I always have fun looking at my stats to see why people come to this blog and how they get here.
The numbers fluctuate daily depending on what topic I’m posting on and where I get trackbacks to.
For instance, anytime I link to a story on a Google blog, like their LatLong blog about Google mapping, a link will show up on the post saying I blogged about this and for the next several days I’ll get loads of hits from folks interested in Google mapping.
Just yesterday my blog post about going to Austin this weekend was featured on CNN.com and so during the afternoon and evening I’ve gotten a number of folks visiting my site wanting to read more about Austin.
Very interesting.
So without boring you further, here’s what’s brought other folks to my page recently:
1. www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan – this is still my top entry page no matter what. Regular readers, you keep my stats up for sure.
2. http://www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?p=2665 – Highland Park Gives Presidential Money
3. http://www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?p=2664 – Running out of room at church – ask people to leave
4. http://www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?p=2671 – Austin this weekend
5. http://www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?p=2596 – On a search for the Music Machine
6. http://www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?p=2537 – This ended up a trackback around June 18th and I’m still getting hits from it
7. http://www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?p=2661 – Looking for an audio engineer
8. http://casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?m=200703&paged=3 – My March 3, 2007 entries (not sure yet what people were looking for there)
9. http://casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?p=1895 – What’s in a church name?
10. http://casadeblundell.com/jonathan/?p=2406 – Tattoo artist creates a religious scene
Month: July 2007
Love me some grace
Martha, Laurie’s mom sent me a link to this video. It’s a great rendition of Amazing Grace and a great story behind the song. I’d love it to be true, but from what I’ve read it doesn’t appear to be true. But I’d love to be wrong.
As mentioned in the video, the current melody we know as Amazing Grace is pentatonic which has been linked to African-American spirituals but the pentatonic scale can also be found in other traditions including Celtic and the music of Greece and southern Albania.
The words to the song were originally written in 1772 by John Newton, a slave trader.
The words first appeared in print in Newton’s 1779 Olney Hymns, that he worked on with William Cowper. The University of Texas at Austin has one of the few remaining copies of the hymnal, which was typical of the day and was printed with words only and no music.
Many historians have said that the tune we now know as Amazing Grace is a variant of New Britain which was likely not published until 1829.
The joining of the New Britain tune and the words to Amazing Grace may not have happened in print until 1835 in William Walker’s, Southern Harmony.
However, the first appearance of Amazing Grace with any tune may have been to the tune of Hephzibah which was published in A Companion to the Countess of Huntingdons Hymns in 1808, 29 years after the words were first published.
It is possible that Hephzibah was the tune Newton’s church may have sung the words with but it’s also possible they may have chosen any number of popular songs at that time. (Hmmm. Funny how that happens. Many of Martin Luther’s hymns were also sung to the tune of popular bar songs in his day. After all – why should the devil have all the good music?)
Over the years the words have also been sung to many differing tunes including the Gilligan’s Island Theme, House of the Rising Sun, and the Eagle’s Peaceful Easy Feeling.
But regardless of the tune you sing it to or where the tune came from, it’s hard to escape the power of God’s grace when you read the lyrics and know the history behind them.
“Amazing Grace”
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
John Newton, Olaney Hymns (London: W. Oliver, 1779)
The final verse was included in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin which was published in 1852:
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.
Chris Tomlin also added a verse for his recording on the soundtrack to the recent Amazing Grace movie:
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Saviour, Has ransomed me
And like a flood, His mercy reigns
Unending Love, Amazing Grace
UPDATE: This information came from a variety of web sources, including Wikipedia and Mark Rhoads site.
100 Things – about me
No, this isn’t a continuation of the 100 Things We Love About Ellis County series… though it may well could be.
I stole this from Sara so now lets see if I can actually do it… 100 things about me.
1. I’m married to Laurie Janine Blundell
2. I’m named after both of my grandfathers
3. I grew up in Pleasant Grove (Dallas) Texas
4. When no one’s looking I “bodyrock” to Moby, Beastie Boys, LA Symphony or anything else that suits my fancy
5. I’m the program director for an online radio station
6. I’d love to one day make OrangeNoiseRadio a full scale terrestrial or satellite radio station
7. I’d love to live on 20 or more acres with my family someday
8. I head up the community (small groups) ministry at my church
9. I really love my church and the people there
10. I drive a Chevy truck
11. I drink to many Low Carb Monsters
12. I think spending more than $2 on a coffee is ridiculous – yet I do it anyways
13. I love a good glass of Johnny Walker
14. I love a good glass of Tito’s Vodka
15. I love a good cigar
16. Somedays I really miss my dogs Payton and Precious
17. I have two sisters
18. I have three brothers-in-law
19. Right now I’m listening to Johnny Cash “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
20. I blog something almost everyday
21. I used to be the editor of a newspaper
22. I’ve interviewed Willie Nelson, Chris Bell, Gov. Rick Perry, State Comptroller Susan Combs, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Jars of Clay, Sonicflood, Shaded Red, Seventh Day Slumber as well as other random state and federal officials
23. I’ve worked with Shaded Red, Big Daddy Weave, Sonicflood, MercyMe, Jennifer Knapp, Wayne Watson and Smalltown Poets
24. Shaded Red, Big Daddy Weave and Wayne Watson were probably my favorites
25. I’ve met Morgan Freeman, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker
26. I’ve spent part of an afternoon hanging out with WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels in a dressing room in Knoxville, TN
27. I’d rather spend an afternoon with my wife than any of the above
28. I got a new dog, Presley, when I married Laurie
29. I just bought a new bike
30. I’d love to own a Harley Davidson some day
31. U2 is my favorite band
32. The West Wing is my favorite TV show
33. The Office comes in closely behind
34. We also record Scrubs, Studio 60, Little People Big World and 30 Rock on our DVR
35. I’m glad we have DirecTV but I hate paying for it
36. Laurie records What Not to Wear and I somehow get caught watching it with her
37. I think I would be happiest working for with media and ministry together
38. I don’t think I’ve ever really been perfectly content or happy with any of my jobs
39. I want to make enough money that Laurie can stay home – especially when we have kids
40. I want 2-3 kids
41. Laurie and I both had the same name picked out for our son – before we went on our first date
42. That’s really creepy
43. Laurie and I used to hang out at the same Chick-Fil-A every Wednesday night and we never spoke to each other
44. She thought I was “one of those annoying guys who’s at Chick-Fil-A every Wednesday night
45. Before we met, I visited Laurie’s Sunday School class several times before we met and we were never introduced
46. Our parents go to the same church and we were never introduced
47. I’m really glad God brought us together when He did
48. I’ve been known to kick or hit Laurie in the middle of the night when I roll over
49. I tend to snore when I’m laying on my back
50. I hate that I snore but I don’t want to pay $600 for a sleep study test
51. I sometimes swear more than I should
52. Sometimes you just need to swear
53. My younger sisters taught me that
54. Swearing at friends out of the blue can be funny
55. I truly believe God’s grace is amazing
56. I can’t wait to get to heaven
57. But I’m in no rush to get there
58. I almost skipped 30 or so number by typing 85
59. I miss my sister Amy
60. I’d love to have a Tempur-Pedic mattress for our king size bed
61. I work for Ellis County
62. My title is Road Worker #6
63. I’ve never worked with hot mix or asphalt
64. Last week I helped the road crew with flag duty
65. No matter how slow they may be going, a cement truck driving right next to you, while you’re standing on the side of the road, is going too fast
66. Some old ladies drive too fast through a construction zone as well
67. There’s a lot of time for thinking while you’re working flag duty
68. I try to drink at least a liter of water every day
69. I don’t too to good on Saturdays or Sundays
70. I considered going to Iraq as an embedded journalist with the 4th ID
71. I wouldn’t have been able to carry a gun with me
72. That had a lot to do with my decision to stay home
73. I spent two weeks in Nigeria last year
74. Everyone should spend at least two weeks in a poverty stricken country at least once in their life time
75. I hope I can go back some day and take Laurie with me
76. Laurie and I want to go to Russia on a mission trip
77. I’d love to be a world traveler
78. Between me and my sisters, we’ve been to all but two continents – South America and Antartica
79. My mom has never been out of the country
80. My dad went to Korea with Campus Crusade for Christ
81. My parents met while my dad was in Dallas with Campus Crusade
82. My dad proposed after they went to a Bill Gather concert on Valentines Day
83. I proposed to Laurie at White Rock Lake
84. That was not my original plan – but I’m really glad I did it there
85. She was slightly medicated at the time
86. I felt like throwing up all morning long before I proposed
87. My best friend Matt almost gave it away when he wasn’t hiding after we drove up
88. I’m glad Laurie was slightly medicated and didn’t see him
89. Two of my cousins had a shot of “medicine” before their weddings
90. I was promised a shot before my wedding but it never came
91. I didn’t need it – I wasn’t a bit nervous on that day
92. When picking a soft drink out at the store I will often base my decision on which bottle has a contest on the label or under the lid
93. I subscribe to 94 blogs/RSS feeds
94. My wife’s blog is my favorite
95. I’ve just finished drinking one liter of water today
96. I’m now listening to U2 “When Love Came to Town”
97. I just got a big craving for BBQ
98. Cyclones BBQ outside Temple, Texas may be my favorite BBQ restaurant
99. Taqueria #3 in Belton is one of my favorite Mexican Restaurants
100. Campuzanos in Waxahachie comes in as #2
Austin this weekend
Well Laurie and I decided to stick with our original plans and head to Austin for the night this weekend.
We’re staying on 11th street in downtown Austin and plan on getting there tomorrow evening and will probably stay through Saturday afternoon or evening.
We’re still making our plans but I think we’ll go tour the capital, maybe do some geocaching and who knows what else.
Got any suggestions? Let us know.
Waxahachie’s master plan nearing end
The Waxahachie master plan – which I do believe was near completion when I started working at the WDL back in November of 2005 – is nearing completion.
According to Anthony’s story over at the WDL, the plan will “hopefully†be submitted to the city council for formal adoption within the next one to two months.
The plan will lead the city over the next 20 years, when the city’s population is expected to rise from 27,000 to over 44,000.
Participants who took part in the Master Plan survey said they were in favor of:
Overall, the survey’s participants were supportive of:
- Decorative entryways to the city
- Landscaping
- Brick and stone exteriors
- Open space in relation to development
- Public spaces
- Retail pedestrian gathering space
- Pedestrian-oriented, well-designed retail businesses
- The integration of sidewalks with amenities such as brick, lighting and trees into developments
- Monument-style (shorter signs consisting of masonry construction) signage for buildings and businesses
- Historically-styled homes with porches and “interesting architectureâ€
- Streets designed with landscaping, lighting, trees and landscaped medians
- Traditionally-designed townhomes
- Transit solutions such as trolleys and commuter rail
You know I’m in favor of that last one – as well as the rest.
It will be interesting and exciting to see how it all plays out in the future.
Re: Running out of room
As mentioned yesterday, Craig Groeschel at LifeChurch.tv has a series of posts about challenging people to leave his church if they’re not behind the church’s vision.
Today he wraps up the series of four posts with a list of reasons he’s had to actually tell someone to leave his church:
- Teachers who taught false doctrine
- A leader who continued in adultery and wouldn’t end his sinful relationship
- A man who made repeated sexual advances at women
- A person who stalked one of our staff members
- A convicted child molester who wouldn’t stay away from the children
- A person who repeatedly threatened bodily harm to another person
I’ve only heard of two churches asking people to leave and both were handled differently. One church told a friend to not come back because she was addicted to drugs. To me – that’s the person who needs to be there for sure. But the church leadership apparently saw things differently. Secondly, a church “revoked the membership” of a member who continued to be involved in an affair. The great thing about this situation is men from the church continue to remain in touch with this person and meet with him as regularly as possible to help encourage him and bring him back to Christ. The man wasn’t simply hung out to dry to wallow in his sin. I think that’s a great example of grace – despite a man’s sin.