(more) Blue Like Jazz. part II

I'm going at it again with some more quotes from the book here. Lesson learned: when you give a mouse (or me) a cookie (or a highlighter), he'll want to drink some milk (highlight the entire book like a yellow-book warrior)... Anyway, yeah. This book is great, I recently ordered a new book by Miller but dumb eBay is taking forever to ship!!! I'm not an impatient American, no, I'm just all about (ahem) promptness.

Blue Like Jazz

It all sounded so very witless to me, but by this time I wanted desperately to believe it. It felt as though my soul was designed to live the story Christian spirituality was telling. I felt like my soul wanted to be forgiven. I wanted the resolution God was offering. (35)

Christian spirituality was not a children's story. It wasn't cute or neat. It was mystical and odd and clean, and it was reaching into dirty. There was wonder in it and enchantment. (35)

She also thought that if Christianity were a person, that is all Christians lumped into one human being, that human being probably wouldn't like her. (44)

They felt they had to sell God, as if He were soap or a vacuum cleaner, and it's like they really weren't listening to me, they didn't care, they just wanted me to buy their product. (46)

I always thought the Bible was more of a salad thing, you know, but it isn't. It is a chocolate thing. (47)

Love, for example, is a true emotion, but it is not rational. What I mean is, people actually feel it. I have been in love, plenty of people have been in love, yet love cannot be proved scientifically. (54)

I figured all this was God's fault. I thought that if God would make it so I felt convicted all the time I would never sin. I would never get drunk or smoke pot. (63)

I think the things we want most in life, the things we think will set us free, are not the things we need. (63)

And that's the tricky thing about life, really that the things we want most will kill us. (77)

I was in that same phase of trying to discipline myself to "behave" as if I loved light and not "behave" as if I loved darkness. (79)

The first of the exploits to go was the Bible. It wasn't that I didn't want to read it or didn't agree with it, I would just forget. (80)

The ability to accept God's unconditional grace and ferocious love is all we need to obey him in return. (86)

Our behavior will not be changed long with self-discipline, but fall in love and a human will accomplish what he never thought possible. (86)

I felt as if believing in God was no more rational than having an imaginary friend. (87)

I read through the Koran before it was even popular. It never occurred to me that if Christianity was not rational, then neither were other religions. (87)

I don't have so many problems with Muhammad, but I have problems with middle-aged white guys who grew up in America claiming Muhammad as a hero, not because Muhammad never did anything good (he did), but because calling Muhammad a hero is such an incredibly trendy thing to do. (90)

I understand why people wear crystals around their necks and why they perform chants and gaze at stars. They are lonely. I'm not talking about lonely for a lover or a friend. I mean lonely in the universal sense, lonely inside the understanding that we are tiny little people on a tiny little earth suspended in an endless void that echoes past stars and stars and stars. (92)


Here is this guy using Islamic verbiage to make himself look spiritual, and yet he really hasn't researched or subscribed to the faith, as it presents itself. He's just using it. Raping it for his own pleasure. (93)

I knew Christ, but I was not a practicing Christian. (94)

I have become an infomercial for God, and I don't even use the product. I don't want to be who I am anymore. (97)

That is the thing about giving yourself to God. Some people get really emotional about it and some people don't feel much of anything except the peace they have after making an important decision . (100)

Blue Like Jazz

I have decided, after reading one of the greatest books ever, to put down some quotes straight from Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz, non-religious thoughts on Christianity. I have never identified so well with a book more than this one. It strikes a chord in me, and since reading it in January, I have felt compelled to get copies for great friends that I love--they deserve to read the same.

Anyway, I'm just gonna stop rambling on and put out some quotes. this may take a few blogs but bare with me...

BLUE LIKE JAZZ quotes:

In light of the earthly representation of the role, why would God want to call himself father? Seems a marketing mistake. Why would anyone want to call Himself Father when so many fathers abandon their children? (4)

If something nice happened to me, I thought it was God, and if something nice didn't, I went back to the slot machine, knelt down in prayer, and pulled the lever a few more times. (9)

I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God. (13)

I didn't love God because I didn't know God. (14)

It was as if we were broken, I thought, as if we were supposed to feel those sticky emotions. As if we were cracked, couldn't love right, couldn't feel good things for very long time without screwing it all up. (14)

He said that when we are watching television our minds are working no harder than when we are sleeping. I thought that sounded heavenly. I bought one that afternoon. (15)

I think every conscious person, every person who is awake enough to the functioning principles within his reality, has a moment where he stops blaming the problems on group think, an humanity, and starts to face himself. (20)

Six billion people live in this world, and I can only muster thoughts for one. Me. (22)

I think Jesus feels strongly about communicating the idea of our brokenness, and I think it is worth reflection. Nothing is going to change in the Congo until you and I figure out what is wrong with the person in the mirror. (23)

It is a pretty good idea to make noises when you are at a play. (27)

Everybody wants to be fancy and new. Nobody wants to be themselves. (29)

If there was a guy who just liked being himself and didn't want to be anybody else, that guy would be the most different guy in the world and everybody would want to be him. (29)

I pictured my pastor as a salesman or a magician, trying to trick the congregation into believing Jesus could make us new. And, honestly, I felt as though he was trying to convince himself as though he only half believed what he was saying. (29)

I felt as if Christianity, as a religious system, was a product that kept falling apart, and whoever was selling it would hold the broken parts behind his back trying to divert everybody's attention. (30)

The rebellion against God explained why humans experienced conflict in their lives, and nobody knows of any other explanation than this. (32)

Christianity offered a decision, a climax. It also offered a good and a bad resolution. In part, our decisions were instrumental to the way our story turned out. (33)

And perhaps, I was judging the idea (making a decision to follow Jesus), not by its merit but by the fashionable or unfashionable delivery of the message. (33)

I never liked it when the preachers said we had to follow Jesus. Sometimes they would make him sound angry... I liked the idea of Jesus becoming a man, so that we would be able to trust Him, and I like that he healed people and loved them and cared deeply about how people were feeling. (34)

TIME

I hate exclaiming "OH wow, it's already such and such date..." Or "It's June 29th already?...wow!" Because it is my belief that every 2.34 months a person will take notice to this sort of reality--time. Yes, time passes but do we always need to make a big stink about it as if it really wasn't supposed to go that fast.

We're the ones going too fast! We want to speed through the things we believe will be tough and long...when really nothing is ever slower and nothing is ever faster. We trick ourselves. We are making a big mistake if we are not taking the time to recognize the milestones in our life. And when I say that, I don't mean like major holidays and life-changing events and performances and that sort of thing, I mean the little things of significance. I am happy to be alive at this moment in time, sitting here overwhelmed with what God has given me. Yes I ran over my foot yesterday with a fork truck and had to go to the ER, but I'm okay, and I'll always laugh in the future because of that experience. I am fearful of tomorrow...will I make enough to get by? Will I meet my goals....Yep, and then time plays with you. But these people, these good times, I am so grateful for.

I don't need to freak out at the passing of time. It's not already a certain time, it is only RIGHT now! I am so thankful for the people in my life right here and now--not two months later--but now. They are here, these experiences are right here for no other reason but for me to give praise and glory to God. Does that mean I get to be lazy and slack? HECK NO! Why would I want to do that, not that I'm not guilty of that. I've got so many things I want to do...i've got vids I want to make, people I want to marry and shoe laces that need tying...it's time to seize the opportunities right here and now!

Okay so I'm giving myself a pep talk in all of this b/c I too fall into the trap of thinking that time is sneaky and conniving and only wants to devour my common goals...well LISTEN UP TIME, there's a new guy in town and you're going to have to NOT be crazy like that.
Okay, i'm okay now...

McNiggles '08 Tour de Detroit

Good times all around. I guess I never knew the D could be so freaking cool.
My friend John and I decided we would do something this summer and then we thought of McNiggles and it was all up/downhill from there. Something about the word McNiggles that just cries out to the soul and yeah.

So I packed my bags and went to my friend Kimberly's grad party in Appleton Saturday. I was really excited to see her and it ended up being a great time. I made a video for her because I thought that would be cool to do as a gift. It was a music video and it kind of jingles and rings a melody and stuff. It was fun. I also got to see Petey who was sleeping on the couch at his home and wasn't expecting my friendly face just inches away waking him up.



So I left Sunday and headed onward to Detroit, just me and the road and mustard chips and some good artistic music playing. You just got to love road trips, yeah they're fun, but when you take them and there's extended amounts of time where its just you, alone, it can be quite interesting. I end up striking great conversations with myself on subjects such as super heroism and quenching world hunger/thirst. Anyway, I underestimated how long it would take and ended up getting there quite late...missing the surprise party John had going. I just knew there was something up his sleeve. I felt really bad, there's nothing like missing your own party. But it was great to see him again, and i was wearing genuine chest hair just for kicks.









It was a good time seeing the sights and the funny ghetto store names and Arabic neighborhoods and really really good food. His parents, especially his dad crack me up with his strong arabic accent and constant comedy. got to see Alicia Williams as well because she was in the area doing an internship with the po po. The downtown was amazing, I mean I really felt like i was in the 313, I was a thug! We really liked the people mover and decided not to get off it because it was so cool. We got begged on by four toothless wanderers but and I had to part with my bag of kissibles so that this man could have a good meal, but it went to a good cause and I'm glad. It's always good to give things to people and brighten up their day.

There are so many things I could say for brother Johnathan--but I should change the name to 'Bill Stanley' so that I keep his name confidential. But Bill is such a good friend, and if there's one thing that speaks louder than anything, it's willingness to be a serve people. He's just one of those friends that's always there, we share a common interest in a lot of stuff and he completely fixed my computer even though it was a lot of work, he's like 'no prob.' But honestly I love this guy! I'm really glad he's gonna be my suite mate this fall because that'll be hilarious good times.
So I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to be in Detroit, it was worth the drive and I didn't want to leave but I did. Driving through the night had it's ups and downs. It was fine on the straight-shot to Chicago but once i was through that I got kinda tired so I pulled into a vacant gas station in the hood and slept for a bit. Minutes later I heard a kick on my car and this ethnic gas station owner was telling me to scram so I did and I ended up getting home, I just needed some coffee.

Now it's time to get back to work at the Piggly Wiggly warehouse and do the work God's called me to do for the time being.

Screwed Up Sleep Cycles can lead to Beautiful Experiences

Wow a title that gets right down to the point, that's what I love. Because as we all know, I always do that...

I've been editing video for hours with no results which kind of sucks. Why in the middle of the night? Because my nap at 3pm accidentally turned into a deep 7 hour sleep that now makes me awake and accidentally rejuvenated, oops. So my computer's slowly rendering, I went home to eat corn out of a can and another yum yum. Then i realized that since it's 4:30am the sun would soon be peaking it's self over the sea-scape of lake Michigan just a block down my street.

I thought I'm gonna go experience something not everyone says they get a chance to see everyday or ever. The sunrise! I felt so alive and ready. I scooted my car closer and then ran towards the lake, took the hidden stairs down to the beach and stood at the calm blue waves gently soaking the shore. I love my God! Being alone with him like that is such a cool thing. I'm seeing little streaks of red at this point coming up. The sky's blue is filling in with lighter hues now and I'm so drawn in at this point.

I asked God to heal some people and change other people's lives like he's done mine. It just seems like there's this uncanny presence of people in my life who are in need of God and I'm standing in front of this sea scape telling God that I'm willing to do whatever he wants. (Now that's a freeing feeling). As I was doing this, i picked up my bible and it opened right to Psalm 24 and it said...

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it,
The world and its people belong to him.
For he laid the earth's foundation on the seas,
and built it on the ocean's depths.
Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?"

I was so glad to have a screwed up sleep cycle and a wonderful daddy in heaven who was like speaking to my heart saying "Zach! Zach! Come over here, I want to show you things."
Nice.

a Rice Crispy Rising

Mmmmmm! Yummmy
There's nothing like waking up and checking the cupboards and spotting something so uncanny staring back at you with it's little purple face and box-eyes. I grab it out of there and chuckled, it was quite the hunt. I am not sure whether in the elder days I would be considered a hunter or gatherer or hunter/gatherer for that matter because yes I gathered in this scenario, and yes I hunted (like a bandit's mother-in-law in disguise).

O yes, now the good part! I poured it's luscious crispy crisps into a bowl and said "There ya go, partner!" Now I'm sitting here writing this with a cocky grin on my face full of "Snap, Crackle, and POP!" No, I'm not even mad! Well and it's not exactly morning either, I just call it that because, my goal on mondays is to just completely relax and rejuvinate my body and soul. I get done with work late Sunday night after having worked four 12-hour shifts like a jolly-Ferguson, I need to just sleep, so that's my mondays. And when it's around early evening, then I go to this awesome worship time with friends in their basement and we play music for hours.

Last night when I headed over to Walmart I had a fascinating idea which I wanted to turn into a reality! You know those electric scooters that are next to the welcome-greeter at the entrance? The ones for really old people who can't waddle too well, but they can scoot with excellance and then catch up to their grandchildren. Well, that was my idea. I wanted to ride one. And just my luck! The greeter must've gone off to break so there were three beautiful electric wheelchairs ready for me to ride away into the sunset with (if only I had an eighty-year old girlfriend to--no scratch that, that would just be weird). So I got on and at first felt like an R-tard. There's all these night-stockers giving me looks of who-knows-what and I clutched my knee cap in an effort to look injured. I moseyed down to the icecream isle because I was really feeling icecream, like someone would after their intense breakup. I grabbed some icecream and loaded it into my front cart while being eyed down by an old lady who had no sympathy for my situation.

I zipped accross the store in search for some sandals, which I found. They're great! Then I wanted to get some christmas lights for something I was making and well, I asked one of the ladies for help. She gave me a strange look as I asked her where the christmas lights were, then she led me to an isle that might have had them while quickly realizing that I was in a wheel chair and I could not keep up with her fast-paced walking, so she would stop every 1o feet for me to catch up with her. Meanwhile I felt so stupid, I'm like why am I in this thing, this is awkward. But then she was really nice. She was like "I'm so sorry honey, we seem to be all out of christmas lights." I guess it's the whole I'm-handicap thing that makes people treat you completely different.

I pull up to the check out aisle aboard the scooter and a lady didn't see me b/c i was so low and my head barely bobbed above the conveyor belt counter. She emphatically asked how I was doing and how was my shopping experience. How was my life going? How was my weekend? I couldn't believe how important I suddenly was just because I was sitting in an electric scooter apparently handicap and not like all the other kids. She even placed the bags into my cart with care and smiled and the funny thing is, she talked LOUDER AND MORE ANNUNCIATED BECAUSE APPARENTLY I'M ALSO HARD OF HEARING TOO! That almost made me burst out laughing. I pulled the scooter back to it's parking spot, got out next to the greeter lady who said "have a good day." She eyed me warily thinking oh sure, he's a fraud. I was glad to get out of that thing and once out of the electric doors I ran straight for my car breathing in that fresh air of freedom!