Saturday, May 31, 2008

busy week

This has been a busy week. (Hence, the lack of posting.) Exactly 8 days ago I decided to go to Colombia. Tomorrow. There was a lot to get in order as far as the visa and my job, and I'm not entirely confident I got it all done. Still, it is an important trip. I was starting to melt and wilt, and I need to see my fiance. I still need to pack and do some laundry and get some t-shirts for R and A, but it will have to wait. The great irony is that my sermon this week is about "being still." Haha. There was an unexpected surprise this week, and that was the evening I spent reconnecting with a seminary colleague of mine and getting to know his spouse. We were both at the same wedding, and we had a great time talking and laughing.

"Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be comparable to him."

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Miss Always Invisible...

I found Marie Digby via You Tube awhile ago when I was looking for acoustic versions of familiar songs. She now has a record deal and she's not quite "unknown," but she's not a household name (yet.) There are two things that are striking about her in her youtube videos 1. She has an amazing, angelic voice. 2. She is very beautiful. I was surprised, then, to learn that this song "Miss Invisible" was autobiographical... it's about an awkward kid who doesn't fit in, who's hiding behind the bleachers and wanting someone to befriend her. It's a reminder to me to continue to be a person who looks to befriend those on the outskirts. They are in every "group," churches, schools, seminaries (yes, seminaries too. That's a post for another day...) Who are the invisible people in your world and community? How can you reach out to them?

Sunday, May 25, 2008

the exercise i posted about a couple of days ago

i posted a couple of days ago about the exercise i read from ys marko's blog... i did it this morning. here's how it went:

1. Write down the names of 5-10 people you love.
i had nine... E, six family members, and 2 friends.

2. Write a word or phrase about each person writing what it is you love about them.
that they listen to me was a common theme, also that they are kind and good listeners. a couple of surprising things came up here, too.

3. Write down the names of 5-10 people who love you...
i had 7... 4 family members, 2 friends and E.

4. Next to each name, write what it is that this person loves about you...
this is harder than you would think, but i came up with some stuff...

5. Finally, write down a list of things that God loves about you.
this was easier than i thought it would be... came up with lots of reasons...

the final part of the exercise was to pick something that surprised you about what God loves about you... i picked "because God is delighted by me." delighted? i delight God? i was surprised that came to mind, but i believe it's true.

i encourage you to try this exercise. it's a pretty private one, which is why my answers aren't really descriptive or clear. it's a good thing to try out sometime!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Prayers for someone I don't know (except through his music)

I was planning to write a post about the American Idol finale when I heard about the death of Stephen Curtis Chapman's 5 year-old daughter. Steven Curtis Chapman is a prolific songwriter, and an exceptional human being. I have listened to his music since junior high school. My favorite song of his is called "Sometimes He Comes in the Clouds," and it is a song about adversity. You can listen to it here. It's heartbreaking in the context of this death. I can not imagine the pain that comes from losing a child. My candle this evening is lit for the Chapman family.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

YS Marko told about an exercise he did at his church. I am going to do it this weekend, and report back. If you feel so led, you should try. Sounds like a valuable exercise.

What you need:

Some time
A quiet space
A flat stone and sharpie (or piece of paper, cardboard, whatever.)
A pen and paper

Got the stuff? You're ready...
1. Write down the names of 5-10 people you love.
2. Write a word or phrase about each person writing what it is you love about them.
3. Write down the names of 5-10 people who love you
4. Next to each name, write what it is that this person loves about you
5. Finally, write down a list of things that God loves about you.

Done?

The stone and sharpie is to write down the most surprising thing that God loves about you, to keep as a reminder. Cool, eh? I'll let you know on Monday (or Tuesday) how it goes.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

thanks, julie.

my friend julie just posted about a commercial that has been bothering me as well. thought i'd get on board and post about it too. maybe if enough bloggers get on board electrolux (and at least kelly ripa) will contemplate the absurtidy of their message.

the commercial is this one:



i'm sure i don't need to spell out the problems with this commercial, but i will anyway, because, ahem, it's good to get stuff off one's chest. while i wasn't around in the 1950s, i hear there were some pretty cool things going on. soda fountains, poodle skirts, etc. i also hear that women were expected to be perfect in every way. they were expected to entertain, take care of the kids (and the dog) and do it all while looking fabulous and feminine. hard to do. then women started to work outside the home. good for us! we have skills outside the home too! but somehow, it seems, that this working outside the home thing has become something that we are to do in addition to taking care of the kids and the dog, maintaining a beautiful home and being a size negative zero with perfect hair and makeup. kelly ripa: you are a fun, talented woman. your husband is a hottie. you are a multi-millionaire. we get it: you are superwoman. however, let us not forget that you have a nanny, a housekeeper, a hair and makeup stylist, a driver, a publicist, and probably someone who picks up your starbucks for you. listen up ladies: wanna stay home and be a mama? good for you! wanna work outside the home? you go girl! wanna do both? i admire you tremendously, but don't think you can do them both perfectly a la this ridiculous commercial. ain't gonna happen.

p.s. make sure to read julie's blog. it's better than this one.

Friday, May 16, 2008

cats on a treadmill.

i have been having a sort of cranky day today. this video made me laugh out loud. hilarious.


http://view.break.com/502351 - Watch more free videos

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Bouncing around in my head. . .

... sometimes I just lose it! That happened to me today. Luckily for me, I took a deep breath, my cat curled up on my chest like he always does when I'm upset, and I gained a little perspective. Quietly, quietly, I could hear these words in the back of my head "The Lord is gracious and slow to anger he is rich in love, he is good to all." My favorite Psalm is Psalm 145. It became my favorite Psalm after a song by the same name introduced me to some of the themes in it. More times than I can count it has bounced around my head when I've felt weary or worthless or weighed down. The Lord is gracious and slow to anger he is rich in love he is good to all.

Randomness...

Well... I haven't posted in a while, and I'm kind of in a hurry. I have lots of stuff I could write about and a few "linky" posts to post (plus a post about Ubuntu that I've been meaning to get to) but for now, here is some listey goodness because it's usually what I post when I've been away for awhile and have no time.

  • I've gotten back on the exersise bus. I used to exersise quite a bit, but in seminary, things like eating nachos and reading like crazy took over. It's good to be doing yoga, walking, pushups, etc. I want to look smashing in my wedding dress.
  • Speaking of wedding dresses... my mama and I went shopping for them this weekend! We are still waiting on a lot of blahbity blah with the visa, but we are getting closer, and so I felt justified in shopping. What girl doesn't want to try on wedding dresses? The one I liked the most was at Macys. Calvin Klein. It is simple by the Traci definition of simple, not simple by most people who sell wedding dresses definition of simple. No beads, no bows, no sequins, no frilly frilly frou frou stuff. It looks nice, but would look even nicer with... EXERCISE! Ha ha.
  • Also last weekend, my dad retired! We presented him with his Scholarship Fund and he was thriillled! I was happy too. What a great weekend of family.
  • Oh, one more thing we did this weekend: play video games. I felt kind of bad for all of the teasing I have done of losers who play video games, because I LOVED the nintendo wii. Seriously, I may have to get one of those for E and I to play during our first year of marriage. How hilarious would that be? We played guitar hero, golf, and these carnival games. Super fun.
  • It is beautiful outside. Absolutely gorgeous. It stresses me out that E is probably going to be moving here in the ugliest time of the year and will have to wait months for this to come back around again. Ah Michigan. How I love your weather. Not.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Compelling list.

I found this list awhile ago, but didn't have a chance to look at it carefully. As I was doing some cleaning up of internet files, I found it again. Enjoy.

20 Common Mistakes of Eager Leaders
1. Winning Too Much. The need to win at all costs and in all situations—when it matters, when it doesn’t, and when it’s totally beside the point.
2. Adding Too Much Value. The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion.
3. Passing Judgment. The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.
4. Making Destructive Comments. The needless sarcasms and cutting remarks that we think make us sound sharp and witty.
5. Starting with “No,” “But,” or “However.” The overuse of these qualifiers, which secretly say to everyone, “I’m right. You’re wrong.”
6. Telling the World How Smart We Are. The need to show people we’re smarter than they think we are.
7. Speaking When Angry. Using emotional volatility as a management tool.
8. Negativity. The need to share our negative thoughts, even when we weren’t asked.
9. Withholding Information. The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others.
10. Failing to Give Proper Recognition. The inability to praise and reward.
11. Claiming Credit We Don’t Deserve. The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.
12. Making Excuses. The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.
13. Clinging to the Past. The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.
14. Playing Favorites. Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.
15. Refusing to Express Regret. The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we’re wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.
16. Not Listening. The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.
17. Failing to Express Gratitude. The most basic form of bad manners.
18. Punishing the Messenger. The misguided need to attack the innocent, who are usually only trying to protect us.
19. Passing the Buck. The need to blame everyone but ourselves.
20. An Excessive Need to Be “Me.” Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they exemplify who we are.


from Business week via Brand Autopsy

Thursday, May 8, 2008

snow patrol: chocolate

this could be the very minute i'm aware i'm alive: all these places feel like
home.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

from a song entitled, "belief."

this is one of my favorite john mayer lyrics from the album "continuum." i've posted about it elsewhere, i'm sure.

is there anyone who ever remembers changing their mind from paint on a sign? is there anyone who really recalls ever breaking rank at all for something someone yelled real loud one time?

it reminds me that the true persuading is usually done in quiet conversation and patient listening. not so much on billboards and yelling loudly. though i do like to yell, sometimes.

Homestar Runner!

When I was in seminary, I used to watch Strongbad's emails on www.homestarrunner.com. For those of you who are not familiar, Strongbad is a slightly sassy character who answers viewer emails with sarcastic stories. There is a whole cast of characters (Homestar, who is goofy and child-like, Marzipan, Homestar's girlfriend, Strong Sad, who is melancholy and depressed all the time, Strongbad, who is stararcastic and witty, The Cheat, who doesnt' speak, and a host of others) Annnnyway. I happened upon Homestar Runner again this week, and really liked Strongbad's new email about cereal, and I thought I'd pass it on for those of you who used to watch and let it drift away, or for some potential new fans. Check it out here.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Comments!

Hey, readers! I know you read, because I can tell, but only a few people have ever commented. I'm not being critical, because I read dozens of blogs and only comment on a few of them. I did make a decision, however, to allow "anonymous" comments, meaning that you don't have to sign in with an open-id name or with a blogger id. Now, if you want to make a comment, just click "anonymous" but be sure to sign your name any "anonymous" comments that have no names (or, obviously that say something rude or grossly inappropriate) will be de-le-ted. Now, a special request... if you are a former reader of tanto decir, can you please comment on this post if you have never commented on this blog before? I am getting the feeling that some people didn't get the memo that I moved over here, and I'm trying to figure out if that's true. Also, comment just for the heck of it! Say hi! Tell me who you are. Also, tell me what your favorite stuff to read on here is: drama, design stuff, theology, quirky randomness, whatever. I gotta go to work, people. Seriously.

Monday, May 5, 2008

iraq

i heard someone say today that he was "bored" with iraq. i think i know what he meant, and i'm not trying to be too hard on him. this war has been going on for years now. a lot of people have had a lot of strong opinions about it for a long time. still, the phrase "i'm bored with iraq" sort of jolted me out of my seat. let us not forget that those who are actually living in iraq, those whose homes have been destroyed, family members killed, children irreparably scarred emotionally and physically aren't "bored" with this war. they're still fighting for their lives, wondering if they'll be caught in the crossfire, praying for peace. i doubt that US soldiers are bored, either. they're still thousands of miles away from their families, heartbroken many of them.

sometimes i think photos can help when we feel jaded. (i'm pretty sure that's what the person meant when he said bored, he meant jaded.) this one struck me as particularly powerful today.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Great Song...

Still trying to learn what it means...

Dig, by Adam Again (covered by Jars of Clay, which is how I heard it)

I had big idea
I had a crazy eye
I broke the sacred seal
I told a lazy lie
I've had my conscience bent
I've had my patience tried
I've been up in the desert
And down by the riverside

Will the eagle fly
If the sky's untrue?
Do the faithful sigh
Because they are so few?
Remember when I cried?
Remember when you knew?
Remember that look in your eyes?
I know I do

And count the stars to measure tme
The earth is hard, the treasure fine
To the sea I'll crawl on my knees

Feel it coming in
Feel it going out
Water covers sand
Blood covers doubt
So I begin again
Again, the healing bow
There was a time that I might have surrendered
But not now

Consult the cards to measure mine
The earth is hard, but the treasure fine
At the sea, I'll wait on my knees

Nice article from Relevant

Relevant Mag always puts out good stuff. This is a great article. As I would expect, Mark Driscoll ends up soundling like a jackass and everyone else sounds intelligent and thought provoking. I hope the word jackass isn't unnecessarily obscene, but that guy gets on my nervs. Rob Bell, Erwin McManus and Efrem Smith are predictably right on the money, in my opinion. Found the article via Adam's facebook status.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

miracle

tomorrow i'm preaching on my favorite miracle story in the bible. can you guess?
1. it's not a miracle jesus performs
2. it's in the NT
3. it doesn't show up in the lectionary