andrew dodson

I’m not feeling particularly “bloggy” today.  The only remotely interesting thing I could blog about would be a new future project.  My boss – Dwayne, DC, D-wizzle, or any of his other names – decided to clean out a storage unit.  One of the items that came within minutes of losing its life was an Apple G3 tower computer & monitor.  I decided, mainly out of my love for Apple, that it didn’t deserve for its life to end today.

My plan is to attempt to upgrade it for recording use at The Point.  First, I have to knock off about an inch of dirt & dust and find out if it even works.  After that, I’ll look into options for processor & RAM upgrades.  I’m not in too big of a hurry (i.e., I have more important things on which to spend money…or NOT spend money on).

Most guys love working on cars – changing the oil, working on the engine.  Not me!  I’ll take a computer over a car any day.

Count me among the masses that is jumping on the Vitamin Water bandwagon.  I decided to give it a shot today for the first time.  Previously, I was disappointed with Aquafina’s take on flavored water.  But, I can handle Vitamin Water’s “revive” flavor (fruit punch).  I’m sure I’d at least like the grape and possibly a few other flavors.

Coke must be impressed too.  They decided to buy the company for $4.1 billion dollars.  Somebody somewhere has a lot of cash in their pocket today.  And it’s not 50 Cent.

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According to this website, MercyMe is releasing a project titled “With All That I Am” later this year.  I wasn’t able to find any “official” information on the band’s website, MySpace page, or their label’s page…yet.

At the Rupp Arena concert, I noticed they were using a DigiDesign soundboard.  DigiDesign is known to be a recording brand (they are the brains behind ProTools), so my immediate guess led me to think they were recording the entire Coming Up to Breathe tour to put out a live album.  Otherwise, I’m sure they would’ve been using a typical Mackie board or something of the like.

Just based on speculation, my guess is the project listed on the above mentioned site is a live project.  However, it’s also known that the band recorded two album’s worth of material for Coming Up to Breathe.  So… it could be another studio project with left-overs from their last studio sessions and possible new material.

Hmm…

sidenote:  you’ll also notice new projects from Casting Crowns, Caedmon’s Call, The Afters, Steven Curtis Chapman, Aaron Shust and more.  Looks like a good year for Christian music releases.

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This is sort of a continuance of my post on Thessalonians.  I’m about six days into this new method of reading the same New Testament book for thirty days straight.  I can safely say it’s a great way to study Scripture.  Just as with watching a movie over and over again, it seems I pick up on something new every time I read it.  Since I’m reading it every day, and starting to remember it, applying it is easier when it’s fresh in my mind.

I’ve also found that I can actually take the time to read study notes, chapter introductions, charts, and all that stuff in my study Bible.  Most of the time, I’m hurrying through my reading, so I don’t really take the time to read the notes.  So, of course, reading the extra stuff helps me understand it even more.

I’m also enjoying reading bits of the Old Testament each day, as well.  Right now, I’m going through 2 Chronicles.  Before, I’d always be overwhelmed with daily reading plans.  Some of them take as much as an hour per day (OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs plans in particular).  I’d love to be able to put in an hour of reading the Bible every day, but as we all know, sometimes that just isn’t possible.  By reading just the OT portion of a reading plan, it’s much easier.

My other trick to making this enjoyable is using an audio Bible.  I’ve found that listening to my NLT audio Bible is a good way to let it sink in a little more when I’m in a situation where I can’t read (work, in the car, etc.).  I still try to read the passages as well, but listening on the go helps.

For anyone out there that might be interested in something like this, my main suggestion would be to use a translation you find enjoyable to read.  I know a lot of people that don’t enjoy reading the Bible because they find it hard to read.  There are some great translations on the market today that may help you enjoy reading (caution:  there are others that I would avoid!).  Personally, I’m a fan of the NLT second edition.  It’s more of a thought-for-thought version, but I’ve found it to be a much more accurate version of the original and very enjoyable to read.  Secondly, I would recommend the ESV.  It is a word-for-word that is very accurate, yet readable.  The NIV is also a solid choice and is very popular.  Lastly, my recommendations would be the NASB (popular choice of seminaries and very accurate) and the NKJV (a more readable version of the KJV).  It’s also quite possible to use one translation for general reading (say, the NLT) and a different translation for deeper study (ESV or NASB).  This could keep your reading fresh and hopefully help you grow spiritually.

So, to make a short story long:

• Pick a NT book and read it every day for 30 days.
• Read only the OT portion of a general daily reading plan.
• Use an audio Bible to supplement your reading when you’re on-the-go and can’t read.
• Pick a translation or two that you enjoy reading and will help you understand what you’re reading.

I can’t take any credit for this method.  As mentioned in a previous post, I got this idea from John MacArthur’s “How to Study the Bible” series.  Check it out!

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A few days ago, I came across John MacArthur’s series on “How to Study the Bible.” In the series, he recommends picking a book of the New Testament and reading it for thirty days in a row. For longer books, divide them up into readable sections and read each section for thirty days. His idea? “You’re going to be reading the Bible anyway. You might as well read it in a way that you’ll remember it.” (or something like that)

MacArthur started with 1 John and then moved on to the gospel of John.  He gives no reasoning for where to start and why.  The important thing is that in order to understand the Bible, we must first start with reading it on a regular basis.

So, I’ve decided to start with 1 Thessalonians.  I’ve yet to read either of the epistles to the Thessalonians, so I figured I might as well start with something I haven’t read.  I’m sure I’ll be blogging more about Thessalonians as I read it more.

The series is in two parts and lasts about an hour. You can find the MP3s here:

> How to Study the Bible

Good news skim milk fans!  Someday, we may be able to get skim milk straight from the cow.  What a wonderful world….

>  Read article

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This may not come as a surprise to most you – the Reds lost tonight.  Another not-so-surprising thing is the bullpen lost the game.  Pittsburgh scores eight runs in the tenth inning.  There is no joy in Mudville.

> Pirates 10, Reds 4

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Television has become a huge part of our society. These days, reality television is all the rage. But, some still prefer traditional sitcoms and dramas. Some like both. Personally, about the only thing I watch regularly on television is SportsCenter. So, I can’t tell you what happened on Deal or No Deal, Extreme Makeover, or American Idol. I am fond, however, of TBS’s lineup in the evening – Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond and Friends.

I actually attempt to not watch too much television. For the most part, I find it to be a terrible waste of time, even if I was mildly entertained in thirty minute or three hour intervals. I usually start thinking of everything else I could’ve done while I watched something that is no benefit to me other than maybe a laugh or two. The Christian part of me usually finds nothing God-glorifying on television these days. Mostly, I come across stuff that I shouldn’t be watching. I’m fascinated by the number of Christians who enjoy shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives that explicitly promote sexual situations. The same can be said about my fondness of Seinfeld and Friends. At least with Raymond, it’s usually in good taste and in the bounds of marriage. But, I think you see my point. Not much good on TV these days when it comes to our faith. And I won’t be turning on TBN anytime soon.

My substitute is usually the computer. I spend a lot of time on a computer, whether it be working on websites, recordings, browsing the net, or….blogging! But, the same “waste of time” argument can be used for the computer when I’m not being productive. However, I can use the computer for God-glorifying things – checking Christian sites & blogs, studying theology, sending a note to my Compassion child and more. So, even though there’s a lot about spending time on a computer that isn’t good, at least I can use it more than television for my faith.

All of this to say: I’ve decided that instead of watching mindless television, whenever I do watch it, I’m going to watch something interesting. I’ve been watching more of the Discovery and History channels. Why have I never watched these channels?! I just watched how tape is made! Really, though, it’s pretty interesting stuff for a geek like me. This could be good – at least I’m not watching not-so-good stuff. This could be bad – I’ve watched more TV lately than usual.

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This post is sort of opposite of the title. As of late, it seems like I’m coming up with good designs for sites much more quickly than in the past. With the knowledge of how to create Wordpress themes, I’ve been able to design new sites in a day’s time. Before, it seemed like a few days at the least or a couple of weeks was the minimum. I’m creating sites quicker these days.

The problem mainly lies with this site. Yep, the one you’re looking at right now. My site. I didn’t even design this Wordpress theme. It was simple and looked good and I needed something, so it got the call. But, I’ve really been wanting to create a new site design for this site. I’ve toyed with several ideas, but since it’s my personal site, I’m a little more picky than usual. After all, what does it say if the web designer’s own site doesn’t look good?

So, this is where I currently sit with this site. Thanks to Memorial Day, I have a long weekend coming up. I’m thinking about using the extra time to work on this site a bit. We’ll see. No guarantees.

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I spent the majority of tonight making edits on the mix for the Josh Martin Band live DVD.  The band had submitted their list of edits to the first mix, so I hunted and pecked through the songs to find the spots they were talking about.  I have to admit that I wasn’t looking forward to doing the editing.  I love mixing and mastering, but the editing part can be tedious.  But, it went quicker than I thought, and it’s sounding really nice.  I’d say it’s 98% completed.  To tie you over until you can hear the rest of it, I’ll go ahead and let you hear a snippet….

What Part of Go Don’t You Understand?

Enjoy the clip and give me your feedback on the mix!

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