I Never Do This

I hate to quit on a book once I've given it any time at all, but here I am doing it for the second time in a month. I loved The Divine Conspiracy the first time I read it and expect to again someday, but right now something in me wants to read a story.

How's that for Absolute Truth?

The yellow mouse in the dream said to me, "You've never learned anything from anyone who was objective about the matter."

And he was right.

Early Leader for Quote of the Week:

"I've got a pretzel bag at home. These are better than a pretzel bag."
--M.W.

41 Days

It's Only Life After All

A look back over my most recent posts is kind of discouraging. A quote. A list. A one-line review of a CD. The words to a song I didn't write. It’s not that there hasn’t been time for a longer entry--and I like those better-- it’s that I haven’t had much to say lately. Or at least not much worth saying. I’ve been a bit dry and rather than appear to have abandoned the blog altogether I’ve tried to keep at it with the brief and seemingly less important (or at least less interesting) stuff. But here’s the thing: This is my life. It is what it is. It’s not a novel and if it were a movie very few people would go to see it. If I approach my life like I’m tempted to approach this blog--if I allow myself to believe that it’s the big stuff that matters--then I miss all of the “ordinary” reality that makes life life. A quote. A list. A one-line review of a new CD. The words to a song I didn't write. I wonder sometimes if the disappointment that so many people (perhaps especially people doing the American Christian Thing) feel about their lives has to do with their constant craving for the spectacular. For something that seems significant. For something that feels big. Are we so programmed to want to do “big things for God,“ to want to “dream dreams so big that they’ll fail if God is not in them” that we blind ourselves to the vital pulse that beats in the day-to-day? What I think is that maybe there is no little stuff. That maybe Tasha’s right about The Ordinary. That the every-day, unimpressive bits of life--a Sunday afternoon nap with my wife, the latest $14 slice of beauty I’ve picked up at Media Play, the turkey and bacon sandwich today with Gary and Burton, my giggly excitement at the fact that we’re 42 days from the beginning of baseball season, a night at The Comet with friends, lunch with Kevin, a running email conversation with a friend whose voice I only hear once a year, an evening on the couch in my underpants (or out of them)--this is my life. Dramatic or not, interesting to anyone or not, purpose-driven or not, this is my life It is what it is. And I kinda like it.

Still More New Music

Cameron's record is really nice.

Something I read in a Magazine

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
--Philo of Alexandria

"Feels Like Home"

The new Norah Jones CD is nice. Not as good as her first, but not many are.

Do With This What You Will

Free in You
By emily saliers

A hard knock, a cold clock ticking off my time
A long look but no luck, couldn’t seem to find or unwind into peace of mind
Though I was trying

A quick glance, a big chance, my heart beat like a drum
I saw you and I knew chances just don’t come ‘round again
Not like this, first the laugh, then the kiss

And I’m free in you
Got no worries on my mind, I know what to do
That’s to treat you right and love you kind
Thank you ever on my mind
Love is just like breathing when it’s true
And I’m free in you

The lost time, the self crime, my big mistakes
The clear voice of bad choice sounding like an ache in my day
Not too bad but too real to go away

But now I’m free in you
Got no worries on my mind, I know what to do
That’s to treat you right and love you kind
Thank you ever on my mind
Love is just like breathing when it’s true
And I’m free in you

And I don’t know how you show such gentle disregard
For the ugly in me that I see that for so long I took so hard
But I truly believe that you see the best in me
I’m enough for your love and the thought sets me free in you…

Got no worries on my mind, I know what to do
That’s to treat you right and love you kind
Thank you ever on my mind
Love is just like breathing when it’s true
And I’m free in you

I Love Them So

Bought the new Indigo Girls record yesterday. Nice.

And Peter Gammons Says:

"One night against the Detroit Tigers we may see a game that never ends!"

Hmm...

Can Nomar play second?

It's Official

Greatest Lineup of All Time:

1. Kenny Lofton (CF)
2. Derek Jeter (SS)
3. Alex Rodreguez (3B)
4. Jason Giambi (1B)
5. Gary Sheffield (RF)
6. Bernie Williams (DH)
7. Jorge Posada (C)
8. Hideki Matsui (LF)
9. Miguel Cairo (2B)

This is gonna be fun.

Thank You, Aaron Boone

I want to be excited about the prospect of ARod becoming a Yankee, but I'm trying to hold back until it’s a done deal. Something could yet go wrong—the deal still has to be approved by Selig and the Players Association. Hopefully soon. Still, it’s so perfect of the Yankees. “Hmm…We need a third baseman, let’s get the best player in baseball--second greatest shortstop of all time (anybody beside my wife know who’s the first?)--and switch him to third.” All for only $25 million a year. Beautiful.

In other (and in lots of ways, equally exciting) news, we “had church” in my living room today and I can’t imagine it could have been much better. A meal together, Patty Griffin and Indigo Girls on the stereo, time given to the Lectionary, a wonderfully honest conversation about why we do what we do… I want to do it again—soon. I can hear that ratchet snapping again.

We Made It.

And by the way, pitchers and catchers reported today to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays spring training--first team in the Bigs to do so this year. Beautiful.

I Tried

I'm bailing on Norris's book, at least for now. It's just not doing anything for me.

50 First Dates

Loved it.

From "Harvey"

“Years ago my mother used to say to me, she’d say, ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be—‘ (She always called me Elwood.) ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be oh, so smart or oh, so pleasant.’ Well for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.”

Why I Love My Wife, Reason #70

I rode with Ruthie to take Holly home and at one point she turned to me and said, “Thank you for coming with me so I didn’t have to ride home alone.”

“Oh honey,” I said in my cheesiest hyper-spiritual voice, “You’re never alone.”

“I know,” she said. “I always have my little bird with me.” And she flipped me off.

As if There's Any Doubt

Just picked up the new Norah Jones CD. I'll let you know.

But Why do we Still Have to Call it Something?

Beers and wings last night with Justin & Michael--and we get to call it Church. I have to admit, it's getting better. A little better all the time.

A Heads-Up

Indigo Girls are playing a show on Friday, March 19 in Columbus. You can get tickets from Ticketmaster--and you should.

Something Henry Said

"Frozen disbelief thawing into doubt"

Nice.

My Faith is Becoming my Own

It's not my mom's.
It's not my dad's.
It's not my sister's.
It's not the Biblical School's.
It's not Saint Paul's.
It certainly isn't Josh McDowell's.
It's not C.S. Lewis's
It's not the Oakland Christian Church's.
It's not Louie Weber's.
It's not Rich Mullins's.
It's not Saint Francis's.
It's not Brennan Manning's.
It's not Owen Meany's.
It's not Ken Read's.
It's not Brian McLaren's.
It's not Tasha's.
It's not Ted's.
It's not yours.

It's mine.

More from the Dalai Lama

"I believe that to meet the challenge of the next century, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for his or her own self, family or nation, but for the benefit of all mankind."

Dude's smart.

And Another Thing

Whatever happened to Toni Braxton? I just heard "Unbreak My Heart" for the first time in forever. Wonderful.

So Much Water Moving Underneath the Bridge

Today is my four year anniversary at The Home Depot.

So You Wanna be a Homeowner...

14 degrees below...pipes freeze...pipes burst...water everywhere...spent the weekend trying to do it ourselves...plumber's on the way...

Big Fish

Go see it.