So I have reverted back to using my old cell phone (sans camera). It isn't the worst tradgedy in the world since I didn't find myself using the camera feature often. Also, my older cell phone actually has BETTER battery length. However, as I mentioned in my last post the numbers I got since having the new flip style phone are lost. If I know you from Kansas, you're probably good. If I've met you since then, it's probably best to email/voicemail me and leave the number again.
Summary: I have a working phone again now, so I can start calling people back. Wonderful!
Mike
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
Contagious?
If so then I suppose I have Kaufman to blame for this. Otherwise it's just my own stupid luck. I just lost my phone. How freakin exciting. I should have most of the people in KS's phone numbers in my old phone. If your number has changed in the last 6 months though, or I've met you in DC, please email me your cell phone number. Or if you don't want to worry about me ever calling you - feel free to not email me. Either way.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
World Jump Day
I just wanted to share this link with everyone. You should all participate in this activity. By committing to a once in a lifetime event, a single jump (you jump up, you come down...done) you can improve all of the environmental alterations that many scientists claim are a result of our poor treatment of the globe. It’s a one time quick fix! How could it go wrong?
Seriously though, World Jump Day? As a joke it’s pretty funny. As a statement about our society it’s pretty telling. I don’t think that a single website will necessarily work to indict our whole culture, but I do think it is indicative of a people who are more concerned with covering symptoms than fixing a problem.
My only hope is that this is actually a marketing ploy on someone’s behalf to sell some T-shirts. From that perspective it’s genius. I’d buy one just as a funny statement about what I was saying above.
Seriously though, World Jump Day? As a joke it’s pretty funny. As a statement about our society it’s pretty telling. I don’t think that a single website will necessarily work to indict our whole culture, but I do think it is indicative of a people who are more concerned with covering symptoms than fixing a problem.
My only hope is that this is actually a marketing ploy on someone’s behalf to sell some T-shirts. From that perspective it’s genius. I’d buy one just as a funny statement about what I was saying above.
Friday, July 07, 2006
4th of July Zaniness
I spent my fourth of July on the lawn of the national mall. It was great fun. Amon got to the mall with some guests she had in town and staked out a spot for us. I showed up about noon and hung out with Amon and others all day, anticipating the wonderful fireworks. Amon had packed a picnic lunch, brought blankets and sun umbrellas. It was grand. The only hitch in the plan was the massive storm that raged through the area bringing gale force winds, hail, and sheets of rain that were parallel to the ground.
How did we deal with this monstrosity of a storm you may ask? While others fled for cover we stacked all our stuff in the cart Amon had brought, put the tarp over the top and climbed underneath. We waited out the storm huddled in the shadow of the Washington Monument watching (it was a clear painters tarp) the storm approach, the gusts of wind almost tear the tarp out of our hands, the rain march across the reflecting pool towards us, and a branch get ripped off a tree. When it had reverted to sprinkling, we climbed out from beneath the tarp, set the area back up (blankets nice and dry sitting on top of the tarp) and enjoyed the rest of the evening in the newly cooled off air.
The fire works went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. As a side note, Becky (Amon’s roommate) had her digital SLR with her and playing with it re-ignited my desire to purchase one for myself someday. Sooo nice. Sigh.
Hope your 4th was fantastic.
How did we deal with this monstrosity of a storm you may ask? While others fled for cover we stacked all our stuff in the cart Amon had brought, put the tarp over the top and climbed underneath. We waited out the storm huddled in the shadow of the Washington Monument watching (it was a clear painters tarp) the storm approach, the gusts of wind almost tear the tarp out of our hands, the rain march across the reflecting pool towards us, and a branch get ripped off a tree. When it had reverted to sprinkling, we climbed out from beneath the tarp, set the area back up (blankets nice and dry sitting on top of the tarp) and enjoyed the rest of the evening in the newly cooled off air.
The fire works went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. As a side note, Becky (Amon’s roommate) had her digital SLR with her and playing with it re-ignited my desire to purchase one for myself someday. Sooo nice. Sigh.
Hope your 4th was fantastic.
Monday, July 03, 2006
One more update
It’s been a long time since I updated but things have been exceedingly hectic, which isn’t to say all bad, just very busy. The weekend after the retreat (see pictures below) I went to Michigan with Amon. I got back from that and was back at work Wednesday, so the 3 day work week made for a very chaotic work week. There were 3 deadlines when I got back from my mini vacation. Additionally, when I got back from MI Tuesday evening I discovered that my apartment had soggy carpet in both my bedroom as well as my roommates. So the second half of last week was also spent moving both my furniture and my roommate’s from our bedrooms to the living room. Thankfully I had a relatively relaxing weekend spent reading primarily (and hanging out with Malcolm and his parents a bit). I’m on schedule to finish The Brother’s Karamazov on my 4th of July day off.
Best things last, Amon drove back from MI Sunday evening. She brought along her brother, her cousin, and her cousin’s boyfriend. Hopefully they will do some fun things in the evenings and I will get to tag along.
Hope that helps bring any curious people up to speed. I have a whole list of people to call and seem to always be trying to find time to call them. If I haven’t called you in awhile PLEASE don’t take it personally. I’m very sorry and really mean to call. Hopefully I can catch up this week.
Best things last, Amon drove back from MI Sunday evening. She brought along her brother, her cousin, and her cousin’s boyfriend. Hopefully they will do some fun things in the evenings and I will get to tag along.
Hope that helps bring any curious people up to speed. I have a whole list of people to call and seem to always be trying to find time to call them. If I haven’t called you in awhile PLEASE don’t take it personally. I’m very sorry and really mean to call. Hopefully I can catch up this week.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Friday, June 09, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Balancing: Not Just For Check Books and Acrobats
Inspired by another blog…
I have been hemming and hawing for some time now about setting time aside specifically devoted to solitude, contemplation, quiet time, call it what you will. If you’ve known me for long enough you’ve probably heard my thoughts on the relationship between solitude and community. For that matter if you’ve read Bonhoeffer’s Life Together or Foster’s Celebration of Discipline you probably already know my thoughts on the subject. If none of the above apply to you, or you just need a quick refresher…
It seems that solitude and community work together as one machine (like a lock and key as Lewis would probably say). Spending all one’s time in solitude is unhealthy, just as the same applies to time spent in community. Time spent in community is made richer and more meaningful when it follows time spent in solitude. Time spent in solitude is dangerous when not balanced with time in community. Lastly, it should be clarified that by solitude I do not mean time in front of a tv or asleep, but time spent reading, praying, writing, and contemplating God and life. Similarly, by time in community I do not mean sitting shoulder to shoulder at a bar starring at the liquor bottles while steadily draining a bourbon on the rocks, but rather time talking to others, sharing with others, learning about others and loving others, serving them where possible.
Since most of my time recently has been spent in community, hopefully more the positive kind of community than the negative, I realize that I need to restore that equilibrium with more time in solitude. As I look at the scripture reading I have not been doing, the conversations I haven't had with Abba, or simply the utter lack of reflective writing I’ve done, I see someone who is seriously drying up. I thank God he has shown me this before the creek is dry, but I know that is the logical destination unless I act.
So for now I’m setting aside Tuesday evenings as a time to go home, get out some good books, a notebook or two, and make sure I meditate on all those things that mean most to me in life. It's a measley way to start, but it's something and hopefully it will lead to an increased appetite for more solitude.
Question for the moment:
What do you value most in life? What do you make sure you set aside time for? If these don’t match up, why and what are you going to do about it?
You Have Redeemed My Soul (100 Portraits & Water Deep, Enter the Worship Circle)
You have redeemed my soul
From the pit of emptiness
You have redeemed my soul
From death
I was a hungry child
A dried up river
I was a burned out forest
And no one could do anything for me
But you put food in my body
Water in my dry bed
And to my blackened branches
you brought the springtime green of new life
And nothing is impossible for you
I have been hemming and hawing for some time now about setting time aside specifically devoted to solitude, contemplation, quiet time, call it what you will. If you’ve known me for long enough you’ve probably heard my thoughts on the relationship between solitude and community. For that matter if you’ve read Bonhoeffer’s Life Together or Foster’s Celebration of Discipline you probably already know my thoughts on the subject. If none of the above apply to you, or you just need a quick refresher…
It seems that solitude and community work together as one machine (like a lock and key as Lewis would probably say). Spending all one’s time in solitude is unhealthy, just as the same applies to time spent in community. Time spent in community is made richer and more meaningful when it follows time spent in solitude. Time spent in solitude is dangerous when not balanced with time in community. Lastly, it should be clarified that by solitude I do not mean time in front of a tv or asleep, but time spent reading, praying, writing, and contemplating God and life. Similarly, by time in community I do not mean sitting shoulder to shoulder at a bar starring at the liquor bottles while steadily draining a bourbon on the rocks, but rather time talking to others, sharing with others, learning about others and loving others, serving them where possible.
Since most of my time recently has been spent in community, hopefully more the positive kind of community than the negative, I realize that I need to restore that equilibrium with more time in solitude. As I look at the scripture reading I have not been doing, the conversations I haven't had with Abba, or simply the utter lack of reflective writing I’ve done, I see someone who is seriously drying up. I thank God he has shown me this before the creek is dry, but I know that is the logical destination unless I act.
So for now I’m setting aside Tuesday evenings as a time to go home, get out some good books, a notebook or two, and make sure I meditate on all those things that mean most to me in life. It's a measley way to start, but it's something and hopefully it will lead to an increased appetite for more solitude.
Question for the moment:
What do you value most in life? What do you make sure you set aside time for? If these don’t match up, why and what are you going to do about it?
You Have Redeemed My Soul (100 Portraits & Water Deep, Enter the Worship Circle)
You have redeemed my soul
From the pit of emptiness
You have redeemed my soul
From death
I was a hungry child
A dried up river
I was a burned out forest
And no one could do anything for me
But you put food in my body
Water in my dry bed
And to my blackened branches
you brought the springtime green of new life
And nothing is impossible for you
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