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131 Days and counting until I can make it back to my home-away-from-home (124 days until the season opener, home opener a week later).  I mean really…who wouldn’t want to be a part of something like this:

There is something about passion and tradition that strikes a chord in my soul.  I mean really…if you are a college football fan and this doesn’t get you pumped up, you’re either dead inside…or bitter.

Saturdays in the South…where football is King.  August 30 can’t get here soon enough!

So here’s my question…what are your passions?  You know, it’s really easy for me to get excited about this silly game.  But these games come and go, and no matter who wins the earth keeps on spinning.  But I find it increasingly difficult to have this same kind of passion about my faith.  Sure, arenas and conferences give me a glimpse of that kind of passion, but why is it so tough for that passion to be sustained?  Doesn’t God deserve a more “rabid fan-base?”  But the sad reality is, churches all over the country are filled with stagnant Christians who are more passionate about their own sports teams than they are about their faith…people who spend more time getting to and from the game than they do in the stands, yet won’t attend a church more than a couple of miles away.  People who will wake up at 4am to make sure they get in their parking space in plenty of time to “tailgate,” yet regularly drag themselves to worship 15 minutes late.

I must admit, I’ve been struggling with this stuff for a long time.  You will not meet a more passionate Tiger fan than me.  I’ve grown up going to those games.  I just wonder what it will take for me and my fellow fanatics to give God the passionate response that He deserves.  Just a thought.

I just had to share this pic with you all. Here’s my question: Who’s really breaking free from the mold?

Hey folks. Have I ever mentioned how much I love springtime in the South? Beautiful weather today. Right now I’m just sitting out on my patio at my apartment listening to some music and enjoying the evening. What a great way to get away from the world. I’m always amazed at the beauty that surrounds us every day…beauty that we often take for granted. Check out this view from my patio.

It just doesn’t get much better than that. Temperatures in the 70’s, blue skies, golf course. What a wonderful end to an otherwise hectic week. God is good.

Why is it that we can look at the same scenery every single day and think nothing of it. Then, all of a sudden, we take notice and are in total awe? The human mind is a funny thing. Maybe it’s because we fill our lives with so much “stuff” that we rarely ever slow down enough to take in all of what God has laid before us. Computers, TV, video games, movies, sports, work…we’re pulled in so many different directions that we’ve forgotten how to live.

So try and take a deep breath, slow down, and take in the beauty of God’s creation. May 3rd is Shutdown Day. Turn off those computers for 24 hours. Avoid Twitter, Facebook and your blogs for a day. Turn off that cell phone. Grab your friends and family, get outside, and see life as God intended.

Remember…nobody closes in on the end of their life and says “i wish I had spent more time working.”

Boy, I must really be out of it.  One of our pastors sent me a link to a very interesting video concerning Oprah and a new “religous” movement she is a part of.  I’m not sure what to say about this.  See the link below.  The video is a little sensational, but watching it made my head spin.  In light of recent discussions on misusing labels and the liberal vs. conservative argument, I gotta say….we’re ALL “ultra fundamentalists” compared to this stuff.  Check it out:

Now, I don’t know about you, but my initial reaction could only be described as…well…

So what do you think?  What does this say about the society we live in, or where we are headed as a culture?  As for me, my heart breaks for Oprah and others who have been deceived.  The battle rages on for the hearts of man…and it’s not pretty.

Hey you!  Remember when music was actually good?  When it was fun?  When it actually said something?  Yeah, me too…but it seems that those days are far behind us.  Or maybe I’m just turning into a music snob.  I’m not sure which.

What I do know is that most of the music produced today is absolutely horrible.  I can’t even listen to the radio anymore.  There are very few actual recording “artists” anymore.  Instead, we have a bunch of talentless hacks overproducing an inferior product.  With the touch of a button, people who can’t carry a tune in a bucket are able to adjust their own pitch to fool people into thinking they can sing.  And the sad thing is, they aren’t even subtle about it.  You can clearly hear the electronic adjustments in the track…disguised as a legitimate sound “enhancement.”

Whatever happened to the days of real music?  Accoustic-driven melodies, driving rhythms, raw vocals?  What happened to a group of REAL musicians coming together to cut loose and have a good time?  What happened to the days of Dave Matthews Band, Barenaked Ladies, Sister Hazel, Blues Traveler, even Edwin McCain?  I even miss groups like Fastball, Everything, Five For Fighting, Ben Fold’s Five, and Blessid Union of Souls.  I mean, at least these guys had fun with their music.  They didn’t take themselves too seriously.  And isn’t that really what music is all about…an outlet of creative expression that is stinkin’ fun.  So many of today’s musicians have lost sight of this.

Don’t get me wrong.  There are a handful of modern musicians that I do rather enjoy.  Gavin DeGraw is a new fav and who doesn’t dig a little John Mayer from time to time?  But as a whole, I’m sorely disappointed at what is being produced these days.  It’s no wonder music-sharing/stealing is such an issue.  Nobody wants to pay CD prices for the junk that’s being put out there.  As for me, I’ll stick to my own music collection for now.

They say that music evolves in cycles.  Here’s hoping that a music revolution starts soon.

My good friend Danny called me out on his blog yesterday over some of the discussions we have from time to time dealing with theological issues.  That’s ok, D…I still love ya.  MOST of the time, our discussions are good-natured fun (for me, because I get under his skin so much).  I love to push buttons…to get people a little riled up.  It’s a great way to test people to see if they really understand their own convictions.  For Danny and me, it’s very interesting.  We both are fairly similar in our own personal theology…some differences here and there, but nothing major.  The big difference is in how we form and approach that theology.  It’s funny when we get into arguments…both saying the exact same thing essentially, just in very different ways.  How insane is it that it is so easy to get caught up in the arguments and not once realize that you’re not really arguing.

Reflecting on these kinds of discussions got me thinking.  When is the last time you had a real, meaningful open dialogue with someone over theological issues?  I’m not talking about the last time you tried to argue your position against someone else’s because you KNOW you’re right.  I’m talking about a real dialogue…one where opposing viewpoints are welcome, where you don’t try to disprove what the other person is saying but rather where you are trying to understand where they are coming from?  Instead of asking questions in an attempt to cause them to contradict themselves, you asked questions with pure motives of understanding.

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of these dialogues.  I try to have them every chance I get…but it becomes increasingly difficult in today’s society.  We have way too many people, Christian and non-Christian alike, who so adamently stand behind their own convictions that they refuse to even listen to anyone else.  I’m not saying we have to agree, but at least lets be civil about it.

Let me give you an example.  I have grown up Southern Baptist and considered myself to be fairly conservative in my theology (others may argue, but that’s another topic).  My theology holds true to the majority of other Southern Baptists, and I remain a SB at heart today.  I do, however, have many Presbyterian friends.  While in college at Anderson University in Anderson, SC, I had a very meaningful discussion with one of these friends over Calvinism.

Now, I’m no Calvinist.  And this is a hot topic even now among Christians.  So my buddy, Stev-o, and I began a dialogue in the library one afternoon (the fact that I was even in a library is a miracle in itself).  Being a Presbyterian at a Baptist institution had taught Stev-o one thing:  Baptists are pig-headed.  He was constantly being “evangelized” by my other Baptist bretheren…argued with, proved wrong (in their eyes), and ridiculed for his belief.  Understand, Stev-o has more Biblical knowledge in his little finger than I could ever dream to have.  He’s an outright genius (and a pretty good drummer too).  But he had come to the conclusion that all we ever did was try to prove that our Baptist theology was right and everyone else was wrong.

Stev-o and I had been friends for a while.  So I wasn’t at all intimidated by having this conversation.  I was not approaching him in order to convert him.  I simply asked him to explain his belief to me.  You see, countless people had told me that Calvinism was wrong, but nobody could ever really tell me why.  The truth was, most people I knew didn’t really know that much about it.  They had learned the acronym TULIP, but that’s about it.

So Stev-o and I had casual conversation about it.  I asked questions, he provided answers.  He explained his worldview, and I listened.  Did I agree with him?  On some points, yes.   On others…absolutely not.  But did I try and correct him?  No.  He was polite, patient, provided scriptural basis for his beliefs, and that’s more than I can say for most Christians I know.  After I had gotten a pretty good understanding of his point of view, he was open to hearing mine…and my own objections to some of his beliefs (note: not trying to prove that he is wrong, but more explaining why I do not agree with a certain point.)

Stev-o and I have had many such conversations since.  Has he converted me or I him?  Nope.  But because of that first conversation we had, we can continue to explore these differences without fear.   We are still great friends who agree to disagree.

So what did I learn from this?  It’s ok to listen.  It’s ok to be challenged.  Maybe if we do less arguing and more listening, we could focus on the things that are really important…like..um…i dunno….impacting a lost world.

Man, it just doesn’t get any better than this.  Sitting on my couch, getting ready to watch my Tigers take on Boston College in the ACC Tournament.  With a 3 seed for the first time since I can remember, Clemson actually is in a pretty good position.  But you gotta win the first one.  Here’s to a great night of the best basketball in the world….ACC Basketball!

It’s just a great time to be a Tiger.  A great basketball season so far, the first NCAA tourney appearance in 10 years, a decent football season last year, the #2 recruiting class in the nation in football, a solid lineup of juniors and seniors back for this fall…not to mention the baseball team.  Man, this ride is fun.

On a more personal note…I have been working out for a week…and have the notorious “T-Rex” syndrome….you know…where your arms are locked at 90 degrees, and you can’t reach out for anything?  Yeah…not fun.  Thank goodness for Icy Hot.

Also, I broke down and bought a mountain bike today.  Trying a new hobby.  I’m starting to get serious about this fitness thing…I’ve been playing basketball each week since January, and started working out at the gym last week.  And I feel better than I have in a long, long time.  I’m really enjoying it.  I have more energy, focus, and of course….pain.  But the good kind.

Well, it’s tip-off time.  C-L-E-M-S-O-N    T-I-G-E-RRRRR-S  FIGHT TIGERS, FIGHT TIGERS, FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

Here’s a shocker for everyone that knows me. I actually got up early this morning, headed to the gym, and worked out for the first time in….7 years, I think. Seriously. I’m sort of shocked myself. For years, whenever someone would ask what I lift, my only response was “a spoon to my mouth.”

So why did I finally make it to the gym? I’m not really sure. But I gotta tell you, I really enjoyed it. I’m actually considering joining and working out with a friend a couple of days a week. Maybe this is a turning point in my life…maybe I’m starting to want to take better care of myself. Who knows? All I know is I had a great time, and for the first time in my life, I want to go back.

Here’s to a healthier me…maybe. I’ll let you know.

Well, I’m sitting on my back patio watching the rain pour down and watching old episodes of The Office on my MacBook Pro. Nobody is out roaming about the apartment community…it’s just me, my dog, and the rhythmic sounds of the raindrops playing a much-desired melody on the earth surrounding me.

There’s nothing quite like a roaring thunderstorm in the distance. Lightening flashing, trees bending, thunder rolling. That feeling of nervous anticipation…awestruck at the power of nature, fearful of a storm’s potential, thankful for the revitalizing rain, and in wonder that something so dangerous can be so peaceful.

That’s really what the Christian life is all about, though, isn’t it? A dangerous life, full of “many dangers, toils, and snares.” But through all of the apprehension and fear that may come with choosing a life devoted to Christ, there is an energy…an excitement. A feeling of anticipation. A knowledge that you are part of something larger than yourself…something……epic. And that’s what I really want. Something epic. I want God to use me in such a way that the world that I know will never be the same. But I know that greatness will never exist without the freedom to risk everything. God, grant me the courage to leave it all out there.

My name is Phillip. I’m a Christ follower. I’m scared out of my mind………..and loving every minute of it!

So after the resounding success (snicker) of TechTheology.com, I thought I’d try my hand at a more personal blog. So….welcome to phillipcox.net, my own little corner of the web. Please bear with me as I try to settle on site designs and such.