England and Europe. This was an astounding accomplishment, but he also was responsible for what he would call "the reformation of manners" in England. During his time period there was no Salvation Army, Red Cross, social workers, homeless shelters, etc... The poor were either ridiculed or ignored and their living conditions were reprehensible. Wilberforce helped to awaken the social consciousness of his nation.

Here is a quote from the book which mentions the significance of his life:

" Taken all together, it's difficult to escape the verdict that William Wilberforce was simply the greatest social reformer in the history of the world. The world he was born into in 1759 and the world he departed in 1833 were as different as lead and gold. Wilberforce presided over a social earthquake that rearranged the continents and whose magnitude we are only now beginning to fully appreciate."

I also thought it was interesting to see the connection between Wilberforce and the Methodist church leaders of his day. He had friendships with John Newton (pastor. author of the hymn Amazing Grace, and former slave trader), John Wesley, and William Cowper among others. These friends encouraged his faith in Christ and strengthened him for his lifelong battles against slavery and social evils.

So, there is my little review of this book. If you enjoy historical novels I highly recommend it. If you would like a more details review, look here.

Talk Radio Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:49:00 +0000

Whenever I am in the car I have to listen to something. (Marci is exactly the opposite) Oddly enough, I hardly ever listen to music in the car (maybe that's because my life revolves around music). My vehicle addiction is talk radio. I could listen to talk shows for hours without getting bored.

This all began about 4 years ago during my XM radio and conservative talk radio stage. Then I moved on to sports radio, sermons, and podcasts. One of my favorite podcasts is the Albert Mohler show. His daily radio show is available through a free online download. I like the show because he gives a brief review of current events and then delves into one relevant topic each day. Many talk show hosts go on endless rants and heated arguments which annoy me most of the time. Mohler has level-headed arguments and never looses his temper. Plus, the radio show is less than 40 minutes long (minus commercials). You can download the show from his website or search on iTunes.

Never Say Never

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:29:00 +0000

Back in college, did you ever say those words "I'm never going to use this stuff"? Or "how is this going to apply to my career"? Well, now I know! Every music education major has to take classes in band methods. This involves learning about every instrument and playing many of them in preparation to teach band. Back then I couldn't imagine ever teaching a band class, but here I am...teaching a middle school beginner band!

During the last two quarters I was teaching general music to the middle school students. We played some hand bells and sang choral music for the Christmas concert, but it was a very challenging time for me. Most public schools offer middle school music as an elective. Many of my students wanted nothing to do with music because they know that public schools wouldn't make them take the class. After much planning it was decided to take away general music and turn it into a band elective. This makes me very happy because I will have a class full of students who want to be there!

Some Baby Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:52:00 +0000

Traveling with a baby makes everything different. You must assume that everything will take longer than normal. Assume that you will have to stop more often. Plan to leave earlier than you think you should and plan to get there much later than you planned. Bring buckets of patience.

We are spending New Years with my wife's family. Her sister Angie had a baby 1 month ago and it's bringing back the memories of Lilly's early days (as if an 8 month old isn't early...). The first few months of a baby's life can be quite stressful. Their only talents are eating, sleeping, and pooping. They have very few facial expressions. They can have painful gas ALL of the time (it seems like) and it can leave the parents feeling helpless. What does this baby want???? What am i suppose to do??? Sometimes you just have to let that baby cry it out.

When I look at Lilly right now, it's worth the stress. Lilly is becoming SO much fun to be around.

Amazing Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:03:00 +0000

Have you seen the new movie called "Amazing Grace"? It's about William Wilberforce and the abolition of slavery in England. I thought that the movie was pretty good, but the true story was excellent. It makes me want to do some reading on the history of William Wilberforce. This Chris Tomlin music video includes scenes from the movie. It's a pretty good rendition of Amazing Grace...maybe I'll use it in church sometime...

elf

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:23:00 +0000

Have you seen the movie elf? A few years back was the first time I saw this movie and then received it as a Christmas present. For some reason, this has become a household Christmas classic for us. By the time I get 30 minutes into the movie I end up laughing as strongly as ever. One of my favorite parts is when Buddy says to Santa "you sit on a throne of lies".

The Joy of High Speed

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:37:00 +0000

Ya know...at first glance you may think that this post is referring to a drug problem...but, no no no...I am rejoicing at the joy of high speed internet! A few months back we moved to a new location and lived with dial-up internet. It didn't last long. After becoming accustomed to web photo albums, blogging, and web video chatting the dial-up connection just wasn't cutting it. Now I can view an entire blog page in less than 5-10 minutes! Incredible!

It's amazing to think about how many additional "necessary" expenses are needed these days. Can you imagine how much less you would have to spend each month before internet ... cell phones ... television ... cars ... electricity ... (ok, maybe I'm going back a bit far, but you get the point) were invented? A horse and buggy would save on gas. Wood fireplaces are cost effective. Whale oil...eh, maybe not. On second thought...I should be careful how I blog...it could come true. Thank you modern conveniences!

Oh Yeah...I Have A Blog...

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:24:00 +0000

Does this mean I'm suppose to write something every once in a while? Maybe the neurons will start firing after some Turkey:)

I'm a Music Director!

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:10:00 +0000

It looks like God has worked out the details in our lives once again. Yesterday I finished my full-time employment at Evola Music. Two days ago I had a meeting with First Baptist Church of Howell, MI to interview with the church board.

The trip to Howell usually takes about 45 minutes, so we left at 6:00 for the 7:00 meeting. That should have given us plenty of time...right? Well, we got stuck in a BIG traffic jam and it took us almost 90 minutes to arrive at the church. We were just hoping that the committee hadn't left already. I walk into the sanctuary, apologize for my tardiness, and try to explain what happened on the highway. Here is their response; "You're not late...the committee was meeting at 7:00 and the interview is at 7:30". There ya go! God turned our negative situation into a positive one. If I had thought the meeting would be at 7:30 we would have left at 6:30 and arrived late.

Now for the interview details: I played music for the church (not very well...in my opinion), answered a handful of questions, and waited for them to talk a bit. A few minutes later they came in and offered me the job! So, I am going to be teaching K-8 music (20 hrs per week) and directing a church music program (10-20 hrs per week). These two jobs will actually pay a little more than I made last year in musical sales. Why do we ever doubt the Lord's faithfulness? He is more than willing to provide for His children.

Self Help Methods

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 17:51:00 +0000

"Over the last 30 years, more books have been written about marriage than in all the preceding 2,000 years of church history. But ask any pastor in American if there aren't proportionally more troubled marriage today than in any other era. We have all the how-to's, but homes are still falling apart."

"What if, in the last 25 years, we had invested only half the time and energy in writing, publishing, reading, and discussing books on the Christian family...and put the other half into praying for our marriages and our children? I am certain we would be in far better shape today."

(This excerpt is from Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala)

The Fountain of Youth?

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:42:00 +0000

A couple nights ago, Marci and I went on an extremely unusual date. We went to the movies!!! I think that the last time we saw a movie in the theater was almost 2 years ago...it's very rare. At the big, deluxe movie theaters in this area it usually costs @ $9.00 to see a movie in the evening (isn't that crazy?). There is an older theater that charges only $6.00 a ticket which sounded much better to me. So, we walk up to buy our tickets and the girl says it will cost us $6.00. At first I thought, "Is she going to give us two tickets"? Did she think we were paying separately? Yes, it's true...she gave us two evening tickets for $6.00 (I didn't want to make a fuss about the price). Here is why, we were sold two student tickets...no questions asked. Did she think we were high schoolers? I guess when you aren't pushing a baby cart around you look even younger. So yes, there are definitely benefits to looking 18 when you are actually 26-27. Maybe our Brita, filtered water is helping out...

I'm a Music Teacher!

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 17:10:00 +0000

This is a very exciting week for me! I just found out that I got a job teaching music to grades K-8! It's at a small school called Cornerstone Christian School. It is such a relief to finally have some certainty about my employment. Here's the cool part: on Friday I was going to tell my boss that I was quitting, but I didn't have certainty about a job yet. Of course, I was wishing that I had confirmation about employment, but there was no way to be certain. Well, wouldn't ya know, the school offered me the job on Friday afternoon! How's that for God's timing? Now comes the scary part...I will actually have to teach...

We are also looking into the possibility of directing music at a Baptist Church in Howell, MI. We are in the process of learning about the church and interviewing with the search committee, but so far so good. This has been a very exciting week for us and we are looking forward to the new opportunities.

Britains Got Talent - Paul Potts

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:59:00 +0000

Britain's Got Talent- Connie

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:58:00 +0000

Religious Popularity

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:27:00 +0000

"You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning."

"You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night."

"But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting."

(This excerpt is from Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala)

Materialism for Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 14:44:00 +0000

I struggle greatly with materialism. This is a huge problem in America today (as well as in Christianity). I believe that my current job pushes me closer toward materialism every day.

Here's my thinking:

I work in piano and organ sales. In this line of work you must always be asking people to buy new stuff. Many of my students trade in their current instrument for a new one. This is a big part of the job. Often the students will purchase 4, 5, or 6 organs in their lifetime (I know...it sounds crazy). In order to produce sales the students must understand the instrument they currently own and see the benefits of owning a more expensive model. So basically, I am teaching people to be discontent with what they already have. "The more buttons the better!" "You've been saving up your money for retirement. Now it's time to do something for yourself! You deserve it". These are the types of statements that I'm suppose to use while trying to sell more instruments.

As you can imagine, preaching discontentment will lead to discontentment. It is causing me to desire more possessions rather than being content with what God has given me. This is one of the many reasons why I am looking forward to leaving sales and entering the teaching profession. Here's the good part: without this sales job I might never have grasped the controlling power of possessions. May Jesus Christ be praised!

Just a Play on Words

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:02:00 +0000

Have you ever heard of the term "Spoonerism"? It's when you take two words and reverse the beginning consonants. Here are a few examples:

Digital Photo = Phigital Doto
Wesley Snipes = Snesley Wipes
Peggy Lee = Leggy Pee
Bonny Jones = Jonny Bones

At my workplace people spoonerise everything! For a while I started spoonerising lots of stuff and it was pretty fun...for a while. Eventually I got tired of it and started wishing that my mind would stop spoonerising everything. My boss should go to spoonaholics anonymous, because he does it ALL of the time. It's quite milly to see. What a taste of whime!

A New Strategy in Iraq?

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:49:00 +0000

Sometimes I think that the most effective way to combat Islamic terrorism is to infuse the middle east with American materialism. We could fill them up with MTV, fast food, movies, video games, casinos, satellite television and high speed internet in every home, etc... After entertaining themselves to death their extreme religious convictions would stand no chance! You may say: that wouldn't work. Well, if materialism can take over American Christianity it could certainly work in the middle east. Just a thought. (of course, I am joking...but only a little)

The Evolution of Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Thu, 10 May 2007 08:15:00 +0000

This one should bring back a lot of memories. Enjoy:)

Lilly Anne Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:20:00 +0000

What an exciting week it has been! On Tuesday, April 24, at 5:56pm, Lilly Anne Johnson was born into the world. Obviously, Marci and I are thrilled (and exhausted). The delivery went great! Marci fought through all of the contractions and managed to deliver her baby drug free. If you would like to see more pictures go to our Picasa Web Album.

Snap, Crackle, Pop................

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:28:00 +0000

Lately I have been having some serious neck problems. I have had very sharp pains in both sides of my neck. At one time it was so bad that I could barely turn my head from one side to the other. Some of our friends go to a chiropractor in the area, so I decided to give it a try. This doctor came with very strong recommendations. He took x-rays and several other tests to determine the alignment of my spine. Then he adjusted my back for the first time. I would have to say, that this was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. It sounded like someone is cracking your knuckles all along your spine. It didn't hurt, but the sound makes you think that there should be pain involved. It's actually the sound of air releasing from different parts of your spine. Anyway, the x-rays showed that I have a straight neck...this is not good. A person's neck spine should have a natural curve. The problem may have come from years of reading books and over-educating myself (bad posture too). So, I am going to keep visiting Dr. Eric to fix the problem. Obviously, this is why I had so much pain. What I like about this doctor is that he is very concerned about educating his patients and teaching us about good health. He wants to fix the root of the problem rather than shoving pills down your throat to temporarily relieve the pain.

I WON, I WON!

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 17:29:00 +0000

Have you ever won a giveaway? Throughout my life I have hardly ever won a "free prize" until the last 6 months. Jimmy John's is a sub shop that serves really good food. I never heard of them until I moved to MI, but it's great stuff. About 6 months ago I put my business card into a free giveaway and I WON a 30 pc. party platter. It was amazing! Now here is the really strange part. About a month ago I put another business card in giveaway slot and I WON again! How does this happen? Is every person a winner? In any case, I will continue to enter my business cards as much as possible:)

Which would you choose?

noreply@blogger.com (Charles) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:03:00 +0000

If you had to pick either cable TV or high speed internet which would you choose and why? Personally, I would pick high speed internet any day.

Here is my reason. Let's say that I want to watch highlights of a sporting event. If I turn on ESPN Sportcenter, I usually want to see the highlights of one or two games. Unfortunately, I have to sit through 1 hr. of mindless broadcasting in order to see those one or two games. Also, those highlights usually last only 15 seconds or so. What a great waste of time. I could have gone online, read about all the game highlights, and watch the same 15 second clip in 1 minute rather than 1 hr. The same can be said for the weather (probably even a greater culprit), traffic info, news, etc... Am I the only one who thinks like this?