Baptism

It's about time for a serious post, I think. I actually have a lot of serious posts that roll around my head during the day. It's just a matter of getting them out.

Yesterday, our church witnessed the baptism of a baby that has a cleft lip and palate. The sweetness with which our pastor administered this sacrament was beautiful- I don't believe I'll ever forget that baptism.

Most Sundays, we still have a time of share and prayer - I love it because it allows our congregation of 250 to still know each other more intimately than most mega-churches allow (I've also been a regular attender of a mega-church, and I even now love that church, but it's just not the same).

We were contemplating our own baptism - remembered or not - and one of the Elders stood up and talked about what baptism means in his spiritual life. As he did, I wrote this in my bulletin:

"Just because it (baptism) doesn't mean much to us, it doesn't mean that it has less value in God's eyes."

It's easy for me to forget what my baptism means - I don't remember it. I was a few weeks old.

But God never forgets. We have his sign upon us, and he, our names upon his hands.

Proof that he's sold his soul to the deeh-viilll

Because he's had such a long, distinguished life.

slurp, slurp, hollywood. You're drooling.

For the Coffee lovers

It's 12:11, and ALL I WANT ARE HOT WINGS!

Book Meme

Via PalmTreePundit by way of TulipGirl : Here's how it works. Copy the list, then remove from it the names of any authors not in your home library, replacing them with names of authors you have. Boldface the ones you’ve added.

Here's my list:
1. Victor Hugo
2. Ken Sande
3. Jeff Shaara
4. John Piper
5. Carolyn C. James
6. John Grisham
7. Linda Brownback
8. Carolyn Kepcher
9. 10. William Shakespeare

If you want to play along, add yours in the comments or let me know you've added it to your blog.

Friday Photo

Our-family's-adopted-"foster-kid"-My-brother's-tennis-partner-my-sister's-boyfriend. AND he plays the guitar. Can you ask for more? I think not.

Ain't it the truth

"The Passion of the Christ was nominated for Best Makeup, Best Score, and Best Cinematography. Apparently, Hollywood thinks that the story of Jesus looks and sounds nice, but it just isn't believable!"

~Jay Leno

ow, ow, ow,ow-ow-ow-ow!

In my quest to revisit my 20-year-old body, I did something stupid last night. Smart in every health or nutritionist view, but really stupid.

I climbed on the elliptical machine and moved my legs.

Yeah, dumb, I know. You see, I was doing REALLY good prior to Christmas - I'd worked up to alternating running and walking for close to an hour, added a little home-brew Yoga, you know. I'd gotten myself to peering over that ledge where "Real Results! No Waiting" resides. In other words, I saw the outline of my abs.

Then? oooh, I know why all these health magazines and websites scream "CHRISTMAS WILL KILL YOUR DIET! RUN, RUN AWAY!" Because, Christmas didn't kill my diet and exercise regime - it's hacked it to pieces, a bloodier version of the French Revolution, only this time, I had my cake and my bread, as well cookies, wine and major amounts of every carb Atkins lovers loath. (I'm a carb addict and ever shall be. Mashed potatoes with turkey and stuffing mixed all together with gravy? Only slightly less desirable than a skim Mocha, no whip, with half-a-shot-of-caramel-half-a-shot-of-almond. Skim only because I can't taste the difference because of all the crap I put in it, and I delude myself into thinking that skim will make a difference in the calorie column. Ha! roiiight.)

Added to the First Annual Hack Job by Christmas via my Aunts' great cooking, I got sick, and moving my body in any direction was the very last thing I wanted to do. Besides, I lost my voice. That definitely affects my legs.

So yesterday morning was supposed to be my "Hey, you ate too much Chinese Buffet - 5 doughnuts is NOT acceptable, you'd better get that Arse looking a little less flab, babe" new leaf turning over. As I slept through 5:30, and 5:35, and snoozed through 5:45 and slapped the other alarm at 6:20, I figured I'd do something at night, after 13 hours of work (split between two jobs, mind you.)

So, I skipped blogging for my elliptical date, and decided the Pre-set Fat Burn would be the way to do it. AND I knew I'd be able to, because it alternated fast and slow, the way I did when I was on the treadmill.

FOR 48 MINUTES.

Do you know how many measly calories I burned in 48 MINUTES? 330. That's IT. I eat that in a cookie!

Oh, man, my legs hurt. They're so sore, that pushing my clutch in 20 or 30 times on the way to work was Aaa-gony. Nevermind that I'm wearing 3 inch heels.

I never said I was smart.

I suppose jumping up and down screaming at the TV in celebration after my arse-kicking didn't help either.

Inside: Hope you have a Manly Day

You've got one too. Admit it.

I know you know her. Generally, it's an older woman. Perhaps in your family, she's a grandma or an great aunt or some cousin of Grandma Ethel. Just a little bit. . . . off.

And in our family, she's very old. So, it's quite understandable. Nonetheless... Today I received a belated card for my birthday. It's a very nice thought, but it was the how the envelope was addressed that really cracked me up. This is how it appears in absolute truth:


"Ainsley"

Explained as only Joey can.

Homer could have been Presbyterian

No, it’s not the only reason I love what I believe. But it certainly rocks.

Being as it’s late, being as I hadn’t gotten my Sunday School lesson finished, and being as I really just felt like one, It occurred to me tonight that I may be the first Sunday school teacher (in a while, anyway. Since Luther perhaps?) that enjoyed a fermented beverage while preparing the lesson for tomorrow.

So, why do I love our system of beliefs? Because it’s very unlikely that any in my church would find that immoral.

And with that, I’m signing off for the night.

The Australian open

What WAS I thinking?! Nothing to blog about? I am an idiot.

It is always a good thing to blog about sports, and there is none in the sports world that can get my sister’s and my attention faster than this man!





If you're wondering why we would cheer on a guy who fell from #1 in the world to #3, and eventually falling to #31 in 2004, you likely would chalk it up to his (incredible) good looks. Yeah, say what you want, but that face with that accent? Definitely worthy. I’m not ashamed of it!

That aside, I think the reason he caught our attention was more his polite demeaner and grace in situations presented to him. And in a world full of preeners and grandstanders, temper-tantrum-throwers, it is an attention-getting thing to stand next to Andy Roddick after losing the ’03 US Open (as Roddick is freaking out) and pay him intelligent, truthful compliments. And not in your native language.

And yes, we love Roger Federer, too. Yes, he’s amazing, and is generally unassuming. He’s just too obvious a choice to love.

So, Here’s to Juan Carlos. Playing tonight in what has been billed as “A wonderful Contest” by the Australian Open website.

Edited to add: Here are the results of that match - unfortunately, #31 in the world isn't going to get a lot of press, so we'll just have to wait for the French Open. We'll watch Federer and Agassi duke it out, wondering for whom we should REALLY cheer for...

Friday Picture

I originally was going to send this to my Eternal Hairstylist (doesn't matter that she's 2,000 miles away. She'll always be my Hairstylist) showing her the new do. This was taken in December, so you can imagine that it isn't quite as vibrant as it was under oh-so-vibrant fluorescent lights. I won't tell you where I was. I might get dooced. That said, I like this picture because 1) I think it's "artistic" and 2) I love my phone, with which this was taken. Ahhh, the wonders of technology! If you don't have a picture phone....Seriously, what kind of hellish contract are you IN??

No where to be, nothing to blog

Well, Friend and I were talking - I continue to berate him on his lack of blogging. Says Ains: "I feel like I should update my blog, but I really don't know what to say."

Friend:(something to the effect of) "Yeah, that's why I stopped blogging. I'm not funny anymore."


Eeehhhhh. Leave me alone. It was funny to me. I can't remember exactly what he said, because I put in a 13 hour workday. Yeah. You'd think I was a workaholic. I'm really not.

I'll think of something better for tomorrow, guys. I promise.

Thoughts

From Rich Mullins:

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise - He has written it upon the sky
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
I will never doubt His promise though I doubt my heart, I doubt my eyes


He will never break His promise
though the stars should break faith with the sky

....Truth through poetry.....

Blog something already!

Ok, so I have a friend who blogs. And he stopped blogging a few days ago. Ok, not just a few. I think it's been, like a week.

Hey! I'm bored! when I am, friend, I read your blog!

Except there's NOTHING. ON. IT.

So, see title!

(remember, it's all about me ;)

Soul's Expression

Soul's Expression

Ok, so I'm testing out "blog this" which is an instant ...blogging type ...thing. We'll see what happens.

ETA: Wow :) it works

Like a punch in the gut

Paige Benton rocks- I've been familier with her teaching for a while. But this thought/quote/whatever of hers applies to everyone, even though it's in an article on "singleness".

"It is not that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but that life has no tragedy like our God ignored."

Oh, Lord my God, may I never igonore you or depise your desire for my life.

Well, yes, in a word...

My response to a friend's email. Says he: "I know what Troy is, silly! I heard it's terrible."

My response:
Yes, if you go into it with high expectations. I heard that it was the worst movies ever. And really? the fight scenes are WAY too long.

Helen and Paris don't have a lot of Chemistry, but I blame that on Orlando Bloom, because he's hot, but not very good at generating the pretense of "I love her and it's believable." He's far too steeped in stage, which is what he was trained to do. You feel NO connection to Helen - her accent is about the best thing about her.

The entire movie, I was like, "Ya know what? Just send Paris and Helen back to Greece and have them killed. Everyone will be much happier." In fact, when Hector brings that up at the very beginning, my gut was saying,"YES! DO IT!" But then I realized that I had another 3 hours to go, so it was unlikely. There's ABSOLUTELY no reason for this war, because frankly, neither of them is likable in the least.

Brad Pitt? well, I do have to say that his stock went up with me. He honestly portrays a man smitten with someone he shouldn't love, although every now and again you get a glimpse of Joe Black, which is disturbing. Also, his 'accent' is distracting. Those two slight things not withstanding, he does a very good job. The scenes of Achilles and Briseis (Bri-say-is - very cool name) are actually very good, which I also give credit to Rose Byrne. She's probably the most believable woman (actress) in the film.

Sean Bean steals his scenes - he's a phenomenal, understated actor, and Eric Bana is believable as Hector. Also? Eric Bana is HOT and a GOOD actor. Specially w/ a beard. Manly Man. mmmm. (Also - 6'3" :) )

So, I would say, the overall premise of having all these huge (and pretty!) actors together is ok, but the director and producers tried too hard ("We want to make it E.P.I.C!") and should have focused on the personal more, and less on the fighting. Which, they did a lot of the personal, too, so I can't see how they'd do it more, but the fight scenes were pretty much unnecessary.

The CG were good overall, because you didn't notice it, except for the 1000 ships scene("The face that launched a thousand ships"*).

The "evil" guys were a bit too evil, but when you have blah actors like Orlando Bloom and the-girl-who-played-Helen-so-badly-I-didn't-even-bother-looking-up-her-name, you have to make up a reason to like them, which means putting absolute evil opposite of them. It still didn't work.

And then Paris (a crap character) hits Achilles' heel (a relatively likable character) and steals from Briseis and Achilles their love, so then you REALLY hate Paris. (Enter Meg Ryan singing "I hate Paris in the Springtime, I hate Paris in the fall, I hate Paris, oh why oh why do I hate Paris? Because My love is theeerrrreee....with his slut girlfriend!" - French Kiss)

Overall? Should you see this movie? Sure, unless you're my mom. (Mom, you'll hate it.) It's mediocre but not off-putting entertainment. And only on DVD, so that you have the ability to skip the fight scenes an get the gist of the plot.

*Ok, and it's a good thing that they did find someone who was beautiful to play Helen. It's also a good thing that the phrase isn't "The personality that launched a thousand ships" because this actresses' personality? It wouldn't have launched a dinghy.

Of course he replied: "Whoa, there cowgirl, that's quite the review! Ever thought of being a film critic? You should post this on your blog."

So I did.

Minnesota Winter Hours

I worked as a temp in MN for about 2-and-a-half years out of college. One of those temp jobs was working for an insurance company – one that insured the cities of Minnesota. I was hired to help out with the sending out of copies of policies. Oh, dear. goodness. Boredom, thou hast a name: it is Insurance.

One good thing was that I made a friend out by working there –Although…. the gossip was that we were having an extramarital affair, I learned after I left (despite the obvious fac that both of us adhering to strong spiritual and moral convictions). I begged, actually, to be reassigned, after being unable to wake up in the morning, because of the depression caused by having to go to a thoroughly horrid job. So, I guess that one good thing was overshadowed by the two bad things.

The other bad thing for that particular job, and my work habits, but overall enjoyable thing for me was that when it would dump snow and or get obscenely cold, the boss would come to work late (she lived an hour and a half away in good weather) and would leave early (who wants to be driving home after 6 or 7 pm?). As would we.

And so, with the white stuff coming down and it being 20 below zero, I have THE worst urge to go home. It’s 1:30.

If there's any wondering why I moved "home"....

This is the view out our backyard

And this is the view out our front.

No one will envy me

Definition of a fun night? Washing wallpaper glue off of your friend-landlord-credit consolidator-foster family's 12-foot wall. No, really. An absolute BLAST.

Ok, it wasn't that bad, and I basically got 3/4 of a wall done (my brother had done the other 1/4 a few days ago) in two and a half hours. And I decided to go music-free, which allows you to do a lot of things:

Whistle the new U2 song that isn't Vertigo, but is just as awesome
Pray for your brother's college decisions
Pray blessings on your friend's upcoming marriage
sigh 37 times
And contemplate Randy Moss.

(I never said that they had anything to do with each other).

So, this is what I've come up with. Moss isn't the only one in the NFL (or any other sport, for that matter) that acts inappropriately when they've done something good, great, or moderate. And Moss' quote was something to the effect of "Well, I'm used to catching Hell."

Ok, so fining players $15,000 - or whatever the exorbitant amount is - doesn't seem to be working. Therefore, The Powers That Be of each sport ought to seriously consider this: for every minute of inappropriate behavior, the offending player must spend the equivalent number of hours washing wallpaper glue off of some nice little old lady's wall. Then we’ll make them continue their community service by appearing on Trading Spaces Family.

Now, that's what I call penance.

No gloating.....yet.

But it really IS hard to win 3 games against the same team in one season!
Go Vikes!

Yep. I love Culpepper.

Remembrance

Please pray for and remember Addie, her family as well Blake's family. Here is an article in memorium.

You are God, there is no other

Today was a day of grace and tragedy.

For one, it is my birthday - I'm a year older and I feel the march of time.

It's easy for me to forget that life is fragile. I wasn't supposed to be, and that knowledge has shaped who I am. I was chosen, by more than my mom or my dad, though both actively chose me. My birthday reminds me yearly how loved I am. And yet, for the last few weeks, I've forgotten that, and felt a sense of entitlement, and disappointment when expectations that I hold haven't yet been fulfilled.

Tonight, after a birthday dinner that included a very, very nice restaurant, sweet and thoughtful gifts, a flat tire, frustration resulting from said tire, and a few phone calls to friends letting them know that the night plans would be postponed for a bit, I received distressing news.

One of my closest friends in town has introduced me to her dear friend. I enjoy her friend immensely - mostly through anecdotes and a vicarious friendship through my friend. Her friend's husband was killed in an avalanche accident- two years younger than me, married for 2 years and expecting their first child.

Oh. The miserable life we lead - a cursed life. As my friend prayed through tears together, I felt deeply the strong ties that connect Christians, and understand why we call each other "sisters and brothers in Christ." For I really won't be able to do much for this friend of a friend. And yet, I deeply mourn for her, I weep for her and her sweet child. I wonder at the suffering of My Family - and while one could say my immediate family has suffered, I am struck more by the widespread suffering of those also who are my family through Christ, and how they suffer greatly.

I told my friend, this is how I know I'm not God - If I were, I would bring him back for Addie right away. Now. This second.

As it is, I can only remember a man I never met as my brother and weep.

Strange how we are so tied to one another, the universal church. It is a mystery. A mystery of Christianity.