in honor of world AIDS day...

today's chewable vitamin

"we're serious, this is gigantic.
this stuff is the real reason to be in politics,
to go door to door, to organise and demonstrate and take bold action.
it's every bit as noble as your grandparents fighting the nazis.
this is not about 'doing our best.'
it's win or lose.
life or death.
literally so.
if i could ask you to think a hundred years ahead,
to imagine what we, and our times, will be remembered for,
i would venture three things: the internet, the war on terror,
and the fate of the continent of africa.

we are the first generation that can look extreme and stupid poverty in the eye,
look across the water to africa and elsewhere and say this and mean it:
we have the cash, we have the drugs, we have the science --
but do we have the will?
do we have the will to make poverty history?
some say we can't afford to. i say we can't afford not to."

~ bono

for more on world aids day:

:: the un's website
:: the 'official site'
:: the balm in gilead: the black church's response to the AIDS pandemic
:: get involved locally (in columbus)
:: get involved locally (wherever you are)
:: columbus' commeration

chewable vitamin

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God . . .

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, (sic) have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. . . the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility (sic) and Union.”
~ abe lincoln

chewable vitamin
all i got to say is
wowsa
wowsa
wowsa

Psalm 116
1 I love the LORD , for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave [1] came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : "O LORD , save me!"
5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
8 For you, O LORD , have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I believed; therefore [2] I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
11 And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars." 12 How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD .
14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD , truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant [3] ; you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD .
18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD - in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD . [4]

today's gratitude list...

:: that i can give and recieve love.
:: that i can be forgiven and feel it.
:: my husband.
:: my family.
:: that i have friends. and not just any ole' friends- but kick ass friends.
:: i'm grateful for rainex (b/c my windshield wipers are broken).
:: i'm grateful for windshield wipers when they work.
:: that my car usually starts.
:: i'm grateful for our apartment.
:: when my nephews send me pictures and poetry that they write. **
:: laughter.
:: fires.
:: my sobriety.
:: my sponsor.
:: my job.
:: the lack of drama at my job.
:: my boss.
:: that gas prices have dropped a bit.
:: a three day work week.
:: hope.
:: books.
:: the steps.
:: that i can read.
:: that my reading comprehension gets better as i read...
:: this medium- blogging.
:: good art.
:: that i'm drawing again.
:: for u2
:: for my church.
:: that i live in a country where they not only pave the roads-
they plant flowers along side the road.
:: for cornell west.

i have a terrible head cold.
i'm grateful that i can goto bed when i get home from work-
and look forward to the day to come.

good night.


+++

poetry by jack (age 4) and aidan (age 6)...

Tree House by Jack

Treehouse smeehouse
What a gleehouse
I sleep up there with all the ticks
Then Mom calls, "Its dinner!" right around six.

Stuffing by Aidan

Stuffing, stuffing, need more luffing
Could we have some guffing?
Could we have some ruffing?
Could we have some, oh...
Nevermind

What's Inside? by Jack

I'm sick. I'm very sick.
The chicken pox are inside.
I'm inside. So, I eat....
Oh, whatever!

Duck by Jack

Ducky, lucky what can you eat?
I can eat nothin' but stuffin' and ducky meat.
Ducky beef? How could a duck eat a duck?
The only way is with lots of luck!

today...
i'm grateful that *this* is not the main show.
actually, nears the top of my list.

+++

today's chewable vitamin...

1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. The Great Multitude in White Robes 9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" 14I answered, "Sir, you know." 15 And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

~ revelation 7

this coming week

i will be concetrate my posts on gratitude. i think it is one of the most powerful tools at my disposal. when i choose to be grateful for what i have and what i don't- my perspective changes- and so do i!

heres to the thanksgiving season!
may it change me and become part of my everyday life.

+++

today's chewable vitamin

"in ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."
~ dietrich bonhoeffer

o.k. people...



we have less than a week to wait.
stay calm. everyone.
it's for your own good.

+++

today's chewable vitamin

"hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. it is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."

~ vaclav havel

cliff notes

friday,
i met anne after work at the don pablo's at lennox.
it was absolutley ridiculous.
i drove around for a half hour looking for a spot.

this photo gave me pause and persepctive
on what brought me to cursing, tears and begging for a spot....



charles and i babysat
for some folks in our group which was lots of fun.
before hand we watched the incredibles.
i was skeptical at best-
but complied b/c it was my husband's turn to choose the movie.
i LOVED the movie.
if you like movies-it's a good bet that you'll like this one.
no matter what you consider "your style".

also... my brother is taking his family to ghana for christmas.
here is nora's passport photo.
couldn't you just eat her??? i mean- come on...



this means they won't be here for christmas-
but they may get to meet the okonkwo's!

if you can't tell
i'm trying to figuare out if i can post multiple photos per post...

in other news-
to say that i'm concerned that colin powell
is resigning is an understatement. in my mind- he was the
only voice of restraint in bush's cabniet.

in closing,
i've hired a blog consultant.
her name is jess.
you may know her by another name-
b/c she has many aliases.
but that's another post.
she will be consulting me and giving me ideas on what to post.
i am not bound by any sort of contract to listen to a word she says-
but she insisted on the consultant posistion.
if you have suggestions for this blog or complaints-
please call me at:
867.5309.

weekend update

here are some odds and ends some meaningful-
most not; from our life.

for those of you hoping that this post will top in funniness that of SNL's weekend update;
please don't hold your breath. we don't want anyone dying while reading this here blog.

:: jennifer, charles' sister is coming to visit us next weekend. it will be my first time meeting her in person.
:: last weekend, i planted some perennials that lori split for me. i'm very grateful.
:: i've been reading some stanley hauerwas and some jean lasserre. i find them interesting.
:: i was excited to hear that john ashcroft** was resigning. my verdict is still out on the new appointee.
:: i was going to put something in here about yassir arafat. but... [edited for the use of better judgement and trying not to say inappropriate things].
:: my mom just used the phrase "bigger than mrs. billy be damned" to describe an annoying parent in her class. classic.
:: i'm a scratching my head over an article in harpers weekly on how the partial birth abortion ban came into law.
:: i'm looking forward to our last weekend of peace prior to all hell breaking loose in holiday mayhem.
:: sunday is international day of prayer for the persecuted church. isn't it weird that we need a day alloted for such things?
:: i got refused [to donate blood] by the american red cross for being married to charles (b/c he's nigerian). i have mixed emotions about it. i'm kinda pissed.



** i should note that the article has made me further investigate j. ashcroft's role in keeping the law. a new found appreciation for the man i have previously disliked.

maggie and nora

the sullivan girls.

little chicken boy

little chicken boy

i do not know this child.

my fears of having nothing to write about may be coming true.

i will not (as karen has suggested) eat a sandwich from the vending machine and post about it.

i just won't do it. i do have standards you know.

woody

today's chewable vitamin

"eighty percent of success is showing up." ~ woody allen

riley nicole davis

a shout out to my dear friend kyla
(who probably hasn't been to this blog in a long while)

this is reilly.
her new daughter.
they just moved to boston from chicago to pastor a church.

i love her and michael tons.
this is their second baby in under two years. pray for them!

kyla saved my life in albania.
that was right after we almost killed eachother.
with our bare hands mind you.
she rawks the house.

she reminds me of what i'll call (for those of you just joining us)...

today's chewable vitamin:

" 8 let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law."
~ rom.13.8

i have no idea what to write.

now that the election is done- i have nothing to put on my blog.
is my blog life is over?
will the commentors vacate?
will this be a dull monolouge?


i guess i got some stuff rolling around in my head that i might post.

like why the sitcom M*A*S*H is the best TV show ever.
or
a soundtrack to my life by decade.
but i'm still trying to decide how many tracks each decade should have.
or
about how the scariest thing that happens to me each day
is looking at this vending machine with these nasty ass sandwiches in it.
i don't know why i do this to myself.
i've never even bought anything out of that machine.
it's like a car accident.
you look.
but you don't want to.

but that's about as much excitement as i can muster.

emerson

sweet boy

says

VOTE!