Congratulations, Idol, you win

It's funny to look back at all the things that I have at one time boycotted and said "I will never...", and then eventually succumbed to. Cell phones. Guitars. DVRs. And now American Idol. The first 5 seasons of American Idol's existence I couldn't have cared less about the show, and probably did everything I could to defame the show and its viewers (conveniently, I can't really remember just how much I used to dislike the show, though). Last year I started to soften, as I watched the first few shows just simply for the gag-or-laugh factor of all the terrible vocalists that shamelessly subject themselves to the chuckling of Randy, the pitifully sympathetic waffling of Paula, and the wrath of Simon. Once it really got into the show, though, I started to lose interest, especially once my favorite contestant, the chubby curly-haired worship leader dude from Charlotte named Chris got eliminated. This season, however...I'm afraid I may have become a full-fledged Idol fan, painful as it is to admit.

I actually lost sleep last night because I couldn't turn my brain off after watching the first round of Hollywood auditions. I literally broke out in a sweat as my heart pounded on behalf of the contestants! I know how tough auditions can be, but I've obviously never experienced an audition with the pressure and weight that rides on an audition like that. So I sweat and shake on their behalf. I found myself shouting at the judges for their patronization of the 17-year-old who lives in his car and, though he was awfully likeable, has no business on Idol. I nearly cried in joy along with Brooke White when the judges finally announced that she was through, after the usual painful drawn-out speech about how tough it is to be a judge and to say "no" to people...Yikes! What has become of me...alas that these days should be mine, that I would foresake the last vestige of sanity and dignity within my soul...God help me.

From among the myriad, The Myriad emerges

I am really digging this band "The Myriad" that I read about in Relevant. They combine the electric guitars and electronics of Radiohead, the pianos of The Fray, the vocals of Keane (only way better), and some of the rhythmic complexity of Mute Math; basically, they could be one of the best bands in recent memory! And yet, they do not sound like a rip-off or a cheap substitute. Their sound is distinct and unique, at least to my ears. I've only listened to their 5-track EP, appropriately called Prelude to Arrows (Arrows is their full-length release coming out in a few months), thus far, but it's really really good.

I'm really loving the keys with the abstract guitars and ethereal vocals; it's a great sound. They sound so polished, too, it's hard to believe they haven't had a major label release until now. Their melodies are soaring but palatable, the lyrics are abstract but not completely ambiguous, and the production quality is impeccable. I implore you to listen to the infectious "We Will be Disappointed Together" and not walk away singing the repetitive chorus for the next hour. Maria and I have already succumbed...

Working out like the Holy Man of Nazareth (I'm quoting Charles Spurgeon, so I must be super spiritual)

I have this Charles Spurgeon daily devotional as part of a Bible suite program on my computer, and it's chock full of savory morsels of spiritual insight. It must have been written about 120 years ago (which I can confirm after a quick check at wikipedia), and the olden language reflects that. Nonetheless, I begin to see why Spurgeon is held up as one of the "heroes of the faith," so to speak; not only is he eloquent and verbose, his thoughts just teem with passion and zeal for Christ, and a sincere desire to invoke the same in his readers.

Anyways, the reason I mention it is that the entry for today is all about how even though the Gospels present a clear and intriguing picture of Christ, Christ's followers themselves should display the most striking resemblance to Christ that anyone could ever see. This is obviously not a new idea, or even one that I haven't heard in the last month. However, it's when Spurgeon says "but they [should], when they once beheld us, exclaim, 'He has been with Jesus; he has been taught of him; he is like him; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Nazareth, and he works it out in his life and every day actions'" that he really gets me. Now, obviously for someone to exclaim that presupposes that they know all about the person and character of Christ already, which somewhat misses the point. But, I wonder if I could honestly say the same about myself. Do I "work out the very idea of the Holy Man of Nazareth in my life and every day actions?" I hope that that could be said of me. I hope that more and more my life reflects the One I claim to follow. That's my hope for THIS day, as a start.