andrew dodson

I always make sure to pick up a copy of Christian Single from my Sunday School class every month. Why? Well, I’m a Christian, and I’m single. It makes a whole lot of sense when you think about it.

There’s a really good excerpt from John Trent’s HeartShift this month. The title is “Small Changes = Big Results.” While on a flight, Dr. Trent struck up a conversation with his neighbor, a NASA engineer. When asking about tolerances for flight path trajectories for space shuttles, the engineer replied:

‘Be just two degrees off from when you blast off and roughly taking into account the time and distance traveled,’ he said as he turned his calculator toward me, ‘and you’ll miss not only your point of orbital entry, but you’ll miss the moon by a measly 11,121 miles.’

I learned this concept as a pitcher when I played baseball. If I made a slight change with the path of my arm, or the point that I released the ball - if even an inch - it could make difference of 12 inches by the time the ball crossed home plate.

The point of all of this?

It’s the small changes, day-by-day, in our lives than can lead to big results in the future. If there is an area or areas in your life that you’re wanting to make a change, take small steps toward change and you’ll notice big results over a long period of time. At the same time, if you start to make bad decisions today, it could lead to extreme problems in the future. Find the areas in your life that you’re wanting to change and apply this concept.

I’ve experienced a renewed desire to start playing keyboard again. I came across The Easiest Book of Piano Classics in Sam Goody, and couldn’t pass it up. I went home, picked up my keyboard and brought it to the apartment. Aside from percussion music, I haven’t read sheet music in a long time, but I’m picking everything up quicker than I expected.

I’m enjoying a lazy Saturday. I was up at 7am for praise band rehearsal, went the bank after that, and I’ve been home ever since. Throw in a 3-hour nap somewhere, and that’s been my day so far. The cold is still present, but it’s nothing major. It’ll probably hang around for a couple more days and then I’ll be back-to-normal.

So far, I’m winning the battle against my cold. Last night, my “hangie ball” (what’s the proper name for that thing?) was about the size of a cucumber - irritation from postnasal drip. At one point last night, I woke up from how sore my throat had become. I experience a slight headache this afternoon at work, but nothing that ibuprofin couldn’t handle.

I purchased a nasal spray, I’ve been drinking plenty of fluids (lots of water & OJ), and tonight, I had a tall mocha at Starbucks (warm drinks are good for a sore throat). The “hangie ball” is back to a semi-normal size. I started to feel very stuffy this evening. Another shot of the nasal spray, and I’m currently feeling great.

I can still tell that I have a cold, but I feel noticeably better than last night. The plan is to get plenty of rest tonight, and I should feel great by the morning.

In case you’re keeping score at home (see my To Do List: 2005), I just thought I’d fill you in…

Tonight, I paid off my CompUSA credit card. I still have a long way to go before I’ll be credit debt-free by 2006, but it’s a start.

From the category of “Things You Probably Don’t Want to Know,” comes this: I’m experiencing postnasal drip. It’s that really annoying tingle in the back of your throat caused from sinus drainage. For me, it usually leads to a semi-sore throat, moves down into my chest, and from there, I start coughing.

I’m trying to win the battle before the war starts. I found this article useful. We’ll see.

Apple’s website has a great article on the use of Powerbooks at Berklee College of Music.

I did not see it, but I’ve read that Ashlee Simpson was booed after her performance at last night’s Orange Bowl halftime show. I DID see her perform on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, and I was not in the least bit impressed.

Do I feel bad for Ashlee? Yes. It has to be a horrible feeling. But, the ONLY reason she is semi-famous, and the ONLY reason she has been signed to a record deal is because of her older and more-talented sister, Jessica Simpson. Do I like Jessica’s music? Not really - but at least she is a very talented singer. It’s not entirely Ashlee’s fault that she was booed. It’s the not-so-smart executives at her record label that decided she’d be a good person to sign to a record deal.

I’m proud of last night’s Orange Bowl audience for booing. I’m proud that they took a stand and said, “that was awful music.” The biggest problem with the music industry today is they push young bands and artists that bring little or no talent and unoriginality to our ears. It’s about time that our culture realized that most of the “popular” music the industry is pushing is horribly bad. Mediocre at best! As a musician, it gives me a hope that the music industry will do away with these manufactured acts and bring back the days when you needed talent to be signed to a record deal. Not because you’re attractive, not because you sound just like 50 other bands that are being played on the radio, and especially not because you’re the sister of a famous singer.

How about this? I can update my blog from my cell phone. I’m not sure if it plays the way I’m hearing it on my computer or not, but I sound like a robot at the beginning of the message. As it plays, my real voice gradually appears by the end of the message. Let me know if you’re experiencing the same thing. It’s in a small MP3 format that should play on most everyone’s computers - fast connections and slow. Take care!

EDIT: It seems as though iTunes plays the MP3 message fine, but Windows Media Player makes me sound like a robot. Leave it up to an Apple program to get it right and a Microsoft program to mess it up!

Go here to listen to MP3s of this past week’s Awakening Service at Crestwood Baptist Church.