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.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
oh, DEAR
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".
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".
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year 2008!!
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.
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.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Ay, caramba!!
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.
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.
Monday, December 17, 2007
New Template...
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.
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