Friday, December 30, 2005

Christmas potpourri

Before you try and sniff this post, let me clarify that the word "potpourri" is used in the Jeopardy sense...

Just in case anyone was unaware of this fact, it is highly frustrating to the parents and downright inconsiderate to recline your seat in an airplane when you are aware that there are small children seated directly behind you. I understand that airplanes are uncomfortable for everyone, but is the extra 3 inches you achieve when you recline your seat really worth the added stress to a small child (who may then stress out everyone else on the plane, including yourself) and that child's parents?

It took us 3 tries, yes 3 tries, to be able to see Walk the Line. We tried Monday night, and it was sold out. We got tickets early yesterday, and then when we got there, the only seats left were in the front row on the ends, so we exchanged our tickets for the late showing and finally got to see the movie. So between that, the movie quality not being that great (because of film artifacts), ridiculous ticket prices, and my frustration with the 12 years of commercials before movies, I've finally jumped on the home theater bandwagon with Joe. It will pretty much take an act of Congress before I go to a movie theater again.

But, Walk the Line is a good movie - I very much enjoyed it. I even wished it was a little longer. Now I need to get some Johnny Cash music...

Friday, December 16, 2005

odds and ends

Jadyn is a year old today - happy birthday baby girl! (And for a birthday present, I took her to the doctor, and she got shots. Nice of me, eh?)

Odd as it may sound, the Kevin Max Christmas CD "Holy Night" is surprisingly not cracked out. I love Kevin Max's stuff, but you have to admit that it's a little out there. But his Christmas CD is really good - basically all straightforward renditions of the songs, but they're done well.

My friend Josh has a blog now! Go check it out, after you finish reading and commenting on my blog, of course.

I thought there was more randomness floating around in my head, but I can't remember it right now.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

good things happen at Christmas!

I just had to share my excitement...when I arrived home from our first gig selling jewelry, my Switchfoot shirt and Holiday Package was waiting for me! There are few things better than watching a Switchfoot DVD (seeing them in concert is one of them)! And I'm very excited about the new lowercase people magazine - I anticipate posting about that in the near future...

In case anyone is keeping track, my little baby turns 1 tomorrow. And no, she's not walking yet!

If you're still looking for a perfect Christmas present, one of a kind and handmade, you know where to find me! (But only if it's a gift for a girl, sorry.)

Friday, December 02, 2005

I don't blog more...

because I'm pretty sure no one wants to read about the terribly exciting things that go on in a house with two small children all day long! I'm just kidding, really, and I couldn't think of a good way to start this post. All of my friends are talking about dating, and I don't feel like I have a lot to add in that world, so I thought I'd talk about something else! (Not that those conversations are not important, because they are.)

Side note: Anyone who doubts my assessment of Jadyn (2 weeks shy of 1 year old, for those keeping track) as having way too much personality for my own good must believe me now. I have been trying to teach her the sign language for "more" and "please" for at least 3 months now, probably closer to 6. Never once has she shown any interest in actually signing the words, but I'm pretty sure she understands what I'm trying to do because she'll smile or laugh or nod her head or whatever. So the other night, Ashlee came over so we could work on our new business (jewelry making), and Jadyn was in the high chair eating cheerios while I worked on dinner. Ashlee went to the high chair and asked Jadyn if she wanted more cheerios, and you guessed it, Jadyn signed both "more" and "please" for her! Of course, she hasn't done it again for me. What a wonderful challenge God has blessed us with!

So, what I've been thinking about lately is this - what on earth is wrong with our parents' generation? (Without making a sweeping generalization, of course - I can name more than a few examples of baby boomers who "get it.") Over the week of Thanksgiving, I experienced multiple examples of so-called adults who act like children, specifically badly behaved children. And that fits with the experience I've had at church, where pretty much every ministry is being led by people under 35. (Which, I think, is far from the ideal way things should be.) I guess what I'm trying to understand is why this generation can be characterized as selfish, uncommitted, and non-communicative, and other than seeking the truth and living out 1 Timothy 4:12, what can we do about it? (To put it in context, an otherwise great family time over Thanksgiving was largely tainted by these kinds of attitudes, so much so that it would take a lot to get us to try it again.) Any theories? Anyone experienced something similar, or is it just my corner of the world that acts like this?

And just to tie it all together, I think this article on Relevant's website in analyzing the megachurch phenomenon maybe has something to do with, or is a reflection of, these attitudes. I'm still thinking about all of this, but something tells me it's all related. (Interesting article, by the way, and really about more than megachurches.)

Friday, November 18, 2005

we're not SAD, we're just confused

Only in Texas does it seem completely normal to eat a (good) cantaloupe and bake a pumpkin pie in the very same afternoon...

By the way, does anyone know what bourbon tastes like? I am making a ham for church on Sunday, and the recipe calls for bourbon, but I'm not going to use it because I'm making it for church. So any help would be appreciated!

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

God is exhausting!

I am feeling pretty drained today, which makes me a little short-tempered, but the events of the past 2 days have been awesome.

On Sunday, we had Awards Night for Upward Soccer. What is so amazing about my experiences with Upward Soccer is that God is teaching me that the personality traits that I think are required for running a smooth, successful soccer league are not necessarily the ones that I am supposed to be utilizing. I know that doesn't make much sense, but the more that I let go of things (particularly when it comes to things being done the "right" way), the more I feel like God is working through me and the families that are coming to our church are being impacted more than I could ever do myself. I don't mean to go all rose-colored glasses, but everything worked out so well on Sunday evening that I'm still in shock about it. (Believe me, there was every opportunity for something to go horribly wrong. In fact, any number of things may still go wrong.) The success of Sunday night was due in large part to Jared Hall, who is a fantastic Christian illusionist and very ministry-oriented. I'm just so excited to see people have a positive experience with a church. If you've been keeping up with the soccer saga, please keep praying that our church will not drop the ball when it comes to follow-up. Thanks.

And then, last night, a concert that has made the years of waiting totally worth it. Having been a Switchfoot fan literally since the beginning - I remember the release of The Legend of Chin - it is a sad state of affairs that last night was the first time I had ever seen them in concert. (Yes, I saw them at Festival con Dios, but that doesn't count because it wasn't their own tour.) But it was worth it because we had 2nd row seats. That's right, we could make eye contact with the band members. (And now I am completely ruined - those seats were so amazing that I don't think any other concert will ever be that good.)

The concert opened with Augustana, who is a great new band, and everyone who reads this needs to go buy their album. Why? Because their van broke down in Georgia and they had to fly in for the concert missing part of their band and most of their instruments. And it gets better - during their 3rd or 4th song, the lights went out. Completely dark on the stage, they just kept playing. So everybody pulled out their "Christian lighters." They were just good. The environment at this concert was so great - it felt like we were just sitting in somebody's living room hanging out with these bands. And it felt like that the whole night.

After Augustana was Eisley, which was a pleasant surprise for me because I didn't know who the openers were going to be, and I like Eisley. They were awesome - they have an unfair sibling advantage because their voices blend so well. As they are from Texas, they had a large contingency in the audience, which was cool. Both bands were really good openers for Switchfoot, which I think is unusual in most concerts - for whatever reason, most openers shouldn't be within 10 miles of the band they're opening for, but that doesn't stop them. (Like Rilo Kiley for Coldplay - terrible!)

And then, of course, the main event - Switchfoot! They opened with Lonely Nation, which I kind of expected (not that that's bad or anything). I was pleasantly surprised with the number of older songs they threw into the set. What was great is that Jon Foreman recognized the fans who have been around since the beginning, and they dedicated More than Fine to those fans. Then later in the show, they did Company Car for those fans. I thought that was awesome because I've been wondering for a couple of weeks if they would pull out any old school songs, and I was thinking it would be cool if they did Company Car, and they did! The only thing more old school would've been for them to pull out Chem 6A or Might Have Ben Hur or something. Apparently, Jon is writing a song for every city they stop in - of course the song for Stafford (where the venue is) had to have a line from "The Stars at Night." I was pretty impressed that he managed to stick a line from that song in another song - Stars, I think. I may have to tolerate that song now that Switchfoot has done it. During On Fire, Jon made a trip into the audience, and there was a ledge, basically like 1/4 of a wall, in front of the first row. He walked along that wall and stopped right in front of us to do the bridge to the song. It completely rocked! The show ended (the real ending, not the pretend ending) with Stars and We Are One Tonight, which is a great way to end a show.

And this post is way too long, so I'm ending it here, but I'm sure I'll find a way to talk about Switchfoot in everything for at least the next week! And I wish you all could have been there too!

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

maybe I'll get something done now...

Not that I was complaining about spending so much time watching the Astros! Yes, losing is depressing, but this team has more character and integrity than pretty much any other professional sports team, ever. The Astros lost because of a lot of squandered scoring opportunities, yet none of the games were anything close to a blow out by the other team. And the facts remain that the White Sox got more than one (or three) breaks in the postseason from umpires, Bud Selig stuck in his opinion where it was inconsistent and unnecessary, and White Sox fans (maybe not a majority, but no small minority either) have no common decency. For that matter, we aren't promised that we'll get any breaks or respect in this life, and I for one am glad to know that the class-act players of the Astros have their treasure in heaven.

Bring on the off-season - Ensberg will get his bat back, Berkman and Bagwell will be back at full power, and maybe even Clemens will have another year in him. Spring training here we come! Who's up for a road trip to Florida?

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

resumes upon request

Here it is, my formal announcement for all the world to read:

I want to be Commissioner of Baseball.

If anyone has any idea how to go about becoming Commissioner of Baseball, please let me know. I am highly talented and have a great desire to not run baseball into the ground or favor any team over the another (in a professional capacity).

Thank you for your time.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

the greatest sport ever!

Historic things are happening, folks. . . the Astros just won in St. Louis, and we're on our way home. Now, we don't want to get too excited, because that's just when the Astros will lose it (life as an Astros fan is a very careful tightrope balancing act), but there's something in the air this year (and it's not pollution)! If you doubt my faith in the Astros, it's simply a matter of the good guys winning - do some research and find out how many of the Astros are committed Christians and roaring lambs. . .

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

it's not cold yet, but...

What's the best thing about fall? I know the school-bound among us may not love fall as much as the rest, but I think there's something about fall that's not like the rest of the seasons. So, here's the invitation for opinions (like anyone needed an invitation): what's the best thing about fall?

My list (so far): pumpkin food (anything made with pumpkin, particularly pie), jeans and sweatshirts/sweaters, warm food (sensing a theme?), new eps of my favorite shows, getting ready for Christmas! . . .

Monday, October 03, 2005

the goose is getting fat...

Not a real post, but I had to share some happy news that I just found out (and no one who would be as excited as I am is available to call right now)! Happy Christmas 4 comes out later this month! Woohoo! Now, to the uninitiated, this means nothing, but the Happy Christmas CD compilation series is by far one of the best sets of Christmas music ever. (And to those rolling their eyes at the thought of Christmas music, all I have to say is "bah humbug.") Among others, there will be a Switchfoot song on the new CD, which means, of course, that it will be a fantastic CD. Which brings me to the other happy news (although old news, it still makes me happy), we've got 2nd row seats to the Switchfoot concert in November!

I promise to post something real later (Azina).

Oh, and I still can't find my Happy Christmas 1 CD - so I need some help from those who might be able to place it (viz. the sibs). Otherwise I'm going to break down and buy a new one.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

no matter what happens...

today cannot be a bad day! Okay, so that's not really true, but it has a lot going for it. Today, the new Switchfoot album is out! And tickets for their fall tour go on sale at 5pm. And tonight is the season premiere of Gilmore Girls! (If you're not excited about one or both of those events, I'm wondering what we have in common... just joshing, seriously.)

For those of you who have been blessed to have visited Omaha, I'm taking suggestions of things to do while I am there. It's going to be very weird to be there without everyone else being there. I'm very excited to go to The Foundry on Friday; I'm just sorry Azina won't be there to go with me/us.

I have practically nothing of substance to write, but I'm afraid of losing top billing in Azina's links, so I'm posting out of fear.

Please keep praying about soccer - our first game day really went well, but there may be issues that come up in the next 7 weeks that attempt to distract us from the point of the whole thing. But we have been blessed with some really great volunteers who are running things and doing an amazing job.

Pod update - we're kind of in holding right now. We're waiting to see if we are going to end up with any evacuees. If we don't, we have an alternate ending for our pod that we would need to shoot and then edit the whole thing.

Coming soon: musings on traveling solo with a 2 yr. old and a 9 month old...

Saturday, September 03, 2005

what is there to say?

Lots of randomness today. . . I'm trying to process a lot of things, and they just aren't adding up. It's interesting how our perspectives are shaped. We hold on to the things that we believe are truth, sometimes as if our very existence depends on them. But how do we know that they are truth? Specifically, our perspectives on recent events along the Gulf Coast are utterly dependent on the news reports we get. By their very nature, those reports aren't the whole truth, yet we assume we get at least a piece of the whole picture, which might be true. Or, the "reporter" may be, intentionally or not, skewing their entire report on their understanding of the whole based on the tiny piece they've observed.

More specifically, though, how do we as individuals decide what is best for the people who are seeking our help? (Sidebar: I'm glad to see the first thing I ever posted on this blog was completely laid to waste.) We want to throw our efforts and resources into helping people, which we are called to do. But where do we start? How do we decide what we as a church should be doing, which necessarily requires that we decide not to do any number of other things that may be more helpful (or maybe not). I don't know the answer, and maybe there is no answer at this point. Maybe the answer is that we do something. Maybe the answer is that we do the best we can while seeking after God's will.

I'm coming to the conclusion that perhaps I'm just an agitator. I have to ask questions that are potentially uncomfortable and maybe ultimately pointless. I think one of the hardest tasks in this life is figuring out daily living in accordance with becoming more Christ-like. How do I be the best that God created me to be while growing closer in relationship with God? Where's the line where God ends and I begin? I don't want to cross that line, but it's hard when I don't know where it is.

On to something more interesting to most people - go to www.current.tv and make a difference in what's on tv, literally. The home group that I'm involved in is working on plans to produce a pod. I'll keep you updated. And to avoid the gentle reminders of certain family members, I will attempt to post more frequently - I just may need help digging out from under the soccer balls.

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Can someone please tell me why it is that doing work for God can be so hard sometimes? I mean, honestly - is it so naive to think that when you're doing something that is kingdom-building and relevant to the community that maybe you could catch a break every once in a while? One step forward and two steps back gets a little tiresome. By no means do I expect living and working for God to be a bed of roses, but does it have to be a pit of thorns? Seriously, it sometimes feels like our definition of things going well is just that nothing is going wrong. And what is so horribly unfair is to be in this city of giant churches with boatloads of money - churches that can do whatever they want and spend whatever they want, despite the fact that their theology leaves at least a little something to be desired. (And I'm not talking nitpicky theology stuff here.) So I guess my real question is, why does it seem like God blesses the churches that are built on shaky theological ground, but churches that are at least doing the best they can to seek after His will are forever fighting for every inch?

Thursday, August 25, 2005

yummy

Try this - take a wheat tortilla, warm it up (on a griddle or in a toaster oven), spread some peanut butter on it (of course crunchy is best), and roll up a banana in it. Fantastic. If you're in need of a little mood enhancing, sprinkle some chocolate chips on the peanut butter before you roll up the banana. If the tortilla is warm enough, the peanut butter and chocolate chips will get a little bit gooey, which I don't need to tell you is delicious.

Sorry, absolutely no purpose to this post other than that's what I just had for breakfast (because we are out of milk and without the chocolate chips) while catching up on the late night blogging efforts (because some of us have children who got their penchant for early mornings NOT FROM ME!) Okay, better now. :)

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

As evidence of my lateness in entering the blog world, the first 6 or so URLs I tried were all taken. Now, that may not seem like much to you of the AOL persuasion, but I've never had that happen to me before in the online world. I could regale you with tales of my inherent coolness resulting from my early foray into the realm of all things computer, but I'll spare you. (Isn't it interesting how the internet/computers are super cool now, but 10-15 years ago were the sole domain of the nerds and socially challenged?)

On another note, what is the deal with other countries? So Portugal is asking for help because they can't deal with the wildfires going on in their country. That's fine, I have no problem with that, and I even feel sympathy for the people who have no homes now because of the fires. And this really doesn't even have anything to do with Portugal. But they're asking for help, like lots of countries ask for help when bad things happen. Have you ever considered, though, that the U.S. never asks for help? To which you respond, because we don't need help. And you're right - we don't need help from other countries. But we give help to other countries whenever they ask. And many private (and gasp! religious) organizations provide help to the people of other countries when the governments of those countries are to corrupt or evil to care about their people and don't ask for help. Yet, what do we get in return? Criticism at every turn. Not that criticism doesn't have its place - particularly in government. The government shouldn't be able to blink without scrutiny. I'm just saying that this country is generous and helpful (and if we weren't, we'd be criticized). Honestly, I'd rather be here and get criticized for things that are untrue than to be in a country that needed to ask for help when something goes wrong.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes our sociopolitical commentary portion of the show. (For today, at least.)