Life and Love and Why

De-Hulk-ifying

2008-05-19T14:26:00.002-04:00

The other day I was in the car with one of my youth and we somehow got to joking that I turn into the Incredible Hulk when I'm upset. We were only joking, but I think anyone with a temper or mood swings can sort of understand the feeling of becoming something scary and beyond one's own control. If I have been a confused and moody Hulk-type creature the past few days, I'm starting to shrink back into some version of myself.

Yesterday I came home from church and slept from 1-5 pm. This did not do much to help my insanely out of wack sleep habits, but I did feel somewhat better afterwards. The evening was one of those rare times that my family is (mostly) all in one place and getting along. Erin is in Honduras, but Kellan, Kieron and Troy were all home, so Mom insisted on having a family dinner.

This used to be a daily thing, but lately everyone has been busy enough that one of my purses sat on the dinner table for about two weeks after we got back from California without being the way. We are definitely still creatures of habit, though. I accidentally sat in Kellan's seat, because Troy was in my seat, because Kieron was in Troy's seat. The offense was bad enough that Kellan picked up my juice and moved it to Erin's seat; I had no choice but to follow my juice. After this we had a whole meal with no fighting and then watched Juno as a family.

Today I am having a slightly productive day. My plan is to get one or two loads of laundry done, and start packing up for Camp. I also ordered a cardigan to wear at Ashlee's wedding (I don't want to officiate a wedding with bare shoulders). If I can make it to the bank and Walmart, I will call this day a success.

Heart Pulled to Pieces

2008-05-18T03:55:00.003-04:00

How's that for an emo title, kids? Its never a good sign when I'm blogging at 4 am, but this one's been in the works for awhile. In the last few months I have resigned my first ministry job, finished my first full-time year of seminary, weathered a church crisis, and I continue to grieve Bud's death. Needless to say, my heart is feeling pretty raw right now. In the next three weeks I finish up youth group for the school year, transition to camp, perform a wedding, preach a Sunday, have Graduate Sunday, finish up confirmation projects, and launch our church's process of adopting Safe Sanctuary guidelines.

So... I'm not even sure how to put my current feelings into words. I feel sad. I'm feeling like I don't have time to feel my feelings because I should be doing the long list of things I have to do. I want to be with my friends, but when I'm with them I worried that I'm being too much of a downer. The bright spot in the last few months has been my youth group - I can't say how proud I am of them, and bonding more with them is making it so much harder to leave my job.

Don't worry, though. This is a phase, and one that I have been through enough times to recognize. This is what happens when God is tearing my world to shreds in order to rebuild it. That sounds more dramatic than I mean it to. God always puts things together better than I could. I trust God to do whatever God wants with my life (I do have a few suggestions, however). Between my faith and my exhaustion I can't do anything but go with the flow, and wait for that wonderful moment when the tightly wound feeling in my chest begins to unwind.

Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never been this way before
All you can do is try to know who your friends are
As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye

- Regina Spektor, "The Call" (At the end of Prince Caspian)

Why I don't bake....

2008-05-11T02:48:00.004-04:00

A conversation that I had with a youth group dad the other day:

Me: I like to cook, but I don't have time to. I'm only home for dinner about one day a week. I don't really bake though, because its a lot more -
Him: Feminine.
Me: ...Precise.
Him: Oh, that's true. Haha.
Me: Are you saying I'm too manly to bake?

Hilarious. Obviously he meant that I was tomboyish and not that I was manly. I hope. This conversation happened while I was making strawberry shortcake, whipped cream, and butter from scratch, with a bunch of teenagers. It was a little sketchy but things came out awesome. Who says I can't be domestic?

Moment of Sadness

2008-05-05T19:05:00.004-04:00

A saint of our church, Bud, died about a week and a half ago. He has been a leader, and as Pastor Amy likes to say, a pastor in our church for many years.

Tolkien wrote that fairy stories help us to work out the truth in our own lives, by allowing us to explore truth in other worlds. The archetypes and patterns in these stories are comforting because they translate easily into our own lives. In times of grief and struggle, these stories have often helped me to give voice to my own pain, and lately I have been thinking about Bud in light of the mentor archetype.

In trying to describe what he means to me, I have been telling people that he was the "Moses of our church." He lived the life of a prophet, urging us to do the difficult work of moving forward and reaching out. He has been instrumental in starting new ministries, and in blending our three congregations into one community of faith. As we continue to live into the vision God has given us, it is tempting to say, "What will we do without Bud?"

In the last month or so, as our church and youth group has weathered some storms, I have missed Bud’s presence. He has supported and encouraged me since I was a teenager, treating me with respect, honoring my ministry, and even making sure I was being paid “enough to live on.” I have been thinking about the moment in stories, when the mentor figure dies and the hero has to learn to stand on his or her own. The mentor rarely lives to see the vision fulfilled. In these stories, the hero despairs, not knowing that the mentor will somehow reappear later and everything will be made right.

Tolkien also says that these stories point us to the hope that we have in the resurrection; death is not the end, and someday things will be made right. Eventually, we learn that the mentor has taught us enough to help us reach the eucatastrophe. I have always paused at the moment in a story when all seems lost, because unless we feel the despair, we don’t full appreciate the “joyful upturn.” Today I am poised in that moment of sadness, but the stories I know are moving me gently toward joy.

To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. - Dumbledore

Caution: Stimulate Wisely

2008-05-01T11:45:00.009-04:00

Well, people have started to get their economic stimulus checks. Let the mall madness ensue. In past generations, it was a person's duty to be prudent and frugal. Now, somehow we've come to a point where it is our patriotic duty to keep shopping. So wait, how did we end up in a mess of credit card debt, foreclosed mortgages and empty savings accounts?

I know that economics is complicated, but I can't help believing that a lot of our global problems stem partly from this uber-consumer mentality. But since the checks are coming out, and I am no economist, I will just make a plea that people buy less and spend wisely.

Here are some suggestions:

Save some of the money. As a nation we are spending more than we are saving. This is a problem, because then when things get rocky we don't have enough to sustain ourselves.

Supplement your food budget. The cost of food is rising! Buy local when you can, because shipping food long distances raises food costs, uses more fuel, and pollutes the earth.

Buy something you need, but can't necessarily afford. If you are thinking about upgrading to more energy efficient appliances, this might be a good time to do it. My TV is on its last leg, so I'm going to put some money aside to buy a new one.

Support products and causes that you believe in. If we buy from companies that have practices that are socially and environmentally ethical, more companies will jump on board (look at the organic trend). When we can afford to, we can practice responsible consumption by seeking out companies with the best practices (which are often more expensive).

Donate to charity, especially those that deal with hunger. In the Old Testament, a person was entitled to what they needed to survive. The have-nots were supported on the excess of the haves. Food prices are hitting the poorest people the hardest, and we have an opportunity to do something to help out.

Just some suggestions... shopping isn't the cause of our problems, but it isn't the solution either.

© 2008 Megan Shitama

More Primate Danger

2008-04-29T03:01:00.002-04:00

It started with Chimps using spears. But guess what. Chimps aren't the only problem. Orangutans have spears too now. Thank you Relevant for alerting the masses.

Wives, Obey Your Husbands...?

2008-04-22T22:06:00.004-04:00

In Bible Study on Friday I found myself in an all-female group, looking at 1 Peter 3:1-7. Well, actually it was next to the passage we were going to read, and I decided we'd read this one instead. This passage is part of one of the household codes in the New Testament.

As we were reading, Megan G. flipped back a page and said, "I wanted to see what they were talking about before... and they were talking about slaves." Yes, first they tell slaves that they should accept the authority of their masters and that if they are punished unjustly - lucky them - they get to suffer like Christ! Then they tell wives to submit to their husbands even if the husbands don't obey the word. Needless to say we read this passage with mixed feelings. As often happens, everyone looked at me with expressions that said "why are you making us read this???"

We shared some reactions to the passage... will a husband's prayers really be hindered if they do not honor their wives? Why does it talk about Sarah calling Abraham lord? It would kind of such to be Sarah at times. What do we do with these instructions?

We happen to be studying these codes in my New Testament class right now (which is partly why I wanted to hear what my friends' insights were). Today we looked at three different Biblical household codes. As it happens, the message of Christianity was liberating to women, slaves, widows, the poor, etc early on. Women held leadership and teaching roles in the church. Paul said there was neither slave nor free, Jew nor Gentile, woman nor man in Christ.

This message of liberation had the potential to upset the social system of the day, though, so eventually they started to use writings like these codes to show people outside the church that Christians were keeping the social customs. This was not just a PR move. Although these codes undermined the freedom that people were granted in Christ, they added expectations for husbands and masters. This was fairly counter-cultural. Men were told that while they had authority over their wives, children and slaves, they also had obligations to treat them as Christ would.

It seems to me these codes are a great example of what happens when something that is progressive for its time becomes an unchanging standard. So much harm has been done this way; these passages are still used to justify domestic violence and oppression of women. The New Testament is a conversation between different voices who were praying and writing about what it means to live as a Christian. The speak to us from a time before there were set standards and doctrines. The husband-wife relationship prescribed in these codes is liberating in its context; when we bring it into today's world it is oppressive. If we do not continue to push the limits of our understanding of scripture to be more inclusive and liberating, we risk robbing the Gospel of its power.

© 2008 Megan Shitama

Scary

2008-04-05T23:57:00.002-04:00

I went to Ashlee's bridal shower today, which was fun. Afterwards, we had a conversation about things that scare us. I can't exactly remember how it started, but it was pretty fun. Here is a list of 10 things we are afraid of, ranked by level of threat to us in ascending order.

10. Octopuses. This didn't actually come up, but it is well-known that Bryna is afraid of them.

9. Scary Babies. Nothing is scarier than scary babies. If a toddler or child is demon possessed and attacks you, you can't just fight back. At the very least you're going to hesitate because its a baby.

8. Pooping while giving birth. It can be embarrassing, and apparently it can cause mental retardation.

7. Radio waves. They've got to be doing something crazy to us. With the Bluetooth and the WiFi and the cell towers and stuff...

6. Genetically modified food. Ashlee did a paper on this topic in college and her assessment is that its "way sketch." Watch for her upcoming movie "Anthropologically Blonde."

5. Conflict in the Middle East. Obviously this is a big deal.

4. Chimps with spears. How scary is this? They are developing technology to take over. And as with babies, if a chimp attacks you, you are going to hesitate before fighting back because they are furry and human-like.

3. Robots taking over the world. My phone is smarter than me, my roomba creeps me out, and I'm afraid my Bluetooth headset is going to crawl into my ear and take over my brain. And if a person built this robot and put my phone in it as a brain, we would seriously be in trouble.

2. Chimps and Robots together. I admit, I got this theory from Relevant podcast, but its a scary prospect.

1. Scientists might create a black hole in Geneva that would swallow the earth. But don't worry, they're pretty sure that won't happen.

Valleys

2008-04-05T02:11:00.005-04:00

In ministry (and life in faith, and life in general), mountaintop moments are generally followed by valleys of struggle. This week has been a difficult one. Not crappy week difficult, but losing sleep and feeling nauseous difficult. I know that God is seeing me through this, because I can see all of the grace in my life. I am surrounded by people who are smarter than me and willing to advise me. I have the benefit of experience that has proven helpful. I serve a wonderful group of kids and a loving group of parents. I have people to call when I'm melting down.

There are moments, though, where the weight of empathy gets to be too much. I always think about my counseling textbook defining empathy as experiencing another person's feelings as if they were one's own, but without losing the "as if" quality. I think I lose the "as if" quality sometimes. There is so much pain in the world that it can be overwhelming. If more people knew how much their friends and neighbors were carrying around or living with, we might have a more compassionate world.

Meanwhile I am totally aware that it is by the grace of God I am able to navigate these situations with some amount of... non-failure. God really is good, even when sucky things happen.

And though the pain is an ocean
Tossing us around, around, around
You have calmed greater waters
Higher mountains have come down

I will sing of Your mercy
That leads me through valleys of sorrow
To rivers of joy

- Jars of Clay

my heart strangely warmed

2008-03-30T23:15:00.002-04:00

Today was a great day in the midst of a blur of slightly frantic days. I have been running back and forth between school and work, and God broke through the busyness and got my attention. I started my day tired and cranky, and had three worship services to sit through.

The three services ended up being such a blessing. The scripture for today was on Thomas, which I love. I took communion three times, which was nice. One of my confirmation students gave an excellent presentation on Justifying and Sanctifying grace (with a poem and singing). Each of the confirmands is going to give a presentation on some topic we covered over the next few months.

In the third service, after I took communion, I knelt at the altar to pray and felt a rush of gratitude. I felt that thirst for God that is too easily (and too often) drowned out by other thoughts and feelings. I prayed to be filled with God's Spirit.

We only had one student come to the middle school group, so we did some reflection on scripture and then spent time hanging out.

Our high school meeting tonight was also about the Thomas scripture, and I talked about how God knows our needs and our doubts. I tend to focus on discipleship and justice a lot, and I shy away from plans that deal with "getting saved," because a relationship with God is so much more complex and deep than a list of sins being erased. Tonight, though, I made space for personal time with God. We spent the last 15 minutes praying and reflecting on our relationships with God. Of course this would be the week that we had a visitor who is not really Christian, but I assured him that we did not have any expectations, and he could use the time as he pleased.

At the end we stood in a circle and prayed. When it was our visitor's turn, I was surprised to hear him thank God for showing him that not all Christians are the stereotypical people with a list of what is bad and what is good. My heart almost overflowed at that point! Since I started this work, it has been on my heart to create a safe place where youth can feel comfortable and accepted no matter who they are. As I looked around the group, it was clear that this was finally happening. God is so good.

The Shredder on Eli Stone

2008-03-27T23:45:00.001-04:00

Oh My Gosh. I love the show Eli Stone! It's like Alley McBeal with a spiritual edge. And Jonny Lee Miller. Oh and Victor Garber. And better singing and dancing! And... an wise Asian acupuncturist/spiritual guide with a fake Chinese accent... who is played by a Japanese-American guy.

Tonight I looked at imdb.com, and was looking at the different actors' histories. I discovered that not only did James Saito (Dr. Chen) do cameos on a bunch of shows, but he was the Shredder. That's right. He was freakin' Oroko Saki in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This show just keeps getting better.

Presidents and Religion

2008-03-14T22:57:00.008-04:00

Some brief thoughts on religion and the Presidential process. For a longer version, go here.

* Our country was founded on a limited kind of freedom. Our founding fathers were white, privileged deists who owned slaves. We've had to take things one step at a time and we're not done.

* Not only is it untrue that Obama is a Muslim, but it is offensive to me that this is such a problem. Saying that we shouldn't vote for a Muslim because they might be a terrorist is like saying we shouldn't vote for an Evangelical because they might be an abortion-clinic-bombing- gay-person-murdering- woman-oppressing- Conservative.

* Obama is a professing member of the UCC. In fact, the UCC members in my acquaintance are some of the most racially and socially inclusive people I know.

* Meanwhile, George W. Bush is a United Methodist who doesn't have much in common with the UMC social positions, but aligns himself instead with more conservative religious leaders.

* Hillary Clinton, who is considered too secular by a lot of people, was apparently pretty active at Foundry UMC, and takes part in a bi-partisan Bible study with other Senators.

* John McCain is a fairly secular candidate, who called the likes of Jerry Falwell "agents of intolerance" because he does things like blame the 9/11 Attacks on gays, feminists, and lesbians, but now he has to suck up to them to secure his party's support.

* As for Obama's pastor, I don't know the larger context of his "God Damn America" speech, and his words are definitely incendiary, but the frustration over racial inequality is real. Lets not forget that challenging our nation does not make us "unpatriotic." We are the land of free speech, after all.

PS. Why is it that Republicans have to suck up to people who blame homosexuals for the ills of society, and Democrats have to apologize for being associated with people who cross the line in the fight for racial and gender equality? I'm not sure either one of those things is fair.

What the Duck?

2008-03-13T01:07:00.005-04:00

I just woke up my parents because our duck was quacking excessively. Yes, that's right. At 1 am. My room is in the back corner of our house, so I'm the only one who hears it. Sometimes it actually wakes me up, but that's not why I woke up my parents up. I woke them up because they asked me to wake them up if the duck started quacking in the middle of the night.

We've been through (I think) 5 or 6 ducks so far; they all keep dying or getting eaten. So now we have one left. We had ducklings a few weeks ago but as it turns out we also have a fox around here. So we have just the momma duck left.

So I went downstairs tonight, thinking to myself, "they really did ask me to wake them up if the duck quacked, right?" And they did. So my dad went out with one of the dogs and my mom took a flashlight. Now they are back in bed and the duck is still quacking. It really is like Noah's ark around here.

New Camp Video!

2008-03-12T21:48:00.002-04:00

Here's our new promotional video for Camp! Take a look and share it with others!

Lost Madness

2008-03-11T20:50:00.002-04:00

While we are waiting to fill out our brackets for March Madness, I had stumbled upon a Lost Madness competition on Washington Post's web page. They paired up 64 characters from Lost, and are already on the second round, but you can still vote.

One of the pairings I voted on was Ben Linus vs. Alex Rousseau. Like 95% of people thought Ben would win, and I suppose he probably would, but think about this: Alex is the biological daughter of the butt-kicking, booby trap rigging crazy Danielle, and has been raised by Ben who is possibly the most skilled manipulator in fiction. She's not there yet, but I suggest that Alex has the potential to be unstoppable ruler of the island eventually. That would be awesome.

How old is "Old"?

2008-03-08T23:04:00.002-05:00

As far as my camp friends go, I am on the older end of the spectrum... something they remind me of often. I hung out with my friend Megan today. We generally consider ourselves to be the same age, but every once and awhile I will say something to my friends who are younger than 21 or 22 and get total blank stares because they are too young to know what I'm talking about (don't know what My So-Called Life is???) Just because I can remember the 80s....

Age came up a lot in our conversations today. I was personally really excited to be hanging out with someone who is old enough to drink AND doesn't have kids. That's a demographic I wish I saw more of. We talked a bit about how weird it is that all of the sudden we have to start making decisions that we don't feel old enough to make. Finding jobs? Serious relationships? Paying bills? Taxes and health insurance? We agreed that it makes a small age difference seem big, because all of the sudden life changes drastically.

"My age" used to mean exactly my age, my grade in school. Now it kind of depends on the situation and who I'm talking to. At church "my age" means anyone in their twenties. With people in their twenties, it probably means somewhere in the mid twenties. And, I suspect, when talking to kids and teenagers, "my age" means people who are like kind of old but not really old. Like, I got my driver's license when gas was 99 cents a gallon and we still used pay phones at school.

I've heard that 50 is the new 30. I guess that makes 30 the new... 25? And 25 the new... 20? At the same time, I recently heard someone on NPR say that 30 is the new 50. So many people are accomplished at young ages now that there's more pressure for people in their 20's to be together and impressive. At 23, Mark Zuckerberg is a billionaire. He's younger than me! Panic, etc.

But no one can express the angst of my generation like Jessica Simpson: "Well, 23 is old! Its almost 25 and 25 is almost mid-twenties!"

True Life: I'm Dating Jesus

2008-03-05T22:16:00.005-05:00

I recently started a quarterlife profile, and posted my sermon on single life there . Some people asked if they could read it so I posted it online.

Also, I really like the show quarterlife.

Track? Which Track?

2008-03-01T01:16:00.000-05:00

It is starting to sink in that I don't have a plan for after December.

I love plans. I actually have lots of thoughts about what to do, but its kind of just a soup of things I want to do, with nothing concrete materializing. People are constantly asking me what I'm going to do after I've finished working at my job, and I don't mind, but I don't have much of an answer to give at this point.

And then I've been getting my paperwork together for my annual meeting with dCOM (District Committee on Ministry). My candidacy mentor told me today that the meetings are just so that they can make sure I'm on track (meaning, I am discerning my call and making my way through the candidacy process for ordination). Ultimately I'm supposed to be figuring out whether I want to be on the Deacon track or the Elder track, what kind of ministry I am called to, what kind of degree I want, etc. And I have plenty of time to do so.

But I've been developing a negative reaction to the word "track." I'm supposed to be figuring out what track I'm on and right now I don't really want to be on a track. I have been on a track my whole life. Part of me wants to be a bum for awhile, to shun responsibility and have fun.

The last few nights I've been really restless and unable to sleep. I keep thinking about all of the things that I have to do and all of the things that I want to do. I'm getting antsy the way I do when I haven't traveled in a few months (isn't that ridiculous?). I'm starting to stress the way I do when I know that I'm not going to have much time for friends for a few weeks. Right now I am obsessed with the desire to re-arrange my furniture but my room is too messy and my furniture is too big for me to move it myself.

I know things will work out, and its not that I'm discontented with my life right now. This is the problem with being a person who loves plans but is sick of living according to a plan.

Check These Out

2008-02-25T17:24:00.000-05:00

Here are some headlines to check out and a little commentary. Don't worry, in an attempt to not be totally depressing, I added some headlines from CNN.com's entertainment page.

Sudan restarts Darfur Bombing. Even China is calling for Sudan to let peacekeeping forces do their job.

Britney Spears visits her sons. Britney finally said, "'Ello love" to her sons after two months. Meanwhile the media does their best to make her the new Anna Nicole Smith.

Study on American Faith. What? People are growing up and leaving their home churches?

Fighting over Obama picture. I am completely depressed that a picture of Obama in traditional African garb and turban is an issue. He's a professing member of a mainline US church, but would it be so bad if he was Muslim? Newsflash people: not all Muslims are terrorists. Do all Christians bomb abortion clinics?

Huckabee on SNL. Mike Huckabee continues to prove that he is either crazy, or an elaborate hoax masterminded by Stephen Colbert.

Life for Afghan women. It sucks to be a woman in Afghanistan, and people are losing interest in helping to make things better. Helping women in Afghanistan is so 2002.

"B*tch is the new black!" Video of Tina Fey commenting on Hillary Clinton. Heck yes. I may not have voted for Hillary, but I still think a lot of the arguments against her are stupid.

Food shortages around the world. As the possible recession in America makes it difficult for middle class people to shop at Whole Foods, the poor in this country and others are going hungry.

More Friendly Clothing

2008-02-24T14:09:00.001-05:00

I'm always on the lookout for socially and environmentally ethical companies, but it seems they are tracking me down now. I got a catalog in the mail from Horny Toad Activewear, and I'm not sure why. Anyway, its a clothing company that supports a lot of different charities and organizations, particularly a couple for people with developmental disabilities. They also have a guarantee that if you don't get a compliment on an item of clothing in three wearings, you can get a refund or replacement.

In looking at some of the clothing I did some looking into different fibers that they mentioned in some of the clothing. I noticed that some things were made of Supima Cotton, which is evidentially a kind of cotton produced by an association of American cotton-growers. I'm not really sure where they stand on organics and ethical production, and its not necessarily a safe assumption that things made in the US are made ethically. Also, cotton growers in developing countries are struggling to gain a fair share of international trade, that is one reason I support Gap Product(Red) even though Gap's labor history is bad (though improving); the shirts are made from African cotton in South Africa and Lesotho and half the price goes to the treatment and prevention of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

I also looked up Tencel, and got a pleasant surprise. I recently blogged about a sweater vest I bought that was made of merino wool and Tencel. Well, apparently Tencel is made from wood pulp cellulose, and although it is more expensive, its a fairly eco-friendly process, and has a lot of useful properties. It wicks naturally, and prevents bacteria from growing in the clothing, and is "soft as silk, strong as polyester, cool as linen, warm as wool and as absorbent as cotton." Granted, that's from the company that makes it. I read a blog that described the process, as well as the possible downside of this material. Its pretty amazing actually.

Soon to be Unemployed

2008-02-18T00:13:00.001-05:00

I announced today in church (and last Sunday in youth group) that I am resigning from my job. I'm going to work through December, though, so that I can help with the transition and make sure we find a good replacement. I have very mixed feelings about it, but now that I have assured everyone that I am still part of the church and will be part of the youth ministry, I am getting excited.

A few months ago, I had to decide if I am going to start my ministry internship for seminary next year. I have to do four semesters of internship, which would prevent me from taking a semester off to travel or jump at a mission opportunity. So, I went away to the National Youth Worker Convention, and by the end of the weekend God had convinced me that it was time to resign. Besides wanting to travel and do missions, I began to feel this summer that I am being called into outdoor ministry in some form. About the same time, Pam and I concluded that since we are both single and in our mid-20's, we should take advantage of the freedom we have. We can be settled and stable when we are married with kids!

So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'm definitely going to stay a part of my churches, and I've volunteered to oversee Confirmation for another year at least. I am kind of excited at the prospect of being in youth ministry as a volunteer, and having a little time to preach more and maybe join the worship band. As for what doors God will open, who knows. It is definitely a sign of God's grace in my life that I (who hates change and uncertainly) am going headfirst into both change and uncertainty.

Come back SNL, Come back!

2008-02-16T23:35:00.000-05:00

NBC has been rerunning 2007 episodes of SNL since the writer's strike started, and I can't wait for new episodes. I really feel that the American political process needs the kind of commentary that Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler provide. Actually, I can't wait to see who will play Barak Obama (Maya Rudolf?).

Meanwhile, last year's episodes are hilarious, because they all talk about how Hillary Clinton is the presumptive winner of the Presidential election, and how the media has decided that they want her to win. That must make her current position all the more bitter.

I'm so glad the writier's strike is over. I can't wait to see SNL portray Huckabee....

Valentine's Day Date(s)

2008-02-15T21:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the best Valentine's Day I've ever had. It's hard to explain why it was so great; it wasn't even an out of the ordinary day.

I went to covenant group first thing and talked to Amy and Jen about the Maryland Primary results, and Jen told me about her family seeing Rent. After that I visited Bud and Marilyn. Bud is one of the pillars of our church, and he has cancer. He's been stuck at home for a couple weeks, so I stopped by to chat. I told him that I'm resigning my job (have I mentioned that on here yet?) and he was very supportive of my plans. I went to the office and did some work, and while I was there my dad dropped off my new phone. Then I taught confirmation (and noticed that there is lots of infatuation blooming in our class), and ate at our church's weekly fellowship dinner.

Maybe it was such a great Valentine's Day because I didn't hear about it being Valentine's Day until it was half over. More likely it was because I was busy doing things I like and seeing people I care about; it was full of all the things that make my life fulfilling.

David Palmer for President

2008-02-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

Jen asked me if I think Mike Huckabee looks at all like President Logan from 24. Why.... yes, yes he does. I knew there was a reason I didn't quite trust him. Of course, besides party affiliation, I'm not sure how similar they are. In fact, Logan was very unlikable (and I couldn't find any pictures of him smiling), whereas Mike Huckabee is very likeable (all smiling pictures online) and I'd vote for him if wasn't against just about everything I stand for. As it happens, apparently lots of people have noticed the resemblance.

President Logan Mike Huckabee

Now the more important question is: Does Barack Obama remind you at all of President Palmer? Of course, they don't really look anything alike, but I have to say there have been times during this campaign that Barack said things that reminded me of the very president who got me through a couple years of the Bush Administration. When he was assassinated, my hopes died with him. But now, my hopes have been resurrected by another friendly and inspiring African-American man. And this one is a real person!

Big Fat Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T21:54:00.000-05:00

Or, since today I was corrected when I said Fat Tuesday, we could call it Mardi Gras Super.

All through Church History tonight several of us were following the primary coverage online. During the break, one of my classmates actually read out the list of percentages in each state. It's cool to be around so many people who are excited - and hopeful - about the elections. At this point I'm excited that the Democratic race is so close.

That said, I'll throw out some more Obama support in the form of a sweet video.

Or, if you're looking for more substantial information, here's a cool piece I read in the Independent. The picture is from the rally I attended in Wilmington on Sunday (he won Delaware)! The rally was amazing because there was a truly diverse crowd - black, white, young, old. People you'd never expect to see at a political event mingled with people still dressed up from church. Teenagers were jumping and climbing on top of port-a-potties to see, and parents were lifting their children up to get a glimpse.

This is quite the exciting race!