puddleheads
 And remind me please, why I actually am surprised? You can read more here. |
posted by Christie
a new warning label
| Whenever we were moving, I ran across one of those little bags of silica beads - you know, the thing that come inside that packet in your new box of shoes? Well, I thought nothing of it and for the meantime set the miniature sack on the bathroom counter of our new house. Little did I know, that the ramifications of that seemingly insignificant act would haunt me for weeks to come. As we continued to move our things - the silica beads remained precisely where they had been placed. Honestly, I never gave them another thought. At this point, the only trashcan we had was a large outdoor one in the garage that was filled with remnants from our wood floors and other building material - so the silica beads didn't get thrown away. Well, days passed, and when I least suspected it, the foolishness of my actions became surpassingly evident. Through some series of events unknown to me - the infernal bag of desiccant material busted open upon the floor of our fine lavatory. I don't know if you've ever tried, and I wouldn't reccomend it for kicks, but rounding up the exorbitant amount of individual beads in one of those packages is not as easy as it may seem. In fact, several months have spanned the event and the present - and I've yet to command authority over several of the elusive jokers that have made their home in the corners and crevices of my home. And I thought eating those things was dangerous... |
posted by Christie
Monday, May 23, 2005
compliments to the chef
| When I think about cooking, it seems like something that I would like to do. But when it actually comes to scrounging up a recipe and firing up the stove, the unappealingness of it all begins to set in. As much as I strive toward domestic goddessness, in the end, I usually fall short. However, despite my less than desirous attitude toward contriving meals for just my husband and myself - I somehow ended up preparing spaghetti for 250 this weekend! Thankfully, spaghetti is one of the few things that I cook pretty well. So, here I am, someone who usually won't even cook 1 pound of hamburger - instead cooking 40! Had the event not been to raise money for our youth to go on a mission trip this summer, I probably would have resorted to my usual attitude toward the preparing of food and just taken everyone out to eat. But somehow, I think that would have defeated the purpose. Anyway, I now have a new found respect for anyone who attempts to cook in bulk proportions and will consider my work yesterday to have made up for all past failures in the food preparation department. |
posted by Christie
Friday, May 20, 2005
hit me baby one more time
| Just some random 411...our little site here, which houses a plethora of odd ramblings, has now officially been viewed by 5000! We're accepting gifts of all kinds to commemorate the event. |
posted by Christie
Thursday, May 19, 2005
oh, how the (not so) mighty have fallen
| As if it weren't bad enough that Darius Rucker, lead of Hootie and the Blowfish, is now starring in the new Burger King commercial - did he have to do it in a rhinestone cowboy suit? Is it that to croon about the Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch, you're required to try and look like Prince and John Wayne, all at the same time? Unfortunately, Hootie didn't ask my opinion, but if he had of, I would have told him that he should have quit while he was ahead. Speaking of falling Bob Saget has plummeted even further into the deep abyss of the slightly talented - if that's possible. He's left his clean cut image behind to pursue a career in - yep, you guessed it - rap music. He's now become an official pimp and sings about picking up girlies, rolling blunts, and even more sordid topics than that. Whatever happened to Danny Tanner? My advice to the Notorious B.O.B. - although he was never really ahead, he definitely should just quit. Oh, and speaking of the old Bobarino, if you weren't already under the impression that he was God, then think again. |
posted by Christie
twenty-four...and holding
| Although I hate to admit it, the fact is beginning to set in...I think I'm getting old. First of all, my metabolism seems to be slowing down. Although I've always tried to be pretty careful about what I eat - I notice that lately I'm having to be really careful. Meaning that those daily splurges I used to indulge in, must now become weekly splurges. The rack of jeans in my closet that cause me physical injury when I put them on are a testament to far too many late night Blizzards - a practice that will now have to be discontinued, or else. My metabolism is not the only thing slowing down, I am too. In college I had no problem starting a movie at 11 pm or after and actually staying awake to see the end. Now, an 11 pm start for a movie means that I may or may not make it past the FBI warning. Seriously. This phenomenon surely is due, at least in part, to the fact that now that I've grown up, I have to leave for work at 6:30 am every morning. But still I feel the years setting in. Last night, another reminder slapped me right on the side of my aging face. Rick and some other guys drove two hours to see a midnight viewing of Episode III. I opted to stay home since I had to work today and I knew I would be getting up about the same time he would be getting home. What scares me is not that I stayed home, but what I did while I was there. And that I actually looked forward to doing it. I went to the movie store - rented a movie, and made a special trip across town to pick up a copy of our local paper. I went back home, read the paper from cover to cover and then watched my movie - Fried Green Tomatoes. If that isn't scary enough, after it was over I seriously considered going through some boxes to find my copy of Driving Miss Daisy, so I could watch it too. Oh, what is happening to me? |
posted by Christie
Monday, May 16, 2005
virtual reality
| If you haven't already, you must make a visit to the Church of Fools, a non-denominational cyber church, yes, cyber church - sponsored by the Methodist Church of Britain. After signing on to the site, creating a virtual identity and selecting an animated figure, called an avatar, to represent you, you can kneel and pray, sit in the pews or simply mill around. You can also give an offering, shout hallelujah, ring the church bells, sing a hymn and even risk getting smote for misbehavior! Although the church formerly offered 20 minute morning and evening services and longer ones on Sunday evening, it is now only open for private reflection. As far as I know, this church has no committees or bake sales in the works and offers no bad church sign on its marquee. |
posted by Christie
land of make believe
| I am convinced that most church people would have hated Jesus. Yes it's true, we might be fanatics of morality and religion - but that could be said of the Pharisees, and lest we forget, they were labeled a "brood of vipers" - ouch! More than anything, I think many are adherents to legalism - to a list of rules that are easy to follow, because they require no relationship - only mindless obedience. When I read the Gospels, I am confronted with a Jesus that I didn't learn about in sunday school. Believe it or not, Jesus and Mr. Rogers didn't really have a lot in common (well, you know, except for the cardigan and Keds). Jesus was not proper, He didn't wear a suit, His best friends were poor and dirty and He hung out with drunks and whores. Needless to say, the possession of any one of those characteristics would be grounds for dismissal in many churches today. Yet, all the while we value pride, wealth, success and self-righteousness...all things that Jesus failed at pretty dern miserably. It seems that we have this thing upside down. "I believe it to be a great mistake to present Christianity as something charming and popular with no offense in it.... We cannot blink at the fact that gentle Jesus meek and mild was so stiff in his opinions and so inflammatory in his language that he was thrown out of church, stoned, hunted from place to place, and finally gibbeted as a firebrand and a public danger. Whatever his peace was, it was not the peace of an amiable indifference." Dorothy Sayers |
posted by Christie
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Why Don't We?
 I found this article on RelevantMagazine.com today. It asks some good questions and reminded me that many times I am simply too busy to take time and just enjoy God - or even my wife and home for that matter. I'm trying to learn that regardless of how much I finish today - there will still be something to do tomorrow. Which means sometimes, I just need to stop - and relax. |
posted by Christie
Friday, May 13, 2005
"every line...logically followed the last one"
 or so says, Dr. Desmond Morris, the anthropologist, who began testing the artistic abilities of chimps in the 1950's. Though I'm not sure logic is what comes to mind when looking at this painting. After two years of testing, he noticed Congo's abilities began to improve and he/she/it??? produced this painting - a tempra on paper - at the age of three. It will be auctioned off soon beside the works of Renoir and Andy Warhol and is expected to fetch a pricey $1500. Don't worry, you have until June 20 to gather your money. For more information, contact the Bonhams Auction House or simply refer to this article on their website. |
posted by Christie
Thursday, May 12, 2005
say hello
| ...to a brother, friend and Wesleyean Padawan, Brett. Although he has just begun making his thoughts available to the public via his new blog site - he's been having deep thoughts since the womb, at least. Delve deep into the brain of this theologian and come out all the more wise for having done so. But be careful, he's Just Thinking. |
posted by Christie
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
a peek behind the doors
| Unless you've been hiding under a rock or something, you know that The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, will be in theaters before long. It is one of the most anticipated movies of the year and is destined to be a hit. If you just can't wait to see the flick on the big screen, here is a taste of what to expect. |
posted by Christie
Friday, May 06, 2005
ladies and gentlemen,
| Welcome former BCFers and new bloggers, Al and Lisa Paulson. Al is a wrestling fan who is often known by his alter ego The Vindicator. He promises to entertain us with many off the wall conspiracy theories. Lisa is his lovely wife who has a great sense of humor and whose last name used to be Zipperer...say it over and over, it's fun. I'm sure they will have plenty of interesting antics to report, so give em' a holla. You can find Al at Off the Top Rope and Lisa, Where Common Sense Ends. |
posted by Christie
life, faith, culture
| In only about a month, we are going to launch a Saturday evening service at our church. As you would expect it's going to be informal, we're going to have a band and even a coffee house. In our area, as in many, the church has missed out on reaching 20 somethings, and thankfully ours wants to do something about it. Even though our town is rather small, there still remains many young adults who are either completely unchurched, or haven't been involved in church since high school. From the beginning, it was decided that we would try and obtain the best equipment feasible, as far as sound, lighting, music, decorations and furniture so as to create a quality service and an enjoyable atmosphere. However, all of the ambiance in the world doesn't mean that the Spirit of God will move. If the material objects draw people in, then they've served their purpose. But our goal is life change, and it takes a lot more than a great worship set to accomplish that. We chose to name the service emerge - emphasizing a departure from sin and into Christ, but also the necessity of taking Christ into our culture after He has transformed us. What will come of this attempt, still remains to be seen. Next week we begin a barrage of advertising - our website will launch, we will run ads in the local paper, have signs scattered across the county, get a few radio spots. We know it's imperative that we get the word out, but in the end, what will matter is if we get the Word out. That's the stuff that will change lives, the frappuccino, it's just filler. "For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 |
posted by Christie
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
lost and found
| A telemarketer called yesterday in hopes that I would renew my subscription to Better Homes and Gardens, for only .77 a month. And although that's a great deal, I read very few issues last year, and I don't even have a garden, so I figured there was no sense in spending the extra $10 dollars just to get a couple great recipes that I'll probably never make anyway. Especially when I could spend that $10 to order the two backcopies I have missed of Relevant Magazine. Somehow, without realizing it, my subscription obviously ended. There are very few magazines that I will read from cover to cover, but Relevant is definitely one of them. So even though no telemarketer called, it's more than .77 an issue, and I still don't have a garden, I will renew, without a doubt. So, in a week or so I will be receiving, not one, but two issues of Relevant in the mail. Rick and I usually end up in a physical altercation with each other over who gets to read it first, but this time, there will be two, so we can share. Life is good... |
posted by Christie
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
notes from sea
| Check out the website of Scott Harrison, a volunteer photo journalist in West Africa with Mercy Ships, a global charity that has operated a growing fleet of hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. You can check out his blog and see the amazing results that surgery has brought in the lives of many Africans desperate for medical help. |
posted by Christie