Saturday, September 29, 2007

Kid Update 2007



OK, kids are the ones that keep us fresh, right? I can vote for that with an emphatic YES.

We seem to have a daughter with an emerging case of OCD on our hands. Zoe is persistent, at times, in how things should be....as she believes they should be. The following picture makes wonderful sense after you know what she's saying. Here's how it went:

Zoe: These pacies don't match!

Me: It's ok, though. They're alright.

Zoe: I just don't understand..... (said with a very dramatic, depressive tone)

*******

Earlier today, as I was home watching the kids, Henry was exploring our living room when I was heating up my lunch in the kitchen. I took a glance across the room to make sure he was OK. I saw something dark green-colored below his lip. A bit panicked, I ran over and looked at him. Was it a pen he chewed? No. A crayon? Nope. Then I saw it....... a roach was lying beneath the TV. Something was missing on this little bug..... Henry started his journey toward Survivor Man today. [Laura, I'm so sorry, but I couldn't help but share our joy... :)]

Kids: A sure-fire antidote to apathy and boredom.

p.s.  It is Henry's 1st B-day today!  Hey oh!
p.s.s.  Someone with more Blogger Skillz can show me how to position the pictures where I want them.  They always go wherever they wish.  

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Comic Gold



Although I've missed the 20th anniversary of the theatrical release date by 6 months & 13 days, there is no better time to sing the praises of RAISING ARIZONA. If you have not seen this, it must be included in a future installment of B2F. Quirky and comic book-like, you will have trouble not quoting the genius dialogue. I have seen this more than any other movie and when asked what my favorite movie is, I'm hard pressed to top this gem. Nicholas Cage's hair is mind-blowing.

The line about Yoda pajamas is amazing.

If that intrigues you, more power to you - go rent it. If that revolts you, I don't what else we have to talk about.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Where idea becomes reality: B2F




Just a sketch. I cannot capture the feel of the evening. We ate chips until the dip turned into a form of plastic.
We laughed at old memories. We didn't communicate like we do on our blogs - sometimes there were uncomfortable silences. We made geekball references to the frustrations of word verification. We enjoyed those that attended and mourned those who couldn't make it (for various reasons). Fear not - this was but the first B2F.

If this was any measure, there will surely be more to follow. Here, here.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

New favorite website: ListVerse

www.listverse.com
This site is awesome.  You can find out all kinds of information to tickle the brain.  
This takes Top Ten lists to another level.  

Phrase of our Times


I can't get this out of my head.  Laura and I laugh when we say this to each other.  

The situation that birthed this phrase is strange, and this is a winner in my book.  The tazed guy should copyright it.  And I have to get one of these bumper stickers.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Avoiding the Black Hole

One of the things that blows my mind when I think about it is the eternal nature of God. Our society grows more fast-paced and temporary, day by day. So much is disposable. While we live on this spinning planet, working out the victories and frustrations of life, God sits above it all, in a wholly different time-space. Here, from God's P.O.V., He sees it ALL. He not only sees everything in my life --- what's been and what will be --- but He sees every single human being's life, from beginning to end. He sees the beginning of human time and the end of it. To stretch farther, He sees before human time began and afterwards throughout eternity. It is truly mind-blowing.

I believe people sense the emptiness of much of our modern times. The "malaise," so to speak. When so much of the media is focused on celebrities, you can see where things are headed. They are our modern "gods," when we remove God from our lives. These people are built up into ideals which they cannot fulfill. I'm sure, in their heart of hearts, they sense how utterly silly it is when someone screams or faints in their presence. They must think, "What? It's just me. I know who I am and there's no use for that type of amazement." What's even more sad and dangerous is when a celebrity actually buys into the fantasy and believes themselves to be of such importance. This is when the ugly face of humanism shows itself naked; the behavior is linked in similarity to that of Lucifer, when that beautiful being decided that he wanted some of the glory due to God.  I hate to "go there," but look at the case of Paris Hilton. I'm not one to really follow her life, but it was hard to avoid when she was put in jail. Every form of media had something to say. Now, as for who Paris Hilton is and what she's famous for, that's where we find ourselves dumbfounded. She is not famous for anything, in particular, except that she's a celebrity. She's just famous. She, I believe, is the ultimate in emptiness. Her image is everything, she apparently has a very high opinion of herself and her opinion obviously is important, at least in her mind. She is a vacuous black hole of an ego.

Now I circle back around to make this point: God is all-consuming and eternal. God exists outside of our time and space, although He also interacts on our playing field, which is double amazing. God is WORTHY. We are not worthy of that sort of praise. Celebrities are not worthy of that sort of praise. We, as a people, are built to worship....something. When God is not on the radar, other things, people, and obsessions fill that space. It's a travesty. When the true identity of that object is revealed, the charade is up and we see it for what it is - not worthy. Not worthy of the time and energy we invested. I remember one girl growing up who loved the band, The Cure. I used to listen to them a good bit, too, back in the day. When I spoke to her years later, I asked if she still liked them. She commented that, no, she really didn't like them too much anymore and she had moved on to other music. She said that it was a sort of "high school" crush she had on them, but now it was gone. It's so funny to me to see how I can observe that pattern in my life. I have "crushes" on certain things, things that capture my attention for a brief spell then go out like a candle.

I am asking God that, by His grace, I will be able to focus my attention, my time, my energy on this earth toward eternal things. With the recent loss of Laura's sister, Bekah, it has forced me to put the brakes on life and examine what's important. Our lives here are out of our hands; we don't hold much control, if any. I want to discard the illusion that I call the shots. I want to embrace the reality that God is the Alpha and the Omega and I am a slight blip on the timeline of this earth's history. May I act and live wisely.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

...and now for something completely different....

....get your mind in the right place....early/mid-80's....prepare to have your jaw drop to the floor....

Hannibal would be chomping his cigar with satisfaction right about now.