So just got back from the whole Bible Bowl trip to Johnson Bible College and Atlanta, GA.

Let me take this time to remind myself and what few readers I have that I absolutely hate the Bible Bowl website. Its ugly (don’t even ask me about the new Bible Bowl logo) and it constantly times out because of crappy programming. It frustrates me that I was going on there to get a link to the Johnson Tournament and Nationals so that I could reference it here for your enjoyment…but I can’t even get that!

Ok…end of tirade. I guess I will just tell you about my team and you will have to just accept that I am telling the truth.

At Johnson Bible College the team that I helped sponsor and quizmaster for was from Townesouth / Kernersville (one of two teams at JBC and the only team at Nationals from North Carolina). They ended up placing 3rd in the Round Robin, and top 12 in the Double Elimination. Afterwards, we drove down to Atlanta and stayed in the Marriot Marquis (which by the way did not have free wi-fi, no fridge or microwave…but it was a very tall building with lovely room service by Zozima). Nationals begins with a test, which one of our players placed 5th on, and then the first couple days are full of Round Robin Pod competition, which they placed 3rd in. Then, the last two days are full of intense Double Elimination. We were seeded pretty high, so ultimately, we ended up with 3rd place (again) which put us at 3rd in the Nation! Congratulations guys!

But other than competition, we did a few other things. I was able to check out Johnson’s Media Department, which has more equipment and better facilities than Milligan. It was pretty cool to see. In Atlanta, we went to the Underground and got our hair cut…so now I am short and spikey.

So now I am back home after an intense 10 days. It was fun, but I am glad I am back home.

I’ll post some more topical posts soon.

Hey guys, this blog post is to let you know about Eleven2.com, which is the company I use for web hosting this personal site (http://www.briandgoad.com)

Let me be straight up with you here, they are currently experimenting with some new referral programs, and so they have a contest going on to win a new 3G iPhone. (That’s a good motivation to post this blog item!)

But let me tell you about my experience with them. They have been a great company to host with, whenever I have had an issue, they are always ready and willing to help at any time of the day. They can be contacted by all the usual means, as well as AIM, which is the primary method I have used. Someone is always available to answer my questions and help me with my issues in a very timely manner.

Right now they are doing a special called Launch Party where you can get 60GB of space for $6 a month. They let me pay in quarterly installments. They provide the usual web technologies (php, mysql, cpanel, etc) as well as Ruby on Rails.

You can access their website at http://www.eleven2.com

If you sign up before the end of the month, you can also use the coupon code SurfsUp to get 25% off of your order.

This is a great deal for anyone who is looking at moving their current website or putting up their own website or blog, or especially for photographers who want to display and even sell their work online. If anyone needs some help, I am available to be hired as a consultant.

Thanks! Please let me know if you did decide to try them out by posting a comment with the website/domain info!

Yeah, we all hate gas prices, especially these days. I can remember when gas was 89 cents… of course I still had quite a few years till I was able to drive… and that’s not really saying much for those people out there who can still remember when it was a nickel.

However, I had to fill up my tank again today, and my Dodge Intrepid came to a whopping almost $60 for a regular tank of gas. That got me to thinking about the good ol’ times. Those times when I can remember filling up for only $21. Those times when I did actually think it was a crime that gas actually was posted at $1.79.

Ah… yeah, well these are the times we now live in.

As I was scouring the internet today, I stumbled across a couple of humurous articles based on this issue of rising gas prices. It just seems that some people are actually resorting to (surprise surprise!) stealing gasoline. I have wondered about that lately, what if someone decides to steal my gas out of the blue.

But maybe if that happens, and I find a way to refuel my vehicle once again, then just maybe a stranger will help me out.

But it saddens me. I had desired and dreamed about taking an awesome road trip this summer. Probably out west. But it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.

Well, maybe instead I should just make a permanent move to southern California and invest in one of those new hybrid cars that actually run on hydrogen.

Or maybe I’ll just stick with my car I’ve had. She’s been a good one at that. Yes. My car is a she…her name is Caroline.

Yeah, I think that’s what I’ll do. At least until magic happens.

Well, I decided to go back to my blog again and do what I have been wanting to do for a while: Develop a specialized theme that matches my main website more closely.

As you can see, after a few days of laborous hours, I have suceeded. I have named the theme, Grungy Difference. Let me know what you think.

As a side thought, I am considering using WP to easily set up websites for Photographers who need something more customizable than Blogger to display their talents…and maybe sell a few prints.

Well, that’s about it.

Many people are looking for an ear that will listen.  They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening.  But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life. . . . Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies. -Dietrich Bonhoffer

In  today’s world, we live in a civilization of constant noise and buzzing about every conceivable topic imagined. Heath Ledger just died. Brittany has new secrets. An Australian girl’s liver transplant gave her a new immune system. Hillary, Obama, McCain, Huckabee, and Romney are at it again. Tennessee is now pushing Grass-oline. Will the Giants defeat the unbeatable Patriots in the Superbowl?

We also hear about the latest Christian thing that is being pushed: the best contemporary Christian music groups such as Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Skillet, Switchfoot, Mandisa; the latest social groups like Invisible Children, Compassion, Hands and Feet, ONE; the latest books that come out like (another!) Left Behind, Frank Peretti, Andy Stanley, Joel Olsteen, John Eldridge, Karen Kingsbury; or even churches that boast great accomplishments and numbers like Mars Hill, Northpoint, Grace Fellowship, Calvary, and even FCC of Kernersville and East Unaka Christian. These are all examples of the Christian marketplace where everyone has something to say, to tell, to boast, to glorify, to critique, to compliment, reiterate. And it’s all just more noise.

Even on a small scale in the Milligan bubble, we constantly hear about the latest feature of the new Liberal Arts Building, or the latest gossip about dorm life, or where President Jeanes actually got all the money to recently finish completion of his mansion. These are also examples of the noise that is engraved into our lives.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that these things are bad, or these things are good. I am addressing the fact that they are still examples of constant noise in our lives. Yes, noise is an essential part of the community experience, it is considered a form of communication. But reading the quote by Bonhoffer above makes me think  about the fact that we are always sending out messages, but how often do we really listen to what is received?

Bonhoffer makes an incredible point when he identifies listening as a spiritual discipline. It is a discipline that helps us stay in communion with God. Anyone can talk, and chatter away about nothing. But why are we afraid or uncomfortable when there is immense silence?

The alternative rock band, Anberlin, claim that the reason is because of the power in the silence: Anberlin - A Whisper & A Clamor

Growing tired of bedside resolve
Public display of depression
Something’s got to give now
Something’s going to break down
I grow tired of writing songs
Where people listen but never
Hear what’s really going on now
Tell me what’s so wrong now

(Chorus)
Clap your hands now all ye children
There’s a clamor in your whispering
Clap your hands tonight
Hear what the silence screams

For most who live and breathe
Hell is never knowing who they are now
Tell me who you are now
Finally safe from the outside
Trapped in what you know
Are you safe from yourself?
Can you escape all by yourself?

Chorus

It’s not the lies that you sing
But what the silence will scream

Chorus

Hear what the silence screams!

This power that is in the silence is exactly what Bonhoffer is referring to. Because God is in the silence, and God works and gives his power through the silence. If we as Christians are to live with His power, we first need to live within His silence. Next, within that silence, we need to listen. Listen to what God is saying, listen to what our brothers and sisters are saying. Not just hearing them speak, but actually comprehending their communication. Communication is a two way street, and if we are only talking and making more noise, we are missing out on the view from the other side of the road.