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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
7 Random Things
Sunday, October 21, 2007
What We've Always Known
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
It came as quite a shock…these things always do. Sure, Timothy had always known the day would come. He even vaguely recalled having heard that the old man had been ill, but he had been so busy, the news just sort of slipped by without registering.
It had been so long since he had seen him…How long had it been? And now this. The old man's wife had called and said that there was something she needed to give him – something personal. Well, curiosity finally got the better of him and he decided to make the trip to meet with her.
It was a beautiful fall day. Just like a postcard, only windier. The hotel was just on the edge of town, and the day was so gorgeous, it seemed just as easy to walk over to her house. As he walked along, Timothy remembered the days when he had run down these streets. Days that seemed without end. Summers of baseball and wandering in the woods. Fishing in the creek down alongside the tracks. Riding his bike up the hill as far as the cemetery, then freewheeling all the way back down into town and almost out the other side.
Goodness knows that was a long time ago. But this was a place he'd always known. Somehow, coming back in the fall seemed right. Those days of childhood were long gone, fall had begun to settle in on him, too.
As he walked, his thoughts turned to the old man. Well, he seemed old back then, maybe he really wasn't THAT old. He remembered how their odd friendship began. Timmy had been up the hill – he was Timmy back then - and was freewheeling down on his bike, just like he always did, when suddenly, some stray dog ran right out in front of him right there in front of the old guy's house. As he swerved to miss the dog, he crashed through the front fence and flew off the bike landing right in the middle of the flower bed. The old man came running out of his house asking if he was hurt…only his ego was bruised, but the man told him what a spectacular stunt he had just witnessed. There was just something about the guy that made Timmy feel special, Like he's known him all his life, and it wasn't long before they became friends. The old guy said to call him Paul.
About that time, Timothy arrived at the house. The fence had long since been repaired, but the house was just as he remembered it, fence flowerbeds and all. Just like he'd always known. As he walked to the door, Paul's wife noticed him coming and stepped up to the screen door and opened it wide. She invited him in, and deciding he had probably long since outgrown milk, offered him cookies and coffee. He accepted, thanked her, and sat down.
After the conventional small talk and formalities, Paul's widow stood up and said, "Excuse me a moment…I have something for you."
She returned shortly, carrying a box. From the box, she removed a sealed envelope with "Timmy" written on the front. She handed him the letter, and as he turned it over in his hands, she explained that Paul had asked her to give it to Timmy if she ever saw him again. Well that simply wasn't good enough for her, and that is why she had tracked him down to ask him to come.
She poured more coffee, then excused herself from the room once again and left him alone to read Paul's final epistle to his young friend Timothy.
The letter was long. Paul was always pretty long-winded. It said nice things about Timothy's mom and grandmother, and talked about how much he had missed Timmy in the later years.
But then it took a turn. Paul spoke of those people who had lost track of what scripture taught. He told Timothy to hold fast to what he had learned and believed, knowing from whom he had learned it and how from childhood Timothy had known the scriptures that had instructed him about salvation through faith in Christ.
My, how those memories came rushing back. Timmy had never even been to church, but after his crash landing in Paul's yard, and Paul saying how it had been a miracle and all that he hadn't even been hurt, Timmy started going to church with Paul and his wife. He loved going there with them, and it made him feel good when all the grown-ups there would ask him about baseball and fishing and other stuff that he liked doing.
He would go to Sunday School with the other kids his age, and over the years he learned a lot about God and Jesus, and stories that sometimes didn't make a lot of sense but were fun to listen to anyway. True, he really didn't enjoy the memory verses, but even now, he found it funny how sometimes they would just pop into his head without warning. Could that be what Paul was talking about; knowing the scriptures that had instructed him about faith?
Paul used to talk to Timmy a lot about faith. It was all part of the way that Paul had mentored him through those years until he left town. Paul would tell him how the scriptures were inspired by God. He explained that the word "Inspired" had the same root as the word respiration, and that meant that the words of scripture had been breathed by God. Just like God breathed life into people when they were created, God had breathed life into the scriptures. He went on to say that the Greek work for Spirit, like in "holy Spirit" was from the same word, too! That had been a lot for a ten-year-old boy to take in, but now it was starting to make sense.
Timothy continued to read, "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work."
Again, Timothy's mind wandered. He sure had run into a few of those folks who thought it was their duty to reproach and correct. If only they would concentrate more on the training and teaching part. Even though it had been a long time since Timothy had read any scripture, he did remember that there was a lot in there about God's love, especially in the stories of Jesus that Paul had talked to him about. He told him that the love of God could be found in the love of the people around him who cared for him. Sure, sometimes it was important for those who love us to correct us, or at least our behavior, but the overriding message of scripture is that God is always with us and will never leave us stranded. What was that verse? "God's steadfast love endures forever." Hadn't he always known that?!?
Paul's letter went on to urge Timothy to proclaim the message, to be persistent in good or bad times, to convince people with reason, to correct them when necessary, and to encourage and build people up with patience. He wanted him to understand above all that there was a need for people to hear the message that he had tried to teach him, that there was a time coming when people would become impatient with the gospel, that they would have what he called "itching ears" and would jump from teacher to teacher to hear what suited them instead of the truth.
Timothy thought about this some more. What was it that he had read? Amazon has in its listings more than 140,000 books on various self-help topics. And over 38,000 of those are in the areas of religion and spirituality. The self-improvement market including infomercials, mail-order catalogs, holistic institutes, books, audio cassettes, motivational speaker seminars, personal coaching, weight-loss and stress-management programs was worth over $8.5 billion in 2003, and is expected to top out over $11 Billion in 2008. Seems like a lot of itching ears there. What is it that all these people are looking for? Don't they know they can find the answers from the sources they've always known? Why do they have to spend so much money looking for new and exciting answers? Aren't the old answers enough? Can't people see that all these programs and over hyped techniques are just ways to enrich the people who come up with them and they really do nothing for the purchasers and readers?
As he neared the end of the letter, Timothy read, "As for you, keep your head together, put up with whatever you have to, even if it means suffering, tell the story of the good news in doing the work of an evangelist, and carry out your ministry fully."
This last part confused him a little. Where did Paul ever get the idea that Timothy was an evangelist? What is this about carrying out ministry? Timothy was appalled by the thought! Him? An Evangelist? No way! What in the world could Paul be talking about? Sure, he had tried to live the way he'd been taught, he'd always had a good sense of right and wrong, but how could he tell people about it. After all, he was just a regular guy. Evangelist, indeed!
Feeling somewhat threatened by the implication he quickly folded the letter and stuffed it into his pocket.
Just then, Paul's wife returned to the room. She asked, "What did he have to say?"
Timothy collected himself and calmly responded, "He rambled quite a bit. Talked about scripture and my 'ministry'. He obviously knew nothing about how I turned out. I'm afraid he was sadly mistaken about me."
She replied, "No, you're mistaken. Paul was lucid until the end and throughout his life he had a gift for reading people and knowing just how to see their potential. He saw it in you that first time you crashed your bike in the yard. Every one of us has a story to tell, and if you don't tell it, it will haunt you until you do. You have always known what it is to be loved and mentored by someone who cares. Just as he taught you the story of the gospel, you have those words and God's love written on your heart and you know it to be true. Whatever he said to you, it's because he knew it to be true. It's now up to you. You can share the message you've always known or forget it. It's up to you.
Timothy, thanked her for her hospitality and for Paul's letter, and then silently walked toward the door. As he stepped off the porch and looked at the flower bed where he had landed all those years ago, he heard her say through the screen, "That's the way it is with the things we've always known. They're easier to remember than they are to forget. And they are remembered in the telling. Paul's gone. If he meant anything to you at all, you'll tell the story, not just yours, not just Paul's, God's story. You've always known it. Don't be afraid to share it.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Thank you???
"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'? 8 Would you not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" Luke 17:7-10
It's a thankless job, being a mother…Get up early, get the kids ready and off to school, a quick shower and then out the door to face the day. Nine hours at the office, all day long being told to do this and told to do that. Make some coffee, make some copies, get the mail, deliver the proposal, answer the phone, order supplies. Lunch was from the vending machine. Was it a nice day today? No way to know. It's already dark, fighting the traffic back home. Walk in the door and before she even sets her purse down, the kids begin to ask, "What's for supper?" Forty five minutes later the dinner is prepared and consumed, and it's time to go to scouts and to piano lessons, and "Oh, yeah, mom, I forgot to tell you, I need some poster board for a school project tomorrow and two dozen brownies – in baggies for the bake sale." Is the homework all done? "Come on, children; brush your teeth; get ready for bed; you say you want a story?"
Oh, for a minute to herself. Just a chance to put her feet up, maybe take a bubble bath, read a magazine – nothing heavy, nothing too deep. Too tired to think or even move, she collapses in a chair and thinks, "Sure would be nice if somebody would've at least said thanks."
It's a thankless job on the line. Nineteen years on the job. Smoke and dust in the air, a little space, a lot of noise, too hot, always the same – boredom and monotony day in, day out, day in, day out.
"What's that? The boss wants to talk to me? Right away, boss. What's up?"
"Laid off? How can that be? I'm never sick, never late. Always accept overtime when asked. I've been here nearly twenty years. One more month and I'll have enough points in to retire. But you say I've been laid off. How can that be?"
It's a thankless job, going to school. When she got home from school, she called her mom to tell her about her grades. Four A's, two B's, and a C. It really is a report card to be proud of! Afterward, she calls her best friend. "Can you believe it?!? All mom cared about was the C! And one of those A's used to be a B! I guess that'll teach me to get good grades!"
Thankless jobs. We all know them. Maybe some of us have had them. We work hard and we expect something in return. We see those who don't work hard, and they seem to get the same as the rest of us.
But I guess that is how it's always been. Even in Jesus' day, there were thankless jobs. In our text, Jesus begins by asking the disciples a series of questions. The first he asks is about common household practices: "Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'?"
A simple enough question. We know the answer to this one- "Well, nobody, of course," we answer with the disciples.
Jesus asks, "Would you not rather say to him, "Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink." It's not in the scripture, but I'm sure the disciples are nodding their heads up and down, murmuring, "Of course, that is exactly what we would do." That was really just restating and reasserting the first question, right?
"Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?"
We're on a roll, now! "Of course not!"
I once had a boss, one of the smartest men I've ever known, and he had a habit of asking questions of his employees. Often, he already knew the answer, and it was like going through oral exams every time he stopped to talk to you or called you into his office. It really made one doubt his or her own expertise. George would ask a question, and the brain would go into panic – "Does he want to know what I think or is he testing me to see if I really know this small aspect of my job?"
Asking questions has long been an established instructional method. It's the method popularized by Socrates. Luke, the writer of this text was no doubt aware of the method. Jesus probably was, too. Or maybe Jesus was playing a game with the disciples – getting them in the habit of agreeing so that he could turn them around. It certainly wouldn't be the first time!
Quite a fisherman, that Jesus! Just throw out a little bait – you know, get them to agree with you, …jiggle the hook a little, - oh, yeah, they're starting to come along.…feel the nibble – almost there… and set the hook – "Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?"… and reel 'em on in.
But we're on to Jesus' game! We have the luxury of time and distance and the whole story to help us respond. The disciples cry out, "Of course not!" and we see it coming. We now know slavery to be a bad thing, and we want them to know it , too. We know how tricky Jesus can be at times, and we don't want the disciples getting caught. They're really just like us. We want to call back to them across time and space that of course you do thank people who serve you. Since we first learned to talk, we've been taught to say thank you. I imagine even now if I were to observe someone handing something to another person and I would ask, "What do you say?" the automatic response of the receiver would be, "Thank you." Those scripts of our mothers' teachings are just way too ingrained in us.
Not only that, when we go to a performance in an eating or drinking establishment, the announcer always reminds us, "Be sure to tip your waiters and waitresses." In other words, "Remember to say thank you."
And haven't we all had those thankless jobs; those jobs where we did all the work and someone else got all the credit? We know how important it is to hear, "Thank you."
But then, Jesus hits us with "Well then you don't get it either!"
Now, wait just a minute, Jesus, are you talking to us or to the disciples?
Jesus didn't actually say, "Well then you don't get it either!", at least not in the NRSV. That's my paraphrase of what Jesus said. What this translation says is that Jesus said to them: "So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" The disciples had been looking for glory for themselves, and Jesus made it clear they weren't going to get it.
And then, we remember the older brother a few chapters back who used similar words in speaking to his father, "Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends." But we never really liked him. Sure, at times, we sort of identify with him, but he didn't get it, and we do so want to be among those who understand. So we go the other way. We think, "Oh, poor baby." While he was standing on the porch feeling sorry for himself, looking for the thanks he thought he deserved, the rest of the family was already inside the house partying it up. He seemed to forget that everything his father had was also his.
Jesus has done a really good job of dragging the disciples along to make his point, but let's look at it another way. What if Jesus really had intended that last question, "Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?" to be answered, "Yes"?
It's the 'what-if's that really mess with our minds when we look at the things that Jesus taught. There are so many ways we can dissect this and rearrange it.
We're told to be kind to others. Isn't it appropriate to thank people who help us out? Isn't that part of being kind? Isn't that what Jesus would do?
Maybe Jesus is the master in this text. When we do the work that is commanded to us on behalf Jesus, the Christ, do we do so expecting to be thanked? Maybe not, but as servants of the kingdom do we expect, or at least hope to be rewarded in the kingdom?
Do we find ourselves asking of Jesus, the master, "Do you thank the slave for doing what is commanded?", hoping that maybe, just this once, he will?
But what if Jesus is the servant? We know from Philippians 2:5-8 that Jesus Christ, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. Christ made the ultimate sacrifice of his very life to obey the command of his master, God, but at the same time to serve and save all of humanity. That was certainly a thankless job!
So do we thank the servant or don't we? It's hard to know. Jesus closes his discourse by saying, "So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" The word translated "worthless" means those to whom nothing is owed. Perhaps a better reading would be, "You don't owe us anything, we have only done what we ought to have done."
The disciples are directed by Jesus to say that they are not owed anything because they have done only what they were commanded to do. As disciples, are we to infer from this that we should just do that which is commanded without expectation of recognition or reward? Maybe. But does the example of Jesus as servant also suggest that perhaps we should do even more?
As we wind up our stewardship campaign, we look to Christ's example, ask those same questions, and ponder the implications. What if Jesus really wanted the disciples, and through them, us, to respond differently to all of his questions?
"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here at once and take your place at the table'?" If Jesus is our Lord and we are the servants, does not the master regularly invite us to come to the table and eat alongside him whenever and wherever open communion is served. We are called to be present.
"Would you not rather say to him, "Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink."
And we are called to respond, "No, Lord. What you have done for us is already too much. Let us honor you with our gifts and our service."
"Do you thank the servant for doing what was commanded?" Do we honor God for all that has been given to us? Do we adequately acknowledge the gift of Jesus' life being given in suffering and death for the sake of our salvation? After all, he was just doing what was commanded. Are we truly thankful?
Truth forces our response, "Not nearly enough, Lord, not nearly enough."
When Jesus asks the questions, we, as Christians are called to respond. Do we do what we've always done because it was what was commanded? Or do we do more so that we do not have to respond, "We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'?"
Is it about us? Or is it about God?
Friday, September 28, 2007
At loose ends - Calgon take me away!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Friday Five: Seasons Change...
1. Share a highlight from this summer.
I had a really great summer!
I had a class with Revhipchick and got to know her a lot better.
I had time to read some things that weren't required.
I helped my professor move her office.
I lived vicariously through my daughter who spent three weeks in Costa Rica.
But probably best of all, I had a great time spending a lot more time with my kids than I have in past years. My son went to a camp in mid-Missouri, so we had some good car time together, and my daughter took driver's ed, so we've also had quite a bit of good car time. It's kind of cool that my kids actually enjoy hanging out with me. The week before school started, the kids and I went to Omaha (3 hours away) to go to the zoo there. We had heard it was a good zoo and we weren't disappointed. It was in the high 90's in KC that week, and Omaha was in the low 80's so our timing was perfect. And daughter dear drove the whole trip!
2. Are you glad to see this summer end? Why or why not?
Yes and no. I'm glad to be getting back to school where all my friends hang out, but I'm also a little nervous about having more work to do than I have in the past even though I'm carrying less hours. Weird...I'm not sure where that is coming from. I also realize that it is the beginning of the end of my seminary education. I'll be graduating in May. Then comes the big transition of letting go once and for all of the engineering job that has supported our family for so long and relying on God through the auspices of my denomination. God help us all! Maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself. Live in the moment, Kim.
3. Name one or two things you're looking forward to this fall.
1. A road trip with three of my best buds to Tulsa for the Stacey Preachers' Workshop featuring BBT and Fred Craddock in mid September.
2. Officiating at my niece's wedding in mid October and then going to my best friend from grade school's annual bonfire and hayride later that evening.
4. Do you have any special preparations or activities to mark the transition from one season to another? (Cleaning of house, putting away summer clothes, one last trip to the beach)
I'm cleaning house today, but that is mostly because my MIL is coming in tonight to spend the weekend with us. We are also planning to paint the barn Saturday and Monday, and to attend Irish Fest after church on Sunday. Our biggest end of summer ritual is our daughter's birthday which falls on August 29. Other than that, going back to school for all of us is the main thing.
It's funny, the first year I was out of college, August/September hit, and I felt this strange need to go spend exorbitant amounts of money on books and office/school supplies. Maybe that is the real end-of-summer ritual for me!
5. I'll know that fall is really here when __________________________________.
The trees begin to catch fire with all the colors of the rainbow and I can smell that indescribable spicy aroma that I assume is decomposing leaves but has always just meant autumn to me. And I can start comfortable wearing knitted sweaters again.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Spouses of Pastors
Sunday, one of my churches had a potluck in my honor, and one of the trustees rose and made a speech in which he was very good about acknowledging not only me, but my family as well. He recognized that even though I was called to ministry, chances were good that my family had not been, and therefore, he was certain that there were a lot of adjustments that had to be made because the family had just gotten a lot bigger with many more demands on Mom's time. He thanked them for sharing me with the church and for supporting me in my work.
Then, this morning I read a couple of blogs written by pastor's husbands: http://marriedtothechurch.blogspot.com/
and http://www.mitchross.com/blog/.
My husband is a manufacturing engineer. Ministry is my second career, having been a civil engineer for 20+ years. Throughout my career, I have held positions of some authority. We often attended functions related to my job where people would speak to him first (because he was male) and then become very confused when his employer didn't match up with anyone they knew. Most significant was when I worked for a major public works consulting firm, and we were attending a retirement party for one of the higher-ups of the municipal wastewater utility. During the mingling and mixing, someone began speaking with my husband, and eventually asked, "Where do you work?" He said, "I'm with [insert name of major aircraft manufacturing conglomerate well-known in the area]." The person who asked got a puzzled look on his face and said, "Oh…why are you here?" My wonderful husband then replied, "I'm with her. She works for [insert name of well-known local consulting firm]." And I said, "Hi, I'm Kim." Following some initial awkwardness and continued conversation the person apologetically excused himself and walked away (presumably to remove the egg from his face). We still chuckle over it.
My husband has often played the role of "spouse." He always seemed to enjoy himself. He's somewhat introverted, but always enjoyed the free food and drinks. He'll speak if spoken to, and of course he can always talk about guy things. Most of the professional activities in engineering are "guy things" so he holds his own in conversation. I've done less of the corporate spouse thing because his coworkers don't seem to socialize all that much. Frankly, it's a role that feels a little weird to me. Sure, I can talk about my children ad nauseum with the other wives, but I do other things, too, like attend seminary, work part-time as a consulting engineer, pastor two churches, and occasionally teach knitting. I've never done submissive, shy, diminutive, and retreating very well. I'm pretty WYSIWYG and sometimes a little in-your-face, but in a nice way, and I've always worked around men, and am often more comfortable around men than around women. It's really been only in the last five years or so, since I started seminary and have become more involved in knitting, that I've really had many women friends.
And what does the church call the husband of the pastor (other than his name)? At my former church, they called the pastor wives "first ladies." I found that rather offensive. It seems to give the pastor an authority, that, I'm sorry, I find rather inappropriate in this denomination. I also felted it was very dismissive (is that where "dis" comes from?) and disrespectful (or is that?) of my husband because he was still a member there after I began pastoring elsewhere. Not all of the women who were called "first ladies" were married to pastors at that church. One was a widow of pastor from another denomination, one is the wife of a pastor in another denomination who does interim gigs, so the family remains there for stability. So what should the pastor's husband be called? One of the bloggers mentioned above suggested "first husband," but that won't work for mine because he is really my second husband.
One of my friends has an even more unique situation (though probably less so than we realize). Her spouse is female. It's not likely that she'll be ordained in our denomination anytime soon for just that reason, and I guess "first lady" would work, but even so, her challenges will probably be even greater when that time comes. Frankly, I wouldn't want to be called "first lady" if my spouse were the pastor.
So let's put on our highly creative thinking caps and come up with a name for the spouses of pastors that works in a generic, gender-neutral way.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
In Memoriam
It was my daughter. The kids were home from school today for a advocacy meetings, and I could tell right off that something wasn't quite right. Eileen was crying and I had a very hard time understanding her. The only word I could understand was "Star." I suspected what proved to be true.
Star's health has been failing for some time now. when she was 8 we had a large mass removed that the vet told us was a very severe cancer. Since then there have been other lumps that we haven't bothered having biopsied. We knew what they were.
When Star was ten, we could see her beginning to fail. Her arthritis was getting worse, but she still seemed to enjoy life. We knew she might not be around much longer so we got another dog to prefill the anticipated loss. We were also hopeful that she might help in the training of the youngster, which she did. Funny thing was, this new puppy took about three years off of Star's age, and she found a new lease on life and what appeared to be new joy.
Over the last few months, we have come out to the back porch in the morning to find "accidents." I had begun to suspect the end was coming.
This morning, it was much worse. I think I knew then that it wouldn't be long. When I told my husband what had happened , he said it really didn't surprise him after this morning.
I have been thinking for some time that we might soon have to make a decision. But Star was still happy. She still ate well, and just yesterday, as we took the three-year-old through his routine of tricks, Star had to show our son that she still had a few tricks left, too. She rolled over several times for him, just to show off.
Star has been my daughter's dog since she was two and a half. We never worried when Eileen would climb trees because Star mothered her so well that if Eileen would have fallen, she would have landed on her whimpering, worried dog. As she got older, many times we observed Star removing burrs from my or my daughters sweatpant legs with her teeth - grooming us as we often did her. Eileen will be sixteen next week, and it's so sad for her to have lost such a good friend, especially so close to her birthday.
Our former neighbor died two weeks ago. He and his wife always spoiled Star rotten while we were at work. I like to think that Guy will take care of our Star puppy now that she is in heaven.
I finally was able to cry a little this evening when the children weren't looking. They had enough grief of their own without seeing mine.
We took her body to the vet to have her cremated. We should get the ashes back in a couple of weeks, and then we will have a memorial service. It was a good thing that the kids and I were home today. It was a very hot day, and the required tasks could have been much more unpleasant than they already were if she had laid there in the yard all day.
The younger dog still hasn't seemed to figure it out. It will sink in soon.
Please pray for my family as we grieve and heal from our loss.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
The ballad of the vineyard – based on Isaiah 5:1-7
To the tune of Barbara Allen (or anything 18.104.22.168.)
Come listen, love, unto my song
A song about a vineyard.
A vineyard on a fertile hill
A finely cared for vineyard.
My love he dug and cleared the stones.
He planted only good vines.
A tower to watch over it,
A vat and press to make wine.
He thought it would yield choicest grapes
But all he got were rotten.
So judge ye well, all people here,
Why is this all he's gotten?
"So I will tear down all the hedge.
The vines shall be devoured!
I'll break the wall and tramp it down,
For giving grapes so sour.
I'll make it waste, not prune nor hoe.
With thorns it will be covered!
Through briers thick, no rain will fall,
On this vineyard." said my lover.
The vineyard is this very place.
The people are God's planting.
God hoped for righteousness and peace,
Found bloodshed, hate, and ranting.
This is my song, I've sung it well.
And now it comes to you friends.
Seek justice, peace, and righteousness
In all the plantings you tend.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Praying for you
I knew it was an ozone alert day, but I also knew that I had a lot more driving to do before dark, and I wouldn't make it.
I also recognize that gas prices are on average a nickel a gallon less in Missouri than in Kansas, so I determined to stop for gas before crossing the state line.
Friday, August 10, 2007
RevGal Friday Five Stress Busting edition
Monday, August 06, 2007
Fair Follow-up
I received 6 blue first place ribbons and two red second place ribbons. Two of the blues also qualified as Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion.
And they got it right! The Grand Champion was the best thing I entered - a circular lace shawl. The Reserve was also a deserving piece of knitting - a wall hanging of my own design depicting images from the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes. Some of my classmates have seen this one.
The wall hanging has another blog-worthy story attached to it, but I'll have to write it up when I have a little more time.
So I can now say that I am an award-winning fiber artist since someone commented on the shawl when I wore it a few weeks back and referred to me as a fiber artist. Also, the wall hanging was truly a piece of art.
Oh, and the big check? $7.25!!!! I'll try not to spend it all in one place!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Misty morning
Fair Knitting
Back again
The tires on my car have been giving me a bit of trouble, so when I went on this trip, I took an air tank with me in case they got low.
After dropping off my son at his camp program, I spent some time driving around Rolla, checking out my college haunts and discovering the changes since I last attended school there 19 years ago.
I checked in on the campus ministry where my husband and I met. I was disturbed that the Missouri Conference has just determined that it is no longer going to fund campus ministry. Apparently, the payback just isn't there. Personally, I think they are measuring the wrong things. I know many people who came to ministry through campus ministry, and I wouldn't be United Methodist if it hadn't been for my friendships in that particular campus ministry. Makes me glad to be in Kansas where we just voted for a capital campaign to pour $9 million into campus ministry.
The Wesley house that I knew is now a parking lot. I went to the house that I was aware they had moved to. There was a sign on the door: MOVED TO THE METHODIST CHURCH (and the address - I knew where it was.) I went there to try to get answers. The lovely woman in the office introduced herself - she looked vaguely familiar, but I've been away a long time - and explained the situation to me. She said Wesley still had their own space, but it is in the parish hall/rec. center that has been built across the street from the church. As we talked, I realized that she may be the wife of one of the professors I knew from the Wesley Board when I was a student. So I asked, "Are you Jack's wife?" She said yes. I explained that I went to Panama on the mission trip with her husband in 1983. That is why she looked familiar to me. Then our conversation was more like that of old friends. I finished my visit, and returned to my wanderings.
I ate lunch in the greasy pizza joint where we used to hang out. IT HAD NOT CHANGED.
I then proceeded with the next leg of my journey...on to St. Louis. The plan was to maybe try to catch a matinee of License to Wed before meeting with my niece and her fiance that evening to work on wedding stuff. About halfway to St. Louis, there was an incredible downpour. At the same time, traffic lanes were reduced for construction. About the time it became to let up and open up, a car came flying up next to me to point out that my tire was flat.
I pulled over to the side, got out my air tank and began to refill the tire. It was still dripping rain a little, so I just needed enough to get to the next exit which I knew had a service station. One car started to pull off to help me, but when I saw him/her signal, I waved him/her on to let them know I had things under control.
When I pulled off at the next exit, the station even had FREE air! I refilled the air tank and knelt to finish filling my tire. Then I saw the screw in the tread. Okay, I was going to need to get that fixed. I knew the next exit had some real car repair places, maybe even a real service station, so I went off in search of a tire repair.
The first place I stopped looked reputable...solid business, been there a long time. The mechanic told me he could fix it, but it would be a couple of hours before he could get to it. I asked if there were any other places he could recommend, and he told me there was a tire place up behind Pizza Hut. I went there. The screw was too close to the sidewall to make a good repair, and my back tires were down to the wear bars anyway. I still had 35% remaining on the front tires. The store did not have a tire that would match my existing tires. Because my car is all-time AWD, I needed matched tires. I bought four tires, but only paid for three because the front ones could be reused. I was due. Actually it was good that it happened at a time when I actually had time to deal with it. I sat in the waiting room and read. That was part of my plan for my days away anyway.
On to St. Louis....
I got to my niece's neighborhood a little early, so I drove around the park where she planned to have her ceremony. Catholic Supply was just around the corner, so I stopped in to look around. I'd seen their website when I was looking for clergy shirts, and had made a mental note at that time to look for them if I had time while in St. Louis. How convenient that it was so close. I bought a black clergy shirt and two collars.
I had a nice visit with Lindsey and Dave and then went on to visit my mom and dad for two nights. I shopped with my mom and aunt, read a lot, and didn't do a bit of knitting - strange for me. I did go see License to Wed, but not before meeting with Lindsey and Dave, so they were spared. It was a cute movie - had a few good lines, but I'm glad I only paid matinee prices. Rent the DVD.
When I picked up son at Rolla, he had lost his dorm keys. I was charged an additional $120 for the replacement of the keys. I was livid! They said they had to core and rekey three locks and that was to cover the cost of that. I know for a fact that the University has people on staff that can accomplish that in a matter of about half and hour for all three! I've had locks cored and rekeyed. They probably even have a stock bin full of locks that they just have to change out!
You know, the $400 for the tires didn't bother me. I needed new tires, and as my dad said, good tires are cheap insurance. But that $120 for keys was like nails on a chalkboard to me. This is the university where my 10-year-old son has already decided he wants to go to college. This is the university that calls me and my husband at least twice a year asking for money. This is the university that has changed so many things on campus that it doesn't even feel like our Alma mater anymore. This is the university that is changing its name in January, and it WON'T be where we went. Maybe that's the real source of my anger - no acknowledgement of the past as they barrel ahead into the future. I think the grief I felt in all of the losses I experienced as I saw the town and the campus and the Wesley foundation chose to exhibit itself in anger as I wrote the check for the keys.
Yes, it was an expensive trip.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Preaching the Gospel - Epilogue
Thank you for your support.
Dinner was provided by the church ladies, and it was good, and then I had to run off to a meeting with my new DS.
It all went well. I told him about the funeral. He said I handled it well.
I asked him about my performing my niece's wedding in October. I'm a licensed local pastor, and she is in another state - I wondered if I needed permission from a DS or Bishop there. He reasoned the same way that I had that since marriage is not a sacrament in the UMC, and I was authorized here, I am authorized anywhere. That was good to hear since I'm meeting with the couple tomorrow.
Finally, I spoke with him about my churches and my desire to stay with them after graduation 3/4-time to keep them from having to pay for insurance which I have through my husband. I'm currently half-time. He seemed to think we could make it work.
We visited about some other things, he offered a prayer, and I left. I think he is going to be good DS. He seems supportive and open, and acts like he wants to be available and helpful to his pastors. Today was a good day.
After my visit with the DS, I went back to the office, checked in with the chair of Staff-parish to fill her in on the meeting, and went to visit one of my shut-ins that I hadn't seen in a while. There were flowers left from the funeral, and recognizing that they wouldn't last until Sunday, I took them to F. for her enjoyment.
As I signed the visitor book at the nursing home, I noticed the name above mine was that of the son of our former neighbor. He was there visiting his father (who I didn't know was in the nursing home.) After visiting F. and taking her the flowers, I decided to stop by and see G.
His wife and son were both there, and G and his wife recognized me when I came in. We visited for a bit, and G. told me to tell Steve and the kids "hi" for him. L. (the wife) walked me out of the room and told me that G. has an inoperable brain tumor that is very fast-growing. All this only came up in the last two-three weeks, and she is beside herself. G. is 80 years old, and until this happened two weeks ago, he was still mowing the lawn every other day. I gave her my card and told her to please call me. She was so glad I had come by. I was glad I did too. When we moved away from them 7 years ago, we knew that we would miss having them as neighbors. Since that time I wondered if we would know if something happened to one of them. I have long feared that we might not know if one of them died unless we just happened to read the obituaries on that day. It sounds strange, but I'm glad to know what's going on with them. Not glad for the news, mind you, but it's truly a GOD thing that I just happened to see the name in the visitor book and reconnect.
I'm off tomorrow to take son to aerospace camp at the University where Steve and I both got our engineering degrees. From there, I head on to St. Louis to meet with my niece and her fiance, and to spend some time with my parents. I pick up son on Thursday about noon. I'm looking forward to a couple of days off. I may see a movie, do some reading and some knitting.
Some time I have to get Sunday's services planned, but I'm not going to panic about them. I had planned to do that today, but then the funeral kinda sucked up the day.
I think it's gonna be a good week.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Establishing My Turf - Preaching the Gospel
Now a situation has arisen in my parish that has forced me into a territorial position.
One of my parishioners died this morning. It was not unexpected. He has been in a nursing home for 2-1/2 years, and for at least the last six months, he has been so heavily sedated when I went in to visit him that I really expected him to go at any time. I really felt that during my last visit on July 2 and even said as much to my husband and some others in the parish. He was 96 (97?) years old.
I got a call from his daughter R. about 9:30 this morning informing me of the death, and to check my schedule. Mind you, only the deceased and his wife who preceded him in death were members of my church. I have only met one of his sons (W.) in person once at the nursing home, and have spoken to daughter R. by telephone on one occasion prior to today. When she called this morning, she mentioned that there had been a problem with her nephew G., (son of daughter D. and grandson of the deceased) at her mother's funeral, and she hoped that it wouldn't happen again. She felt that her sister D would not go there again, as it was somewhat embarrassing to the whole family. She did not elaborate on the nature of the problem, but I did seem to recall the pastor before me mentioning something. I let it go, and agreed to talk with her later about funeral details after she had a chance to visit with the funeral home about arrangements.
This afternoon, as I was returning from lunch, my cell phone rang. It was brother R. He wanted to make sure that I understood the situation, and wanted to brainstorm ways to prevent its recurrence. It seems that nephew G. is a newly called fundamentalist Baptist minister. At his grandmother's funeral two years ago he got up to speak (I don't know if it he was scheduled by the pastor as a speaker or if he responded to a request that if anyone wished to say something they could) and proceeded to preach a hellfire and damnation sermon proclaiming all in attendance to be hell-bound sinners including the deceased. He then proceeded to have an altar call. Needless to say, the presiding pastor and several members of the family were livid, and found it totally inappropriate. Brother R. told me that he was probably the only one who would speak up about it, but he wanted to make sure that it wouldn't happen again.
On the spot, I made an executive decision. I hope it's the right one. I told him that I was all for keeping things as simple as possible, and I would be the only one to speak at the funeral. If others, like family members wished to share something, I would be happy to read it on the family's behalf, but I would be the only one speaking. He liked that solution. I suggested that people email me their remembrances so that I would have a chance to look them over before the funeral. I also told him that I would close the loop with sister R, and that if they needed anything else, please call.
I picked up my phone to call sister R., and before I could dial, the phone rang. It was sister D. the mother of G. She told me that her son would like to speak at the funeral, and she recognized that as the presiding pastor, that needed to be cleared with me. He wished to bring a gospel message as he had done at her mother's funeral.
I explained to her that I understood that there had been some conflict and tension related to that at her mother's funeral, and I had been requested by other family members to assure that would not happen again. I explained to her that I would be bringing a gospel message, and also a celebration of her father's life. I also told her that I would be the only one speaking, but if others had something they wished to share, I would be happy to read their statements. I told her that her parents were members of this United Methodist Church, and that we must all be respectful of their church family and their beliefs. I reiterated that I would read statements of remembrance. She told me that she didn't think that her son would want me to read his message. I told her that was his decision. She said that she respected my decision and understood my position, and hung up.
I immediately called sister R. and filled her in on all the details of the discussion with brother R and sister D. She thanked me for handling it.
I also called the chair of staff-parish to make sure she knew I had exerted this authority. Call it a CYA call.
Meanwhile, I'm still shaking. I feel this is the right way to approach this, but it feels so darn territorial. I feel it is necessary to be honest and up front about the problem, but at the same time not to let it overwhelm the remembrance of the deceased. I'm struggling a little with taking such a strong stance, but at the same time, I somewhat resent the implication that I will not be bringing a gospel message. I will, but the gospel that I will bring is a message of God's prevailing grace available to all, of God's love for all of humanity, of the resurrection of Christ for the salvation of all. The deceased once said to me, "That's my church. I was baptized in that church. I did a lot of bad things in my life, but Jesus saved me. All that's gone away now, because Jesus saved me."
That's the Gospel I'm gonna preach.
Rev Gal Blog Pals Friday Five - Muggle version
1. Former U.S. First Lady "Lady Bird" Johnson died this week. In honor of her love of the land and the environment, share your favorite flower or wildflower.
Has to be the plain white daisy. We used to stop the car and pick big bouquets along the side of the road. They don't grow like that around where I live now. We have sunflowers here. I tried picking those once, and ended up with yellow pollen covering everything in my car and office, including my clothing.
For domesticated flowers, I love lilacs - on the bush or cut and in a vase. I love the smell.
2. A man flew almost 200 miles in a lawn chair, held aloft by helium balloons. Share something zany you'd like to try someday.
I tend to be fairly risk averse. Extreme for me is the fact that at 45 years old I ride a scooter. I've wrecked twice, but with gas at >$3/gallon I really appreciate the 80+ mpg. Anyway, I would love to do a camping road trip on my scooter. A scooter acquaintance of mine, twenty-something female, bought a scooter and rode solo from KC to Utah and back while she still had temporary tags. My husband once did a long motorcycle trip, camping on the way. I planned a bicycle trip when I was in high school, but never did it. I've never done anything so irrational and adventurous - unless you count attending seminary.
3. Do you have an iPhone? If not, would you want one?
I don't need an iPhone. I have a variety of SmartPhone that pretty much does everything that I think the iPhone is supposed to do. It's a PDA, a camera, and an MP3 player. I can surf the web and I can even make phone calls! My only real gripe is that the touch pad for dialing numbers is more difficult than real push buttons might be. It doesn't have GPS, but I don't see the need, either.
4. Speaking of which, Blendtec Blenders put an iPhone in one of their super-duper blenders as part of their "Will It Blend?" series. What would YOU like to see ground up, whizzed up or otherwise pulverized in a blender?
An aircraft black box. They are supposed to be indestructible. I read (or listened to the audiobook) a story once about a man who ate a plane. He was doing fine until he got to the black box and wasn't sure how to proceed. The book is called The Man Who Ate the 747 by Ben Sherwood.
5. According to News of the Weird, a jury in Weld County, Colo., declined to hold Kathleen Ensz accountable for leaving a flier containing her dog's droppings on the doorstep of U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, apparently agreeing with Ensz that she was merely exercising free speech. What do you think? Is doggy doo-doo protected by the First Amendment?
Seems it would depend on the leash and curbing laws of the area. Most places you can't leave dog feces in public places or on private property other than your own. And a flier, too. Definitely littering. It seems that one could find more culturally appropriate ways to exercise free speech, like by having the flier and dog doo delivered to the person. Much classier.


text:
I made this yummy breakfast bake for Dustin to take with him to what I call
"Man Camp."
He's actually just going deer hunting for the weekend but I like to call it like it is.
Here's the super easy and quick recipe:
1 package cresent rolls (I use reduced fat)
1 package sausage, could be spicy, mild, whatever you like
8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
Cook the sausage and drain.
Press the crescent rolls into the bottom of a greased cake pan sealing the seams.
Whisk together the eggs and milk.
Spread the sausage over the crescent rolls.
Pour egg mixture over the sausage.
Top with cheese.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
I like to check it at 25 but it's usually not done.
Make sure the middle is not still jiggly-then it's done!
We make this quite a bit-it's great for when company stays over.
And it heats up very well!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Several financial experts from colleges and the SBCTC met with ctcLink project team members in Bellevue late last week to review and make some needed adjustments to the Chart of Accounts in the new ctcLink environment. For those of you (like me) who don't have a good working knowledge of what the Chart of Accounts is or what it does, it basically outlines the components and structure of how each institution budgets for and records accounting transactions. It is how accountants at our colleges and SBCTC keep track of all the financial transactions (revenue, expenditures, etc.) to allow accurate reporting to management, regulatory agencies and the general public. As John Ginther, SBCTC's director of accounting and business services put it, "Without a cohesive chart of accounts, we would be unable to determine details about how we received funds and how they were spent."
Sounds pretty important. And, this is why a Chart of Accounts workgroup was formed. The group went through each account chart-field value as it was currently set up for ctcLink, checking it for correctness and its ability to provide the tracking and reporting our college system requires. Through that process, the group identified several chart-field values in the PeopleSoft environment that won't be used when colleges switch over to the new system. In addition, they also identified some changes made by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and by the state's Office of Financial Management (OFM) that needed to be incorporated in the new chart of accounts.
"This process provided us the opportunity to clean out codes we currently have in the legacy system that aren't or shouldn't be used anymore," said ctcLink Finance Functional Lead Emmett Folk. "The workgroup's analysis will also help us structure our 'account trees' in PeopleSoft to help us generate better required state reports and better financial statements."
Participants in the workgroup were Susan Dresser, Everett; Marian Paananen, Edmonds; Sharon Waymire, Cascadia; Janell Whitely, Olympic Sylvia Derrick-James, Pierce; Carie Edmiston Peninsula, Pam O'Connor and Lisa Hjaltalin, Spokane, Janice Stroh, Tacoma and John Ginther, SBCTC, along with ctcLink project staff and Ciber consultants.
"I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone for their time and expertise," Emmett said. "I appreciate those who braved the commute to Bellevue and also those who stuck through the two days over WebEx. Both can certainly be a challenge and I want to acknowledge everyone at the colleges, our project team participants and our Ciber counterparts for all the hard work and attention to detail."
Based on the workgroup's findings, the ctcLink project and SBCTC finance teams will develop a plan for addressing values that aren't needed or used anymore as it relates to the legacy system as well as PeopleSoft.


text:
I have known this young woman since she was born. I used to babysit her! She is now graduated from High School and asked if I would take her graduation photos. She is a gorgeous young lady with a very dynamic personality. It was a joy to spend an evening taking photos for her.
I had a very hard time picking my favorites, which is why there are so many photos.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Family Friends
My good friend, Stacy, who recently moved away (but not too far, luckily) asked me to take some family photos for her. It was my pleasure. Family photos always intimidate me because there is so much to remember and you have to constantly be adjusting settings on your camera. I fear doing them, but I also love doing them because I feel like I learn something new every time. Thanks, Stacy!
Posted by Andrea at 4:46 PM 2 comments:
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Baby L
I had the pleasure to photograph another brand new baby girl. She was only 6 days old and oh so lovely! We didn't have a lot of time and my two youngest were climbing all over me (literally) while I was photographing, but we were able to get some really sweet photos.
Thank you, Brynn for the pleasure of your company and for letting me practice on your little one. I now want 10 more babies of my own ;)
Thank you, Brynn for the pleasure of your company and for letting me practice on your little one. I now want 10 more babies of my own ;)
Loving the new baby arm fuzz!
Posted by Andrea at 7:32 PM 1 comment:
Friday, January 20, 2012
Photographing a One Year Old
Now that this little girl is over one year old, life is getting a little bit more predictable and I can get a full night of sleep nearly every night. This has two effects that totally contradict each other:
1. I am excited for full use of my brain and body again, which has been working on disrupted sleep and sharing nutrients with another being for over a year now...actually, closer to 2 years if you count being pregnant.
2. I have an almost overwhelming desire to have another baby.
Silly isn't it?
For now, this little feisty child is just like her sisters. Determined and demanding of my attention. It's a good thing she's so lovely :)
Posted by Andrea at 8:38 AM 3 comments:
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text:
Distance : 5 kms
Time : 41 minutes
Laps : Run 2.5 laps, walk .5 lap, repeat.
I just need to keep pushing myself (within reason of course), and get back to where I was! From that point I can work on improving my time & distance.
Four years ago I lost 45lbs after my husband (now ex) left me. I loved how fit I was, and how good I felt about my body. The last year has been difficult, not only have I been fighting my own depression, but my middle son is fighting cancer. I have let myself go. But no more!


text:
A Gift For My Sister opens with Sky, a lawyer, as a little girl reminiscing about her childhood and losing her father at the tender age of seven and has to walk the life path pretending it did not shatter her world, for everyone around her treated her as a disease and she is contagious .
The character Sky deeply grieving in her sorrow thinks of her father, his sudden death and like a windy storm her life's path was changed with surprises and personal trials.
First she had to accept a step sister who replaced her only child status away in momma's heart she became lost and she was left to fend for herself. She is traveling through life as a discarded broken vessel which leads her to make impulsive choices. Such as a love affair at a tender age, of eight grade and become a young mother to sweet Rachael too early in her life. And has a child born out of commitment to the only refugee holding her safe in the blowing unpredictable winds of her life, her man Tory.
Another personal storms lashing at Sky to add to the sorrowful agony she has experienced, she loses her BFF, Mia to an unexpected death and the storms keep pouring as other tragedies occurred which were so painful and soul searing this reader used a box of Kleenex to finished the tumult and haunting story of the two sisters finding themselves in the midst of obstacles on the path of traveling life and reminiscing with elegant pose about their past to present and what the futures holds..
This story revolves around two half-sisters, Sky the older one and a lawyer and Tara the younger one, a promising rap singer and they are divided from the beginning of their existence and are fateful to come together in unity at the end of this inspiring read to discover their selves and the theme of forgiveness with a an renewal of their sisterhood.
Their union is a stormy and tender relationship. The younger sister Tara is a rap singer on the rise to become a superstar, has her man Aaron and sweet baby Levy yet has her own insecurities, her father walked on the family and the girls' mother became distant and did not have faith in men.
The younger sister Tara is involved with a rap group, her baby is Levy and described as if he is real and squeezable, and all the children in the story are delightful toddlers and add humor to it.
Sky speaks about the pain of losing her best friend and the intensity pours out of the pages and she is trying to function through the darkness sharing her private thoughts of her daily life. As the plot continues there are more personal trials that come like a wicked thunderstorm and kept pounding upon them. The major infliction was connected to the everyone has a moment in their lives when lightning strikes and you are alerted to the most shattering news a living person receives about someone close to you is in trouble or deceased and you look at the clock, remembering that exact moment as it is etched deep into the cervices of the core of our being.
In this story the clock stops at 3:42 a.m., for Sky this was her point of no return or healing after absorbing the reality of the truth.
Once again the storms rolls in and captures her in its grips and she has to struggle to come up for air or give up and let the deep slumber of defeat swallow her up leaving all behind.
The author is able to switch between characters, from the two sisters, the men in their lives, and others with an easy reading flow.
The author adds expressive details and speaks of the characters as they were her actual family and friends, he chapters about the younger sister Tara and her husband Aaron and their baby Levy is written with intensity and depth of poetic language of the deepest emotions of what ones hides but does not voiced out loud about fear, jealous and other sensitive topics. Tara and her family give the reader a glimpse in the highs and lows about the rise to fame as rap singers, the divorce of her mom and husband and the abandonment she felt when her dad walked out on the family and the resentment she held for Sky the apple of mom's eye.
She is hurt by the abandonment of her father and meeting her new step mom, and other issues yet to be able to cherish the little gifts in life and tries to balance the past and present with her music and acceptance and forgiveness and have no regrets. She is this reader's hero because the silent treatment from her dad made her cunning and she got her justice in a sweet way, he the father should be responsible for her dreams and she took it upon herself to earn them with or with-out his assistance. Showing strength and becoming an independent strong woman. This action was the start of her music career with a purchase of an instrument...
Back to Sky, she is having flashbacks like lighting in a storm then the thunder is loud, for another tragedy bolts her into a harsh reality that everything she cherishes is about to go under an attack as her personal life goes through a cyclone of terrifying speed, out of control.
This story is sentimental, full of agony and conflict.
As it continues it speaks of deadly medical conditions and what happens to Sky and the one she loves with every ounce of her being.
The storms are raging yet the author has the characters hold on tight to hope, as they are drowning in all the emotional, physically and spiritual battles each face in their own way and described their insight of a lesson learned.
An event that crushes Sky's world has Tara deciding to put the bitterness aside to come to a compromise and step up to be a caretaker to her sister Sky, yet the jealous, resentment and anger lies under the surface under the surface, like a volcano and is about to explode.
For the two step sisters are walking a fragile line of caring or distancing from each other due to conflicts they can't not get pass. The tension in the plot, between the two you could cut with a knife.
To add to the mix, Tara is traveling with her homies her band, and they are like family to her and now her sister and Rachael are accepted.
They travelled across the states to arrive at their next schedule show, in between stopping at tourist sites and other places of interest which all contribute to the rumbling volcano waiting for a release valve.
This book is about life's hardships and two half-sisters Sky, a lawyer and Tara, a rap star who were estrange until the lighting of tragedy strikes one and they both come together in grief to rebuild their broken relationship and to remember all they lost to come to know each other deeply and repair their broken bond and find their role in their large and extended family.
During the roller coaster ride they call life there were lost and found and learn lessons and gain a deep bond of insight and understanding about each other, their past and what to enjoy in their future as they journey divided then together in their paths of self-discovery and forgiveness
This reader desires to include some writing of this insightful life tapestry of the two half-sisters and had their struggles and acceptance was a gift to a sister.
"I consider the luck of simply being born, of being plucked out of the cosmos and bestowed with eyes to see, and nerves to feel, and ears to hear. Our senses. Our speech. Our breath. How crucial and insistent our ceaseless moving lungs from our first cry to our last."
http://agiftformysister.blogspot.com/2012/08/reviewers-rock-review-gift-for-my.html to find out more about this amazing story and the promotion for reviewers.


text:
Italian fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana (pictured right) have announced the signing of a three-year partnership with London's Chelsea Football Club.
In addition to providing the formal club suits, the Milanese fashion house will also create the "Dolce&Gabbana Lounge" in the West Stand at Stamford Bridge as well as redesigning the club's main office reception.
"We are really happy about this partnership and to be able to link our name to such a prestigious club like Chelsea. We are big football fans, for us it means healthy competition, intense passion and great discipline." said Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.
Chelsea's CEO Ron Gourlay added: "We are delighted that Dolce&Gabbana will be our official supplier of formal wear for the next three years. Their designs for this season's team wear are exceptional, and we're excited to be partnering with such a world renowned, and innovative design house.
Chelsea's Italian connections go back a long way with Italians Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri in past seasons and currently Carlo Ancellotti as trainer managers. Top quality players such as Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Di Matteo and Carlo Cudicini have also played decisive roles in the club's more successful recent history. The London side has had a reputation as 'trend setters' since the late 1960s when players were often seen around the fashionable boutiques, restaurants and night clubs of the King's Road area of South London.
source: D&G official site
further reading: independent.co.uk


text:
Pre-ordered my copy of SOCOM 4 last week. Yes, it was a little too late. Still waiting for it to come to my mail. I should have just purchased it in a store rather than pre-ordering. I am pretty excited to play through the campaign missions for it. Many say that it is crazy hard even at normal mode. I don't know why many review sites says that it is easy. Maybe they played it in easy mode? I guess so.
Anyways, I am planning to pick up Portal 2 today while I wait for my copy of SOCOM 4. I have played Portal 1 but never really got to finish it because I have a crappy computer. So the best part of it is the cross platform gameplay between PS3 and PC.
I think that will be the future. Cross-platform gameplay. Nothing can beat that!
Update(1): Portal 2 was sold out wherever I went.
Update(2): Received my copy of SOCOM 4 on April 27th and finished the missions on the same day (including collecting all the intels and blood oranges). Found a copy of Portal 2 and finished it as well. Oh man PSN has to really get back on.


text:
Welcome to my blog. It's a place I share with my fellow authors as they tell their stories behind the book. My Book, My Journey!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Win a Copy of Bear With Me!
9 comments:
I haven't read a polar bear shifter story before! And I love stories in which three people get together :) Knowing there will be a second story makes me want to read it even mote. I wish I came up with these kind of stories while traveling, would make it a lot more fun!
luciatea01 (at) hotmail.com
- March 16, 2011 at 9:24 AM
- Jade Buchanan said...
Thanks for letting me play today, Jadette! Glad to be here.
I'm not always sure if it's a good thing or not! LOL! I can be a tad bit quirky when I start brainstorming ;)
- March 16, 2011 at 9:47 AM
- Jadette Paige said...
It's an awesome thing, Jade! Thank you for gracing the blog with your presence! Hugs baby!
- March 16, 2011 at 10:20 AM
- lrwirum said...
This sounds like a very fun story. Also sounds very different. I would love to read this one. :-)
- March 16, 2011 at 11:21 AM
- Jade Buchanan said...
Thanks, Jadette!
Thanks Larena, it was sure fun to write :)
- March 16, 2011 at 2:21 PM
- Ike Rose... said...
Jade, that excerpt got my juices flowing.
I loved it.
I hope I win.
- March 16, 2011 at 5:05 PM
- Janet said...
I love how you've woven the fantasy/shifter world into a M/M possibly M/M/M(?)story. I never saw myself liking the M/M stories before, but once I tried them? I really enjoyed them! Your story sounds light hearted and the excerpt was a nice tease.
- March 16, 2011 at 5:08 PM
- Jade Buchanan said...
Thank you! I'm glad you both liked the excerpt :)
I was the same way when I started reading m/m, like a switch went off. Best decision ever for me lol!
- March 16, 2011 at 10:05 PM
- Jade Buchanan said...
Thanks to everyone for visiting yesterday, and thanks again to Jadette!
I picked a name out of the hat and luciatea won! Congratulations :) I'll send you a personal email.
- March 17, 2011 at 10:45 AM


text:
Sunday, March 28, 2010
"Basyirah, it is tomorrow..."
This is a true story what was happening to me yesterday night. It is when I was having a sleep and I was slumbering tightly. I mean no disturbance. As long as I remember, I don't have any night dreaming last night. Kind of a solemn sleep I think. But honestly, I'm going to say I heard a voice whispering to my right ear. A very clear and caring voice. The voice said, "Basyirah, it is tomorrow…" I thought it was my dad cuz that voice seems like it was a man. As I heard that voice, I began to open my eyes slowly and said, "What, who's that?" I rose up my leaned body on my bed. I took a very sharp look around me. Hell yeah, there was nobody in my room 'cept Hamizah (my lil sister) who was sleeping beside me. I took a look around me for the second time, wondering if I was mistaken. But I was not. It was really nobody there.
Who's that voice came from? Nor did I care! What I really care is, what's happening tomorrow. I took a look at the clock, which is hanging on the wall. It was sharp half past three in the morning. O Allah, I was totally blocked. I didn't know what to do. I really couldn't stop thinking what is going to happen the day after.
Later than a few seconds, tears began to flow down my cheeks. I sobbed loudly. I quickly walked out of my room when I realized my sobbing just disturbed my sister to sleep. I went downstairs then I cried alone. I just couldn't stand it anymore. I felt like wanted to shout over my lungs. Suddenly, something just tells me that khassah is going to start tomorrow. Then I know why I cried so hard 'til I couldn't tell. I was just about to forget 'bout khassah. But now, I'm 'bout to remember it again. I really feel a big hard pain in my heart until now. Damn, that hurts a lot. I felt my heart was just like going to explode.
I took my koran cuz I know that was the only way to make me stop those damn tears. But I didn't read it because I felt like to weak to do so. I just 'landed my lips' on it for a few times and hugged it as tight as I could. This continued about 30 minutes! Then, I began to be OK. I went back upstairs and I did what I supposed to.
It was just a few minutes to reach 5 o'clock when I began to get tired then I slept again.
When I woke up for subuh, I still could remember how the voice sounds like. And, I can really feel how its breath blowing my ears until now.
Anyway, I don't care about it much. I just couldn't imagine how I'm going to feel so losing for not continuing my studies in khassah.
O Allah, I'm begging You… Please do show me what is the best. If khassah is not the best for me, please…… do let me forget about it. You know that I'm not very strong to face this thing anymore. Please Allah, I'm begging You.
Posted by PeArl BuSyra at 10:57 am 3 comments
Labels: Diaries
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text:
Be sure to incorporate this journaling workout with the Sketch below from The Paper Variety so you can enter you layout at both places!
I enjoyed the stitching and putting all the papers together and I really like the end result. Nothing like self praise !!
Off to do the ironing, outside !! I have found the longest extension lead in house and it is big enough to be able to iron on the patio !!
Have fun


text: Back pain, and specifically lower back pain, is one of the most common orthopedic complaints treated by physicians and is the second most common cause of absence for age 45-and-under employees. (The most frequent cause is the common cold.) Back pain sufferers spend more than $80 million annually in treating this orthopedic problem. Lower back pain can be caused by orthopedic sprains, strains or injury of lower back muscles and ligaments. Back pain can also be caused by orthopedic conditions including:


text:
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Artimus Pyledriver/Valient Thorr/Fu Manchu 9-March-2007
Anytime Fu Manchu is in town, and not playing at the $400 Bar, I'll make every effort to be there. So when I saw a flyer for their March 9 show at the Triple Rock, I cancelled all other plans for the Friday night. I was coming off of a 5-day fast/cleanse, and I rode to the show with Bootsy Collins after meeting up at One On One. Not drinking would be hard enough, but smoking no flanagan when you roll with Bootsy is near impossible. I pulled it off though, probably due to the rock blowing my brains out. It was that good, (and that loud!)
Openers were Artemis Pyledriver from Atlanta, and Valient Thorr, from somewhere outside of Venus. Wakeman Turner Overdrive tipped off the locals that Artemis Pyledriver were worth seeing, after witnessing their Denver show. Holy Shit, he was not joking! Ferocious lead vocals, a maniacal drummer beating the shit out of the skins...
and a twin guitar attack. What's not to love? Immediately following the set, I walked over to the merch table and bought the Artemis Pyledriver CD, on DRT records.
Valient Thorr took the stage while I was next door in the bar talking to some friends about how great AP was. I returned to the showside and saw five very hirsute rockers laying waste to the stage. Valient Thorr. Fuck all that Devandra Bernhart shit you may have read about in the City Pages, this is Beard Rock. For all the noise they were making, I was not impressed initially. The singer was a crazed-looking psychotic preacher, with a somewhat high voice, but his enthusiasm was contagious, and by the end of the set they had won me over with their crushing riffs and showmanship. They are on Volcom Entertainment, a division of the snow/skate/surf company of the same name, which explains all the Volcom branded gear they were wearing, as well as the skate deck thrown into the audience after said singer lurched thru the crowd and took a stand on the table/bar separating the pit from the upper bar level. I was standing right there and snapped the above photo.
The Bear was there, lovin' every minute of it...
Fu Manchu soon came out on stage and after some initial sound problems, roared thru a LOUD set of oldies, new songs from "We Must Obey" and finished with an encore by obscure hardcore band "Boyd." What a treat to not have to suffer thru the muddled sound of the Quest, where I last saw Fu, opening for Clutch. And best yet, not having to suffer thru the magnanimous attitudes, crap site-lines, and overpriced beer of the $400 Bar. Ears decidedly ringing, Bootsy, Pintz Guzzled, and myself rolled into downtown and onward to our homes. What a night. RESPECT THE ROCK!
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text:
Luke 10:25-37
JUST THEN a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, `Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
+++ +++ +++
Just when? "Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus," "Just then? Just when? that's a peculiar way to begin a gospel story.
But no, it is not, it's not peculiar, and it's not the beginning of the story; it's just what happens because on Sunday mornings we read dots and tittles, bits and snippets of the Bible. What's going on is that, from Luke 9:51 Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem," and it's a long journey, ten chapters from Luke 9:51 to Luke 19 verse 28, look it up later if you care. So he's on his way to Jerusalem, and we all know what that means. And besides, Luke does not begin this little story (scholars call it a "pericope", or a "tradition) Luke does not begin it with "Just then," he begins it with the wonderful Greek word "ἰδοὺ" that Luke likes, and that I like, he begins it καὶ ἰδοὺ, which means "and behold!" as though, "Hey, listen to this, man, you're not gonna believe this," and then, setting up some lawyer as the fool, the straight man of the gospel, he launches into the Good Samaritan. And by the way, this is worth an ἰδοὺ, because this wonderful old Sunday School Bible Story is only remembered in Luke's gospel on the road to Jerusalem: The Good Samaritan.
There is a story of the Episcopal bishop who takes a group of Episcopalians on a tour of the Holy Land. So one morning the bus sets out, with driver and tour guide as usual, and after driving thirty or forty minutes on a dusty dirt road way out into the countryside between Jerusalem and Jericho, the bus pulls up to a stop at an intersection. The tour guide points over across the way to the tumbled down old ruins of a building, and says, "This was the inn where the good Samaritan took the man who fell among robbers, and paid the innkeeper to look after him."
The bishop stands up on the bus and protests, "Wait a minute! That did not really happen, it was just a story Jesus told to show us who is our neighbor." To which the unphased tour guide says, "Well, if it had really happened, this is where he would have brought him."
In my churches, and always minding the leeway that the PrayerBook rubrics give us in preparing our worship service, the divine liturgy, I used to try and take advantage of opportunities to leave out stuff. We have four lessons, for example, Old Testament, Psalm, New Testament and Gospel, but the rubrics only require us to read one lesson (if there's Holy Communion, we are required to read the gospel lesson). So my practice was to read one lesson and the gospel — in fact, after Amos this morning we omitted the psalm and paused a moment of silence before going on to be baffled with a snippet from Colossians.
The rubrics also say, "on occasion the Confession of Sin may be omitted," and I always did that during the Easter Season when confession and absolution are redundant to the Cross and Empty Tomb; and I thought of omitting the Confession this morning. But the gospel story is about our blind oblivion to what it means, Jesus' commandment to love our neighbor, to love one another as God loves us. Mark 12, "The first commandment is this: Shema, Yisrael, Adonai elehenu, Adonai echod, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and with all your strength; and the second is this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." We live in a horrible, gruesome age of unkindness and unspeakable cruelty, hatred, retribution and revenge, that any but the most obtuse populist politician can see why it has come upon us and the world: we have not loved our neighbor, stirring the cycle of hatred and vengeance. Read history, or worse, live history, that has set humanity against ourselves on a course of self-immolation, with the most innocent among us suffering the terrible cost. A person I've loved most in life turns eighty years old today, and in a world of Amos the Prophet redivivus, it's a timely era in which Linda and I have lived in a brief age of peace and now standing on the promises of God. Kyrie eleison, Lord, have mercy.
Who is my neighbor? If Jesus is logos, the Word of God, if we are to believe this, if we are to take onboard this outrageous story of the Good Samaritan, then the person, the tribe, the race, the nation, the movement, the enemy I hate and fear most is my neighbor, and Jesus says, "Go and do likewise." Matthew 5:43, again the Lord Jesus himself speaking, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you," the gospel is outrageous, who can do it, who can live it? and in this violent day and age.
Preparing the liturgy, this morning's worship, with this gospel love your neighbor laid upon us by Jesus Christ, there was no way under heaven I could follow my nature and omit the Confession of Sin, because we have not loved God with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as our selves. And we are not truly sorry, and we do not humbly repent, and there is no health in us, miserable offenders. How does God stand us, sons of Adam, daughters of Eve, children of Noah the last righteous man
We shall say the Confession. And as your priest this morning I shall pronounce an Absolution. But you cannot Confess, and I cannot Absolve with a + wave of my hand, the sins of the world. Nothing but the Blood. Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. This very morning, as the Holy Communion wafer, offered to you as the Body of Christ — and as the red wine in the chalice, offered to you as the Blood of Christ, as these sacramental elements touch your lips, may the sins of the world, already paid on Calvary, begin to dissipate, may the clouds of darkness begin to pass on over, and may the peace of God begin to dawn.
idou: behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. I bid you come.
+++ +++ +++
Sermon in Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, Panama City, Florida on July 10, 2016, Proper 10C. The Rev. Tom Weller. Text: Luke 1:25-37. Parable: the Good Samaritan. Printed as a commitment to a dear friend.


text: Hi everyone wow it been a while since had a chance to post anything new on here. With the kid getting out of school for the summer things have gotten busy. Swim lessons, t-ball and just spending quality time with the kiddo. Don;t worry i am still crafting away here in my studio. This card here is one of new creations with a stamp from a new designer to Queen kat designs. This is blue fairy from the Heidi M Drake collection. I used echo park paper, ribbon that matched and copics. Have a great day.


text:
I love this trio! This NYX Trio is Nude/Satin Taupe / Dark Brown. Bought this online and very satisfied. This is the most basic neutrals that I have. The nude and taupe are gorgeous colours. I often use the nude as all over base for my lid to give me that wide-awake look. I do find them a little powdery but this doesn't bother me much. Its blendable and buildable. I always use my MAC paint pot in painterly as my primer and this trio looks so alive. As for the dark brown, it's highly pigmented. I sometimes used the dark brown for lining my upper and lower eyelids or use it as eyebrow powder. The best thing about this trio its so affordable. It retails at $8 USD at Nyx website, but you can buy this in other e-store that sells it half the price.
I totally recommend this kit, its the most versatile palette that you can really use everyday. I do wish that they'll open a store here in our country. If you can get a hand on these baby try checking it out.


text:
Lea Robinson lives a charmed life as hip hop royalty (her father is the president of Sugarhill Records), and is used to getting every luxurious thing she ever wanted. However, she is not your average Sweet Sixteener. Where some girls might prefer pretty pink bows, Lea is a glam-goth girl who walks on the dark side. So for her 15th birthday she is throwing the party of her dreams. or nightmares. This horror themed party is bound to scare all of her guests nearly to death, and Lea loves it! However, expectations for this blowout are overwhelmingly high because, two years ago, Lea's older brother became the self declared prince of Sweet 16's when he threw his party. Darnell's party was so hot that people are still talking about it today. Will Lea be able to pull off throwing an even bigger bash than her brother or will she find herself still living in his shadow?
© 2018 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.


text:
I got this message the other day and wanted to answer it here on my blog. If you ever have any cooking questions I'd love to help. If I don't know the answer I bet I can find it! Happy cooking!
Here's the recipe that's being referred to:
Beefy Corn Chip Casserole
1 lb. ground round
½ cup chopped onion
½ t. garlic salt
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 cup chopped sliced olives
1 cup sour cream
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
canned chopped green chili peppers to taste
6.5 oz. corn chips
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Fry beef, add onions, garlic salt, tomato sauce and olives: set aside. Combine sour cream, cottage cheese and chopped chili peppers. Crush corn chips and place ½ in bottom of casserole dish. Add ½ meat mixture and sprinkle with 1 cup grated cheese. Spread sour cream mixture evenly over casserole. Repeat first two layers. End with cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes.
....and here's the question
Hi Angel,
I'm a big fan of yours. Love your Butter cookbook. I want to make some freezer meals and I was wondering if the Beefy Corn Chip Casserole you made on Good Things Utah will freeze well?
I'd appreciate any recipe ideas that freeze well that you may have too.
Amy Messersmith
Hi Amy,
I would say that the Beefy Corn Chip Casserole isn't a good candidate for freezing. Neither sour cream or cottage cheese freeze well....you'd also probably have soggy corn chips! There are lots of great recipes on my website at www.cookingwithangel.com that would freeze well. Just remember that soft dairy products, i.e. cream cheese don't usually stand up well to freezing, neither do bread crumbs (or casserole toppings of any kind), cubed cooked potatoes (mashed are fine), and you may find a taste change in herbs and spices, especially garlic.
I hope that answers your question....and thanks for the compliment on my Stick of Butter Cookbook! Take care of yourself Amy and let me know if you need anything else at all.
Hugs as always,
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
To freeze or not to freeze
Labels: beefy, cream cheese, freeze, herbs, stick of butter
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text:
Meet the team
We are your property management and concierge professionals. Read below to learn more about us, and why we're so passionate about Park City.
Matthew Gilmour
Matthew started Park City Host with an owner perceptive in mind. He has owned and operated his own rental properties in lower Deer Valley for the past four years. In addition to running Park City Host, Matthew is currently pursuing a degree in business.
Luke Walker
Born and raised in Peterborough, England, Luke moved to the United States to pursue a bachelor's degree in Business Management with a minor in Entrepreneurial studies. Having graduated in 2015, Luke now lives with his wife, Rachel, and two little boys, William and Isaac, in the best small town in America, Park City.


text:
u guys read this already ?? -------------------------------------->
ha ha.
yes laugh people. i'm leaving maktab in A MONTH !
5.6 years baby!
okay what a boring post.
but i feel so free!! :D :D :D
first thing first
i'm gonna missed my girls.
especially shahrul erma yang kalau boleh hari hari nak susahkan aku. teman dinner la ape la. but it nice to hv u around. (lie)
and the other guppies yang susah sangat nak jumpa!
please please please dont forget me.
tahun depan i belanja u ols TGIF (fafa sponsor 50% ok)
and do come to johor ANYTIME ! my mom missed u girls.
2nd. KERJA.
sebenarnya langsung x semangat nak kerja.
tapi i nak gaji.
so camna?
ok pk nanti la.
there is no third. u guys knw me i guess.
i dont think bout future or past. i only live in present. what happen just happened. and to gain is to sacrifice. i dont think much bout being apart with my best friends, its 2010 we have phone, internet, facebook, car, plane watever it is, just prepare ur money. easy life. dont think much. (so tak guna hang tulis post ni Nadia! bengong)
and Pete?
he always be mine. distance kinda annoying.
at first i dun really mind.
but when people around me start complaining :
"oh i missed my bf (which she just met hers day b4 yesterday)"
THATS HURT ME MUCH! seriously.
yes u erma n imnie. someday i gonna slap u hard.
but its unfair for him if i complaining the same.
we r cool. eh pete?
okay, what else u wanna hear?
CALL ME! lol.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
what u want to hear?
Posted by nad at 7:26 PM
2 comments:
- eRmAbuTAng said...
=) after u leave i only hv kak nor
of course i miss him :(
n i know u gotta misses me n my messy dramatic life!
- kilodkoo said...
dont worry nad..
i gonna miss u too
even though we are hardly met
miss ur mom...
im thinking when am i going to ur house again
xpe2,pekan nenas dgn YP da xjaoh,.sejam bo smpi =)
about pete,he is always be yours rite n he'll definitely going back to semenanjung,cume mase yg tentukan
sabar k~~~~
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text: LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Oil futures dropped Monday, with investors facing downbeat Chinese trade data that weighed on prospects for energy demand. Crude for April delivery CLJ4, +0.00% fell $1.30, or 1.3%, to $101.28 a barrel. Oil futures on Friday had closed 1% higher. China over the weekend posted an unexpected February trade deficit as exports fell 18.1% from the year-ago period. Meanwhile, China's crude oil imports in February declined 18%. April Brent crude LCOJ4, -0.36% on the ICE Futures exchange gave up 79 cents, or 0.7%, to $108.20 a barrel. Energy prices were also hurt by the ongoing political conflict betweenUkraine and Russia.


text:
Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt has called out quarterback Jevan Snead, challenging the Texas transfer to up his game.
Snead had a problem earlier in the season with working so hard to force plays, to make something when it really wasn't there, that he may be going the other direction right now and being hesitant when opportunities really are there.
He's started slowly the last two weeks, but in both games, wins against Arkansas and Auburn, he's corrected himself in time to make big throws at big times.
Consistency from Snead will go a long way in helping Ole Miss close out some games earlier.
Snead at half production is still an upgrade from recent quarterback play, but his potential greater than what he's shown lately. The Wake Forest game with four touchdowns and only one interception against a very experienced defense comes to mind.
Snead is a worker, a guy who takes his leadership role seriously. His personality and ability are a good mix, and combined they're what will help him develop into a very good quarterback.


text:
Sustainable living refers to a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources. Sustainable living is an attempt to reduce carbon footprints by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet form furious consumptions to sensible choices. Sustainable and ecological living promotes living in manners that are consistent with sustainability, in natural balance and respect of humanity's symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology and cycles. The practice and general philosophy of Sustainable living is highly interrelated with the overall principles of sustainable development. Sustainable living is all about minimizing our "ecological footprints to an extent that it dose not create an environmental impact. Proponents of Sustainable living hope to preserve the Earth for future generations of human beings and other life.
Sustainable living branches from the concepts of sustainability and self-sufficiency. Sustainability, in recent years, has been expressed as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Self-sufficiency is the core principle of Sustainable living in which individuals or societies consume only that which they have produced. It is generally a stricter ideology and practicing sustainable living in an urban world is becoming a global cause.
Sustainable living demands sustainable urban infrastructure is a form of sustainable design, which adheres to the principles of sustainable living. Its main principles are to achieve technological and governmental policies that enable urban planning for sustainable architecture and agriculture.
Sustainable living according to Lester R. Brown, a prominent environmentalist and founder of the World watch Institute and Earth Policy Institute, is "Sustainable living in the 21st century is "shifting to a renewable energy-based, reuse/recycle economy with a diversified transport system."
There a many movements that may appear similar to sustainable living, which oppose further mechanization of society vis-à-vis technological achievements. Sustainable living, however, adheres to the belief that technological progress can be effectively achieved through appropriate technology.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Sustainable living
Posted by Hannan at 7:15 PM
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