Since this:
Became this:
I love you, S!
Thanks for watching the moon with me last night (especially since you wanted to be playing an MMORPG instead).
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
ONE
But did you also know that we now have two new vaccines that will help stop these two preventable diseases--we just need to make sure these proven vaccines get the funding they deserve?
I just signed a petition asking President Obama to make sure these two vaccines get to the kids who need them most.
Will you please sign the petition, too?
Together as ONE we can make a difference and help save 4 million children's lives in 5 years.
Thanks!
Love,
D, S, and O via the ONE Campaign
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Juice bar
S thought he was funny saying we should go to a juice bar tonight, since I am not big on drinking alcohol.
Little did he know, the wheels were turning in my creative noggin.
We drove to our Target, which now has a full grocery in it, and got started.
We broke out our handy, and only slightly filthy, Waring Vortex 7.
Phase 1 scarred me.
Phase 2 terrified O the cat.
But by Phase 3, things were better.
And, oh, Phase 4, you delicious son-of-a-gun.
Even S the wise guy got on board.
Sore is...
...as sore does.
My fingers are sore from playing the guitar.
My legs are sore from (lack of) strength training.
The rest of me is sore from the sun.
Altogether, the day has been lived.
My fingers are sore from playing the guitar.
My legs are sore from (lack of) strength training.
The rest of me is sore from the sun.
Altogether, the day has been lived.
Pool day
As much as I feel fortunate not to lead a hectic or super stressful life, I realized this morning that for quite a few weekends now, S and I have either been on the road, at work, or running time-sensitive errands.
This weekend, it is not so, and I am very thankful!
We'll be here, as Bruno Mars says, chilling in our Snuggies, but really I'll be at the pool in the sunshine maybe reading or swimming a bit, but really just contemplating the meaning of life, the universe and everything.
Enjoy your hopefully somewhat lazy weekend as well!
This weekend, it is not so, and I am very thankful!
We'll be here, as Bruno Mars says, chilling in our Snuggies, but really I'll be at the pool in the sunshine maybe reading or swimming a bit, but really just contemplating the meaning of life, the universe and everything.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
On war
A simple note to get started - these are my thoughts and feelings, not my expertise and knowledge.
I had not read the Bible in a long, long time. Maybe a month, maybe six weeks, but I was/am in a period of my life after reading three of Rob Bell's books, especially Velvet Elvis - which is so beautiful - where I did not want to read God, but I wanted to wait on God in a different way. And for the most part, this has been a happy time of life, and I do feel moved by God's spirit in it, without literally intending to read God's words in anything but my heart.
However, I missed reading the Bible, and did feel like I was missing out on wisdom that was beyond my day to day experience. The Bible is a history of the Jewish people and the Jewish man Jesus of Nazareth, and as much as I believe in God's power to intervene in daily trials and circumstance, I do not know anything really about Jewish religious thought and spirituality without it.
So as a change of pace this morning, I flipped to somewhere in the Old Testament - I normally go to Psalms or Proverbs here, but I wanted something that I hadn't read in a while. I honestly think I got something I hadn't read ever - the 3rd quarter of the Book of Joshua. I thought, "Oh, great," when I started out, "here's another chronology of names and people going to war with one another." I do not like to think about war in the Bible. Victory, yes. War, no. But I read it, convinced by countless past experiences that it would be the right thing for me to read that day based on instinct.
Of the 5 or so chapters I read, the verses below stuck out to me. I loved several things about them -
One, that here is a people being given a gift, and they are whining about it.
Two, Joshua does not put up with this; It is the land they were given for a purpose.
Three, the purpose is bigger than the people, and it requires their work to yield the full inheritance.
Four, they are a strong and powerful people who are not supposed to conquer iron with iron. Instead, they are working with their own unique inheritance (the wood and forest) to overcome a material that is arguably, physically, factually speaking, stronger.
I think when I came back to the Bible I was feeling a little bit let down by myself for not keeping up with it more. From this reading, instead of staying let down, I came away with the opposite impression - that I am powerful and my inheritance is not someone else's might, but my own ability to accept the gifts God offers me for what they are and develop them into what God has intended them to be.
I know the Bible is not a fortune cookie or a divination cup. It's a renewal of the spirit that will never leave us. It will pursue our purpose as clearly as Joshua was able to point out the destiny of the people of Joseph.
Joshua 17:14-18
New International Version (NIV)
14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”
15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites.”
16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
17 But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment
18 but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
I had not read the Bible in a long, long time. Maybe a month, maybe six weeks, but I was/am in a period of my life after reading three of Rob Bell's books, especially Velvet Elvis - which is so beautiful - where I did not want to read God, but I wanted to wait on God in a different way. And for the most part, this has been a happy time of life, and I do feel moved by God's spirit in it, without literally intending to read God's words in anything but my heart.
However, I missed reading the Bible, and did feel like I was missing out on wisdom that was beyond my day to day experience. The Bible is a history of the Jewish people and the Jewish man Jesus of Nazareth, and as much as I believe in God's power to intervene in daily trials and circumstance, I do not know anything really about Jewish religious thought and spirituality without it.
So as a change of pace this morning, I flipped to somewhere in the Old Testament - I normally go to Psalms or Proverbs here, but I wanted something that I hadn't read in a while. I honestly think I got something I hadn't read ever - the 3rd quarter of the Book of Joshua. I thought, "Oh, great," when I started out, "here's another chronology of names and people going to war with one another." I do not like to think about war in the Bible. Victory, yes. War, no. But I read it, convinced by countless past experiences that it would be the right thing for me to read that day based on instinct.
Of the 5 or so chapters I read, the verses below stuck out to me. I loved several things about them -
One, that here is a people being given a gift, and they are whining about it.
Two, Joshua does not put up with this; It is the land they were given for a purpose.
Three, the purpose is bigger than the people, and it requires their work to yield the full inheritance.
Four, they are a strong and powerful people who are not supposed to conquer iron with iron. Instead, they are working with their own unique inheritance (the wood and forest) to overcome a material that is arguably, physically, factually speaking, stronger.
I think when I came back to the Bible I was feeling a little bit let down by myself for not keeping up with it more. From this reading, instead of staying let down, I came away with the opposite impression - that I am powerful and my inheritance is not someone else's might, but my own ability to accept the gifts God offers me for what they are and develop them into what God has intended them to be.
I know the Bible is not a fortune cookie or a divination cup. It's a renewal of the spirit that will never leave us. It will pursue our purpose as clearly as Joshua was able to point out the destiny of the people of Joseph.
Joshua 17:14-18
New International Version (NIV)
14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the LORD has blessed us abundantly.”
15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites.”
16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
17 But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment
18 but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
Inspiration
I have recently admitted to myself that I am the kind of person who is impressionable. I think I take this to be a good thing. After all, as much as I have changed as I grow, I don't believe I've really ever denied who I am fundamentally, and many of the beliefs and values I hold are enduring and steadfast views I've been passionate about in the long term.
But in being impressionable, I both need and benefit from inspiration. A good speech will get my heart pumping, as will the right set of lyrics to a song or the role modeling of someone who I admire or would like to emulate. Sometimes it's corny, and other times it's profound, but I do well to have a rallying cry in the back of my mind as I start my work day or work out.
I've been blessed to be able to share so much of my inspiration already through writing this blog. Day in and day out, whether I am feeling particularly good, bad or indifferent about life, I've been able to sort that out here.
But in realizing the importance of little inspirations in the way I conduct my life, I want to pass some of these little nuggets along, so that they might make others motivated or just happy.
Here are a few of my favorite calls to action from some awesome people:
Nelson Mandela
"I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death."
"It always seems impossible until it's done."
"I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.
"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."
"I am the captain of my soul."
"When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat."
Jillian Michaels
"A bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul."
"Selfish isn't a dirty word. It means we take care of ourselves and are able to give back."
"Thriving. That's fighting... Surviving is barely getting by."
And this kid:
But in being impressionable, I both need and benefit from inspiration. A good speech will get my heart pumping, as will the right set of lyrics to a song or the role modeling of someone who I admire or would like to emulate. Sometimes it's corny, and other times it's profound, but I do well to have a rallying cry in the back of my mind as I start my work day or work out.
I've been blessed to be able to share so much of my inspiration already through writing this blog. Day in and day out, whether I am feeling particularly good, bad or indifferent about life, I've been able to sort that out here.
But in realizing the importance of little inspirations in the way I conduct my life, I want to pass some of these little nuggets along, so that they might make others motivated or just happy.
Here are a few of my favorite calls to action from some awesome people:
Nelson Mandela
"I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death."
"It always seems impossible until it's done."
"I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.
"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."
"I am the captain of my soul."
"When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat."
Jillian Michaels
"A bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul."
"Selfish isn't a dirty word. It means we take care of ourselves and are able to give back."
"Thriving. That's fighting... Surviving is barely getting by."
And this kid:
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