Casey Abrams gets saved!

Last week on American Idol, an early-in-the-season favorite got canned! I think Casey Abrams began to believe he was invincible and started making dumb choices. The guy with all the promise had been replaced by someone who seemed to be prideful and taking things for granted. Consequently he was on his way out! That is - until he was saved. That's right, the judges saved Casey Abrams. Steven, J-Lo and Randy unanimously decided to cash in their one opportunity to save a contestant on giving the talented Abrams another chance.

As you know, the contestants are required to perform one last song in hopes that the judges will use the save. Casey was giving it his best when the judges stopped him in mid-verse. Apparently, he thought they were stopping him to say, "There's no need to go on, you're out of here." But the opposite was true. They were stopping him to say, "We don't need to hear any more, we know we want to save you." The guy almost passed out. You could see it all over him. What an emotional moment. I thought he was going to throw up!

Why don't we feel that way about being saved? Lets face it - We've blown much more important opportunities than a singing contest. We've taken what we've been given for granted and yet, the Ultimate Judge has chosen to save us! Why don't we grow faint at the thought that we've been given another chance? Why don't we stagger at the thought that Christ has seen worth in keeping us around? I don't know, but we should!

This week Casey Abrams was back to his earlier standard of excellence. I thought he was the best of the night. Gone was the arrogant "I've got this in the bag" persona. He seemed humble, glad to be there and giving it his best.

God help me to do the same!

Miracle Grow

Chase planted his spring box garden today. Every year he plants a box garden as a 4-H project. We like harvesting the produce and enjoying some fresh veggies on our table through the summer. This year his box is filled with tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and eggplant. He also took over two of my old feed buckets and planted some herbs: parsley, basil and rosemary. (This is the first time he tries his hand at growing herbs.) He uses a half/half mix of top soil and miracle grow for his box garden. It always does well.

Speaking of miracle grow, it seems like God has used a bit of that on my boy himself. It's amazing how fast he's growing up!

My Take On The 2011 Oscars

Best Supporting Actor- Christian Bale (The Fighter): Like last year, this was the best selection of the night. The way Bale transformed himself into the character of Dicky Eklund was nothing short of amazing!

Best Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo (The Fighter): Great performance as a part of a brilliant ensemble cast. I would have chosen Hailee Steinfeld for her performance in True Grit.

Best Actor - Colin Firth (The King's Speech): Well deserved.

Best Actress - Natalie Portman (The Black Swan): Haven't seen it and I'm not really interested but you have to admit she's come a long way since playing Padme Amidala in The Phantom Menace!

Best Director - Tom Hooper (The King's Speech): Hooper did a wonderful job but I would have given the Oscar to David Fincher for The Social Network.

Best Picture - The King's Speech: Wonderful movie - Great acting, directing, cinematography, well written, inspiring, entertaining - Everything you'd expect from an Oscar-winning film!

Best-selling Confusion

There is a major buzz taking place in the Christian community (as well as the world at large - thanks to an appearance on GMA this week) over the new book by noted author and pastor of Mars Hill Church - Rob Bell. The book is called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Many believe the book endorses Universalism (The theory that everyone will ultimately end up in heaven.) I haven't read the book and I probably won't line Bell's pockets with my money. I have read enough reviews and have heard enough of Bell's interviews and videos promoting the book to get a pretty good take on what he's doing. I have yet to hear him say that he doesn't believe hell exists or that he is a Universalist. What he does is raise questions and then leaves them unanswered. What he does is take scripture out of context and misapplies it. In fact it appears as though he takes great joy in doing so. And it is a morally reprehensible thing to do!

You see, this world is looking for answers! For me, that's what the Bible is - It's an answer book. I'm not saying it answers all my questions, but it answers the ones that truly matter. To undermine that and rob (no pun intended) people with serious questions about life, death and eternity of the certainties God has provided is inexcusable. It may sell books, and it may pack out auditoriums but it blatantly disregards many of God's direct commands!

Titus 3:9-11, But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11 You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

God's Word makes it clear that Satan is the author of confusion. It seems he has enlisted the help of one of the most gifted communicators of our time to write what promises to be one of the best sellers of confusion that's come along in quite a while!