Canvas of Constancy

New Sixpence None The Richer- My Dear Machine

2008-07-09T14:35:00.001-07:00

noisetrade.com

2008-07-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

This movie should have never happened...

2008-06-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Pete Peterson has a review of M. Night Shyamalan's newest film The Happening over at the Rabbit Room. He analyzes Night's other films and asks "What has happened to Shyamalan?" Good question. Like Pete, I saw this movie on opening night and was absolutely appalled. It was so bad that I have been contacting people for the sole reason of warning them not to go see this movie. I am with Pete on pretty much every point (except that Signs is my favorite MNS film) and he writes it so much better than I would have.

I should have listened to the Filmspotting guys.

If you'd like to see in detail how bad this movie was, The New Republic has a spoiler (and I use that word loosely, because it insinuates that there was something good to be spoiled) laden review that was way more fun than the movie. See the review here.

Coldplay- Stream their new album for free

2008-06-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

This humble man says that Viva La Vida has X&Y in a choke hold and will soon snuff it out.

coldplay viva la vida

Fleet Foxes- Stream the new album for free

2008-06-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

You can stream the new full length Fleet Foxes album over at their Myspace page. Jump for joy, buy this album, and enjoy the best album of the year (so far, but I'm thinking it's going to be right up there at the end of the year).

On a related note, I just found out that Fleet Foxes is going to be the opening band at the Wilco show I already bought tickets for. Yeah...I'm pretty excited.

wilco fleet foxes

Free Hip-Hop Sampler- Lamp Mode Recordings

2008-05-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Though I'm no hip-hop connoisseur, I've really been enjoying this free sampler download from Lamp Mode Records.

From Lamp Mode's website:

We are committed to providing Christ-centered, excellent music that stays true to the authentic, rugged hip-hop aesthetic that we love while bringing glory to God -and at an affordable price. And when we can, we will give it away for free. And that’s the case with “The Grassroots” CD. You are important to us. We are convinced that a loyal few is better than a fickle multitude. Our hope is that you will enjoy our music, pass it along to others, and allow us to serve you again in the future.
Track List
1-Grassroots Inchrow
2-Christ Crucified
3-Let’s Kill Sin
4-worldwideweb
5-A Letter To My Friends
6-From Beginning To End
7-Holiness of God

I've been listening to this sampler this morning and I have really been enjoying it. I'm pretty much the nerdiest white guy ever, but I'm still bouncing in my chair. So far I really like Holiness of God and A Letter To My Friends.

Sigur Ros- med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

2008-05-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

And what the heck does that mean?

One, it means that Sigur Ros is putting out a new album on June 23rd, which is less than a month away.
Two, it means you will be buying an album with naked people running across the freeway (those risky Icelanders! I hope they looked both ways.) on the cover. I'm not sure what's on the back, but I'm hoping it's not a view from the other side of the freeway.
Three, it means "with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly".
Four, it means you will should visit this site for more enticing info about the new album, including things like "the album will be available to pre-order on sigurros.com on june 2nd and a live stream of the album will be available on june 9th for those who have pre-ordered.' and "the record also contains some of the most joyous music the band has ever recorded."

THIS JUST IN!!! You can now download the first single Gobbledigook.

sigur ros med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

Various Musical Tidbits

2008-05-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Bon Iver interview with Pitchfork. You gotta check this guy out.

Damien Jurado's new album "Caught In The Trees" is coming out September 9th. He's started a blog, which I am assuming will have demos, cool pictures, and the occasional story. Get excited. You can hear a new demo of his song "Vivian Kane" over on the ol' Myspace page.

damien jurado bon iver pitchfork media

Film and Theology- No Country For Old Men

2008-05-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Pastor James Harleman of Mars Hill Church in Seattle did a great job in his Film and Theology review of the excellent movie No Country For Old Men.

This review is posted over on the Cinemagogue blog, which is a valuable place to spend some time, especially if you love movies. Here's a blurb from the "cinemAbout" page:

Cinemagogue believes that we are image-bearers of our Creator. a master storyteller, whose narrative spans all of creation, a story in which we all play a part. Made in the image of our Creator, we have a yearning to both create, and be entertained, by narrative. People immerse themselves in story much like Christians treasure the story of Jesus. It is our hope that people would enjoy and engage cinema and storytelling mediums not just as “diversion” but with discernment, engaging the culture around us and reflecting on how it distorts and reflects the larger narrative of our lives. We place all stories against the controversial gospel of Jesus Christ who claimed not only to be truth incarnate, but in fact the master storyteller who spoke the universe into existence, as well as embodying the central figure and hero of our shared story that is life.

Cinema, meet truth.

no country for old men cormac mccarthy film and theology mars hill church james harleman

The Shack- A Few Critiques

2008-05-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

I posted some critiques/reviews of the very popular book The Shack over on the Friday Nights in Ferndale blog. Take a peek and let me know what you think.

the shack william p. young

Free Coldplay song- Violet Hill

2008-04-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

For a week, you can get a free download of the first single from Coldplay's upcoming album Vida La Vida or Death and All His Friends (yes, that's really the name of the album. Seems like they could have added some of the words from this album title to their last album title. And some of the good songs too). The song is called Violet Hill and it's a little bit of a departure from their earlier sound, but it's still Coldplay, for better or for worse.

coldplay

Bocce In Ferndale!

2008-04-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

From the Times-Standard:

After almost a year of fundraising and a lot of volunteer work, Ferndale has a three-lane bocce court. The court lanes are 13 feet by 91 feet and are surfaced with crushed oyster shell flour. One lane is configured to provide easy access for those in a wheelchair.
The concept of building a bocce court for public use started with a dream by a small group of local men talking over morning coffee. That dream resulted in the formation of a volunteer committee, working with the city, dedicated to constructing a three-lane court at the city park. The goal was to raise the necessary funds through fundraisers and donations, with the work being done by volunteers. After many months of planning and design, groundbreaking occurred on Aug. 15, 2007. Donations, both in dollars and materials, kept a volunteer crew busy pouring concrete walls, installing more than 60 tons of compacted base material, 20 tons of clay bedding, landscaping and fencing. Five tons of crushed oyster shell flour topping, for the playing surface, came later, after the winter rains.
Ferndale now has a bocce court that meets International Bocce Federation standards and is looking forward to hosting many bocce tournaments in the coming years. A Ferndale Bocce Club is presently being formed and will be open for membership soon.
The bocce committee is hosting a grand opening at noon Saturday (April 26), and the public is invited. For more information, call Richard Hooley at 786-4686.

Bocce is a great way to spend time with friends and meet new folks out on the courts. Get your bocce on!

Together For the Gospel 2008- Audio

2008-04-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Together For The Gospel conference is going on right now in Louisville, Kentucky. Tim Challies has been liveblogging the conference as it goes along (and causing me to have some serious book envy).

For those who are interested, all the messages that have currently been given are available for free at the Sovereign Grace website. All the messages from the 2006 conference are also available for free.

Get some Gospel.

together for the gospel

Fleet Foxes- Free Song

2008-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

So I am pretty much gaga over this band Fleet Foxes. And because I think you should be gaga over them also, please download their lovely song White Winter Hymnal.

Gracias: Stereo-Dentyne

fleet foxes

42 Things To Know About Jackie Robinson

2008-04-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Today is Jackie Robinson Day, celebrating the day that Jackie Robinson had his Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers that ended approximately eighty years of baseball segregation

Here are 42 facts about Jackie Robinson (he wore number 42):

1	MVP award and Rookie of the Year award won
2	Number of World Series HRs
3	Number of ABs in his first game
4	Number of sports lettered in at UCLA
5	The youngest of 5 children
6	Number of World Series appearances
7	Number of seasons he scored 99 or more runs
	Inning that he stole home in Game 1 of 1955 WS
8	More runs than strikeouts in World Series career
9	Number of times he was hit by a pitch in rookie season
10	Number of seasons in MLB
11	Lifetime BA of .311
12	Number of HR in his rookie season
13	Traded by Brooklyn Dodgers to N.Y. Giants on Dec. 13, 1956. Robinson retired rather than play for the Giants
14	Most times he was hit by pitch in a season (1952)
15	Made his debut on April 15, 1947
16	Number of home runs in his MVP season
17	Dodgers play Montreal Royals on March 17, 1946, with Robinson in the lineup marking the first appearance of an integrated team in organized baseball this century
	Named first-ever Rookie of the Year on Sept. 17, 1947, 11 days before the last game of the regular season
18	Number of All-Star ABs
19	Career high for HRs set in 1951 and 1952
	Number of times he stole home in his MLB career
20	Family moved to Pasadena in 1920
21	Number of World Series walks
22	Number of World Series runs
23	Branch Rickey announces signing of Robinson on Oct. 23, 1945
	Selected for MLB HOF on January 23, 1962
	Inducted into MLB HOF on July 23, 1962
24	Number of more points he had than runner-up Larry Jansen in ROY voting
25	Number of years after his major league debut that he threw out the ceremonial first pitch of Game 2 of the 1972 World Series
26	Years it had been since a NL player stole their way around the bases, which he did in 1954
27	Number of extra-base hits in his final MLB season
28	Age he was when he made his MLB debut
29	Stolen bases in rookie year
30	Played in first World Series game on Sept. 30, 1947
31	Number of doubles in his rookie season
32	Number of postseason hits
33	Price of postage stamp in 1999 when U.S. Postal Service issued a Jackie Robinson stamp as part of their "Celebrate the Century" program
34	Average number of strikeouts per 162-game season
35	Age when he stole his way around the bases in 1954
	Number of Negro League players in HOF
36	Number of strikeouts in his rookie season
37	Age during final season
38	Number of postseason games
39	Entered UCLA in 1939
40	Career-high for strikeouts set in 1952
41	Played pro football for Honolulu Bears in 1941
42	His number retired by MLB

from espn.com

jackie robinson day

ESV Study Bible- Coming October 15, 2008

2008-04-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Crossway has launched a new website for the ESV Study Bible, coming October 15, 2008.

The ESV Study Bible was created to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way—to understand the timeless truth of God’s Word as a powerful, compelling, life-changing reality. To accomplish this, the ESV Study Bible combines the best and most recent evangelical Christian scholarship with the highly regarded ESV Bible text. The result is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published—with more than 2,750 pages of extensive, accessible Bible resources.

The ESV Study Bible was created by a team of 93 outstanding evangelical Bible scholars and teachers. They were chosen, first, because of their deep commitment to the truth, authority, and sufficiency of God’s Word; and, second, because of their expertise in teaching and understanding the Bible. The team of contributors comes from 9 countries, representing nearly 20 denominations and more than 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities.

Here are a couple of endorsements:

“I can’t imagine a greater gift to the body of Christ than the ESV Study Bible. It is a potent combination indeed: the reliability and readability of the ESV translation, supplemented by the best of modern and faithful scholarship, packaged in an accessible and attractive format. A Christian could make no wiser investment for himself, a pastor could recommend no better resource for his congregation.
C. J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for. Now the scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God.”
John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church

Check out these pages for more information:

esv study bible

Free Hotel Rwanda screening

2008-04-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

College of the Redwoods will be having a free screening of the excellent film Hotel Rwanda at their Eureka campus on Thursday, April 17th at 7:00 pm. Click on the 'Z' below for more info or click here.

Come Weary Saints- Sovereign Grace Music

2008-04-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

If you are a Facebook member, you can become a fan of Sovereign Grace Music and get a free download of their excellent new album Come Weary Saints. The offer is good until 8 pm (Eastern time) tomorrow (Friday).

If you aren't a Facebook person, you can visit Sovereign Grace Music and check out the Come Weary Saints page and hear samples of all the songs.

Come Weary Saints tracklist:

Hide Away in the Love of Jesus
So I Will Trust You
As Long as You Are Glorified
Oh the Deep, Deep Love
Every Day
Through the Precious Blood
You Have Always Been Faithful
Healing In Your Wings
Joy in My Morning
Glorious
I Have a Shelter
It Is Not Death to Die

From Sovereign Grace:
Come Weary Saints is an invitation to redirect your focus to the God whose love has been forever demonstrated at the cross of Calvary. As you listen to these songs, may your faith and joy in the Savior be strengthened for the challenges you face, now or in the future.

4 years ago...

2008-04-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

On April 4th, 2004, my dear wife made my heart sing with joy when she said yes to the question "Will you marry me?" I am so thankful to God for her and my love and gratitude for her continue to grow.

Friday Nights in Ferndale

2008-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Friday Nights in Ferndale...come check it out if you live local.

What is Friday Nights in Ferndale? So glad you asked!

Friday Nights in Ferndale is a group of people that meet to engage with Biblical teaching and build relationships with people through sharing meals, prayer, drinking coffee and hanging out.

It’s important to note that we are not a church and we don’t intend for Friday Nights in Ferndale to take the place of a local church. Our intent is to come along side of the local church and be a place for those who are Christians and those who are not to encounter Biblical teaching and fellowship. All are welcome to attend and all are encouraged to be plugged into a local church.

We meet every Friday night in Ferndale at 244 Berding Street (Google Map link). Dinner starts at 6:00 and the teaching starts around 7:00. We generally finish around 8:30. Childcare is provided.

Hope to see you there!

Free Anti Records sampler

2008-03-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

You can stream songs from The Frames (a fuller version of "Falling Slowly" from the excellent movie Once, Devotchka (who did the music for Little Miss Sunshine), The Weakerthans, Bob Mould, Nick Cave, and many others.

If you so desire, you can download the entire sampler here. Check out Anti Records here.

On the Edge book give-away- last day!

2008-03-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day to enter the On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness book give-away. I'll announce tomorrow who will be getting a free copy of this wonderful book.

Book Give-away- Andrew Peterson's On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

2008-03-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

Alright folks...it's time to get excited. Because I have in my hot little hands an extra copy of Andrew Peterson's delightful book On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and I want to give it away! Actually, I want to sell it so I can buy another book, but the publisher told me to give it away, so I'm going to do that.

So here's what you've got to do:

First, take a moment to read my review of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. If you don't like my review, try reading some others. I'd suggest starting with Jonathan Roger's review at the Rabbit Room and my friend Chris Hubbs review (where he describes the book as part Narnia, part Monty Python, and part Princess Bride. An apt description!).

Second, come back to this post and leave a comment about the review. Please include your email within the comment or send me an email at natedowney [at] gmail [dot] com with your contact info. On Friday, March 21, I will put all the names in a hat, draw one out and that person will get a free copy of the book delivered to their doorstep.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness- Andrew Peterson

2008-03-16T22:04:00.001-07:00

Official Andrew Peterson Website
Official Andrew Peterson Myspace
Order “On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Author Bio HERE

I must begin by admitting that I am a bit of a sucker for children's fantasy books. Like those delightful Pixar movies, there's just something wonderful about diving into a story that is ostensibly aimed at someone much younger than you. I would call it a guilty pleasure, except I feel absolutely no guilt for enjoying them. Andrew Peterson's new book On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is just such a story- a captivating journey into a world you've never heard of before, somewhere you wish with all your heart you could go to.

The book begins with an brief introduction to the world of Aerwiar and a "slightly less brief introduction to the Land of Skree." Skree is in bondage to the evil lord of the land of Dang, Gnag the Nameless, and ruled by his vile minions, the Fangs of Dang.The story opens in the township of Glipwood, on the western edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. We are introduced to the Igiby family: the boys Janner (12 years old), Tink (11 years old), their 8 year old crippled sister Leeli, their one-legged ex-pirate grandfather Podo and their noble and beautiful mother Nia. Despite the dark cloud of Dang over their land, the Igiby's have scratched out a reasonably pleasant existence. They have their farm, their cottage, their books and most of all, they have each other.

When Leeli is put in danger, Tink and Janner are forced to act and their actions lead them down a road that they could never have imagined themselves travelling. They are forced to deal with perils well beyond their years, primarily the unwelcome attention of one particular Fang. As their somewhat tranquil lives spiral out of control, the Igiby's are forced to lean on one another more than ever. The second half of the book is a brilliant thrill ride of adventure, full of danger, mischief, mystery, frightening creatures such as horned hounds and toothy cows, haunted mansions, and a fairly strange character named Peet the Sock Man. Along the way the kids find out more about themselves than they could have ever imagined and the book ends with a satisfying finish that still leaves you eagerly looking forward to the next book in the Wingfeather Saga (no word on when the 2nd book will be coming out yet).

Peterson's writing is a joy to read. I have long been a fan of Peterson's music and I saw many parallel's between his songwriting and his fiction. They both scratch the surface of deep things in ways that make you laugh, cry and ache for more of what is just out of sight.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness has now placed itself on the shelf of books I can't wait to read to my kids, which is itself a recommendation of the highest sort.

As I mentioned before, the publisher sent me an extra copy of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. I will have more details regarding that contest tomorrow (3/17).

andrew peterson on the edge of the dark sea of darkness childrens fantasy literature

Evangelism According to Jesus- Ligonier 2008 National Conference

2008-03-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

Ligonier Ministries is offering a free, live webcast (in both English and Spanish) of their 2008 National Conference Evangelism According to Jesus. Only your name and email is required to register and it takes just a moment.

From Ligonier:

Because the church has failed to preach the biblical Gospel, our evangelism has too often introduced people to the wrong Jesus.

Sinclair Ferguson, Steven J. Lawson, John MacArthur, C.J. Mahaney, R.C. Sproul, R.C. Sproul Jr., and Joni Eareckson Tada aim to remind us of the great truths of the Gospel and help us evangelize more effectively.

Here's the conference schedule (all times are EDT):

Thursday, March 13, 2008

1:00-1:45 P.M. “The Foolishness of Preaching”
Dr. Steven J. Lawson

1:45-2:30 P.M. “Evangelizing Your Children”
Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr.

3:15-4:00 P.M. “Good News in a Fallen World”
Mrs. Joni Eareckson Tada

4:00-5:00 P.M. Questions & Answers
Steven Lawson, R.C. Sproul Jr., &
Joni Eareckson Tada

7:00-8:30 P.M. “The Saving Power of God”
Dr. Steven J. Lawson

8:45-9:45 P.M. “Who is Jesus?”
Dr. John MacArthur

Friday, March 14, 2008

8:30-9:40 A.M. “Simultaneously Righteous and a Sinner”
Dr. John MacArthur

9:40-10:40 A.M. “Proclaiming the Gospel to All Nations”
Mrs. Joni Eareckson Tada

11:30-12:35 P.M. “The Substitutionary Atonement of Christ”
Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

2:30-3:25 P.M. “The Resurrection of Jesus”
Mr. C.J. Mahaney

3:55-5:05 P.M. “Sola Fide”
Dr. R.C. Sproul

Saturday, March 15, 2008

8:30-9:40 A.M. “The Nature of Saving Faith”
Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

9:40-10:30 A.M. Questions and Answers
Sinclair Ferguson, C.J. Mahaney, &
R.C. Sproul

11:30-12:30 P.M. “Counted Righteous in Christ (Imputation)”
Dr. R.C. Sproul