I have now attended two different small groups that are sponsored by my church. The first is one you have already heard about, the Chronicles of Narnia small group. The second is a new one for me, Church History.
The Chronicles of Narnia group is an great fit for me for many reasons, it’s main topic being the most obvious reason. It has been quite fun though to get to know the other people in this discussion group, and I’m quite looking forward to getting together more with them. There have been murmurs of doing a general Lewis group next “semester”. That could be a fun way to continue the thread we’re on right now.
The second group I alluded to, the Church History group is lead by my friend Keelan. He has his doctorate in Church History, and as such has more than a bit of background in the area. I need to get the book we are using as our “text”, but that should be more of a delight than a chore. It looks like an interesting book.
I haven’t done a stellar job of putting myself out there and making zillions of new friends here in DC, but looking back on my life thus far – that doesn’t seem to be my modus operandi. In the past I have focused on developing deep friendships in lieu of broad reaching acquaintances. Whether this is a good thing, a bad thing, or a thing completely lacking in moral or ethical value, I don’t know. I also don’t intend to delve into that, at least not at this juncture. All that is simply to say that I see this happening again and find it interesting and that it is hard to change things that are a deep part of you. I’ve thought about intentionally making more friends and it just isn’t how I’m “wired”.
That would be a good topic for another blog, the subject of friendship. I think I’ll stop here and continue on with that later.
PS. Go read some of the Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis is a genius at British humor. So freakin hilarious. I just can’t stop laughing at some of the lines in Magicians Nephew (it helps if you read them out loud and see for yourself how absurd they sound).
Friday, March 31, 2006
Thursday, March 23, 2006
That Minutia I Mentioned in the Header...
As indicated by the title, I just wanted to update with a few things that are going on in my life. Consequently, today’s post should be skipped by anyone wishing only to cull the fine strands of wisdom that are ever so carefully woven about this page.
JOB:
First announcement: I’m going to go ahead and let the cat out of the bag: I’m getting a promotion in June. My superiors have been telling me they appreciate what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, and the situation I’m in; and at my review I found out they are going to show me their appreciation as well. Certainly this makes my decision about what to do about my job just that much more complicated, though it is nice to see they can act when it is called for.
Every time I talk to people I get asked how my job is going, so to help minimize the frequency of this question…As far as the WORK itself goes, things are going swimmingly. I can look back on where I was when I started in January 2005 and am astounded by how much I have grown – in technical acumen, comfort in front of clients, and ability to manage projects. As far as the environment goes, things are a bit more gray. We are down to 2 full time people in my branch office, Abigail and myself, with the president of the company, Victoria, coming down to triage the situation until a more stable solution is secured.
Additionally our Marketing Assistant, Jen, has moved on to a larger company where she can focus less on administrative tasks and more on marketing. At this job she will have people to work with on marketing matters in her office. It was definitely a good choice for her. However, we had gotten to be really good friends and not seeing her every day at work is quite a downer. It hasn’t really hit me fully since this week (first week she has been gone) has been absurdly busy.
I co-led a presentation to the DC chapter of the American institute of Architects last night. It was part of a continuing education series designed to give AIA member the credits they need and educate them on the impact of acoustics in learning environments (classrooms mostly). Apparently it was one of the best attended lectures they have had recently. It was pretty exciting to be standing in front of all of them going through this presentation. Good times.
HOME:
I’m seriously considering vacationing in Lawrence again this summer. The only question right now is if I take a week in May or a Week in June. Any thoughts?
I was up until 2:00am Monday morning doing laundry, and putting together more IKEA shelving and storage. My room has been a disaster area, and the main culprit is clothes. I just have too many clothes. Oddly enough, I can never find what I really wish I had. Sigh…consumerism.
I’m attending a book discussion my church is sponsoring; it’s part of their small group program. We are studying the Chronicles of Narnia which has been immensely fun. Unfortunately I have missed the last two weeks, but I’m back full force tonight.
The Kennedy Center is putting on performances of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and I’m desperately trying to find people to go with.
One of my acquaintances/friends, Beth, is going to see an improve act in Gallery Place/Chinatown Friday and I think I’m going to check that out with some of her friends.
I still haven’t bought a laptop computer.
I still owe 10 billion dollars to the IRS (it’s close enough to 10 billion given the amount of money I have).
I still love where I live - so close to Adam’s Morgan, U Street, Dupont Circle, and Work.
If you made it thus far, congratulations. Any questions I didn’t answer or areas I didn’t update feel free to ask about in the comments section and I might answer them.
JOB:
First announcement: I’m going to go ahead and let the cat out of the bag: I’m getting a promotion in June. My superiors have been telling me they appreciate what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, and the situation I’m in; and at my review I found out they are going to show me their appreciation as well. Certainly this makes my decision about what to do about my job just that much more complicated, though it is nice to see they can act when it is called for.
Every time I talk to people I get asked how my job is going, so to help minimize the frequency of this question…As far as the WORK itself goes, things are going swimmingly. I can look back on where I was when I started in January 2005 and am astounded by how much I have grown – in technical acumen, comfort in front of clients, and ability to manage projects. As far as the environment goes, things are a bit more gray. We are down to 2 full time people in my branch office, Abigail and myself, with the president of the company, Victoria, coming down to triage the situation until a more stable solution is secured.
Additionally our Marketing Assistant, Jen, has moved on to a larger company where she can focus less on administrative tasks and more on marketing. At this job she will have people to work with on marketing matters in her office. It was definitely a good choice for her. However, we had gotten to be really good friends and not seeing her every day at work is quite a downer. It hasn’t really hit me fully since this week (first week she has been gone) has been absurdly busy.
I co-led a presentation to the DC chapter of the American institute of Architects last night. It was part of a continuing education series designed to give AIA member the credits they need and educate them on the impact of acoustics in learning environments (classrooms mostly). Apparently it was one of the best attended lectures they have had recently. It was pretty exciting to be standing in front of all of them going through this presentation. Good times.
HOME:
I’m seriously considering vacationing in Lawrence again this summer. The only question right now is if I take a week in May or a Week in June. Any thoughts?
I was up until 2:00am Monday morning doing laundry, and putting together more IKEA shelving and storage. My room has been a disaster area, and the main culprit is clothes. I just have too many clothes. Oddly enough, I can never find what I really wish I had. Sigh…consumerism.
I’m attending a book discussion my church is sponsoring; it’s part of their small group program. We are studying the Chronicles of Narnia which has been immensely fun. Unfortunately I have missed the last two weeks, but I’m back full force tonight.
The Kennedy Center is putting on performances of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and I’m desperately trying to find people to go with.
One of my acquaintances/friends, Beth, is going to see an improve act in Gallery Place/Chinatown Friday and I think I’m going to check that out with some of her friends.
I still haven’t bought a laptop computer.
I still owe 10 billion dollars to the IRS (it’s close enough to 10 billion given the amount of money I have).
I still love where I live - so close to Adam’s Morgan, U Street, Dupont Circle, and Work.
If you made it thus far, congratulations. Any questions I didn’t answer or areas I didn’t update feel free to ask about in the comments section and I might answer them.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Faded Black and White
Previously written at the Hirshorn while contemplating ,”Plastic Construction of Noise and Speed”
She wants me to live like there is no absolute truth. He wants me to accept that our view of right and wrong is just evolved conditioning to promote survival of my species. They want me to cast aside the concept of Holiness and Evil, black and white in favor of their comfortable gray sweaters. I have to admit the idea of curling up on the couch in a well worn faded sweater is very appealing.
The problem is – as good as that sounds, I can’t accept that the idea of that gray sweater solves all my problems. Without a black and a white, all the grays are lost. What does it mean to say one is “darker” than another, or “lighter” than another. There is chaos.
I want to embrace the idea of grays because I look around me and they seem real. Every day people are faced with decisions that do not easily break down into an embracing of Right or a Denial of it. It seems that the problem is not in the existence of the grays, but in the banishing of black and white.
And so I ask myself which system seems more honest. A system that acknowledges a black and a white but scoffs at and derides the grays that appear everywhere? A system that sees the multitude of varying valued grays and disallows the ordering of them because to do so would be to recognize a black and a white? Or a system that recognizes a black and white as the organizing scheme by which we make sense of all the grays we see in this foggy world?
It is written that some day we will see Him even as He has seen us. I wonder if on that day we won’t say, “This is the white I have always seen hinted at but now realize I never saw. And that over there is the black I always felt pressing in but, Thank God, realize I never truly saw.”
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV) For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG) We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
She wants me to live like there is no absolute truth. He wants me to accept that our view of right and wrong is just evolved conditioning to promote survival of my species. They want me to cast aside the concept of Holiness and Evil, black and white in favor of their comfortable gray sweaters. I have to admit the idea of curling up on the couch in a well worn faded sweater is very appealing.
The problem is – as good as that sounds, I can’t accept that the idea of that gray sweater solves all my problems. Without a black and a white, all the grays are lost. What does it mean to say one is “darker” than another, or “lighter” than another. There is chaos.
I want to embrace the idea of grays because I look around me and they seem real. Every day people are faced with decisions that do not easily break down into an embracing of Right or a Denial of it. It seems that the problem is not in the existence of the grays, but in the banishing of black and white.
And so I ask myself which system seems more honest. A system that acknowledges a black and a white but scoffs at and derides the grays that appear everywhere? A system that sees the multitude of varying valued grays and disallows the ordering of them because to do so would be to recognize a black and a white? Or a system that recognizes a black and white as the organizing scheme by which we make sense of all the grays we see in this foggy world?
It is written that some day we will see Him even as He has seen us. I wonder if on that day we won’t say, “This is the white I have always seen hinted at but now realize I never saw. And that over there is the black I always felt pressing in but, Thank God, realize I never truly saw.”
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV) For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG) We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
Friday, March 03, 2006
I went to a wizards game on Wednesday evening. My friend Malcolm had access to some extra ticketes. I don't think I'd ever buy a ticket to go see them but going once off a free ticket was a worth while experience. If nothing else I got to try my hand at being a sports photographer. And our seats were on the 2nd row, I was seat B-06.
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