Make:

Click Here for 2009 part 2.

2009 part iv

I think this is the last thing. And for cheating sake, it can't be started in 2009 let alone completed. It fits squarely in the dumb slot. I would like to, before my oldest daughter is 18, live in a foreign country for 2 years or more. (She is 8.) I don't really know where, or why for that matter. But it is out there. And if I needed to have something that is dangerously unattainable, monstrously big, it might as well be that.

Shock

In all the years of "blogging" I don't have a single post dealing with toast, toasters, or anything remotely connected with the act of browing bread. Until today.

The third item in my list for 2009

I want to be able to grow something I can eat. My life consists of consuming. I have not made anything that someone else could possible want. I don't think this is okay. I also firmly believe that my lawn shall one day be gone, replaced with items that can be eaten by man or beast. So for 2009 I will begin my journey as a hobbyist farmer. Or I will just grow potatoes in a pot.

I wish the link below fit as a paste

Click Here to see how your world might end.

2009 part dos

Did you know that if you break Matthew, Mark, Luke and John into 3 chapters a day you can read all four books in a month? It's true. Well I have been reading psalms, and proverbs to different levels of success for a couple of years now in the same way. You can break the psalms into 5 a day and proverbs one chapter a day. It brings a great peace to know that I don't have to "think of what to read", but I just look at the next chapter and proceed. So in this 2009 A.D. I am going to read the four gospels 12 times.

2009 part one

As is my tradition I would like to put forward some things that I would like to try to do during 2009. So to begin my list of good intentions I would like to say that in the new year I will not purchase New Books. Or another way to look at it is this way: I will try to borrow the book first. Our local library has a great selection and the intra-library loan system does come in handy when I can't get the book If that doesn't work, or I just can't live without the book in my personal possession, then used book stores (and we have many) will have to work.

To Quote

What are we coming to
No room for me, no fun for you
I think about a world to come
Where the books were found by the golden ones
Written in pain, written in awe
By a puzzled man who questioned
What we were here for
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though theyre here to stay

Dangerously Unattainable, Monstrously Big goals.

D.U.M.B.  B.H.A.G. The lists are coming. Will you be ready?

To Ninivah

"Our theme this year prompts three related questions: What are we as human beings, where have we come from, and how may we adapt to meet an ever-changing world?" I wonder if there is anyone of us brave enough to go, and what kind of fish would it take to get there?

In the Pants.

The Evangelical Scandel. We seem to be interested in the Birds and Bees in Post:Re:Em:Evangelical world, but there is something that I think we may have missed. Why is LDS getting heat for something we were supposed to be against? Are we losing our touch or getting in touch? (And the coffee is from Mandolin Cafe in Tacoma.)

Jesus $7.00

I didn't earn it ; 

I don't need it; 

but if they miss one payment, 

I'll raise HELL !

For Her

Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning and I find myself careening into places where I should not let me go. She has the power to go where no one else can find me and to silently remind me of the happiness and the good times that I know, got to know. 

To Quote

"Our grasp of atonement is partial; the God we are grasping for is complete and whole." -Scot McKnight

Victrola

I was able to spend Saturday with my wife exploring some of Seattle's coffee. Victrola on E Pike took the lead with a helpful barista that pulled this beauty.

The Trail of Evidence OR After 11 Years, This is What Makes a Hot Date.

Latte
House Brew
Cappucinno
Macchiato 

Killer Winged Slug

As I was out I found this little guy. I was worried that our local Vandals had given up for the fall.

Grimm's two lines.

Daughter: Mom, the sun is in my eyes.

Mom: Be grateful, it will be dark soon enough.

And I really may just grow up and be like You someday

Did You ever get scared playing hide and seek?
Did You try not to cry when You scraped Your knee?
Did You ever skip a rock across a quiet creek?
And did they tell You stories 'bout the saints of old?
Stories about their faith?
They say stories like that make a boy grow bold
Stories like that make a man walk straight 

Sun

Mud, apples and bees were the delights that greeted the pack on Saturday.

HEDAY

Benjamin Knowles wobbled into the New World.

Magic Cocoa Pixie Dust

Mmmmm, mocha.

Too quick $7

I found myself wandering out of Portland and to this classy little establishment.

What's that on your boot?

I spent some time over Labor Day weekend at a Rodeo.

Dena Mora, Look Out!

Montana viral advertising.

Orbit of Office

After several weeks of "things and stuff" I find myself back into something of a more recognizable orbit. Here is one stop.

Es-Kay-Eight

Two groups of people that I try to stay in contact with are middle school students and skaters. Neither group controls much.

On the Rood Again.

Listen! The choicest of visions I wish to tell,
which came as a dream in middle-night,
after voice-bearers lay at rest.

I am going to Montana, and as a previous saint once said, "Let's go with him, that we might die too."

Going for a walk.

I may have found a new friend. Up the street from where I found the last sticker, this little dude stuck his head out from the noise of Division.

Your Lack of Faith is Disturbing

Norman Mailer wrote a book in 1974 that I was able to get at my public library through the intra-library loan system. There is a quote in the second chapter that struck me as important, "The name is the faith of graffiti."

Choking on the Bones

My body tells me that I have had too much food through the discomfort of my gut. If there is something that smells funny or has a dangerous texture then my throat will not let me swollow it.

Chalk lines

Don't look too closely at the lines or you will get dizzy. It is too easy to complain about the confusion that is fronting itself in my life, so instead of throwing up on you dear three readers, I will give you this picture taken in a corner of Lakewood.

$4.39

Seattle can be obnoxious.

Sticker Thoughts

I am glad that someone thinks this.

Renaissance Cafe

I was hungry as it happens and instead of the usual favorite pho spot, my gut decided to take me in a new direction. Tasty food and helpful but not overwhelming service and a seat at a window renaissance cafe was my happy choice. I have been there before for breakfast, eggs and toast I think, but not being a real morning kind of person I wasn't able to take it all in. The art and newspaper clippings give it a local feel. Give it a shot.

Money to go

We are on the way to Rocky Boy Reservation with Deaf Teen Quest. And taking the rail to get there.

Random Rumblings

I have crossed a line. I don't think I am old, but listening to some 20 somethings talk in a coffee shop say "But that is so gross, she is 31" I know I have crossed a line. This same couple talks about going to see Tom Petty.

hot dog!

Just the other day I was looking absently into the distance. And out of the corner of my eye I found my wandering Paper Brain. It was hiding in the crevice between the door and seat of my car. Sneaky little bugger. I am so happy.

Not confused but...

I am sitting in a local coffee place. The coffee here is bad. It has been that way for sometime, but they support local music and serve food and ave beer on tap which makes it a cool place for the college set to hang out and feel independent.

I have been thinking about where I have been planted and what my neighbors look like. So far I can see several neighbors. The parents of the kids that my kid goes to school with. These college kids that are sitting next to me in the coffee shop (hardest group for me to want to reach out to get to know). The high school kids that I watch walk up and down the street in front of my house. The tavern that is several blocks down the street and the drunks I watch walk (thankfully) home from said place(second group that makes me nervous). Those are the people in my neighborhood.

Christ is calling for active obedience.

A Book Placce

The Black Spot Books

Pt. Townsend

We were going to ride a train for our 10th wedding anniversary but that didn't work out. So to make up for it we waited till May and went to Port Townsend for some fun in the sun. It was hot and wonderful. With plenty of coffee places to explore and food to eat we didn't have time to wonder what to do.

Pin

I have had lots to wrestle with in my time in the bible, being that He is a big God. I am glad that His reach is greater than mine. Here is the latest "pin." They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Paper Brain

Last Monday I lost my brain. I kept it in a little black notebook with an elastic band closure. Now it is gone. I found a second one to replace the first, but it isn't the same. If you happen to find a lonly little book on the ground somewhere in the greater Tacoma area, treat it nice and return it to it's home.

To Quote and to Think

The central problem of our age is not liberalism or modernism, nor the old Roman Catholicism or the new Roman Catholicism, nor the monolithic consensus which surrounds us. All these are dangerous but not the primary threat. The real problem is this: the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, individually or corporately, tending to do the Lord's work in the power of the flesh ranter than of the Spirit. The central problem is always in the midst of the people of God, not in the circumstances surrounding them.

-Francis Schaeffer, No Little People

To Quote

"Utopianism is terribly cruel because it expects the impossible from people. These expectations are not based on reality. They stand in opposition to the genuine human possibilities affored by the realism of the Scriptures."
-Francis Schaeffer in No Little People.

EasterTide

I am so happy for lamb. For those with the misfortune of not having experienced lamb, I am sorry. It is time you go out and enjoy this little treat. And remember, the season isn't over, enjoy the next 80 days or so of history. Those last few paragraphs of the gospels and first few of Acts contain lots of time and frankly, celebration.

Disposable days

The days are getting longer, lent is ending and I am feeling a bit like this coffee.

To Quote

Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation.

Spoon

A morning without coffee is like sleep.

My Buddy and the Rain.

Rain like this is moody. It becomes a person. Someone that I can't forget, kinda like the character you might see everyday on the bus or street corner, just doing their own thing. But my suburban kindness prevents me from getting to know him. Across the street from the coffee shop sits Wright park. The compact dirt walking trails are collecting puddle characters of their own. Trees are bombing walkers with balloon sized drops. The soft pink blossoms are are hands waiting to drop freely given prizes, like middle school kids who have just discovered gravity. The weather around here doesn't let me forget why I appreciate my Latin American friends.

Italiano

I am reading two books: "Planet India" and "The Pirates Dilemma". Both make the claim that their subject is what will change the world. Planet India talks about a continent of people 1.2 billion strong that will drive the 21st century economy. Pirate's Dilemma is a principle of how goods, services and information should be passed back and forth from producer to consumer. Do I believe that these places and ideas will change the world? Maybe in a materialist/natural philosophy point of view I do. Certainly American Christianity (what an absurd title) is taking notice of how things are changing and mirroring the changes.

Or do I worry about it at all? Should I keep my nose to the street. That isn't my person though. I enjoy the curiosity that rises as I learn. But it all should be tampered with the Fear of the Lord. If I take my eyes off Christ and his work, the rage of the Nations and their princes will over whelm me.

$3.49

Time to think of other ways to get around.

Peet's

Peet's has a warm atmosphere and the beans and tea are allowed to scent the cafe. However I wasn't overwhelmed by the Mocha. It was fair, with no foam art. But Green Lake is a cool place and I would go back.

Waiting

I have about a half hour before turning up at the Drop-In in Tillicum. There isn't anything I can do that will make the lives of these kids any better. I don't have super human strength, money or connections that will save them from bad choices, parents who neglect or rain on the way to the church. But this doesn't bum me out.

On the night stand

Vintage Jesus
unChristian
The Reason for God
The New Christians

It is Solved by Walking

There are spaces were I feel safe right away. Yesterday I was able to spend my day visiting the Seattle Public Library and several coffee places that offer stillness and a place to think. Pilgrimages like yesterday are good for my sole/soul.

I found my Heine in Louisville

Thank you for the great coffee.

Reinterpreting Isaiah

Beautiful feet rolling the good news.

Hymnal Cup #290

"On the battlefield of ideas, winning requires moving toward the sound of the guns." -Newt Gingrich as quoted by St. Arbucks.

To Quote

"Things you say while naked should be considered confidential"

Steam powered radio

Steam, ahead of the curve.

Ash Wednesday

Something to think about here and here.

Winter woderland for a day.

Beautiful Snow

Satellite, best new coffee place in Tacoma.

I think there are 8 seats which doesn't allow for much computer use. So I spent my time with my notebooks. Try the coffee of the day.

Teacher, my brain is full, can I go home now?

I have just spent a blessed weekend with a good friend in ministry. And my head hurts. This gentleman has blessed me with words of wisdom and comfort. There are days when I feel like I am watching the grass grow while waiting for the paint to dry. It is amazing how a well timed word will settle my worries. Thanks Bob.

pre-wifi

Here is one of my examples of a pre-wifi medium.

Movies

I have had the pleasure of viewing a string of great movies.

Once I am still singing along
Dear Wendy A film from Denmark looking at teens and guns.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Thank you 90's

Dude on ramp

I have made a discovery. Skating is a favorite subject of photography of mine. This was taken in Tillicum.

Thank you

I am happy to say that after several weeks, the car has been deemed Totaled. Now we are waiting for the check, and it will indeed, get us a car. I will post the results as they come in.

Words for chewing.

I have very little knowledge of this topic but here are some words that got me thinking.

Work

Lots of work has been done in Tillicum and these represent not just little bits of metal, but someone's introduction to the life of Christ.

Fire

The short comings of the external combustion become evident.