la la la live mp3's

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks

who knows where the time goes

cat power

the sweet hook-up

adams and the cardinals

link and picture - updated for chad!

einhorn...uh i mean gibbard

scroll down on the link...

sisters

katy and suzy

katy and her sister suzy are staying with me this week. they are here with their family, celebrating the unveiling of a portrait of nelson mandela - created by their family friend and artist Harold Riley.

relief

central park

ooo la la

french restaurant

taken at a great french restaurant in the meat packing district...this is the regular accordion playing french soprano who has a portable spotlight and a sparkly water cap on!

new do

haircut

mother and son

all-bran

Steve and Marilyn (katy's mom and bro)

i personally love all bran, but i don't think that's why mrs. hutchin (who happens to be Jack Nicklaus'’s sister) brought a box with her :)

truth and proof and the gospel

I know this is long, but please read on :)

if you just cant take it, or don't care to read my thoughts (sigh), i linked the message to this blog entry. so go ahead, click on the title. you have no excuse unless you have already listened to it. it's only 42 minutes (that's 2 episodes of The Office if you tivo them). so read on or skip it and click. either way...

I URGE U 2 LISTEN





















many of you know this book because it was on Oprah's book club. some of you may know it because you read it or because you are friends with the author. Some of you may know this book because half of NYC has been reading it on the subway to and from work.

But you don't have to be a local, or avid reader, or even an Oprah fan to have heard about the recent controversy surrounding the content of A Million Little Pieces and it's truth - or lack there of.

(just in case) here is a recap:

......................................................................................

A popular investigative website and author James Frey are in a dust-up over the authenticity of Frey's best-selling memoir, A Million Little Pieces.

TheSmokingGun.com says in a lengthy article that a six-week examination of police and court records, as well as interviews with law enforcement personnel, show that Frey fabricated or embellished details of his law-breaking days.

A Million Little Pieces, published in 2003, is Frey's account of his criminal past and rampant drug and alcohol abuse. It became a hit after Oprah Winfrey in October anointed it one of her book club picks. It has sold more than 3.5 million copies and now is No. 1 on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list.

Frey, 36, could not be reached Monday.

Responding to Smoking Gun, Frey posted a communication on his website, www.bigjim industries.com, that said: "This is the latest investigation into my past, and the latest attempt to discredit me. So let the haters hate, let the doubters doubt, I stand by my book, and my life."

Smoking Gun, which is popular for postings of celebrity mug shots, criminal complaints and unsavory peccadilloes of the rich and famous, said it began its inquiry after trying to obtain a mug shot of Frey based on one of the arrests he claims in his book.

But William Bastone, the site's editor, says he and associates could find few legal documents confirming most of Frey's accounts of his criminal past.

USA TODAY was able to independently confirm one claim by Smoking Gun.

Frey contends to have struck a cop with his car while drunk in Granville, Ohio, as a Denison University student. He says his actions in the 1992 incident resulted in a melee.

But the arresting officer, Granville Police Sgt. Dave Dudgeon, told USA TODAY that Frey was polite, cooperative and quickly posted bond. Granville police and Licking County, Ohio, prosecutor Robert Becker confirmed the authenticity of legal documents posted on the website. "When you look at the trail of legal documents, the retellings of the criminal stuff are hard to believe," Bastone says.

Winfrey's website, oprah.com, lauds Frey's book as a "mesmerizing story." The site includes an interview in which Frey talks about drinking alcohol at age 10 and smoking marijuana in his teens. Winfrey's production company did not return calls Monday.

USA Today, 1-10-2006

...........................................................................

later Frey gave an interview with Larry King in which Oprah herself called in at the very end - a surprise to Larry and James. she stood up for Frey and pointed out that his book has been an inspiration and help to thousands of people struggling with drug addiction throughout the country. she also noted that not every little detail is relevant. that - what is relevant is the fact that he fought a long hard battle with drug addiction and has over come that addiction. out of that he has become the man that he is today...using that message to save others who are on the same rocky road to destruction.

since then, more holes have been found in Freys "memoir" and Oprah has retracted the statement she made on Larry King Live. She had James Frey on her show this week(which was a live taping - how convenient for her). she confronted his fabrications and embellishments and destroyed his reputation right then and there. (I know he brought this on himself, I know, I know)

OK...so my point!

as this drama was at it's peak this week, i was catching up on some sermons i had down loaded (how self righteous of me). One of those sermons was a free download on the Redeemer website - a Tim Keller sermon entitled "Who is This Jesus".

while i listened to this particular sermon about why Jesus is "fact", James Frey's story kept coming to mind. "A Million Little Pieces" was published in 2003. it took less than 3 years for someone to pick it apart. to disprove and dissolve half of the "data" that it contained. It was not told by many, but by one man and his account. he did not make outragious claims (like being the son of God etc.) he was simply writing a memior and the truth came out eventually.

ON THE OTHER HAND...

"Jesus is datum. Jesus is fact..."

centuries after the gospel is published...

"here is one person who has made these kinds of clams and look at the impact of his life."

"he not only claimed to be God, and convinced his family and friends that he was God, but he convinced the last people who would believe...the 1st century Jews.

"after he died, dozens and hundreds of people confessed and attested that they saw Him risen. not only did all the apostles, but we know that at least 500 people at one time saw him ( Paul tells us this in the book of 1Corinthians) at one time, saw him risen...dozens, dozens! sometimes hundreds at a time said 'I've seen Him, he's not dead, he's risen' "

"the experiance of that changed those men and women's life so much, that they went out into the world and died to spread the news. Many of them sacrificed tremendously. Many of them suffered a marter's death, but they were so completely transformed that they went out and spread their faith all over the Mediterranean"

how do you account for the facts? how do you account for the datum?? i don't need to go on and on. i'm tired and it's 2am and i'm not Tim Kellor or Greg Blosser...so go back to the top. like i said...listen to the message!

joy

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is both intellectually credible and existentially satisfying.

beauty

"G" rated

GAP Body

my job for the next month...the prints that is! the prints!!

february brrrrr....the irony??

grace

no pants 2k5

i did not participate in this saturday...

it is by God's grace (through FPW's comment)!

* link

.

Once a fan, always a fan

[This blog entry is from Lindsay...]

I am and will always be a Denver Broncos fan.

April 28, 1983: I am born in Denver, Colorado
During my first season as a fan, the team finished 9-7 after losing as a wild card team in the playoffs.

August 1984: My dad set an example of what it means to be a fan by watching a preseason game (yes, not a regular season or playoff game, but a pre-season game) while my mom was in labor with my brother.
The team finished 13-3 and lost in the Divisional Playoffs.


1987: This is the year that I have my first memories of watching the Broncos game. We made it to the Superbowl and my parents decided to throw a party. The house was decorated with blue and orange streamers and banners and flags. I had pom poms to cheer on the team. We were psyched. However, the Broncos lost. Not only did they lose, they were demolished. The Redskins pounded them 42-10 in San Diego. After the disappointing loss, my parents and their friends decided to take out their frustrations by burning their Broncos' decorations and apparel. So they started a bonfire in my backyard to burn all of our Broncos' things. I remember being scared and sad and confused and as my mom was throwing things in the fire, I started to cry and told her I didn't want her to burn my things. I was a true fan from the beginning--win or lose I wouldn't abandon my team.

1988: Not a stellar year, the team finishes 8-8. 8 and 8 in '88. This is also the year that I get my Broncos sweat suit. (Picture to follow...) This was a classic 80's sweat suit and had the classic bright orange on the arms and legs. I was VERY attached to this outfit. In fact, I insisted on wearing it every day for a period of time. My mom had to wash it while I was sleeping because I really wore it every day for a while. Now that's devotion to the team.

1989: Is the third time a charm? Not for the Broncos. They made it to their third Superbowl of my lifetime only to lose again. They had another embarrassing loss, this time 55-10 to the San Francisco 49ers. There wasn't a bonfire this year, but there were a lot of disappointed fans in Denver wondering if the Broncos would ever win the Superbowl.

1993: I start understanding the rules of the game and start taking the losses very seriously. In fact, a Broncos' loss makes me so upset that I'm in a bad mood for the rest of the day. This prompts my parents to give me a "talk" about how winning isn't everything and I should realize that it's just a game, blah blah blah...Team finishes 9-7.

1994: Second and last season with Wade Phillips as head coach. The team stinks and finishes 7-9. I start praying this season for the Broncos to win before each game. For a while, I think it works...but then I realize that my selfish prayers for wins may not be the best way to support the team.

1996: The team rules...we win the division, we have high hopes for the first time in a LONG time. I give up going skiing for the weekend because there's a playoff game on. But the Broncos are upset by the Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs. I was so disappointed and upset that I cried.

1997: The most glorious season. The most memorable season. The season that I will forever remember. The glory days of Denver football. We squeeze our way into the playoffs as a Wild Card Team and start the "Revenge Tour". First we beat the Jaguars who had upset us the year before. Then we travel to Kansas City to play our hated division rivals and barely win 14-10. The next week brings us a win in Pittsburgh and we're headed to the 4th Superbowl of my lifetime. We are LARGE underdogs and are expected to be killed again in the Superbowl by the defending champs, the Green Bay Packers. The team wins! John Elway gets a Superbowl ring. Denver has it's first Superbowl championship. The city goes crazy. Fireworks explode all night. We all cry along with John Elway as he holds up the trophy. No one goes to school the next day because we're all downtown with our faces painted blue and orange at the Broncos' parade.

1998: Another good year. We nearly go undefeated. We plow through all the teams in the playoffs and win our second Superbowl. John Elway, the Superbowl MVP and quarterback since my birth, announces his retirement after the season.

1999: A rebuilding year. Even though we don't do so well, my family still goes to the early service at church when the team has an 11 am game (Mountain Time) so that we don't miss anything.

2000: I FINALLY attend my first Broncos game after years and years of pestering my dad to take me. It was my senior year of high school and I gave my dad a guilt trip for never taking me to a game in all of my years of being a fan. So my dad decides to take me to the game--only one problem, we don't have tickets. We go down to the stadium a few hours before the game to try to hawk tickets. But there's another problem. This just happens to be the last game at Mile High Stadium before it is torn down. No one, and I mean no one was selling tickets. After freezing outside for several hours, we decide to go back to the car and go home and watch the game. With the car in sight, out of the corner of our eyes we see two tickets in the air. Running over to the tickets, we find two guys who had their friends cancel on going to the game last minute. They're selling the tickets at face value. We buy them, get into the stadium, and sit down right as the team is kicking off. My first game in person was a great one and the team won the last game at Mile High.

2001: I learn what it's like to watch the team via the web. You know you love the team when you can get excited about seeing the score updated on ESPN.com while you do your homework.

2004: I get so keyed up while watching the team on Monday Night Football, that I scream, stand up on my couch, hit my head on the shelf above my couch, knock off the glass lantern on the shelf, and create a huge mess in my house. Oh, did I mention that this happened after midnight and woke up the 9 other people that I lived with at the time? Only one was a football fan and understood my pain when we missed our chance to win the game with a last minute field goal.

2005: I attend my second Broncos game--not in Denver, but in New York. Cheering for the Broncos in Giant's Stadium isn't the best idea. The fans throw bottles at my brother and me. They try to steal our hats. And our team loses a heartbreaker in the final seconds.
Later on Thanksgiving, my brother and I eat our dinner in 15 minutes so we can watch our Broncos win. Happy Thanksgiving? I think so.

My team just lost in the playoffs tonight. It was disappointing, but I no longer cry when the team loses. I scream when they win. I scream when they lose. I love them when they win and I still love them when they lose. I think the colors blue and orange go really well together. I know all the rules of football. I know what a safety is and why special teams can be so important and I know all about a West Coast offense and blitzing defense. I love football season and will even watch all of the pre-season games because I know it means the regular season games are just around the corner. August through January can have lots of ups and downs, but I love the months of football season more than any others. The day the season ends is sad...Particularly when it's in the playoffs. But there's always next season. And who knows what next season will bring?

I am and will always be a HUGE Denver Broncos fan.

room 4

artist hotel heaven

room 3

this is for anyone planning a trip to San Francisco...

or any father planning to paint a mural on his son's bedroom wall :)

..

2

ugggghhh!

my apartment smells like POT!

(and no, i don't smoke and neither does lindsay)

egon schiele

self portrait with shirt

Gerti Schiele

autumn trees

schiele

schiele

self potrait

pursuit of happiness

i've decided that if and when i get tired of the fashion biz...

i would like to pursue a career in tattooing.

another job, like CAD design, that would allow me to color and draw all day long and get paid for it!

*PLUS - if i do decide to have the Heidelberg Catechism tattooed to my forehead (backwards)...i'd get a sweet discount!

(y'all think i'm kidding)

feeling better

just the first few lines of the Heidelberg Catechism are enough to realign my mind and heart with God.

That I am not my own
but belong body and soul
in life and death
to my faithful savior Jesus Christ.

after the "art therapy", I read this and it reminded me why i live in a city (career being last...)
read on:
Post from Tim Keller's Vision Blog
.....................................................................

Sept 28th

Redeemer’s purpose in the city is ‘To build a great city for all people through a gospel movement that brings personal conversion, community formation, social justice, and cultural renewal in New York City and, through it, the world.’

Sounds good—but where in the Bible do we see Christians called to such a purpose? This fall we are looking at Biblical texts every single week that explain different aspects of this mission. However, there is one single Scriptural passage that our entire purpose statement follows idea for idea. That is the letter God sent to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, in Jeremiah 29:

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." (verses 4 through 7)

The historical background to this message is important. The Jews had existed in their own nation-state, in which faith in the Biblical God was the official religion. When the Babylonian army sacked Jerusalem, they, as was their policy, carried off Israel’s professional classes and leaders to exile in Babylon. It was expected that within a generation or two, the exiles would assimilate culturally and lose their national and religious distinctives.

Their first response to the situation was to stay outside the city of Babylon and form a homogeneous enclave of believers. But to the horror and amazement of the listeners, God commands them in Jeremiah 29 to instead move into the heart of the pagan city, become involved in its cultural and economic life, and seek the common good of the Babylonian oppressors who had destroyed their homeland! God calls them to increase in number—they are not to lose their identity as a distinct and different people. Yet they are not allowed separatist withdrawal either. They are to minister to the whole city, to all the people, out of the resources of their spiritual and moral difference. Some have called this ‘nonviolent social resistance’ to the dominant culture. The Jews were to keep their distinctive beliefs and practices (surely offensive in many ways to the sensibilities of the Babylonians) but were to serve their neighbors and city anyway. This is the best possible way to undermine the themes and practices of the dominant culture. It is a corporate version of ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them…overcome evil with good.’ (Romans 12:20-21.)

This could not be more directly relevant for Redeemer people. We too are mainly professionals. And, as Christians living between the first and second comings of Christ, we are ‘exiles.’ James 1:1 and 1 Peter 1:1 refer to Christians as ‘exiles’ and the book of Hebrews repeatedly calls Christians ‘resident aliens.’ In other words, Christians are dispersed among ‘the nations’ just as the Jews were during the Babylonian exile. Our relationship to culture is basically the same. Therefore we should apply the call of God to the Jewish exiles in Babylon to our life in New York City. Our purpose statement is lifted directly out of this challenge:

1. We are to build a great city just as God called the believers to seek the “prosperity of the city—and pray for it.” (v7) God did not tell the exiles to just use the city to build up their own community, but rather to use the resources of the community to build up the city.
2. We are to be a gospel movement. Just as God called the exiles to “increase, do not decrease,” so we want to plant hundreds of churches, so that the Christian community in New York’s center city increases 15-20-fold over the next generation.
3. We are to bring personal conversion, community formation, social justice, and cultural renewal. God does not only call the exiles to seek the prosperity of Babylon, but also its ‘peace’—its shalom. The Hebrew word shalom is an extremely rich concept—it means full human flourishing in every aspect. When the prophets (like Isaiah) describe shalom, they assume it means spiritual conversion and true worship but also social justice for the poor and cultural products that glorify God, not ‘man.’ So God is calling believers to seek the full range of human renewal in the city—individual, spiritual, communal, social, cultural.
4. We are to influence the world through New York City. Notice that God ends by saying, that ‘if [Babylon] prospers, you too will prosper.’ Cities have enormous cultural influence. Trends that capture the life of the city tend to flow out into the whole society. But God does not call the exiles to try a political or military takeover of Babylon. They are not to do to Babylon what Babylon did to them. Rather, they are to seek the prosperity and common good of the whole city. Yet, God says, ironically, this will give the community a great deal of cultural power and clout. Through their service to the city they will become attractive. Their ideas will matter. Their God will be honored. And whatever influences the city influences the whole culture. God here lays down an important principle: the way to power and influence is not to seek power and influence, but to seek to serve.
   
   This is urban ministry—changing the world through serving. And this means that the ultimate urban missionary was Jesus. He did not commute in from heaven but moved into our neighborhood. And instead of taking power he gave it up and sacrificially loved and died for us. And as a result he is now the most influential figure in the history of the world—and this power-through-service will only grow until the world is completely mended and made new.

Powwwww!

take that little mermaid!

it is a sad day when i no longer want to think about much less look at a disney character!! especially the little mermaid!!!

is it sinful to make pictures like this to vent my frustration with work??? i feel like it could be considered a "form" of art therapy??? but it really isn't ariel's fault...she's just the scapegoat!

oh what have i become in just 3 days!!!

Blaaaaahh!!

the wand

OOooooo...

flaming lips new single out....the wand.
loving the hand clap rage too...like postal service, death cab, architecture in helsinki...

whaaaa whooooo!!

mac is back

after running i learned my gym's hot water heater was on the fritz.
my shower? - think downing a 7eleven slurpy while sinking with the titanic. BRAIN FREEZE!

i get to my new freelance job and and i wanted to throw-up in my mouth...no i'm not pregnant!

first 4 hours was spent making up for 4 years of lost time with the mac... like using my left hand.

needles to say... ambidexterity, here i come!!! why why why do they even bother making pc's??

(meh- pro mac and still thawing)

couple

couple

kelly sang Broken Things in church this morning - a song on julie millar's 1999 album. victoria williams, pattie griffin, and emmylou harris all chip in on the album too - DEFFINATELY worth a listen. bud and julie - just another "artist couple match made in heaven"!


Broken Things

You can have my heart
Though it isn't new
It's been used and broken
And only comes in blue
It's been down a long road
And it got dirty on the way
If I give it to you will you make it clean
And wash the shame away

You can have my heart
If you don't mind broken things
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears
Well I heard that you make old things new
So I give these pieces all to you
If you want it you can have my heart

So beyond repair
Nothing I could do
I tried to fix it myself
But it was only worse when I got through
Then you walked into my darkness
And you speak words so sweet
And you hold me like a child
Till my frozen tears fall at your feet

it's freakin' cooooold!

it' is

nose running,
eye watering,
ear burning,
toe numbing
see your breath,
make you have to pee,

cold!

i miss the warm

I miss the warmth
And I miss the sun
I miss the ocean
I miss everyone
And I miss the bridges
That span across the bay
Tonight, it seems like ages ago

....

faith my eyes

faith

But if I must go
Things I trust will be better off without me
But if I don't want to know
Life is better off a mystery

So keep 'em coming, these lines on the road
And keep me responsible, be it a light or heavy load
Keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes...

...But I get turned around
And I mistake my happiness for blessing
And I'm blessed with the poor
Still I judge success by how I'm dressing

.............................................................................................

this is for lindsay (and me). a song that she likes and i like now too.
whether you've got the lyrics memorized or not...sometimes reading an old song can make a difference :)

brilliant!

dynamic duo

can i profess my undying love for anything wes anderson?!

i finally saw Bottle Rocket for the first time (thank you Ryan)

it has been a long time since i have laughed that much watching a movie.
it is now in that top 10 list!

.................................................................................
"Why is there tape on your nose?"--Bob
"Exactly!"--Dignan
..............................................................................................................

He's out. You're out, too. And I don't think I'm in either...
NO GANG! --Dignan
.................................................................................

Bob's gone. He stole his car. --Dignan
...............................................................................

batman and robin

top 10 revisited

top 10

forgot this one...(sigh)

tim keller

"The Bible's purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible's purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome... religion is 'if you obey, then you will be accepted'. But the Gospel is, 'if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey''. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference."

beauty...

lovin' em

rouge wave

mission : no pants 2k6

No Pants 2k5

received an invitation today...

correction!

my friend Chad has been my friend for oh...15 years! his name is spelled

C-H-A-D <-----> W-O-L-L-E-T-T

just in case any of you ever have to spell it.

now this is what i call fabulous!

fab!

30 year old wife and mother of 2 and a 1/2...

(oh and a "pastors wife")

ROCK on!

he he!

women

maybe this is why women of the presbyterian persuasion do not maintain leadership positions in the church...but i guarantee you the men would grope a multi breasted statue too!

............................................................................................................................

pods of grace

if you'd like some more of that hope...

Thanks to Rae Whitlock, Grace Central now has its own Podcast. You're also able to download sermons without subscribing to the podcast. {FPW}

(title is linked)

lost and found!

of montreal

finally found a computer at work that would read my back up dvd of all the music i had on my computer at limited too almost a year ago...be good tanyas, ryan adams, david bowie, of montreal, mindy smith, fleetwood mac, kings of convenience, hem...and the list goes on!

it's like finding $$ in your pocket...like waking up and remembering it's your birthday, like seeing a friend you haven't seen in 8 months! Ugh...that's sad!!

(ps - linked to mp3 of {wraith pinned to the mist} )

be good

despair.com

ahhhh haaaaaa!!!!

thanx for the link FPW!

old glasses, new gift

love'em

barb coate found her old sunglasses...she said i might be the only one she knows who would wear'em

yep!

hope

Exerpts from:

HOW TO SING THE BLUES
Sermon #2
Funky Presbyterian
Scripture: Lamentations 3:1-33

...Christians are people who's hope is in the Lord. our treasure is with Him. and it is safe. our treasure is safer when it is with Him because it is Him. our hope is not just in the Lord, it is the Lord. the Lord doesn't just hold our treasure the Lord is our treasure. the Lord doesn't just secure our hope, the Lord is our hope. the Lord doesn't just give us peace, He is our peace...

...where is your hope? from were do you derive your confident expectation that all will be well? the amount of money in your bank account? is it the job security you have? is it a loved one, your spouse, your children, parents? is it the circumstances of your life which shift and change or is it the Lord?...

...Look, is it any wonder that so many of us experience despair and depression if we are putting our hope in circumstances which change? I know that some of you, there have been moments in your life where you've just wanted to lay down and die..and you didn't see any purpose in going on. your strength is gone, but the strength of God's love continues on. it does not cease. it does not end, it will not fail. in the morning when we want to crawl back into bed and hid, the mercy of God is there for us...

...the Lord doesn't change even when your circumstances do. the Lord does not change even when your feelings change. but sometimes we're depressed and we don't even know why...there's no reason, there's no bad circumstance, we just feel like CRAP! and there is no good reason why. in those times we have to preach to ourselves that God's love endures. His mercy continues on. when all hope seems lost, all hope is not lost because God is our hope, he is our confident expectation for good things in the future. it's based on the very character of God Himself. every other religion in the world will base it's hope on "my ability" and "my character" and "my ability to carry out" the demands of some god or some religious system. "and if i have good character and i can do it, then it will go well with me". but in Christianity, our hope is based on the character of God Himself. He's our portion, He is steadfast, He is enduring in His love and His mercy when we cannot endure.

His mercy is new every day because every day we need new mercy. and the very pinnacle of the character of God, the very pinnacle of His enduring love, is seen in what? in the cross of Jesus Christ...



Can't...type...any...more........ask FP for a copy!

cool burn

new

if you like the feeling of heart burn on top of severe congestion, sinus pressure, pain and headache ...

this new "cool burst" tylenol is for you!

play on

loved

michael loves his i-pod...it's not broken...it still plays...it's well loved, like the velveteen rabbit!

east village

rock n' roll

puritan prayer

All-searching God,

Thou readest the heart,
viewest principles and motives of actions,
seest more defilement in my duties
than I ever saw in any of my sins.

The heavens are not clean in thy sight,
and thou chargest angels with folly;
I am ready to flee from myself because of
my abominations;
Yet thou dost not abhor me
but hast devised means for my return to thee,
and that, by thy Son who died to give me life.

Thine honour is secured and displayed even in
my escape from thy threats,
and that, by means of Jesus
in whom mercy and truth meet together,
and righteousness and peace kiss each other.

In him the enslaved find redemption,
the guilty pardon,
the unholy renovation;
In him are everlasting strength for the weak,
unsearchable riches for the needy,
treasures of wisdom and knowledge for
the ignorant,
fullness for the empty.

At thy gracious call I hear, take, come, apply,
receive his grace,
not only submit to his mercy but acquiesce in it,
not only glory in the cross but in him crucified
and slain,
not only joy in forgiveness but in the one
through whom atonement comes.

Thy blessings are as secure as they are glorious;
Thou hast provided for my safety and my prosperity,
and hast promised that I shall stand firm and
grow stronger.
O Lord God, without the pardon of my sin I cannot
rest satisfied
without the renovation of my nature by grace
I can never rest easy,
without the hopes of heaven I can never be
at peace.
All this I have in thy Son Jesus; blessed be his name.

From "The Valley of Vision", published by Banner of Truth

thoughtful
beautiful

red light

red light

this was taken after we missed I-78, took a scenic detour, and ran a red light *on accident*.

needless to say...jesus saves!

a very sober and happy new year!

happy new year!

believe it or not, we were drunk on life and a new year and nothing else!

2 interpretations

brooklyn

clintonville

lindsay posed a good question...is it just the baby? where are the parents?? there's no wise men, no shepherds, no angels to watch over him! rigor mortis has set in!
(and what is that little sculpture doing?)

FP: i know brooklyn's pic looks familiar, but i couldn't help myself. got back to the city tonight and was walking home (missing ohio). this was still lit up in front of the catholic church. it's true what they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...still didn't get it right though. you can't see the most important part - the sheep head is in the way!