Matt Jones' Random Acts of Verbiage

Dan sent me an email with some pictures from Dribbleglass.com, specifically thier billboard pictures. These were quite enjoyable and, oddly, I haven’t seen any one the road yet, but I will be on the look-out. Here are a few samples:

Cheers!
-Matt Jones

It had been quite a while since I had visited the wonderful internet comic Homestar Runner, but I visited today and was reminded why I had previously enjoyed it so much. If you haven’t been there yet watch the intro, it’s a nice … well, introduction… to the fun. I also found (via Whatevor Trevor) an AWESOME Homestar Wiki page (not the Homestar Wikipedia page, which is also good). The Wiki has everything you could ever want to know about Homestar Runner and everyone involved. One the the best parts, is their Strongbad Email page because it has every detail about every email Strongbad has made fun of. This is also helpful for finding all the fun easter eggs. I am amazed at how much time people have spent putting this site together. Check it out.

My favorite emails: Kid’s Book (@Homestar), Caffeine (@Homestar), and Dragon (@Homestar) (with the wonderful introduction to Trogdor the BURNiNATOR!).

Also be sure to check out Teen Girl Squad, it is another favorite of mine.

Ohhh good times!
-Matt Jones

I finally watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind again tonight and really enjoyed it. It is a well made and, I think, original look at relationships, bad relationships specifically. Everyone has had them, everyone wants to forget them sometimes. The beauty of this film is that it doesn’t try to ignore that or cover it up, but deals with it in a very interesting way. Most movies seem to glorify relationships: either everything is (nearly) perfect or if not, you simply end the relationship. That is not reality, in reality, relationships are difficult (and this doesn’t necessarily only pertain to romantic relationships) and we have to work through those difficulties. While both Jim Carrey’s and Kate Winslet’s characters choose (somewhat impulsively) to have the memories of each other and their relationship erased, Carrey realizes that he doesn’t want to lose those memories, even if they are painful. At one point, when he start to realize what is happening Carrey says:

Please let me keep this memory, just this one.

That moment is one of my favorites. It is the realization that while relationships can suck, they are worth holding onto. That doesn’t mean the hurt isn’t there and that there aren’t going to be relationships that need to be ended, but it means that all relationships are worth remembering and learning from.

My belief is that relationships and love were not meant to be terminated. The Fall has brought in brokenness to relationship and hurt follows. We have to keep going though. And it is worth it. One of the final scenes ends with this exchange:

Clementine: I’m not perfect.

Joel: I can’t see anything that I don’t like about you…

C: But you will…

J: Right now I can’t…

C: You will think of things and I will get bored with you and feel trapped cause that’s what happens with me.

J: [pause] …Okay

C: [pause] Okay

Good moment. Relationships are worth it, don’t forget that!

I will leave you with a portion of Alexander Pope’s Eloisa to Abelard

How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d;
Labour and rest, that equal periods keep;
“Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep;”
Desires compos’d, affections ever ev’n,
Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to Heav’n.
Grace shines around her with serenest beams,
And whisp’ring angels prompt her golden dreams.
For her th’ unfading rose of Eden blooms,
And wings of seraphs shed divine perfumes,
For her the Spouse prepares the bridal ring,
For her white virgins hymeneals sing,
To sounds of heav’nly harps she dies away,
And melts in visions of eternal day.

God Bless
-Matt Jones

For those in Vancouver, this one’s for you (well others as well, but you would have to get to Vancouver somehow).� Bruce Kuhn, who is an “artist in residence” here at Regent College, will be performing at First Baptist Church (at 969 Burrard Street) downtown.� He is an amazing and emotional performer who is able to speak the Word in a very meaningful and potent (not sure if that is really the word that I was looking for, but it works) way.� The performance starts at 6:30pm on Sunday in Pinder Hall and the cost is a recommended donation of $10.� You should go see, you would be well served if you do!

Cheers,
-Matt Jones

Well this has been a pretty stressful week. Stupid money. On top of all my money issues, Regent accidentally double charged me for this term and I didn’t notice for a week. That equated to eight overdraft charge. Yes, eight! I am hoping that once Regent credits me, they bank will understand because it wasn’t actually my fault. I dropped Hebrew both for financial reasons and because it is probably for the best: not sure if I would have been able to handle another term. I appreciate those that have been praying and/or offering financial aid, it is really appreciated and I feel very blessed (I especially want to thank Laura from Pursuing Holiness). And again, if any millionaire bloggers happen to stop by, the donation button is to your right.

The first reading for my systematic theology class comes from B.B. Warfield in his essay “The Idea of Systematic Theology” taken from The Princeton Theology: 1812-1921 edited by Mark A. Noll. I thought there were a few good quotes worth of sharing with you all:

Our reaching up to Him [God] in thought and inference is possible only because He condescends to make Himself intelligible to us, to speak to us through work, to reveal Himself… the sole source of theology is revelation.

All science without God is mutilated science, and no account of a single branch of knowledge can ever be complete until it is pushed back to find its completion and ground in Him…

[T]he clearer, fuller, and more discriminating this knowledge is, the more certainly and richly will it produce its appropriate effect; and in this is found a most complete vindication of the duty of systematizing the separate elements of truth into a single soundly concatenated whole by which the essential nature of each is made as clear as it can be made to human apprehension.

[I]f we misconceive it [systematic theology] in its parts or in its relations, not only do our views of truth become confused and erroneous, but also our religious life becomes dwarfed or contorted. The character of our religion is, in a word, determined by the character of our theology: and thus the task of the systematic theologian is to see that the relations in which the separate truths actually stand are rightly conceived, in order that they may exert their rightful influence on the development of the religious life.

And the payoff of doing theology:

[T]he systematic theologian is preeminently a preacher of the gospel; and the end of his work is obviously not merely the logical arrangements of the truths which come under his hand, but the moving of men, through their power, to love God with all their hearts and their neighbors as themselves; to choose their portion with the Saviour of their souls; to find and hold Him precious and to recognize and yield to the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit whom He has sent.

And a note from Thomas Aquinas on apologetics (in “Apologetics” used by Warfield in another place):

[T]hough faith be a moral act and the gift of God, it is yet formally conviction passing into confidence; and that all forms of conviction must rest on evidence as their ground, and it is not faith but reason which investigates the nature and validity of this ground… We believe in Christ because it is rational to believe in Him… Of course mere reasoning cannot make a Christian but that is not beacuse faith is not the result of evidence, but because a dead soul cannot respond to evidence. The action of the Holy Spirit in giving faith is not apart from evidence, but along with evidence.

That, I feel, is a very powerful statement!

God bless
-Matt Jones

PS: There is talk that Arrested Development will be picked up by Showtime (if Mitchell Hurwitz comes along). Let’s hope that happens. Eventhough I don’t get the channel, I could at least get the DVDs!

Living on student loans has been extremely difficult and I am seeing how much more difficult this term might be.� I might even have to drop another class beacuse of it.� Please be praying for me and my financial situation as I have never been very good with money and this will definitely force me to figure things out.� Luckilly my rent is payed up through end of term, but still having bills and having to eat will still make things difficult.� Prayers are greatly appreciated and all those millionare readers of my blog, the donation button is on the right.

Cheers,
Matt Jones