andrew dodson

I am currently listening to Mark Driscoll’s Doctrine series.  I really, really enjoyed his sermon on creation.  You can watch the video below, or visit the sermon page where it is available to download in a variety of formats.

My new employer, 524Concepts recently launched two church websites.  You can see screenshots of the sites below that are linked to their sites.  I had a small hand in the Williamstown site, but a bigger role in the Crestwood site.  We are currently developing two sites in support of the Crossings camp ministry.  They should both launch within the next month.  Also in the pipeline are sites for at least three other churches, and a non-profit or two.  All of this, along with the possibility of a few bigger organizations in the near future.  Exciting times at 524!

A month or two ago, I posted about a new Bible reading plan that I had started.  I really, really loved the plan.  But, ultimately, I started to miss a day here and there.  Then, a couple of days.  Next thing you know, I’d only read through the plan two or three times in a week.  The plan took around 30-45 minutes each day to read, and unfortunately, I wasn’t dedicating that much time to Bible reading in my day.

I had started my new job in Louisville, so I was leaving earlier and getting home later at night.  On top of this, I was juggling several other things and – once again – I wasn’t dedicating the time in my day to read.  Excuses, excuses, I know.

I started thinking about alternatives.  I have raved about the accessibility of the ESV in the past – it’s available online, through email, iTunes, RSS feeds, or you can print the reading plans and read in your own Bible.  Their reading plans are listed on this page.  I chose the “Every Day in the Word” plan – an Old Testament reading, New Testament reading, a Psalm, and a couple of verses of Proverbs.

Now, I have no excuse to not get some sort of Bible reading in throughout the day.  I have subscribed to the podcast, so each day, I transfer that day’s audio to my iPod and listen on the way home from work (sometimes I listen to it twice).  I also have the plan emailed to me, and finally, I have a printed copy in my Bible.  These plans take less than fifteen minutes each day, and I’m finiding it much easier to keep up.

My Bible reading plan has me going through the book of Judges right now.  When I started reading it, I admit that I wasn’t terribly excited.  Something like, “Great.  Another boring Old Testament book that seemingly has no application whatsoever to my life.”  Today, I’ll read the final chapters and move on to Ruth.  I have to say, I’ve enjoyed reading through Judges – much more than I thought.  I mean, you can’t go wrong with the story of Eglon and Ehud.  I’ll spare the details, but what a great, somewhat funny story.  And, in chapter 19, I sort of get a kick out of the father-in-law that won’t let his Levite son-in law go home.  And, of course, the story of Samson.  There is deeper application to the book than I will get into here, but it’s just another very clear example that all of Scripture is profitable to our lives.

A couple of days ago, I was the recipient of good will.  I arrived home from work, entered my apartment and noticed a package sitting in the middle of my kitchen floor.  I realized my landlord had probably brought the package to my apartment since it was too big for my mailbox.

Stepping in to my living room, I noticed something else.  There were vacuum cleaner marks on my carpet.  Or, so I thought.

Before I go on, you have to know some of the back story on the carpet in my apartment.  The previous tenant lived there for seven years and, apparently, never thought about keeping the carpet clean.  There were spills, cigarette burns and general filth.  I was a little disappointed that my landlord did not replace the carpet before I moved in (though I did get a fresh coat of paint).

Now that you are caught up:  As I inspected the vacuum marks, I realized they had actually shampooed my carpet.  I had thought about renting a carpet shampooer in the past, but never really had the desire to rent one, or the desire to spend the money on one.

The one final piece to the story is this:  Earlier in the morning, I had emptied my trash, but left the bag sitting in my kitchen.  My hands were full as I was heading out to work, so I left it there – to be taken out later.  I looked in my kitchen and the bag was gone.

All in one day, my landlord had delivered a package to me, shampooed my carpets and taken out my trash.  So, thanks, landlord.  I really do appreciate it.

Several days ago, while reading my ESV Study Bible, I accidentally bumped a glass of V8 Fusion (Acai Mixed Berry) sitting next to my Bible.  The drink didn’t spill, but the bump caused some of the drink to splash out onto the page of my Bible.  2 Peter 3 to be exact.

I quickly went to the kitchen to get a paper towel.  I placed the towel on the page, and it soaked up the liquid pretty quickly.  Bounty really is the “quicker picker-upper.”

I dreaded the possibility that the drink could’ve soaked through several pages.  I made sure to soak up both sides of the page with the paper towel and just left the Bible open to those pages for the next several minutes.  To my surprise, once it all dried, there was only a barely noticeable spot on the page, and no other pages were affected.

So, thanks Crossway and Bounty.  Crossway has used quality paper in the ESV Study Bible and Bounty lived up to its advertised slogan.

The book of Psalms is probably my second favorite book in the Bible (behind Romans).  As a musician, how could I not like the book that’s meant to be words put to music?  There is one Psalm in particular that has always been my favorite.  Some of you may know it from Third Day’s “My Hope Is You.”  Enjoy…

Psalm 25

25:1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.

6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11 For your name’s sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.

19 Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.

22 Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.

Okay… new plugin.  Once again… this is only a test.

[UPDATE: It worked!]

I just installed a new plugin for Wordpress that will integrate my blog and Twitter account.  Whenever I publish a new blog post, it will show up on my Twitter account.  Nothing earth-shattering, but I actually just wanted to test it with this post.

Saturday, I took Julie to her first Reds game.  I thought I was taking her to her first Major League Baseball game, but she told me at the game that she had been to a Texas Rangers game while she was in college.  Oh well.  It was a great day for a baseball game with the sun shining, clear skies and cool temperatures.  Here are some random thoughts from the game:

• I’m slowly learning to listen to the girl.  When she offered sun screen, I turned her down.  Now, my hands are roasted.  I wore long sleeves and a hat, so my hands got the worst of it.
• Great American Ballpark is a nice place to watch a game.  There’s really not a bad seat in the house.
• The Reds are going to have to figure out a way to generate some offense.  It’s a good thing they play in a “hitter’s” park.
• Mike Lincoln couldn’t throw a strike to save his life, and when he did, they hit it out of the park.  Going into the 9th down 5-1, Lincoln surrendered a grand slam and a solo homer.  Final score: 10-2.
• I had a good time keeping score during the game.  I haven’t done that since my high school days.
• Pictures coming sometime this week.