iphone

To start with I feel a little bad that my blog posts aren't all deep and meaningful; about life and spiritual things...mine are pretty much dumb and pointless. I don't really feel bad, I just wonder sometimes if I should be more serious since I am a minister of music (for the last time...i'm a worship leader, geez). All my friends write long, detailed essays about the love of God or the effects of global warming and I am publishing a fake test for potential girlfriends.

On to bigger and better topics. I bought the iphone 3G the day it came out. I was one of the nerds that got to the AT&T store super early to insure I would be in the elite group of early adapters. That was an interesting group of individuals....mostly young people who, when it got closer to 8 o'clock, were approached by an old person who paid them for their spot in line. I can't wait to be so rich that I walk around paying poor, sad, college peasants to wait in long lines for me. That would work awesome at Carowinds or Blockbuster.

But I got the iphone and couldn't use it for the first day b/c itunes crashed and since then it has been a long, windey road filled with hardships and dead zones. But, alas, I think the 2 updates have fixed all of my problems. There are no longer any echoey voices, dropped calls or random black screens.

I would recommend the iphone to anyone. Not only will you look way cooler than everyone else, the phone pretty much does everything. It is my calendar, email, internet, remote for my computer, ipod.....oh yeah and I use it sometimes to make calls.

There are things you must be aware of once you get an iphone. Take heed to my commands or forever regret thy ways:

1. Do not be the guy who chooses the iphone over actual human contact: I had a party the other day and one of my friends was in the corner playing a game or something on his phone. I am pretty sure he talked to no one that night. He is showing early signs of being a World of Warcraft addict.

2. Get used to the reactions when people see your phone: Cool people will say something like, "oh neato an iphone...do you like it?" to which you finish what you are doing and hand it to them to play around with. They will enjoy it and you will get to show off all the cool features. Someone who is a turd will say something like, "Excuuuuuuuuuuuse me Mr. Fancy Pants...how much did that cost you, hummmmmmmmmm??" to which you finish what you are doing and place the iphone back in your pocket.

3. Get used to people trashing the iphone: People will feel the need to tell you how their bag phone from 1993 was the best phone they ever had and how it got way better reception than your pathetic iphone.

4. Last but no least don't be the guy that only buys apple products, has the apple sticker on his car, and walks around talking about how apple computers are far better than sad PCs. As soon as you do that the hard drive on your precious Mac will crash, you will lose everything you have worked so hard on the past 2 years, you will have to drive to Charlotte 4 times, and you will spend $280 to get the piece of junk fixed. So don't do it. Consider yourself warned.


But the iphone is worth it I promise. The best are the people who were jocking me a few months ago and now I see them walking into the AT&T store donning a fake mustache...they are fooling no one. The phone rules.

Whoops

I lead worship every Wednesday morning at Upward, a sports ministry in town. This morning was fun....really worshipful. We sang I Will Lift My Eyes by Bebo and Mighty to Save by Hillsong. We ended acapella then I prayed and as I went to sit down in the back I realized my pants were unzipped. They had been unzipped the entire time.

Trying To Shut Us Down

Last night was the first United at Wofford. United is a student led ministry that is awesome. It's purpose is to bring together students for a night of worship....no affiliations, no denominations, no agenda - except to exalt Christ. It started as one person's idea and has grown into my favorite night of the week.

I lead worship there. Stu and I. My good friends Collins and Phillip are the guys who head it up (for right now...we want to see God raise up more leaders). A normal United consists of Phillip speaking for about 10 minutes, prayer, acoustic worship, more prayer, the end. Last night we decided to bring the full band and do it outside in the Pavilion at Wofford.

To give you a taste of what most people think when they hear "wofford"....last night during the sound check a dude leaned out of his window and said "excuse me, could you refrain from making so much noise?". Except add a few expletives and a rather bad attitude. I think he wanted to kill me.

Nevertheless, last night was one of the most worshipful, fun times I have ever had. Wofford kids worship because they want to not because it's cool or because they have to....it is sincere and loud. Very loud. Plus add bass, drums, guitars, djembe...it got a little rowdy. So rowdy in fact the Wofford Police tried to shut us down. It was near the end so we did a few acoustic songs (which was our plan anyway) so it was no big deal.

So whatever you think of Wofford - it being a rather dark campus, or a party school, or whatever - rest assured that God is at work big time there. There is a cool community of real Christians and it's growing. Last night was amazing. It was truly beautiful. God is at work in Spartanburg. Big things are happening and I can't believe God is letting me be a part of it.

Normal, Right?

Is it weird that anytime I go out in public I run into a 9 year old that slaps me on the back and says "hey"? Meanwhile the Mom/Dad has a look of horror as to why their precious child is talking to a scary, hairy stranger.

Here's a good story: I went to Edward Jones to set up some retirement stuff (what 27 year old doesn't do that?) and the broker is a super serious dude wearing a perfectly pressed suit. I sit down in front of his desk and he's looking at my paperwork and says "Josh Ridings....Josh Ridings.....are you Coach Ridings??!" Immediately he gets a huge smile on his face and tells me all about the games his 2 daughters play at home....games that made zero sense because I made them up.

My favorite game was this: All the kids lined up on the wall and when i would say "go" they had to run across the gym to the other wall. So I would say, "1, 2, 3......GOATMEAT" and rub my stomach and tell them that's what I ate for breakfast. What a PE Teacher, huh.

Anywho, I run into these kids and their parents all the time. It is so weird and awesome. I love hearing my Edward Jones guy say "goatmeat". That made my day.

New Band Name

Tonight Bill Z and I came up with about 700 band names. We don't like VerseChorusVerse at all so we need a new one. Since I was totally wrong about how many readers I have on this blog I decided to make y'all vote (Deb your vote counts 4 times b/c you are 4 times cooler than everyone else, Freida your vote counts -2 times b/c you don't bend your knees when you bend over....well b/c today is your birthday I'll let your vote count once, Madden your vote counts as many times as you have commented on my blog (about 1000), Robby your vote is comparable to how many kids you have (about 1000), Christy Trevitt you get to choose how many times your vote counts b/c your mom taught me how to sing and she didn't kill me in 1995 when I deserved death (I like that you are the secret reader), Nic your vote counts 25 times b/c that's how many years we've been friends (minus 4th-7th grade when I was the hugest loser ever and I had no friends....not your fault...anyone who wears purple shirts and purple swimming trunks to school everyday and speaks only in Pig Latin doesn't deserve friends), Kelley your vote counts twice because you ordered 2 entrees at Waffle House and you make me laugh, Heather I love you but I am afraid I can't allow you to vote since during our weekly game of Bible Baffle you didn't count my answer "Blessed is" to the question "what are the first 2 words of the beatitudes"....correct answer - "Blessed are" - come on , cut me some slack, but you didn't so you can't vote, and anyone else who reads - I am sorry I forgot you but the world doesn't revolve around you...just kidding. It's late, I'm tired, please forgive me. But Pleeeeeeeeeeeease vote on a band name. We need your input.

Pick your top 3:

Sometimes Y
Hey Steve
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin Also
Hello Rico
Sparkle City
Chuck Fields
Surge Protector
The Pocket
Sockem Boppers
Surf Minjas


There they are. There are only 3 that we are actually considering. If you can guess which 3 they are then you win the special prize. What is the special prize you ask? Well for the past 5 years I have been growing huge beards and shaving them off. I can't wash the hair down the sink so, of course, I have been saving the hair in a Hefty trash bag. It is almost filled. I believe with my current beard my project is now complete. Awesome, I know.

Let the voting begin!

Can't Sleep

Did you see that Gamecock game tonight? I hope not. Terrible. I made 2 huge mistakes last week: going to the USC game in Columbia and eating the lunch wing buffet at Wild Wings.

Both huge mistakes and costly. But I realized during my 28th wing that both very bad decisions were basically the same; at least the lure. You see, I've been to tons of Shamecock games and the outcome is always the same: I get super mad, spend too much money, and leave feeling sick. Even though I know this I still drive an hour and a half to sit in the 90 degree heat to watch a terrible game.

When the waitress asked me what I wanted I tried to say "chicken sandwich", I did, it almost came out. But then she said she'd throw in the tea for free and I was hooked. I've been to Wild Wings before, I've had the wing buffet before, and it is always nasty. It cost too much, and I want some fries and it makes my stomach hurt. But here's the thing.....I have never ordered anything but the wing bar when I go there. I know i'm going to hate it. I just can't resist.

So, regardless of how bad Vanderbilt makes us look on national TV, I will always pull for the Gamecocks. We haven't done well in the 27 years that I've watched them and I'm guessing we never will. I've tried so hard to change my allegiance to a UCLA or the real USC (ouch) but I just cant. I will always pull for the Gamecocks....getting super mad and feeling sick all Fall. I just can't resist.