Will Farrell and Jack Black Introduce the Best Song

Unlike Josh I found this really funny. As for other Will Farrell news Stranger Than Fiction on DVD tomorrow and Blades of Glory at the end of March.

PS3 Song

Oh the brilliance of this song.

I want my money.

For those of you in the dark concerning the system wars going on right now, Sony is loosing badly with its new PS3 with the PS2 selling better than the new system. At the moment the Nintendo Wii leads sales in the US for 2007. In response to this the Sony President said he would give $1200 to anyone who could find a PS3 that sat on the shelf for more that 5 minutes, typical Japanese pride. So today I went to Target in Irvine to buy the Daughtry album and decided to see if they had any Wii's for friends who are looking for them. I couldn't find any Wii's but I found 2 PS3. That's 2400 bucks right there, Brent I think I found our new job. So yeah Sony Prez if you read this contact me and I will tell you where to transfer funds. Also here is a funny comic strip on this very issue.

P.S. The Daughtry Album is good so far. Only on song number 3. And the reason I am in Irvine is because one of the few remaining Diedrich's is located here and for a long time I hear.

(Note: When I firsted posted I was under the impression it was the Sony President in Japan. But it was acutally the President for Sony America, or what ever he is. So strike the Japanese comment, but doesn't mean they are not prideful, just that American's are as well. If you disagree go watch Letters of Iwo Jima).

The Lawn Definitely Lost

Jared Photo
Originally uploaded by Fun with Tom.

I was there and it was a second round knock out. Found this picture of a buddy of mine on another friend's flickr page and felt the need to share with the blog world. And to forever immortalize the handlebars.

The iPod effect

So I was actually looking for a photo I had take of Jenny H. but I can't seem to find it. She had her iPod headphones on and was looking at the camera. But alas I cannot find it. But anyways I have been processing through this for a while. Our current culture loves to have music every where. With the invention of the iPod this has made it very easy, if not the cause. But I was reading on the internet how the headphones make people seem unapproachable. Which is totally true (Oh I thought of another photo that will be at the end of the blog). I have toying with the idea if we (Christians) should use iPod's when we are out in public. This was a thought a long time ago and was spurred by Dallas Willard recently (he's brilliant by the way). As Christians we are suppose to be present to the world to share the Good News and bring about the restoration of the world till Christ returns. In fewer words: We are suppose to change the world around us for the better. But when we listen to iPod's we tend to seclude ourselves from the world and in turn cannot be present to the world. The world at this time is an extremely independent place, a least in the West. People are very lonely in this day and age. And to top it all off there are few people who actually care about those around them any more. It is very clear from Jesus' teachings that we (Christians) are suppose to care about those around us (Don't believe me, go read the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7, and you will get the picture). When we turn on and tune out we prevent ourselves from become a significant blessing to those around us. Its time we Christians stop tuning out the world and become present to it so that we can change it. Thats what Paul did, he was present, and look at what he did. But all this is just a thought. Chew on that for a while and present it to the Lord and ask his opinion.

P.S. N don't kill me for posting this. I know we photographers hate our being photographed.

Psalm 23

So I have been reading Psalm 23 lately. Going through it and reflecting on it within my own soul. It has been something that has truly begun to help me find my place in life and relationship with God. I was driving home on Saturday after going to a play with the tag being "A Post Valentine's Day Look at Love." And I a specific part of Psalm 23 came to my mind. It can be found at the beginning of verse 3 "He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

The part that my soul keyed in on at that moment was "He restores my soul." I know I believe that it my head, but in my heart is another thing. I have just begun to learn to believe that in my heart. Dallas Willard in The Renovation of the Heart tells us that the soul is the deepest part of us. The soul is the core of who we are and that is what God restores (thats my combining Dallas and this verse). God does not just restore your life, he does not just restore you heart or you mind. While he does do those things he does more than that. He restores our entire being. There is nothing that God leaves out when he is restoring us, its all going through the process.

I tell you this not so you think "wow Jon is spiritual" or something else. But so that you will begin here on this day to allow God to begin restoring your soul. Much like when you start with an old rusted car. You have to take the metal down so that there is nothing left but pure metal, all the rust must be gone. We are left with a car ready for restoration. And that is part of what God does in his restoring process. He takes us down to pure metal.

John Mayer - Belief

Simply amazing guitar work. If I played guitar I would want a guitar that looked like that.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Many of you know I am in the middle of The Count of Monte Cristo. Well actually middle is not so accuarate now considering I am on page 912, it is 1095 in the version Lisa is letting me barrow. I am almost done with this amazing book. I don't want it to stop, it is so good. It just might tie The Hobbit for my favorite book or pass it. I encourage you all to read it if you have a chance in life. Nothing feels like finishing a 1100 page book.

P.S. Listening to "Don't Take Your Guns To Town" by Johnny Cash, so good.

Switchfoot Concert

Saw Switchfoot, at House of Blues Anaheim, tonight with Brent, Brian F., Lisa, Hayley, Casandra, Steph, and 3 high schoolers. I also saw a bunch of Vanguard people, good times. Great show, great music, great company. Here are two pics from my camera phone. I will post video later if it works out. Fav. song: To many. I did like the one that is preformed by Mandy in A Walk to Remember. But I like that more for the song than the show. There was a really cool one where they all stood still for a good 30 seconds at the end, looked awesome.

Darkest Before The Dawn Part: 2

So about a week ago I suggested you guys read Matthew 27, Mark 15 and Psalm 22. So here is the follow up to that post.

Psalm 22 begins with the same exact phrase Jesus utters on the cross just before he is about to die. What is interesting about Psalm 22 is that it is a classic lament Psalm. Which can be seen in the progression of the writer, David. David begins by expressing to God that he feels like he has left him and travels to the conclusion that God is still in control regardless of David's perspective of God.

30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.

31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it.

David at the end of the Psalm proclaims that God is righteous and all will know him. David realizes that God is still in control. He also realizes that regardless of what seems to be going on around him he knows God wins in the end.

Now what I find interesting is that Jesus quotes this Psalm and the reason behind it. Jesus quotes just a small portion of this Psalm which would have lead the people there to be reminded of Psalm 22. No most would think Jesus is down and out when he says this statement, but he is not. By quoting this Psalm Jesus is actively saying I have hope. There is more going on here than what we can all see. Jesus is essentially saying "God I know you are going to come through" just as David did. Jesus is in a way predicting his resurrection by saying God is going to come through yet again and God does.

Like David and Jesus we too can have hope that God will come through. We have an entire documented history of God coming through for all different kinds of people. The Bible ends with God winning the final battle. We can live in hope. Hope which at times may seem far off because we cannot see it. But according to Paul if we could see it, it would not be hope at all.

The reason I write this is not for your sake. While I do hope that you get something out of it. I write this for my sake. Sometimes we need to hear something and the only way we hear it is when we speak it. We often serve as prophets in our own lives when we speak to others. So I write this for me. Right now it seems that I'm as low as I can go and I do not see where God is leading. I am in a thick fog so to speak. It would seem that it is time to give up hope, but it is not. God is going to come through. It might be in the last day, last hour or last minute but God is going to come through. I can trust in this. Psalm 22 stands as hope for all of us. God comes through.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jon Varner

P.S. For an amazing out look on this read David Crowder's newest book Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, but Nobody Wants to Die: Or the Eschatology of Bluegrass. Or listen to A Collision and/or B Collision.

ABC Time (Like from 1st Grade, not the Station)

Fill in your own ABCs:

A-Animated TV Show: G.I. Joe
B-Bible Passage: Philippians 2:5-11 (One of many, but top one)
C-Considerably Different From High School: My clothing style (I dressed like Fred Durst from LB).
D-Dallas Willard Book:Renovation of the Heart
E-Electronic Device of Choice: MacBook Pro
F-Foreign Film: Love Me If You Dare
G-Garth Brooks Song: Fit For a King
H-Habits that Die Hard: Biting My nails (I just can't stop)
I-Inspiring Preacher: Rob Bell
J-J.R.R. Tolkien: The Hobbit
K-Killer Hand: Royal Flush
L-Least Favorite NFL Player: T.O.
M-Motorcycle: 2006-2007 Yamaha R1
N-Nickname: Wolverine
O-Obnoxious Sitcom Character: Michael (The Office)
P-Place I'd Live Next: Portland, OR
Q-Quite Moments: Not Enough
R-Robot: Johnny 5
S-Significant Other: Lacking One at the Moment
T-Team: Anaheim Ducks
U-University: Vanguard
V-Villain of Choice:Ra's al Ghul
W-Wild Animal: Grey Wolf
X-Xtreme Sport: Broomball
Y-Youthful Ambition: Professional Hockey Player or Rally Car Driver
Z-Zero Desire:Have A Job Simply For Having A Jobs Sake

Tagged By Brent
I now Tag....Sara P., Corri, and if Sophie still reads this go ahead and go for it (cap pas cap).
By the way all the regulars where taken already. Oh wait I think Josh P. is untagged, so yeah you too Josh if you read this anymore.