Congratulations, Ruben!

Ruben Studdard wins! (Of course, I shouldn’t know this because the show won’t air in Hawai’i for another 1½ hours :P) Although I haven’t been following Idol “religiously,” I do know that Ruben’s charm, humility, and incredible voice won me over, from the very first time I heard him sing “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Congratulations also to Clay. His voice was amazing too; it might have been even better than Ruben’s. But in my mind, Ruben had the stage presence to back up his singing.

I hope Ruben’s humility continues as he begins his professional career. We need more artists saying “It’s all about the fans.” In fact, we need more of that from everybody.

UPDATE 5/21 11:22 PM – The fact that Ruben’s fans watched him from a church in Birmingham, and that the American Idol web site lists his past experience as performing with a band called “God’s Gift,” I’m even more confident of my initial feelings that Ruben might be a Christian. (I couldn’t find anything on the band.) Anybody know better?

Also, I’m shocked that with 24 million votes, only 1,335 separated Clay and Ruben. It’s a good thing I’m not a Floridian; I’d have to demand a recount if I was.

UPDATE 2 5/22 6:08 PM – It turns out the difference was 130,000 votes, not 13,000 or 1,300. Perhaps Ryan needs glasses?

The Ultimate Technophile

For many people, the phrase “God works in mysterious ways” is quickly becoming cliché. Having seen God’s miracles over and over and over again, particularly in science and technology, I can say with confidence that (a) God continues to work in mysterious ways in 2003, and (b) He is not afraid of using technology to accomplish His ends.

A while ago, I was really, really angry about something – I can’t remember what, so it must have been something pretty stupid – and I was certainly not behaving the way I should have been. At the time, I was listening to my computer, which I often use to shuffle and play the 200 songs I’ve ripped from my CDs and the CDs of my immediate family. Well, just as I started to begin getting really ticked off, “Wonderful, Merciful Savior” by Selah started playing. (You can find a sound clip at that page.)

Trust me, God knows exactly what He’s doing. He humbled me in seconds using nothing but Winamp.

Blanketing Hawai’i with the Good News

A lot’s happened in the past month to get the Good News out about Jesus to the people of Hawai’i. The Jesus Hawai’i Project, along with the financial support of about 185 churches, has mailed out 497,000 copies of a special Hawai’i edition of JESUS on video – that’s one for every household and apartment in the state (and apparently some P.O. boxes as well).

A week later, K-12 students across the state distributed Student Survival Kits to any student who would take them. The kits contained a video, CD, New Testament, More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell, and more.

Naturally, this got some media recognition. It was featured in the April 12th Honolulu Advertiser (not linked because their articles expire), April 24th Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and at least one local television station.

We can pass out thousands of videos and kits, but only God can do anything with them. So, even though this happened a few weeks ago, pray for the people who organized this project, the students who are now working the front-lines, and especially for the people who are hearing the Gospel for the first time.

Wai-a-what?

The Hawaiian dictionary compiled by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert defines Waileia as “the name of a morning star.” The native Hawaiians, like other Polynesian peoples, were regarded as master navigators. They charted their course across the ocean using nothing but the wind, waves, and stars to guide them to their destination – often traveling thousands of miles in the process.

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the bright morning star. God himself came to Earth as a man. During his lifetime, even though he felt the same temptations that you and I go through on a daily basis, he never sinned. 33 years later, he was killed on the cross and paid the price of every sin of every person throughout history. Three days later, he proved his divinity by returning to life.

I can’t think of a better name for this blog than one that honors the most accurate compass I will ever follow.

Welcome

Welcome to Waileia, a new blog focusing on technology, current events, and Christianity. I’m blogging from the middle of the Pacific Ocean – O’ahu, Hawai’i. I hope you’ll find it an interesting read.

I’m a newbie to the blogosphere, so please be patient with me as I figure out my niche. In the meantime, I’d like to thank some of the bloggers that have helped me (indirectly) to work out my ideas and goals for this blog: Dean Peters, Josh Claybourn, locdog, Irene, Rachel, and Bene Diction, not necessarily in that order.

Tomorrow: I’m sure many of you are trying very, very hard (perhaps too hard) to figure out what Waileia means. I’ll post a definition and my reasoning tomorrow. Hopefully, you’ll find it an interesting explanation.