Here and Now

From what I posted yesterday, I found a video of Renee talking three years later that's worth the six minutes of your time to watch: Renee, Three Years. from To Write Love on Her Arms. on Vimeo .

I'm in my normal Monday mode. Modays are internet day for me - not that I don't get online through the rest of the week - but Mondays I have a routine of reading certain blogs and and getting my Baby Blues comic strip and Dork Tower comic fix for the week. A link from a link today brought me to a group called To Write Love On Her Arms Needless to say, it's a wierd name for an organization, though I had a hint what it might be about. I checked out their vision page and kind of skimmed it ('cause it's way too stinking long) - but about halfway down the page is this: Story is where I'm at. So I start it and I can't believe this story - except I DO believe it, and I know it's true, and, worse, it's not just her story - but it's the story of too many girls. Here's an excerpt that just broke my heart: Sunday night is church and many gather after the service to pray for Renee, this her last night before entering rehab. Some are strangers but all are...

So, I have to just share this the way it'll be presented (at least my part of announcing it) - so, here it is: I have an exciting opportunity to move in a new direction in ministry. For some time, I have felt God calling me into a team ministry with two other pastors from our conference. Around Thanksgiving last year, God really began to impress on my heart the reality of that calling. Last month the position opened up, financing became available (pledged for three years) and the Bishop and the District Superintendents of our conference pledged their support. I will be leaving Christ church this year to pursue this new team ministry at Otterbein United Methodist Church in Pittsfield, PA. In this new position, I will be the Worship Pastor and I will direct the creative arts and technology of the church as well as oversee the church’s outreach ministries. Please understand that while I did ask for this move, it is in no way a response to being unhappy here. I love the work I do, ...

I have a beautiful Taylor acoustic guitar that needs repaired. I think it's a simple repair, and if it wasn't an oscenely expensive instrument, I would just do the work myself happily and deal with any flaws in the workmanship I might incur. No, I would even do repairs myself on my really Fender Strat Hardtail. I don't know if it's some Taylor mistique or what - but they only work through "authroized repair centers" and that kind of freaks me out - and there's none nearby (the closest appears to be in the Philadelphia area). So I contact two authorized repair centers - okay, they're just individuals who know what they're doing around Taylor guitars ("center" makes it sound like some kind of factory or something - not some shmoe's garage). So, anyway, I get two calls back very quickly. The first guy says definitely send it to me, I'll probably have to adjust the neck and the setup as well as replace the electronics and the tuners (...

“Daddy what are you doing?” Elie asked me. I was sitting at the computer, doing some Gimp-fu on a picture. Just kind of fooling around. “Just working on a picture,” I said. “Is it important?” Now, when did she start asking this kind of question? How do you define important? Does it matter to me? Yep. If that’s the criteria, then it’s important. Does it have any cosmic, eternal significance? Um… So why’s she asking about the importance of what I’m doing? I turn to talk to her, you know – to tell her that, yes, it’s important to me and I’d like to finish working on it this afternoon and… She’s holding a game. So the question is really, “Is that something that really, really matters, or can I interrupt you for a game of Uno or Horse Cards?” And now I’m impressed and kind of sad. You see, I’m impressed that at 5 Elie understands that sometimes I have to do really important things (yes, things with even eternal significance) and I need some uninterrupted time. And I’m sad because at 5 Elie ...

Okay - first, let me say that one of my personality flaws that drives Lori nuts is that I can't stand to watch commercials. I hold the remote through an entire program and every time a commercial comes on I'll flip to another channel hoping they're not in commercial-sync mode with the program that I'd rather be watching (but this one clearly comes in second since I'll watch it while the commercials are on my favored channel - ah, I love having a "last channel" button on the remote). Okay - so, I've been trying to discipline myself to not flipping channels during commercials...though that leaves my oh-so-gullible and impressionable mind wide open for the sleazy corporate America crass commercialism pushing hounds of the advertising industry to influence...nay dictate my purchasing decisions... Um...sorry about that. Anyway, it turns out that I really resonate with a series of commercials - the Verizon Fios Guy commercials. You know, they're really...

Okay, now this isn't going to be all that wierd (to me, at least...heh). I've been having pretty vivid dreams lately - I mean, I don't usually even remember my dreams, so the fact that I remember them at all says something. But this isn't really about my dreams...exactly. I've been waking up not only remembering dreams - but with songs running through my head - U2 songs. Yep, I've listened to the new CD so many times the songs are invading my dreams (I've listened to parts of this ablum almost 70 times, according to iTunes). This album is a slow burner for me - some absolutely great songs, some good songs, a couple that I could live without. The live without: Cedars of Lebanon - not sure if it's because he swears on it or if it's because it sounds like a retread of White as Snow (which is a good, solid song)...dunno. It's okay - just would have been a stronger album without it - though I have to say I do like the lyrics (even the "sh***y wor...

Two things happened today that are totally unrelated. About two and a half years ago, Elie lost Lori's diamond ring. It was really a now you see it, now you don't kind of thing (well, more like an "it was there this morning and it's not tonight" but, you know...). Anyway, we tore the house apart. I carefully searched every trash bag, every vacuum cleaner bag, every duct and crack and crevice. We went through every toy bin (trust me, that was a lot at the time) and every room of the house. Never fear, I said - if and when we move, we will find it. I was wrong. I had some suspicions about repair people and others that I have since had to repent of. The ring was lost. But today Elie came into the bathroom as Lori was about to step into the shower and said, "Is this your ring?" Yeah - it was. You can bet that Lori danced and cried and screamed. And then she did just what Jesus said she would do*: she called everybody she knew (well, not everyone but a whole...

I just installed a new version of iTunes on one of my computers (what does it say about me that I regularly use four different computers throughout the week?). So, I surf around a bit while it's downloading and I get a popup saying that I have to restart the machine. No problem. That takes, what, a minute or two? So, the machine reboots and I open iTunes 'cause I want to transfer some stuff onto my iPod and another screen pops up - User Agreement - check agree if you agree with this. I checked that I agree. But the thing is, I didn't read it. Yeah, I know - nobody does. And that's kinda my point. This is a legally binding document (I think) that I've just blithely said I agree to - though I have no idea what it even says. Man, if I wrote these things there would be promises never to transport penguins across state lines or something... How many times have I read about bands that have gotten their first recording contracts only to discover that they've pretty muc...

I just realized something - I don't think in straight lines. Does that even make sense? Well, here's what I mean. I was just thinking about some other writing that I'm tossing around (outlining some personal projects - epic fantasy kind of stuff, you know - normal things that people think about) and I realized that I was also rehearsing a conversation that I just had with my good friend Steve about U2s new album and I thought of something for a sermon three weeks away. And I realized that I don't think in straight lines. Lori says I'm a global learner. Lori says stuff like that because she loves me. What she really means is that my mind moves from topic to topic like a hummingbird on caffiene bender. Yup - ADD. That's me. So right now I only have ten windows open on my computer - I sometimes have 40 windows open. Yes - 40 - four oh - windows. And I jump from one to the other - as I think of something, remember something, need to Goggle something...you ge...

Heh, one of my yahoogroups (christian gamers, for those who must know) posted a link to this blogpost (more than a year old now, but I'm behind the times) from Dave Muller "announcing" this new Role-playing Game for Christians "Faith & Relevance." Okay, it's a joke post. If you've never played a roleplaying game, then Dave's post might not mean a thing to you. But if, like me, you spent thousands of hours of your adolescence (and some of your adulthood too) playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, Star Frontiers, the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, Middle Earth Roleplaying Game, Elric, and maybe dabbled with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Paranoia, and a host of others (I'm going by memory of what's probably buried in those totes in my mom's attic). I have fond memories of the old RPG days - and I've kept up a little in what's going on with games (though I haven't bought an RPG product in maybe 10 or 15 years). I even dug ou...

Last night was Bishop Bickerton's night on the district.*** He spoke for almost two hours...on the 2008 Discipline... Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I did manage to stay awake. Actually, it was good stuff. We (as a denomination) have made some changes to the language in the Book of Discipline (BoD) - for the better. Last night it was membership vows. We used to say something like "Will you stay loyal to the United Methodist Church..." and now we say "Will you stay loyal to Jesus Christ through the United Methodist Church..." Small change? I don't think so. It's HUGE. Yes it's big because we're refocusing from inward to upward - from this congregation to God as our motivation for loyalty and faithfulness. It's big because it helps us focus our mission and ministry where it belongs. And the Bishop was right, it's been WAY too long in coming. But it's HUGE to me because it means that at General Conference the delegates were payi...

I just walked by the coffee table out by the main office. This morning when I came in there were two partial cakes there - one yellow and one chocolate. In passing it now (at 2:00), there's half a piece of yellow and one piece of chocolate here. I know what's going to happen. That piece of chocolate cake is going to get carved up into tiny pieces and at the end of the day there'll be a sliver, maybe an eighth of the piece left. Nobody wants to take the last piece of cake. That happens all the time at the coffee table. I saw a quarter of a bagel there the other day. What the heck? Who eats a quarter of a bagel? (or in my mind - who eats only ONE bagel, but that's an issue for another post...). But, you know - I've shunned the last piece many times - to be considerate of someone else who might want it - the last piece of pizza, the last piece of freshly baked bread, the last bit a lasagne (but if it's still there when you go to bed, it won't be there when you ...

I swear this was just in my email box from a yahoo group that I subscribe to. I second the recommendation on OpenOffice. I have a license for MS Office Professional 2003 (got a discount through an employer, $25!), but have OpenOffice installed on all my PCs (including work laptop). Got my kids using it and it does 100% of what the average user needs. Best part is not having to deal with Micro$oft and their format issues. That one Windows patch last fall prevented me from opening Office 2003 files ... with Office 2003 ... No kidding, that last line is the funniest thing I've heard today. Probably 'cause I've been there, you know? Okay, I have a kind of tolerate/hate relationship with Microsoft products - but they're ubiquitous (heh - I think Rachel knows what that word means now...I love that I can give my kids frighteningly inappropriate for their age vocabularies - Elie and I were working on capricious a couple weeks ago - sigh, but it didn't stick...) So, I wa...

Well, the big box came from Amazon yesterday, uncermoniously dumped on our stoop. I've been through No Line on the Horizon maybe a half dozen times so far. It's good. Somebody at U2.com suggested that it lacks in the Arena Anthem area - and it does - no iconic, hook-laden, pogo in the aisles songs to my ears. But solid stuff. Haven't perused the book that came with it. Or the video. Well, onto more important things...um...really, I'm not sure I have anything else right now (I got up waaaaaay too early this morning...).

Man - what's up with Amazon? Does it really take a whole week to get something from Kentucky to Pittsburgh? I'd have just picked it up at Borders if I'd have known this was going to drag out like this.... ARGH!! So, kind of caps off a crummy week anyway. Last Saturday I hit another car in an intersection downtown - I hate driving down there, and this didn't help. Not too much damage (I think) to the Pilot (Chuck, to those who really know him...) but I did a real number on the other guy's back door. I have pictures on my phone - if I could ever figure out how to get them off, maybe I'll post one... Everything else was little stuff - annoyances, really - but frustrating. I guess in perspective, waiting for a U2 CD isn't really that big a deal either, is it? Sigh... You know, it's funny to me how little things can really just steal my joy - a computer glitch here, a hole in a shirt or something misplaced, and I can turn into...well, somebody who'...

Okay, this is the email I've been waiting for... It's so going to be a U2 week for me... I preordered U2's new album No Line on the Horizon like forever ago - and it shipped yesterday. Better be here tomorrow - in the morning - like with the paper (which is here before the sun comes up - dang it, yes you can get me up before the sun for a new U2 CD). So, let's see - at 6:49 PM I was probably waxing philosophic about my sordid past with U2's music at our U2charist - so, that's an appropriate time to ship it. The U2charist was amazing, if you weren't there. We have such amazing musicians and vocalists here - and the three presenters for the missions did a great job, too. All in all, a fantastic night. I told a friend of mine that I was waiting impatiently for this shipment and he said, "But I was going to buy it for you." Seems he was going to be the first in line and was going to snag two... If this shipment isn't here tomorrow I'm going...