December 27, 2007
On the 3rd Day of Christmas, Serving Seattle gave to me…a much delayed Merry Christmas! But seeing as how we are still in Christmas, I must be forgiven. BTW, none of you have received a card either. Just in case you hadn’t noticed (which you probably hadn’t). Having moved last month and being in limbo caused us to buy our Christmas cards the week before Christmas and then we got sick and they didn’t go out. Remember, Christmas is the season for forgiveness.
Here’s something interesting that kencollins.com (a good resource for liturgical stuff, BTW) put up regarding the 25th of December as the date of Christmas:
There is a very widespread theory that Christmas began in Rome as a response to pagan festivities centering around the winter solstice, which was locally considered to be 25 December. The pagan celebration, which was first established by the Roman emperor Aurelian in AD 274, was called The Birth of the Invincible Sun. However, there is evidence that, some years earlier, Christians had made a sincere attempt to calculate the actual date of Jesus’ birthday.
In ancient Judaism, there was a common belief, which ancient Christians inherited, that the prophets of Israel died on the on the same date as their birth or conception. (This may be behind the long-standing Christian custom of referring to the date of a martyr’s death as their “birthday in heaven.”) According to ancient western calculations, Jesus was crucified on 25 March, so they assumed that 25 March was the date of Jesus’ conception. The Annunciation is still commemorated on that date to this day. Nine months after 25 March leads to 25 December, which would be the birthday of Jesus Christ if all those assumptions and calculations were correct. They aren’t correct, but the fact remains that the date has a Christian origin.
True? Dunno. Interesting though.
So anyway, it’s the 3rd Day of Christmas, which is evidently St. John’s Day. So, Happy St. John’s Day. In honor of St. John, smoke a hookah and read the Book of the Revelation tonight.
Cheers!
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December 19, 2007
Hello faithful blog readers. Last night I received a worried call from my parents - I had not blogged in a while, was I still alive? Well, in response to that - yes. I am alive. It’s a busy time of year for us, though, and we have been having so much fun that I have not spent time updating this blog.
In an effort to stay alive I have begun a food journal. I started it yesterday. Unfortunately, shortly after starting it a nice lady brought in a tray of Christmas cookies and placed them upon my desk (thanks Barbara!). These are the small, tasty types of cookie - down in one fabulous bite. And as I had not brought lunch, they got the best of me.
Food Journal - 12/18/2007
Breakfast
1.5 Servings Oatmeal with skim milk and splenda brown sugar (a good start!)
2 cups coffee (black)
Daytime Snacking
2 Peanut Butter/Chocolate rice cookie ball things
1 Rum Ball
1 Ginger Nut Cookie
1 Snickerdoodle
1 Cheese Stick
1 Turkey Sandwich (on whole wheat, with 1 tablespoon of cream cheese and cranberry sauce)
FiberOne Bar
Dinner
Haggis
Turnips
Potatoes
What does this have to do with anything? Nothing I guess - just thought for food.
Job Search Update
We’re still looking for work. I have an interview with Amazon this week. I’m slowly hearing back from companies I sent my resume to weeks ago. I’ve applied at coffee shops, Trader Joe’s, tech joints, schools, everything I can think of…but it has all been very slow and discouraging. Either Sarah or I *need* to get a job in the next few weeks or we run the risk of hitting a financial nightmare. We need your prayer on this.
House Update
The house hasn’t sold yet, but we are getting people through it every few days. The responses our realtors have heard back is OK, no one has been down on the house or its price - it just hasn’t been the right fit for them. We need the house to sell soon, though. Your prayers are also appreciated here.
Prayer Request
My brother’s partner’s father just received some bad news about spinal surgery he had recently. It could lead to some serious repercussions. They all need your prayers. My brother is James, his partner is Matt, and Matt’s dad is named Todd. Pray for Todd’s healing and pray that God would use his healing to dramatically affect James and Matt.
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December 6, 2007
Sarah and the wee’un are out of the house for the next couple of days looking after Grandpa and Grandma as Grandpa is having some outpatient surgery tomorrow. That leaves me somewhat alone and with flexible evenings. Although I missed my girls tremendously (Sarah texted me a pic of our sleeping baby), I put my flexibility to good use by heading over to Oliver’s Twist (awesome chill place with funky food and stools which lack enough cushion for 3 hours of sitting) to check out the non-profit band Jubilee.
livejubilee.org
In a city full of bands just trying to “make it”, Jubilee stands out from the crowd as a band who is trying to make a difference. You see, Jubilee puts 10% of their booking fees and 50% of their merch sales straight into the International Justice Mission. They are registered as a nonprofit and exist not just to rock (which they did), but to change the world.
From the website:
JUBILEE is a non-profit band, seeking to live life to the fullest. Our fundamental desire is to understand reality, and make the best of it. We desire that our individual, collective, and artistic lives be a pursuit and expression of truth, goodness, and beauty – Health.
We recognize that the world is one interconnected biological and cultural ecosystem – we are all part of one common body. Therefore, when one part aches, we all suffer in due time. We recognize the reality of injustice and inequality experienced both locally and globally. Therefore, we seek to promote ideology and action of justice, equality, and health through our music, and the conscientious sharing of wealth via our 501-c(3) non-profit status as LIVE JUBILEE. Our aim is to praise and award exemplary organizations that help others to help themselves.
We are all human, prone to both glory and shortcoming. We ask for your support, wisdom, and accountability in this communal journey towards the high life.
They played two sets of all original material (save the cover of “The Girl from Impanema”, which was done very well in both Portuguese and English) and entertained the crowds at Oliver’s for 2+ hours. The music was groovy and ranged from straight-up Latin to jazz and funky folk. Although the band’s website doesn’t reference her, Grace brought *a lot* to the sound with her vocals. I hope she is a regular part of the line-up.
The band was tight and although the particular sound was a bit out of my “normal” listening tastes, it is the perfect music for a party - with a few tracks that deserve to be put on your iPod’s regular playlist (I for one would love a live “Easy To Love” cut). The CDs sold well and everyone had a great time.
It makes me wonder though - what if we did see that what we do can actually change the world? Would we be willing to live “non-profit” lives? Would we write non-profit books? Program non-profit software? Take home non-profit paychecks? I think that this is what the gospel calls us to do. To use the resources that are placed in our hands to usher in “good news to the poor…to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovering sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
Thank you Jubilee for cutting through the crap and trying to make a difference. It’s inspiring. And thanks for the jams too. 
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December 3, 2007
After the post where I lamented the lack of “fan noise” in our digs, I went and downloaded all the freeware and shareware white noise generators I could find and have put them to the test…we have a winner:
Aire Freshener
With options such as beach, rain, fish tank, white noise, in utero and ROCK CONCERT, this application has pretty much everything I was looking for (except, of course the whole fan thing). We have gone to sleep with the rain environment the past couple of nights and it has been awesome.
From the author’s website:
Nature sounds player, CD player, MIDI windchimes, and Quote of the day. Discontinued charityware. You are welcome to download and use this program, but as it has been discontinued I unfortunately cannot provide support or answer questions about the program.
** SORRY, BUT I DO NOT HAVE CDS OF THE SOUND ENVIRONMENTS FOR SALE! **
** PLEASE STOP ASKING ME! **
Awesomeness. I’ve just got to put this on Stella’s computer and we are set.
For our Mac User friends “Noise” looks like a great white noise option.
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December 2, 2007
Adventures in Hall-Decking
Originally uploaded by Basil the Great
Sarah was fiddling with the stand and….whomp!
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December 1, 2007
11-2007-Thanksgiving 001
Originally uploaded by Basil the Great
Here is our baby girl being all grown up.
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November 29, 2007
For most of us, the weeks between Football Day (also known as Thanksgiving) and Present Day (also known as Christmas) are spent in a frenzied rush of consumerism - we salivate over the ads and feast on what they offer like Dracula in a room of virgins. This, of course, is interrupted only by the cringing that accompanies every Diva’s rendition of “O Holy Night” brought to us by our local Lite Music Station (usually called Star, Kiss, or Crap one-o-something). Ooooo—OOO–HHH NIIIIIiiiiiiIIIIGHT!!!! Deeeee-EEEEEE-VIIIIIAYYYYYYYYYNE, Oooooohhhhoooohooohooooh Night… (works better than ipecac, peoples).
But there is more to these next few weeks, as this Sunday marks the beginning of Advent (unless your name is Tim Barton - and then it may/may not mark the beginning of Timvent). Advent is the church season where we prepare our hearts to receive King Jesus (Advent means “coming). Advent is a “penitential” season, a time where we (the church) have traditionally spent time repenting, turning our hearts to God, and pouring out our longings and doubts and fears to Him. Traditionally there have been extra services and reading associated with Advent and your church or churches in your community will probably be marking the season with different kinds of music and candles in their services.
What are we looking forward to?
On one hand we are standing in solidarity with the Saints of Old Testament Church who anxiously awaited the coming of the Messiah (his First Advent) who would be the savior of His people. We place ourselves in their shoes, with the knowledge that we have on this side of Jesus’ earthly ministry, wondering at how God would become incarnate for our sakes. We anticipate the celebration of Christmas (the time when we traditionally celebrate the Incarnation and Jesus’ birth).
On the other hand we are waiting for Jesus’ glorious return (his Second Advent) when He will judge the living and the dead and all redemption will find its fulfillment. We reflect on the solemnity of that judgment and take time to thank Jesus for bearing the cost of our sin and to understand just what we have been and are being saved from. This is an excellent opportunity for us to return to a healthy view of human depravity (we are great sinners, but Christ is a greater savior).
Ideas for Advent
Some of us use Advent Wreaths (a set of candles) to mark out the weeks and accompany this with a short household worship time. Others only participate in church worship services. I’d like to invite you to bring Advent into your homes and your hearts. Here are some ideas on how to use Advent to prepare for Christmas:
All About Advent - The Voice
Making a “Jesse Tree” and Readings for every day of Advent
Readings for Advent
Several Advent Resources
Advent & Christmas Prayers from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer
This time of year can be so harried and focused on buying and selling…why not set aside a little time to reflect on all that Jesus is, the hope of all the world.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave. Refrain
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
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. Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
an ensign of thy people be;
before thee rulers silent fall;
all peoples on thy mercy call. Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear. Refrain
Author Unknown
Translated from the 12th Cen
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November 20, 2007
As we do not have one in our current digs, we are really noticing the absence of a fan in our room. We usually go to sleep with one, and it sure does help - Stella is used to one as well. We’ve also noticed in a lot of hotels/motels that they have replaced the old-school in-wall loud clunker fan/ac units with sleek quiet ones…causing the same problem there.
How about a website with 5-10 streaming looped sounds for those of us who are not used to silence when we sleep:
- Big Box Fan
- Clunky A/C
- Ocean
- City Traffic
- Trains
- Street chatter through a single-paned window
- Snoring neighbor
Business travelers and others then just hop on the ubiquitous wifi and stream the sounds through their laptops to hum them to sleep.
Load up the website with google ads and other such truck (insomniacs are likely to click through) and make a mint. If you use my idea - the fee is always the same: a big fat ipod, some gift cards, and whatever else your heart feels like giving.
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November 20, 2007
The Sunday before this past Sunday I had the privilege to baptize the baby of my dear friends the Hales. Bryce and Ashley lived above us during Seminary and Bryce and I were practically conjoined twins for three years. Little Ezra is a cutie, go congratulate them on his awesomeness.
PS - I’m the chubby one on the right.
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November 19, 2007
This would make a great coffee table book - cataloging all the free organs for a month. There you go, run with the idea and give me 10% of the profits.
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