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TXU:The Problem With De-Regulation

I am going to be moving into an apartment soon and part of doing that is looking to see about getting the power on. To my shock, there are quite a few power companies servicing Texas…over 100! However, I decided to first look into one of the largest: TXU.

Boy, was that a mistake! These guys wanted a $450 deposit! And not for some silly reason like my credit was bad (more specifically, former electric history), but because I’ve never had power in my name before so they can’t trust me. Further more, that’s more than my rent! Call me crazy, but I am not paying an electric company a deposit that is higher than my monthly rent. There response was basically “Live without power then”. I guess they are not aware of the fact that they are not the only company out there. They are however, the one with the HIGHEST deposit (something else they don’t seem to factor in)–besides having some of the highest rates.

I don’t think that a central government should meddle in the affairs of business to much besides regulating operation laws. However, I do think a state government should regulate things like power, water, and gas so that it’s made more available to those who can’t afford such outlandish deposits. And now, with our country in a financial mess, who is going to qualify for anything right now?

Now that I have been on a rant, I rely on a higher power. God has worked out everything so far in this. I even managed to find a power company that didn’t require a deposit (which proves TXU wrong show said that was not possible). I guess they will do anything to keep and/or get a customer–including lying.

Well anyway, I will keep y’all posted on how my move goes and will even be including pictures of the place. Those of you on Facebook will get a chance to see it first. Later all!

This Looks GREAT!

This looks very funny! Can’t wait!

American Idol: How Kris Allen Won

No, I am not going to use some scientific method to explain to you how Kris Allen won over the popular Adam Lambert. This is merely my opinion based on my observation of Season 8 of American Idol. Just for the record, I did happen to favor Kris Allen. “How can you not favor Adam? He was so good at everything he did!”. In the words of Scott Smith from Air 1, “Adam screams to much”. Those of you who know me know that I happen to like a little wild and loud music (much of what is played on Radio U). But, there comes a time when the loud, screaming, ear piercing music does not need to be played (there is a time and place for it, but not always). Adam gave me the impression that he couldn’t do anything else. Here in America, those loud, screaming bands are not exactly the best sellers. Since the title of the show is AMERICAN Idol, it would only make sense that the winner would reflect what the majority of America would want to listen to. I’m going to break down my thoughts on why Kris won.

Talent

I am not saying that Adam is not talented. His performance with Kiss was very good. That is his style of music and that is great. When it comes down to it, I see Adam as more of a performer rather than an artist (much like Taylor Hicks who NEVER should have won his season). Kris Allen in contrast, is a true artist. Not only can he sing, but he has other talents as well such as playing the guitar and piano. He is someone I can see most of America listening to in their cars or on their iPods (including my own). While Kris my have had a bad night here and there, he was over all consistent and never really tried to be bigger than he was. He was consistently himself every week. Adam tried to be a plethora of characters and I don’t believe we ever really saw him (with the exception of that really creepy version of Burning Ring Of Fire).

The Votes

This morning, it is becoming known that Kris won by a lot. Many thought it would have been closer. Here is my theory as to why it was not.

By the time we had found out who the final 3 were, Adam’s fate was already set. Danny Gokey and Kris Allen are very similar in style. Whenever a contestant is eliminated, the displaced voters do one of two things: They either stop watching the show (which is minimal) or they put their votes behind another contestant. Since Danny and Kris were very similar in both appearance, voice, and style, it is only natural that if either one was eliminated, then his voters would back the other. By the time we got to the top 3, Adam had already had the amount of voters he was going to get. Once Danny was eliminated, it could be assumed that Kris was going to win. Those voters who voted for Danny and stuck around to vote again would most likely put their support behind Kris.

Divine Intervention

OK, before you click to something else, let me explain.

There are two aspects to this. If you watched the Season Finale, both Kris and Adam were given brand new cars. Kris mentioned that he needed a new car. Wouldn’t it be great if God used this whole American Idol experience just to answer Kris’ prayer about needing a car? He didn’t even need to win the competition and he would have received the vehicle! To me, that is an awesome example of how God can work to answer prayers. But I think it goes further.

One episode, Simon Cowell commented about how humble Kris was. And, if you look back on the season, you will see someone who wasn’t really sure of his place in the competition. Yet, week after week he managed to stay in the game. I may be crossing the line in my next few sentences, but I’m going to say it anyway. The winner of American Idol has a tremendous influence on the masses. Wouldn’t it be great if God wanted someone strong in their faith to win so that he could win souls? Kris has mentioned that he wants to play Christian music and use his gifts for God. As if being a worship leader isn’t enough. And just think, if all he ever did was return to leading worship, the amount of people that would flock to the church just because of him may expose the gospel to those who would have probably not heard it otherwise.

Kris mentioned how Adam deserved to win. Even at the point where he could have jumped for joy and reveled in his victory, he was still humble enough to say it could have gone the other way. 1 Peter 5:6 says: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” His humbleness alone is a testimony of his faith. Look what God did as a result of it? He “lifted him up in honor”.

Closing Thoughts

Whatever you think of the show, it is true that those who win have a huge influence on many–especially youth. I understand the reasons that Christians have for avoiding the show. The term “Idol” makes people uncomfortable. When someone like Kris Allen comes along though, you can’t help but see how God can turn something meant to create “idols” among ourselves into something that will bring glory to Him.

Granted, it remains to be seen if Kris’ new found fame will take him astray but as Christians, we should all pray that this experience will expose others to who God is. My belief is that Kris Allen will be able to influence many for the kingdom of God.

I welcome your comments.

The Countdown Begins…

Yes, it’s that time of year again when school kids all over the country begin to count down the days till summer vacation. And, as I find myself at the end of another school year, I am just as excited this time as the students. Though the reasons why, I have yet to reveal (and will not be doing so this blog–that will give you something to come back for). All I can say is that the summer starts a whole new chapter for me as I continue to build my life here in the wonderful community of Copperas Cove.

Here in Cove, there are about 3 weeks left of school. Memorial day is a week from today which means there are less than 15 days of school (and I believe there is an early out somewhere in there as well). At any rate, the summer brings a lot of changes for kids. Some will be entering school in the fall for the first time. Many will be entering a new school such as a Jr. High or High School. All will be moving up to a new teacher and a new grade*. And, as I mentioned, I will be venturing in a new direction too–but shhhh–I’m not telling yet what that new direction is. You’ll have to keep coming back for more.

What does that mean for this blog? Well, not a whole lot. It will continue to be what it is–basic ramblings from Mr. Josh. There is one blog that has remained dormant and is set to be reactivated during the summer. Know what it is? Probably not. No big deal. If you were part of my blog(s) in the past, then you might have a faint idea (and it has nothing to do with the events that transpired after May 12, 2008).

I wish all students the best as another school year draws to a close. I’ll be able to explain myself more as the summer progresses so I hope all of you–both old readers and new ones–will take sometime at times during the summer to catch up on what I am up to.

In case I don’t post before then–have a GREAT, SAFE, and BLESSED Memorial Day Weekend!

-Mr. Josh

Remnants Of Things Once Here

Well, this week started with a startling discovery. It has come to my attention that some people have found the “beginnings” of this blog floating around on the internet. More directly, the blog title “Things Are Changing”, “In Response To”, and “The Meeting”. For those who were around the the blog was created, you can understand my frustration when I realized that they are still accessible in an archived state on the web. I can’t figure out how Google selected these now non-existent posts on their search engine, but I assure you that I am doing everything I can to make sure these posts will not become a problem (again). The biggest problem I have is that they no longer exist on the WordPress server or the former Anzanite.com server so I can’t just physically delete everything.

I find it rather amusing that this is happening just as this blog approaches it’s first birthday. It’s like the old site is taunting me, wishing I would come back. But I can’t go back. The only direction is forward and I will continue to move that direction. Again, if you stumble across the old posts, please disregard them as I no longer feel like that.

As I mentioned, the Anzanite will have been in existence for a year on May 13, 2009. I’m not planning some big huge event or anything. Just acknowledging the transformation this site/blog has undergone. It’s gone from blog to website to blog and is back in the process of becoming a full featured website again.

Things continue to look up for me as I go through life. God has been AWESOME. Actually, there is no word good enough to describe how great God has been. He has blessed me so much since arriving here in Texas. I’ve come to know some great people and have made some AWESOME friends.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

American “Idle”

No, this post has nothing to do with American Idol (though I am sure that many will click through to see anyway). The word Idle refers to the fact that this blog has sat idle for quite a few days. There have been some things I’ve been trying to work out and things in life that have prevented me from posting. Unlike previous posts, I’m not going to say things are going to change. I can’t guarantee when the next post will come. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe if they are less frequent, people won’t become tired of them and be more inclined to read them. Though, it may not truly matter as this blog is merely my reflection and observation of things as I go through life. The fact that anyone finds anything I write interesting is simply a blessing from God.

There is quite a bit coming up for me. The first is the fact that this site and blog will have been around for 1 year exactly on May 13th. While I’m not going to go into all the details as to how the blog started, I do acknowledge that is has been quite the journey. Where the blog is today is far from it’s roots. It’s also rather ironic. This blog that once spewed hate, malice, and rage is now advocating the love, peace, and forgiveness given to us through Christ. Only He could have brought that kind of change and He did it by sending me through the fire. While I felt scorched by the flames, He was able to burn out the impurities. Albeit, I have a long way to go before I am perfectly refined and won’t be so in this life, but I can attest that even when things are at their worst, God is there working through it all. Sometimes we perceive a situation to be dire when it really isn’t. We just lack the capacity to see the end result. God is there though and He knows the end and He is there to help us through it.

My second thing is that I will be in California once again the second week in June. It will only be for that week, but I will be there. This time you all know ahead of time so I don’t suddenly arrive. I’m looking forward to the trip as it will be the first week school is out here in Cove. I will feel more comfortable being away from work during the summer than I am when school is in session.

We are having speaker Jerry Savelle at our church tomorrow. We are expecting a high turnout. Should be pretty cool. If you are in the area, you should drop by North Pointe Church at 7pm.

Roaches In Darkness

I find it simply amazing how God can use any part of His creation to illustrate a point. Recently, God used a common household pest: a roach. What possible Spiritual truth can we learn from a roach? Well, just a few simple facts about how cockroaches work and you will start to see where I am coming from.

These fascinating little creatures (and I say fascinating from a scientific point of view) are very resourceful and very well evolved–if I may be allowed to use such a word. These creatures that would prefer a life outside the home feeding on dead and decay wood and other organic materials also seem to be comfortable in situations inside the homes of ordinary people. The are a nuisance and would not be noticed except when one stray one suddenly catches itself in a brightly lit room. Of course, it instinctively tries do return to some dark crevice to hide its self from the light.

Coincidently, people do the same to God. They live in darkness and enjoy the filth around them. Suddenly, when the light catches them off guard, they would rather run away than be exposed for what they really are. The light has a tendency to show the truth hiding behind the crevices of our hearts. In many cases, the truth becomse exposed and we instinctively make excuses so we can hide from “the light”. But God wants to exterminate these “roaches” in our lives.

Romans 10:9-10 is a key set of verses that shows us what it means to confess in and be saved. We must confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead. Once we do so, we have allowed Him full access to our lives. But many don’t want to give everything to God. They want to hold things in dark little corners where the light won’t penetrate. When the light does catch them off guard, they give up on their walk and go back to hide in the darkness. But we can not hide forever.

Proverbs 15:3 says: “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

Imagine how much more penetrating those eyes are for those who have confessed! Unlike roaches, God is not put off by our dark spaces sin tries to hide in. His light can penetrate all areas of our lives. If we are truly serious about surrending our lives to Him, we have to be willing to allow His light to shine through us. This means there should be no place for “roaches” to hide. He wants to clean our dark spots so that we can be free from the infestation of sin. Sin, like roaches, can infest our lives and become an overwhelming pest. Like with a bad insect infestation, we must allow “someone” to come in and remove those pests from our lives.

Our “someone” is Jesus. Roaches are not fun and neither is sin once the “light” exposes it for what it really is. Sin keeps us in darkness because that is where it thrives.

Are there roaches in your life that need to be exterminated? Are you willing to let the light solve your infestation or are you still hiding in the dark? The dark isn’t fun for anyone and nobody like roaches. God is there ready to remove your roaches. Whether you are a believer who has backslidden or is struggling with some kind of thorn in the flesh or someone who is looking for help from the infestation that is taking over and possibly destroying your life, I can tell you that God is willing to take away all that. A can of Raid will temporarily remove roaches from an imediate area, but it will never be permanent. In much the same way, the things on this earth that we seek to fill these dark holes are only temporary solutions. We need God to be the ultimate exterminator. I take comfort in the words of 2 Timothy 2:19 which says: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”” 

With a solid foundation in Christ, we can be free from sin; from an infestation that will ultimately destroy us.

Dear Lord,

We know that you and you alone have the power to remove the infestation of sin from our lives. We ask that your light will show us how we’ve allowed this infestation to build up and help pave the way to exterminate sin from our lives. Thank you for Christ who is our Lord and Savior and thank you for dying for us. We know that if we believe on you Lord Jesus that we will be saved (Acts 16:31). We confess that you are Lord and believe in our hearts that you were raised up from the grave. Thank you Lord for your love and interest in me.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Economic Lessons From Joash

I’m sure many of you have found all the economic news a little disconcerting. I see it as a natural result of all the greed and self-indulgence that has plagued America for so long (and has yet to end). Instead of holding people accountable for their frivolous spending habits and teaching them to be better stewards of their money, we see a government that introduces stimulus plans designed to encourage more spending. I must have missed something. Isn’t that the problem? We spend to much because we over indulge ourselves in things that can’t truly make us happy. Then, we have this shocked look on our faces when we find out that greedy CEO’s have been using the money to benefit…well…themselves. This might sound rather childish but, “DUH!”.

Our president while probably full of good intentions, also is rather solemn and shocked that it would happen like that. Again, I am not.  But, our  Government continues to bail out this corporations anyway. And why? Why do they keep giving people money who obviously can’t use it correctly? We should take the money out of the hands of politicians, CEO’s and Corporate Boards and give it to those who will use it wisely. How can I tie this in Biblically? Well, let’s take a look.

In 2 Kings 12, we see King Joash dealing with trying to repair the Temple. I’m not going to quote the whole book, but you can read it for yourself in your Bible or read it here  (the link will open a new window). What we see is that Joash allocates funds to be given to the priests to repair the Temple. After some time, the Temple was not repaired. So, Joash took the Priests off the project. In a sense, he fired the priests and gave the money to those who did not require an account of how the funds were spent because they were honest. He took all the money away from the priest except the minimum required by God.

How great it would be if we took all the “excess funds” away from all the greedy corporate tycoons until things were fixed. Our self-indulgent and selfish society needs to return to God and see that if we all would be better stewards with the things God has given us, we wouldn’t be in the position we are in as a nation.

Hope everyone is having a blessed weekend!

Back To The Daily Grind

OK, so it really isn’t a grind. Have you ever stopped to wonder where some of our most used phrases come from? Another one I laugh at is “you can’t have your cake and eat it too”. So, why get the cake in the first place? I say, get pie instead because everyone is always getting “their piece of the pie”. Cool, pie for everyone then.

Alright, that first paragraph was random so let’s get to something not so random.

Yes, I am happily and safely back in Texas. I would have written a post sooner, but I had a few things get in my way. The main thing was the fact that I came down with some gnarly head cold which actually began to take its toll on me before I even left California. Besides it all, I still went back to work on Monday. It was a warm  return because the kids were very happy to see me. Those are the kinds of benefits that are priceless. There isn’t enough money in the world that is more valuable to me than the respect and love I’ve earned from the kids at work (and yes, those former students back home in California). The only hurtle I had to overcome was getting the kids to get back to my routine and follow the rules which they have memorized in their heads. As it would turn out, the week I was gone went well and the person that filled in for me, from what I could tell, did an excellent job taking care of things.

I enjoyed my visit and I am sorry to those whom I didn’t get a chance to visit. Next time I am out there, I’ll stay a little longer and try to visit more people. I really enjoyed my visit and loved spending time with friends and families. Visiting Awana was a high point of my trip. Even after all that though, it was nice to get back to work here.

Somebody recently asked me if I have anymore “devotional” material coming. The answer is yes! I would never want to deprive those loyal to those posts of the truths God has revealed to me (and more has been revealed during my trip). I’ve just had to get myself back into the daily routines so I could fit bloggin back into my schedule.

I thank you for the time all of you take to read this. It is my encouragement to keep doing so. Thank you!

In Christ,

Mr. Josh