The war on Christmas

Today at work a woman called and our conversation went like this:

Woman: I saw your ad in Homes Magazine. It said "Happy Holidays." I was wondering what holiday is was.
Me: ... Excuse me?
Woman: What holiday is it?
Me: Christmas.
Woman: That's right. (Click)

Now, it's not that I do not understand her point. I'm a Christian, I celebrate Christmas. As a matter of fact that are several devout Christians in my office. (To clarify, we even had another ad in the newspaper that said "Merry Christmas.") That said, I do not understand how people rationalize being rude to other people for the sake of Christmas. What sense does it make to make a "war" out of the arrival of the Prince of Peace? This is another one of the reason's Christians look like such jerks to other people. We have our priorities completely mixed up. If you want to celebrate Christmas, don't spend your time calling local businesses and being rude because of their ads. Celebrate Christmas by being Christ-like. There's enough war already in this world. Let's please not go around making more of it.

Matisyahu

I know it's not a new song, but I love Matisyahu's "Jerusalem (out of darkness comes light)." It makes me happy.

We're working on it

I went to see Melanie in Romney this weekend. I drove up to my sister's house in Fairmont friday and drove the rest of the way to Hampshire county saturday morning. Mel and I hiked a mountain on the border of West Virginia and Virginia saturday. Here are some pictures.

Lately

1. Our church had a baptismal service sunday. I love seeing baptisms. It reminds me of my own in the same way a person watching a wedding remembers their wedding vows.
2. Did I mention that the Derek Webb show was amazing? It was.
3. I gave my cat a bath this morning before work. Normally, I wouldn't dare because I value my life, and well, my time. But this morning he needed it. He came in with his fur all matted together. He smelled like .... poo. I don't know what occured to make that happen and I'm not sure I want to. It was disgusting, and he made a noise that I've never heard come out of a cat. He howled...
   Right now the poor thing is looking at me, wanting me to let him outside. I hestitate to do so because he's a black cat and it's trick-or-treat night. That's a bad combination.

Derek Webb & Sandra McCracken

The show in Lexington last night was worth the drive.


Overheard before the concert:
"I just talked to Derek Webb."
"What did he say to you?"
"He said, 'Are you in line for the bathroom?' "

Turtle, turtle

More

My weekend

I had quite a weekend. I took a whirlwind trip to Myrtle Beach with Tina and her family. We went up thursday night and left saturday morning. I had to be in Charleston on Sunday for the memorial service of a dear woman who I used to go to church with. Here is a video and some pictures from the weekend.

More to come.

Things that make me happy

1. Friday is my last day at Sears.
2. Derek Webb is coming to Lexington this month.
3. Closing announcements when I'm working at Sears.
4. New jobs.
5. This: http://ccmpatrol.com/ Why didn't I think of this?

Shane and Shane

As pictured in my previous post, I went to the Shane and Shane Pages Tour friday in Huntington. Bebo Norman and Monk and Neagle joined the Shanes. Unfortunately, one of the Shanes lost his voice after their first song. Even still, the other Shane (Barnard) was great. He has a powerful voice and I love the new songs. I bought the cd after the concert and i have honestly taken it with me everywhere I've gone that has a cd player since then.

Shane and Shane, Bebo Norman, and Monk and Neagle

I just discovered the "post video" function on blogger and I'm excited. This is a video of absolutely nothing.

First day

I started my first day of work today. I actually did no work. Instead I trained on a computer for 6 hours, taking small breaks to rest my eyes. Even still, it's good to be working and out of the house. Even though it's not my dream job, I'm thankful to God that I'm working at least.

August 11

Today Ashley and I drove out to Grayson Lake in hopes of swimming. An hour later, after walking around a rocky beach area in search of a place free of boats, we left.
Instead we ended up spending a few precious hours with a friend who came into Huntington unexpectedly. We drove to Marshall to see her and also got to spend time with Heather. We were all RAs together and practically inseparable once. Now life is changing. Heather's in grad school and Mel is taking a job in the eastern panhandle.

In other news- I am employed. A part time job is better than no job at all. Actually, this is a blessing because I've been so stressed about not having any job. I even signed up with a temp agency and I've yet to hear from them. I'm also starting to apply for other jobs in West Virginia and Virginia. Who knows where I'll end up.

Poor I was and sought for riches

The search for a job continues. First thing tommorow I'm heading to a temp agency who will hopefully set me up with some work. Last week I put in several applications for part time work at the mall (I need at least part time, my loans will come due before I know it). I made $60 at our yard sale and I didn't spend any money this week.
Okay, I did buy a book. Barack Obama's book Dreams from my father to be exact. It's pretty good. I really hope he's our next president.

Lately

1. Whitewater rafting saturday was great. I have a sunburn and I'm sore but it's worth it.
2. I'm still looking for work.
3. We're having a yardsale saturday.

Save Darfur

Here.

Is it getting better, or do you feel the same?

U2 is perfect for bad days.
I have this week to pack up my stuff and move home.
I don't have a job lined up for me when this one's over.
The job prospect I'm waiting to hear about scares me to death.
The interview didn't sound promising.

And I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

Derek Webb and Caedmon's Call

I literally squealed when I saw this. Derek Webb is rejoining Caedmon's Call for their new cd. I haven't even heard it but I'll tell you what I already like about it.

1. The cover art.
2. The name.
3. Derek and Sandra.




I'm aware that I'm a dork. At least I know.

The angel said to Gideon (Judges 6:12)

"The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."

Applying for jobs is not fun. It kinda sucks the life right outta ya. But I hear it's worth it when you have money to pay bill and so forth.
You know what else stinks? My favorite dog is "visiting" my brother's old roommate who moved to Roanoke. It's good for Maggie, I guess. He has lots of land where she can run. But I miss her.

Pictures (This is America)

Dear John

Jason Upton's Beautiful People is amazing. Ok, I haven't listened to it all the way through yet because the third track is great, but so far it's good stuff.
The track is "Dear John" and it seems to be a letter from Jesus to John the Baptist.

"Do you remember when our mothers met?
Momma told me that they laughed
Was that a sign for us, or a sign for them when unborn babies testify?
Carried between the earth and sky
Sons of eternity in time."

Beautiful.
Check him out.

I live for the day when the discussion of my dating life will not consist of:
1. The creepy guy from church who won't leave me alone, and
2. The Pastor's son from Texas whose mom wants me to email.

In a nut shell

I take things to heart when I shouldn't.
I think about things too much.
I take offense to things not even said about me.
I'd rather argue for something that's not right than admit I'm wrong.
I'm an idealist.

A list

1.I've started to look for journalism jobs. It's kind of exciting, but mostly I'm terrified.
2. Bubbles are fun.
3. My church is having a 4th of July picnic sunday and I'm excited.
4. Mold is disgusting.
5. My sister and bro-in-law are coming in next week along with my aunt,uncle and cousin. Yay family!
6. Ashley and I are planning to go white water rafting next month.

Missions

"You understand God's heart for the world and there's a responsibility that comes along with that."- Brad Buser

I'm engaged

John 14
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."

Last week I heard an interesting take on these verses. In Rob Bell's book, Sex God, he says that in Jewish culture during the time period, this is what a man would say to his fiance. He would ask her to marry him, but niether of them would know when. He would have to go back to his father's house and build onto the house so they would have a place to live when they were married. He would build until his father said stop and then go back and get his wife. The whole time the woman would be waiting and preparing for him but she had no idea when he might come.

I love the imagery Jesus uses. I love the thought of being his bride. We miss a lot of the meaning of scripture because we don't read it with Jewish eyes and minds. I tried to look for a commentary where they explained it and came up empty.

She's getting so big

Better days

I'm starting to feel more at home at my church. Last night I was asked to help out with VBS. It probably wasn't significant to the woman who asked me, but it made me happy. If they feel comfortable enough with me to ask me to contribute, that's a pretty good thing.

This weekend I got a directory of alternatives to the Peace Corps. It's funny that I ordered it and thought that it was pretty silly of me to buy when I had decided already to join. But I read the introduction to the book and it had some things to say about PC that gave me pause. I guess it should be no surprise, but as a PCV, you've pretty much got to agree with U.S. foreign policy. Like it or not, you're a part of it. It said that there have also been situations as late as the 1980s when volunteers have been asked to name the names of communists in their host countries. In 2003, Russia ended ties with Peace Corps because they accused the volunteers of working with the CIA. PC has denied this. Anyway this is just to say that I'm thinking things over and looking at my options.

Stress

Finals are kicking my butt.
My job is stressing me out.
I'm a little down for other reasons.

Happy Finals week.

The difference between dreams and plans

I want more than anything to do mission work after college. My problems are financial. I wonder if the Apostle Paul had student loans, health insurance, car insurance, and rent to worry about.

Good Music

Go here and listen to Alli Rogers. She came with Derek Webb and was really good. Especially listen to "For the Morning" which is my favorite.

Do you promise?

Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

Derek Webb

The Derek Webb show in Gambier, Ohio was amazing. I made the trip with a friend, two people I'd met once before and a complete stranger. Five hours in the car discussing Derek Webb lyrics, Bible verses, and the occasion Josh Groben song. We got there a half hour late and were relieved to discover that he had an opening act and we didnt miss him at all. Alli Rogers opened and she was really good. I wish I had seen the rest of her set.

Derek played a couple of songs from his new album. I'd heard them both before from his fan site. He sang another that won't be on his record called "Watch Your Mouth." All three were really good.

I didn't get to meet him, as he left right after the show. And the pictures are really bad, but I had a blast anyway.

Reasons Friday will be better than today

1. Road trip with friends
2. The trip goes right through Amish country (I think).
3. The destination is a Derek Webb show.

This is the little ball of fur my brother adopted from the pound last week. He had been wanting a dog for a while so we took a trip to the animal shelter saturday. Her name is Maggie and I picked her out.

In this picture, she's at my parents house playing with one of the cat's toys. The cat's not really a fan of the dog.

Yesterday, Heather and I took her to the park. It's amazing how friendly everyone is when you have a cute puppy.

Plans

Next week is my last spring break as an undergrad. To celebrate, I will stay in the dorm and be on duty 4 days. Yay. This will allow me to finish some homework that I need to do. I'll have most of the weekend free and I'm in the process of planning what to do. I want to drive up to the Morgantown saturday and then go to the zoo in Pittsburgh sunday. Or possibly just drive to Charleston sunday and go see everyone at church. We'll see.

I'm a little frustrated with finding a good church. I told Katie this morning that I feel kind of spiritually homeless. A few weeks ago I backed out of joining my the church my parents and I have been attending because I didn't feel right about it. I backed out because I felt like I wasn't growing there. I'm also at a point in my life where I'm sorting out what I believe. I'm thinking a lot about Calvinism. I didn't want to marry myself to a church that didn't believe in it before I had a chance to figure out what my convinctions are.

I tried a church this morning that I won't go back to. The bulletin of this church featured a story about how all muslims want a holy war with the United States. The story also compared Disneyland in America to how a disney land would be in Baghdad.

Here's a quote from the story:
"I suppose the shooting gallery would have actual live human beings to shoot at instead of coke bottles or balloons. Maybe there would be a ride that simulated the joy of blowing yourself up while watching the proud smile on mommy daddy's face."

I have a problem with the people of God not knowing the difference between the truth and a lie. As Christians, we should value truth. The idea that all muslims are terrorists is a flat out lie.

Not ready to make nice

Saw the Dixie Chicks documentary over the weekend. I love the Dixie Chicks. Perhaps even more after the controversy. Not because I hate the president, but because they stood their ground even when everyone turned on them.

Inspired by my pastor's latest sermon, I'm getting my bank account in order. It's something that I've needed to do it for a while now; I think it's been probably two years since I've balanced my checkbook. I feel more grown up already.

On a completely different note, I'm reading "A mighty heart" about reporter Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and murder. It's consuming my thoughts lately. The title refer's to Danny, but it also describes Mariane (his wife and the book's author) whose strength is incredible. I decided to get into journalism because I believe in it. I believe that it has a purpose beyond ratings and advertising and money. I believe in the kind of journalism that bridges the gap between "us" and "them". It's a worthy goal but it comes with such a high price at times.

The amount of time the media have dedicated to Britney Spears over the past few days doesn't reflect well on the state of American journalism. People, we are fighting a war. Let's keep some perspective. A former pop star getting a hair cut is not news.

Lent is one of those times when I wish I grew up in an anglican church. Don't get me wrong, I love the church of the Nazarene, but I love the tradition of lent and ash wednesday. Last year I went to a service at the Christian Center on campus for Ash wednesday. There's something so bold about walking around campus all day with your forehead covered in ashes. Last year I had class right after and I remember the girl sitting next to me telling me that I had something on my forehead.

Things I didn't expect

1. A 2 hour delay because the road were icy.
2. Six long stem roses.
3. Jury duty.

It does snow in Huntington every once in a while. This is a very bad picture of what it was doing tuesday night. My camera batteries died soon after. They canceled class tuesday night and we had a two hour delay wednesday, which is almost unheard of at Marshall.

Because it snowed, i didnt go to hear the speech about evolution. I just figured because classes were canceled that they wouldn't have the speaker, but they did. It makes me a little sad.

It's cold

The weather this morning said it was 3 degrees. With the wind chill it feels like -5 degrees. I can't wait til spring.

It's a small world

About a week ago I found out that some of the campus ministries at Marshall are sponsoring a speaker who's coming to speak against evolution. I found out on facebook by a group that is opposing and planning to protest it. I thought I might go and just hear what he has to say. So today at church I realize that the speaker actually goes to my church (he's new) and is in my sunday school class. I got a chance to talk to him this morning and he's pretty interesting. He said he used to be a college professor until he lost tenure because of his stance on evolution. Now speaking is a full time ministry for him. I can't wait to hear what he has to say.