state of my union:

for better or worse, the hopes and aspirations i have for the coming year are very similar to what i outlined for myself last year.

this fact is not to discount the happenings and developments since the last state of my union. with each year that passes- i feel more and more myself. i am increasingly aware and somehow more comfortable with those things that i am not good at- and the things in which i excel.

the labors that i have undertaken through the script that life has given- change me. although the change is much slower than i would like- it is change nonetheless.

one thing that has been recurring as i pray through this new season in my life is the correlation between being self-forgetful and distraction. in the coming year, i am praying that God would work into me a concrete self-forgetfulness. my hope and hunch is that this discipline will lead to less distraction and more focus on what is truly important in my life. as i allow the Lord to master distraction and crowdedness in my life- i will be freed to forget about myself.

there are plenty of factors that contribute to some of the distraction. some are external, most of mine- are internal. i am coming to the realization that the external distraction will not cease- but only increase as you add people to your life and as you grow up. mortgages, money, jobs, kids... all of these things have the potential to make me insular and self-absorbed. i realize that there are seasons in life and i also realize that these things mentioned above are not inherently wrong. but when they become an end to themselves- or a means by which i excuse my inactivity towards what god is asking of me and our family; they become distractions.

as for my internal factors that contribute to distraction in my life- i will to prayerfully commit them to the Lord and actively deflate their power in my life. therefore- i?m outlining this course of action over the coming year. towards the goal of self forgetfulness i will:

+ repent of worry over finances and continue to walk out my financial plan.

+ integrate the credo that it is none of my business what others think of me. i will do what i say i believe is important. the importance of prayer for the sick, weather they be coworkers or others i meet along life?s road, and talking about my faith to those around me this will outweigh the importance of being cool in other people?s mind.

+ i will quiet distraction and noise with increased service and regular spiritual disciplines- particularly fasting.

+ i will work all twelve steps.

+ we will lay the ground work for our work to care for widows and orphans in west africa.

this is the state of my union.

take heart
the days are getting longer.
i usually get a bit depressed in february.
it's the shortes month of the year-
but feels like the longest.

this is what i got on my mind lately...

today's chewable vitamin

29 watch the way you talk. let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. say only what helps, each word a gift.

30 don't grieve God. don't break his heart. his Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. don't take such a gift for granted.
31 make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. 32 be gentle with one another, sensitive. forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
> eph. 4.29-31

maureen's movie list
this is a running list of movies that meet two criteria. they are movies i think you should see b/c i like them and think you might too. or they are movies that i didn't 'like' in the traditional sense of the word but b/c they are thought provoking. i will try to update this as i think of movies and give a brief explanation about the movie or why it made the list.

please make suggestions of things that i have omitted or re-arrange my categories.

CLASSICS
here defined as movies that you should really see. in my opinion.

shindler's list :
everyone should see this movie.

glory:
everyone should see this movie. the first black platoon to fight in the civil war.

GodFather series:
b/c it's about the mob.

shawshank redemption:
really really good. dismantling institutionalization.

les miserable:
if you can't see the show- rent the movie. the book i hear is best.

the mission:
robert deniro was incredible... really.

***

FUNNY
(AKA COMEDY)

the anderson trilogy:
i know- i left bottlerocket off- but if you watch these three movies and if you watch these three movies and like them- then watch bottle rocket.

rushmore:
definitely my favorite wes anderson. and definitely in my top five favorite movies. i think of it as the film version of catcher in the rye.

the royal tennanbaums:
putting the fun- back in dysfunctional.

life aquatic:
william defoe is the secret weapon of this movie. loved it!

ala director christopher guest...
a mighty wind:
mockumentary of folk music era.

best in show:
mockumentary of dog show culture.

spinal tap:
mocumentary of 80?s glam rock band.

waiting for guffman:
start here for a christopher guest addiction. my favorite one of his...

ferris bueller's day off:
had this memorized at one point. my first of many 'favorite' movies.

steel magnolias:
b/c there's nothing like girl friends.

breakfast club:
b/c it's a cult classic of anyone that graduated highschool in the early nighties.

sixteen candles:
see above.

pretty in pink:
see above.

wayne's world:
obviously... i had this entire movie memorized at one point.

city slickers:
billy crystal's midlife crisis.

when harry met sally:
a legendary nyc movie. saw it when i was trying unsuccessfully to convince myself i could have jeff abbott as my best friend and not try to jump his bones all the time.

fried green tomatoes:
girl power!

parenthood:
very funny and sentimental look at family life with steve martin.

tootsie:
again... dustin hoffman kicks ass.

patch adams:
b/c laughter is good for the soul. and you can come back from a nervous breakdown and make a contribution.

my big fat greek wedding:
a primer in cross cultural marriage in the make-believe world.

high fidelity:
jack black before he got to be unbearably crude.

about a boy:
thought his movie would be a fun mindless whatever. it was one of the most pleasant surprise of a movie in a long time! loved it!

elf:
will farrel in tights is always a good thing.

the joy luck club:
thought it should be on here... the power of the relationship between mom?s and daughters is universal.

napolean dynamite:
fun to see another round of highschool cult classics emerge. it's about time breakfast club was replaced.

***

MAKES YOU PEE YOUR PANTS A LITTLE
(AKA SUSPENSE)

good fellows:
b/c it's about the mob.

the siege:
every american should watch this and think of the patriot act.

platoon:
really intense.

gladiator:
honor.

apocalypse now:
b/c it makes every other list- but it's pretty creepy. and i'm sure it would be better on acid.

witness:
before kelly migillis was all that and a bag of chips in top gun; she was in this movie. it's about a guy (harrison ford) that hides out with the amish.

LA confidential:
great suspense mystery movie.

all the president's men:
robert redford= hottie.

the insider:
no one talks about the amount of weight russel crow put on to do this film.

arlinton road:
b/c a guilty pleasure of mine is conspiracy theory.

7 :
my first introduction to kevin spacy. i've not been able to stop since.

the usual suspects:
see the part about not being able to stop...

12 days in september:
about the bay of pigs. kevin costner is bearable.

the matrix:
just the first one b/c it blew my mind. the others lost their novelty.

the lord of the rings trilogy:
b/c i would get yelled at if it wasn't on here.

a midnight clear:
ethan hawk on the fears of normal boys fighting wars and wetting their pants.

***

MADE ME CRY OR SOMETHING
(AKA DRAMA)

eternal sunshine of a spotless mind:
the most creative movie of 2004 in my opinion.

rainman:
for no other reason than see dustin hoffman act like nobody's business.

good will hunting :
could make you respect ben affleck again.

crossing delancy:
a great nyc movie about the lower east side.

michael collins:
my people! very well done epic and accurate irish history. with liam neason.

you've got mail:
one of my favorite new york movies- loved it- but no- i didn?t live on the upper west side.

moulin rouge:
wow. i can't think of anything descriptive to help you know about this movie but i remember it being wonderful and beautiful. very creative- romantic. i think it had a lot of skin. be warned.

amelie:
love love loved it.

macbeth (w/ ethan hawke) :
contextualized shakespere. set in modern day new york city at a corporation named denmark.

fiddler on the roof:
b/c it's one of the first movies i remember seeing.

dead poets society:
i mean- come on! 'oh captain my captain!'

in america:
irish immigration in america isn't just turn of the century. loved it. kinda bleak.

chariots of fire:
i like this movie for many reasons- but the soundtrack alone makes it worth it.

american history x:
edward norton rocks.

higher learning:
john singleton.

boyz in the hood:
lawrence fishboune was really good. Cuba was a cute teen.

moonstruck:
sentimental b/c my mother and i acted out a scene right before charles and i got engaged. it included me saying, 'ma- i love him awful'.

stand by me:
i miss river. great movie.

born on the 4th of july:
vietnam vet's who is disabled in the war and his experience with re-entry to our grateful nation.

malcom x:
b/c i think he was a great leader.

philadephia:
a philly attorney has AIDS and his struggle with bigotry around the disease- very prophetic. this nearly made it to the classic list.

remember the titans:
racial reconciliation.

road to perdition:
my people!

castaway:
30 minutes of no talking just acting. really impressive. loved the relationship with wilson.

saving private ryan:
truly the greatest generation.

white man's burden:
good idea- bad movie. but it's a good enough idea for you to rent it from the libary. race relations reversed. white people get treated like black people.

JFK:
b/c i think he was a great president.

it's a wonderful life:
obviously.

reality bites:
i heart ethan hawke. cult classic of college friends.

flawless:
when i decided phillip seymour hoffman totally ruled. bigoted cop (deniro) meets drag queen- really about the humanity in all of us. prophetic.

magnolia:
wow- good movie. really crude language. be warned.

say anything:
"i gave her my heart, she gave me a pen". love lyod dobler.

garden state:
love scrubs, love zach braff, love the music.

gattaca:
a caste system based on genetics. very interesting.

***

HOMELESS
(AKA OTHER- DOESN'T FIT IN ANY PARTICULAR CATEGORY)

donnie brasco:
b/c it's about the mob.

purple rain:
not really- but this movie saved my life. it's a long story but it involves diarrhea, and one weekend of using my limited albanian in a remote city near the border of kosovo.

taxi driver:
b/c i have to put scorcesse on here.

pulp fiction:
b/c i should put it on here... but it was really bloody.

fight club:
not for the faint of heart- very rough. nihilism just got cool.

the incredibles:
this was such a pleasant surprise. i'm not a cartoon sort- but wow- was this good! made me very happy.

st. elmo's fire:
angsty but funny. identity crisis of your twenties.

link o rama**

ala creative

ole' standbys:
harpers
the economist
new york times
bbc
new yorker

stuff i'm thinking about:
urban enviornments and money
community building

devotional
our daily blog (the imitation of christ online)
my people (the irish jesuits)
pray for the world (remember that america's not the center of the universe)

images i like:
art
art 2
cimabue
schielle
close
harlem renaissance
soutine

blogs:
some of these people i know and love,
others i only know,
and others i don't know at all

chelsea
jeff
jamie lee
scott
karen
pk
eric
mark
brian
john
dan
real live preacher
beth
andrew
nycbloggers

blog resources
blog tips
blog templates
blog templates #2 (although i can't figure out how to make these work)

ecards
all things irish
u2
moma
new yorker
nyt

for fun:
pong
zefrank
all things wes anderson

helpful odds and ends:
weather
rare out of print books
public transport
my library
movies
nyt bookreview
supreme court rulings
aljazeera english
geohive

lists on me
check back for updates

favorite books
(if asked right now)
on the road
portrait of an artist as a young man
calvary road

most influential books
(if asked right now)
money sex and power
divine conspiracy
man's search for meaning

two lies and a truth
~ spent an hour in conversation with this man
~ my uncle was a body gaurd for this man
~ my great uncle died in this historic irish melay

when faced w/ daunting tasks...
i sing this movie theme song myself.

favorite movies:
(if you asked me right now)
rushmore
amelie
reality bites
you've got mail
moulin rouge

places i've lived...
where i grew up
new york city
albania
ocean city

my favorite radio
day: saturday
program: this american life
station: wcbe
personality whom i will name my first child after: the legend

things i care about:
DATA

odds and ends:
:: i used to be an avid WHO fan and loved the doors as well...
:: but i've always loved these guys. they're still my favorite band.
:: my must see tv
:: if into t.v. it is difficult for me to talk and focus on anything going on around me.
:: i believe comic sans should be band from the font directory.

:: i listen to rush sometimes until i want to vomit;
:: then i forget the he annoys me,
:: and listen to him again... it's a vicious cycle.

:: my first car

(look up)
those are my mama's tennis shoes and bathrobe

weekend rituals and whatnot...
here is a sample schedule for my weekends.
it is almost routine.

friday nights...
this will be the first friday night when charles does not work at lido's.
we are relieved.

in the past, friday nights have usually been spent in one of two ways. i would work until 8pm and god home and do nothing, or i would goto a meeting. sometimes i hang out with my sponsor. then i goto get charles sometime around 1am from work.

our new friday night routine will include our kinship-
which we're very excited about.

saturdays...
we have a very leisurely morning in bed that includes reading the paper and my indoctrination of charles to saturday radio on wcbe. i take off for a little me time which generally happens at one of our neighborhood starbucks. then off to my favorite meeting at 1pm. this whole routine is bypassed monthly, when we try to go down to help out at fruit of the vine- a food pantry through our area. this helps me remember to pull my head out of my ass.

after i get home- we putz around and get ready for church. afterwards- we go out somewhere and raise a little hell. which for us means going out with friends or going to the dollar movies.

sundays...
another lazy morning of coffee drinking and paper reading.

then we meet my family for breakfast or have them over. my niece does here latest performance and make us laugh and lights up my life for the day. charles and laurel (my niece) proceed to sign lionel richie songs. not really- but they do many wiggles songs and moves together- which can only lead to charles singing soft rock.

when we come back from brunch, we have our weekly prayer time. [sidebar] as it turns out the duke (as i like to call him) is quite an intercessor. so if you need us to pray for something let us know- b/c we pray for people. maybe the gift will rub off on me. i am used to praying for myself only.

the remainder of the day is spent preparing for the week and doing chores and crap like that. charles worked (again past tense) sunday nights so that meant i would maybe goto a meeting, maybe get lost in a bookstore, or maybe meet with a friend.

we're inserting a time to talk about money and how we will budget it saturday mornings. left to my own devices- i would assume never talk about money. i just like spending it.

do you have any weekend rituals?
if so- what are they and how did they evolve?

in other news-
i have the following things on my mind...
:: how to get wcbe from cutting tal, thistle and shamrock.
:: should we alert the hand flushers of the existence of foot flushers? if i was a hand flusher (which i'm not)- i would want to know that people kick the flush toggle thingy. we owe it to them.
:: i'm looking forwar to talking to my nephews about ghana. they are traveling back today.
:: my farewatcher just alerted me to a fare to belfast for $480. hmmmmmm.
:: i'm anxious and praying for the elections in iraq this weekend. even in iraq- they vote on weekends!

i'm bleeding...
a stream of explitives flowed freely from my mouth just moments ago
because i stapled my hand by accident.
i'm such a good christian witness.

anyways- reason i'm writing is b/c
charles is taking his gre and thought i'd ask you to pray for him today.

thanks,
maureen

feeling the effects...
feeling dull today. blah. my mood suffers from the lack of sun.
i heard he came to visit this afternoon- but alas- i am in a cube.

soon i will post some different things. namely...
a movie guide of all my favorite movies
and the state of my union. you can read last year's here.

for now- i leave you with this...

chewable vitamin

"Christ’s glory and beauty are interiorly experienced and it is within you that he delights to be. he frequently visits the man who loves the interior life. He gently speaks to him, lovingly comforts him, gives him deep peace, and shares an intimacy beyond words.

If you do not know how to meditate on sublime and heavenly things, then find repose in Christ’s passion and gladly dwell in His sacred wounds. If you devoutly seek refuge in Jesus’ wounds- those priceless signs of our salvation- you will feel great comfort in time of trail and you will learn not to care when men despise you. Instead you will easily bear whatever slander vilification they cast upon you.

When Christ was among us in this world, He too was despised by men, and during his greatest need on the cross He was abandoned by friends and acquaintances and left to suffer insults alone. Christ chose to suffer and to be despised, and you dare to complain if someone insults you? Christ had his enemies and His slanderers, and you want everyone to be your friend and benefactor? How will your patience receive its crown if no trail ever comes your way? If you want to live a life free from all opposition, how will you be a friend of Christ? If you desire to reign with Christ then suffer with Christ and for Christ."
~ Thomas a Kempis

today's chewable vitamin
"i refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of nuclear annihilation... i believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow... i still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed."
--martin luther king, jr., address in acceptance of nobel peace prize - 10 December 1964

chewable vitamin

"the nation is sick; trouble is in the land, confusion all around... but i know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. and i see God working in this period of the twentieth century. something is happening in our world. the masses of people are rising up. and wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in johannesburg, south africa; nairobi, kenya; accra, ghana; new york city; atlanta, georgia; jackson, mississippi; or memphis,tennessee, the cry is always the same: 'We want to be free'. "
~ dr. martin luther king jr.

maggie and new friends

in celebration of martin luther king jr.

today's chewable vitamin
"we have moved into an era where we are called upon to raise certain basic questions about the whole society. we are still called upon to give aid to the beggar who finds himself in misery and agony on life's highway. but one day, we must ask the question of whether an edifice which produces beggars must not be restructured and refurbished."
~ dr. martin luther king

blogging...
the good
the bad
and the ugly.

my opinions about the medium and the boundaries that may benefit it.

primer to this post...
i have been blogging for almost two years now. on the whole- i find it to be a fun and fairly harmless hobby. over that time- i have noticed some tendencies within the blogdom- that could serve as pitfalls in the medium. these are just my observations and opinions. it should be noted that i could be very wrong about my opinions and observations. so- take it with a grain of salt; my hope is that it is received in the spirit in which it was written.

things i consider when composing a blog post...
b/c i follow jesus, i try to filter my thoughts, my speech and therefore my writing through phil. 4.8**
(i know that not everyone is a christian that stumbles across this blog- but evenso- it's a good filter. if you experiment with it for say- a day- let me know how it goes.)

i, ofcourse, don't succeed all the time-
but it's a filter (or compass) nonetheless.
i consider that anyone could be reading this...
there seems to be a mentality out there (in the blogdom) of 'i need an outlet and this is my exercise of the first amendment and it's my right to put whatever i want on here and blah blah blah.'

i'm not disputing that this is true. it is true that you have the perogative to post whatever you want. the real question is can i live with what i've posted. can i bear the consequences? if i write something that is complex, can i bear to be misunderstood?

things i would never put on my blog...
i would never put something on my blog that is a sensitive process.
some examples of this?
i would never post any of my artwork on here.
why?
b/c i would be crushed if you said they sucked.
likewise- i would never post an emotional process that i was sifting through that was unresolved.
what does that mean?
say i'm facing a particularly lonely time in my life. i wouldn't pontificate about it at length on my blog. why? b/c if anyone said the wrong thing (which when i'm in an emotional funk could be just about anything anyone says online)- i would flip.
i would avoid negative talk about my job, or my coworkers.
right or wrong; people get fired for that kind of stuff.
i would avoid mentioning my place of employment altogether.
i would avoid processing things that involved relationships with other people (that were complicated or negative)

so now what... how do i apply these things?
i do post some personal things on here. but they are things that i feel very resolved about- very comfortable with...

meaning, if someone writes something nasty; i think to myself,
'hmm. someone thinks i'm weird. good thing i don't care'.
as opposed to 'what's wrong with me??!!'
(which would be my response if i wrote something i was not personally resolved about).

what i'm not suggesting is that people cannot blog about their lives honestly.
sometimes (this is totally my opinion) honesty, transparency and the like are the evangelical christian's trump card. i think it can lead to emotional masturbation and i'm worried about it.
so i'm writing this post. owning one's feelings isn't simply confessing it to the anonymous masses via the internet- it is confessing it to God, to another and then (if the feeling is negative and unproductive) taking action to change it (via repentance, service, bible reading and submission to the spirit among others^^).

people compare blogging with journaling.
each time i hear it i get very nervous.
our lives,
no matter what kind of life it is-
no matter what walk of life-
no matter what have precious contents.
the inner workings of each and everyone of our hearts- are so beautiful, and wonderful. even in the muck and junk- but we are (atleast i am) fragile.
and if you laughed at that in me, i just don't need it.
so i don't do it.
well- i mispoke.
i do it.
i just don't entrust it to the two dimentionality of the internet.
i entrust myself, my heart,my thoughts, my feelings to people.
people who i can hear the tone of their voice, people who can tell me i'm full of shit and i know that they say it in love, people who can hug me, people who i can read their body language.
entrusting those things to the internet- might work for some-
but not me.
so i don't do it.

i think blogging can be a authentic interesting and thought provoking medium. it just seems that discretion and dicernment are the bloggers best friend.

what do you think about this topic?
talk to me...
cannell- comment dammit!

** 8 finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. if anything is excellent or praiseworthy?think about such things. ~ phil. 4.8

^^ no intention to oversimplfy this. but this is for starters and i speak from expereince. i have learned a lot about how to be geniune but not a slave to my emotional life... but that's another conversation (notice i did not say post).

a couple of things...

i love my brother.
i love the family he and andrea have created.
i love that they took four kids...
to ghana...
for a missions trip...
for a month.
granted- i think they are crazy...
but i love them nonetheless.

i wondered if you would like to goto their blog and read about their adventures.
perhaps you could even pray for their ministry and saftey too.
i'd consider it a favor really.
it would be great to have more people praying for them.

this...
has been a public service announcement.

thanks,
maureen

(note- please appreciate jack's 'who'd dhat' look)

need

tsunami help

here's some video footage of the tsunami.

some images

not gory- but terrifying.

here is some information on giving towards the relief efforts.

i don't know what to endorse-

but here are some links that you may find helpful:

secular:

oxfam

nytimes clearninghouse list of relief work

faithbased:

aerdo

campus crusade for christ

sojorners clearinghouse list

you can check with these folks to help determine your giving preference.

i am not going to critique anyone's level of senstivity to this crisis. while i can appreciate that there is an under-reported disaster happening in africa- i must say that the outpouring of support for the tsunami is not something i take lightly. it is certainly a step in the right direction. there are lots of good byproducts to giving. i don't just mean monitarily. you can give your time to prayer, you can talk to your employer about donating a service... whatever. but giving is good for you! sorry if this sounds preachy. but i just want to say that i think it is a really good thing that people are giving- b/c we gotta start somewhere.

i felt compelled to post something that would inform people on giving options. these images are haunting.

precious boy

+++

today's chewable vitamin

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath.

It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. '

T is mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown;

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptred sway, It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's,

When mercy seasons justice. "

~ william shakesphere (from the merchant of venice)

the fives

i have a number of gmail invites.
please let me know if you’re interested.
we start our new kinship friday. this tops the list for our weekend.

we are devising our hopes and dreams for 2005 and committing them to prayer this month. other than that, charles is prepping for his gre and the day he gets is $% $#@!*^ social security card. i tell you for a government set up on a market economy based on the survial of the fittest- they make it nearly impossoble for a nice immigrant like charles to be self substaining.

but this, my friends, would be a diversion from the topic at hand. perhaps latter this month i will boil over and post a tyraid about the treatment of immigrants.

for now-i thought i'd recap some of my favorite things about 2004. it may be considered too late to do this- but i don't care- it's my blog.

five favorite books from 2004

1. a year in provance. a book about the author's life in provance france. i loved it. pure escapism.
2. better together. a sequal of sorts to bowling alone by robert putnam. very good and very accessible book about community building.
3. memoirs of a geisha. a wonderful book. i think it was my favorite of the year. i know i know- this was 'in' like four years ago. what can i say- i'm behind the trends.
4. celebration of discipline. second time reading this book and it did not dissappoint. a great balance of the biblical roots and practical.
5. the celtic book of prayer. this book has really enhanced my devotional life more than any other in recent memory.

five favorite days from 2004

1. the day we got engaged: february 14th

it was a cold day and charles took me to shoku to partake in the foods of the gods... sushi. we went to my sisters for dessert where he was staying. they had vacated the premises. i walked in to rose petals on the floor and candles lit. music playing and delictable cheesecake. he proposed; i said yes! we were happy.

2. the day we got married: may 29th

i stayed at a fancy hotel with my family in nashville. anne and i shared a room for my last night single. jess and joe came. chris and chels came. we woke up around 9am and jess and anne took me to breakfast. we relaxed. we swam. i went to get my hair done. we went to a tiny stone chapel on vanderbilt's campus. i saw charles. he was so handsome. we sang songs and cried. we had communion together. my brother (a pastor) married us. and we were very happy.

3. christmas day: december 25

we had a wonderful first christmas. it included the exchange of simple gifts due to our budget, many games of scrabble with my family, snow, candles, laughter, time with WSA (world's smartest aunt) and watching my niece have the time of her life!

4. st. patricks day: march 17th

this was my last day in the corporate world's version of pimping. i'm referring to temping. they took me out to lunch at mary kelly's in dublin and had a nice party for me and i entered the world of the insured. and i was grateful. i had thought that all my work woes would end- but they did not. but that was ok with me- b/c i knew i was insured. and i began the lesson of learning that it is not my job's responsibility to bring meaning and order to my life.

5. any day on our honeymoon.

not to be exhorbanantly mushy- but we had a wonderful time on our honeymoon and got to eat fresh seafood everyday. our days were long and monotonous and contained a lot of sleeping on the beach, reading and walking at dusk. and other stuff too. but that's all i'm going to write.

i guess i could do the five worst days but i thought that would be a downer and honestly- i can’t think of too many worst days- b/c 2004 was a pretty stinkin good year!

five people
(who made 2004 what it was)
1. my husband charles. for obvious reasons.
2. my mom. my mom has been so supportive and understanding during our engagement and now in our marriage. she has welcomed charles as a son and really been of more practical help than any one person ever in my life!
3. chelsea. my friendship with chelsea has added so much to my life! watching her walk with Jesus is nothing less than inspiring. she and her husband were kind enough to let charles live with them for four months.
4. anne. her humor and devotion to me has meant so much. inspite of any difficulty she faced personally, she was excited and supportive of me through my wedding and made the trip to nashville! she also raised some hell on the old blog during the election period. she challenges me and makes me laugh.
5. jess has been an endless source of wisdom and love for me. she serves as an anchor in many ways on things that are important and helps me sift what is not important. she rawks.

ok my peeps. that's all i got. i'll leave you with...

today's chewable vitamin

"you must be the change you wish to see in the world."
~ mahatma gandhi

what i learned in 2004...

:: i was reminded that i am not always right by living with someone from a different culture.
:: i had concrete illustrations via marriage that although my sinful choices never simply affected only me; that it is truly truly true.
:: i remembered that i like to dance.
:: i began to learn that my experiences and contributions that i have learned over the years in my friendships can benefit my marriage.
:: i was reminded that i should hold a friend contest and stack my friends up against anyone and how they would win friends of the year.
:: i was reminded that the very best thing i can do for my marriage is foster my love relationship with Jesus.
:: i learned that being a democrat and being a follower of Jesus are not mutually exclusive.
:: i was reminded of just how cool of a mom i have...
:: i learned alot of things through the blogosphere. i will write a little bit about that later.
:: i was reminded of why i love u2.
:: i learned that racism is still alive and well in this country.
:: i was given ample real life examples of how disheartening, cumbersome and bureaucratic our government’s treatment of immigrants (this is a coded slam of the patriot act)**.
:: i learned in a new way what it means to be broke.
:: i learned about attorney fees.

** oh man is this a whole nother post!

why i love jesus
there are many reasons that i love jesus. i am grateful for the chance to celebrate his life throughout this time of year. perhaps this post would of been better suited for a pre christmas date. but the reality is i wish that my level of anticipation was more sustained throughout the whole year and that i would be as mindful of how much my relationship with jesus means to me.

well- as i said i’m crazy about jesus. he really saves my life over and over again. it used to be in a more physical and concrete way when i was a hellion flirting with death and overdose. then it was spiritual (as when i decided to be a ‘real christian’* (for lack of a better phrase)). now- i feel like he saves me from a variety of things. one of which (but not limited to); he saves me from myself. and i love that. in a million years- i would of never guessed that my life would look like it does today. he saves me from myself b/c he doesn’t let me settle for my measly dreams. he also saves me emotionally. i cannot begin to tell you the emotional overhaul that walking with Jesus has produced.

i love him for lots of the stuff he ‘does’ for me. but i am growing to love God for the intangible non utility of his character and just who he is.

i have grown to love that i don’t understand him. what i mean is- i sometimes wish (connect this with the measly dream bit) that my relationship was formulatic. that i follow God, he does what i want, and that i’m happy. but this is not the case. since becoming a christian life (read here shit), sometimes still happens. i can try to be obedient and my job still suck (for example), or my dad die, or ministry be flat, or remain single or fill in your blank. with that said, it has been my experience that there is something intangible, beautiful and profound that happens when we ‘live life on life’s terms’ (to borrow a phrase from program). when i neutralize my brat; and stop demanding from God; i receive His mercy and meeting. and i love this.

i love jesus b/c he is consistent yet keeps me on my toes. he is very generous. i love him b/c he disciplines me and doesn’t let me stay the same. but in the same breath- i love that he loves me the way i am... i love him b/c he is smart and strong. i love him b/c he is good and gentle. i love him b/c he forgives me and always takes me back. i love him b/c he listens to me and lets me talk his ear off. i love him b/c he sees me. i love him b/c he makes me discontent when i should be b/c i’m settling for second rate stuff. i love him b/c he gives hope. i love him b/c he loves me. i could really go on and on.


* this is not meant to sound elitist. i always thought about being a christian just like i think about being irish. this point of decision for me was a decision to recognize that christianity is not like ethnicity- but instead a decision each of us are free to make. so by real- i mean that it was my intentional choice to follow jesus.

i am severley bummed out...
everytime my front page loads-
the number goes up.
did you know that indonesia has the largest population of muslims in the world?
ughh. i have a chronic lump in throat.

it is hard to write about much else.
these things bring things and the mundane into focus.

mercy.

a prayer for the dead
from maureen

please Lord- have mercy.
preserve life.
bring life to these lands.
bring hope to these lands
bring comfort to these lands
and the dear people there.
please Lord- have mercy.

+++
chewable vitamin

a prayer for the dead
from the celtic book of prayer

"God, omit not this woman and man from Your covenanat.
The many evils that in this life he r shee has committed
they cannot count or list this night.
Gather this soul with your own arm, o Christ,
great King of the City of Heaven.

it is Your work, O Christ
the buying of the soul
at the time of the balancing of the beam
at the timeof bringing of judgement.
be this sould hidden in your right hand."

anguish

really really takes the wind out of you...

read more here...

and here.

i mean- can you imagine?

today's chewable vitamin...

this night is the long night
when those who listen await His cry.

this night is the eve of the great nativity
when those who are longing await His appearing.

wait, with watchful heart.

listen carefully, through the stillness;
listen, hear the telling of the waves upon the shore.

listen, hear the song of the angels glorious-
e're (huh?) lon it will be heard
that His foot reached the earth:
news that Glory has come!

truly His slavation is near
for those who fear Him,
and His glory shall dwell in our land.

watch and pray, the Lord shall dwell in our land.

those who are longing await his appearing.

those who listen await His cry.

watch..."

~taken from the celtic book of prayer

in celebration of charles

well- he's 35 yrs old. we celebrated last night in a number of ways. we went to dinner and a movie (courtesy of a nice gift certificate i recieved from work); and i gave him a pimped out lexus remote control car.

it's worth mentioning that charles proves the passage in ephesians 3**- that a life spent w/ Jesus will blow your mind and all your expectations. i wasn't really sure that i would get married. it certainly wasn't that i didn't want to be married. i wanted to be married. really really bad. but i resigned that i would not be married. to deal with it i just tried to not feel dissappointed. it takes a lot of effort to try to not feel. i would bouts where i knew it wasn't good for me to 'try to not feel' and i would interact with the Lord and tell Him about my dissappointed. but in large part i just tried to kill off the feelings of dissappointed.

loving charles and being loved by him has awakened my heart from hibernation. it has been a beuatiful thing to watch and even better to be a part of. i am so incredibly glad i married him. he is my better in just about every way there is...

here are 35 reasons i love charles (from the silly to the significant)...

1. how he loves me even when i'm dumb.
2. how he does his chores and sings.
3. how he forgives me.
4. how he is an immigrant that loves america and is grateful all the opportunities it affords him without buying all the american bullshit.
5. how he shows me what it means to have a joyful spirit.
6. how he doesn't agree with everything i say.
7. his love of pop music... including but not limited to- celiene dion, whitney houston and all things lional richie.
8. his love for academia and thinking.
9. he doesn't try to prove himself. he is comfortable with how God has made him.
10. he doesn't follow the crowd.
11. he helps me remember to confess my sin. sometimes i forget to.
12. how my fiesty niece will only listen to and obey him when surrounded by extended family.
13. he told me that i needed to recommit my life to Christ once... and he was right.
14. he sings 'a whole new world' to me often.
15. he gives most of his money away.
16. his smile.
17. sometimes i wake up in the middle of the night and he is praying over me.
18. how he reads with a dictionary.
19. how he talks about his mom with so much respect.
20. his outlook is so loaded. it matches deep wisdom with simplicity in a way i've never seen.
21. he dances for me.
22. he wakes me up from bad dreams.
23. he wants to change the world- and i actually think he may.
24. how he wants to talk to my mom whenever i'm talking to her.
25. he has many reasons to be jaded about the world and people- but is not.
26. how he calls my mom- mum with his great british/ african accent.
27. how teachable he is.
28. how his default african country for someone's nationality is namibia.
29. how much i genuienly and deeply respect him and his life expereince.
30. how he is learning about aa to understand me better.
31. how he says 'this thing' when he can't think of the word.
32. how often he beats me at scrabble.
33. how he is teaching me igbou.
34. how committed to intercession he is...
35. his cute butt!

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 t o him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

~ ephesians 3.14-21

+++

today's chewable vitamin

O Rising Sun,
You are the splendour of eternal light
and the sun of justice.
o come and enlighten those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death.

~ taken from the celtic book of prayer

within the month...

i will be writing about a number of things. here are some:

:: why i love jesus.
:: my annual state of my union address.
:: a celebration of the life and times of charles obugo okonkwo.
:: what i learned in 2004
:: a mondo beyondo list

and more... stay tuned.

in other news- we had a house guest this weekend and i cracked my tailbone which is to say the very very least- a pain in my ass.

other than that we're making fires, and trying to fend off the cold with a myraid of busy work around the house. we have two birthday's in our family this week. i will tell you more about them when i post next.

i know that many of you have written to ask if i think donald rumsfeld should resign**- i will give you my answer. YES. he a crazy mofo. four more wars!!

a shout out to chris- his birthday is today and we love him.

** this is a fabrication.

these have been added since i posted this...

+++

chewable vitamin:

o Stock of Jesse,
You stand as a signal for the nations.
Kings fall silent before You whome the peoples acclaim.
o come to deliver us, and do no delay.

O come, Thou key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

today's chewable vitamin

"God of the watching ones,
give us your benediction

God of the waiting ones,
give us Your good word for our souls.

god of the watching ones,
the waiting ones,
the slow and suffering ones,
give us Your benediction,
Your good word for our souls,
that we might rest.

God of the watching ones,
the waiting ones,
the slow and suffering ones,

and of the angels in heaven,
and of the child in the womb,

give us Your benediction,
Your good word for our souls,
that we might rest and rise
in the Kindness of your company."

~taken from the celtic book of prayer

**tommorrow and tommorrow and tommorrow...

charles is off shooting a gun with a guy from kinship (at a shooting range). he was as giddie as a school girl about the whole thing. i hope it's not anti-climatic for him.

i was thinking of going upto church for this women's ministry thingy- but i will get there so late- i think i've decided to bag it for the night after i'm done.

+++

if you haven't ever treated yourself to a visit to real live preacher- go immediately. it's for your own good. for a special treat-read his series of stories written last advent about Jesus and all the adversity surrounding his arrival and how He came to save us. you can find it here.

and- i know it's a little late but i thought i'd post a compulation of on-line advent calenders...

not so aesthetic
a fun drawing
stained glass windows

+++

** the only shakespearian soliloquy i remember.

today's chewable vitamin
46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me– holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”
~ luke 1.48-55

life and death

what a header huh?

well with the season and all- i've been thinking about life and how great it is to be able to celebrate the birth of my main man Jesus. this weekend i was able to think about death a little bit too. it is a good occasional practice for me and helps me to remember that i need to carpe diem and all that stuff.

what brought it to mind was going to pray for one of charles' new found friend who is dying. we had a nice time being together and it reminds me that i need to pray for the sick as often as the occasion presents itself. if nothing else- it helps me align what i say is important to me- and what i prove to be important to me.

as we were praying for bob (the man's name- if you'd like to pray for him); i cried. charles later inquired about why i got teary (b/c i only met this guy once). i tried to explain that it was probably mixture of sadness to see someone deteriorate so quickly (i only met him three weeks ago and he looked like a regular old man- and now he is merely a shell); that maybe it was the Holy Spirit's presence; or that i reminds me of my own father's death. i wasn't sure.

charles began to remind me the bitter SWEETNESS of death is for those that follow Jesus. he told me about the practice of his people group in nigeria. i thought i'd share a bit about it here. it was quite inspiring for me to hear. in part b/c i think 3/4 of everything my husbands says is brilliant and in part b/c we americans (imho) suffer the effects of lots of stoicim and control over our emotions for fear that they get the best of us or get messy.

in igbouland (south eastern nigeria) if charles' father were to die- charles buddies from childhood would travel from wherever they are in nigeria to be with charles and his family (this would be the case for the eldest son- which is charles). charles' family would be the guest of honor at a party that would last all week.

each day, charles and his friends would dance with lots of vigor (he promises to show me this dance but assures me i will be taken aback at how vigorous it is) and run around the villiage (that is the villiage that his dad grew up in and that charles' family would visit every summer from lagos where charles grew up). they would have a big picture of patrick (my father in law) and run around and charles would shout "THIS IS MY FATHER! THIS IS MY FATHER!".

they would eat lots of food (rice and stew) and cry and wail and tell stories about patrick.

this ritual is practiced every five years in commemoration of the death as long as the family wants to host it. charles ended his description of the ritual by saying, "it's the most beautiful practice my people have".

wow. for whatever reason i was so- i don't know- stunned- by this description. i think we would do well to learn from it. what stunned me most is that it continues at five year intervals. when i think about my dad's passing- i know that the acuteness of the pain i experienced watching him die- and his absence- has subsided quite a bit. i pray that i got the most out of that pain that i could... but somehow it does seem important to have a time to say- 'it still hurts, we still miss him!'

and how does this translate to all the advent that my devotional life has been consumed with you ask? well i guess i'm just really smitten with the baby Jesus! while this isn't novel to people that know the Story of Redemption; Christmas is special to us christians not simply b/c it celebrates the birth of Jesus. Christmas is special b/c the incarnation was instrumental in the Blueprint. Jesus was born so that He could live a sinless life; but ultimately- His entrance was to come to earth and be put to death. to die a wrongful death so i could be right with God.
that- my friends is blowing my mind today.

in tranditional/ liturgical settings it is common to have a potion of the eucharist meal repeated by congregants. it rings through my ears today "we celebrate his death until his coming".
perhaps i would benefit from running around a bit more and yelling,
"THIS IS MY FATHER! THIS IS MY FATHER!".

chewable vitamin:

"Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness,
send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
we who have so much to do seek quiet spaces
to hear Your voice each day.
we who are anxious over many things
look forward to Your coming among us.
we who are blessed in so many ways
long for the complete joy of Your kingdom.
we whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of Your presence."
~ henri nowen

for advent...
chewable vitamin:

R: Our God will come to save us!

I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD –
for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land.

R: Our God will come to save us!

Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven.

R: Our God will come to save us!

The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps.

R: Our God will come to save us!

read isaiah 35.1-10

ok my peeps

two things to blog about today.
both- pretty much meaningless.

1. my pinky is claustrophobic in my new hobo gloves.

has anyone else expereinced that?

2. things that keep me humble:
(in a not taking myself too seriously kinda way)

a car that blows her horn sporadically, randomlly, and involentarily.

has anyone else expereinced that?

tata for now.

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!

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.

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)

bono & bush

bono & bush

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.

today's chewable vitamin

"what a feeling....
what a feeling!
feelin's believin'. i can have it all, now i'm dancing for my life.
take your passion and make it happen.
you can come alive, you can dance right through your life. "
~irene cara (from the flashdance soundtrack)

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