Futbol?

Yesterday some friends and I went and watched a Seattle Sounders game. Now, you have to understand, I don't care for soccer. It makes me tired watching them run. And if I had my druthers I'd rather be watching American football. (One more month!!!)

But one thing I noticed is that you can' t be a "pseudo-fan" of soccer - it's all or nothing, baby. In the Qwest field seats, there is a section for the die-hard fans. You are required to stand the full 90 minutes and twirl your scarf about your head. (It kind of reminded me of a college football game.)

And this sport is international. There are no boundaries. If I could learn to like soccer, I could connect with anyone in most of the world.

The question then is, how to learn to love soccer? Hmmm....

I think perhaps it's best to learn by observing...






Perhaps I judged soccer too swiftly.... I could be a fan after all... ;)

Talk Thursday // Fill-In-the-Blank

Today I...

Tomorrow I will...

This week was...

Next week will be...

How's it going?

Wednesday

The worst feeling in the world is waking up and thinking that if it's not Saturday, it's gotta be at least Friday.


Then realizing it's only Wednesday.



Thank God it's Hump Day just doesn't seem to cut it today.



How's your Hump Day going?

Talk Thursday // Jesus & Art?

I am a believer in Jesus.

I am also a lover of the arts.

For some, it is hard to find the proper way to balance the two. "Traditional Christianity" says that you can't cuss, you can't drink and you can't go out with girls who do (no wonder I'm single). But much of the arts - theatre, music, paintings, spoken word, life - try to depict the real world, not simply an ideal world. That world involves cussing, drinking, and real-life problems that can't be wrapped in a happy little bow at the final curtain.

I went to a conference on my birthday that was about how the Church should be inclusive of the artistic community not only because it's there but because it is who we are designed to be. The premise of the conference was that if God is an expressive, creative designer and He created us in His image, then humanity as His creation is therefore expressive and creative and given to those impulses as well. For so long the Church has been unwilling to understand the need for good artistic expression and has produced art that is not only not good, but also unreal and unreflective of the world we live in.

Tonight I'm going to go see RENT, the Broadway musical. The major themes of the play are love, suffering, joy, relationships, community, true identity. However, there are many Christians who have (and continue to) boycott this show (and others like it) because some of the characters are homosexual, some do drugs, and there is foul language.

The question today is how do you view art? If you're a believer, how do you balance Jesus and the arts? If you're not a believer, how do you feel about the Church's typical response toward the artistic community? How can we change it?

(This isn't part of the question, but I'm SOOOO excited because it's Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp in the show tonight! The end. =) )

Also, I can kill you with my brain

Carlos posted this on his blog a few days ago as a Mid-Afternoon Distraction.
But the comments link was broken, so I couldn't see any of the captions people posted.

So it has fallen to you guys.

Caption, please.

Anger Is Like Leprosy

The longer is goes unhealed, the higher chance that vital parts of you will start falling off.



I wonder how many parts of me I've lost in my life...

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

- James 1.19-21 -

Talk Thursday // Genie In a Bottle

Say you’ve found Aladdin’s magic lamp one day as you were walking along a gorgeous, white sand beach. Out pops Genie and says you get 3 wishes. You have to abide by his three rules: 1. You can’t ask for more wishes; 2. He can’t make anyone fall in love; and 3. He can’t raise anyone from the dead.

So, what are your wishes?

Midday Distractions

Anyone else get distracted thinking about the mph it takes coffee to soak through a Kleenex and if anyone else has ever tried to come up with the equation?

So it's just me then? Ok.

Go coffee! Mush!

(Welcome to my brain)

What Not to Do on a First Date

1. Don't start the date without your date there.

2. If you're a dude and you invited, PAY.

3. Don't talk about yourself the whole time.

4. Don't recount in play-by-play format the correspondence you've had over the last 2 months, ending with "...and here we are, drinking coffee today."

5. Don't backpeddle. If your date doesn't agree with you on some like or interest, THAT'S OK.

6. Don't spend 30 minutes talking about the difference between Fords, Dodges and Toyotas.

7. Don't call a Dodge Neon a "sports car."

8. Don't tell your date that you cut your hair to look like a celebrity. It's not impressive.

9. Don't point out your receding hair line. Equally not impressive.

And the most important thing that you should NEVER, EVER do....

10. The night before the date, DON'T send a picture of yourself to your date. It's just straight up creepy.

So spill it: what kinds of terrible first dates have YOU been on before? (And if it was with your spouse, the chances are they don't read this blog, so you can share... =) )

Talk Thursday // I Love My Curves

I have a problem.

Last year I lost a good amount of weight and inches while I was working at Curves. I looked better, I felt better, it's possible that I just was better. =) Anyway, since our club closed in January and I've been intermittently going to another gym, I have gained back all the weight and most of the inches that I lost since leaving Curves. And I am highly discouraged.

But I found my gumption and hightailed it back to Curves on Tuesday. Tonight is my first workout and I have a feeling I'm going to want to pass out. Or just pass out. Either one.


So what are you doing to stay in shape this summer?

If you have no set ideas, can I suggest your local Curves? ;) (Man... Gary Heaven really should pay me for advertising... seriously.)

.

Caffeine

I think it may be pyschological. Seriously. At 8.45 this morning, I could barely keep my eyes open. Which, as a data enter-er (er), is sort of a requirement.

So I trudged my way down to the refreshments area and made myself a cup o' joe. With some chocolate in it.

Almost instantaneously, I was revived.

Which leads me to think that it must be more psycho-somatic than anything else. There's no way the caffeine would have had time to reach my blood stream before I was feeling more awake.

Apparently, I get revived simply thinking about the cup of coffee in my hand.

What wakes you up?

Now That's What I'm Talkin' 'Bout

Thank You, Jesus.

I might miss Missouri. But I'm gonna enjoy this beautiful Washington State weather while it lasts. Which means mowing our overgrown, crazy, jungle-esque lawn, perhaps washing the car, and definitely driving with the windows down.

How are ya'll going to enjoy the sun?