PART I

Smoke puffs drifted idly from the chimney, giving the impression of a haven of peace amongst the suburban sprawl. But the impression was a false one, for there was only a facade of peace in this household. As the sky reluctantly released its dancing crystalline treasures, the family was reluctantly admitting two travel weary teenagers into their cozy home.

Mother scowled relentlessly at the young man as he tentatively stepped over the threshold. What right did he have to accompany her daughter to their family Christmas celebrations? He stared back at her, with emotions a mixture of belligerence and terror. What kind of person was she?

Father eyed his daughter as she awkwardly stepped out of her shoes, unwilling to let go of the young man’s hand. What was their relationship? She had always been a quiet child, albeit with a hint of stubbornness underlying her sweetness. Avoiding his eyes, she chose instead to look around at the familiar furnishings and festive decorations. It looked like home to her, yet it felt strangely cold. What had changed? A nervous shiver began at the bottom of her spine and moved up her body, embracing her in its chill. Her hand clasped his more tightly as she struggled to keep her fear from showing through her trembling limbs. Her other hand went into her jacket pocket, as if by habit.

anomalies

Yes, this is a tomato...from my garden...it's a bit mutated.

















Remember Gary Larson's Far Side cartoons? I'm sure there was one somewhere about a guy looking at a cow and seeing it all carved up into different pieces of meat. So this is my version of that - a steak that is practically moo-ing still! And yes, if you push the nose, it does moo.














mmm, pretty fog.

the pursuing

It dances dryly in the wind, its sun-dried edges slowly cracking. Slowly swirling on a sullen breeze, the leaf has little life of its own. But in an instant, the air becomes alive, crackling with life. Another golden leaf rises up in the wind to create a teasing partner in the airborne tango. It flits away, whirling and spiralling until the other becomes dizzy with excitement. Taking advantage of a momentary rallentando in the breeze, it returns the favor by pursuing its teasing partner, almost catching up. But the gentle wind causes them to twist and roll, and it encircles them as the pursuer tries unceasingly to be united with that which it cannot catch. Around and around and upwards they spin, the pursued staying just out of reach of the pursuer. Close enough to taste and see, but far enough to be mysterious and exciting.


"We are strangely rewarded: we feel gratitude and love, humility and wonder, reverence and awe, adventure and homecoming. We shout hallelujah, and we weep tears of joy. So we pursue it all the more until the end when we find it has been pursuing us and we are caught up into the Pursuer we have so long pursued." (Brian McLaren, a Generous Orthodoxy)

apparently it's autumn now

i wish autumn was way longer. it always goes by way too fast.

a novel situation

I had a new experience today. Someone told me that she was "completely in shock and upset" to discover that she had been assigned to the Bible study group I'm leading. The reason cited was that I talk too fast. I know it sounds funny, but she was stark raving serious. It was odd being on the receiving end of someone's dislike. I'm not so naive to think that no one has even disliked me before, but I've never had anyone be so hostile and so completely serious. She was quite blatant about the fact that if there was another place to do Bible study on the same day, she'd be all over it. The funny thing is, the topic of our Bible study for the next 6 weeks is "Celebrating Grace" - it's a church-wide topic. What does it mean to extend grace? Do we quietly accept when people are rude to us...or it that just being a doormat? Do we stand up for ourselves and not let people talk to us that way...or is that being un-grace-ful?

The long and short of it is that today I made a discovery: I dislike being disliked.

rant shmant

Why are single men such dinks sometimes? Why is it that you can meet them and be having a perfectly normal time with them, treating them like you treat everyone else, but as soon as they find out you're married, suddenly they won't even give you the time of day anymore?

??!

My high school english teacher always said that single people of the opposite sex can't be "just friends". We all thought she was touched in the head. Apparently single people can't be friends with married people of the opposite sex either. Why is that? Can someone please explain this phenomenon to me? It's really frustrating because there seems to be a very large segment of the population with whom I'm not allowed to be friends.

some of the more interesting things i've seen this summer...

a nap.




















a kayak. without water.












a cocoon.
















a swing.














a stick.

a sign.

the colors of summer

busy beavers

So I spent an hour yesterday helping deconstruct a beaver dam. And before anyone calls the animal rights people on me, let me tell you that the most recent dam on my in-laws property has caused the nearby farmer's fields to flood, jeapardizing their livelihoods. Anyway, digging around in the sticks and mud was VERY gratifying to a city kid like me. Last week they had someone from the country come out to actually blow a hole in the middle of it with dynamite, and since then they had built it back up high enough to hold the water in again. So if anyone says they've been "as busy as a beaver", I might have reason to doubt. The beavers in that pond have a severe case of workaholism that would be next to impossible to mimic. Unless of course your house was going underwater...or in their case, coming out from underwater. :)

night fright

There was an inky darkness all around me, except for the exceptionally frequent flashes of lightning. The house was alive with the sounds of crashing rain and angry thunder. And I woke up in a strange place. On a couch. In a home that is not my own. I didn't know where Jon had gone, or even if he was still in the house. So I tried to make my way to the bedroom in the corner, hoping he would answer my whispering, plaintive cries. Where was the doorway? It seemed to have shifted in the night. I couldn't find it. The rain crashed harder on the steel roof. Then as the lightning lit up my surroundings again, I suddenly found myself facing a ghostly pale visage, staring at me with open mouth. I yelped fearfully as my heart found itself racing to get away from the strange apparition. But then I realized where I was. Just outside the door, staring in the mirror.

It took many minutes for my heart to slow back down to a healthy rate.

the making of a monster

Mr. and Mrs. Spongeinstein work feverishly, all day and throughout the night, to bring life to their monster.








Mr. Spongeinstein struggles to keep the monster's brain from overheating. He is, however, causing a bit of a dry skin problem.










At last, the monster is born! And his name? Spongeinstein...Spongebob for short. Mwahahahahhahahahahahaha

BEWARE THE SPONGE.

why i like moving

We're moving! There are many reasons to celebrate this momentous occassion. In contrast to popular theories, I actually ENJOY moving. Then again, I've never had to move a whole houseful of stuff. So here is why I like moving:

1. I get to rediscover old treasures...and promptly pack them back into a box to find the next time I move.
2. I finally get to get rid of my Bible college clothes...why did I wear that again?
3. I get to live in a messy house and not feel guilty about it.
4. All my breakable stuff is safely packed away where I can't break it.
5. I might finally get a new picture for my driver's license!
6. I get to laugh at the government all over again as it takes them another year and a half to figure out who I am and where I live...don't they communicate?
7. I get to redecorate.
8. Most of my 150 books are packed away so I can't start any more new ones before finishing the old ones. I think I've been working on one of them for almost a year. That's a new record for me.
9. I get to find fun stuff hiding in the couch and under the bed. Oh that's where I put that!
10. My new house will be perfectly clean...for about 10 minutes.

But I'm still sad to leave this place. Sniff sniff.

perfect solutions to your every problem

I think I'm a klutz. let's see...I fell off my bike before even getting on; I trip on every staircase I attempt to walk up; if it's spillable and I'm holding it, I'll drop it...but I discovered some excellent home remedies for a few of my more common problems. Let me share them with you.

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto. The blockage will be almost instantly removed.
2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.
3. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
4. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
5. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

And finally, if I could give you one piece of advice that has done me well through all my years, it is this:

Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

summary of hamlet

went to see hamlet tonight. here is my official synopsis.

1. king's brother kills king
2. king's spirit comes back to haunt his son
3. son pretends to be mad
4. son kills friend's dad
5. friend gets mad
6. friend's sister goes mad
7. friend's sister kills herself
8. king kills queen
9. son kills king
10. son kills friend
11. friend kills son

everyone is happy. and dead.

how uplifting.

grace

“But will God really dwell on earth with men?” – 2 Chronicles 6:18a (NIV)

When Solomon’s majestic temple was finally built, it seems as though he started to second-guess the validity of the concept of a “temple”. Indeed, it was supposed to be God’s dwelling place. But why would a God who cannot be contained by the highest heavens allow himself to be constrained by the limits of a temple? To call it his resting place?

Although it seems to be nothing short of a miracle that God would choose the temple as the place to put his Name, at least it was a place that, for most of its history, was a place devoted to God. The greater miracle is announced by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:16. “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” Our hearts, with all their stray thoughts and dark corners, are God’s chosen place to dwell. What makes him choose to inhabit such an inhospitable place?

Solomon doesn’t answer this question in his prayer, nor is it logically answered anywhere in the Bible. In fact, it is one of the great mysteries that an infinite God should choose to inhabit the hearts of finite beings, dusty from their constant desire to roll in the dirt of life. The only plausible reason is that “the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” His compassion is overwhelming, and when we accept it, his grace pervades our being as he chooses to dwell in us.

I have heard people often complain about the lack of miracles in today’s world. But how amazing is it that God really does choose to dwell on earth with us? Because of his grace and compassion, Him who the highest heavens cannot contain chooses to dwell in you.