9/26/2005
Doing the Unthinkable
So this morning I applied for a job with the University of Phoenix. Anyone reading this from Franklin will be scandalized, I'm sure. But they would pay up to 24% more than I was earning at Franklin, so ...
9/22/2005
Prayer and Fasting...
Today "the Team" (my new name for us) have set aside the day for prayer and fasting. So, if you stumble upon this page today, please take a moment to pray for us.
There's me (who I assume you already know) along with 4 others. One of them sent the following passage this morning:
Isaiah 40:27-31
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired and weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
There's me (who I assume you already know) along with 4 others. One of them sent the following passage this morning:
Isaiah 40:27-31
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired and weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
9/19/2005
Back From Wisconsin
I wish I could blame my long delay in posting on my trip to Wisconsin, but that only accounts for 6 days. I also wish I could explain the trip properly. My goal when I talk to people about the trip is to get them to think "Hmmm, I should do that." Because they should. Everyone should.
But, in the end, it's an atmosphere that draws me in and keeps me wanting to go back and I just can't find the words to explain that properly. It's nice. It feels good to go and serve these people. The whole place feels peaceful happy. Ever been in an empty Catholic church on a bright day? With the sun gleaming through the stained glass windows so you can see the dust particles? It's like that.
Plus, you get to be amazed every day. Did you know that Shepherd's has a bell choir that travels the country? Did you know that Gordon traveled to Japan and won three gold medals at the Special Olympics? Did you know that Ruthie lives with a couple other girls in an apartment? On their own? Did you know that David is a certified "Master Gardener?" Did you know that Connie sings beautifully?
Nope, you don't. Because you didn't go. Maybe you didn't go because you didn't know you could. Or maybe I wasn't bold enough before to tell you that you should (but you should). Or maybe you're scared of "retarded people." I guess maybe you should be scared. They're more capable, spiritual, loving and powerful than you think they are. And they'll change your life, no doubt. So I guess you should be scared.
www.shepherdsministries.org
But, in the end, it's an atmosphere that draws me in and keeps me wanting to go back and I just can't find the words to explain that properly. It's nice. It feels good to go and serve these people. The whole place feels peaceful happy. Ever been in an empty Catholic church on a bright day? With the sun gleaming through the stained glass windows so you can see the dust particles? It's like that.
Plus, you get to be amazed every day. Did you know that Shepherd's has a bell choir that travels the country? Did you know that Gordon traveled to Japan and won three gold medals at the Special Olympics? Did you know that Ruthie lives with a couple other girls in an apartment? On their own? Did you know that David is a certified "Master Gardener?" Did you know that Connie sings beautifully?
Nope, you don't. Because you didn't go. Maybe you didn't go because you didn't know you could. Or maybe I wasn't bold enough before to tell you that you should (but you should). Or maybe you're scared of "retarded people." I guess maybe you should be scared. They're more capable, spiritual, loving and powerful than you think they are. And they'll change your life, no doubt. So I guess you should be scared.
www.shepherdsministries.org
8/29/2005
Not a Political Statement
The War Works Hard
How magnificent the war is!
How eager
and efficient!
Early in the morning,
it wakes up the sirens
and dispatches ambulances
to various places,
swings corpses through the air,
rolls stretchers to the wounded,
summons rain
from the eyes of mothers,
digs into the earth
dislodging many things
from under the ruins...
Some are lifeless and glistening,
others are pale and still throbbing...
It produces the most questions
in the minds of children,
entertains the gods
by shooting fireworks and missiles
into the sky,
sows mines in the fields
and reaps punctures and blisters,
urges families to emigrate,
stands beside the clergymen
as they curse the devil
)poor devil, he remains
with one hand in the searing fire)...
The war continues working, day and night.
It inspires tyrants
to deliver long speeches,
awards metals to generals
and themes to poets.
It contributes to the industry
of artificial limbs,
provides food for flies.
adds pages to the history books,
achieves equality
between killer and killed,
teaches lovers to write letters,
accustoms young women to waiting,
fills the newspapers
with articles and pictures,
builds new houses
for the orphans,
invigorates the coffin makers,
gives grave diggers
a pat on the back
and paints a smile on the leader's face.
The war works with unparalleled diligence!
Yet no one gives it
a word of praise.
-Dunya Mikhail, 2004
How magnificent the war is!
How eager
and efficient!
Early in the morning,
it wakes up the sirens
and dispatches ambulances
to various places,
swings corpses through the air,
rolls stretchers to the wounded,
summons rain
from the eyes of mothers,
digs into the earth
dislodging many things
from under the ruins...
Some are lifeless and glistening,
others are pale and still throbbing...
It produces the most questions
in the minds of children,
entertains the gods
by shooting fireworks and missiles
into the sky,
sows mines in the fields
and reaps punctures and blisters,
urges families to emigrate,
stands beside the clergymen
as they curse the devil
)poor devil, he remains
with one hand in the searing fire)...
The war continues working, day and night.
It inspires tyrants
to deliver long speeches,
awards metals to generals
and themes to poets.
It contributes to the industry
of artificial limbs,
provides food for flies.
adds pages to the history books,
achieves equality
between killer and killed,
teaches lovers to write letters,
accustoms young women to waiting,
fills the newspapers
with articles and pictures,
builds new houses
for the orphans,
invigorates the coffin makers,
gives grave diggers
a pat on the back
and paints a smile on the leader's face.
The war works with unparalleled diligence!
Yet no one gives it
a word of praise.
-Dunya Mikhail, 2004
8/12/2005
Quote...
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us...And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Nelson Mandela
-Nelson Mandela
8/08/2005
Waking the Dead
"We live in a far more dramatic, far more dangerous story than we ever imagined. The reason we love The Chronicles of Narnia or Star Wars or The Matrix or The Lord of the Rings is that they are telling us something about our lives that we never, ever get on the evening news. Or from most pulpits. This is our most desperate hour. Without this burning in our hearts, we lose the meaning of our days. It all withers down to fast food and bills and voice mail and who really cares anyway? Do you see what has happened? The essence of our faith has been stripped away. The very thing that was to give our lives meaning and protect us-this way of seeing- has been lost. Or stolen from us. Notice that those who have tried to wake us up to this reality were usually killed for it: the prophets, Jesus, Stephen, Paul, most of the disciples, in fact. Has it ever occurred to you that someone was trying to shut them up?
Things are not what they seem. This is a world at war."
So I'm rereading John Eldredge's "Waking the Dead." I told Angie yesterday that I purposely avoid theology and analysis of God, Christ, the Bible, Christianity etc., because I spent too much time defining myself by what I knew. I think that's why John Eldredge's work appeals to me so much; he speaks directly to my heart. He doesn't try to convince me of anything, but reminds me of what I know to be true in my heart.
"The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it."
Things are not what they seem. This is a world at war."
So I'm rereading John Eldredge's "Waking the Dead." I told Angie yesterday that I purposely avoid theology and analysis of God, Christ, the Bible, Christianity etc., because I spent too much time defining myself by what I knew. I think that's why John Eldredge's work appeals to me so much; he speaks directly to my heart. He doesn't try to convince me of anything, but reminds me of what I know to be true in my heart.
"The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it."
8/05/2005
"I quit this."
So just two weeks after starting at CallTech, I am unemployed again...
It's of my own choosing; I just couldn't work there indefinitely. Not knowing when I'm leaving made me worry about doing that job long-term.
Or maybe I'm just rationalizing. I really hated it. Maybe that's all there is to it.
In other news, the team to IQ has gone from 5 to 4 and back to 5 with prospects for more in the near future. I guess we'll see how things go.
Also, the Team from church that went to Nicaragua gets home today. I can't wait to hear how things went for them.
Hopefully someone got to touch a monkey.
7/25/2005
1 Peter 5: 7-11
...casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen!
7/21/2005
An Apple a Day
So, I started at CallTech on Monday and...it's not so bad.
The hours for training are 4:30 to midnight which isn't super pleasant, but I'll survive it. Probably. I'm working on the Apple iPod project, which basically means I'll do phone support for the iPod. The past three days have really proven that Apple makes the best computer and computer-related products on the planet. I'm not a huge geek, but we've been training on Mac OS X (10.4, I think). It makes Windows look like (i don't know...insert your own analogy for something not as good as something else).
On to more important things...
My team was fourth at this year's Almost Amazing Race. This seems like good finish, but we were in second for much of the race and in first for parts. In the end, it's all Mrs. Mulvaney's fault that we lost. We were behind her at CVS trying to buy nail polish and she refused to speed up her activities even though we were obviously in a very important and monumental race.
Thanks alot, Mrs. Mulvaney! Now I may never know what winning feels like... :-(
Also, running the AAR before the potluck made me less hungry at potluck time. I think that deserves a :-(, as well.
Ramble, ramble, ramble...
The hours for training are 4:30 to midnight which isn't super pleasant, but I'll survive it. Probably. I'm working on the Apple iPod project, which basically means I'll do phone support for the iPod. The past three days have really proven that Apple makes the best computer and computer-related products on the planet. I'm not a huge geek, but we've been training on Mac OS X (10.4, I think). It makes Windows look like (i don't know...insert your own analogy for something not as good as something else).
On to more important things...
My team was fourth at this year's Almost Amazing Race. This seems like good finish, but we were in second for much of the race and in first for parts. In the end, it's all Mrs. Mulvaney's fault that we lost. We were behind her at CVS trying to buy nail polish and she refused to speed up her activities even though we were obviously in a very important and monumental race.
Thanks alot, Mrs. Mulvaney! Now I may never know what winning feels like... :-(
Also, running the AAR before the potluck made me less hungry at potluck time. I think that deserves a :-(, as well.
Ramble, ramble, ramble...
7/12/2005
Much Ado About Blogging
I went to see "Much Ado About Love" on Sunday in Schiller Park. It's a mish mash of Shakespeare's writings on love. It was pretty good; well acted and witty but with a couple of dull moments.
That's not really the point, though. The point is that I saw Tony there. (Hi, Tony). Tony's a former co-worker and, when I saw him, he mentioned my blog. Apparently, Jenny from Franklin told him about it. So, even if no one is reading this, word is out. That means that someone could pop in to check up at any time. And what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't update once in a while? According to Angie, no blogger at all.
I have a couple of interesting updates I guess:
1: I sold the MINI. I am now driving a Ford Ranger. I always wanted a pick-up, and now I have one. It's pretty nice, but it's not as smooth as the MINI. Also not as fuel efficient :-(
2: I got a job. I'll be working at CallTech starting July 18. I needed something short-term, and I think it'll be alright for a few months. Speaking of a few months...
3: Official word is now October or November. September's no longer in the running. There are benefits and drawbacks, of course. It's just hard to imagine that, in the whole United States, there are only 5 people left willing to go to IQ.
That's not really the point, though. The point is that I saw Tony there. (Hi, Tony). Tony's a former co-worker and, when I saw him, he mentioned my blog. Apparently, Jenny from Franklin told him about it. So, even if no one is reading this, word is out. That means that someone could pop in to check up at any time. And what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't update once in a while? According to Angie, no blogger at all.
I have a couple of interesting updates I guess:
1: I sold the MINI. I am now driving a Ford Ranger. I always wanted a pick-up, and now I have one. It's pretty nice, but it's not as smooth as the MINI. Also not as fuel efficient :-(
2: I got a job. I'll be working at CallTech starting July 18. I needed something short-term, and I think it'll be alright for a few months. Speaking of a few months...
3: Official word is now October or November. September's no longer in the running. There are benefits and drawbacks, of course. It's just hard to imagine that, in the whole United States, there are only 5 people left willing to go to IQ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)