B & D

Goodbye. For now.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:35:00 +0000

I am giving up blogging for now. I have a baby coming in November, class full time and work full time. I won't have time to do anything, let alone blog.

My wife started a new blog here. Go check it out, she's an incredible writer and thinker.

Thanks for reading! Goodbye. For now.

Blogging Hiatus.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Mon, 25 May 2009 10:56:00 +0000

The reason for our complete neglect of the blog is this: I am studying overseas for three weeks. I am squeezing three courses of work into 6 weeks. I need to have it all finished before I leave. My life is insane and I don't feel human right now.

So until I leave to study overseas, I will probably not be blogging, or even thinking about blogging.

Thank you for your patience.

Want to see what my friends did?

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:47:00 +0000

I miss UK for reasons like this:

Fall Classes

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:12:00 +0000

Systematic Theology I----Wellum

OT I ----- Hamilton

OT II-----Hamilton

Intro to Missiology---- Martin

2 great helps at 7am

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:05:00 +0000

1. this is really neat...and very helpful with research

2. if you have a mac, i suggest this as well...it's free and immensely helpful when reading those PDF's our professors love so much!

that's it...now to study and wait for the John Calipari Era to commence!!

Got Cal? WE DO!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Comics Sunday!

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Carl F.H. Henry....

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:00:00 +0000

is one of my spiritual heroes...

i love the guy...

John 11:40

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:26:00 +0000

(A Danielle Post)

"Did I not tell you that if you believed , you would see the glory of God?"

I heard this verse in a sermon about a month ago and have been meditating on it ever since. I was not sure why it struck me like it did, but it did. Then today, in my quiet time it hits me! The understanding comes full circle. Just as a side note i want to say i hate it when people "proof text" or just take one verse from the bible and make up a meaning for it. Then apply it wrongly, forsaking the context and its right meaning. I hope i am not doing this. I don't think i am, but then again I am not a bible scholar. So bare with me friends.

The story surrounding this verse is Lazarus death, his sisters and friends mourning and then his life being restored, by the Restorer and Creator of Life; Jesus. What was so striking to me was Mary and Martha's doubt in Christ's COMPLETE control. Just because Christ had not been there when Lazarus fell ill does not guarantee that Lazarus would not have died. That is in fact what the sisters believed.

Isn't that what people think all the time. "Well, if there really is a God then why does he allow these horrible things (natural disasters, terrorists, death, poverty etc) to happen?" Or my personal favorite; the Christian thinking: "If I had just read my bible more or prayed more, than BLANK would have happened!" Let me say this, in my conviction; Christ is NOT a magical genie. We do not put a token in and get what we want out of Him, but isn't this how we treat Him? God says we do not have because we do not ask. "Ask and it will be given to you." Luke 11:9a.

I think our problem is not in the asking, but the believing, while we're asking, and in the motives behind the asking.

Notice again in the verse: "Did i not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God."

Mary and Martha knew that Jesus could prevent Lazarus death, so they wanted him to do it. I'm sure their motives were to see their brother again, but Jesus' were to glorify himself.

Just like Martha and Mary, I know who Jesus is, I know what he's about. I know I can come to Him and He can radically answer prayer, but my problems lies in my belief and motives behind my prayers. The verse above convicts me because my end goal in a certain prayer i've been praying for is NOT for God's Glory. I knew in the back of my mind that He would be glorified by the outcome, but that was not my main reason behind asking. However, from this verse i see it should be. I should ask for God's glory to be shown rather than an outcome to come true; therefore making our own glory known. Which i believe is exactly what Christians do.

My problem is two fold. 1. I do not believe that God alone can answer my prayer. Me plus a bunch of "good Christian stuff", plus God answers prayer...WRONG! And 2. I wanted my glory (whether I am willing to admit it) to be displayed FIRST and then the Lords. DEAD WRONG AGAIN!!

My prayer is not sinful, but my motives were. I should be asking to see the GLORY OF THE LORD DISPLAYED. I believe that He can change any and all circumstances at and by His will, not MY OWN. I cannot control this...or anything for that matter. The sooner i start believing God and His power, he promises that not only will he roll away the rock hiding the answer of my prayer, but more importantly His Glory will be SEEN! What a far better thing to ask for and receive.

"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God." John 11:40

I flippin' love Bobby Jindal

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:04:00 +0000

just listen...it's incredible

Dear Southern

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:16:00 +0000

I must agree 100000% that you need to do something about the completely unreliable internet service....

it's getting ridiculous and out of hand.

This looks great

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:17:00 +0000

I need something for my trip to England/Scotland this summer. I don't want a big heavy camera to haul around for the trip.

and it's relatively cheap...

hate the dukies. but i love this.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:48:00 +0000

I can remember watching this game and thinking "what the..."

it's hilarious.

Wonderful Prayer.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:27:00 +0000

O God, I have tasted Your goodness,
and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God,
I want to want You;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Your glory, I pray,
so I may know You indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…
Give me grace to rise and follow You up from this misty lowland
where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From AW Tozer's The Pursuit of God

HT: BTW

Live Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:18:00 +0000

cats v. commodres

Hilarious.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:09:00 +0000

Winning Entry #2

I’m in the third grade, playing right field in my hometown rec league. I’m in right field for a reason—and it’s skill related—I lack the ability to field ground balls. The only thing I do worse is field fly balls. And I’ve gotta…well, you know…go.

Late in the game, I inform the coach of my growing need. There are no facilities at the field. He’s absorbed in the game—we’re tied. He waves me off.

We go into extra innings, and I explain to the coach, again, that I’ve really gotta go. He explains that if I leave, we forfeit the game. There’s just nine of us.

So I trot out to my lonely position in right field. I’m hopping from one foot to the other. I’m squeezing my knees together. And there came a point at which my bladder muscles decided to surrender. The dam burst. My two pant legs became a delta flowing in an ever-broadening stream down into my shoes and then into the right field turf.

No one noticed. At this level, baseball is an infielder’s game.

The inning ended with the score still tied. Now I’ve got an even bigger problem. I can’t run home, and I can’t go back to the dugout looking like this.

I spot, behind the fence that runs along the first base line, a large mud puddle. I don’t even have to think. I sprint toward the dugout and take a detour, diving head first through the brown water.

I walked into the dugout covered from chest to shoes with mud. The coach looked at me and turned his head in disgust.

I don’t remember who won.

John L.
Bowie, MD

From Sovereign Grace's Blog

Hebrew....

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:58:00 +0000

is hard....

Quality Quote.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:13:00 +0000

"Some may ask, however, since Jesus spoke of love for God as the first commandment and love for neighbor as the second, do we not have here a hierarchy of ethical norms? While there is a priority indicated by the numbering of these two great commandments, rather than giving us a hierarchy in which some absolute norms conflict with and transcend other absolute norms, Jesus is emphasizing that our love for God is to be the supreme motivating factor and controlling influence in all that we do. When we seek to love God supremely we desire automatically to love our neighbor, because this is commanded by the God we love above all else (John 14:15). However, our concern for our neighbor is never to be actualized at the expense of loving God. In all of our service to people, love for God and obedience to his revealed truth must be kept paramount, otherwise our "love" for others can easily degenerate into sentimentality, carnality, and avoidance of responsibility. Neighbor-love is best defined as that virtue of mind, emotions, and will which seeks another person's highest good, according to scriptural standards." --Robert Rakestraw

crazy good drink i figured out

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:14:00 +0000

go to starbucks and buy a horizon vanilla milk. ask them to steam it with a tall 1.5 pump of mocha, 1.5 pump white mocha hot chocolate with no whip

it tastes EXACTLY like hot chocolate with marshmallows....

it's crazy....but crazy good.

My 25 Things...bc 25 ppl tagged me to do it..

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:31:00 +0000

1. I was born in Maryland.
2. I've only lived in Kentucky since i was 12, but still consider myself Southern.
3. I came to know Christ, personally by understanding His perfect life, death and resurrection for the atonement of my sins when i was a freshman in college.
4. I had my tongue and nose pierced...at one time.
5. Every girl in my high school (I went to an all girls school) was afraid of me and my wild personality.
6. I used to be afraid that there was a snake in the toliet waiting to bite my "tushy" when i was a kid...and sometimes still fear as an adult!
7. I knew the moment i met Bryan we were going to date. Then after our first conversation (about an hour after meeting him) I knew he was God's provision as my husband, eventually.
8. Bryan is the only one that truly gets me.
9. Bryan is the only one that truly doesn't understand me, at times. Go figure!
10. I make people laugh.
11. I love to dance.
12. I love to sing.
13. I love art.
14. I have a degree in Advertising.
15. I manage a Sunglass Hut and love it, go figure.
16. I love to encourage people.
17. People are not afraid of me anymore...i hope!
18. I treat my dog Calvin like he's my child.
19. Physical touch and quality time are my love languages.
20. My parents were divorced when i was 9 and surprisingly I am normal...other than my committment issues. Hah.
21. I am an ORGANIZED NUT!!!! I love organizing and maximizing space. I love the office supplies stores...i love agenda planners and sticky notes. My staff thinks i am OCD.
22. I used to do voices and impressions when i was a kid...I wanted to be an actress.
23. I love to shop for accessories....i have high-end tastebuds, but i usually talk myself out of it.
24. I rarely go into target without spending $100...subsequently, i am not allowed to go in by myself.
25. I want a baby....any baby, black, white, chinese, purple, yellow...i don't care. I want to be a mother more than anything. What a gift it would be!

really. strange.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:58:00 +0000

I can't tell if he's joking or serious. Either way it's really weird.

Greetings from Maryland!

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Hey All! I felt i needed to post because i havent in a looong time. Currently I am in Maryland visiting family and eating my weight in as much seafood as humanly possibly, or in season. I miss seafood living in Kentucky. Even when we go to Florida for Baise vacations the seafood is not the same. I love the Old Bay seasoning that is literally on everything seafood here. The Maryland Steamed crab is the best crab you will ever eat! I grew up cracking into them and eating them. My dad taught me how to crack them at the tender age of 5...i think i wasnt officially his favorite daughter (the only one) until i could properly disect a crab. We should be getting crabs on Thursday! I cannot wait, but am not excited about my hands smelling like Old Bay and crab for about three days after eating them.

Shrimp....yum! I wasnt even off the plane an hour before my dad took me to the best Shrimp salad sandwich place in all of Baltimore. Its called Sunsets and i have been going there since i was a kid. The place looks like it is stuck in the 60s, but its soooo good. My dad is super loud; the apple doesnt fall far from the tree. Us Italians have to let you know we are in the room at all times. We were in the restuarant and he says: "GodD***m (he cusses like a sailor) these old people have been in this place since i have been coming in my 20s. They stay the same, but i keep getting older, sh**t!" Ohh the wonders of the Baltimoron dialect! I have been pummeled with it all week.

I am having a great time, but miss Bryan something terrible! I come home on Friday! Its sad because when i am here I miss bryan, but when i am in Kentucky i miss my grandma, brother and dad. Catch 22! When I am here I realize I LOVE THE SOUTH!!!! Kentucky isnt really that southern...but compared to here...it is waaay southern. I love southern hospitality, where everyone wants to know how your doing and they hold doors for you. Here people give you bad service and you get weird looks when you hold doors for people. Everyones in a hurry and affraid to say "Hi" or take a moment to find out how your days going. Please Lord, dont call us to the NORTH! Hah. Seriously, He can call us wherever, but i do miss the South when i am in the North.

It seems that when i spend more than a weekend here I start to sound like a "Balitimoron" (as i affectionately call it). I hate the accent, but i pick it up sooo easily when i am here. I am catching myself saying things like i used to when i lived here! The brainwashing has began...get me home where i drop my "Ings"s and accentuate my "i"s.

I miss my Calvin too. I know he must miss me. Bryan says he's glued to Alexis when they come over. He needs a mothers love and comfort! Speaking of the Bednars....I feel like there is another woman in my marriage and his name is George! Bryan and George work together, go to school togther and generally hangout together that I am a little afraid Bryan likes him better than me! Hah, just kidding...They were lucky enough to be at the UK game last night! What a great game!! I don't know much about sports, compared to Bryan, but Meeks hit a shot that I thought was pretty darn amazing...i would have loved to have been there, in RUpp watching! Wow!

Anyway, can't wait to come home, but glad to be here...does that make sense? Story of my life....CONTENTMENT, i struggle!

Favorite. Commercial.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:38:00 +0000

i love this!!

Interesting Question:

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Why is it that Southern doesn't have a course on Carl Henry?? I understand that we have the Henry Institute, but beyond that is there anything?

Maybe there are courses. Maybe there is more than just the Henry Institute. It seems to me however that current seminary students would do well to be knowledgeable of God, Revelation and Authority. Surely there is a prof. who is capable of teaching such a course.

In American Evangelicalism, Henry's writing have stood the test of time (so far). There are many observations he makes in that 6 volume set that are devastating to Liberal theology and postmodern theology.

He has been immensely helpful to me in those regards. He also has a section that is very helpful regarding Evolution, Creation, etc.

Why is he not more visible? Is he visible and I'm missing it?

My 25 Random Things.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:11:00 +0000

I caved...I think this is sort of ridiculous but here we go:

1. Until I left for College in 2003, I NEVER had a summer (or fall, or winter, or spring) that didn't involved something associated with baseball. It consumed my life. When I finally had time to actually do something that wasn't associated with it, I loved it.

2. I was literally days (if not hours) away from totally abandoning Christianity during my freshman year. I grew up in a very anti-intellectual town. I went off to college and was barraged with Evolution, Atheism, Agnosticism, you name it. There were countless nights and weekends when I stayed in my dorm room in desperation and tears to find answers. I thank God for Mere Christianity and Daniel and Patrick Schreiner.

3. I have only been to 3 concerts in my entire life: Third Day, Audio Adrenaline and Bush (with Default opening for them)

4. I love Philosophy. I never thought I would. I always thought that it was the total opposite of what I imagined I would enjoy. But the more and more I read it and studied it, the more it invigorated me.

5. Because of 4, I hope to pursue a PhD in Philosophy.

6. I love Literature. I hated to read until my high school English teacher, Mr. Willis. It started with Dante's Inferno and I haven't been the same since.

7. My top 5 books 1. Pilgrim's Progress 2. The Brother's Karamazov 3. Crime and Punishment 4. Paradise Lost 5. Desiring God

8. My best friend for 3 years in Lexington was a very liberal Atheist (aka the exact opposite of me). It was honestly like the pilot of a bad TV show. He still is the smartest guy I know. Right now, he's at Yale Law. We would spend 4-5 hours at a time at coffee shops discussing Philosophy, Theology, Politics, anything that came to mind.

9. I have quirky taste in TV shows. My wife makes fun of me for loving Chuck on NBC, Monk and Psych on USA.

10. I was a devil child growing up. If there was something you could get in trouble for, I did. My parents called it "high energy", I think that means a bad bad kid.

11. I knew the moment I met my wife I wanted to marry her. I swore to myself that I would not have been that person. I never wanted THAT story. In fact, both of us wrote in our journals the exact same day that we had met the person we were going to marry. Weird.

12. I have a pair of UK shorts that I have had since I was 17. I wear them almost every night around the house. My family hates them. They hide them from me. So, when they do, I consign to sit around the house naked until they give them to me. I will never get rid of them.....ever.

13. I became a Colts fan by deciding that I didn't want to be a Cowboys, Packers or 49ers fan like all my friends. So I turned on the TV one day and picked the first team that I saw: The Indianapolis Colts. That was 1994. I've been a fan ever since.

14. I love to write. I certainly don't do it enough. I would love to write a book one day. I don't care if it sells 2 copies, I would love to write one.

15. There are very few things that really invigorate me like a really well written line in a book.

16. I am an awful story teller. Whether it's a joke, story, anything, I always screw it up.

17. Piggybacking off 16, I ALWAYS get my pronouns switched when telling a story.

18. I had a MAJOR stuttering problem growing up. I was petrified to get in front of people and speak.

19. When I pass by a sign that has numbers on them, I always add, subtract, multiply and divide the numbers. It's sick I know. Danielle says it's very "rainman-ish" of me.

20. I took an IQ test once: 137. I took the same test 6 weeks later: 127. How does that work? Maybe I should just take the average? Who knows....

21. I used to play basketball as a kid on my basketball goal outside blasting All-4-One, Carmen, Ray Boltz and....Alanis Morrisette.

22. I had two of the best friends in High School. Gibby and Hughey and I had such good times together. Most of them involved video games (MVPA, Ken Griffey Baseball, WCW/NWO Revenge) but I love those guys and will always cherish those memories.

23. I love to discuss/debate. I think it is a lost art in Evangelicalism. Too many times it resorts to anger/frustration. I had a Philosophy professor tell me that to the degree that your frustration rises the less clear your thinking is. That has been great advice for the times I have debated others.

24. I think Arrested Development may be the funniest show to ever grace television. The fact that there are only 3 seasons is a travesty.

25. I am borderline obsessed with Kentucky Sports. I check Kentucky Sports radio at least 5-10 times a day.