$5 Foot Longs

I usually never comment in sabbath school on much. I am always thinking of a lot of things to discuss and say but they just don't make the leap from my brain to my mouth. This is one of the things I was thinking of yesterday.

My thoughts are about the Christian idea of service to our fellow humans. I will start with a little quote first:

"He (Jesus) did not use love like money, paying some and withholding from others in an effort to control them. He spoke the truth, He wasn’t offended when people didn’t agree, and He gave them their own will to do as they wish. But what’s more, He loved them regardless. He loved them whether they followed Him or tried to kill them. He even loved them while they were killing Him." Donald Miller

For myself I think it is important that I dismiss the thought that there is a divide between me and you. We are all God's children, all equal. In my interactions with you it is important that I take away the thoughts that I am so different, take down the walls. Man, woman, rich, cartoon watcher, poor, ugly, unpopular, Christian, homosexual, college educated, Asian, vegetarian, mac and cheese eater, fat, tall... We are all equal to God but we have so many categories that we file each other into. As a Christian I can sometimes think my job is to change you from the bad to good side, I am Jared from Subway with my $5 foot longs and if you want to lose that weight you're gonna need to convert from that fatty McDonalds Big Mac. But I have never liked that.

I want to go through life being a Christian of course, but really I want to be a friend. I am a person and I want to know you, a person. I don't want to start my relationship with you with an agenda. And if you never "eat any $5 foot longs" it doesn't matter in even the slightest way because I can still value our relationship as fellow humans and maybe we could be friends and I could borrow a cup of sugar from you and I could help move in your new stove and we could hang out and that would be great and I could love you just as much with or without you loving Jesus.

In the end I am sharing my love. That love I learned from Jesus. And it is Jesus that can work with the love of friendship.

The Cucurbitaceae family

Just reminiscing about the soon coming of my favorite season and my old friends the Cucurbitaceae family in this blog.

I have known the Cucurbitaceae family most of my life. I think my fondest and earliest memories of the family have been in the fall when they would always come and stay with us. They really liked spending their time outside all spring and summer, kind of like camping I guess, so we never saw them until fall. They always had a beautiful glow to their skin, I guess from all their time laying out in the sun? Mom, sister and I would go pick them out, I mean up in October and they would stay the month, sometimes all the way into November. Usually our first night together we would watch some holiday appropriate cartoons and have supper. Next we would look through the newspaper which would be covering our kitchen table. We would all sit around and talk while using the newspaper to draw out plans for some face painting. The Cucurbitaceae's always seemed to be a little down when they first came, no smiles on their faces and really no personality to speak of at all so this always made them happy, well maybe not always happy but we would most definitely get some expression on or out of them. Next, with the face painting done...um well I won't speak of what happened next as it was always a horrifying experience for our guests. I will say that we came out with some delicious seeds to bake in the oven. Our guests didn't spend much, if any time in the house after that. They would tend to just sit on our front porch like a couple old guys. Jack and Jack we will call them would live out the rest of their lives together watching traffic go by as their skin slowly wrinkled, sharing the stories of their lives set to candle light at night and hoping the teenagers would just leave them be.

Nebraska again...again

Over two years after graduating and I am back in Nebraska, Lincoln to be exact. Yes yes I WAS back in Omaha last summer you say, but that was different muchacha because this is my Nebraska home! Omaha, ehhhh (shrugs). And I gotta say, I am loving it so far. Way less depressing than the way life dragged on before. Do I wish I would have found something more substantial for work like an off road rally race car driver or 007's replacement? Yes those probably would have been nice but I did get an all wheel drive Subaru Outback with a manual transmission and I traveled to Taiwan and the Philippines without having to worry about a 7' 2" henchman with a mouth full of metal trying to bite my ass at each turn which I can only imagine made Mr. Bond James Bond a bit stressed. So Subaru and safe travel, not bad! I guess the unsuccessful search has been a weird blessing? I will be going back for a second degree at Union College tuition free, this time around I will take Computer Information Systems and get to really call myself a true geek, awesome!

Good to be back to blogging actual words and not just music (although I do love that).

Leaving this country for awhile :)

I'm so excited friends, next month I leave for Taiwan and I will be gone for a month. I have been super happy lately and planning it all has been a ton of fun too. Cool thing is it all happened very fast. Wednesday of this last week I thought seriously about it, then I talked to my friend who is there and Thursday I decided for sure that I was going. I guess I have been thinking about it for the last couple months but didn't really think it would be possible, but it is happening now.

I already ordered a new North Face Big Shot backpack online, should be here soon, and here's a pic:
I'm gonna order a new iPod Classic 120gb for all my music and movies for the 80 hours of traveling there and back alone.
Also looking to get a camera so I can take pictures on the trip of course.
If you have any other ideas of essentials for my trip let me know.

Commercials I Love

I don't drink vodka and I don't recommend it but I do recommend you watch this video. Wouldn't be great if violent and tense situations were handled in this manner?



Another similar commercial, also recommended.



Had to throw in this one too!

We like the same things and I like your style

I like this song and I like the video. Definitely a unique little video but I love Zooey and M. Ward, they look like they had a ton o' fun making this and it is fun to watch. Make sure any young ones are away from your computer while you watch, and if cartoon blood offends ya, don't watch.

She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?

Abba and Monopoly

Yesterday I was playing Monopoly and every time that I landed on a chance box the beginning of Take A Chance On Me by Abba came to my mind..."take a chance take a chicka chicka chance chance take a chance..." It was pretty funny and made the game better for me. Thought I would share a bit of crazy from my life recently ;) Enjoy.

Dear Zachary

Here is a documentary that looks to be pretty powerful and a picture of the best and worst of what mankind can be. Here's a synopsis: "On November 5, 2001, Dr. Andrew Bagby was murdered in a parking lot in western Pennsylvania; the prime suspect, his ex-girlfriend Dr. Shirley Turner, promptly fled the United States for St. John’s, Canada, where she announced that she was pregnant with Andrew’s child. She named the little boy Zachary. Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Andrew’s oldest friend, began making a film for little Zachary as a way for him to get to know the father he’d never meet. But when Shirley Turner was released on bail in Canada and was given custody of Zachary while awaiting extradition to the U.S., the film’s focus shifted to Zachary’s grandparents, David & Kathleen Bagby, and their desperate efforts to win custody of the boy from the woman they knew had murdered their son. What happened next, no one ever could have foreseen…"

The main reason I started this post was because I love the song that is at the end of the trailer and that can be listened to in its entirety here.

The Computer I Dream Of

Here friends, is a computer I love (and kinda need since my computer crapped out a bit). If any of you happen to run into a ton of money and are feeling generous you can send one of these Macbook Pros my way, it would make a great Christmas gift!

Needs her more than even clowns need the laughter of the crowd

Here is a song I heard for the first time today, I like it! Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Del Amitri - Tell Her This

Tell her not to go
I aint holding on no more
Tell her something in my mind freezes up from time to time

Tell her not to cry
I just got scared thats all
Tell her Ill be by her side, all she has to do is call

Tell her the chips are down
I drank too much and shouted it aloud
Tell her something in my heart
Needs her more than even clowns need the laughter of the crowd

Tell her what was wrong
I sometimes think to much
But say nothing at all
And tell her from this high terrain, I am ready now to fall

Tell her not to go
I aint holding on no more
Tell her nothing if not this; all I want to do is kiss her

Tell her something in my mind
Freezes up from time to time.

The Ugliness of Christmas

I guess that title could be read in a negative way, but the ugliness I speak of has to do with sweaters. I have been wanting to get a tacky ugly Christmas sweater for years but have never found one. It is partially because I didn't have the time and I am a bit to picky when it comes to finding the perfect one. I was looking online and found a couple gems, some uglier than others. Also I found a sweet sweater site where you can make your own ugly!

Women I Appreciate

For some reason today is blog day for me. This one's kind of a random post, but here are some actresses and female musicians that I think are very talented, have great style and a lot of beauty. Here's a music blog post showcasing some of the talent: women are always beautiful

Zooey Deschanel

Natalie Portman

Jenny Lewis of the band Rilo Kiley and now just Jenny Lewis


Leslie Feist of Feist



Regina Spektor

Kirsten Dunst

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Emiliana Torrini


Rachael Yamagata

Meiko

Melissa Polinar

Spunky knows she can save the world, in her own little way

A good song by Eels named Spunky. Somebody put the song to clips from the movie "Holiday", with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Put it up to share with you Taumi, I thought you would like the clips and the song, enjoy!

Miracles

I was reading a kids holiday book named The Lump Of Coal by Lemony Snicket and I liked the last page so I thought I would share it.
"All these things are miracles. It is a miracle if you can find true friends, and it is a miracle if you have enough food to eat, and it is a miracle if you get to spend your days and evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, and the holiday season - like all the other seasons - is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, and to be grateful for them, and that's the end of this particular story."
If you happen to be at a Barnes or Borders this holiday season give it a read, it won't take long and it has some cool art in it for those who like that.

It Feels Good

Thursday I did something that has been in the making for many years. I can not say what that thing is, but I can share the feelings and thoughts. It felt great! It was and still is a big uncertainty with the chance of a firey crash of an ending, but playing everything safe all the time is not advisible, let hope guide a bit and take a chance I say. Now, like a child dreaming of his gifts the night before Christmas, my anticipation and excitement is almost unbearable. Waiting for the results of my actions could be the death of me it seems, but the potential gift... simply amazing. Now I lay my head to rest another night and play out the possible outcomes again, the welcome but overplayed reruns of my mind these last days. Goodnight world and good luck in lifes adventures.