i was born a poor black child...
ok- i wasn’t.
it’s just one of my favorite movie lines
and i’ve been dying to use it.
i was actually born into a fairly typical east coast irish catholic family.
this meant many things (laughter, yelling and drinking to name some)- but it also meant we were democrats. with the immenient presidential election- i thought i would have a closing partisan post. who knows what i will have to write about after the election season is finally over.
so this is a brief account about how by the edge of ten- i was very very into politics.
back to the home i grew up in. unlike most evangelicals- even after my mom got the holy ghost she still hated ronald reagan.
so i’m sure it was to her surprise on that rainy afternoon in 1981 to come home to find me glued to the tv in full military dress, standing at attention (saluting mind you) watching the news coverage on the attempt on president reagan’s life. i loved ronald reagan and i was eight years old.
later in my elementary years i was what they called a ‘safety patrol’. you may be familiar with the term. in light of the dangerous work environment; i formed a union to protect worker’s rights. it was a semi elaborate system for fifth graders. from the union protests- that included work stoppage (picture picket line complete with signs); we got hot chocolate, cookies, and heaters for our coats.
this is the story of my partisan life.
2004-10-29
2004-10-28
chewable vitamin
"if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. if an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." ~desmond tutu (as we close out his birthday month)
2004-10-27
2004-10-26
cliff notes to our weekend...
friday night i watched a chris rock special with megan.
we laughed hard at inappropriate things.
saturday night we watched bend it like beckham which i really liked.
sunday was a day to bottle and pull out of your pocket for the dead of febraury.
we enjoyed a walk and one another.
i slept and tried to perfect a shopping list for aldi's.
we hung pictures and laid out our winter rug.
we talked to brothers sisters, uncles, nieces and mums.
i washed sheets and used bleach and enjoyed the smell.
i walked through leaves and got mud on my jeans.
i bought new jeans from walmart and i'm wearing them now.
i fear they will turn my legs blue.
it was a very nice weekend.
2004-10-25
2004-10-22
some persepective for me today in light of our recent discussions...
today's chewable vitamin
"for a christian, Jesus is the man in whom it has indeed become manifest that revolution and conversation cannot be seperated in man's search for expereintial transcendence. his appearance in our midst has made it undenaibly clear that changing the human heart and changing human society are not seperate tasks, but are inteconnected as the two beams of the cross." ~ henri nowen
2004-10-20
WARNING
process post ahead.
some rhetorical questions
some questions i can't answer
all are sincere...
can anyone explain to me
why it is considered 'inferior' (for lack of a more impartial word).
to be a single issue voter?
discuss**
(see below for guidelines)
things you might consider addressing:
:: do you thinkit's possible that there is 'one thing' in voting that is more important than anything else? if so (and what that 'one thing' is- isn't so much what i'm interested in) how did you come to hold it so important? describe your process.
:: is there truth behind the inference that one issue voting is intellectually weak?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
where i'm coming from...
i have bucked the idea of being a 'one issue voter'.
i like to think that i am (and honestly- it's too important to me that i be perceived as) a thoughtful, informed, hard to categorize person and voter.
but, more and more- it is clear to me what is most important to me.
i don't know how much time i have spent trying deliberating on how i should vote-
discussing, arguing and praying.
the more i think about it;
the more comfortable i am to make a decision based on what is most important to me...
i can make rocket science out of anything.
for me (and for the vast majority of people reading this);
abortion is an important issue.
it is what i am referring to here as my 'most important' issue.
i know that there has been very good logic laid out elsewhere that there is very little likihood that the next administration will do anything to effect laws to protect the unborn.
BUT
anne articulated this feeling that has solidified in me
(in the previously comment happy post 10.07):
"i don't support the law, biblical or corporal, because of its efficacy, i support it because of its truth. i don't espouse certain tenets only because i think they may be carried out, i support them because they are true.
i understand that you are being pragmatic in evaluating the potential cost to the abortion issue if john kerry is elected, but i think your logic is backwards. we are to called to support what is true, all the time. in this case it is clear, that gw is standing for the truth."
somehow my mind goes to the abolishionist movement.
what if people stopped their work to end slavery in america
prior to the fruits of their "efforts" (whatever that might look like)
come to pass and be seen?
they did EVERYTHING they could to solve and fight and kick and scream
(not to offend any of you anabaptists out there)
until slavery was outlawed.
i know this is some serious shit- but like i said-
it's my most important issue and my vote will reflect that...
** assumptions (ass) and ground rules (gr):
ass #1: your walk, reverence and love for God is not in question. even if we disagree.
ass #2: your patriotism is intact. however you vote you love this country as much as me and other's commenting here (unless you tell us otherwise)...
ass #3: we're equals. may your words reflect it.
gr #1: you will be edited if you berate one another.
gr #2: no all caps (ok i'm kidding)
2004-10-18
maggie- it's not raining
this is my niece.
her name is margret claire.
she goes by maggie.
she has many ideas and opinions.
2004-10-15
in honor of the weekend...
i want to get some weighty and profound things off my mind.
:: my comments are erased. i wonder if i can get them restored rather than simply back. *problem solved*
:: i could really be getting bored with my yankees.
:: did anyone think that president bush might have had something in the right corner of his mouth- or was that the camera angle for pbs?
:: say cheboygan ten times and tell me if you don't smile.
:: i collect leaves in the autumn. my collection is a bit out of control.
:: i am happy to hear that my man- chris rock is hosting the oscars.
in honor of him... i give you-
today's chewable vitamin
"every town has the same two malls: the one white people go to and the one white people used to go to." ~chris rock
2004-10-14
nora standing
nora standing
Originally uploaded by liadanslyre.
this is nora catherine.
this is nora standing.
now she walks...
haven't see her do it yet.
she also smiles incessantly.
2004-10-11
welcome to my 200th post.
200 random things
for my
200th post
1. i’m a terrible speller.
2. i graduated from grandview heights highschool. it was nice.
3. i’m the youngest of three.
4. i have two nephews and three nieces. only one lives in columbus. so i’ve adopted a couple here in town.
5. i think megan crawford should host a part for all of blogdom in central ohio.
6. i am not so good at learning in the traditional fashion- but i love learning.
7. i only found that out after i was done with my undergrad degree.
8. my right arm pit sweats more than my left. weird.
9. when facing something that intimidates me- i sing the rocky theme song to myself. it helps. try it.
10. i like to be alone sometimes.
11. my brother is planting a church.
12. the area of life that i allow to fluster me most consistently is money or the lack of it.
13. i worked with campus crusade for five years and loved it for the most part.
14. my most favorite memory of my dad is running the pumpkin run with him riding his bike playing eye of the tiger on a boom box.
15. i was voted worse driver of my senior class.
16. when i was drinking i would wake up in very random places having no idea how i got there.
17. if i could have any car i wanted i think i would get a volvo cross country.
18. i lived in albania for a year. it was great and terrible all at once.
19. sometimes i act as if it is more important to be cool than to represent Jesus. this worries me.
20. when i first became a christian, i felt like i was on the outside looking in at life happening for everyone else.
21. sometimes I still feel like that.
22. i didn’t think I would live past the age of 21.
23. one of the biggest challenges in my life is to take responsibility for my choices and not blame jerks around me for my unhappiness or frustration.
24. i would love to adopt an AIDS orphan from Africa.
25. i was grounded once for four months. it sucked.
26. in college- my friends and i used to try to get one another to pee our pants from laughing too hard. we had a rating system on how close we came.
27. i never thought i’d have the caliber of friends in my life that i do today.
28. when i first meet someone- i often do nervous talking. i’m not so good at first impressions.
29. i’ve had my licensed suspended by the state of ohio.
30. the first time i knew there was something intriguing about charles is when he told me he wanted to found and fund a non profit for widows and orphans.
31. i’ve never been more sure of anything in my life than being partnered with charles in life and ministry.
32. in our young marriage; i’ve learned that i don’t fight fair sometimes. i hope God changes me.
33. i was a tom-boy when i was growing up.
34. sometimes i miss the desperations of life and my walk with the Lord when I first came to know him.
35. sometimes i want to beat up people that hurt people i love.
36. i’m not sure i can think of 200 things to write.
37. i got my undergraduate degree in art education.
38. one concrete regret I have is that I didn’t get my teaching certificate.
39. my nephew jack developed a dry sense of humor at 3.5 yrs of age. i think it’s a sign of brilliance.
40. when i was single; i hated that argument that married people had reached a place of contentment and god released them to be married.
41. now that i’m married- i dislike that argument even more.
42. i really believe that marital status (single, or married) is a tool or atmosphere that god uses to help us love and surrender more to him.
43. i’m 31 yrs old.
44. my social security number is blahhhhhhh.
45. i can be too wordy.
46. i can be too opinionated.
47. i like people that have opinions on stuff. i think they’re more interesting.
48. i want to teach my kids a game called hooper that my dad taught us.
49. i really want to be a good wife.
50. i don’t know if this deodorant is working.
51. i don’t know how to cook very well- but i’m learning little by little.
52. the first and most influential book i read as a Christian was inside out.
53. i think it was influential b/c it verbalized something that validated and helped me not be as scared to let people know me.
54. i love being irish.
55. my quest to learn igbo is coming along.
56. i am sorting through some of my dreams. i think some of them were a bit grandiose. there might be a step towards health and maturity as they are refined into right sized things.
57. i hope that last one wasn’t too vague.
58. i believe thomas freidman of the times- rocks the proverbial house.
59. treatment wasn’t so bad.
60. i believe that we are called to be part of a church plant one day. i hope i'm right.
61. i hope it works out to celebrate shelby's birthday on the 30th w/ lori in dayton.
62. i applied to three different graduate school programs but i didn’t get in. it really bummed me out.
63. i believe that no child left behind is underfunded.
64. i love that phase of friendship when you first are becoming friends. that’s not to exclude other phases of friendship.
65. my friend anne is one of the more funny people I know.
66. i started blogging after reading mark palmer’s blog.
67. i truly believe that my mom may be one of the best second grade teachers out there.
68. sometimes i write to strangers about their blogs. this usually leads to a cool dialogue.
69. sometimes i get emails from strangers about my blog. this usually leads to a cool dialogue.
70. i really hope that i can spend my life on Jesus, his Kingdom and His people.
71. i really hope that my idea of that that means isn’t completely wacked.
72. it seems very difficult to not make your kids the center of the universe.
73. i look at my mission statement once a month and pray that it would come to fruition. i’m really happy i do this.
74. i try very hard to not be a poser. i hope that it pays off.
75. my friends kyla and michael just moved to boston to help pastor a church. i hope their doing well. i don’t know how to reach them.
76. i’ve decided to vote for george bush. i decided that after learning that john kerry will not vote to ban partial birth abortion.
77. charles says he will still love me even if I vote for gwb.
78. i don’t think Jesus was a capitalist.
79. i wish socialism worked.
80. i can’t believe i genuinely enjoy my mom as much as i do.
81. i wonder if anyone is reading this.
82. i don’t think i will loose sleep over this job. it may be too early to tell.
83. i got a gmail account. verdict is still out.
84. if i get invitations- let me know if you want one
85. i would’ve like to have five kids- now- I’d like to have two or three.
86. i don’t get how people walk around pregnant.
87. i can’t really believe that whole dilation phenomena.
88. i think that people that say money doesn’t solve all your problems are generally right- but more than likely have never been poor.
89. i wonder if my friends that work at merck are off-loading their stock options.
90. i think the patriot act is largely bullshit.
91. i was a late talker b/c my hearing was damaged. I was on track by the age of five.
92. i went to speech therapy throughout elementary school.
93. my teacher’s name was mrs. kessel. she was freaky. no eyebrows.
94. my hair’s name is bridget.
95. i saw a book once called sometimes i hurt. i thought that was pretty funny.
96. funniest line from jess: “mommy- was does that man have purple glitter on his face?”
97. i try to make a desks out of obscure items.
98. jess is feeding me lines over the phone and begging for credit.
99. she is telling me to put down some obscene things- which i will resist.
100. she thinks she is very funny.
101. she is pretty funny.
102. kirsten kinnell should defiantly blog.
103. lyndi is blogging now.
104. at one point in my life i could recite wayne’s world in its entirety.
105. at one point in my life- I had entirely too much time on my hands (albania).
106. is this post a sign I have too much time on my hands?
107. don't answer that.
108. i don’t understand why the clerk at udf always feels the freedom to vent at me about poor people and foodstamps. she’s lucky i don’t go ape on her ass.
109. i really dislike when people pontificate on how people want to be or stay poor.
110. not having a t.v. isn’t so bad.
111. as much as i hate to admit it- i am still tempted to lie.
112. sometimes i do.
113. but 9 times out of 10- i go back and tell the person of my over exaggeration or whatever.
114. the first time i practiced correcting a lie, over exaggeration, white lie or whatever was for a boy. i told him I had read ben hur when i had not.
115. people think about me less than i think they do.
116. i really hope our kinship takes to the idea of doing a servant evangelism project to the girls at sirens.
117. i almost never open forwards.
118. i love walking through leaves in the autumn and will go out of my way to do so...
119. a guaranteed smile overtakes me when charles sings the little mermaid theme song to me.
120. charles reminds me that being cool is over-rated.
121. or maybe he redefines what it means to be cool.
122. theocracies don't work.
123. i’ve never drank an alcoholic drink and not gotten drunk.
124. it think i might of changed my mind on the Volvo station wagon. maybe a Nissan murano instead.
125. chris farley’s el nino skit makes me pee my pants a little.
126. NPR enlightened me to nick drake, hill st. soul, call and response and ken stringfellow.
127. i really like our bookclub.
128. i’m glad i haven’t gotten kicked out when i don’t finish the book
129. i hope we can have each of our neighbors over for dinner this autumn.
130. i prefer to call autumn; autumn over fall
131. i know i drink too much diet coke.
132. I thought that this was pretty funny.
133. i love to smoke cigars.
134. i love to disinfect stuff. i’m a little ocd.
135. i am more quirky and particular than I’d like to admit.
136. marriage has shown me this.
137. i think about my dad every day.
138. i would like to be a presidential history buff.
139. i think america is far too detached or disinterested in african geo-political happenings.
140. I wonder why that is and hope it’s not b/c of prejudice.
141. i regret not visiting prague while i was living in the balkans.
142. baklava here totally sucks.
143. I miss my rushmore soundtrack. Some bastard stole it out of my card. Hope they’re enjoying it.
144. my dad was very smart.
145. this one has been edited for better judgement and in reverance to the dooce principle]
146. [this one has been edited for better judgement and in revernace to the dooce principle]
147. my sister is the one sibling that looks like me ma- but she’s adopted.
148. i think adoption is great.
149. i love sunsets- and even though this is completely self absorbed- i think that when there’s a really pretty one- that Jesus gave it just for me.
150. i love the books of romans, revelation, hebrews and dueteronomy most in the bible.
151. i consider micah 6.8 one of my “life verses”.
152. 2Cor. 4.7-12 is one of my favorite passages in the new testament.
153. Lk 7 is probably my favorite chapter in the entire bible.
154. one of my favorite things i’ve heard a preacher say is (something like- i’m paraphrasing)- “redemptive history starts in a garden and ends in a City. if you don’t like cities- you might consider that…”
155. i don’t know who this randy character is.
156. i can’t believe that charles makes $7 an hour doing such shitty and hard work.
157. u want to sell our old computer but I don’t know how to get all the stuff off of it.
158. i really hope our next major purchase is a digital camera. i got one all researched.
159. we’re doing crown financial and I’m very excited about it.
160. with my 200th post- i’ve learned to not treat this as a journal. my journal is much different. i cuss more in it. ok- i’m kidding about the cussing.
161. this has taken some time to compile 200 things.
162. i think it’s very great that the strip bar that u’ve prayed would burn down actually did. (no one was hurt)
163. i’m very happy to report that my dear old friend cyd kniffen tracked me down.
164. i can’t believe we lost to northwestern
165. i love lowe’s and stationary stores (not hallmark- but on paper and stuff). i also love andersons.
166. i'm looking forward to seeing i heart the huckabees.
167. and wes anderson's new film as well.
168. in general- i think dick cheney is a crazy mofo- but he came across pretty well in the debate.
169. does anyone have the book The Gospel According to Job? i heard it was very good and would like to borrow it. really, any resources on Job will do.
170. our cd rom is busted.
171. i’m getting together with this girl that i used to party with on Friday. she just got done being homeless. surreal.
172. we went to see garden state and it was good.
173. i can’t believe that I have nearly thirty to go.
174. this is getting a little laborious.
175. i ate bologna the other day by accident.
176. the Grandview football team is actually doing well for the first time in YEARS.
177. but they axed field hockey… bastards.
178. i can be caustic at times.
179. i think it’s cause I like to fight. sometimes. plain and simple.
180. sushi. the food of the gods.
181. one of our friends aaron is coming for breakfast saturday. he hasn’t met charles yet.
182. we’re having a pumpkin carving party saturday.
183. how do people get all those crazy designs out of pumpkins??
184. i heart flickr.
185. if i had money… i would subscribe to a daily delivery of the nytimes, the economist, the new yorker, and harpers.
186. right now, i just subscribe to new yorker.
187. if i had to drop one name from the list- it would be harpers.
188. if i could only have one (after having the new yorker for a number of years) it would be the economist.
189. there are many cross cultural experiences in our marriage. the biggest surprise in my adjustment is how our house always smells like nigerian food. which isn’t a bad thing- i just was not prepared.
190. one of my favorite artists is egon schille. but he was a perv.
191. i also love soutine. i saw a show of his at the jewish museum. some of his stuff is at the columbus museum of art.
192. i wonder if anyone is still reading this.
193. funniest/ strangest thing said in the okonkwo house in a long time, 'you guys don't have dead bodies along the road here right?' uh- no charles- we don't.
194. i go nuts when I hear pipes (bag pipes/irish pipes).
195. i really want to read four views of the millinieum by mounce- but I think my head might burst.
196. i go through cycles devotionally. i’m either all about prayer or all about study. right now i’m all about prayer.
197. riley flaherty proposed to me in kindergarten. he gave me a flinstones ring out of a cracker jacks box. he was totally into Kiss (the group).
198. i don’t like the new tom and jerry cartoons.
199. if I could live anywhere in the world- i think it would be in brooklyn heights new york.
200. ________________________________ (you’re turn-fill in the blank).
2004-10-07
i would really be interested to hear
how any readers who are:
undecided voters
are pro-life
but don’t consider yourself a single issue voter
can vote for john kerry.
i was not aware that he has voted against every measure that bans partial birth abortion.
prior to knowing this, i had a solid two months thinking i was going to vote for him (as the lesser of two evils).
now, i think his voting record on that particular issue (specifically partial birth abortion) speaks to his lack of character. i have a hard time thinking he is a good man (although i agree on his approach on many things).
what do you think?
if you don’t meet the criteria outlined above- you can weigh in too. just try to keep it to the question at hand and tell me why you think what you think. and please don’t yell at me.
2004-10-05
2004-10-03
my friend frankie died.
he is with Jesus now which is good. but i will miss him. his body was barely a shell, but his spirit was feisty and lovely until the end. he did not get his electric blue wig like cydney on alias. that’s my only earthly disappointment for him. he has exchanged his frail body for a new one. his eyes can see with no interference of infection; his legs work with no obstruction from tumors. he body is free no longer wracked with pain.
i am distracted by heaven today. i have been more conscience of the blessing of god on my life lately. with that i mind, i would exchange the richness of here for the relieve of the to come.
no more watching people die. no more watching people betray. no more oppression. no more desertion or duplicity. no more waging the war within me. no more emotional limping through life.
shalom. wholeness. being with Jesus will be so great. see you soon frankie. i love you!
+++
" 50 i declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 listen, i tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. for the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 for the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54 when the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "death has been swallowed up in victory."[7] 55"where, o death, is your victory? where, O death, is your sting?"[8] 56 the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 but thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ 1 cor. 15.50-57
chewable vitamin
"always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the name will carry. "
~ bill cosby
2004-10-01
things i’m into right now…
:: learning html
:: using the phrase “dirty rat bastard”
:: really good bass lines
:: working hard on our marriage.
:: outlining some plan of study and sticking to it.
:: getting prank calls from my 5 yrs old nephew jack
:: the italian chalk festival
:: making regular visits the north market farmer's market on a saturday morning this autumn.
:: julian kay
