Sometimes there is no why ... and no because

A little cheese with that whine?

2011-05-06T16:13:00.003-05:00

I removed my previous post, because it was too whiny. But I am very grateful to those who responded. Thank you for the reminder that it is possible, and that it just takes sitting down and writing/editing every single day. The new (and final) deadline is June 30th.

Samford Students Study On Saba Island

2010-01-25T23:30:00.001-06:00

My friend Jennifer and her students talk about their Jan Term course on Saba in the Caribbean. Very cool!!

Guy Clark with Karen Matheson - Dublin Blues

2010-01-25T21:40:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-05T11:39:00.006-06:00

It's hard to believe the "aughts" are already behind us. I didn't even know that's what the decade was called until the very end!! But here are a few exciting things that happened last year, and all bode well for the year and decade to come:

1) Rachel joined Annette and Wes on May 6th and is making all of our family gatherings a pure delight.

2) Amelia joined Lara and Bill (brand new!! Born on December 8th).

3) Dana Ness married my darling brother Richard (on November 29th).

4) My grandmother turned 105. Wow!!!!!

So all is well, in spite of the crazy economy and wars and rumors of war and all of that. I look forward to 2010 with hope and optimism and wish you and yours the very best for the new year and the new decade (the Teens!)

Alexander Rybak - Fairytale (2009 Eurovision Song Contest Wi

2009-05-18T12:46:00.001-05:00

I just love the fun and madness that is Eurovision ... here is the 2009 winner. Enjoy!

Rapture Ready

2009-05-15T14:23:00.003-05:00

A friend recommended Rapture Ready by Daniel Radosh. It is an in-depth exploration of the parallel universe of Christian pop culture. Here is the review in Slate.

And here is a link to the Rapture Ready website, which has nothing to do with the book --- it's all about being ready for the rapture.

I am an evangelical Christian but, like many other evangelical Christians, I do not believe in the teachings about the end times and the apocalypse espoused by dispensationalists (i.e., people who believe in the rapture). Rapture theology is a fringe belief that has really gained traction in the last 30 or 40 years. Although the mainstream Christian faiths do not hold to this hyperliteral and uncontextual reading of the Bible concerning the second coming of Christ, it plays a huge role in the Christian pop culture mentioned by Daniel Radosh, and is a significant element driving those Christian groups who are pushing to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. It is not that they support Israel or the Israeli state, but rather that they wish to hasten the second coming, and believe that the power to do so lies in their hands. Jirair Tashjian from the Christian Resource Institute has written an article about the Second Coming in which he looks at the biblical writings concerning the second coming, and how those writings have been used to support teachings about the rapture.

I like Tashjian's concluding thoughts, which I will quote here:

There is no rapture in the book of Revelation. The church not taken out of the world and the earth destroyed. Instead, God comes down to dwell on earth. The church is in the world. This is a new heaven and a new earth because the older separation between heaven as the dwelling place of God and the earth as the dwelling place of human beings is transcended by God’s redemptive work in history. Now the earth becomes the dwelling place of God. There is no need for temple because God’s presence is no longer localized in a place but is pervasive (v. 22). There is no need for sun or moon because the glory of God is everywhere. Nations and kings continue to exist in the world, but now they conduct their work in the light of God’s glory (vv. 23-24). The gates of the city will never be shut because there is no longer any enmity or threat (v. 25).

I must confess that this picture of the end is much more appealing and hopeful than rapture theology can ever be. Rapture does not fit with the spirit of the Bible. The picture I get from the Bible is that God in the end will bring his kingdom fully and completely to earth. Affirming a fervent hope that some day Christ will return and the kingdom of God will be fully realized in the world ought to energize God’s people to work toward that end, or as 2 Peter puts it,
"What sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God… Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation" (3:11-15).
When writers and preachers make such a big fuss about the Second Coming and the end of the world, they are forgetting something much more important. They are in effect minimizing the First Coming. In a real sense the world ended some two thousand years ago in Jesus. Something decisive happened for humanity and for our relationship with God in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. The New Testament is much more concerned with what it means to be crucified with Christ than with being glorified when he comes again.

Voices Against Violence

2009-05-12T09:04:00.002-05:00

I want to commend Judge Agnes Chappell and Judge Annetta Verin for the work they have done in Birmingham with Voices Against Violence.

Be Thou My Vision

2009-04-24T20:42:00.001-05:00

My favorite hymn of all time....

Carolina Chocolate Drops "Cornbread and Butterbeans"

2009-04-20T12:43:00.002-05:00

A little bit of a different sound by the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Enjoy!

Carolina Chocolate Drops: Acapella Gaelic Medley by Rhiannon

2009-04-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

Just saw the Carolina Chocolate Drops in Moulton, AL. They are an incredible band, and just SO much fun in concert. Rhiannon also performed this piece there ... wonderful. Brings me back to my Celtic roots ....

March for Babies

2009-04-17T12:27:00.004-05:00

I will be participating in the March for Babies on April 25th, 2009, at 8:00 a.m. If you would like to sponsor me by making a donation, please go to the link at the bottom of the page. If you are simply interested in finding out more about the plight of mothers and babies around the world, the following links are a place to start:

March of Dimes

Women for Women International

World Vision

If you know of other resources, please let me know and I'll be happy to post the links to those as well! I realize that this is just scratching the surface, but it's one way to help make a difference.

Let us unite in banishing fear

2008-11-07T16:20:00.003-06:00

"After all, there is an element in the readjustment of our financial system more important than currency, more important than gold, and that is the confidence of the people. Confidence and courage are the essentials of success in carrying out our plan. You people must have faith; you must not be stampeded by rumors or guesses. Let us unite in banishing fear. "

Roosevelt said it well, and it's something I hope we will all hear again. I walked into class today and one student was showing a video (ah, the lovely combination of you tube and wifi in a college classroom) to his fellow classmates that went on and on about all of the reasons to fear Obama. I realized in that moment how tired I am of all of the talk of fear. It's time to act out of a position of health and wellness, to choose the good rather than running from the bad. It's also time for truth to make a come-back, rather than all of us being satisfied with the malicious spreading of rumor and innuendo in the hope that a fearful people will more easily be controlled.

So "let us unite in banishing fear", because, as Roosevelt said, "Together we cannot fail."

Can you find the words?

2008-11-06T12:27:00.002-06:00

From a text message making the rounds in Accra, Ghana:

"Rosa Parks sat down so that Martin Luther King could walk so that Jesse Jackson could stand so that Obama could run so that our children can fly."

Seven-year-old Ohene:

"Daddy, you mean since God created the world this is the first time that a black person has become president of America?"

Wow, indeed.

I'm back!

2008-10-22T15:22:00.002-05:00

After a REALLY long hiatus, I'm making a feeble comeback into cyberspace ... I hope you haven't all forgotten me!

Thoughts for the day:
1) Only in Germany can you get married in a barn and sleep in the hay on your wedding night. Seriously. Thank you NY Times!!

2) An open letter to the next President about Food as a national security issue (by Michael Pollen)--- I'll let you read it for yourself, but suffice it to say, that after listening to the show about it on NPR I found myself (very briefly) fantasizing about being a farmer. I agree and hope we can implement at least some of these ideas.

3) Who I'm voting for this year: Barack Obama. Because he's thoughtful and clearheaded and seems to have good ideas about how to get us out of this (take your pick!) mess. John McCain is a good person, but I don't think he's the right guy right now.

Solidarity = We're all in it together

2008-07-03T09:00:00.003-05:00

More notes on Germany's health system -- highlights from today's Morning Edition on NPR:

* The health system is not funded by taxes; however, the government DOES regulate the non-profit (and for-profit) insurance companies to keep costs down, and also regulates what doctors can charge.

* Before you start worrying about the poor doctors, they are still the highest-paid professionals in Germany (higher paid than lawyers and architects; entrepreneurs can still earn much more, depending on how successful they are. There are millionaires living the German dream, even!) The doctors earn about 1/3 of what their U.S. counterparts earn. (Oh, and they don't have to pay ridiculous malpractice insurance premiums, because the German legal system is also regulated and there aren't lawsuits for malpractice going on all the time. If a doctor commits malpractice, depending on the severity, they lose their license and the patient harmed is paid; no need to tie up the legal system unduly. And German doctors didn't accrue hundreds of thousands of debt getting their eduction, so they aren't having to pay all of that off.)

* Each worker pays 8% of their salary into the health system. The employers also pay 8% per worker. It is based entirely on what you earn. If you earn more than 72,000 Euros, you can opt out of the required non-profit insurance and you can buy private (for-profit) insurance. Right now I have pretty good health insurance, although they don't cover everything. I have some kind of deductible ($500? $1000?) and I have to pay a co-pay each time I visit the doctor, as well as for medications, etc. The cost for my health insurance is a set rate, not based on my salary, but right now it comes to about 3%, and my employer puts in 9%. I would be more than happy to have that increased on my part (and decreased on the part of my employer) if I knew that a) I would always have access to high quality health care whether employed or not, b) I would be able to go to the doctor whenever I feel like it and not be charged and c) everyone else in my country was also paying in based on salary and also covered. I KNOW that 8% can come to a lot of money for some of you, but just remember that you won't have any other medical-related out-of-pocket expenses.

* The non-profit insurance provides a level of care equivalent or better to many places here in the U.S. You can even call your doctor in the middle of the night and reach him personally at home (not some service) and ask for a home visit to help care for your flu (unheard of here) or you can call him personally at home on a Sunday afternoon and he can arrange to see you in the clinic that very day (as happened to me once). By the way, I was just a tourist travelling through. They glanced at my insurance card (travel insurance) and took care of all that ailed me. I didn't have to pay a single penny out-of-pocket. It turns out that my travel insurance is one of those "pay first and we will reimburse you" types. So, the German doctor probably was not paid for the care that he rendered to me (I did not realize that at the time, but learned it over a year later). If you were badly injured in Germany, they would care for you without asking any questions about insurance.

* Private insurance entitles you to see any doctor you want, even the chief of medicine, get a free cup of coffee, jump to the head of the line, and get a private room in the hospital. (All according to today's show.)

One of the things said in the show was by a man who is familiar with both the German and U.S. health care systems (he's German, married to an American woman). He said that in Germany no one would ever go bankrupt trying to pay for healthcare, and that the healthcare system was one of the reasons that they would never consider moving to the U.S. And I thought of all of those personal pleas for funds --- all of the requests to leave a few dollars for little Suzie or little Johnny so that they can the operation they need; or please donate to St. Jude's or to the Ronald McDonald house, etc., etc.

It's not that I don't think it's great that Americans are so charitable, and that we give money to organizations to help others, but so many fall through the cracks that way, because St. Jude and Ronald McDonald can't possibly help every single person out there (and they focus on kids at any rate). And yes, there are lovely Make-a-wish foundation gifts and these great TV shows where they make over someone's house to help them out because they're good people who have fallen on hard times, and Oprah gives tons of money to people; but there are still so many who fall through the cracks. And we are the wealthiest nation on earth! (Holding onto that distinction by a thread at the moment, but still....)

Universal health care would cover everyone. It doesn't break the bank. It shouldn't even raise your taxes, if we fund it like Germany. Yes, the insurance company will need to be non-profit (shouldn't they all be?) and costs will need to be regulated, but aren't the lives of 48 million Americans worth it? We're spending billions a day on a war in Iraq in order to avenge the death of 3,000 Americans, but we won't spend any money so that the poorest among us can have a half-way decent quality of life?

In my many discussions with people about this, the most startling thing I've been told is that part of the "fun" of being an American, and the whole underpinning of the American Dream, is not just that any of us can have whatever we can achieve through our own hard work (bollocks, but I won't get into that now), but that one can have something that is more than what other people have. It's not just keeping up with the Jones's, it's BEING the Jones's and staying ahead of everyone else. (I've also been asked by some why they should give up their "hard-earned" money to help someone else -- when I get over the shock of hearing this, I think, because it will make our country better, stronger, and SAFER. Poverty fuels crime.)

I don't know if that's really true. The idealist in me, the part of me that wants there to be good in everyone, hopes that it isn't true. I KNOW that it isn't true for all of the Jones's out there, although it might be true for some. But can't we all get over our desire to have something more than others around us, and realize that each person having access to the same level of care would actually serve ALL of us, and make this an even better place?

Watch what you eat!

2008-07-02T21:52:00.002-05:00

Monterey Bay Aquarium has a list of seafood you should seek out, and seafood you should avoid, either because of the damage done to the environment, or the damage done to us (by eating too much mercury.

How do they do it?

2008-07-02T15:48:00.003-05:00

Have you ever wondered how it is that Germany can have a better (really!) healthcare system than the United States and still manage to spend half of what we do per person? This fascinating story at NPR will tell you. By "better" I don't mean that they have superior physicians. We have the best medical schools in the world, excellent doctors, excellent nurses and other healthcare providers, and we have wonderful hospitals and equipment etc. Germany has all of that as well, but the difference is that it is available to everyone. (We could argue about which medical schools are better; I've heard that the U.S. ones are, both from American and German doctors/medical students, but I'm sure there are those who would disagree. I have no personal knowledge about that.)

NPR is doing a series comparing medical systems in Europe and the U.S. There's even a link so that you can check individual costs across countries (Check out the interactive graphic!)

This is the year when we all need to be thinking about how healthcare in the U.S. can be improved, made more cost-effective and efficient, and how it can be made available to EVERYONE. Yep, I said it. I'm a crazy liberal, who thinks that all of God's children (and everyone else's children) should have access to good health and dental care. While we're at it, I also think they should have access to decent food, safe neighborhoods and good schools.

So let's get hoppin' ...

Bringing what she is able...

2008-06-30T21:26:00.002-05:00

Texas in Africa wrote a provocative post today, asking what it is that we are able to give up so that someone else might have life, and asking hard questions about what it is to be church and to be Christians. I challenge you to read it and think about it. But if you can't, at least watch this beautiful video and let it touch your heart:

Let's do it!!

2008-06-30T13:30:00.002-05:00

Come run with me (and many, many others) in the World Wide Half on October 11/12 this year! Thanks to Triviales Wissen for letting me know all about it :-). I probably won't "run" the whole thing, but love the idea of a worldwide event.

Ugh

2008-06-29T17:38:00.001-05:00

It is a sad, sad day. "Deutschland vor, noch ein Tor".... *sigh*

I actually WON something.

2008-06-27T16:38:00.002-05:00

Would you believe it? Inkspot Workshop had their first ever Free Lunch giveaway, and I won a set of the Pinwheel Flowers notecards. Hurray!!

Inspired to Action

2008-06-25T11:58:00.002-05:00

On the Inspired to Action website, today's inspiration comes from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: "Let everyone sweep in front of his own door and the whole world will be clean."

On a completely non-spiritual note, in Germany to this day (not just when Goethe was hanging around) it is expected that everyone who owns (or is renting) a house, keep the street in front of said house clean, by sweeping it once a week during the non-winter months, and by shoveling the snow off of the sidewalk whenever that is necessary during the winter months. For this reason, my brother, sister and I all had to clean the sidewalk every Saturday when we lived in Germany, each of us having a specific section for which we were responsible. Thankfully, my parents took care of shoveling the snow when it had the audacity to fall during the night in the winter (you had to have the sidewalk clear by something like 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning), although I remember helping with this task occasionally (on Saturdays) as well.

It's an interesting thing about the German psyche --- you do something simply because it is the right thing to do. To the best of my recollection there isn't an actual law requiring people to do this, although their neighbors will remark on it if it isn't done (and removing the snow in the winter has to do with safety, etc.) And if you don't do the right thing, people will take it upon themselves to point out to you the extent to which you've missed the mark. In like manner, if you live in an apartment complex, you are required to clean the windows and stairs in the common areas (how often depends on how many people are in the rotation), and you are expected to respect the posted "quiet times". This is all set by the owner/landlord.

There is certainly something to all of this --- it's not just about taking care of things that are your own, the care of which affects only you, but also the bits in your purview that will affect the well-being of others. It's a remarkable amount of personal responsibility, especially when you consider that Germany has a strong social safety net; i.e. is a country, where people might be expected to sit around and wait for the government or someone else to take care of those things.

In very small ways, it makes the world a nicer place, bit by bit. How can we step a little further out of our comfort zone and affect the world around us in a positive way?

Google Reader ROCKS

2008-06-23T16:42:00.005-05:00

Wow. You've got to love something that does all of the work for you. :-).

Just a reminder to everyone: today is the first day of the 40-day fast on Inspired to Action. Today's post was by Brant Hansen about "where God lives".

Really?

2008-06-20T16:49:00.003-05:00

Calling all engineers!!! Is this for real? I recently got an insider tip (wink, wink) from Australia that people there are driving LPG cars, which cost half of what it costs to fill up with normal gasoline, and are better for the environment, etc., etc.

Are these available in the United States? What are the drawbacks? The benefits seem obvious enough.

Well, darn it ... they're only available in Canada and Argentina. What about us?

Going shopping?

2008-06-20T15:50:00.002-05:00

If you're looking around for cute gifts, check out the Cute One's new blog, Annette's Creative Endeavors. She has a number of different pictures and notecards for sale from her Etsy shop, A&W Photography.

There's also a fabulous, fun giveaway at The Downtown Boutique. Buying stuff is fun, but getting it for free every now and again is EVEN funner :-). If you like stationary (and the chance for more free gifts!) check out the Inkspot Workshop and MewPaperArts.

If you're interested in putting your own handmade treasures out into the world for sale, check out Etsy. It's free (mostly) to set up your own shop, and you can be selling to world before you know it. For some insight into how much work might be required go here.

Ok, that's my bit for capitalism and keeping the economy rolling... have a splendid Friday!

John Wesley's General Rules

2008-06-19T20:06:00.002-05:00

1) Do no harm.
2) Do good.
3) Practice the Means of Grace.

Moving with the times...

2008-06-19T17:35:00.003-05:00

I headed out to the library on Tuesday to see the movie they were showing, "A Crude Awakening". The movie was interesting and thought-provoking, and I recommend it to anyone interested in questions surrounding our dependence on fossil fuels and other alternative energy sources.

In the film, they argued that the earth has reached "peak oil", and that we are about to enter a period in which the amount of available oil is dwindling, but our need for it is increasing. I have no way, really, of independently determining if they are right about the fact that we are about to run out of oil in the next 30 or so years. They make a good argument, but there are experts on both sides of the issue (perhaps on all 3 or 4 or 5 sides...) Personally, I don't think we are on the brink of running out, since the earth has been around for a very long time, and there is lots and lots of plant and animal matter that got squished in the various strata and then heated up by the earth's core and turned into oil. But even if they are wrong about WHEN we are going to run out of oil, I do think that it will eventually run out, since we don't really have the time to start making any more, and we are sucking it up out of the earth rather quickly.

More unsettling to me personally than the idea that we are about to run out of oil was the realization that none of the alternative energy sources currently available come close to being as efficient and providing near the amount of energy that we need every day. They are all a drop in the bucket, and most of them require more in fossil fuels to create than they generate in energy, making it all a bit pointless. Oh, and then there are all the bio-fuels and the unwanted consequence of a rise in food prices and various crises of food availability around the world.

The movie paints a dire picture, but doesn't leave us entirely without hope. Although we do not currently have the technology, we can start working on getting the technology for alternative energy sources, if we will only invest in the research and development, and as long as we understand that all of this will take probably 40-60 years, or more. In addition to doing that we can also continue research into better ways of locating and extracting oil (many experts believe there is a huge amount available off the coast of the U.S.; Bush and McCain want to lift the ban on offcoast drilling in the U.S.; Brazil is apparently about to start deep-sea-drilling).

But the best possible thing we can do right now is conserve energy. Here are some ways:

1) Drive as little as possible. Try to do as many of your errands as you can each time.
2) Drive more slowly -- stick to the speed limit. I know, I hate it too, but it really does save gas.
3) Make your home as energy-efficient as possible.
4) Drive a fuel-efficient car.

None of this will lower the gas prices we have right now, of course, not even finding more crude oil here in the country --- mainly because we're not actually suffering a shortage, and none of the new stuff we find (perhaps) would even be on the market for the next 10 years at least. Brazil (see note above) has already done all of their research, and even their crude oil won't be on the market until 2020. And maybe our prices shouldn't come down. After all, we're still paying 1/2 of what they pay in Europe, and the higher the prices go, the more fuel-efficient we will become. And that is a good thing.

For an interesting, and far more lucid discussion of all of the above, listen to today's edition of the Diane Rehm Show.

Because HE said so...

2008-06-17T11:32:00.003-05:00

... and because my dear friend Texas in Africa is one of the organizers and one of the most inspiring women I know.

We are called to be salt and light. Starting on June 23, "Inspired to Action" will be hosting a 40-day fast. Each day for 40 days a different blogger will fast for the day and blog about a cause that is their passion. If you would like to participate, you can go to the registration page and share why you would like to participate. If you don't want to participate actively, you can go to that site each day and read and pray, and see how you are being led to be salt and light in the world; to bless the world, and make it a better place.

Peace and love, y'all...

Thought for the day

2008-06-06T16:52:00.005-05:00

The Gospel of Christ knows no religion but social, and no holiness but
social holiness. You cannot be holy except as you are engaged in making the
world a better place. You do not become holy by keeping yourself pure and clean
from the world but by plunging into ministry on behalf of the world's hurting
ones.

--John Wesley

Notes from the trenches....

2008-06-05T14:51:00.003-05:00

Well, it looks like Annette has pulled ahead today (12 to 11), so I'll need to step it up!! But I've been out learning about worthwhile causes:

On Tuesday, I attended a "Slow Food Summit" at the local library, all about the benefits of slow food (as opposed to fast food). The movement started in Italy back when the first McDonald's arrived, and has spread around the world. The main emphasis, and one that is particularly important with the current cost of fuel, is to eat food grown locally as much as possible. The panel said that if you have a choice between organic food from 3,000 miles away or locally-grown food from around the corner, the local food is the best choice, even if they did use Round-up to kill the weeds (although it would be good to convince people to try more natural methods of pest control!) For more information about the slow food movement and how to buy locally in your little corner of the world, go here.

One of the panelists at the summit was James Spencer from Grow Alabama, a local food co-op. By joining, I will not only be guaranteed wonderful, locally-grown fresh produce, but I'll be doing my part to help local farmers and the state economy. (A little, anyway. For ways to REALLY help this State, check out my previous post about the Constitution). I can't wait to get my first veggie basket!!

I think it's great that so many people are taking a step back and realizing how good it is to buy local food when possible. Another panelist was Edwin Marty from Jones Valley Urban Farm, a downtown farm that not only provides organic produce to many of the local restaurants, but also provides educational opportunities for children and youth in downtown Birmingham.

Yesterday, I attended the second meeting of the Baptist Church of the Covenant class to raise awareness about the state of the Alabama Constitution. If you haven't watched the movie, It's a Thick Book, I highly recommend it. It's funny and educational, and highlights why we so desperately need reform in this state. But even if you're not from Alabama, I think it's interesting to learn more about taxation (our tax code is embedded in the constitution) and about how to tax in a way that is equitable across different levels of income. I don't like giving up my money any more than the next person, especially since I enjoy eating and having a roof over my head, etc.; but if it means creating a better and healthier community in which I can live, and if it means providing basic goods and services to me and to my family, I am all for it.

ugh...

2008-05-30T22:42:00.002-05:00

In my post from February 22nd I mentioned $3.00 gas, and I think I might have been exaggerating at that point....

Another embarrassing note...

2008-05-30T14:49:00.001-05:00

Voters here in the lovely (truly!) State of Alabama decided in 2004 to keep language in the constitution of Alabama that requires the segregation of white and colored children in public schools. It isn't enforced, but you would think that we'd have the wherewithall to repeal it in the 21st Century.

And you would be wrong.

Only 78.3%

2008-05-30T14:28:00.001-05:00

Well, I took the civics literacy quiz and only made 78.3%, which is above the national average, but still nothing to write home about.

Take it, and let me know how you do!!

Alabama needs a new constitution

2008-05-30T13:20:00.004-05:00

1 John 3: 17-18 (NIV)

"17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has
no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not
love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

The 1901 Alabama Constitution does not serve the needs of the people in this state. If we just ignore the fact that it was created for the express purpose of disenfranchising African American and poor voters, we are still left with an unwieldy, inefficient, monstrous document. It is by far the longest constitution in the world, primarily because of the excessive number of amendments created to speak to such important points of law as whether or not to allow Bingo games in Madison County. Further, it is almost impossible to get anything done in the 3 months the legislature meets every year, because of the ridiculous hoops they are left to jump through for any and everything they'd like to pass. State legislators are so busy discussing amendments related to individual localities, they don't have time to worry about the pressing needs of the state as a whole.

But the most egregious feature of this constitution is the unjust taxation. Susan Pace Hamill discovered that Alabama has the most regressive tax code in the country, and wrote passionately about the need to reform it, decrying it as immoral and unjust. For further information, check here, here and here.

For more information about reforming the constitution, go to the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform website. There, you also have the opportunity to see a 45-minute movie created by a graduate of Homewood High School, Lewis Lehe. The movie, "It's a Thick Book" is available for free on the website, or for a donation if you would like a copy of the DVD to show to friends and family, or anyone you think might be interested.

So, it's time for a change. If you live in Alabama, please go to the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform website and sign the petition for a new constititution; then talk to your friends, your family, your legislators, and anyone who will listen.

If you are at all curious about what the Bible has to say about oppressing the poor, you can check out the following Scripture references: Isaiah 3:5; Proverbs 14:31; 28:3, 6; 21:21; Zechariah 8:10; Job 5:15-16; Psalm 9:19; James 2:5-6; Luke 6:20-21, 24-25; Luke 1:53; Luke 4:18; Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 15:7, 10-1; Psalm 82:3-4; Proverbs 29:7; Isaiah 58:6-7; Matthew 5:42; Luke 3:11; 1 John 3:17-18; Matthew 25:35, 40.

An easy way to make a difference

2008-03-05T12:03:00.002-06:00

There are a number of websites that give you a chance to give money for literacy, hunger, breast cancer awareness, saving the rainforest, etc., by the simple click of a button. According to these sites, sponsors will pay $1.00 each time someone clicks on the "Click to Give" button.

So, if you feel like making a bit of a difference today, at almost no cost to you, go here.

oh, DEAR

2008-02-22T15:04:00.002-06:00

50 lashes with a wet noodle for me --- sorry to have left all of you with nothing to do as you try to waste time at work!! Just kidding; well, mostly. I know that's a true statement for at least one of you. I can't believe so much time has passed since my last post!!

Not much news here --- but I have several friends getting ready to welcome little ones to their families, which is pretty exciting. No names, but you know who you are, and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Training for the 1/2 marathon is going well. We're doing 11 miles tomorrow, can you believe it?? The Ides of March will be here before we know it, though.

There is something to be said for the great, cosmic sense of humor -- I was out at a coffee shop for my weekly Stammtisch with students last night. Little did I know, but 1/2 of the shop was taken up by a Jewish group there for a lecture. This lecture went on for most of the evening, so I just tried to meet quietly with my students in the other corner. When I went up to get my coffee, I could hear the professor talking about prayer and blessing food. He said that he is always jealous of Christians, because they hold hands around the table and bless food before they eat. (I felt more than a little convicted because I'm not really good about doing this). His point, to his students, was that showing gratitude is important; even if you don't believe in God, it is a good thing to pause and be grateful for the food you're about to receive (and by extension for the good that is in your life). It was interesting, and thought-provoking; but here's where the cosmic sense-of-humor comes in: some of the students from my adult class joined us for Stammtisch and one woman brought her father. Well, he is in his 80s and speaks beautiful German -- that he learned as a prisoner of war during WWII. He knows his POW number by heart, and can say all of the phrases he heard (and had to obey) with heartbreaking clarity. He's hard-of-hearing and speaks quite loudly, so on one side of the room you had the Jewish class talking about remembering to be grateful, and on the other side an elderly gentleman talking (loudly) about seeing a friend get his head bashed in; his mother's cousin, who was killed by the Nazis in 1934; and the one time in 8 months they were allowed to take a shower --- the fleas and lice had gotten so bad that the soldiers took their clothes and put them in the gas chamber and then let them take a shower while the fleas and lice were being killed.

It was quite a surreal experience -- but has reminded me to be grateful; for what I eat, for the fact that I can buy gas (even at $3.00) a gallon and drive anywhere I'd like; for the fact that I can say what I want to whom I want without fear that I will be kidnapped by the government or anyone else and never seen again.

We are incredibly lucky --- to put it another way, we are blessed. I suppose we shouldn't forget, though, that "to whom much is given, much shall be required".

Happy New Year 2008!!

2008-01-01T12:19:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I don't really have many "resolutions" this year, other than the general resolution to keep getting better, to try each day to do more of the things I know I should and less of the things I know I shouldn't. There are always little helps along the way, things that appear as if out of nowhere ... books recommended by dear friends, the inspired turns of phrase that grab you during a sermon. There are several that have popped up lately, and I want to share the best with you:

1) Anne Lamott ... read anything -- she provides beautiful new ways to think about faith and life and community and friendship, and the comfort of sharing her journey and showing us that there's at least one other person out there as screwed up and confused as we are.

2) Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles (thanks again RP) - an amazing story of conversion and incarnation -- how to become the words of Christ to a world in need.

3) Greg Boyd, author and Senior Pastor of Woodland Hills Church in Minnesota -- in June 2007, Christian Ethics Today hosted a conference on "The Minister and Politics" in Washington, D.C. You can get a DVD of the 4 main speakers, Jim Wallis, Melissa Rogers, Greg Boyd and Tony Campolo. They were all thought-provoking, but Gred Boyd's radical call to living the Christian life grabbed hold and hasn't let go. If you can, order a copy of the DVD. The proceeds go to support the work of Christian Ethics Today and publication of their journal. If not, Greg has a blog, where you can read his thoughts and reflections on a number of different issues. He's a compelling speaker and a "very smart man" (to quote my Dad...)

I hope 2008 is an inspiring time of change and renewal for all of you, and for our world.

Ay, caramba!!

2007-12-21T22:39:00.000-06:00

Ok, ok. More words:

So, I'm training for the Tom King Classic 1/2 Marathon on March 15th. Should be pretty cool. You start out in Titan Stadium, run a BIG loop that includes some time along the Cumberland river (= pretty and flat), and then you end up back in Titan Stadium. The finish line is the 50 yard line, and they project your image up on the Jumbotron when you cross it. Yes, that is exactly why I'm running this particular race ... how cool to see yourself fifty feet tall? Oh, and hopefully not terribly sweaty, but still smiling after 13. 1 miles.

Anyway, the "official" start date for training is Monday, December 24, but I've been doing a little running to just keep in shape until then.

So, on Thursday, December 20, the Birmingham track club held their "Running of the Lights". It had been rainy and gloomy all day, and the wind started blowing that evening, so my friend "running Lisa" and I ALMOST decided to stay home and eat cheese. Mmm, cheese ... but I digress. Instead, and in spite of the cold, we went out and had a great 3 mile run from Independent Presbyterian Church on Highland Avenue, down "the big hill" (a direction I much prefer - our usual route takes us up it), down Clairmont to Triangle Park and then up a GARGANTUAN hill to Cliff Road, then back to the 33rd and back down to the church. This was of course, and most delightfully, followed by margaritas, chips, queso and guacamole (and accidental lemonade) at Rojo. Yum. It was such a great run, and then so much fun to just hang out with everyone at Rojo. Track club people are the coolest. AND we earned cosmic karma points (I'm sure) for (almost) running in the rain (it was just misting by the time we ran) and up a huge hill.

If you're interested in joining us for the race in March, we would love the company. If you're curious what training for a 1/2 marathon entails, go here.

Y'all be good now, y'hear, and have a very Merry Christmas.

New Template...

2007-12-17T21:22:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I can't help myself. Sometimes it means staying up until 4 in the morning moving all of my furniture around because I've gotten bored with it, and sometimes it's just clicking a little button and changing the template on my blog. I like the new. And lately I've been really into green.

The pretty people

2007-11-16T11:36:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm pretty sure I'll never be one of the "distinguished few", but what a ride it would be ....

Sometimes things just work out...

2007-11-06T14:30:00.000-06:00

A good friend suggested that I read "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott. It's her reflection on writing and life, and is filled with wisdom and humor. So, after class let out on Monday, I made my way over to Books-A-Million. When I got up to the register, the clerk mentioned that my membership would run out in five days, so I renewed. And guess what? They happened to have a special running and I got a free BAM tote bag.

If you're a writer or want to be a writer, "Bird by Bird" is a good place to start. Or if you're like me and just get stuck sometimes, it's good to read Lamott, because you realize there's someone else out there who gets it -- and can tell you how to get back out of it. And if you're having a particularly lucky day, you get a free tote bag as part of the bargain.

Thanks.

The Top 10!

2007-11-02T10:50:00.001-05:00

A friend sent me this list of the top 10 most inhospitable venues in the world. He's an LSU fan, and proud of the distinction; but check out #1 --- all these years I've thought Texas A&M was the only school with a "12th man". Go figure.

I love language

2007-11-01T09:05:00.000-05:00

I really do. Everywhere you look, there's some fun little tidbit to learn. Did you know that the Germans "carry" their clothes? So do the Spanish, who "carry" or "convey" their clothing.

But Chinese is the most fun of all. Take the word "guo" as an example. It can be pronounced four different ways: with a high, steady tone; with a rising tone; with a low tone that falls and then rises; or with a falling tone. And here's what it can mean:

high, steady tone: 1) someone's surname; 2) a loud, swallowing sound; 3) a crucible; 4) the name of a mountain; 5) the name of a river; 6) cyrtophyllus [what?!?]; 7) outer city wall; 8) pot, pan; boiler.

rising tone: 1) country; state; nation; 2) cap worn by women; feminine; 3) to slap; 4) to cut off the left ear of the slain; 5) hollow; 6) name of an ancient state.

falling/rising tone: 1) fruit; result; 2) outer coffin; 3) monkey; 4) cooked rice for making cake; 5) Eumenes pomiformis [Again, what?!?]; 6) wrap around; 7) grease-pot under a cart.

falling tone: 1) (experienced action marker); 2) to cross; 3) to go over; 4) to pass (time); 5) to celebrate (a holiday); 6) to live; 7) to get along; 8) a surname; 9) excessively.

Seriously. You have to love a word that can mean either crucible, monkey, "to cut off the left ear of the slain" or "to live" -- depending of course on tone and, I would presume, context.

For more fun with Chinese go here.

For all of you runners out there ...

2007-10-26T14:50:00.000-05:00

a few rules for the road.

Oh, and three cheers for the "no purple spandex" rule.

One to watch....

2007-10-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

Check out this site to be Inspired to Action for our world ....

This is too good....

2007-10-22T14:41:00.000-05:00

not to share. Thanks, TEXAS!!! And here, for all of you who happen to not read her blog, is the link to how to know if an engineer is in love with you. This probably also applies to polymer scientists.

For all the saints ... and "all dishevelled wandering stars"

2007-10-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

Go Saints!! You gotta love it when your home team wins. I know it's become less infrequent as of late, but I think there's a part of the me that will never forget the years of losing seasons, even when we had the likes of Bobby Hebert and Morten Andersen on the field. But now it's a delight watching Drew Brees and Reggie Bush out there, and I hope Sean Payton can keep making the team better and better.

But that cheer is not just for a football team. As corny as it is, it's to all of the saints, who are present to God's call within them and the needs they see around them; to all those who live out a selfless love so that we can see how it's done and perhaps, in some small way, follow in their (and in Christ's) footsteps.

It's a glorious day

2007-10-19T11:18:00.000-05:00

The sky is an impossibly beautiful blue; it's FRIDAY!!!; 44 German students from Weimar visited my class this morning -- a great success :-) ... and I've had some REALLY tasty coffee this morning. I'm still living out of three different apartments, which is a bit odd (and confusing ... I never know where anything is! Like the movie I'm supposed to show on Monday...), but I'm fine. God is in His heaven and all is right with the world.

So, here's another poem I'd like to share --- not because of the title or the name of the main character. That's just how this poem made it's way to my attention in the first place. It's because the final line is sublime:

Who Goes with Fergus?
(by William Butler Yeats)

WHO will go drive with Fergus now,
And pierce the deep wood's woven shade,
And dance upon the level shore?
Young man, lift up your russet brow,
And lift your tender eyelids, maid,
And brood on hopes and fear no more.

And no more turn aside and brood
Upon love's bitter mystery;
For Fergus rules the brazen cars,
And rules the shadows of the wood,
And the white breast of the dim sea
And all dishevelled wandering stars.

Getting ready for winter...

2007-10-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

Those Winter Sundays

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

by Robert Hayden

Yeah, it was one of those....

2007-10-17T13:45:00.001-05:00

So, there's moving and then there's MOVING.

moving = packing all of your stuff into more boxes than you ever thought necessary, hauling beds and dressers and BEAUTIFUL solid oak 6 1/2 foot bookshelves you just had to have at some point up and down stairs and then packing them all into a truck after which you drive them halfway across town (or across the country) and then re-enact the whole scene again, only in reverse this time.

MOVING = all of the above + a fire in your kitchen (the stove exploded; we don't know why; the fire report said, "no human involvement"), which means you move it all AGAIN, into the conveniently vacant upstairs apartment while you wait for your new apartment to be cleaned and repainted. After which you will move everything back downstairs into your original "new" apartment. The second move involved cleaning everything individually to get the smoke and soot off. (Dad thought referring to my "new" apartment as the smutty apartment would be funny, and would help differentiate it from the other new temporary apartment.)

For pictures and perhaps a video (still having technical difficulties?) you can check out my brother's blog. I had neither the energy nor the heart to document it all.

Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Popular Video Game at Church - New York Times

2007-10-08T15:39:00.000-05:00

Would Jesus play Halo?

A Nation of Christians Is Not a Christian Nation - New York Times

2007-10-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

A Nation of Christians Is Not a Christian Nation - New York Times

Simple truth...

2007-10-05T07:32:00.000-05:00

It's not often that I hear something on the radio that makes me want to jump out of bed and blog right away, but today is an exception. Here's what I heard on StoryCorps this morning:

"Be such a man and live such a life that if everybody lived a life like yours, this would be God's paradise."
--- Ed Trinka

Amen and amen.

And some pictures....

2007-10-04T22:51:00.000-05:00

Outside the building. There are 16 units here. Mine is the one on the ground floor, closest to the camera.

The oh, so cute little kitchen. There's space for the washer next to the stove/oven and the dryer will fit the other side of the refrigerator. And can you see the dishwasher?? How luxurious...

The bedroom. You can see the balcony through the window.

The living room.

View from the living room, through the dining room, and into the kitchen. The door to the bedroom is to the left just as you leave the dining room, and the door to the bathroom is exactly opposite. Oh, and this apartment has Central heat/air. Woo hoo!!!

Success!!

2007-10-04T16:49:00.000-05:00

After weeks of combing through the classifieds and apartment listings of all types, I have finally found a new place. It's much smaller than my current apartment, but really cute with hardwood floors, a balcony, and lots of natural light. It's in a hip and fun part of town, too, so I'm really excited.

Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!

2007-10-02T20:09:00.001-05:00

This is GREAT.

HA!

2007-10-02T19:01:00.000-05:00

hoo, boy. This is just getting more and more fun.

ok, I get it!!

2007-10-02T18:13:00.000-05:00

It's been a weekend of quiet messages.

On Saturday, I saw a short film about "Grandpa Bill". He's 76 years old and lives in Leeds, Alabama. Years ago, when his wife died, he moved in with his sister. Knowing he needed to get more exercise, and find a way to fill his time, he decided to start going out to clubs in Birmingham. So, Grandpa Bill has become fixture in the jumpingest joints in town, where he parties until the sun comes up. Then he goes home, eats some popcorn (because he loves popcorn), goes to bed, and then gets up and works in the yard at his sister's place. He wears a hearing aid, and says that he enjoys the clubs, because he can hear the beat and dance. When asked, how he decided to start going out to the clubs, and if it made him nervous at first, he replied, "you don't know what you can do until you try it. Just get out there and start moving to the beat."

At church on Sunday morning, the sermon was about prayer. After reading Acts 1:12-14, the pastor pointed out that the disciples (and Mary and all of the women!!) went to the upper room to pray and wait for God's gift of His Spirit. They didn't have any idea what shape it would take, they were simply faithful in following Christ's command to go back to Jerusalem and pray. So they prayed without ceasing, every day, until that gift came. They were faithful in small things, without knowing what the result would be. They were faithful every single day.

On Monday, I picked up Gerald Sittser's Book, "The Will of God as a Way of Life". It's been on my shelf for years. I can't even tell you how many times I've moved it. I've flipped through the pages, and have read parts of it over the years, but hadn't looked at it in ages. So, while I was waiting for a friend to show up, I just flipped through, and this is what jumped out at me: "Experience teaches us, prepares us, and seasons us for what lies ahead. If we are attentive to God in this present moment - which ... is the primary will of God for our lives - we will begin the glorious process of that discovery." [Sittser is talking about discovering our calling.]

And then today, I came across this.

So, ok, I get it. The message is to take that small step, faithfully, every single day; to be attentive to God in this and every present moment; and to pray. Every day. Without ceasing. Because otherwise it is all too overwhelming and there is too much. How are we supposed to make a difference in this world, where the need is so great?

The most powerful message is to be attentive to God in this present moment, because if we listen to His voice today, and step into the circle of light just two feet away (as Ann Lamott's pastor once told her), we don't know where it can take us. But won't it be a great journey!

As Ann would say, I wish you all "Traveling Mercies" and God's blessings for us all.

Still have miles to go before I sleep...

2007-10-02T07:36:00.000-05:00

Coming to a theater near you ...

2007-10-01T21:32:00.001-05:00

The 9th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival was this past weekend. Here are a few you should check out, if you get the chance:

1) For the Bible Tells Me So -- a documentary exploring the biblical view of homosexuality and its impact on gay and lesbian teens and their families. It contrasts literalist and contextualized readings of the main scriptures used to decry homosexuality, and tells the stories of Christian families with gay or lesbian children.

2) Low and Behold -- Turner Stull, a young man trying to figure out what to do with his life, travels to New Orleans to work as a claims adjustor in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The movie does an excellent job of demonstrating how much was lost; much of the filming was done in the lower 9th Ward. Incredible performances by Barlow Jacobs and Eddie Rouse, Jr.

3) Last Stop for Paul -- an incredible travel movie about Charlie and his friend Cliff, who decide to travel around the world in 2 weeks, in order to honor Cliff's friend Paul. It made me want to hop on the next plane to Indonesia ...

4) American Fork -- an amazing movie about Tracy Orbison and his dreams for a better life. The star, Hubbel Palmer, also wrote the screenplay. It is a stunning depiction of life in small-town America, and the yearning for something bigger and greater that tugs at each of us.

The Bard by way of Eliza....

2007-09-28T11:42:00.001-05:00

IMG_1681, originally uploaded by ADionne27.

Oh, what fools these mortals be,
So tragic and so funny.
Ships of bones that sail the sea
For lands of milk and honey.
The promise of perfection sighs
Into each mortal ear;
Never to be realized
That's how it is down here.

Wayward world I weep for thee
Spinning 'round the sun;
Wellspring of diversity,
but all roads lead to one.
What man has loosed upon the sea
Cannot be undone;
Oh, what fools we mortals be
Each and every one.

-- Eliza Gilkyson, "Land of Milk and Honey"

I believe...

2007-09-26T11:38:00.001-05:00

that our country is only as strong and as healthy as the weakest and sickest of its members. Until we help them, we cannot help ourselves. For this reason, I think we need to invest in our future by investing in them, and bringing the poor out of poverty, providing a good education to every single child in this country, and by setting up a system of universal healthcare that won't exclude those who need it most. Rather than impoverishing our country, I think that by doing this, we will together be able to rise to new heights. But if we neglect the poor and downtrodden, more and more people will be sucked into that black hole, until, eventually, we, too, suffer the same fate.

Either we all march up together, or nobody will end up marching.

Other auspicious events....

2007-09-24T15:23:00.000-05:00

The Cute One was born on this day, exactly 31 years ago. She made a rather dramatic entrance, refusing to wait even one more day, despite the German doctor's best attempts at making her stay put until she was "done". She's been delighting us all with her quick wit and good humour ever since. Not one to sit still terribly long (unless there's a REALLY good episode of CSI or Dr. Who on TV), she's intrepidly roaming somewhere in Vietnam right now (with the-patient-one-who-might-be-a-saint-or-something-very-close-to-it, aka The Engineer).

Have a great Birthday and try to stay out of trouble!! You are loved and missed.

In case you can't get the music to work!!

Rebirth of our nation...

2007-09-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Dad for sending an excellent article today. Tom Engelhardt interviewed James Carroll about what happens when "American Exceptionalism meets Team Jesus". It is a lucid description of what's gone wrong in the last few years, but not without a few hopeful thoughts for the years to come.

Renascence

2007-09-24T08:51:00.000-05:00

All I could see from where I stood
Was three long mountains and a wood;
I turned and looked another way,
And saw three islands in a bay.
So with my eyes I traced the line
Of the horizon, thin and fine,
Straight around till I was come
Back to where I'd started from;
And all I saw from where I stood
Was three long mountains and a wood.
Over these things I could not see;
These were the things that bounded me;
And I could touch them with my hand,
Almost, I thought, from where I stand.

And all at once things seemed so small
My breath came short, and scarce at all.
But, sure, the sky is big, I said;
Miles and miles above my head;
So here upon my back I'll lie
And look my fill into the sky.
And so I looked, and, after all,
The sky was not so very tall.
The sky, I said, must somewhere stop,
And -- sure enough! -- I see the top!
The sky, I thought, is not so grand;
I 'most could touch it with my hand!
And reaching up my hand to try,
I screamed to feel it touch the sky.

I screamed, and -- lo! -- Infinity
Came down and settled over me;
Forced back my scream into my chest,
Bent back my arm upon my breast,
And, pressing of the Undefined
The definition on my mind,
Held up before my eyes a glass
Through which my shrinking sight did pass
Until it seemed I must behold
Immensity made manifold;
Whispered to me a word whose sound
Deafened the air for worlds around,
And brought unmuffled to my ears
The gossiping of friendly spheres,
The creaking of the tented sky,
The ticking of Eternity.
I saw and heard, and knew at last
The How and Why of all things, past,
And present, and forevermore.

The Universe, cleft to the core,
Lay open to my probing sense
That, sick'ning, I would fain pluck thence
But could not, -- nay! But needs must suck
At the great wound, and could not pluck
My lips away till I had drawn
All venom out. -- Ah, fearful pawn!
For my omniscience paid I toll
In infinite remorse of soul.
All sin was of my sinning, all
Atoning mine, and mine the gall
Of all regret. Mine was the weight
Of every brooded wrong, the hate
That stood behind each envious thrust,
Mine every greed, mine every lust.
And all the while for every grief,
Each suffering, I craved relief
With individual desire, --
Craved all in vain! And felt fierce fire
About a thousand people crawl;
Perished with each, -- then mourned for all!

A man was starving in Capri;
He moved his eyes and looked at me;
I felt his gaze, I heard his moan,
And knew his hunger as my own.
I saw at sea a great fog bank
Between two ships that struck and sank;
A thousand screams the heavens smote;
And every scream tore through my throat.
No hurt I did not feel, no death
That was not mine; mine each last breath
That, crying, met an answering cry
From the compassion that was I.
All suffering mine, and mine its rod;
Mine, pity like the pity of God.

Ah, awful weight! Infinity
Pressed down upon the finite Me!
My anguished spirit, like a bird,
Beating against my lips I heard;
Yet lay the weight so close about
There was no room for it without.
And so beneath the weight lay I
And suffered death, but could not die.

Long had I lain thus, craving death,
When quietly the earth beneath
Gave way, and inch by inch, so great
At last had grown the crushing weight,
Into the earth I sank till I
Full six feet under ground did lie,
And sank no more, -- there is no weight
Can follow here, however great.
From off my breast I felt it roll,
And as it went my tortured soul
Burst forth and fled in such a gust
That all about me swirled the dust.

Deep in the earth I rested now;
Cool is its hand upon the brow
And soft its breast beneath the head
Of one who is so gladly dead.
And all at once, and over all
The pitying rain began to fall;
I lay and heard each pattering hoof
Upon my lowly, thatched roof,
And seemed to love the sound far more
Than ever I had done before.
For rain it hath a friendly sound
To one who's six feet underground;
And scarce the friendly voice or face:
A grave is such a quiet place.

The rain, I said, is kind to come
And speak to me in my new home.
I would I were alive again
To kiss the fingers of the rain,
To drink into my eyes the shine
Of every slanting silver line,
To catch the freshened, fragrant breeze
From drenched and dripping apple-trees.
For soon the shower will be done,
And then the broad face of the sun
Will laugh above the rain-soaked earth
Until the world with answering mirth
Shakes joyously, and each round drop
Rolls, twinkling, from its grass-blade top.
How can I bear it; buried here,
While overhead the sky grows clear
And blue again after the storm?
O, multi-colored, multiform,
Beloved beauty over me,
That I shall never, never see
Again! Spring-silver, autumn-gold,
That I shall never more behold!
Sleeping your myriad magics through,
Close-sepulchred away from you!
O God, I cried, give me new birth,
And put me back upon the earth!
Upset each cloud's gigantic gourd
And let the heavy rain, down-poured
In one big torrent, set me free,
Washing my grave away from me!

I ceased; and through the breathless hush
That answered me, the far-off rush
Of herald wings came whispering
Like music down the vibrant string
Of my ascending prayer, and -- crash!
Before the wild wind's whistling lash
The startled storm-clouds reared on high
And plunged in terror down the sky,
And the big rain in one black wave
Fell from the sky and struck my grave.
I know not how such things can be;
I only know there came to me
A fragrance such as never clings
To aught save happy living things;
A sound as of some joyous elf
Singing sweet songs to please himself,
And, through and over everything,
A sense of glad awakening.
The grass, a-tiptoe at my ear,
Whispering to me I could hear;
I felt the rain's cool finger-tips
Brushed tenderly across my lips,
Laid gently on my sealed sight,
And all at once the heavy night
Fell from my eyes and I could see, --
A drenched and dripping apple-tree,
A last long line of silver rain,
A sky grown clear and blue again.
And as I looked a quickening gust
Of wind blew up to me and thrust
Into my face a miracle
Of orchard-breath, and with the smell, --
I know not how such things can be! --
I breathed my soul back into me.

Ah! Up then from the ground sprang I
And hailed the earth with such a cry
As is not heard save from a man
Who has been dead, and lives again.
About the trees my arms I wound;
Like one gone mad I hugged the ground;
I raised my quivering arms on high;
I laughed and laughed into the sky,
Till at my throat a strangling sob
Caught fiercely, and a great heart-throb
Sent instant tears into my eyes;
O God, I cried, no dark disguise
Can e'er hereafter hide from me
Thy radiant identity!
Thou canst not move across the grass
But my quick eyes will see Thee pass,
Nor speak, however silently,
But my hushed voice will answer Thee.
I know the path that tells Thy way
Through the cool eve of every day;
God, I can push the grass apart
And lay my finger on Thy heart!

The world stands out on either side
No wider than the heart is wide;
Above the world is stretched the sky, --
No higher than the soul is high.
The heart can push the sea and land
Farther away on either hand;
The soul can split the sky in two,
And let the face of God shine through.
But East and West will pinch the heart
That can not keep them pushed apart;
And he whose soul is flat -- the sky
Will cave in on him by and by.

--- Edna St. Vincent Millay

Recipe of the day

2007-09-05T17:34:00.000-05:00

So, I subscribe to the ediets newsletter, though I wouldn't dare proclaim myself to be on a diet ... mainly because I indulge in Gelato and Bluebell on the side. But every once in a while they have yummy, easy recipes and I wanted to share. Also, a number of you have been wondering whether I've disappeared altogether, so I thought I should post SOMETHING. So, here's today's recipe:

Farfalle with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon
Submitted by Myra
Pistachios, basil and smoked salmon. Three flavor delights in this wonderfully appealing pasta salad. Lemon juice and a splash of olive oil finish it off.
Serves 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 150 minutes
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package farfalle pasta
0.5 cup fresh steamed asparagus tips
1 ounce smoked salmon, chopped1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oilsalt and pepper to taste
Directions
1.In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, rinse under cold water and drain.
2. Steam the asparagus over boiling water and cook until tender but still firm. Drain, cool and chop.
3. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, asparagus, smoked salmon, lemon juice, pistachios, basil, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator and serve at room temperature.

Fun quote of the day

2007-08-27T18:56:00.000-05:00

From the free Calendar I received at one of the first faculty meetings: "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

-- Herm Albright

So, keep smilin', y'all!!

Ok, ok

2007-08-27T18:47:00.001-05:00

I've been bad about blogging. And I don't have any good excuse, really. But just so you don't go entirely stir-crazy waiting for me to put up more pictures, you can check out pics from my trip to Asia at Wes and Annette's travel blog.

They didn't choose the most flattering pictures of me, but it's a fun summary of our time together. And though I did pass on the fried scorpions at the Night Food Street Market, they were pretty cool --- and HUGE.

So, enjoy. And I promise I'll have things back up and running here soon!!

Hello from Hong Kong!!

2007-08-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

Well, after a delightful stay in the Yotel during my 9 hour layover in London (I popped in for four hours -- it was worth every penny of the 25 Pounds!), and a 12 hour flight over eastern Europe and Asia, I arrived in Hong Kong tired, but ready to do some sightseeing. Annette picked me up at Hong Kong Central Station, and we first came back to Annette and Wes's very cute apartment in Sheung Wan. Then she and I headed out on a walking tour of the city, starting with the Temple of Literature and War (Temple to Literature and War?) - the Man Mo Temple. We were intrepid sightsee-ers in spite of the rain, and ended our day with a great view of the daily musical lightshow from the Avenue of Stars. Ours was enhanced by a pyrotechnic show, which made it extra fabulous. They will apparently be doing that on Saturdays in the month of August.

View from the Airport Express on my way into town.

My little welcome package at my favorite Hong Kong B&B: Chez Wes & Annette

Annette admiring the local decorative arts in Man Mo Temple.

A street market in Central.

The View of Central from the Avenue of Stars. The buildings in the background light up in time to a peppy musical show. The added pyrotechnics were a delight for young and old (everyone oohed and aahed).

UPdate

2007-08-09T17:47:00.000-05:00

It's been a really nice last day in Berlin. A bit hot at the outset, but gorgeous weather tonight. It makes me sad to leave! I'm never quite ready to go, even though I'm ready to get on with the next adventure.

Of course, I also wish I could just snap my fingers and appear at the next place, rather than going through the whole airport/security/flight/baggage claim hooha.

Among other things, today I:
* found an excellent pair of 7.99 shades.
* went to the DDR museum for the first time
* saw the Nikolai Kirche for the 10th or 11th time --- but I never get tired of the Nikolai Kirche
* saw the last snippets of a free live performance of "Dinner for One" (A German Tradition!!) at a lovely outside theater
* had authentic Bavarian food (and Apfelstrudel!!)
* had authentic Turkish food (and Mint tea!!)
* mailed almost 10 kg of books back home (fingers crossed that everything makes it!)
* caught a bit of a reggae concert
* heard live modern jazz
* saw fire dancers
* saw fire dancers drop their twirly bits and almost set a gaggle of tourists on fire
* paid for a Benedictine monk to use the loo at the main train station (80 cents)
* found out that the incredibly overpriced internet stations at the main train station won't let me look at my blog because it contains "inappropriate content" -- that was the result for every single "blogspot" site I tried. Are we all really so bad?
* hung out in Dussmann -- the happy book place :-)

It is now 12:57 a.m. and I haven't started packing yet (surely no one is surprised?) My travel time will be about 27 hours door-to-door tomorrow, give or take a few minutes. Can't wait to see the Middle Kingdom :-) --- and to travel around without charges for a few days. The Engineer and the Cute One have cleared out a closet for me to sleep in, and have all sorts of adventures planned (right?)

"The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?" -- "The same procedure as every year, James"

And as to my packing at the last possible minute? Well, that's the same procedure as every year as well.

It's almost the end...

2007-08-08T16:05:00.000-05:00

... of quite a summer. We returned from Poland today and are back in Berlin, staying in Prenzlauer Berg at a pretty cool, inexpensive hotel/hostel: Hotel for You(th) [a tiny "th" is at the end of the name -- tricky!]

I'm sorry I haven't had much time to blog or share with you about some of the interesting, wonderful, horrible, "cultural" things we've experienced.

Poland was quite a mix of highs and lows, a combination of a little too much togetherness, the fact that we're at the end of 10 weeks together, and the experience of travelling in a country that is in the process of being renewed and refurbished after years of letting buildings and streets (and streetcars) go without much care.

We rented a car and drove, which was pretty wild. The car had sensors at the front back and sides to let you know if you were too close to something, and at one point all of the sensors were screaming. We drove down windy, two-lane roads, staying with the traffic-flow (btw. 100-140 km/hr), but then coming to almost a dead stand-still behind trucks or farm equipment. Polish people think the pretty stripes on the road are decorative, more than anything, and occasionally I would look up in the rear-view mirror to see them lined up three across (two lanes, remember!), and then look through the windshield to see the same thing. More than once I watched a car whiz in front of a line of cars at the last possible second, escaping death (and a huge mess!), by mere seconds and millimeters. Motorcycles thought any space big enough for them to squeeze into was fair game, and the little old men on bicycles on the side of the road would let nothing bother them --- they were going to go at their own pace and take up as much of the road as they needed, no matter how many horns were honking.

Szczecin (German: Stettin), our first stop, was an old harbor town and former member of the Hanseatic league. It was also the seat of the Pomeranian dukes, which made it of personal interest to me. The last Pomeranian duke employed Christian Schwarz, Sibylle Schwarz's father. He (the duke) died in 1637, leaving Pomerania up for grabs. Part of it went to the Swedes, part to Prussia, and part to Poland. After WWII it ended up half in Germany and half in Poland, but entirely under the purview of the Soviet Union. Stettin showed signs of development, and they have begun to make the downtown area tourist-worthy, but it still bore the marks of years of neglect. As we drove through Poland, we went to cities that were more and more developed/tourist-ready.

Our second stop was Wroclaw (German: Breslau). We stayed in the Novotel at the outskirts of town (it had a swimming pool!! And it was about 65 degrees while we were there -- but that didn't stop people from sunbathing.) We visited an amazing Jewish Cemetary, which is one of very few to escape destruction by the Nazis. And we also visited the baroque University and several churches ... there were churches everywhere you looked!! It was great to step inside the Archcathedral (there was another Cathedral in town) and just rest and reflect for a while.

Our final stop was Cracow, spiritual heart of Poland -- we visited Wawel castle, the main town square (Rynek Glowny) and the Jewish quarter (Kazimierz). We also took a day trip to the Salt Mines, and another out to Auschwitz. We also spent time on Sunday at a prayer service in the Church of St. Mary on the main square. It is the most beautiful church I've ever been inside; and I've been in lots and lots of churches.

On our way back to Berlin, we spent a day and a half in Dresden. We went to the zoo and to see the "transparent" Phaeton manufacturing plant. Pretty incredible --- car manufacturing heaven. I really don't see how they can make any profit, even though the Phaeton is not cheap. To give you an idea: you can get a package deal of a Phaeton (made-to-order) and matching speedboat and trailer for 180,000 Euros. By made-to-order, I mean: they will make the interior out of any color/type of leather you would like. And the wood trim can be made out of the tree of your choice. Just pick a tree, and they will come out and cut it down and then they will work the wood into the car. The speedboat can have the same wood and interiors, and a matching color of paint. Oh, and as to the paint, they will match any color you would like ... just bring in a sample of what you want. And the workers? Very happy. 95% of the work is done by hand, not machine, but in such a way so that the workers don't have to bend over; everything is ergonomic. They have fancy-schmancy hydrolic lifts to move the chassis into the height and position desired by each worker for the job they are doing. The building itself is out of glass, letting in natural light, and the floor of the workplace is wood -- easier on the back. I could go on and on, but you'll be happier reading about it for yourself here and here. If I ever had the kind of money that enabled me to purchase a car in this price category, this is probably the one I would get. Their propaganda convinced me. It's all about the quality -- and the fact that they let you install your own steering wheel, if you want.

GAH!!!

2007-08-04T12:22:00.001-05:00

So, I got an email today from my friend Cindy. She's been watching my apartment for me while I'm in Europe.

She checked my apartment this morning, and noticed that there were several empty apartments, that a lot of people seemed to be moving out, and that the bushes (beautiful bushes!) in front of the complex had all been cut down. Then she noticed a letter on my door, which relayed the following information:

It says that the Broadway apts were sold to a condo developer and the new owner will not be renewing any leases. It continues, "Please proceed with plans to find a new place to live. The new owner will allow you to move any time with a 30 day written notice. Return your keys to Metcalf's office. Please provide our forwarding address so we can refund your deposit.

If you need a rental reference, please call 879-2177 and press zero for the operator. We apologize for any inconvenience. Metcalf was not involved in the recent sale. The Oakley Group was the selling agent."

HA! Life is fun. Prayers are appreciated. Anyone who wants to come to Birmingham on vacation and help me move will also be appreciated :-). I'll provide pizza and beer!!

This is really just to let you know what's going on. Proof that God has a huge sense of humor. Lots of love to all of you :-).

Szczecin (Stettin) and Wroclaw (Breslau)

2007-08-03T09:51:00.000-05:00

We're off to Poland!! ... so here are a few impressions of Berlin

2007-07-30T17:57:00.001-05:00

2007-07-29T17:41:00.000-05:00

Thought for the day.

(Thanks Texas in Africa and The Attorney)

The smallest possible expenditure of intelligence indeed...

:)

Ok, I'm cheating...

2007-07-25T08:18:00.000-05:00

but this is too good not to share. It's been printed twice already, and I'm going to quote this section here just in case you missed it ... because it's too good to miss, and too important not to read it again and again. And all I have to add is "Amen and Amen".

Reconcile. What does it mean to be reconciled to one another and to God?
Does it mean we agree to tolerate one another's differences, while privately holding the conviction that the other person is wrong? Does it mean we must all be alike in thought and word and deed? Does it mean that we must have identical theologies, worship styles and sermons?I don't believe it does. I'm not the sort of Christian who believes that the only true Christians are those who believe and worship exactly as I do. I'm just not convinced that God works that way.

God's grace is too wide, God's mercy is too deep, God's creation
of a diverse world suggests so clearly that we're not all meant to be the same.
I think that applies to thought and theology as well as to physical appearance and temperament.
If we're all created in the image of God, then we all have something to learn about God's nature from one another.

why are we running?

2007-07-24T04:05:00.000-05:00

Dow Chemical is currently sponsoring the Blue Planet Run. The purpose is to raise awareness of the need for clean and safe drinking water around the world, and to raise money in an effort to do something about the problem. 20 people are running for 95 days, 24 hours a day, across 16 countries and over 15,200 miles. Of course they are not all doing it at once ... it is a sort of relay. But the impact is made: Wow! That's a long time! That's really far! What an incredible physical challenge!!

I don't think runs like this are bad, but I'm just struck by how odd it is. Personally, I've run in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Thanksgiving Day 5k several times, and I've participated in the Blue Bell Fun Run to raise money for the Brenham High School Athletic Program in Brenham, Texas (all the blue bell you could eat was available at the finish line!!!) And several good friends have participated in a number of races, marathons, biking events, etc. to raise money and awareness for a number of different health-related phenomena, including Juvenile Diabetes and Leukemia and Muscular Dystrophy.

There are several benefits I see: 1) money and awareness are raised; 2) people who might not ordinarily go for a jog are inspired to give sacrificially of themselves in an effort to help others. It's not just about saying, "Hey, there's a problem here, why don't you give money to help out" they're saying "not only is there a problem, but I'm willing to put myself through physical suffering (depending on your level of fitness) to show you how much I care about this particular problem. Please support me by giving a little money"; 3) people who run or bike or walk derive huge feelings of self-satisfaction from doing the physical exercise involved; 4) companies who sponsor the events get social awareness and community involvement points.

Does it matter, in the end, if some of the companies do it only for the name-recognition they gain, as well as for the social awareness and community involvement points? Does it matter if we do it more for ourselves, really, than for the program we claim to support?

A problem I see is that all of this costs us very little, in the end. Yes, we have to put out the effort to run on the race day, and we go through weeks or months of training (if you work with a group like Team-in-Training), and we give money to the programs. But we also have a great deal of fun on the race day, and connect with others who have the same concerns and cares, or who are just interested in having a good time at the race. What impact does this have on the people we are trying to help? Is it really the best and most efficient way for us to change their world and their lives for the better, whatever they happen to need? Or is it more about making us, as a society, as people living in a world of privilege, feel good about ourselves and our ability to give of ourselves for others?

In the world of charity and their support, it is an interesting phenomenon to me. We are certainly called to GIVE, and to give of ourselves sacrificially (which I don't feel like I do, to be completely honest here.) But why are we running? And having benefit concerts? As much as I like these events, and will continue to support them (and my friends who choose to take part!!), I wonder if they aren't more about us than about the people we're trying to help. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this!

Regina Jonas

2007-07-22T15:12:00.000-05:00

Regina Jonas (1902-1944) was the first female rabbi. She was ordained in Berlin in 1935 and murdered in Auschwitz in 1944. This is a picture of a picture in the Jewish Museum in Berlin. To explain her call as a Rabbi, Regina Jonas said the following:

"If I am asked ... to confess, what drove me, as a woman, to become a rabbi ... (it was) belief in my calling and love of my fellow man. God has bestoyed on each one of us special skills and vocations without stopping to ask after our gender. This means each one of us, whether man or woman, has a duty to create and work in accordance with those God-given gifts."

Addendum: At the New Synagoge in Berlin (Oranienburgerstr.) I learned that Rabbi Jonas was the first and only female Rabbi in Germany. She was never given her own pulpit, but ended up filling in for male colleagues who were taken to concentration camps, until she herself was taken.

the Servant Song

2007-07-22T05:31:00.001-05:00

I will hold the Christlight for you

2007-07-22T05:13:00.000-05:00

Pastor Amy reflects lovingly about her kids' experiences with VBS this week: Talk With the Preacher: Thank God for VBS

but I was caught by the words of the song her little boy was singing:

"I will hold the Christlight for you,
In the nighttime of your fear,
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear ..."

More Maureen...

2007-07-22T04:45:00.000-05:00

[Aside: NY Times Select may not be around much longer... and then you'll be able to read these yourself! But in the meantime, here's another good op-ed piece:]

A Woman Who's Man Enough
by Maureen Dowd
July 22, 2007

Things are getting confusing out there in Genderville.

We have the ordinarily poker-faced secretary of defense crying over young Americans killed in Iraq.

We have The Washington Post reporting that Hillary Clinton came to the floor of the Senate in a top that put “cleavage on display Wednesday afternoon on C-SPAN2.”

We have Mitt Romney spending $300 for makeup appointments at Hidden Beauty, a mobile men’s grooming spa, before the California debate, even though NBC would surely have powdered his nose for free.

We have Elizabeth Edwards on a tear of being more assertive than her husband. She argued that John Edwards is a better advocate for women than Hillary, explaining that her own experience as a lawyer taught her that “sometimes you feel you have to behave as a man and not talk about women’s issues.”

We have Bill Clinton, who says he’d want to be known as First Laddie, defending his woman by saying, “I don’t think she’s trying to be a man.”

We have The Times reporting that Hillary’s campaign is quizzical about why so many women who are like Hillary — married, high income, professional types — don’t like her. A Times/CBS News poll shows that women view her more favorably than men, but she has a problem with her own demographic and some older women resistant to “a lady president” from the land of women’s lib.

In a huge step forward for her, The Times said that “all of those polled — both women and men — said they thought Mrs. Clinton would be an effective commander in chief.”

So gender isn’t Hillary’s biggest problem. Those who don’t like her said it was because they don’t trust her, or don’t like her values, or think she’s too politically expedient or phony.

There is a dread out there about 28 years of Bush-Clinton rule. But most people are not worried about Hillary’s ability to be strong. Anyone who can cast herself as a feminist icon while leading the attack on her husband’s mistresses, anyone who thinks eight years of presidential pillow talk qualifies her for the presidential pillow, is plenty tough enough to smack around dictators, and other Democrats.

John Edwards and Barack Obama often seem more delicate and concerned with looking pretty than Hillary does. Though the tallest candidate usually has the advantage, Hillary has easily dominated the debates without even wearing towering heels.

When she wrote to Bob Gates asking about the Pentagon’s plans to get out of Iraq, it took eight weeks for an under secretary, Eric Edelman, to send a scalding reply, suggesting that she was abetting enemy propaganda. But Mrs. Clinton hit back with a tart letter to Secretary Gates on Friday and scored something of a victory, since he issued a statement that did not back up his own creep.

Maybe Hillary has had her tear ducts removed. If she acted like a sob sister on the war the way Mr. Gates did, her critics would have a field day.

Even in an era when male politicians can mist up with impunity, it was startling to see the defense chief melt down at a Marine Corps dinner Wednesday night as he talked about writing notes every evening to the families of dead soldiers like Douglas Zembiec, a heroic Marine commander known as “the Lion of Falluja,” who died in Baghdad in May after giving up a Pentagon job to go on a fourth tour of Iraq. “They are not names on a press release or numbers updated on a Web page,” he said. “They are our country’s sons and daughters.”

The dramatic moment was disconcerting, because Mr. Gates, known as a decent guy who was leery of the Bushies’ black-and-white, bullying worldview, has clearly been worn down by his effort to sort out the Iraq debacle. He and Condi, who worked together under Bush I, have been trying to circumvent the vice president to close Gitmo without much success, while the president finds ingenious new ways to allow torture.

Mostly, though, it was moving — a relief to see a top official acknowledge the awful cost of this war. The arrogant Rummy was dismissive. The obtuse W. seems incapable of understanding how inappropriate his sunny spirits are. And the callous Cheney’s robo-aggression continues unabated. (What could be more nerve-racking than the thought of President Cheney, slated to happen for a couple of hours yesterday while Mr. Bush had a colonoscopy? Could it be — a Medal of Freedom for Scooter?)

Mr. Gates captured the sadness we feel about American kids trapped in a desert waiting to be blown up, sent there by men who once refused to go to a warped war themselves.

2007-07-21T08:36:00.001-05:00

"Whatever is unnamed, undepicted in images, whatever is omitted from biography, censored in collections of letters, whatever is misnamed as something else, made difficult-to-come-by, whatever is buried in the memory by the collapse of meaning under an inadequate or lying language-this will become not merely unspoken, but unspeakable."

--Adrienne Rich

Oh, Maureen....

2007-07-20T03:29:00.000-05:00

Hey, W! Bin Laden (Still) Determined to Strike in U.S. --- another fun op-ed by Maureen Dowd.

Not a bad idea...

2007-07-20T03:10:00.000-05:00

An article from The Australian, suggesting that Australia pull its troops out by Christmas, unless the U.S. engages in "high-level diplomacy" in order to find some way to bring stability to the region: Fraser calls for Iraq withdrawal The Australian

This echoes a call for diplomacy by Thomas Friedman in a July 18, 2007 article, "Help Wanted: Peacemaker" (the link is to a reprint kindly posted on the web for those in need....)

But the White House still seems utterly convinced of the rightness of its actions, and of the possibility that the surge could work, despite all appearances to the contrary. It is a mystery to me that they could see what's happening in Iraq and still think their strategy might work out. Of course, it was also a mystery that they thought invading Iraq was a) necessary and b) a good idea.

So let's bring our men and women in the armed forces home, and bring in the diplomats. For those a bit confused by rhetoric, the fact that I want the men and women in the military home and safe, means that I support them. I'm tired of seeing them blown to bits, dehumanized, and otherwise damaged. Their lives are valuable and worth saving.

Olamé!!!

2007-07-19T07:31:00.000-05:00

How could we do otherwise, having been given so much?

My First Time in New York City - Mixed Emotions - Rutu Modan - Times Select - New York Times Blog

2007-07-19T07:16:00.000-05:00

Another fun illustrated blog from the NYT:

My First Time in New York City - Mixed Emotions - Rutu Modan - Times Select - New York Times Blog

The most recent before this was Maira Kalman. Such a treat!!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling - Books - Review - New York Times

2007-07-19T02:50:00.000-05:00

This is not ok. The New York Times has already published a review of Harry Potter, and the book's not even out yet. I read it in all innocence, thinking it would be one of the usual previews, but it reveals quite a bit of what happens and even reveals what the title of the book means.

I'm so annoyed. So, don't read this review by Michiko Kakutani, who had NO BUSINESS revealing so much before the book even comes out, until you've had a chance to look at the book yourself.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling - Books - Review - New York Times

"crash course in global economics"

2007-07-18T16:42:00.000-05:00

So, the exchange rate is awful. But according to Mark Langler (NY Times), the dollar hasn't hit bottom yet. Oh, joy.

And who knew being environmentally responsible would be so chic (and riot-inducing)?

Harry Potter Book 7 is the largest pre-ordered book in history (at least at Barnes and Noble, Border's and Amazon.com).

Hello friend!

2007-07-18T13:01:00.000-05:00

And congratulations. SO thrilled for you, always. Thanks for telling Henri's story, and for telling it so beautifully.

Happy Anniversary :)

2007-07-18T03:12:00.001-05:00

To Mom and Dad, who have been married thirty-SEVEN years, as of today. Congratulations, and have a great day!!

special request

2007-07-18T01:02:00.001-05:00

Anonymous requested that I post Psalm 82, because it's important to keep things in perspective.

Psalm 82 (RSV)

1 A Psalm of Asaph.
God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? [Selah]
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I say, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;
7 nevertheless, you shall die like men, and fall like any prince."
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for to thee belong all the nations!

the soul of our nation

2007-07-17T12:19:00.000-05:00

[This information is gleaned from today's OpEd in the NY Times by Bob Herbert]

On Sunday, Barack Obama discussed the public school children who've been killed just this year in the city of Chicago. He said that “there’s an epidemic of violence that’s sickening the soul of this nation." He went on to point out that more children have died in Chicago than all of the soldiers from Illinois lost in Iraq during the same period, more have died than died at Virginia Tech, and that there are more gang members on the streets of America than police officers.

He suggested the following concrete steps to improve the state of our nation's children (and thus our nation's soul), requiring both governmental action, and a sense of responsibility on the part of each of us:

1) care as much about them and their loss as we do about the more highly publicized "exceptional" murders;
2) care for the children here already, taking the time to read to them, talk to them, discipline them and guide them. Show them that they matter.
3) Invest more in after-school programs, giving children a safe place to be.

We need to spend much more time hearing about these children than we do about David Beckham, Posh Spice, Knut (the cuddly polar bear in the Berlin zoo), and the latest cure for hyperactive bladders, aging, and erectile dysfunction.

Mark 10:13-16 (The Message)

13-16The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

James 1:26-27 (NIV)

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Micah 6:8 (The Message)
8But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to
your neighbor,be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.

Really cool music ...

2007-07-16T16:29:00.001-05:00

"Wa" by Kaissa ... she's from Cameroon, and the song is about love, separation, grief and hope. It's dedicated to her sister, Mamade, who passed away in 2005:

My love
You, I gave all of my heart to, where are you?
You are gone now, so quietly, my dear
You are gone now, God bless your soul.

Good friends

2007-07-15T06:36:00.000-05:00

Dorothee Müller, Claudia Schuff, Marco (Ursula's boyfriend), Ursula Müller.

Frau Schuff and her great-great-granddaughter Jana.

At the Müller's. Frau Müller (who wants Mom to know how much she misses her!!! And also that she spoke the best, and most understandable English of anyone.), me (ugh, bad pic, but worth it for everyone else who is on it), Volker Müller, Dorothee, Marco and Ursula.

Annette, Dad and Spaghetti Eis. It's a beautiful thing...

With Lara at Alexanderplatz last night --- after having Gelato :). I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm pretty thrilled so many Italians decided to move to Germany and bring their icecream-making skills with them.

More party pics

2007-07-15T06:23:00.001-05:00

Thomas, Christina, and Ursula

The fire-eater.

The fireworks

The cake.

The cake pose. (Immediately prior to eating the yummy cake.)

Party after wedding

2007-07-15T06:14:00.001-05:00

With the bride and groom after the church wedding.

Ruben Reiser, Christina's brother, right with Dad and Annette.

The umbrella symbolizes something like showers of blessing ... money and baby paraphernalia are attached.

Inside waiting for dinner ... the multi-course meal started around 7:30 p.m. There were something like 85 or 90 people invited for the dinner (and dancing and etc. etc. etc.). It was a fun night!! Annette and I gave in at about 12:30 or 1, the party itself was rockin' until around 2:00 a.m. Corey requested "I will survive" and managed to get everyone dancing. It was pretty funny. We didn't let him ask for the electric slide, so he then contented himself with asking for "more songs like I will survive". That worked as well. Even Dad got out on the dancefloor to boogie!!!

Wedding pictures

2007-07-15T06:04:00.001-05:00

Dad and Michael (musician), waiting for the ceremony to start. Thomas and Christina had had their legal wedding at the Standesamt at 11:00 a.m. The church wedding started at 3:00 p.m.

Thomas, Christina and Ursula (mother of the bride).

Dad preaching. In GERMAN!!!!!!!!

After the blessing.

At the party after the church wedding. There were about 180 people at the church, and they had a nice reception for everyone immediately following the ceremony. Annette, Erin, Amber, Corey (Dad's biggest fan), and Dad.

Elstal pictures

2007-07-15T05:53:00.001-05:00

Typical street view here at Elstal, on the Baptist seminary campus. There used to be two, one in East Germany and one in the west, but they combined several years ago and chose this location. This is the only seminary in Germany for the training of Baptist ministers, as well as laypersons in the church. There's a whole group of young people here right now, doing a 2-week course to train them in missions. Our guesthouse looks just like the building you see.

Gena at the sign to the entrance.

Dad "resting" on the bridge that crosses over to where we catch the train (also getting a bit annoyed at constantly being in pictures). He arranged for someone to pick him up by car from the other side, but there's no getting around climbing up and down the stairs and crossing the bridge over the other tracks. We're not sure what someone with serious physical challenges would do. Getting to the seminary requires crossing this bridge, and then a 10-minute walk to the campus.

Waste not, want not...

2007-07-15T05:40:00.000-05:00

Good information and conservation tips for all of us, no matter where we live. Germany also has fairly strict water use regulations, and high cost of water because of the population density. And in spite of the fact that it RAINS ALL THE TIME here. Well, except today and yesterday, which have been lovely.

A wonderful life

2007-07-13T07:42:00.000-05:00

The world has lost two treasures this week: Doug Marlette and Lady Bird Johnson. I've enjoyed Marlette's cartoons for as long as I can remember, and always read them first when I get my copy of "Christian Ethics Today".

And Lady Bird Johnson was one of those remarkable Texas ladies. I love this quote by her, looking back at all she'd accomplished:

"I sometimes look back and almost say to myself: 'Gee, was that really me? Did it all happen to me?' It was a wonderful life," Mrs. Johnson once told a magazine interviewer. "It took vigor and forbearance and a lot of elasticity. But it was an absolutely wonderful life."

[Thanks for the links :)]