Tonight I've seen the Capital One commercial (50% more cash) about 12 times the past 2 days (catching up on The Voice, so good). And I have just one thing to say:
i just love Jimmy Fallon
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Seriously?!
I am a Christian. I stand solidly on the foundation of God and faith in Him. I am not ashamed (2 Tim. 2:15). This is important in light of what I'm about to share.
Today on my way to work, I came up behind someone who had one of those "I'm making a statement" sticker things on the back of their car. Usually it's the "Peace" one with all the different worldviews represented, or something from a kid's school (or their university), or those images of their family. Or opinions on the government: who they support(ed), go army, quit army, etc. Or 26.2 or 13.1. They are noticeable, they make a statement, they are not something i dwell on, but it is interesting to see what people want you to know about them.
This was like those, but not. Oh, so very not. It was huge, round, and white. It sort of looked home made. It covered at least a quarter of the back of the van. It said, in very large, handwritten letters, "Islam is Evil."
My heart almost stopped. "Oh my word," I thought. "That- wow. Wow! I'm actually offended by that! That is SO not the way to make your opinion known!" Now, of course, being a Christian, I think that those who are Muslims don't have it right in terms of eternity, who God is, and how we can be saved. That said, I whole-heartedly believe that the way to help another person transition in life from whatever it is they believe that is wrong (whether they be muslim, atheist, christian, buddhist, or anything else) is NOT in bashing what they believe! It comes through relationship, it comes through God working in their hearts and minds, it comes through conversation, through care - real, honest, truthful care of the PERSON. Each individual has a different spin on what they believe. That's how our minds work, and our hearts too.
The other part that breaks my heart is that it is often these types of bashers who are what the world sees as Christians. When I tell someone new that I'm a Christian, I can almost see them cringe as they think to themselves, "oh, she's one of those... well, I guess I'll put up with it today, but then, forget it." And I feel this immense pressure to out-live or over-live what they expect - the crazy, you're-going-to hell-you-awful-person-you, I'm-better-than-you-because-I-found-God - that just shouldn't be ANYONE's first impression of God (because that's what we are, folks, if we're Christians).
That's all I have to say right now. There's more rolling around up in my head, but I don't have the time to flesh it all out at the moment (it is a workday after all). Maybe I'll get it out this weekend.
In the mean time, let's all be truthful (I don't go for the "inclusion-of-all" thing) but let's not bash people with it, ok?
Today on my way to work, I came up behind someone who had one of those "I'm making a statement" sticker things on the back of their car. Usually it's the "Peace" one with all the different worldviews represented, or something from a kid's school (or their university), or those images of their family. Or opinions on the government: who they support(ed), go army, quit army, etc. Or 26.2 or 13.1. They are noticeable, they make a statement, they are not something i dwell on, but it is interesting to see what people want you to know about them.
This was like those, but not. Oh, so very not. It was huge, round, and white. It sort of looked home made. It covered at least a quarter of the back of the van. It said, in very large, handwritten letters, "Islam is Evil."
My heart almost stopped. "Oh my word," I thought. "That- wow. Wow! I'm actually offended by that! That is SO not the way to make your opinion known!" Now, of course, being a Christian, I think that those who are Muslims don't have it right in terms of eternity, who God is, and how we can be saved. That said, I whole-heartedly believe that the way to help another person transition in life from whatever it is they believe that is wrong (whether they be muslim, atheist, christian, buddhist, or anything else) is NOT in bashing what they believe! It comes through relationship, it comes through God working in their hearts and minds, it comes through conversation, through care - real, honest, truthful care of the PERSON. Each individual has a different spin on what they believe. That's how our minds work, and our hearts too.
The other part that breaks my heart is that it is often these types of bashers who are what the world sees as Christians. When I tell someone new that I'm a Christian, I can almost see them cringe as they think to themselves, "oh, she's one of those... well, I guess I'll put up with it today, but then, forget it." And I feel this immense pressure to out-live or over-live what they expect - the crazy, you're-going-to hell-you-awful-person-you, I'm-better-than-you-because-I-found-God - that just shouldn't be ANYONE's first impression of God (because that's what we are, folks, if we're Christians).
That's all I have to say right now. There's more rolling around up in my head, but I don't have the time to flesh it all out at the moment (it is a workday after all). Maybe I'll get it out this weekend.
In the mean time, let's all be truthful (I don't go for the "inclusion-of-all" thing) but let's not bash people with it, ok?
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
an unexpected discovery (and rediscoveries)
tonight i stumbled upon a poem called "How To Be Alone" by Tanya Davis. i encourage you to watch it by clicking here. it's about 4 1/2 minutes long, and is spoken over music that is rather soothing, though not quite what i would expect, even when i don't know what to expect most of the time. it's beautiful, and Tanya's rhythm as she speaks is mesmerizing and strangely comforting.
i found it as it was recommended by Daniela Andrade, a singer whose music style i have really enjoyed since the first time i ever saw/heard her. in looking for what i'm about to share with you, i've rediscovered some of my favorite music. she does covers and originals, and is amazing. two of my favorites can be found here: Coldplay - Us Against the World (cover) (3:58) // Tea (original) (2:46).
more links to Daniela's songs, since i can't really pick just one:
Zee Avi - Honey Bee (cover)
Jose (original)
Settlements (original)
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You (cover)
i found it as it was recommended by Daniela Andrade, a singer whose music style i have really enjoyed since the first time i ever saw/heard her. in looking for what i'm about to share with you, i've rediscovered some of my favorite music. she does covers and originals, and is amazing. two of my favorites can be found here: Coldplay - Us Against the World (cover) (3:58) // Tea (original) (2:46).
more links to Daniela's songs, since i can't really pick just one:
Zee Avi - Honey Bee (cover)
Jose (original)
Settlements (original)
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You (cover)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
decisions
wow. everything i can think to write right now has a negative spin on it. :( not good.
i have some BIG decisions in my life right now, and because i am waiting on God to guide me and am not yet sure what that means, i won't go into any details. suffice it to say it would be a big change in almost every way, and despite the things i am fearing, i also am very excited about it. i hope i can find some clarity and definitive answers soon so i can start "shouting from the mountaintops" as it were.
in the mean time sitting here, slogging through the day to day is getting rougher. it's harder to sit still. it's harder to keep going. to be motivated, internally or externally. i just want to sit outside in the fresh air, read books, listen to music, eat lunch with friends, talk about possibilities.
God, give me strength to keep doing what you've asked me to do - even for a time.
i just feel so ... restless.
i have some BIG decisions in my life right now, and because i am waiting on God to guide me and am not yet sure what that means, i won't go into any details. suffice it to say it would be a big change in almost every way, and despite the things i am fearing, i also am very excited about it. i hope i can find some clarity and definitive answers soon so i can start "shouting from the mountaintops" as it were.
in the mean time sitting here, slogging through the day to day is getting rougher. it's harder to sit still. it's harder to keep going. to be motivated, internally or externally. i just want to sit outside in the fresh air, read books, listen to music, eat lunch with friends, talk about possibilities.
God, give me strength to keep doing what you've asked me to do - even for a time.
i just feel so ... restless.
Friday, March 9, 2012
"if you feel my love"
(over the past couple days i've seen this phrase a few places, and a tune has been running through my head. i have no idea what the tune is - it's probably parts of about a thousand songs that have lines like this one in them. in any case, tonight as i was humming to myself, this -bizarre- poem started to write itself. it is not intended to make sense, since it doesn't, and it is not meant to be a song or a thematic anything. it just wanted to come out.)
blue. deep blue.
stucco on my ceiling.
the soothing sound of steam
while i’m agitated. anxious.
i smell something soft and furry
it’s crazy since i have no pet,
but i do.
it's sort of calming.
the dim light of my bedside lamp
makes the atmosphere for a tired evening
“if you feel my love,”
you can come closer
but you don’t,
so you can’t.
neither can i
just lonely.
just quiet.
just peace.
despite all my words
i don’t have much to say
and none of it makes
any sense
but it’s ok.
let's just leave it be
at least tonight
blue. deep blue.
stucco on my ceiling.
the soothing sound of steam
while i’m agitated. anxious.
i smell something soft and furry
it’s crazy since i have no pet,
but i do.
it's sort of calming.
the dim light of my bedside lamp
makes the atmosphere for a tired evening
“if you feel my love,”
you can come closer
but you don’t,
so you can’t.
neither can i
just lonely.
just quiet.
just peace.
despite all my words
i don’t have much to say
and none of it makes
any sense
but it’s ok.
let's just leave it be
at least tonight
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
on lethargy
ever have one of those days when you just cannot accomplish ... ANYTHING??
today was like that. yesterday was full of meetings, which sort of kills the day. then i went home to clean (yay for finally putting christmas away!) and followed that with some fun things (dye your hair, paint your nails, watch quirky british detective-meets-horticulture show) for myself; my reward for a crazy week last week.
today i planned to accomplish much. but after "settling in" at work took FAR more than the usual 20 minutes this morning, i kind of just putzed around until lunch, then rushed back for a meeting after which i ACOMPLISHED NOTHING. seriously, i know i did get some things done today, but i just felt so lethargic! i couldn't shake it either, so that was a little weird. usually i can shake it by taking a little walk, getting some fresh water, or chatting to a friend for a few minutes. today, no dice. i couldn't get focused. i couldn't even remember from one moment to the next what it was i was planning to do next!
yes, i know: tomorrow's another day! it will keep! it's ok to have days like this! we all do! but it certainly was a little disconcerting. not terrible, but i sure hope it doesn't continue into tomorrow or it will be a very very VERY long night - and that would not be good!
in a little bit, i'm off to small group to connect with friends and God's Word. here's hoping it resets both my energy and focus levels and makes tomorrow much more productive. ;)
today was like that. yesterday was full of meetings, which sort of kills the day. then i went home to clean (yay for finally putting christmas away!) and followed that with some fun things (dye your hair, paint your nails, watch quirky british detective-meets-horticulture show) for myself; my reward for a crazy week last week.
today i planned to accomplish much. but after "settling in" at work took FAR more than the usual 20 minutes this morning, i kind of just putzed around until lunch, then rushed back for a meeting after which i ACOMPLISHED NOTHING. seriously, i know i did get some things done today, but i just felt so lethargic! i couldn't shake it either, so that was a little weird. usually i can shake it by taking a little walk, getting some fresh water, or chatting to a friend for a few minutes. today, no dice. i couldn't get focused. i couldn't even remember from one moment to the next what it was i was planning to do next!
yes, i know: tomorrow's another day! it will keep! it's ok to have days like this! we all do! but it certainly was a little disconcerting. not terrible, but i sure hope it doesn't continue into tomorrow or it will be a very very VERY long night - and that would not be good!
in a little bit, i'm off to small group to connect with friends and God's Word. here's hoping it resets both my energy and focus levels and makes tomorrow much more productive. ;)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
I'm a bit late with this... it's from Christmastime...
Ssooo... I meant to post this that weekend after I got home...but was busy/tired/getting ready to go back to work. Not a good excuse, since I'd gotten most of it written (in my head at least) but, there you go.
*ahem* Fresh from December 28th, a recap of a very lovely movie day with my best friend. And yes, it includes reviews, a couple spoilers, and is quite long. I'm only a little sorry about that.
Our movie list for the day:
1. Jane Eyre (with Mia Wasikowska and Dame Judy Dench)
2. The Help
3. The Secret Garden (with Dame Maggie Smith)
4. Despicable Me
5. The King’s Speech
6. Becoming Jane
7. The Young Victoria
Jane Eyre. Jane was so good. This guy was the perfect Mr. Rochester. Not as mean as William Hurt’s version, not as creepy as the 2006 miniseries guy; and I never liked Ciaran Hinds as Edward. Timothy Dalton was ok, but a little … too overbearing; nevertheless he’s been my favorite Rochester so far. I loved Mia as Jane. I wasn’t sure what to expect with her coming from (the only other thing I’ve seen her in) Alice (with Johnny Depp). Now, I loved Alice, and loved her as Alice. BUT, that is a very different type of story and storytelling than Jane Eyre, which is such a classic. I love it. The only thing I didn’t love was St. John (“Sinjin”). He was mostly fine, and I liked him until he was angry and abrupt in the field near the end of the movie. It seemed out of character for him from every other version I’d seen, and the book as well (too over the top of a reaction, not pleading, but actually angry at Jane for not wanting to marry him). It’s my new favorite version of Jane, sorry Tim.
The Help. Such a good movie. It raises so many things that I never (and still don’t, really) understand about life then, where so many people believed those who weren’t white were less human, less important. And they were so often raised by those very people they looked down on! It makes me angry. Every time. But it so well depicted the few that were good, and the realities of crappy situations that the blacks had to go through and deal with and put up with in silence or be sent to jail, persecuted, or killed. God bless those who had the courage to speak up and speak out and stand up for themselves. And God bless those who listened. Such a good movie. And told well too. I can’t wait to read the book (yes, sorry, I did this one backwards…)
The Secret Garden. This is my favorite version with Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock. Seriously my favorite. The best telling of the story, the best Mary, the best Mr. Craven, Colin, Dickon, Martha…the best everything. Seriously, even if you don’t like this story, or think it’s stupid, or whatever, give this one a watch. At least once. The only part I don’t like is the bit with the fire and the calling to the “Great Magic.” It’s a bit… well, creepy to say the least. However, I love Mary’s transformation; the whole house’s transformation. So, it’s a favorite. All the old keys, the old house full of hundreds of rooms and even more secrets, it’s the perfect mystery and the perfect story of friendship, nature, and love. It’s even in my bestie’s top 10, and being the movie buff and lover that she is, that’s saying quite a lot.
Despicable Me. (skipped for time. Love it, but … it’d be after 2 in the morning if we kept it in, so since we’d both seen it, and we were too tired it was out!)
King’s Speech. (also skipped for time. Sort of sad we did, but I’ll be Netflixing it, you can be sure. Review to come.)
Becoming Jane. Anne Hathaway & James McAvoy in one of the best and saddest (if altered and imagined, at least a bit) love stories of all time. It’s sad, and happy, and exciting, and slow, and comfortable, and lonely, and disappointing, and terribly, terribly depressing… and I love it.
The Young Victoria. Again, how can you not love this movie. A real love story. So lovely, so beautiful. I love Emily Blunt – she’s perfect in this. I also love … uh, Mr. Wickham whose real name I can’t remember for the life of me who plays Prince Albert. He is fantastic in this movie. It is the perfect balance of manliness and gentleness. A man fully in love, and without much control with which to win over the woman he loves. But he does, of course. I also love the facts at the end – especially that after he died (at 42, no less), Victoria had his clothes laid out every morning in his memory until she died at the age of 80. A wonderful, sweet end to our day.
Leash, thanks again for sharing those couple days with me – I will forever remember it as truly relaxing and refreshing and uplifting. I love you, dear friend!
*ahem* Fresh from December 28th, a recap of a very lovely movie day with my best friend. And yes, it includes reviews, a couple spoilers, and is quite long. I'm only a little sorry about that.
Our movie list for the day:
1. Jane Eyre (with Mia Wasikowska and Dame Judy Dench)
2. The Help
3. The Secret Garden (with Dame Maggie Smith)
6. Becoming Jane
7. The Young Victoria
Jane Eyre. Jane was so good. This guy was the perfect Mr. Rochester. Not as mean as William Hurt’s version, not as creepy as the 2006 miniseries guy; and I never liked Ciaran Hinds as Edward. Timothy Dalton was ok, but a little … too overbearing; nevertheless he’s been my favorite Rochester so far. I loved Mia as Jane. I wasn’t sure what to expect with her coming from (the only other thing I’ve seen her in) Alice (with Johnny Depp). Now, I loved Alice, and loved her as Alice. BUT, that is a very different type of story and storytelling than Jane Eyre, which is such a classic. I love it. The only thing I didn’t love was St. John (“Sinjin”). He was mostly fine, and I liked him until he was angry and abrupt in the field near the end of the movie. It seemed out of character for him from every other version I’d seen, and the book as well (too over the top of a reaction, not pleading, but actually angry at Jane for not wanting to marry him). It’s my new favorite version of Jane, sorry Tim.
The Help. Such a good movie. It raises so many things that I never (and still don’t, really) understand about life then, where so many people believed those who weren’t white were less human, less important. And they were so often raised by those very people they looked down on! It makes me angry. Every time. But it so well depicted the few that were good, and the realities of crappy situations that the blacks had to go through and deal with and put up with in silence or be sent to jail, persecuted, or killed. God bless those who had the courage to speak up and speak out and stand up for themselves. And God bless those who listened. Such a good movie. And told well too. I can’t wait to read the book (yes, sorry, I did this one backwards…)
The Secret Garden. This is my favorite version with Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock. Seriously my favorite. The best telling of the story, the best Mary, the best Mr. Craven, Colin, Dickon, Martha…the best everything. Seriously, even if you don’t like this story, or think it’s stupid, or whatever, give this one a watch. At least once. The only part I don’t like is the bit with the fire and the calling to the “Great Magic.” It’s a bit… well, creepy to say the least. However, I love Mary’s transformation; the whole house’s transformation. So, it’s a favorite. All the old keys, the old house full of hundreds of rooms and even more secrets, it’s the perfect mystery and the perfect story of friendship, nature, and love. It’s even in my bestie’s top 10, and being the movie buff and lover that she is, that’s saying quite a lot.
Becoming Jane. Anne Hathaway & James McAvoy in one of the best and saddest (if altered and imagined, at least a bit) love stories of all time. It’s sad, and happy, and exciting, and slow, and comfortable, and lonely, and disappointing, and terribly, terribly depressing… and I love it.
The Young Victoria. Again, how can you not love this movie. A real love story. So lovely, so beautiful. I love Emily Blunt – she’s perfect in this. I also love … uh, Mr. Wickham whose real name I can’t remember for the life of me who plays Prince Albert. He is fantastic in this movie. It is the perfect balance of manliness and gentleness. A man fully in love, and without much control with which to win over the woman he loves. But he does, of course. I also love the facts at the end – especially that after he died (at 42, no less), Victoria had his clothes laid out every morning in his memory until she died at the age of 80. A wonderful, sweet end to our day.
Leash, thanks again for sharing those couple days with me – I will forever remember it as truly relaxing and refreshing and uplifting. I love you, dear friend!
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