We had a yard sale over the weekend. Just lots of "stuff" that we no longer needed, no longer wanted, no longer had a place for. I manned the sale in it's entirety while my two ladies came and went doing various other things.
It's interesting watching people at your own yard sale. Even though you're selling it, and you REALLY want this stuff to go there's still a personal connection. Reading body language it's obvious that the lady in the clam digger shorts and the over sized sun glasses doesn't think much of your offerings. (I'm sure she thought those glasses hid her emotions from the world. Silly lady!) And I find myself getting a little offended.
"Hey, I may not want it any more but there's nothing wrong with it. If you don't like then move along. Keep your snotty attitude toward yourself"
(I only think these things. She might want to buy something else)
All this over a vase or a wire basket in the shape of a chicken.
On the other hand I snort to myself as someone picks up that terrible frog pot, or that hideous butterfly napkin holder. Good God, I never thought THOSE would sell. But I take my dime for each, glad that someone liked them.
There are the people who cruise by the end of the driveway "just to check", trying to see if they really want to stop. I've foiled them but setting up at the far end of the driveway, so they can't really see.
Most people will say hello, whether they buy or not. I wonder about the people who choose to ignore me completely.
But my favorite are the hagglers. My theory is that I've priced everything at reasonable prices with an emphasis on making sure that price doesn't scare away the customers. As one guy said, "Nice to see an old fashioned yard sale with old fashioned yard sale prices". The most expensive item was a nice sized wall mirror for $10, we had a few things at $5, and everything else was $3 or less. Lots of 10, 25, 50 and 75 cent items. Could I have gotten more? Probably. But I might have sold less.
So my prices are very reasonable. Still some folks want a little more taken off. I had a brand new electric hand mixer with beaters priced at $3. In the store it would be what, $12-$15? The guy that bought it wanted it for $2. Then proceeded to peel of the two singles from a huge role of cash. Nicely dressed, driving a nice car. So that buck was probably very important to him.
The more I thought about it the more I came to realize, yes it probably was. A lot more important to him than it was to me.
And I think that's probably just fine by me.
Oh, and we did OK on the sale. Sold about half (we had a LOT of stuff), sold most of the "good" stuff and a fair bit of the "You really want to put that in the sale" stuff too.
Peace
Monday, July 30, 2007
The Parable of My Father's Guitar
(For some reason blogger put this post in out of order. This is the latest addition to the blog
I've been contemplating my father's guitar and thinking about church.
A moment of confession. I love guitar music and have always wanted to play. My fear of failure always holds me back. My dad's guitar isn't anything fancy or expensive. It's a simple instrument and he taught himself to play on it. I hope to do the same thing.
When I pulled it out of the guitar case I realized we had a few problems. The tuners were loose and one knob's shaft was bent. The bridge at the bottom (that's the wooden thing that holds the pegs that hold the strings) was cracked. As I looked at the bridge I saw that either originally or as a repair someone had drilled two holes in in it and put a pair of small bolts in to hold it. The crack ran right between the two bolts, from one end to the other. And the pegs couldn't hold the strings properly.
I'm not a luthier (that's an expert who builds and/or repairs guitars) and I don't have much money for this project. So I did a little research. The tuners were easy and not very expensive. When I was done the guitar looked 100x better. Now I'll be able to tune each string perfectly. The bridge wasn't expensive but it worries me more. The peg holes need to be drilled (they're started but not the whole way through) and I'll need to glue it in place. That means preparing the wood on the body of the guitar, sanding it carefully to remove the old adhesive. The carefully aligning it. Making sure that the saddle, the piece the strings actually rest on, is set just right.
And I keep thinking to myself "It would just be easier to pitch this in the trash and get a new guitar. One that doesn't come with these 'inherited' problems."
The problem for me is that it's important that this was my father's guitar. There's some tradition there, and it helps me feel a little closer to my dad, who died several years ago. With a little care I may be able to pass it along to another generation for them to learn to play as well. To do that means I have to make a few sacrifices, I have to learn some new skills, and I have to care for the things that have been passed along to me.
As I thought about that guitar it struck me that it's a lot like the church. We inherit it from our parents (and those before). It's not always in perfect shape. Some things wear out or aren't able to do their jobs the way we want them done. Some ideas (or repairs) just haven't held up very well. It would be easy for us to just say "The hell with it. We're going to pitch all this stuff over the side and do a new thing. One that works for us."
To do that means we need to pitch our parents and all those others who came before over the side as well. It means we've decided that this is really only about us. And those who come after us? Well they get whatever they get.
Instead we should take a look at what we've inherited. The body is strong and the neck is straight. The tuners don't work properly any more but we just need a newer version of the same thing. The bridge is broken and needs replaced. The strings are stretched and no longer hold a note. New strings will make the guitar sound a little different but soon that voice will become familiar as it sounds the notes.
In the end it will look a little different. And it will sound a little different. The essence of the instrument will remain the same. It will be ready for me to pass along to the next player. Because in the end it isn't my guitar, I'm only caring for it for a while.
Peace
Peace
I've been contemplating my father's guitar and thinking about church.
A moment of confession. I love guitar music and have always wanted to play. My fear of failure always holds me back. My dad's guitar isn't anything fancy or expensive. It's a simple instrument and he taught himself to play on it. I hope to do the same thing.
When I pulled it out of the guitar case I realized we had a few problems. The tuners were loose and one knob's shaft was bent. The bridge at the bottom (that's the wooden thing that holds the pegs that hold the strings) was cracked. As I looked at the bridge I saw that either originally or as a repair someone had drilled two holes in in it and put a pair of small bolts in to hold it. The crack ran right between the two bolts, from one end to the other. And the pegs couldn't hold the strings properly.
I'm not a luthier (that's an expert who builds and/or repairs guitars) and I don't have much money for this project. So I did a little research. The tuners were easy and not very expensive. When I was done the guitar looked 100x better. Now I'll be able to tune each string perfectly. The bridge wasn't expensive but it worries me more. The peg holes need to be drilled (they're started but not the whole way through) and I'll need to glue it in place. That means preparing the wood on the body of the guitar, sanding it carefully to remove the old adhesive. The carefully aligning it. Making sure that the saddle, the piece the strings actually rest on, is set just right.
And I keep thinking to myself "It would just be easier to pitch this in the trash and get a new guitar. One that doesn't come with these 'inherited' problems."
The problem for me is that it's important that this was my father's guitar. There's some tradition there, and it helps me feel a little closer to my dad, who died several years ago. With a little care I may be able to pass it along to another generation for them to learn to play as well. To do that means I have to make a few sacrifices, I have to learn some new skills, and I have to care for the things that have been passed along to me.
As I thought about that guitar it struck me that it's a lot like the church. We inherit it from our parents (and those before). It's not always in perfect shape. Some things wear out or aren't able to do their jobs the way we want them done. Some ideas (or repairs) just haven't held up very well. It would be easy for us to just say "The hell with it. We're going to pitch all this stuff over the side and do a new thing. One that works for us."
To do that means we need to pitch our parents and all those others who came before over the side as well. It means we've decided that this is really only about us. And those who come after us? Well they get whatever they get.
Instead we should take a look at what we've inherited. The body is strong and the neck is straight. The tuners don't work properly any more but we just need a newer version of the same thing. The bridge is broken and needs replaced. The strings are stretched and no longer hold a note. New strings will make the guitar sound a little different but soon that voice will become familiar as it sounds the notes.
In the end it will look a little different. And it will sound a little different. The essence of the instrument will remain the same. It will be ready for me to pass along to the next player. Because in the end it isn't my guitar, I'm only caring for it for a while.
Peace
Peace
Thursday, July 19, 2007
An interface problem
Had an interesting challenge pop up the other day. Some background:
I've been appointed (strictly by default mind you) as the audio/visual "expert" at my home parish. So I help out with decisions on sound systems and video equipment. We video tape the 10 AM service and then have it broadcast on the local cable access channel. We're hoping that it works for our shut-ins or folks who can't get to church, and as a form of new age evangelism. It's become a big part of my ministry within the congregation over the last five years or so. Recently we decided to go a step farther and download the sermons as podcasts. (Interested? Check them out HERE plus check out our TV ad, with yours truly doing the voice over). To do this we called on the skills of a friend, the Rev. Merrill Woolnough. Merrill is a Lutheran pastor currently between gigs who is rather technologically savvy. She's serving now as our "volunteer Associate for Internet Ministries". I enjoy working with Merrill she's intelligent, gentle and I feel the Spirit working within her. And I like Elwood too.
Elwood is her service dog. Merrill is blind. And that's where the interface problem arose.
To record the sermons digitally we use a small recording device called an "iriver". It's not terribly complicated and has recorded some classes we've presented quite nicely. But the sermon project was just crashing and burning. Between the two of us we couldn't figure out why. Last Sunday I began fiddling with the dingus out of frustration and figured it out.
Imagine Merrill and me at that first meeting with the dingus. She's used it before and is explaining the functions to me. I'm looking at a screen that is literally an inch by a half inch. I get to the right screen and scroll down looking for "Line In Record". I find it, we discuss the two controls. Merrill is a little hazy on what the other one does so we ignore it and move on.
Scan ahead to Sunday. This time I keep scrolling down. Wait, what's happening here? The screen in fact doesn't scroll, it pages. That means I don't see the "Line In Record" feature scroll up on the screen, I see an entirely new page of options. And an entirely new "Line In Record" option. The one we'd been using was the record "mode" (don't ask), the second one was record "volume". That's what we'd been trying to adjust all along and failing. When I told Merrill we both instantly saw where we'd goofed and had a good laugh.
Merrill was relying on words to communicate with a sighted person. The sighted person (yours truly) was relying on what he saw. We were both sure that we'd bridged the gap between us. And we'd been wrong.
How often does that happen? We come into a relationship with our own blinders, physical, mental or spiritual. We think that everyone understands what we're saying, what we believe, how we think. And we get frustrated when others don't see it that way. Too often these days people seem to be content to get frustrated and walk away without making the effort to see beyond what they "see". It strikes me that we're perhaps too desperate to hold on to our particular world view at all costs rather than risk discovering something by trying to look beyond it.
My world view and Merrill's haven't changed. But I've come away with a deeper understanding of having to stretch myself a little further to insure that she and I truly communicate. There's a lesson there for all of us.
Meanwhile it's back to square one with the podcasts. Hope to have that fixed finally.
Peace
I've been appointed (strictly by default mind you) as the audio/visual "expert" at my home parish. So I help out with decisions on sound systems and video equipment. We video tape the 10 AM service and then have it broadcast on the local cable access channel. We're hoping that it works for our shut-ins or folks who can't get to church, and as a form of new age evangelism. It's become a big part of my ministry within the congregation over the last five years or so. Recently we decided to go a step farther and download the sermons as podcasts. (Interested? Check them out HERE plus check out our TV ad, with yours truly doing the voice over). To do this we called on the skills of a friend, the Rev. Merrill Woolnough. Merrill is a Lutheran pastor currently between gigs who is rather technologically savvy. She's serving now as our "volunteer Associate for Internet Ministries". I enjoy working with Merrill she's intelligent, gentle and I feel the Spirit working within her. And I like Elwood too.
Elwood is her service dog. Merrill is blind. And that's where the interface problem arose.
To record the sermons digitally we use a small recording device called an "iriver". It's not terribly complicated and has recorded some classes we've presented quite nicely. But the sermon project was just crashing and burning. Between the two of us we couldn't figure out why. Last Sunday I began fiddling with the dingus out of frustration and figured it out.
Imagine Merrill and me at that first meeting with the dingus. She's used it before and is explaining the functions to me. I'm looking at a screen that is literally an inch by a half inch. I get to the right screen and scroll down looking for "Line In Record". I find it, we discuss the two controls. Merrill is a little hazy on what the other one does so we ignore it and move on.
Scan ahead to Sunday. This time I keep scrolling down. Wait, what's happening here? The screen in fact doesn't scroll, it pages. That means I don't see the "Line In Record" feature scroll up on the screen, I see an entirely new page of options. And an entirely new "Line In Record" option. The one we'd been using was the record "mode" (don't ask), the second one was record "volume". That's what we'd been trying to adjust all along and failing. When I told Merrill we both instantly saw where we'd goofed and had a good laugh.
Merrill was relying on words to communicate with a sighted person. The sighted person (yours truly) was relying on what he saw. We were both sure that we'd bridged the gap between us. And we'd been wrong.
How often does that happen? We come into a relationship with our own blinders, physical, mental or spiritual. We think that everyone understands what we're saying, what we believe, how we think. And we get frustrated when others don't see it that way. Too often these days people seem to be content to get frustrated and walk away without making the effort to see beyond what they "see". It strikes me that we're perhaps too desperate to hold on to our particular world view at all costs rather than risk discovering something by trying to look beyond it.
My world view and Merrill's haven't changed. But I've come away with a deeper understanding of having to stretch myself a little further to insure that she and I truly communicate. There's a lesson there for all of us.
Meanwhile it's back to square one with the podcasts. Hope to have that fixed finally.
Peace
Monday, July 16, 2007
Silly place holders
Yes I have more serious things to post but I'm just not there right now. So silly stuff:
I've always liked centaurs. Never really liked the way they are portrayed in Harry Potter.
And the following is probably a good thing:
Peace
| You Are a Centaur |
 In general, you are a very cautious and reserved person. However, you are also warm hearted, and you enjoy helping others in practical ways. You are a great teacher, and you are really good at helping people get their lives in order. You are very intuitive, and you go with your gut. You make good decisions easily. |
I've always liked centaurs. Never really liked the way they are portrayed in Harry Potter.
And the following is probably a good thing:
Mingle2 - Online Dating
Peace
What I did this summer
Well among other things I went here - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in (deep breath) Cleveland Ohio.
(Explanatory note: I am from Pittsburgh. Cleveland is our hereditary enemy in the NFL. It's worth remembering that when the former owner of the Browns skulked out of town with the franchise Steelers fans supported Browns fans. I'm glad there's a Browns team back in Cleveland. SO WE CAN KICK THEIR A$$ SOME MORE!)
It was a great trip. The kid got to see a large display of bands from the Warped Tour plus see lots of stuff from all kinds of HOF acts. Plus they have special displays for the Clash and the Doors this summer. It was great.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
A great start to the day
He was just sitting at the stop, minding his own business, on his way to work when...
That's a wrecking ball boys and girls. Wrecking ball, as in the big ole heavy thing swung on a cable to knock down buildings. Seems it came loose from it's cable and ended up in this guys trunk.
But this may be the most frightening/comic/heroic part of the whole story (yes, all three at once)
"...Police said crane operator Robby L. Boring, 28, of Meadville, was injured when he tried to stop the wrecking ball by throwing bricks in front of it..."
That wrecking ball weighs 1,500 pounds. You've got to have guts to even TRY and stop it.
Full Story
Monday, July 09, 2007
Some silliness first:
I'm a little amazed that I was so low but this is slanted towards really science nerd types which I've never been.
Saw a really fine movie yesterday, 1408. This is a great horror flick. Not a slash and gore movie but an honest to God, old fashioned horror film. Cusack and Jackson are incredible and since I'm a big Mary McCormack that was a bonus. The film has a plot, a real story, real characters and is seriously creepy scary! Check out the trailer here It was a great time spent in a theater.
I realize I'm behind on my movies and I'll catch up soon.
Peace
JP
I'm a little amazed that I was so low but this is slanted towards really science nerd types which I've never been.
Saw a really fine movie yesterday, 1408. This is a great horror flick. Not a slash and gore movie but an honest to God, old fashioned horror film. Cusack and Jackson are incredible and since I'm a big Mary McCormack that was a bonus. The film has a plot, a real story, real characters and is seriously creepy scary! Check out the trailer here It was a great time spent in a theater.
I realize I'm behind on my movies and I'll catch up soon.
Peace
JP
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Eulogy
I'm not sure I'm ready to write this post.
But then I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to write it.
The pretty lady on the right is Jamie, one of our two cats. Late last week we made the decision to have her put to sleep. Jamie had suddenly gotten ill, went downhill very quickly and nothing seemed to stop the progress. Our vet knew that her liver was being attacked but couldn't tell by what. It may have been a virus, it may have been cancer. What ever it was it took a healthy beautiful cat and left her shattered in less than two weeks.
As you may suspect I and the two ladies in my life are devastated. It has always been my practice to focus on the life of the ones I lose at a time like this. Let me share a few thoughts on Jamie.
By my count Jamie is the eighth cat to be a part of my life. Of all of them she had by the far the softest fur and was the sweetest tempered.
Over the first several years we noticed several unusual things about her. Unlike most cats in my experience Jame really didn't like snuggling, lap sitting or being held in any fashion. If she sat with you it was usually 6-8 inches away. Later she discovered the joy of curling up close. If I stretched out on the sofa to watch TV she'd stretch out full length next to me and purr as I stroked her fur. Her trust in me grew to where if I needed to move her I could slide my hands under her body, scoop her up, and settle her in a more convenient spot. When she lay on the floor she would do it the way a dog does, chest throat and chin all on the floor with her front paws on either side. I've never seen a cat do that and she ALWAYS did it. We always had doubts about her eyesight. She would take forever before jumping up or down, seeming terribly unsure about what was right in front of her.
Truth be told I also harbored questions about just how bright she was. Let's be generous and just say she was a simple soul. In many ways the stereotypical "blond", lovely to look at but not a deep thinker. When you added in her sweet temperment and loving spirit it didn't matter. She was a beautiful lady and a joy to have around.
That of course is why it has been so hard on us. Making the decision to have a pet put down is one of the hardest decisions there is. Knowing that you are doing them a mitzvah by ending their suffering is still hard. We all cried as we said good bye to our pretty girl. It's been days and I still cry especially when I look at her picture.
I don't KNOW that animals go to heaven, but I want to believe that God brings all of his creation home to him. So I'll believe that she's curled on someone's lap, looking up them with that beautiful face, waiting for her silly humans to come and join her.
I love you pretty girl, and I shall miss you.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Back from Senior High
Wow, what an amazing experience! It was a great time and exhausting as always. I'll share some more details after the holiday. Great kids, great chaplain, great staff. Merely adequate conference director but the kids seem to love him, lol!
With any luck at all I'll have my office back under control soon and then can get on to the new projects that are waiting. I'm excited about them too.
In the meantime here's something fun I ran across:
I got my name in lights with notcelebrity.co.uk
Have a wonderful Independence Day holiday!
Peace
With any luck at all I'll have my office back under control soon and then can get on to the new projects that are waiting. I'm excited about them too.
In the meantime here's something fun I ran across:
I got my name in lights with notcelebrity.co.uk
Have a wonderful Independence Day holiday!
Peace
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Off to camp!
I won't be posting for the next week (which probably explains why I felt like having so many posts this past week!). I'm off to our Senior High conference. A week long time of worship, study and fun (in no particular order). We're a bit on the small size this year but last year we found out what a good time can be had by a smaller group of young people.
So please keep us in your prayers. The bishop will be joining us which is always a blast.
No really, it's fun having the bishop around.
Seriously.
There really are fun bishops out there (the portion of Canada nearest me seems to have an unreasonable percentage of funny bishops for some reason) and I'm lucky enough to have one.
We'll have lots of photos and even videos this year of the conference which we'll share as soon as we can.
Peace
So please keep us in your prayers. The bishop will be joining us which is always a blast.
No really, it's fun having the bishop around.
Seriously.
There really are fun bishops out there (the portion of Canada nearest me seems to have an unreasonable percentage of funny bishops for some reason) and I'm lucky enough to have one.
We'll have lots of photos and even videos this year of the conference which we'll share as soon as we can.
Peace
Friday, June 22, 2007
Youth video
If you haven't discovered Father Matthew Moretz you're missing out. Here's a video he did with some of the youth of his church
He has more videos with his rather tongue in cheek approach to church and theology on displayHERE
Peace
He has more videos with his rather tongue in cheek approach to church and theology on displayHERE
Peace
The Episcopal Majority: Change of Pace
If you've ever sat through a committee, vestry, board or council meeting you'll recognize all these people. This is just hysterical. All it needs is someone complaining about something the youth group did or didn't do.
The Episcopal Majority: Change of Pace
The Episcopal Majority: Change of Pace
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Gettin' ready for camp
Well, it's T-minus 5 days and counting before our summer camp season gets underway. Camp always leaves me with divided emotions.
I'm a fairly strong Myers-Briggs introvert (which means I get my energy, "re-charge my batteries", from alone time. As the director of Senior High, the assistant to the director for Junior High and registrar for Sleep Away (which is the same week as Jr High) I don't get a lot of alone time. It's long days, busy days and days filled with young people with seemingly boundless energy (except for Morning Prayer). It is,in a word, exhausting.
On the other hand I get a chance to hang out with the youth. I love being with the youth. I love the energy and the silliness and the amazing bursts of profound understanding. And the fact that they accept me for what I am. A looney. I love teaching and talking and praying with them. I have a blast at camp.
Then I collapse. LOL.
This is me at camp. And yes I really do get that blurry!
This year our camps will be teaching on the theme of "Be Transformed" (Romans 12:1-2). I'm excited about the possibilities.
Peace
I'm a fairly strong Myers-Briggs introvert (which means I get my energy, "re-charge my batteries", from alone time. As the director of Senior High, the assistant to the director for Junior High and registrar for Sleep Away (which is the same week as Jr High) I don't get a lot of alone time. It's long days, busy days and days filled with young people with seemingly boundless energy (except for Morning Prayer). It is,in a word, exhausting.
On the other hand I get a chance to hang out with the youth. I love being with the youth. I love the energy and the silliness and the amazing bursts of profound understanding. And the fact that they accept me for what I am. A looney. I love teaching and talking and praying with them. I have a blast at camp.
Then I collapse. LOL.
This is me at camp. And yes I really do get that blurry!
This year our camps will be teaching on the theme of "Be Transformed" (Romans 12:1-2). I'm excited about the possibilities.
Peace
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
25 years and counting
25 years ago on a rather hot and humid day a very special lady said yes to me. She did it in front of witnesses and priest so it's pretty official.
25 years ago today I got married.
To be honest I have virtually no memories of the service. I remember the following:
Peeking into the sanctuary wondering who was the guy in the Air Force uniform sitting with some of my family (It was my cousin Jimmy. Never seen him in uniform before. Or since now that I think of it)
Walking out to take my place with my "best men" (Jon, Steve, and Tom. You'd be hard pressed to find better friends then or now) and turning around to face the congregation.
Being unable to look at my lady because I was sure that I'd start giggling. I was very nervous.
Walking down the aisle, then running through the parish hall with my...Oh my God...WIFE!
That's it. No other memories. I know the giggling part came during the exchange of vows so apparently I said them. Can't prove it by me.
Since that day we've struggled with her chronic illness, raised us one spectacular young woman daughter, lost several jobs, changed several more jobs, lived in 8 different houses or apartments, owned about a dozen cars, been owned by 3 cats, visited two countries as a family and four in various configurations, found a church home and generally had a good time (overall).
We've been a couple for about 30 years (there was some start and stop at the beginning because her boyfriend was an idiot. She's mostly cured me of that)
My great joy has been traveling our lives together.
My great mystery is why on earth she chose me.
My great challenge is not being an idiot.
My great regret is that I can't give her the stuff I want for her. (She insists this is me being an idiot again)
After the reception we hopped into a VW Beetle and headed off to Williamsburg VA for our honeymoon. There were a few adventures along the way. But that's another story.
To my lady love, I love you now and forever. I hope you never come to your senses.
Peace
25 years ago today I got married.
To be honest I have virtually no memories of the service. I remember the following:
Peeking into the sanctuary wondering who was the guy in the Air Force uniform sitting with some of my family (It was my cousin Jimmy. Never seen him in uniform before. Or since now that I think of it)
Walking out to take my place with my "best men" (Jon, Steve, and Tom. You'd be hard pressed to find better friends then or now) and turning around to face the congregation.
Being unable to look at my lady because I was sure that I'd start giggling. I was very nervous.
Walking down the aisle, then running through the parish hall with my...Oh my God...WIFE!
That's it. No other memories. I know the giggling part came during the exchange of vows so apparently I said them. Can't prove it by me.
Since that day we've struggled with her chronic illness, raised us one spectacular young woman daughter, lost several jobs, changed several more jobs, lived in 8 different houses or apartments, owned about a dozen cars, been owned by 3 cats, visited two countries as a family and four in various configurations, found a church home and generally had a good time (overall).
We've been a couple for about 30 years (there was some start and stop at the beginning because her boyfriend was an idiot. She's mostly cured me of that)
My great joy has been traveling our lives together.
My great mystery is why on earth she chose me.
My great challenge is not being an idiot.
My great regret is that I can't give her the stuff I want for her. (She insists this is me being an idiot again)
After the reception we hopped into a VW Beetle and headed off to Williamsburg VA for our honeymoon. There were a few adventures along the way. But that's another story.
To my lady love, I love you now and forever. I hope you never come to your senses.
Peace
Monday, June 11, 2007
Monday morning blues
Can I be honest?
Right now I'm not much interested in what's happening in everyone else's life. It's not that there's much exciting happening in my life I'm just feeling selfish. I want it to be about me for awhile.
These moods come and go. I'm perfectly aware that this would be a very bad place for me to stay for any length of time. It can't be about me all the time. Being about me all the time would be bad for my relationship with my wife, my daughter, my brothers, my friends and for my job/ministry. Oh yeah, and it would be bad for me too.
Yet the reality is that we all find ourselves in this place some times. We also need to acknowledge that sometimes we NEED to have it be all about us for a little while. Sometimes we just need to do what we want to do. Once we get a little me time though we need to remember to get back out there dealing with everyone else.
On Wednesdays I'm usually off. On those days I play a little golf. I stink but it's some me time. I usually play by myself even. And that's just fine. It's just me and the green golf course and a little white ball that never goes where I want it to.
So the next time you feel like everybody's all up in your face and nobody is looking after you remember this: You owe yourself some me time. It's OK to take your me time. But it can't be me time all the time.
No idea why I felt that was important to share, but there you go.
Peace
Right now I'm not much interested in what's happening in everyone else's life. It's not that there's much exciting happening in my life I'm just feeling selfish. I want it to be about me for awhile.
These moods come and go. I'm perfectly aware that this would be a very bad place for me to stay for any length of time. It can't be about me all the time. Being about me all the time would be bad for my relationship with my wife, my daughter, my brothers, my friends and for my job/ministry. Oh yeah, and it would be bad for me too.
Yet the reality is that we all find ourselves in this place some times. We also need to acknowledge that sometimes we NEED to have it be all about us for a little while. Sometimes we just need to do what we want to do. Once we get a little me time though we need to remember to get back out there dealing with everyone else.
On Wednesdays I'm usually off. On those days I play a little golf. I stink but it's some me time. I usually play by myself even. And that's just fine. It's just me and the green golf course and a little white ball that never goes where I want it to.
So the next time you feel like everybody's all up in your face and nobody is looking after you remember this: You owe yourself some me time. It's OK to take your me time. But it can't be me time all the time.
No idea why I felt that was important to share, but there you go.
Peace
Friday, June 08, 2007
I've been banned!
This is so cool! I've been banned by Mad Priest, one of the coolest, crankiest, iconoclastic and ascerbic Anglican sites on the web. If you're easily offended or can't abide liberal Christians who don't snivel and grovel then don't go visit. I think he's funny. Here's the official edict:
"DaYouthGuy (pictured above) is hereby cast into the outer darkness of the Blogosphere for extreme acts of animal cruelty. See his comment under the HEADLINE GOOGLE post. Vegetarians, lesbian and vegetarian lesbians are advised "not to look, Ethel.""
I had described "cow tipping" to him and he appears to have assumed I've done this. (I haven't, it's a bad thing and you shouldn't do it either. Here ends the lesson) I've entered an appeal but since it's already past dinner time in jolly olde I don't know when I'll be forgiven. He almost always forgives.
On a more serious note, I had a phone conversation with a rep from a major youth "event" company. You'd know them instantly but I don't want to make them the issue. It was something the very nice if rather nervous young lady said. She was quoting the stats that say most folks make a commitment to the Lord by age 20. She then went on to say that after that our chance of getting them to make a commitment drops to almost zero.
And I thought
"Is that right?"
And then I thought
"What the hell are we doing wrong then?"
If memory serves Jesus did most of his ministry with people past the age of 20. He converted them, called them, blessed them and they came. Apparently we are incapable of doing the same. I'm thinking we need to think about that (if it's true) and figure out how to change. If we are ONLY capable of reaching people when they are young and impressionable then I'd say we're sad and pitiful.
In reality it's harder sure, but then maybe it should be harder. We're asking for a serious decision. And if it's not true then first we should stop saying it. Then we should take a serious look at our attitudes toward our own faith.
That I shall deal with in another post.
Meanwhile it's sack cloth and ashes.
This is so cool!
Peace
"DaYouthGuy (pictured above) is hereby cast into the outer darkness of the Blogosphere for extreme acts of animal cruelty. See his comment under the HEADLINE GOOGLE post. Vegetarians, lesbian and vegetarian lesbians are advised "not to look, Ethel.""
I had described "cow tipping" to him and he appears to have assumed I've done this. (I haven't, it's a bad thing and you shouldn't do it either. Here ends the lesson) I've entered an appeal but since it's already past dinner time in jolly olde I don't know when I'll be forgiven. He almost always forgives.
On a more serious note, I had a phone conversation with a rep from a major youth "event" company. You'd know them instantly but I don't want to make them the issue. It was something the very nice if rather nervous young lady said. She was quoting the stats that say most folks make a commitment to the Lord by age 20. She then went on to say that after that our chance of getting them to make a commitment drops to almost zero.
And I thought
"Is that right?"
And then I thought
"What the hell are we doing wrong then?"
If memory serves Jesus did most of his ministry with people past the age of 20. He converted them, called them, blessed them and they came. Apparently we are incapable of doing the same. I'm thinking we need to think about that (if it's true) and figure out how to change. If we are ONLY capable of reaching people when they are young and impressionable then I'd say we're sad and pitiful.
In reality it's harder sure, but then maybe it should be harder. We're asking for a serious decision. And if it's not true then first we should stop saying it. Then we should take a serious look at our attitudes toward our own faith.
That I shall deal with in another post.
Meanwhile it's sack cloth and ashes.
This is so cool!
Peace
Monday, June 04, 2007
The big day is coming
This is my column for the June edition of our diocesan newspaper "ChurchActs"
If you're a senior in high school it's almost here. The day you have been looking forward to for the last several years. The big day. THE BIG DAY.
Yes, the day when all the routines of your life for the last twelve years end. When more is going to be expected of you. The day when you are not only going to have to start making most of your own decisions but you're going to have to live with them. For better or worse. From that day on the concept of a job is no longer just a part time concept but rapidly becomes your full time life. Oh yeah, and that whole “summer vacation” thing? Pretty much ends on that day too.
Sure you thought that graduation day was going to be major party time. “No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks” forever and ever amen time, right? Off to college, or out into the world to get a job. Not a kid anymore. On your own, making your own rules, living large.
Allow me to let you in on a little secret: The easy part of your life is now over.
I get the feeling I'm not exactly making your day at the moment. That's OK it gets better from here.
Life does get more complicated from this point on. Beyond the college or not question you'll get into questions about marriage and mortgages, cars and kids, promotions and pension plans. Makes you long for the days when the biggest complication in your life was realizing you forgot to do a term paper. So you need to know that you don't have to go it alone. God has provided a graduation present for you. It's an easy one to forget to pack and take with you. It's your life in faith.
When I hit graduation day I was in a big hurry to leave most of my old life behind. There's an old joke that goes “When I went to college my father was dumber than a box of rocks. Four years later it was amazing how much that old man had learned!” As I've grown older not only did I discover how much my parents still had to offer me but also how my church still had to offer.
When times were hard my faith family has been there. I left my graduation present behind for a good number of years. I spent a fair while going it alone, away from my faith. I survived, even had a few successes. Those were easy to handle by myself. It was when things went wrong that it was toughest.
Let me be clear. I'm NOT saying you have to keep doing your faith life the way you did it as a kid. I AM saying that you need to keep doing your faith life. When times are bad it is a great comfort. In times of happiness it increases the joy.
The big day is almost here. Life starts getting more complicated. If you remember to take all your graduation presents you can face those complications with greater strength, greater joy, greater support. There's a complicate, exciting, scary, wonderful world waiting for you on the other side of that day. Let your faith help you to find the way into that amazing future.
Congratulations on graduation.
Peace
If you're a senior in high school it's almost here. The day you have been looking forward to for the last several years. The big day. THE BIG DAY.
Yes, the day when all the routines of your life for the last twelve years end. When more is going to be expected of you. The day when you are not only going to have to start making most of your own decisions but you're going to have to live with them. For better or worse. From that day on the concept of a job is no longer just a part time concept but rapidly becomes your full time life. Oh yeah, and that whole “summer vacation” thing? Pretty much ends on that day too.
Sure you thought that graduation day was going to be major party time. “No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks” forever and ever amen time, right? Off to college, or out into the world to get a job. Not a kid anymore. On your own, making your own rules, living large.
Allow me to let you in on a little secret: The easy part of your life is now over.
I get the feeling I'm not exactly making your day at the moment. That's OK it gets better from here.
Life does get more complicated from this point on. Beyond the college or not question you'll get into questions about marriage and mortgages, cars and kids, promotions and pension plans. Makes you long for the days when the biggest complication in your life was realizing you forgot to do a term paper. So you need to know that you don't have to go it alone. God has provided a graduation present for you. It's an easy one to forget to pack and take with you. It's your life in faith.
When I hit graduation day I was in a big hurry to leave most of my old life behind. There's an old joke that goes “When I went to college my father was dumber than a box of rocks. Four years later it was amazing how much that old man had learned!” As I've grown older not only did I discover how much my parents still had to offer me but also how my church still had to offer.
When times were hard my faith family has been there. I left my graduation present behind for a good number of years. I spent a fair while going it alone, away from my faith. I survived, even had a few successes. Those were easy to handle by myself. It was when things went wrong that it was toughest.
Let me be clear. I'm NOT saying you have to keep doing your faith life the way you did it as a kid. I AM saying that you need to keep doing your faith life. When times are bad it is a great comfort. In times of happiness it increases the joy.
The big day is almost here. Life starts getting more complicated. If you remember to take all your graduation presents you can face those complications with greater strength, greater joy, greater support. There's a complicate, exciting, scary, wonderful world waiting for you on the other side of that day. Let your faith help you to find the way into that amazing future.
Congratulations on graduation.
Peace
Friday, June 01, 2007
Just a quick note
Haven't had the time to add anything too profound. These short weeks always mess me up.
I'm back doing some cycling. I got started back in high school when a couple of my friends were pretty serious cyclists. I enjoyed it and it was a great advantage when I went off to college without wheels. For the warm weather months I could zip around pretty quickly.
I got back into it a couple years ago when some of the guys at church started cycling. Fr. Eric has become a pretty serious cyclist and a group of three or four of us try to bike together once a week. I've added some more biking to try and save on gas. If I can bike in we can save one round trip a week and that's not bad these days.
Haven't put a lot of mileage up yet but it's been pretty easy getting back into it. This morning I had a little excitement when some clown in a hurry passed me with less than a foot between me and his sheet metal. There was really no need for it but cyclists like motorcycles get very short shrift on the road. A fair percentage of four wheel vehicle drivers are ACTIVELY hostile to two wheelies out there. Don't ask me why but every biker of any description will swear it's true.
So I got startled but nothing else which is cool. Put another 15 miles or so on the chart for the summer. Hopefully I can:
1: Get in better shape,
2: Save some money
3: Do a little for the environment
4: Have some safe fun.
So be nice to that poor slob you see struggling along on the road. He might be me.
Peace
I'm back doing some cycling. I got started back in high school when a couple of my friends were pretty serious cyclists. I enjoyed it and it was a great advantage when I went off to college without wheels. For the warm weather months I could zip around pretty quickly.
I got back into it a couple years ago when some of the guys at church started cycling. Fr. Eric has become a pretty serious cyclist and a group of three or four of us try to bike together once a week. I've added some more biking to try and save on gas. If I can bike in we can save one round trip a week and that's not bad these days.
Haven't put a lot of mileage up yet but it's been pretty easy getting back into it. This morning I had a little excitement when some clown in a hurry passed me with less than a foot between me and his sheet metal. There was really no need for it but cyclists like motorcycles get very short shrift on the road. A fair percentage of four wheel vehicle drivers are ACTIVELY hostile to two wheelies out there. Don't ask me why but every biker of any description will swear it's true.
So I got startled but nothing else which is cool. Put another 15 miles or so on the chart for the summer. Hopefully I can:
1: Get in better shape,
2: Save some money
3: Do a little for the environment
4: Have some safe fun.
So be nice to that poor slob you see struggling along on the road. He might be me.
Peace
Friday, May 25, 2007
It was 30 years ago today...
Thanks to my buddy I.F. Eastman for finding this video clip:
This is the original promo video you would have seen in the movie theaters. And yes, it's AWFUL!!!! But that's the way it was back in the day.
20th Century Fox was very worried about this movie going in. It was like nothing ever done before. Plus it was attached to a big marketing campaign with all kinds of related merchandise. Problem was they had tried this with the original Dr. Doolittle movie. The merchandise was a flop and they had warehouses FULL of leftover junk. This was even worse, outrageous effects, budget problems, minimal support from the studio brass, Lucas was starting the story in the FOURTH chapter for the love of D.W. Griffith! Prior to the first audiences seeing it most folks including critics figured it to be anywhere from an OK money maker to a colossal flop.
It received 10 Academy Awards and won 6. It's earned around 20 Billion dollars between all of it's films and other "junk".
And, for better and worse, it changed the movies we watch.
Happy Birthday Star Wars. May the Force be with you.
Peace
This is the original promo video you would have seen in the movie theaters. And yes, it's AWFUL!!!! But that's the way it was back in the day.
20th Century Fox was very worried about this movie going in. It was like nothing ever done before. Plus it was attached to a big marketing campaign with all kinds of related merchandise. Problem was they had tried this with the original Dr. Doolittle movie. The merchandise was a flop and they had warehouses FULL of leftover junk. This was even worse, outrageous effects, budget problems, minimal support from the studio brass, Lucas was starting the story in the FOURTH chapter for the love of D.W. Griffith! Prior to the first audiences seeing it most folks including critics figured it to be anywhere from an OK money maker to a colossal flop.
It received 10 Academy Awards and won 6. It's earned around 20 Billion dollars between all of it's films and other "junk".
And, for better and worse, it changed the movies we watch.
Happy Birthday Star Wars. May the Force be with you.
Peace
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