through thy free goodness

my life...

2008-06-16T12:29:00.001-07:00

ping pong diplomacy

2008-06-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

you never know what might move you from day to day...

on the way to work this week i caught a few minutes of npr's morning addition. an excerpt on ping pong redirected my whole outlook for the day. as usual i began to feel very ignorant, not having a clue how "ping pong" has changed the world.

one incident in particular got me thinking: while competing in Japan, a seemingly insignificant act of kindness by a Chinese player towards an American player softened the heart of China's communist leader Mao Zedong. the American missed his bus after the match and was invited to ride with the Chinese team back to the hotel. assuming that Mao would be furious, is was in fact quite the opposite. Mao declared the Chinese player a "great diplomat"! 2 days later the American team was invited into China to compete.

now i know there were may things that played into a decision like that, but i want to believe that God makes it that easy for us. if we can remove ourselves from the heat of a situation, it is then that healing begins.

so often we past up the opportunity to spread simple acts of kindness... to our loved ones and to our enemies... (especially our enemies) we forget to ask ourselves..."how can i love this person" "how can i extend grace to this person" even when nothing in our earthly bodies tells us we should.

"Those games helped to open relations between the United States and China and pave the way for President Nixon's visit to the communist nation."

even when we love simply, we can transform our relationships, our homes, our citys, our country, our world.

inspired revival

2008-06-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

a true lack of creativity and simple expression in my life has finally brought me back. ironicly, work as a designer is to blame... i'm beginning to realized how important it is to be an artist on a personal level... something so intimate yet communal... comfortable yet risky

it has been 8 months since my last post, and as any good relationship - absence makes the heart grow fonder.

freedom of expression is a wonderful gift and i am a fool for wasting it.

good conversation with friends, humility, and a new documentary are what's moving me right now...

got this inner-office email today...

2007-10-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

As you all might know today marks my 7th year protecting our lifestyle brand. It's a sense of pride in its self, and an opportunity to belong to something highly exclusive, and utterly amazing as the brand. It's been a long journey and I hope the next 7 years are as fabulous and enjoyable as today. I'm overwhelmed with all types of emotion words can't explain the happiness and success the brand has brought into my life. Never thought cleaning the moose 7 years ago would take me places I only dreamt of. I have met most of my best friends here with friendships that will last a life time and I will always remember the brand brought us all together. Its because of you guys that Abercrombie & Fitch is such great place to work and I never want to be anywhere else in the world but right here on Fitch Path living and breathing our free-spirited and independent lifestyle.

Thanks everyone
old school
Rio

-----------------------------------------

yep 100% real.... not kidding... i'm serious!

poetry, prayer, song

2007-10-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

i remember a friend reading the lyrics of this song at a home group meeting a while back. how beautiful the words whisper God's faithfulness in the midst of doubt and loneliness. i am endlessly humbled and eternally bound in God's grace.

it's been a long day.

Encompassed with clouds of distress,

And tempted our hope to resign,
I pant for the light of thy face,
That I and my beauty may shine;
Disheartened with waiting so long,
I sink at thy feet with my load,
All plaintive I pour out my song,
And stretch forth my hands unto God.

If sometimes I strive, as I mourn
My hold of thy promise to keep,
The billows more fiercely return,
And plunge me again in the deep:
While harassed and cast from thy sight,
The tempter suggests with a roar,
"The Lord has forsaken thee quite;
Thy God will be gracious no more."

Shine, Lord! and my terror shall cease;
The blood of atonement apply;
And lead me to Jesus for peace,
The rock that is higher than I:
Speak, Saviour, for sweet is thy voice,
Thy presence is fair to behold;
I thirst for thy Spirit with cries
And groanings that cannot be told.

Yet, Lord, if thy love hath designed
No covenant blessing for me,
Ah, tell me, how is it I find
Some sweetness in waiting for thee?
Almighty to rescue thou art;
Thy grace is immortal and free.
Lord, succor and comfort my heart
And make me live holy to thee.

Shine, Lord! and my terror shall cease;
The blood of atonement apply;
And lead me to Jesus for peace,
The rock that is higher than I:
Speak, Saviour, for sweet is thy voice,
Thy presence is fair to behold;
I thirst for thy Spirit with cries
And groanings that cannot be told.

from park slope church: kingsborough hymns vol. I

"take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." matthew 11:30

love and peace

tough love

2007-09-28T06:35:00.000-07:00

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

c.s. lewis

seriously??

2007-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

so a girl's gotta move out of nyc to ohio to get a billboard back in nyc???

wtf?

i think i peed a little...

2007-09-09T21:54:00.001-07:00

Z.G. video

worth reposting

2007-09-05T06:24:00.001-07:00

from 12-05

"I am a frayed and nibbled survivor in a fallen world, and I am getting along. I am aging and eaten and have done my share of eating too. I am not washed and beautiful, in control of a shining world in which everything fits, but instead am wondering awed about on a splintered wreck I've come to care for, whose gnawed trees breathe a delicate air, whose bloodied and scarred creatures are my dearest companions, and whose beauty bats and shines not in its imperfections but overwhelmingly in spite of them..."

annie dillard

doux et pur

2007-09-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

nichole redinger has a new spot on the web... well, a few new spots... check her out and make a comment!

her homepage

work for amy butler

needed a laugh

2007-08-31T10:26:00.000-07:00

duckie brown

was doing some trend research and came across this pic... it's like steve zissou meets prada!

praying through...

2007-08-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

i have been meditating on and praying over each line of this poem. breaking it down line by line has had a much bigger effect on my heart than the poem as a whole. i found it in a tiny book of "unity poems" i bought in springfield ohio. it's helping me to remember who God is and who he desires me to be.

walnut!

2007-08-30T07:43:00.001-07:00

it goes without saying i feel very strongly about the use of print and pattern in design.

and you would have thought that the metallic mod wallpaper in my downstairs hallway had been an aesthetic that attracted me to my house a year ago... i'll confess... it took me a few months to warm up to it.

now i'm obsessed! i like to think of this style as "Elle Decor mod".
since my new love and appreciation, i have found a few amazing websites for wallpaper that have been feeding my addiction. one of them is walnut wallpaper

this site makes me want to wallpaper EVERYTHING!

updates!

2007-08-28T11:16:00.001-07:00

trip back east...

to the shore...

to the back yard...

to lake george...

changes come. turn my world around.

2007-03-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

music and song often move me to write. i listened to "changes come" by OTR yesterday. it moved me to think about the word change and what it means in my life and what it means in the lives of my loved ones.

change: to become transformed or converted; a transformation or modification.

as i listened to the words i realized how much it resonated with me and my life right now. our lives, our world, our hearts are always changing. they're breaking, mending, pulling, pushing, sinning, praying, repenting, and being redeemed by our God. it's hard to see through the changes that hurt. strained relationships, brokenness within families, lack of patience, death, and sin in general... taking all our crap and turning it into something beautiful for His glory. more and more i am aware of God's mercy in helping me to change and become more like HIM, realizing he is the only thing in this world that is steadfast and unchanging. through growing relationships, through culture, though movies and books and art... through tears and joy and peace and quite... shaping us into a living example of the gospel.

..."You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end."

Hebrews 1:10-12

if i had a top 10 list...

2007-03-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

leslie feist would be on it...

new single = new favorite song

go bucks!

2007-03-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

*must watch with soundtrack

the rest...

2007-02-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

easter morning 87'

simple questions simple answers...

2007-02-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

i know you've heard me say this before:

at times i can feel God move in my heart much more plainly and clearly. i don't know if i would go as far to say the "best" is when He speaks and it is gentle and painless. sometimes i need to be broken before i'm humble enough to get on my knees and pray. twice this week i read the children's version of the Shorter Catechisms. once in a children's church email and once on goes on runs blog.

i don't think it is a coincidence that i read such simple questions and answers written to teach children about the True God. i don't have children, but i act like a child sometimes...it's been a looong week and so i'm thankful for God's tenderness - in speaking to me gently and teaching me in a way that is powerfully direct yet simple.

An Introduction to the Shorter Catechism

Q. 1. Who made you?
A. God.

Q. 2. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.

Q. 3. Why did God make you and all things?
A. For his own glory.

Q. 4. How can you glorify God?
A. By loving him and doing what he commands.

sometimes this is all i need to know.

love and peace to you all!
xo

2 corinthians 12:9-10
..."my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

(p.s. for more info on the catechisms see reformed.com)

sausage party at the surly girl (lol)

2007-02-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

tongue? what?? lock and key?? party tricks!

-----------------------------------------------
ok so let me just redeem myself after that title...

tonight was gc lady's night at the surly girl.

this (to me) is one of the "not so midwest" spots in columbus - they do exist (thank goodness).
menu includes plates like:

Spicy Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
Spicy Peanut Butter and fresh sliced bananas on toasted white bread with a side of mini marshmallows and chocolate milk. $5

Knife- And- Fork Chili "Dog" (*see photo)
Our Spicy traditional Italian sausage on a toasted hoagie, topped with tangy brown mustard, red onions, smoked cheddar and smothered in meat chili. Choose from meat or vegetarian. Served with a side of Fritos. $8

House Pizza - Crumbled gorgonzola, 6 cheese mix, dried cranberries, red onions and pecans over our thin crust. Drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.

(SA) just before the waiter placed katy's meal in front of her (*refer back to photo) HE shouts out SAUSAGE PARTY!? now you can just imagine the looks that went around the table of girls. i mean COME ON! that's pretty funny especially when it is directed at a table of christian women.

(AAR) to the waiter's credit there is a special that they serve sometimes called "the sausage party" as he explained later. (what it is exactly i have no idea... do i really want to know?)

blah blah blahhhh!

to my point: really there are two reasons i posted this picture tonight

a#1.) one simple sentence - read comment from 1-31-07!!!! seriously!!!!

b#2.) i don't think i have ever stated my "what i love about katy d." list so here it goes:

lets just start with every picture i have ever posted of miss katy d. every last one captures her bright, silly, and uninhibited personality. she is herself and that is perfectly wonderful.

sometimes we have to pass a pen or a cell phone or some object to be able to have a conversation. (we both like to talk...at the same time).

she only takes cream in her coffee (skim what?)

she has a key to my house.
she uses it.

she is incredibly talented,
incredibly sensitive,
incredibly tough!

she's A.D... what?

she continues to help me unpack not only my house, but my heart and my life.

she has a desire to seek god's will in her life.

she is confident.
she is humble.

she cries.
and has a contagious laugh.

she gives tough love.

she doesn't tell you what you want to hear.
she tells you what you need to hear.

she calls...ALL THE TIME!

her servant heart is just bursting at the seams. it spills into my life and i reap the benefits.

she shares AND she listens.

and i could keep going on and on, but it's late...and i don't want this list to go too deep into her head. so i'll end on this for now:

she makes a wonderful friend and even better sister. i know she will make a wonderful mother.

BFF
love ya!

ps-if you would like to see more of katy d. see links below:
http://teeshirtsinnyc.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_archive.html
http://teeshirtsinnyc.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_archive.html
http://teeshirtsinnyc.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_archive.html

pps-chat slang - inside joke. (lol) i need to "GAL"

the gospel + the fruit of the spirit at it's finest!

2007-01-31T07:52:00.000-08:00

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

like a vitamin packed bundle of jesus!

shouston sistas!!

2007-01-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

dinner in st. martin...

banana rum in st. martin...

more banana rum in st. martin!

(ps-we weren't that intoxicated...one of us is holding the camera...can't remember who, but one of us!)

(pps- banana rum is "dith-cuth-din")

what can i say? girls!!!

2007-01-30T21:07:00.000-08:00

watch this...

an artist worth noticing

2007-01-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

this is an artist introduced to me (not literally) by ryan at MOMA. i was reminded of her tonight in a magazine article. she has a drawing retrospect coming up at the Hammer Museum @ UCLA.

i couldn't resist sharing some of her work. much is lost on a computer screen.
please! if you have the opportunity to see it in person...do so!

*title linked to the hammer museum

getting me through the morning...

2007-01-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

working on a Saturday (again) :(

(and how great is that album art?!)

low down underground

2007-01-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

while at work this week, i discovered the door to the a&f musical wonderland...

apparently we have local bands within the company, and this chick (who is now in s. cali) kicks some prepster ass! i mean come ON! she graduated from yale and played rugby for crying out loud!

(title linked to her myspace)

ps- gotz me a new music pimp at work (below on the right)... his name is mike and he has stacks and stacks of cd's behind his desk (sounds like someone else i know). creative director for hollister by day...rockstar by night. plays in lori, kola koca death squad, daredevil lover, and his solo act the sportsman's club.
OHIO = GOOD MUSIC

http://myspace.com/thesportsmansclub

oooooh no!

2007-01-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

as i turned off my car last night "sabotage" by the beastie boys was playing on the radio.

as i turned on my car this morning...

"i'm tellin' y'all it's a Sabotage..."

yes we fight!

2007-01-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

the fighting huston sisters...

i know, i know! it's hard to believe!!

*thank you cait for cleaning the house while i was gone this weekend and offering to pack me a lunch when i over slept on tues morning, and listening to me complain about "things", and praying for me, and letting katy d. in (even though she has a key) to host small group at my house while i was stuck at work for the second week in a row! you are appreciated and valued...now could you please go stay at dad's house while he's in florida??

(side note: we were crying b/c we got yelled at for fighting...go figure!)

view from the what?

2007-01-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

shopping for work...

2007-01-16T21:59:00.000-08:00

just some of
the samples we bought this weekend
at the rose bowl flee market!

reading...

2007-01-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

"...empty mailbox, empty chair, wrong voice on the phone have no particular magic in themselves that will make a mature character out of a lonely heart. they will never produce a steady hope. not at all. the effect of my troubles depend not on the nature of the troubles themselves but on how i receive them. i can receive them with both hands in faith and acceptance, or i can rebel and reject. what they produce if i rebel and reject will be something very different from mature character. something nobody is going to like..."

"even the endurance of separation and silence and that hardest thing of all uncertainty can build in us a steady hope."

excerpts from the book: passion and purity (chapter 16)
by: elisabeth elliot

this particular chapter really resonated with me and thought i would share it. the feeling of loneliness or of being uncomfortable for a time is never welcome. but, it can be embraced with acceptance and trust because these contribute to the maturing of character - drawing us closer and closer to the one who is in control and knows us best.

once again, his grace gives me fear and his grace draws me near...

playing catch-up

2007-01-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

geordie's b-day!

new years in la

2007-01-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

yes that is in-n'-out...mmmmm!

yes that's the milkman...mmmmm!

is that me?

the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight

2006-12-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

the past 3 years have felt, at times, like 30. in other ways they have evaporated into moments and memories that seem to come and go in the blink of an eye. Christmas is defiantly different now and i have found myself dreading it's arrival rather than looking forward to it.

on my way home from work tonight i listened with a new ear to a carol i have heard and sung many times before. sometime i think god helps us to hear things when we need them most and when they will be most effective. timing is everything as they say.

i am ashamed that i have looked at this holiday as a reminder of what i have not - when in fact it is a celebration of what i will have forever.

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given !
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell,
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel !

-Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

some of the best things in life are...

2006-11-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

be the church

2006-10-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

let me show you...

what organized religion looks like to me...

and the gospel...

and a home group...

and a family...

_

guess who's playing c-bus?

2006-10-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

sat.
oct.
21st

more info
to follow...

i won

2006-10-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

first lawn
first lawn mower
first run...ugh!

in addition...

2006-10-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

thank you to rae's comment (and anonymous as well) -

please check out stephanie woodward's thoughts on the recent tragedy in Lancaster. i like this chick.

i think i'll be checking in on her regularly...

bored at work

2006-10-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

well, more like lack of motivation...my boss (who normally sits within spitting distance) is out sick today.

the show: in Indianapolis was a treat (but i can't take credit for this shot).

the song: sister winter (linked to the title) was played and is just as beautiful live.

ps- i know it's kinda sorta ah christmas song towards the end, but its the only way to keep from becoming brainwashed by the techno-christmas-andy williams-remix they have looped into the playlist here at work...bahhh humbug!

pps- word to my homeboy john cline!

live the gospel

2006-10-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

just about the only time i catch the news anymore (on the tv anyway) is when i am trapped on the treadmill. maybe reading the text at the bottom of the screen helps the information penetrate my brain more permanently, but sometimes i think i may go blind.

yesterday, the morning news was flooded with interviews, pictures and testimonies surrounding the Lancaster County school shootings. like a train wreck i found myself horrified but unable to look away. amidst all the graphic imagery, anger and brokenness, i found hope.
one of the local women interviewed said something like this:

"through this horrible tragedy, the Amish community of Lancaster County is learning to love our enemy(ies) in hopes that our actions and forgiveness can be a small glimpse of Christ's love for us and the forgiveness we so undeservingly receive everyday".

this statement moved me to tears. how often do i feel like i have been unjustly treated, betrayed, or judged. and how often do i respond back in a negative way, harbor resentment, or avoid confrontation all together. this humbled community suffered a greater loss than i can ever imagine and with all the unanswered questions (like why would God allow something like this to happen) they proclaim the gospel and love the enemy. instead of remaining silent, they boldly and bravely choose to reflect the love and forgiveness God gave us through the death of His son.

"we are more sinful and evil and weak than we ever dare believe, but we are more valued, accepted, and loved then we could ever hope".

i am thankful for the community of Lancaster County and the people in my life whom, through their actions towards others, paint a more vivid picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

old home, new song

2006-10-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

new home, old song depending on the view...

god continues to make the old new again. a home, the gospel, a song.

these words, though i may have heard them before, find a new and more steadfast meaning in my life. i read them like a prayer....
...............................................................................
Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue.
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affection and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy, I could not live here.
Sin would reduce me to utter despair,
But through Thy free goodness, my spirit's revived
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart.
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground
And weep for the praise of the mercy I've found.

(Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah)
Hallelujah
(Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah)

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
In the covenant love of Thy crucified Son.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.

All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.

Hallelujah

(*music by Sandra McCracken words by John Stocker )

time management...

2006-09-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

needed a break from the blog for a bit.
lots of things going on...

a yard that needs taming

a milkman that needs taming too

work work work!!!

please keep checking in on me... i haven't left!

before & after or after & before???

2006-09-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

2006-09-09T05:58:00.001-07:00

"thak u...you are cool"

2006-08-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

this is one of the many thank you notes my dad received from debbie's 1st graders... he has visited their class several times to talk about his job.

cait and i have been in tears we've laughed so hard. they just sum up the kind of excitement and awe that only a 6 or 7 year old (who i learning how to write) can possess... as if they can't get the words out fast enough to make complete sentences!

retired!!

2006-08-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

yep! 36 years with the federal bureau of investigation!

from arresting a top 10 fugitive, to trips to greece, london, qutar, scotland, to hostage negotiation, to the evidence response team on 9/11...

and then... on top of all that, being a complete goofball!

his example of work ethic, dedication and bravery have been a blessing to us. we are SO proud to have a dad like geordie.

mmwah! love you

ps- that's the top of cait's head. oops! :)

beautiful

2006-08-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

Nervous In The Light Of Dawn

Dreamed I was in a desert, without any luck
Storm-grey clouds, hovering above
Silence all around me, I was wandering alone
And I realised, there is nothing, anyone can really own

And I wished for guidance, and I wished for peace
I could see the lightning; somewhere in the east
And I wish for affection, and I wish for calm
As I lay there
Nervous in the light of dawn
As I lay there
Nervous in the light of dawn

It's hard to change, and it's hard to lose
It takes years for us, to be made smooth
You can use up our love, yeah, precious energy
To be tossed like a shell, from the hungry seas

And I wished for guidance, and I wished for peace
I could see the lightning; somewhere in the east
And I wished for affection, and I wished for calm
As I lay there
Nervous in the light of dawn
As I lay there
Nervous in the light of dawn

Hold me, in your arms, until I fall asleep
I'm so tired....
Hold me...

And I wished for guidance, and I wished for peace
I could see the lightning; somewhere in the east
And I wished for affection, and I wished for calm
As I lay there
Nervous in the light of dawn
As I lay there
Nervous in the light of dawn

who knew?

2006-08-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

who knew they sell crack in a box for a $1?

get the pic-cha?

2006-08-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

+ pink
- subway pole
-----------------
the real deal

gooooood morning sunshine!

2006-08-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

miss katy d!

poster girl for hot ohio and the bed head!

i'm so glad we are neighbors!!!

oh! and can i just add that you - my dear- are the envy of the entire a&f design team...they want your hair!

"she's uk posh"

love ya!

bonus lyrics

2006-07-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

"...then if you get tired of making plaids for freeeeeee
you can always start a brand with meeeeee
or anybodyyyy!"

*play the real song: Selling Advertising
title linked to dave's myspace...

parties that are way funner!!

2006-07-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

home-made invitations!

the graphics dept. is having a party on sunday.

i think it may be a little more tame compared to the past party post!

party #1: banana bread bake off...

2006-07-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

party #2: banana bread throwing contest

2006-07-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

understood

2006-07-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

buy this @ brooklyn ind. (see link)

:)

2006-07-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

i'm sure most of you have friends that love you unconditionally.

i have one who calls me even when you don't call him back, who always includes me in plans even when i flake out, and sends me great bits from the inside... a friend i feel like i don't deserve...

anyway, this was in my inbox this morning...
enjoy!

music education

2006-07-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

i'm pretty sure this is one of sesame street's finest moments...

i think it is one of music history's finest moments as well.

in my opinion anyway.

the fashion world in ohio

2006-07-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

this is a picture taken at my current co-worker's b-day party...

a party here in c-bus...

that i did not attend...

and that's my intern on the right...

i miss nyc!

.

birthday boy!

2006-07-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

...and future roommie!

my middle name is over-commitment,
so then my last name must be forgetful!

HAPPY #28 DUDE!!!

good things

2006-07-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

this maybe unfamiliar to some
and very familiar to most
a few have a little memorized

i think i'm repeating myself when i say:

i should have it tattooed to my forehead (backwards)...

good things II

2006-07-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

new neighbors are good things too
and friends who listen
and share.

lots of good things happening as of late...

katy saw a vw bus go by
while we sat out on her front porch
and talked.

she told me she could see me in a vw bus.

i think i could too.

new fix

2006-07-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

upon moving to new york i picked up a fix...

upon leaving i added another...

word to the tb king :P

7-8-06

2006-07-10T05:06:00.000-07:00

*no digital alterations have made to this picture

home-girls

2006-07-06T06:26:00.000-07:00

i've met my match

2006-07-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

oh no! meet the milkman!!

almost 2

2006-06-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

i wanna see life like this...

.

like a prayer

2006-06-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

what is my favorite pedro the lion song you ask?

...the longer i lay here...

one, two, three, one ready go...

you're up with the sunrise
and down when the work's been done
with excellence industry
diligence naturally
i would like to be you just for a few
habit-forming years
laziness cuts me like fine cutlery
i need a miracle -
someone to help me myself
sweet jesus, i need you
forgive me this sin
not hookers or heroin,
gambling or gin
it sounds so ridiculous,
but i just can't lick this
i need a miracle -
someone to help me myself
someone to help me help myself

smells like...

2006-06-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

for those ohioans who prefer the indie-caff...

has anyone noticed the cup-o-joe cups smell like b.o.??
this has bugged me for quite some time, and i would really like to know if anyone else has picked up on this strange phenomenon?

just one more reason they should go paper not styrofoam!

2006-06-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

getting the guy behind us to smells it too...

garage sale hell

2006-06-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

it's a cold runny, uhh i mean rainy day in OH.

geordie left for Cali...and put us in the trick bag...

trickbag = the neighborhood garage sale.

hosting a garage sale SUCKS!!!

blaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

p.s. GO METS!

2006-06-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

she walks down a high
with backwards feet
I know he's there
world-wide incomplete

like a melody
or mercies preached
I hear the law
I feel and reach

like piss on the subway
ill take it all
stink of mulch in this town
that's the sign of the fall

verve and vengeance
my mind it craves
eternal peace when
love comes in waves

weary will
burning thought
broken hands
priceless bought

god give me full
break my back
eyes aren't needed
when it's love i lack...

picture of marriage*

2006-06-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

jake & nikki

i still think of their wedding invitation and get a little sentimental...

"our steps will always rhyme"

the irony

2006-05-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

i've just moved from one town who's bumper stickers read: Impeach Bush!

to another town in which they read: Viva Bush!

from the words off Demetri Martin - "A lot of people don't like bumper stickers. I don't mind bumper stickers. To me a bumper sticker is a shortcut. It's like a little sign that says 'Hey, let's never hang out'."

.

art

2006-05-26T05:38:00.000-07:00

helen frankenthaler

another post from the past...

quoted from modern art and the death of a culture

"the mistake of many art theorist (and not only of Christian ones) is to try to give art meaning or a sense by showing that it 'does something'. so art must open people's eyes, or serve as decoration or prophesy, or praise, or have a social function, or express a particular philosophy. art needs no such excuse. it has it's own meaning that does not need to be explained, just like marriage does, or man himself, or the existence of a particular bird or flower or mountain or sea or star. these all have meaning because God has made them. their meaning is that they have been created by god and are sustained by Him. so art has a meaning as art because God thought it good to give art and beauty to humanity."

question?

2006-05-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

is my tap water supposed to be this color?

nyc is good for a laugh!

2006-05-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Lindsay my roommate left this book behind for me to read (while she is working in Houston). It was a gift from a friend...

the entire book is made up of conversations overheard in the subways, streets, restaurants of NYC...I don't think i've laughed this hard in a while! here is a sample:
...........................................................................................
Homeless man begging on the train: Look, i'm not going to lie to you. i'm not homeless or sick. I just need some money so i can get high, but it's just weed, i don't do heroin or cocaine or any of that sh*t.

Guy: you know it's because of guys like you that people think pot should be illegal! look at you!! when i get high, i pay my own way! i earn my own money and get high. there are little kids on this train! what do you think they are going to learn? man, think a little!
...........................................................................................

............................................................................................
Mother: come here! you're seven years old and you can't fasten your own shoelaces? no more video games for your black ass!
..............................................................................................

.............................................................................................
Conductor: ladies and gentlemen, this is a B train...B, like, like, like um... "brothel"
.............................................................................................

show hopping

2006-05-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

2006-05-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

so me and the preggers hit 2 shows tonight...Atoosa -->very beautiful and melodic folk singer/songwriter. She is a friend of kathy's from grad school...Mo Pickin's was the spot. and it was cozy.

then we made a b-line a few blocks away b/c Kelly was singing at the Rockwood music hall...i la la la loooove this place. 3 walls of the club are brick and the fourth is windows. somehow it keeps it's dark, intimate atmosphere...

after we said a hi and goodbye, we stopped in to american apparel...why does the US make such crap? i wanna support american made, but common...give us some quality here people!!

i was also introduced to the world of "pre-maternity" shopping...it entailed 2 articles of clothing. the one your trying on, and then another to shove underneath (creating the" faux belly").

all in all...can't think of a better way to spend a wed. night in the big apple.

as my grandfather used to say

2006-05-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

their sh*t really is wrapped in cellophane!

not that this is one of those circumstances...i went in the other day, well down rather, and yeah...wow!

milky weekend in july

2006-05-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

doin my best with what i got...Costa is playing at Bowery on July 1st

still workin on it

something new?

2006-05-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

coming to bowery ballroom on thursday...may have to pack it in before...i...

cafe lalo

2006-05-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

Cait in the doorway of cafe lalo - as seen in You've Got Mail

ps-thanx for the suggestion kathy!

in the middle of it...

2006-05-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

my personal hell...time square nyc

listen up

2006-05-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

one of the coolest websites i have ever experienced...

once you click my link, select "view in a new extra large window"
move the ring around the screen ("wee") and select the different icons
play the music in the upper right corner!!

last for a while

2006-05-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

dug this one up from over a year ago...

last for a while

silent nights
fill the air
distance between
like oceans of prayer

cast out my anchor
with disconnected cord
no true attachment
to be counted for

from the blank stair
graces that pour
this was wanted
begged and pleaded for.

so tuck it back
swallow the smile
this must be

last for a while

pleasure and pain
bring me low
bend and sway
as a friend and foe

inhale this quietude
the respect i haven't got
take from me this
what i can not

not if but when
this spell brings rise
emotions full
the connection unties

invited sting
temporary trial
will it, may it

last for a while

silent nights
swollen with grace
an implicit stillness
destined to face

complacency the bullet
hapless as a knife
a bigger picture focused
that of eternal life

watching and wondering
between the lines of will
grace filled peace
a completeness so still

merciful love
cuts and burns
accursed enticements
my stomach it turns

silent nights make up this trial
a need so strong
make it

last for a while.

m.

home alone

2006-05-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

my hands are weak
wanting to write
only you
my peace tonight

holding my mind
all those words
hung above me
sparkle to be heard

my heart
unspoken but felt
into a beautiful mess
broken I melt

afraid to move
i want to know
when this ends
so I can go

home to you
in my hand
fall to my pillow
no strength to stand

take my life
breath into me
i know what I want
but not what you need

say it with me now...

2006-05-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

M-O-M-A

beauty

2006-05-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

(a little late...this was meant to post on sunday, but wanted to take my time writing it)

this picture is (to me) the truest picture of beauty, love, and what it looks like to be a mother. taken on the way home from the hospital...that is a needle she has in her arm, but look at the smile on her face. Joy, happiness, excitement are all that radiate.

i forgot that it was mother's day this morning. i remembered all week that it was today, but when i woke up it had escaped me...escaped me until it was mentioned in church this morning.

i made it to resurrection presbyterian(williamsburg)this evening. vito said something that connected and brought peace to my heart. his father passed when he was young, but he has a small collection of letters (from his father) that he holds on to...a way to remember what he was like. some of the writing has faded and they are getting harder to read...but what he misses even more is his father's voice, his breath - something letters can not hold.

one of the scripture readings was from 2Timothy 3 - "All scripture is breathed out by God..." what an indescribable love. Letters written to you and to me - not just pen and ink but the very breath of God talking to us, telling us how much He cares about us. How much He wants to fill up our broken hearts. tonight while i miss my mom i think about this. i think about her voice and the things that she taught me about God's word and the peace it brings. then i think about her - rejoicing in Heaven with the TRUE breath of her Lord and Savior enveloping all that pain and filling her heart with nothing but LOVE and everlasting PEACE.

light

2006-05-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

why blame the dark for being dark?
it's far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it should be.

rob bell
(quoted in Relevant magazine March/April)

for u

2006-05-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

"...i visited this church in the suburbs and there was this blowhard preacher talking about how television rots your brain. He said when we are watching television or minds are working no harder than when we are sleeping. i thought that sounded heavenly. i bought one that afternoon."

another excerpt from blue like jazz by donald miller

quote of the day

2006-05-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

"o.k. is a big word..."

.

true

2006-05-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

in the purest sense of the word...he is.

blue revisited

2006-05-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

"Still, i know, because of my own feelings, there was something wrong with me, and i knew it wasn't only me. i knew it was everybody. it was like a bacteria or a cancer or a trance. it wasn't on the skin; it was in the soul. it showed itself in loneliness, lust, anger, jealousy, and depression. it had people screwed up bad everywhere you went - at the store, at home, at church; it was ugly and deep. lots of singers on the radio were singing about it, and cops had jobs because of it. it was as if we were broken, i thought, as if we were never supposed to feel these sticky emotions. it was as if we were cracked, couldn't love right, couldn't feel good things for very long without screwing it all up. we were like gasoline engines running on diesel. I was just a kid, so i couldn't put word to it, but every kid feels it (i'm talking about the broken quality of life.) a kid will think there are monsters under his bed, or he will close himself in his room when his parents fight. from a very early age our souls are taught there is a comfort and a discomfort in the world, a good and bad if you will, a lovely and frightening. there seemed to me to be too much frightening, and i didn't know why it existed."

from blue like jazz by donald miller

me!

2006-05-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

just cant get enough of this girl

2006-05-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

jaymay

*title linked

5-6-06

2006-05-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

reduce, reuse, recycle

2006-05-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

antropologie always has amazing displays...sometimes i like the windows more than the clothes!

2006-05-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

Messy

2006-05-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

"The most dangerous place to be in the universe is the center of God's will.
That is where we want to be.
I hope we never think we've nailed it.
I hope we never believe that we have arrived.
I hope it is always dangerous.
Always chaotic.
Always flying by the seat of our pants.
Never settled.
Messy.
I hope the struggles keep us begging God for guidance.
I often hear Christian leaders tell what God has been saying to them in their times of meditation and study and prayer and I'm often amazed. He tells them the most profound, eloquent things.
All I seem to ever hear is: "Rob, get out of my way."

excerpt from The Younger Evangelicals by Rob Bell