Monthly Archive for February, 2008

Juxtaposition

So, to go along with the new bright color scheme, here’s a very dark poem about child abuse.

Not The Way it Ought to Be

But surely that’s not the norm,
Families taking such vile form,
Sisters at 6 years old to mourn?
Children going to bed with nothing to keep warm?

Surely that’s not the way it ought to be.
There’s a father who promises love unconditionally
Whether or not the dishes are done; see,
For Him, it’s ok just to be.

With all the hate, all rage and pain
With our other Father, we can regain
The life we’ve lost to our parents vain
And selfish with all their arguments inane.

Surely that’s not the way it ought to be.
A family who’s decree
Is pain and sadness confuses me,
I don’t understand how could we
As a people allow such travesty?

No support, no love, living alone
As children, when their parents are grown
Who, in their age, really should have known
A child needs reassurance, just throw them a bone

Surely that’s not how it ought to be.
Mimetic ghosts chasing, the children flee
Lost in their sanguine-filled sea
Surely, that’s not how it ought to be.

If only they knew about God’s love
The father whose mercy rains from above
The one who came down as a dove
And through ultimate sacrifice of

His son, He’s set us free.
Surely that’s the way it ought to be.
Wrapped in a warm blankee,
Ear to ear, smiling in glee

That there’s nothing to fear.
Sons and daughters near
To our Father who’s ear
A prayer never doesn’t hear.

Surely that’s the way it ought to be.
Brothers, sisters, mothers, daughters as holy family.
Surely that’s the way it ought to be.

New Header and Color Scheme

After a tough week of school, including midterms, papers, a conference, and a million other things, I decided to take a break tonight and make a new header and a new color scheme. Rachelskirts didn’t even make me.

I’ve been wanting to do something with greens for a while now, but I always had trouble with it. Here’s the green. Like my last design, there’s a whole lot of it. If you don’t like green, sorry!

Anyways. Thoughts? Comments? Broken things that I need to fix? Let me know!

Per the usual, thanks to Squidfingers for the pattern.

Censored

Furthuring the cause of Karen Sugarpants and Avitable and following (as always) in the footsteps of Rachelskirts, I’ve decided to anonymously say a few things to some people. These are in no particular order, just as they come to me.

  1. What are you doing? Seriously. If you’d just start thinking again, you’d be a lot better off.
  2. Grow up.
  3. I hate talking to you because you don’t know me, but you think you do. Please stop with the advice on things you don’t understand.
  4. Haven’t you done enough already? Just leave and don’t bother any of them ever again. That’s the best thing you could ever do for them.
  5. In the extremely apt words of the White Stripes, “[I'm] completely baffled by a backward indication that an inspired word will come across your tongue.” So why don’t you, for once, just stop talking?
  6. I tried to be your friend. I really tried, but all you did was use me. That doesn’t jive so well with me.
  7. Despite the distance both geographically and relationally, I have admired you and loved you like a sister nearly since the day we met.
  8. You’re far smarter, funnier, and capable than you give yourself credit. Why won’t you let anyone tell you so?
  9. There are some things I’ll never understand about you and why you did what you did, but I’ll still always be there if you need something.
  10. We haven’t talked in years, and I don’t know how you’re doing or even how to get a hold of you, but know that I think of you often and wonder how you are. Please be well.

So. There they are. If you think they’re about you, well, they probably aren’t, but you can feel free to ask me anyways. There’s always the comments, but there are a number of other ways to get a hold of me on the About Page.

Surreal

This past weekend was pretty stormy for large areas of the south. North Texas, where my parents live, was no exception. They recently moved out into the country, and their property is covered with huge, old Oak trees, like this one:

Around 7:30 Saturday morning, the storms got the better of this old tree. Here are a few shots of what it looks like now.



A bolt of lightning hit it, and as you can see, just blew the thing to smithereens. It’s a wonder to me how people live whenever they get struck. I mean, if it just obliterated that tree like that, how could the human body ever stand a chance?

Anyways, as I drove up that Saturday afternoon, being home for the weekend, I nearly ran off the road just staring at the pile of sylvan rubble where a once beautiful tree stood.

So long, mighty tree!

In Which Someone Else Says It Best

Ingrid Michaelson says it better than I ever could, so I’ll let her say it.

WARNING: Clowns in video.

Despite my moodiness, depression, jealousy, snarkiness, sarcasm, and a million other annoying or down-right mean things I do, you’ve taken me the way I am. You were there when I had surgery (which wasn’t so long ago), and you took care of me when I was in pain, and there’s no way I could ever repay you for that.

Kristen, to say I’m happy about the way things have gone would be the century’s greatest understatement, and here’s to their continuance. You introduced me to this song, and here I am, shoveling it back like I’m new and original and witty, but nevertheless, the words ring still true.

Happy Valentines Day, everyone. But especially Kristen.

Sex, Sushi, and Salvation

For my school newspaper, I recently read Christian George’s new book Sex, Sushi, and Salvation: thoughts on intimacy, community, and eternity (Here on Amazon) so I could write a review on it. Here’s that review for you all who aren’t attached to LeTourneauland to read the paper.

The title, weighing in at a substantial ten words, really gives a fairly concise explanation of what the book addresses. The book takes the reader on a journey through the memories of its author, Christian George, as he begins putting together the pieces of his life, and weaving a tapestry of faith-centered messages.

George has led a life of travel, having been on many a pilgrimage to pertinent places in the Bible and in the history of the Christian faith. He has also traversed the globe on several mission trips. These experiences, along with some personal medical issues, marriage, and long talks with good friends, have given George some insights that the less world-savvy individual might not be able to grasp. That is, at least, the attitude which seems to run the course of the entire book.

George shares his thoughts on why people feel a need to be connected, ways in which people seek out that connection, and things in his life that have made him feel both connected and completely isolated. His stories are straight from the pages of his past, and each one ultimately reveals a spiritual truth, or a piece of the nature of God. From the mundane lunch-room jitters of talking to a girl for the first time, to the extraordinary grief of emergency room visits, everything, it seems, has a deep spiritual purpose, but he expounds on the story itself more than on its meaning of application.

That was a major theme running through the book: exposition of the circumstances and events with little depth into the spiritual truth he’s trying to outline in that specific chapter. At times, George tries so hard to stretch his situations to fit their theme, I found myself getting lost in the narrative. The narratives, also, seemed at times strained, and the language forced in an attempt to try to sensationalize a feeling or event.

Overall, the book begins to say some great things about Christianity, relationships, personal hardships, missions, community, faith, travel, and the list goes on. The list continues, but the outline is only of the second order, without much meat for each topic. While there were chapters on each of the three aspects of the title, the chapters were each self-contained units, and there wasn’t a sense of cohesiveness through them in regard to the expectations derived from the title: intimacy, community, and eternity.

Sex, Sushi, and Salvation is George’s third book. I expect he will continue writing and publishing, and while I think this book leaves some depth to be desired, George is certainly on the track to becoming a top-notch Christian Life writer. I give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.