New Years' Thoughts

Well, here it is. New Year's Eve. 2005 is about six and a half hours away.
2004 was a good year. Made new friends and got closer to the old ones. Laughed (too many times to even consider counting). Cried (just enough to keep me human). Read. Wrote. Grew- in faith, in character, in height (I have now reached the very respectable height of 5'10").
There were highs and lows. I look back at the highs and smile fondly. They are many. Our Town. Granite State Challenge. Travelling over the summer. Angels, Inc. I look back on the lows (although not too often- I try not to look back on them because it counts for nothing in the future). They made me stronger and enriched my character, and for that I am grateful.
Am I going to make a New Year's resolution? Not really. I never intentionally keep them. So all I pray is that I will continue to grow in faith, in character- but maybe not in height. I pray that my friendships will continue to grow and mature, and never fail. I pray that, as Bob Marley said, the power of love will overcome the love of power, and that then the world will know peace. Wars have been going on for too long.
I also pray that you- yes, you, the person reading this blog- will grow. If you don't know Christ, I pray that He will lead you close to Him. Faith is the greatest joy and peace any person could ever know. I pray that you will be a person of great character in your dealings with other people and when you are alone, too. Learn kindness, patience, goodness, loyalty, honesty, self control. Learn to love, above all. World peace won't happen if the people of the world are not at peace in their day-to-day relationships.
This is getting a bit philosophical. I'll leave off before I start contradicting myself and rambling. God bless you, and have a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Food for Thought

-Good times are even better when they're shared.
-A good long talk can cure almost anything.
-Everyone needs someone with whom to share her secrets.
-Listening is just as important as talking.
-An understanding friend is better than a therapist- cheaper too!
-Laughter makes the world a happier place.
-Friends are like wine; they get better with age.
-A friend is someone who believes in you even when you have ceased to believe in yourself.
-Sometimes you just need a shoulder to cry on.
-Gems may be precious, but friendship is priceless.
-There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!
-When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we don’t see the one that has been opened for us.
-Don’t go for looks, they can deceive. Don’t go for wealth, for even that can pass away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it only takes a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one who makes your heart smile.
-Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you only have one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.
-May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to keep you happy.
-The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes their way.
-The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
-When you were born, you were crying and everyone else was smiling. Live your life so that, at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
-I love you, not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.
-No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is won't make you cry.
-Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
-A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
-The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.
-Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.
-To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
-Don't waste your time on a man/woman who isn't willing to waste their time on you.
-Maybe we're supposed to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful.
-Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.
-There are always going to be people that hurt you, so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.
-Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try to know someone else and expect them to know you.
-Don't try so hard. The best things come when you least expect them to.
-Whatever happens, happens for a reason.
-Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
-Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
-Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
-Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
-If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
-If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
-It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
-Never buy a car you can't push.
-Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you don't have a leg to stand on.
-Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
-The early worm gets eaten by the bird, so sleep late.
-When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
-Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.
-You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
-Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
-Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.
-We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors but they all have to learn to live in the same box.
-A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
-Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.
-“Be who you are, say how you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~Dr. Seuss
-“A friend will visit you in jail. A good friend will bail you out of jail. A best friend will be sitting beside you in jail laughing hysterically and saying, “That was AWESOME!””
-“A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked.”
-“When you love someone, all your saved- up wishes start coming out.” ~Elizabeth Bowen
-“There are two ways you can live. You can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” ~Albert Einstein

Funny Quotes

"God created a few perfect people. The rest he made right-handed."

"People are so inevitably crazy that not to be crazy would be to give a mad twist to craziness." ~Blaise Pascal

"My fellow Americans, I am pleased to announce that I have just signed the new legislation outlawing Russia. The bombing will start in five minutes." ~Ronald Reagan

"I'm proud to be called a pig. It stands for pride, integrity, and guts." ~Ronald Reagan

"To err is human. To really screw things up you need a computer."

"There are two kinds of people. One kind wakes up and says "Good morning, Lord!" The other kind wakes up and says, "Good Lord, it's morning!"

"A friend will call you in jail. A good friend will bail you out of jail. A best friend will be sitting next to you in jail laughing hysterically and saying "THAT WAS AWESOME!""

"A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even though they know you are slightly cracked."

Thought du Jour

A quote for the day:
"Only choose in marriage a man whom you would choose as a friend if he were a woman." ~Joseph Joubert

Some of my friends have been trying to convince me why it would be to my advantage to get a boyfriend. Now, I don't mind their meddling- they want the best for me, of that I am sure- but I have been quite happy for the last 15 years without one.

I have my standards for boyfriends. I want someone who values me for who I am, and takes pride in who I am and what I do. I want someone who doesn't want to change me- who likes me just the way I am. I want someone loyal, honest, and trustworthy. Intelligence is nice, a sense of humor is a must, good looks is obviously always a plus. Personal interests should match mine enough that we don't bicker over everything. Above all, he should be a friend, as much as a boyfriend. I want someone who treats me with respect, as an equal human being, if he doesn't put me on the pedestal that I think all women deserve to be on. Courtesy and chivalry should not be dead to him. More than anything, he has to be a Christian who both talks the talk and walks the Walk. Words are meaningless without actions behind them.

I know that sounds like a superman, but I don't think it is unreasonable. Obviously I'm willing to bend a little bit, but not too much. I know there are guys out there like that. All you need is faith and time.

An author I like, Tamora Pierce, described the relationship between two of her characters like this:

"It's hard to describe a relationship like theirs to people, because most of us were raised to think love is fire, passion, and prolonged bouts of giddiness and strained emotions. The quieter kind of love looks kind of boring on the surface, even cool-hearted. Nobody wants that at first. Some people never learn how wonderful it is to be friends with a lover or a spouse, to know that here is someone you can be yourself around, and they will love you anyway, sometimes not in spite of your worse characteristics, but because of them. That kind of lover will stay with you through thick and thin, will make you feel valued always, and will make any disastrous occasion seem less so because you are with that person."

I don't know about you, but I like the sound of that.

Praise God (Psalm 150)

"Praise the Lord.
Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens.
Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre,
Praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute,
Praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with the resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord."

(Psalm 150: 1-6)

Letter from PIF: If We Could Give You A Gift

I got this letter from a Christian band called Paid in Full over their email newsletter...Read, contemplate, and Enjoy!

If we could give you a gift ...
The stores are filled with shoppers clawing over each other to get that perfect gift. What are you going to get? What do you want?

If we could give you a gift we would give you Hope.

It just seems to us that there's not a whole lot of hope around lately. In fact, we recently had someone tell us that our music is not depressing enough for her.

There are a ton of emo artists out there singing about how tough life is and why things suck so bad. We can identify with some of their music because we've all been there. Life isn't easy. But, we don't want to focus on that stuff. We'd rather focus on Hope.

Hope is what makes us go on. It's what pulls us out of bed everyday. Hope is what gets us through the toughest times and rotten situations.

Some of you reading this just like our music but you're not all that into "God stuff." Maybe you've been burned by a church or turned off by some "Christian" who has imposed a set of legalistic, performance-based dogmas on you. Or maybe you just watch tv and you see angry "Christians" marching and screaming and you don't want any part of that. Frankly, neither do we. The Hope we would give you as a gift would not be hope in any of these man-made institutions. We'd introduce you to the author of Hope.

Is there anything we can do to persuade you to look directly at Jesus? Is there anything we can say to get you to look past all the weird stuff people do in His name and look directly at Him?

Have you ever had someone trash talk about you behind your back? Ever have someone misrepresent you to others? Don't you wish you had the chance to have people make decisions about you based on what they've found through interacting with you directly? Jesus wants, Jesus deserves, that same chance. We're convinced that if you look into His words and His life directly that you will be impacted by Hope.

This Christmas we pray that you might consider the Jesus that we know. Consider the Jesus that never forced himself on people; never demanded his rights. Consider the Jesus who spoke words of love and forgiveness to whores, cheats, drunks and politicians alike. Consider the Jesus who called to fisherman, accountants, doctors and tradesmen to follow him. Consider the Jesus who went to the cross. Discover His mission.

May you discover Hope this Christmas season. May you look past all the trappings and look directly at Jesus Christ.

Peace,
Josh, Swiff, Joe and James

Give Thanks

Give Thanks

Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One.
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now, let the weak say, "I am strong,"
Let the poor say, "I am rich"
Because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give thanks.

This Thanksgiving, by all means watch the football games and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Just don't get too caught up in all the commercialism. Treasure the people around you, and give thanks to the one who put them in your life. Give thanks for God's bounty that fills your stomach to overflowing. Give thanks that you own a TV so that you can watch the games and the parade after you stuff yourself. You'll find, however, that watching the games and the parade isn't quite as fulfilling as praising the Creator of everything. And don't forget the ones who can't watch the games because they don't have a house, let alone a TV, and whose stomachs are far from full. Satisfaction comes from giving thanks to God and sharing what you have been blessed with.

What's It All About?

Sermon: What's It All About? (Ziegler Award):
"There's a wonderful story from the tradition of the desert fathers and mothers who flourished as hermits in the early centuries of the Christian church. The story is told that Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph, and said to him, 'Abba, as far as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and I meditate, I live in peace, and as far as I can I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?' And the old man stood up, and he stretched his hands toward heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire. And he said to him, 'If you will, you can become all flame.' "

The text of a wonderful sermon written by a pastor that I enjoy reading and listening to, Anne Robertson. It won her the Ziegler Award in preaching and has been published in a couple of books.

Red Sox!

I almost forgot to write about the biggest sports news in years! The Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time since 1918! They defeated the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), coming back from being down 3 games to none to tie the series and then to beat the Yankees in Game 7. They then took on the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Cards never had a chance to win a game before we took the title in Game 4! In other words, the Red Sox kicked out the Red Birds!
Hell froze over. Pigs flew. Money grew on trees. Charlie Brown kicked the football. The nerd kissed the Homecoming Queen.
The Boston Red Sox won the World Series!
MEDIAS ROJAS VAMANOS!

2004 Boston Red Sox:

POWERHITTERS
David Ortiz
Manny Ramirez
Johnny Damon
Jason Varitek
Orlando Cabrera
Mark Bellhorn
Bill Mueller
Trot Nixon
Kevin Millar

SUPER STARTING PITCHERS
Pedro Martinez
Derek Lowe
Tim Wakefield
Curt Schilling

PHENOMENAL BACKUP PITCHERS
Bronson Orroyo
Keith Foulke
Alan Embree
Mike Timlin

SUPREME BACKUPS
Doug Mientkiewicz
Pokey Reese
Dave Roberts

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

Thought du Jour: Models vs. Critics

A quote for the day:
"Children need models rather than critics." ~Joseph Joubert

Why do parents complain about what their kids do wrong when they do exactly the same thing? If you swear, of course your child will! If you talk nonstop, of course your child will! If you don't do things in a timely manner, of course your child won't either!
In other words, don't carp about your neighbor's cleaning until your own house is spotless!
Hard thing to do, though, as we can see other people's faults before our own. We're all guilty of it. But still- it is not an unattainable goal, to not complain that other people aren't perfect when we aren't ourselves. We can't be perfect, but at least we can avoid complaining.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

From my friend Cathy:

"You're boring. You do things the legal way."

Paul's Doxology

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
-Romans 11: 33-36

Proverbs

"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair- every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." ~Proverbs 2: 6-11

"Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer." ~Proverbs 9: 9-12

The Priestly Blessing

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

~From Numbers 6: 24-26

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

From my sister:

If the opposite of con is pro, what's the opposite of progress?

[That would be...Congress! =D]

LOTR quote

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was, when so much bad happened. But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. Those are the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too young to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't, they kept on going. Because they were holding on to something. [What are we holding on to, Sam?] That there is some good in this world Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for. "
~The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Thought du Jour: Our Town

A quote for the day:
"Now, there are some things we all know but we don't take'm out and look at'm very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain't houses and it ain't names, and it ain't earth, and it ain't even the stars- everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people that ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you'd be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact."
-Thornton Wilder, Our Town

Wow, so much has happened since my last post. Granite State Challenge ended and the play ("Our Town" by Thornton Wilder) really kicked into high gear. The final production was on Saturday. It was sooo awesome.
Backing up, before the play of course came tech week. The most high-stress time for me, as stage manager. But although I get stressed out- as my friends can attest to, I become a basket case- I enjoy the time that I get to spend there. You form some pretty close bonds under such circumstances. Sometimes I walk into a production not really knowing anybody, and I walk out with some of the best friends I could have. Things like that bring people together. Kinda hard to explain why. When you're working together in close, stress-filled quarters, you'll either make enemies or friends. Some make both. I almost always come out with friends-something I'm glad of. As I said, all tech week I'm a stressed-out basket case, but when opening night comes around- well, my peers on the stage crew said that the change was astounding. Fact is, opening night relaxes me. I'm rarely nervous- somehow I just know everything will turn out great. And any problems that occur, well, we'll fix 'em the next night. I just sit back and do what has to be done. That varies from play to play...in "Our Town" it meant following along with the script, doing sound cues and some light cues, making sure the actors come on at the right time, and coordinating and helping with a few scene changes. I loved doing it.

Being a stage manager is a hard, sometimes thankless job. So what makes being a stage manager worth it? Lots of things. The friends I make in the actors and the crew. Being a part of the artistry of live theater. Hearing the occasional thanks from the actors, director(s), crew- just one person saying thanks makes it all worth it. Getting a front-row seat for the production. Getting to use a cool headset walkie-talkie. :-) Too many joys to count.

"Our Town" was a play that I enjoyed working on for many reasons. The play itself had emotional depth, and it really hits home when it is done well. The people were the absolute best. Directors, producers, actors, crew...guys and girls alike, they were wonderful. I was glad to be able to work with them.

After closing night, most of us went out to Uno's for a party. Soo much fun...it was midnight and we were drinking sodas, eating pizza and mozzerella sticks and nachos..some people ate pure sugar from the packets that were sitting on the table! We got a massive game of Telephone going (all the way around the five tables) and just kicked back and relaxed. I talked to Dan, Jacqueline, Betsy, and Ryan mostly...discussed movies, the spring musical, books, Betsy and Ryan's trip to Chicago...great times. Then Kevin drove Betsy and I back home and we were talking so much that he missed the exit and had to go the long way around...can't say I minded, it was fun to spend the extra time together discussing subjects too numerous and weird to mention.

Anyway, a few of my thanks go out to:
KEVIN, for the last-minute drives home, the backstage conversations, always saying thanks, being disciplined about your lines and keeping us all disciplined...
EMILY, for being a great friend, being very supportive, cluing me in on what I need to be clued in on, for always striving to be better, for always saying thanks...
ELISA, for always being there for a smile, for playing your three roles with such candor, and for always saying thanks...
EMMA, for being a kind, patient student director. Few people have the gift of being able to make people work together, and you're the most gifted person in that direction that I have ever met...
BETSY AND RACHEL, for always being willing to help me out and keeping me not too stressed...
DANIEL, SAMUEL, AND JACQUELINE, for the pre-practice movie discussions and political analyses...

There are so many other people that I could thank, but I'd better sign off...lotta work to do.
All best wishes.

What is LOVE?

A group of professionals posted this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds: "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.
Rebecca- age 8

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouths. Billy- age 4

Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving Cologne and they go out and smell each other. Kari- age 5

Love is what makes you smile when you're tired. Terri- age 4

Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK. Danny- age 7

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. Bobby- age 7 (wow!)

Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day. Noelle- age 7

Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken. Elaine- age 5

Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford. Chris- age 7

Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day. Mary Ann- age 4

When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you. Karen- age 7

You really shouldn't say "I LOVE YOU" unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget. Jessica- age 8

And the winner was a 4 year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly man who had just lost his wife. When the child saw the man cry, the little boy went over into the man's yard and climbed on top of the man's lap and just sat there. When the boy's mother asked him what he'd said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

Memories from Granite State Challenge

Looking back over the Granite State Challenge practices and games, there were so many funny moments.

KEVIN- 4, Smith, SpaceBall, the Duracell bunny, non-astronaut people, elephants, Sesame Street theme, A-Rod impersonation, did I mention I'm epileptic?
DEVON- Reagan's alive, dirty Canadian vs. dirty Yank, five-star General Mom pulled rank
ERIK- pray for Mr. Johnson, A-Rod impersonation
MR. JOHNSON- pray for Erik
JOSH- Mike Eisenhower
ME- Led Zeppelin

Do Not Worry

"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
-Matthew 6: 25-34

Prayer

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:6-7

WORRY: BAD
PRAYER: GOOD
GOT IT?

Thought du Jour: When You Lose

A quote for the day:
"You have learned something. That always feels at first as if you had lost something."
-George Bernard Shaw, Major Barbara

Today my school's Granite State Challenge team lost in the semifinal round of the competition. Although we knew that we might lose, we did not expect that we would lose in the way that we did. We were ahead for Round 1, for Round 2, for Round 3, and for most of Round 4 too. Then, in the last five minutes of the game, the other team pulled ahead and tied it up. Then, in literally the last second of the game, they got the final question right- just as the buzzer rang to end the game. The final score was 295-285. We were in shock. Never in a million years would I have predicted that outcome. To their credit, the other team were wonderful sports about it. They reached down immediately and shook the hands of all our players, the coaches and alternates congratulated us on a wonderful game, etc. But we were absolutely stunned. Two of our guys, Erik and Kevin, leaned back hard on the wall behind them almost simultaneously. How we felt was...it was beyond words. The look on their faces made me want to go over and just hug them, tell them how wonderful they were.
The same thing happened on the bus home. We were analyzing the game, as we almost always do, but it was different this time. We weren't analyzing what we did well as much, but we we didn't do that could have prospectively won us the game. The atmosphere was, once again, almost indescribable. We had played a wonderful game, a spectacular game- but we lost. We weren't mad, we weren't upset or distraught--just disappointed. Not in how we played, but in the fact that we lost. Something inside us just knotted up.
But still, we remember how we started out not wanting to do anything other than try. And we exceeded all expectations so far beyond anything we anticipated that we can have no regrets. Indeed, I sit here remembering William Borden, who wrote in his Bible, "No Reserves. No Retreat. No Regret" at different times in his life. "No reserves" when he was just starting out. "No retreat" when he was getting discouraged or pushed by family and friends to go back on what he was doing. "No regret" right before he died.
We've developed a real camaraderie on the team, too. We're all friends now. Today, when we got back to school, a guy met us in the lobby and when we told him what happened, he went "Erik!" because Erik is basically our ringer, our star. And we jumped on him for that, told him that we couldn't have expected any more of him than what he had already done. It's a loyalty that has developed out of the situation we've been in together. It's something special, that I can really treasure and appreciate.
Now we look to the future. None of us really wants to just say, "We're done," and quit. We're going to grovel and really try to get on the team next year, but in the meantime we're not quitting. We're going to see about going into another Quiz Bowl, somewhere else in the state. We go forward.

Thought du Jour: Wisdom

A quote for the day:
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom...But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
~James 3:13, 17-18

Pray for wisdom- there are few greater gifts you can be given.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #30:

Why is it called "Independence Day" if you are forced to spend it with your family?

Thought du Jour: Blessings

All right, all right! So I haven't posted in a long time! But I've been really busy!
Yeah, I know I say that a lot, but it's true.

Anyway:

A quote for the day:
"Better to lose count while naming your blessings than to lose your blessings by counting your troubles."

Blessings. I can't even begin to count all the blessings that I've been given. My family, who have been an immense blessing to me, although often the old saying rings true: "Family- can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em." My friends- they've blessed me beyond measure. Whether old or new, they are worth more than gold to me. My school- yes, even math. ALL my teachers have influenced me enormously, and most have been huge blessings on my life. God blessed me by placing people in my life who...well, words fail me when I try to describe them. And those don't even begin to scrape the surface of the blessings He has given me. Hopefully He will help me to be a blessing to those around me.

Thought du Jour: Homecoming Week vol. 3

THURSDAY: Decades Day! Each class dressed up as if they were from a different decade. My class got the 1970s. Soo...we all dug out our fringe hippie stuff from our parents' seventies days, got really gigantic wigs, and kicked back and had fun. Between classes, they played oldies music over the intercom, like James Taylor's Fire and Rain, and Michael Jackson's Thriller. The other classes were the 1950s, 1960s, and 1980s. They had some pretty incredible costumes. Lots of bright colors and poodle skirts around school today. Even though I wasn't dressed up in my Canadian gear, I was still getting teased gently about being Canadian. Especially the guys at GSC practice. :-) It's great, they're awesome. We have a lot of fun.

I won't be at school tomorrow for SuperHero Day/Clash Day, or at the homecoming dance on Saturday, but I'll post notes about those as soon as I hear about them from my friends!

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #29:

Either I've been missing something or nothing has been going on.

Thought du Jour: Homecoming Week vol. 2

More on Homecoming 2004!

WEDNESDAY: Pick A Country Day! Dress up as a country of your choice! I saw soo many countries represented around school today. India, Jamaica, Scotland, Ireland, the USA (some people are soo creative- NOT!) I personally went as Canada. I dressed up in all my Canadian gear and flaunted my heritage! It was great- at Granite State Challenge practice, just about everyone on the team teased me about being a "dirty rotten Canadian". I, in return, called them "dirty rotten Yanks". We have so much fun. Anyway, after school I stuck around to watch the girls soccer team play. Unfortunately, we lost. 3-1. So disappointing. But life goes on, and I'm sure we'll win another time. The girls played great, but the other team kept trying to break the legs of our best player. Terrible sportsmanship. Just because they don't have anyone like her doesn't mean that they have the right to take her out.

More coming up on tomorrow---Decades Day!

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #28:

Don't accept rides from strange men, and remember that all men are strange.

Thought du Jour: Homecoming Week vol. 1

HOMECOMING WEEK!!!!!
I love this time of year! For one glorious week we get to dress down every day in various themes, listen to music over the P.A. between classes, attend pep rallies, bonfires, home soccer & volleyball games, and a dance, and just generally kick back and relax!
Here's a play-by-play on the week so far:

MONDAY: Pajama Day! I love how they put it on a Monday morning, since they know everyone is totally exhausted then anyway. We wandered around school all day in our pajamas. My friend Shannon even fell asleep in Spanish class!
TUESDAY: School Colors Day! Today we donned our maroon and gray gear- all the stuff we could find- and showed our school pride! We had a pep rally too, and played some games and saw all the sports teams, and listened to some great music from the jazz band. That afternoon, I went to watch the boy's soccer game. We won, 4-0! It was a fantastic game! Then I went to Burger King with my friends to hang out and warm up until the bonfire started. The flames went about 50 feet up in the air for about 20 minutes, before the fire collapsed on itself and some grassfires started. Thankfully, they went out before we had to call the fire department back. Then we just hung out for two hours until it went out. There were a few games organized, like Red Rover, but mostly it was just socializing.

I'll post more in a couple of days!

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Leaving the Chrisisms behind for a day...here's one from yours truly!

We should learn to convert English measurement to metric measurement in your head. It's the most sensible system. But we're not in a country that uses it! We're in an unsensible country!

Thought du Jour: Come to Me

A quote for the day:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." ~Matthew 11:28-30

Speaks for itself, if you ask me. One of my favorite verses.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #27:

If by true you mean false and by false you mean true, then I suppose I'd have to agree.

Thought du Jour: Like a child

A quote for the day:
"But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." ~Luke 18:16

I love little kids. They have so much joy in everything. They may not always be the most polite, or the smartest, or the friendliest, but they still see the joy in everything. They think McDonald's is a four-star restaurant for goodness' sake. If you think that, you've got to take joy in the little things.

If you're like me, then you know it's impossible to be in a bad mood when you're around little kids. You could be having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, but if a little kid comes up to you and gives you a huge hug, or you are holding a baby and they go to sleep on your shoulder, then you can't possibly be upset. A feeling of peace just flows over you, and you get completely relaxed.

It's a feeling that can't be compared to any other.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #26:

Insomnia is the triumph of mind over mattress.

Richard Connell : The Most Dangerous Game

Richard Connell : The Most Dangerous Game:

"'OFF THERE to the right--somewhere--is a large island,' said Whitney.' It's rather a mystery--'"

A great short story that I read last year...very exciting and engaging!

Thought du Jour: Faith

A quote for the day:

"For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." ~Psalm 91: 11-12

Life is all about risks and it requires you to jump. At some point you've got to close your eyes, and step out on faith. Not only must you trust your instincts, you must trust God. You must believe in His promises, like the one above- that He will look after you.

Faith requires a lot from you, but it is so, so worth it. You're in for the ride of your life if you accept Him.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #25:

My mom always said, "Keep your chin up." That's how I ran into a wall.

Thought du Jour: Music

A quote for the day:
Music is the universal eternal language of love.

It's true- music is the one thing that most everybody understands. People say that classical music is stupid and not worth listening to, but it's not true. People understand the feelings that music conveys, words or no words. Peace, excitement, whatever the emotion, people still understand it if it's conveyed through music. Classical music is classic because people have loved to listen to it for countless generations. If people suddenly stopped wanting to listen to it, the world would lose so much.

I love the music of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen. I have an instrumental version of it, and it is so awesome to listen to it and try to picture something that could be going on.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #24:

Dad: Son, I just want you to know that I have complete and total faith in you.
Son: Since when?
Dad: Since your mother yelled at me.

Thought du Jour: The Best is Yet to Come

A quote for the day:
Don't try so hard...The best things come when you least expect them to.

You never know when the best things are going to come into your life. If you try to anticipate it, you'll probably won't be as happy when the best things come. Although they do say that anticipation is half the enjoyment.

So just put your future in God's hands and wait for the best!

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #23:

On the other hand, you have different fingers.

Thought du Jour: Too Much to Do

A quote for the day:
People are so inevitably crazy, that not to be crazy would be to give a mad twist to craziness.
~Blaise Pascal

I am feeling so overloaded right now. Too much homework, too many activities, too many people pushing me to do things and be things that I don't know if I can be. I wish I could just retire right now. My friend Caity always says, "I don't like this game. I quit!" whenever she's feeling stressed, and I feel the same way at the moment.

But you know what? For some reason, I'm happy, and I wouldn't change life at the moment.

Well, except to get rid of certain classes. That would make me very happy.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #22:

Remember, as far as anyone knows, we're a nice, normal family.

Playing with Three Strings

Playing with Three Strings

We have seen Yitzhak Perlman
Who walks the stage with braces on both legs,
On two crutches.
He takes his seat, unhinges the clasps of his legs,
Tucking one leg back, extending the other,
Laying down his crutches, placing the violin under his chin.

On one occasion one of his violin strings broke.
The audience grew silent but the violinist did not leave the stage.
He signaled the maestro, and the orchestra began its part.
The violinist played with power and intensity on only three strings.
With three strings, he modulated, changed and
Recomposed the piece in his head
He retuned the strings to get different sounds,
Turned them upward and downward.

The audience screamed with delight,
Applauded their appreciation.
Asked later how he had accomplished this feat,
The violinist answered,"It is my task to make music with what remains."

A legacy mightier than a concert.
Make music with what remains.
Complete the song left for us to sing,
Transcend the loss,
Play it out with heart, soul and might
With all remaining strength within us.

-- Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis

Thought du Jour: Eagles

Apologies for not posting yesterday's thought du jour...lot of homework to do. :-(
Anywho, today's thought du jour:

A quote for the day:
…But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

The big excitement at my school right now is the new soccer field that is almost done. The teams are practically falling over, they are so eager to get on it. We've had to rent a field a couple of towns away for our home field, so that the teams don't have to travel three hours to every game. Still, the "home field" is at least half an hour away, so they are bouncing. It's going to be done for next week- homecoming!

All the teams at my school are called the Eagles- from basketball to soccer. They are all the Eagles, and their theme verse is Isaiah 40:31 (see above). We aren't exactly renowned for being the best teams in the state- we won our first state championship last year- but we play hard and generally do very well.

More importantly, we've got good sports on our teams. In fact, last year, we won the sportsmanship award- something we're very proud of. After all, isn't that more important than winning? Winning or losing gracefully is an important skill.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #20:

I have a mobile home. Of course, it wasn't until last week's hurricane.

And #21, which is similar:

Having a teenager is like a hurricane. You board up the windows and in four years look at how bad the damage was.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #19:

All right, brain, it's all up to you....Be quiet, brain, or I'll stab you with a Q-tip.

Thought du Jour: Friends

A quote for the day:
A true friend is one who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

I love getting my yearbook at the end of each school year. I love to see the pictures of what happened that year, seeing the pictures of my friends, and I especially love getting people to write in it. They always write wonderful memory messages. There are only two problems. One is the fact that I always have a hard time knowing what to say. It's so hard to put what you think into words, hard to express what they mean to you. The other problem is when these friends are leaving. When you know that you may never see them again, it's harder still to express your thoughts. So I offer this to them, from the song For Good by Stephen Schwartz:

It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part:
So much of me is made of what I learned from you.
You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart.
And now whatever way our stories end, know that you've rewritten mine by being my friend.
Like a ship pulled off its mooring by a wind off the sea, like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood.
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better.
And because I knew you I have been changed for good.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #18:

Personally, I'm waiting for Caller I.Q.

Boston Red Sox : The Official Site

Boston Red Sox : The Official Site

Sure, they don't win all the time...sure, we haven't won the World Series since 1918...but who cares? We love them anyway!

MEDIAS ROJAS VAMANOS!!

Thought du Jour: Yesterday, tomorrow, and today

A quote for the day:
Yesterday was history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift- that's why we call it the PRESENT.

Maybe yesterday you made some mistakes. Maybe you said something you shouldn't have. Maybe you did something you wish you could reversed. Or maybe you had an awesome day, and you wish every day could be like it. Either way, don't focus too much on it. Yesterday is over. Positives and negatives alike, it's gone. Refocus.

Maybe you're really looking forward to tomorrow. Maybe you know something great is going to happen, maybe you have no idea what is coming. You never know for sure exactly what is coming. Tomorrow or a week from now, things change. Plan accordingly.

Today, though...it's a gift that's been granted to you. Whether you've got a schedule worked out or your day is completely spontaneous, it's still a gift. Make sure to take time to thank the Giver.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #17:

I would hurt you now if I wasn't deathly afraid of you.

Thought du Jour: For Good

From the musical Wicked
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

For Good

I’ve heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led to those
Who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return.
Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true,
But I know I’m who I am today
Because I knew you…

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun.
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood.
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good…

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me is made of what I learned from you.
You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart.
And now whatever way our stories end
I know that you’ve rewritten mine by being my friend…

Like a ship pulled off its mooring
By a wind off the sea.
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood.
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you…I have been changed for good.

And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness for the things I’ve done you blame me for
But then, I guess we know there’s blame to share
And none of it seems to matter anymore!

Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun.
Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood.
Like a ship blown off its mooring by a wind off the sea.
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood.
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
I do believe I’ve been changed for the better,
Because I knew you I have been changed for good.

Update: Granite State Challenge

My school's Granite State Challenge team taped their first show today! And WE WON!!!! It was sooooo awesome! The team was absolutely spectacular. They all answered more than one question, they worked together well....all told, they were phenomenal! We beat the other team 190-165! Cause for celebration, indeed! It was a great experience. I got to be on TV too! They filmed the alternates and coaches for the opening segment. Pretty neat. A great day.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #16:

Thirty-five years in show business, and already people don't remember my name. Just like what's-his-name, and who's-it, and, you know, that guy who always wore a shirt.

Granite State Challenge: An NHPTV Production

Granite State Challenge: An NHPTV Production:

"The competition emphasizes quick recall of factual material in all major disciplines -- math, science, social studies, language arts, and fine arts -- and a few questions about current events, movies and TV, sports and New Hampshire people, places and events. It's a rousing competition -- as spirited as any football game. "

My school has a team in this year!! I'm so excited! The taping of the first game is tomorrow, so keep the team in your prayers and keep your fingers crossed!

Thought du Jour: Smile

A quote for the day:
You may be only one person in the world; but you may also mean the world to one person.

You know when you have a really bad day, and you feel like no one cares about you, and you feel that the whole world is just selfish? And then someone, a friend you didn't even know you had, comes up to you and asks if you are all right, if you want to talk, if there is anything they can do. That can alter someone's day drastically. Many is the time that I've had a bad morning, and then I'd get a smile from a friend, a cheerful hello, a joke told, that made me smile all day long.

Once, when I was sick, one of my friends figured it out, and took it upon himself to make me laugh and forget about how lousy I was feeling.

Another time I was having a really bad morning. You know, tests that I was stressed out about, didn't get to eat much breakfast, didn't get a great sleep, spilled cereal on my pants, that kind of thing. That kind of morning. Then, I was walking to my first class, and a friend in passing just kind of reached out and tickled me in the stomach. Totally unexpected, and made me feel so much better that I smiled the rest of the day, whenever I thought about it.

Those little things you do can alter a person's day, or sometimes even their life. Remember- the little things, like that special smile you have, make more of a difference than you will ever really know.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #15:

The first thing to hit a tourist in New York City is the accent. The second is a taxi.

Wicked The New Broadway Musical - Official Website

Wicked The New Broadway Musical - Official Website

Lots of great music in this one...wish I could go see it...very, very clever musical adaptation of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. Turns out they were friends in school...but one went evil, and one stayed good. Lots of moral values to be found in here. I highly recommend the soundtrack.

You Are Holy

"You are Holy"

You are holy (echo)
You are mighty (echo)
You are worthy (echo)
Worthy of praise (echo)

I will follow (echo)
I will listen (echo)
I will love You (echo)
All of my days (echo)

You are Lord of Lords
You are King of Kings
You are Mighty God, Lord of everything,
You're Emmanuel, You're the Great I Am,
You're the Prince of Peace who is the Lamb.

You're the Living God, you're my saving Grace
You will reign forever, you are Ancient of Days.
You are Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End,
You're my Saviour, Messiah, Redeemer, and Friend.
You're my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for you.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #12, 13, & 14 (please note, these were written by a guy and are not necessarily my personal views):

Girls are dynamite. If you don't believe it, try dropping one.

Guy 1: She's a knockout.
Guy 2: You mean she's pretty?
Guy 1: No, she's just a great boxer.

She was a cover girl. When a guy met her, she'd run for cover.

Discipleship: Thought du Jour 8

The Power of Love! (Part II)

Disciple Characteristic #6:
Loving Others With a Christ-like Love

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you will also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
~John 13: 34-35

The Picture of love: "even as I have loved you"

What kind of love are we talking about here?
1. "I love chocolate chip cookies." This kind of love means that you really enjoy something.
2. "Love at first sight." This kind of love means basically a physical attraction.
3. "Christ-like love." This is the kind of love a disciple loves with- the kind that seeks the highest good of the one loved.

That is the kind of love that means, even if you're angry at someone, you are willing to love them.

John 13: 1-5 showed the full extent of Christ's love. He would perform even the lowest, most menial job- washing the feet of His disciples. He had A SERVANT'S HEART.

The Priority of Love: "A new commandment I give to you."

For a disciple, love is not an option. You must love as Jesus tells you to love.

Matthew 22: 37-40 says to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Love is the greatest of all the commandments.

The Purpose of Love: "By this all men will know..."

What is the purpose of love?

It is a true disciple's distinguishing characteristic.

John 13:35: Everyone will know you are a disciple if you love one another.

Sacrificial Love:
The ultimate expression of love was Jesus taking our place on the cross. Even though He knew that we deserved punishment, and He was innocent, He loved us enough to take our place.


SO WHAT NOW?

What do I do now that I know all this? You:
1. Apply it to your life and
2. Share the info.

A disciple needs to be discipled and then disciple someone else.

Matthew 28: 19-20 says to go and make disciples of the whole world.

II Timothy 2:2 says to go tell what we learn to reliable people who will, in turn, pass it on.

Discipleship: Thought du Jour 7

Who Owns Your Stuff?

Disciple Characteristic #5:
Recognition of True Ownership of Your Possessions
Text: Luke 14: 27-33

COUNTING THE COST

Illustration #1: Luke 14:27-30- Count the cost before the building begins!

Illustration #2: Luke 14: 31-33- Count the cost before the battle begins!

Don't make a commitment before counting the cost!

WHAT'S THE PRICE TAG?

How much will it cost you to be a disciple?

EVERYTHING!!!

Therefore, you have to recognize who truly owns your stuff.

RECOGNIZING TRUE VALUE

-What is the definition of true ownership? It means that you get to keep it forever.

If that is true, then you own nothing but your salvation and faith.

-How much of your stuff do you get to keep?
All of your stuff is on loan from God. A true disciple will receive an inheritance from God- an eternal reward.

"He is no fool, who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose." ~Jim Elliot

You cannot keep your stuff.
You cannot lose your eternal reward for following Christ.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #10:

A friend is someone who forgives our good points and makes us feel stupid about our bad points.

And #11, which goes with it:

If we didn't have friends, who would make us feel stupid about ourselves?

Discipleship: Thought du Jour 6

Follow the Leader

Disciple Characteristic #4:
Allegiance to Christ's leadership
(Being willing to follow Him no matter what)

"If anyone would come after me, he must take up his cross daily and follow Me." ~Luke 9:23

The apostles dropped everything to follow Jesus.

THREE GUYS NOT FIT TO FOLLOW (Luke 9: 57-62):

1. Mr. Too Hasty (verses 57- 58)-- too dependent on the comforts of his life.

2. Mr. Too Hesitant (verses 59-60)-- bound too tightly by the cares of this world.

3. Mr. Too Homesick (verses 61-62)-- too concerned with companions to follow Jesus.

Jesus knew the hearts of these three guys.

They were too preoccupied with
1. Comforts
2. Cares
3. Companions
to be true disciples.

Hebrews 12: 1-2: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverence the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith."

Focus on faith: Remember to throw off what hinders you, run with perseverence, and fix your eyes on Jesus.

William Borden (would-be missionary who died on his way to his first mission field) wrote in his Bible:

No Reserves- don't hold back
No Retreat- don't go back
No Regret- don't take it back

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #9:

I have an electric toothbrush. Last month I forgot to pay my utility bill, so they came and turned off my teeth.

Discipleship: Thought du Jour 5

Just Say No!

Disciple Characteristic #3:
Dying to Self

Matthew 16:24 says, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

I. Just Say No!

To deny yourself, in the context of the times, meant to fast. Today it means to say no to yourself, always.

The mark of a true disciple is that he or she will always say no to themself, no matter how hard it is.

II. Why Say No?

Because He knows that there is a war raging on the inside of us between God and a sinful nature.

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

The thief is Satan. His sole purpose is in coming is to destroy us.
'I' is Jesus. He has already come, and is here now. He brings life for any and all who want it. Not only life, but ABUNDANT life- you can live life to the full with Him by your side.

According to Galatians 5:16-17, the war is between the Spirit and the flesh.
Spirit = Holy Spirit of God
Flesh = sinful nature and desires of man

WHAT THE FLESH PRODUCES:
(Galatians 5:19-21)

-Sexual sins (immorality, impurity, debauchery)
-Sins of worship (idolatry & witchcraft)
-Relational sins (hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, etc.)
-Sins involving alchohol or drugs

WHAT THE SPIRIT PRODUCES:
(Galatians 5:22-23)

The Fruit of the Spirit:
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control

III. How To Say No
(Galatians 5:24-25)

YOU SAY NO TO YOURSELF BY SAYING, "YES!!!" TO THE SPIRIT!

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chris-ism #8:

A man sitting in a doctor’s office kept chanting, “I hope I’m sick, I hope I’m sick.” Another patient asked him, “Why do you want to be sick?” The man replied, “I’d hate to be well and feel like this.”

Discipleship: Thought du Jour 4

Go To The Gym!

Disciple Characteristic #2:
Regular Study and Devotion to God's Word (John 8:31-32)

* "You can choose your actions, or you can choose your consequences, but you can't choose both." *

For example:
Choose your consequence: good grades
Actions you have to give up are:
Sleeping in class
Partying
Not doing your homework
etc...

WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH BEING A DISCIPLE?

John 8: 31-32 said,
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

What is the action? Hold to Jesus' teachings
What is the consequence? You are a disciple and will know the truth and be freed by it.

The word "hold" means to "sink your roots down into the soil."

Look at Hebrews 5: 11-14.

What is their, and therefore our, problem?

We/They are dull of hearing and slow to learn, and we are spiritual infants.

What's the solution to their/ our problem?
(Hebrews 5: 14)

1. EAT MORE MEAT!
Chew on the solid food of God's Word.
2. GO TO THE GYM!
Get some spiritual exercise. Train yourself in God's Word.

I Will Sing

I WILL SING
Don Moen

Lyrics:

Lord, You seem so far away
A million miles or more it feels today
And though I haven't lost my faith
I must confess right now
That it's hard for me to pray
But I don't know what to say
And I don't know where to start
But as You give the grace
With all that's in my heart

Chorus:
I will sing, I will praise
Even in my darkest hour
Through the sorrow and the pain
I will sing, I will praise
Lift my hands to honor You
Because Your Word is true
I will sing

Lord, it's hard for me to see
All the thoughts and plans You have for me
But I will put my trust in You
Knowing that You died to set me free
But I don't know what to say
And I don't know where to start
But as You give the grace
With all that's in my heart

Chorus (2x)

Ending:
I will sing
I will sing
I will sing.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

From...I don't know where...

I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

Discipleship: Thought du Jour 3

The Power of Love (Part I)

Disciple Characteristic #1: Supreme and Incomparable Love for Christ

Supreme = the greatest possible
Incomparable = no comparison

I. Supreme Love

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matt. 10:37)

A true disciple's love for God overrules his love for anyone else.

II. Incomparable Love

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters- yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)

Does this verse really mean that I should hate my family and my own life?

The answer is an emphatic NO!!

According to 1 John 4:20-21, if you say you love God but hate your brother, then you are a liar.

If you put God first in all you do- love Him above everyone else- loving everyone else will come more naturally.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chris-ism #7:

I was never an athletic kid. One year I played Little League baseball and my dad was the coach. Halfway through the season, he traded me to another family.

Discipleship: Thought du Jour 2

Jesus: The Ultimate Personal Trainer

Have you accepted the challenge and entered the race? Have you decided to follow Jesus as His disciple?

A disciple is defined as a follower of Jesus.

Part I: The Risk of Discipleship (Matthew 10:16-22)

Following Jesus means going against the flow. You will stand out from the rest of the world.

A disciple runs the risk of being persecuted, wounded, and even killed.

Part II: The Requirement of Discipleship

Following Jesus means trusting the Trainer.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

In these verses, Jesus invites us to share the yoke with him. Being a disciple will be hard, but the good news is, you won't go alone. He'll be right there beside you the whole way.

So who are you going to serve?

Part III: The Reward of Discipleship (Matt. 10:25)
Following Jesus means true satisfaction.
We should be satisfied to be like Jesus.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chrisism #6:

Early to bed, early to rise makes a man grateful for coffee.

Discipleship: Thought du Jour 1

Laying the Foundation

What are you building your life on? Relationships, money, career, sports, education? You can tell by what you spend most of your time on.

While these things are not necessarily bad things, building your life on any of these is a big risk because there is no guarantee that they will last. (Ecclesiastes 3:11: "He has set eternity in their hearts.")

You must build a foundation that lasts! A relationship with Christ is sure to be the foundation you need. In fact, He is the only sure foundation.

But in order to understand the Good News, we need to understand the bad news first.

THE BAD NEWS
The bad news is, we have sinned and fallen short of God and His glory. (Romans 3:23)

Romans 6: 23a tells us that the wages of sin is death. The fact is, we have earned our wages.

THE GOOD NEWS
Christ took our place in death! (Romans 5:6-9)

Salvation is a free gift! (Romans 6:23b)

Salvation is by grace and through Christ alone. (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

You only have to ask for salvation. (Romans 10:9-11)

SALVATION IS FOREVER!!! (John 3:16)

The Cost of Discipleship- Intro

The cost of discipleship. Seems to be a popular topic at retreats these days. At camp this summer, this was the topic the speaker for the week spoke about. He did a great job too. He handed out a little packet, which we were supposed to fill in throughout the week and take notes on. He entitled it, "Who You Gonna Follow?" All in all, it was an excellently put together presentation.

For the next few "Thought du Jour"s, I'm going to put together all my notes from that week. Here's a brief outline of the topics:

1. Laying the Foundation
2. Jesus: The Ultimate Personal Trainer
3. The Power of Love
4. Go to the Gym
5. Just Say No!
6. Follow the Leader
7. Who Owns Your Stuff?
8. The Power of Love! (II)

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chris-ism #5

I'd like to be a dentist sometime. I could tell people to shut their mouths and get away with it.

Thought du Jour: Inspiration and Motivation

A quote for the day:
"Some day when things are tough and the breaks are going against the boys, ask them to go in there and win one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be, but I'll know about it and I'll be happy."
~Ronald Reagan as George Gipp in Knute Rockne, All American

Sometimes things go really bad. A day, a week, a month- it's all the same when you're in a bad mood. It's times like that when remembering why you're keeping on keeping on can make a difference. Why are you doing what you're doing? Is it for money? Is it for your family? For friends? For God? Whatever it is, live your life FOR something or someone. A life without purpose is no life at all. Find a purpose, and you'll be motivated to do all you do with vigor.

It's hard times, too, when a word of encouragement from a friend, a family member, or best of all, a complete stranger can make a HUGE difference. If you're trying to lift something heavy into your truck, and it just isn't working, and a stranger passing your house offers to help you. If you're struggling with a math problem, and your mathematical wizard of a dad calls to see if you could use help. If you're having an emotional issue, and a friend calls to see if you are all right, to see if you want to go for a walk and talk about it. Nothing can make a bad day look brighter than a kind word and a smile.

"Thank God for the smile of every child
That makes my heart keep hoping.
There really is more to life than my eyes can see.
For every dreamer that keeps the stream of humankind a-flowing.
It's the ones who believe that keep the rest of us going."

Yeah, that was kind of impulsive...but rather appropriate, don't you think? Lee Domann song, by the way. "The Ones Who Believe." Great tune, with an awesome message, one that we should remember.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Chris-ism #4...

A young boy hated day care so much that he decided to escape through the window. Once he succeeded, he shouted, "I'm free!" Then a young girl walked up to him and said, "So what? I'm four."

Thought du Jour: Prayer

PRAYER (Words and Music by R. Lukianuk)

Like a child who chases shadows
I see only shades of grey
You who painted rainbows,
Can you help me find my way?
Loving Father, Heavenly Author,
Write your word upon me now.
Loving Father, Heavenly Author,
Make me worthy somehow.

Father, hear my prayer.
(Oh, hear her prayer)
Father, hear my prayer.
(Oh, hear her prayer)
Father of the Heavens,
(Mighty Father of the Heavens)
Listen to my prayer.
(Lord, are you listening? Lord, are you listening now?)

Take my life and give it meaning,
Take my plans and make them pure.
Let my words bring only healing.
Take my heart and make it yours.
Loving Father, how I praise you.
How I magnify your name.
Loving Father, how I thank you
For the man your Son became.

Father, hear my prayer.
(Oh, hear her prayer)
Father, hear my prayer.
(Oh, hear her prayer)
Father of the Heavens,
(Mighty Father of the Heavens)
Listen to my prayer.
(Lord, are you listening? Lord, are you listening now?)

Come Build Our Faith

God of Creation, Maker of all things, we gather in this place to pray.
We do invite you, come now among us;
Come and build our faith today.

Come build our faith with soul and spirit,
Come build our faith of flesh and bone.
We need no tower rising skyward;
No house of wood or glass or stone.
Come build our faith with human frailty.
Come build our faith of flesh and blood.
With love and grace its sure foundation,
It shall be built by the hand of God.

Let us see the tongues of fire.
Let us hear the great wind roar.
Let us know the awe and wonder that we've only glimpsed before.
Let us feel the strength of passion, which can make us laugh and weep.
Let us know this great awakening.
For so long we've been asleep.

Let us know the love unceasing
Which alone can loose the bounds.
Reaching out across the chasms,
Bringing walls of hatred down.
Let us taste the sweet communion, where the circle never ends.
Hold us in this sweet connection,
Turning strangers into friends.

Guide our feet in peaceful pathways.
Teach us peace of heart and mind;
Peace with God and all God's children;
'Til we leave our wars behind.
Surely joy will come and find us
Like a breeze that cools the night;
Like the rain upon the desert;
Like a candle's gentle light.

Come build our faith with soul and spirit,
Come build our faith of flesh and bone.
We need no tower rising skyward;
No house of wood or glass or stone.
Come build our faith with human frailty.
Come build our faith of flesh and blood.
With love and grace its sure foundation,
It shall be built by the hand of God.

("Come Build Our Faith"
Words and Music by Ken Medema)

Celebrity Thought du Jour: Isaiah

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covered the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." ~Isaiah 60:1-3

Thought du Jour: 9/11 Memories and Reactions

A quote for the day:
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die...a time to kill and a time to heal...a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to laugh...a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2a, 3, 4,8

My day on September 11, 2001 started out very much in a normal way. I got up early, I got ready for school, I went to school. I knew nothing about what was unfolding throughout the country. In fact, I didn't find out until about five minutes before the school day ended, when the principal came on the intercom and told us. My teacher told me afterwards that I had gotten a completely focused look on my face while the announcement was being made, and that I looked like I understood what was happening. Well, I did, to an extent. I understood to an extent how serious the events were, and I figured that there would be serious repercussions. But I didn't know everything that was happening, and so I couldn't really understand it.

Now, three years later, I know more about what had happened that day. I've met the members of the family of the co-pilot on one of the flights that crashed into the World Trade Center. I understand better why the attacks were done. And I realize that all the foreign policy-making that has happened since then has related to that day. The entire concept of the War on Terror came about because of 9/11. I watched, with the rest of the country, as we came together to bring justice to those who inflicted so much pain.

But I think that, in trying to bring that justice, we made a few errors. We forgot that mercy is a crucial part of justice. We forgot that, if we are going to go to war against another nation, we need to act by the principles of a just war. Principles like only waging a war as a last resort. Like discriminating between combatants and noncombatants. Like having legitimate authority from those we fight for. Like establishing a peace that is a clear improvement on what previously existed. We forgot to work for peace.

There is a time to pray and a time to fight. Is this the time to pray and end the fighting?

Celebrity Thought du Jour: Robert Frost

"Nothing Gold Can Stay"
by Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief.
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Thought du Jour: Today

A quote for the day:
I have never passed this way before...

That quote is written in the front of my Bible. Last year, my Bible teacher was talking about how each day is a new day, and each day you are not quite the same person that you were yesterday, and the place you are walking is not the same as it was yesterday. So every morning, when you get up and start your day in whatever way you do, just take each day as if it was the first day of your life. I know people always say that you should live each day as if it were your last, and that's a good thing too, but you should never lose that innocence you had on the first day of your life, and become hardened and cynical. Look at a sunrise or a sunset, if you aren't a particularly early riser. Take a walk around your neighborhood, and try to notice something new about it, something you hadn't seen there before. Ask questions.

And take the new day as it comes, and make the most of it.

After all,

"I have never passed this way before..."

Stage Manager's Handbook

"There is no single definition or job description for the tasks performed by the person who accepts the title of Stage Manager for any theatrical production."
Stage Manager's Handbook:
A great site for prospective or current stage managers who want to know more about the job.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

One from archery class at camp...

I'd hate to be named Will if I was in the army. "Fire at Will!" "NOOOOOooooooooooo!"

Welcome to Ultimate Goal Ministries!

"Making the soccer field our mission field."

Welcome to Ultimate Goal Ministries!

A great organization that spreads the Good News through a language most of the world understands...soccer!

Thought du Jour: Leaving

Last summer, I spent two weeks at two different camps. They were similar in several ways, but at the same time very different. One of the biggest similarities I noticed was that people anticipated sorrow on the last day. This made sense, but at the same time, it didn't. After all, hadn't we just spent a fantastic week together? Yes. And if we had spent another week together, would we have been able to guarantee that we would have gotten along as well, or had as good of a time? Weeeell....sort of. Yes, exactly. Sort of. It sounds cynical, but I sometimes think that it's best to let a good memory be, and move on, and be able to fondly remember it.

Also, why anticipate sorrow? It's the way to guarantee that you get it. Think positive, and when something you enjoyed is over...well, I'll leave you with the quote of the day to finish that sentence.

A quote for the day:
Don't cry because it's over. Smile, because it happened.

Adoption Prayer

Father of the fatherless,

You give your children a home in which to dwell; and like a loving mother, you gather us into your household.

We give you thanks for the child who has come to bless this family and for the parents who have taken this child to be their own.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, fill all adopted parents with trust, understanding, and affection, and through this child in our midst, enable us to better know the mystery that we are all your children by adoption.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
AMEN.

Celebrity Thought du Jour: Jack Prelutzky

'Homework, Oh Homework' by Jack Prelutzky

Homework, oh homework...
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in a sink!
If only a bomb would explode you to bits!
Homework, oh homework, you're giving me fits!

I'd rather take baths with a man-eating shark
Or wrestle a lion alone in the dark.
Eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines
Than tackle the homework my teacher assigns.

Homework, oh homework...
You're last on my list!
I simply can't see why you even exist!
If you'd just disappear, it would tickle me pink!
Homework, oh homework...
I hate you! You stink!

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Yet another Chris-ism...

'What if they had steroid Olympics?...

"Ladies and gentlemen, the American steps up to the pole vault...Oh my gosh, he hit the blimp!"

The swimming competition would be from Newfoundland to England and back.

The targets for the archery and range competitions would be 1000 miles from the starting point and they'd use TVs to allow the contestants to aim.

The rings competitions for gymnastics would be held for days.'


How many of those can you come up with?

Celebrity Thought du Jour: Natalie MacMaster

THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND {The Old Violin}
Natalie MacMaster version

‘Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while
To spend much time on that old violin, but held it up with a smile.

“What will you bid, good folks?” he cried, “Who’ll start the bidding for me?”
“A dollar, a dollar, a dollar,” then, “Two! Two dollars, who’ll make it three?”
Three dollars once, three dollars twice and going for three”
But no, from the room far back, a fair-haired girl came forward and took the bow.
Then she wiped the dust from the old violin and tightened up the strings
And played a tune so pure and sweet you could hear the angels sing.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quite low
Said, “What’ll you bid for the old violin?” And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, who’ll make it two? Two thousand, who’ll make it three?”
“Three thousand once, three thousand twice, and going, gone!” said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried, “We don’t understand!
What changes the worth?” Came this reply:
“THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND.”

And many a soul with life out of tune, and battered and scarred with sin
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin.
A mess of pottage, a glass of wine, a game—and she travels on.
She’s ‘going’ once, she’s ‘going’ twice, and going, almost gone.

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd, they never understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought by
THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND...

Thought du Jour: Right vs. Popular

A quote for the day:
What's POPULAR isn't always RIGHT.
What's RIGHT isn't always POPULAR.

In middle school, elections for class officers were always based on popularity. If a member of the so-called popular crowd was running for the office you wanted, you may as well not run, because there is a very low probability that people will even listen to your speech, let alone vote for you. This is not to say that no one cared if the best person was in the job or not, it's just that the people who did care were in the minority. Also, everyone thought the popular person would do the best job. Or they might have thought that, if they voted for the popular person, it would elevate their own popularity status. I don't know for sure. I don't think anyone really does.

I'm not sure you could really judge if they did what was right or what was popular in middle school class politics. I mean, no one ever really came up with ideas that were completely and totally wrong. [Actually, no one ever came forward with ideas and so nothing ever really seemed to get done.] But if you take the same idea and apply it to national politics, that the most popular people get elected, you wonder if our foreign policies, if our economic policies, if our health and education policies are made on a basis of what's right or what's popular. Was it right to go to war in Iraq? Maybe some people thought so...or maybe it was just a popularity scheme...which seems to have backfired, in my opinion... Was the No Child Left Behind policy a publicity gimmick, or was it because Mr. Bush firmly believes it is right to push teachers to make students learn at a certain level?

How can you tell? Difficult to say. Maybe you can tell by the amount of commitment that the policy gets. Maybe you can "just tell", for whatever reason you believe that. But anyway, the point of all rambling was to remind you that
What's POPULAR isn't always RIGHT.
What's RIGHT isn't always POPULAR.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

From my dad....

My friend, an army officer, at 14 pieces of corn on the cob one night. The next day, he was promoted to colonel.

Thought du Jour: Neutral or Combatant?

When the family is fighting over something, what happens?
(a) you escape to your room and hide out until the fight is over
(b) you passionately argue for your viewpoint
(c) you sit in your chair and listen to the argument
(d) you ARE the cause of the fight and therefore do both (b) and (c).
In other words, are you a neutral or a combatant?
Neutrals are generally the ones who act on Option A. They either have an opinion and are too concerned about what would happen if they voice it, or they don't care at all what happens, or they don't have any opinion whatsoever, don't know what to think. Do I go with Mom or Dad? What will Mom do to me if I side with Dad? Or vice versa? They're usually the shy ones sitting alone at lunch.
Combatants are generally the ones who have strong opinions and will fight about it with anyone. They exercise either Option B or Option D. They are in the middle of every disagreement in their immediate environment, no matter how ridiculous the matter may be. Like which is better: Oreos or Chips Ahoy? They'll often cause problems with their opinionated comments, and then argue their way out of punishment. Often people will suggest that they join the debate team at school.
Which one is better? You tell me.
My guess is, there's a time and a place for both.

Quote for the day: Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing in the game.

The Funny Farm

The Funny Farm - http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/3456/: "WHAT THIS PAGE IS is a place where you can cast your worries aside for a moment and have a good, CLEAN, stress-relieving laugh. "

Great site for having a few laughs after a stressful day! :-)

Celebrity Thought du Jour: Will Rogers (5x)

1. Live your life so that whenever you lose it, you're ahead.

2. Personally, I've always felt that the best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can't ask his patients what the matter is. He's just got to know.

3. There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither one works.

4. I never met a man I didn't like.

5. Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.

Thought du Jour: Work

A quote for the day:
Work is meant to be a slice of your life, not the whole pizza.

I've long thought that workaholics will have a shorter life span than everyone else. A life that has no fun is doomed to end sooner than it otherwise would. A little leisure time is healthy. Besides, as the saying goes, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Or Jill a dull girl, if you will.

Workaholics would say, "But I'll be rich, and I won't have to depend on the government once I'm 70! I'll enjoy myself then." Well, yeah, but that's assuming you make it to 70 without breaking down from stress, and also assuming that you haven't become a cranky old man or woman. Working becomes a habit, and it's a good one, as long as it's not your only habit.

Then, too, being rich isn't everything. It's nice to have some money in your pocket, but if it means that you sacrifice the two absolute most important things- God and your family- then you'd be better off broke. Having no one to share your life and your wealth with would most likely make you into a miserable old miser. Share your wealth, even if you don't know who you're sharing it with. Also, riches won't make you happy for eternity. There's streets of gold in heaven, but you have to get there first.

On the flip side, of course, no work and all play makes Jack a lazy idiot. A little work now and again won't hurt you, unless of course your life's work is to be a target for an archery class.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

Another Chris-ism...

Two teens were in an Egyptian exhibit at a museum. They came across a mummy. The sign next to the mummy said "368 B.C." The first teen wondered aloud what that meant. The second teen replied, "Must have been the license plate number of the car that hit him."

Celebrity Thought du Jour: Audrey Hepburn

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
Never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, and one for helping others.

~Audrey Hepburn

Thought du Jour: Triumphs and Mistakes

A quote for the day:
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

Whenever you start something new, look back at whatever brought this new event on. Think to yourself, what past experience could guide me in what I now face? If we remember the past, both mistakes and triumphs, we can keep the mistakes from repeating, and make the triumphs even greater than we could have imagined.

But while I'm on the subject- don't forget to give credit where credit is due- to the One who forgives mistakes and makes triumphs possible.

Ran-dumb Thought du Jour

One from my good friend Chris...president of the Sophisticated Morons for Life club, also the most randumb person I know...you'll probably be seeing a lot of these...

And how is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes something else out of my head. Remember when I took that wine-making course and I forgot how to drive?

The street bible

Untitled Document: "'No way is this the Proper Bible. It's a trailer for,
an intro to, an overview of The Bible (capital 'B') for those who've never read it, and those who've read it so much it's gone stale on them'."
A fantastic re-telling of the Bible, the street bible by Rob Lacey will either shock you or delight you, or both at the same time. Translate the Temple to "HQ". Translate Jesus to "The Liberator". Translate the apostles to "Team Twelve." You've got the idea of this book now.

Ran-dumb* Thought du Jour

(*Ran-dumb is a term that I use for thoughts that are both random and dumb.)

Today's Randumb Thought du Jour:

Krispy Creme donuts are one of the leading causes of obesity in the USA, being (basically) fried lard dipped in butter dipped in sugar- not to mention highly addictive. If this is so, then why hasn't the Bush administration shut the whole chain down in his crusade against obesity? Probably because it makes so much money. Can't you just see the Secretary of Commerce going up against the Secretary of Health and Human Services?

Powells.com Interviews - Christopher Paolini

Powells.com Interviews - Christopher Paolini: "Fantasy for me is just one of many ways to say something truthful about what it's like to be alive. That's the subject of all fiction, really. "
Transcipt of a conversation between three of the most prominent fiction fantasy writers of our time- Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials trilogy), Tamora Pierce (Song of the Lioness quartet, The Immortals quartet, Protector of the Small quartet), and Christopher Paolini (Eragon).

Thought Du Jour: Kid's Politics

What if a kid could become president? Wouldn't the way this country is run be a lot more simple? I mean, kids don't usually have political spins on things. War is scary. Period. Economics? How come people can't just sell lemonade on the corner for a living? What are these political parties? Why can't everyone just have a big slumber party and be friends and work together? Isn't that what we're supposed to do?
If only it was that simple, right?

A quote for the day: "Never attack the individual. We can be in total disagreement with someone without denigrating them as a consequence." ~Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Former Prime Minister of Canada