random: mint jelly and metamucil

um...so this was not the day i had expected.  i expected to get up early and write a post about my walk to work each day, complete with pictures from around my church, and in my office.  but then stuff happened.  like, oops, i accidentally pushed the wrong button on the router here at home and reset our home wireless network.  who knew one little red reset button could do that?  sure, i had to hold it in for, like, 5 seconds or something, but shouldn't you need a password and a retina scan to be able to do that? 

-then, in the midst of trying to set up a new network, i realized that the trackball on my blackberry wasn't rolling properly and figured it was a good time to go ahead and tear my phone apart to try and fix/clean it.  probably not the best decision, given the fact that i was already frustrated enough to chuck the whole phone along with one wireless router out the window into the genesis-style rain we're getting today. 

-all of that was before breakfast.

-then, at work i got a phone call to let me know that i was undercharged on something so i now owe $306 dollars that i didn't think i owed.  sweet artichoke hearts!  what the heck? 

-so, needless to say, you're not getting the "i love where i work and i want you to see how beautiful it is" post. 

-instead you're getting the "this is the day from the underworld" post. 

-at least it's mildly entertaining to you?  no? 

-well, then, let me make my perfect day complete by allowing you to mock me indiscriminately.  last night i tried not eating before i went to bed.  i have this bad habit of eating at night.  it's awful, i know, i know.  lectures about it simply will not help, so please put down the phone.  thank you.  anyway, i tried not eating but i just couldn't do it.  so, i got up to get a snack.  and do you know what i ended up with?  wheat toast with mint jelly and a glass of metamucil.  this all seemed perfectly normal to me until i had a moment of lucidity while carrying my king's snack to my room:  what are you doing, man?  mint jelly?  toast?  what is this, medieval brittania? 

-now i must tell you that i drink metamucil as nightly as i can gag it down, because it is supposed to help with one's cholesterol (the cholesterol one has presumably gotten from eating too many late-night snacks, among other things).  it has a lot of fiber, they tell me.  they didn't really need to tell me, though, because if you let that stuff sit in your glass longer than the 3.7 seconds it takes to chug it down, you soon realize that there is more fiber in one glass of metamucil than in most plus-size wool sweaters.  nothing like a draught of orange-flavored winter blankets to wash down your mint-jellied wheat toast. 

-why am i telling you this?  i have no idea.  commence with the mocking.

-but there is good news.  my wife submitted a picture she took this summer to our local paper for a contest they were having.  they were looking for the best picture for exemplifying summer here in central pa.  so she sent in a picture of our niece hanging upside down on the monkey bars at a local playground.  and today we opened our newspaper to see that she won!  of the 216 pictures submitted, she won!  you can see the article here.  here's the picture:

-sigh.  can't wait for friday.

random: autumn, mermaids and "undefeated"

-things i like right now (in no particular order): coffee, autumn air, songs with accordion, the word "undefeated," the faint aroma of apples, the way my son greets me when i come home from work, continued dominance of the cryptoquip, a clean email inbox, and generally just being alive.

-i included the little graphic above because i am full-swing into steeler mode (read: obsession).  just wanted to share this bit of info - see if you can follow the logic.  the steelers are 3-0.  that means that they haven't lost.  it also means that they have beaten three teams.  pretty cool.  but check this out: the teams that the steelers have beaten are all 2-1.  do you know what that means?  every team that the steelers have beaten (falcons, titans, bucs) have won every game they've played except the games they've played against the steelers. 

-not impressed?  well, try this on for size.  of all 32 teams in the nfl through three games, guess who has given up the fewest points?  if you guessed "pittsburgh steelers" you win.  your prize is on the way.  the steelers have given up less points through three games than most mlb pitchers.  i wonder if it is any coincidence that the team that has given up the second fewest points is also 3-0 (and they are two of the three teams in the league to be 3-0 right now)?  defense defense defense.  pixburgh style.  gotta love it.  (or is that gabes?)

-oh, i know.  the world isn't all about football.  there's also baseball.

-speaking of which, the yankees (finally) clinched a playoff spot last night.  i could be wrong, but i don't foresee them going far into the playoffs this year.  still, at this time of the year, it's nice to be a fan of a team who will still be playing in october.  go yanks!

-we went to the open house for jack's kindergarten class last night.  it was awesome to see his room and desk, and to see his "kidwriting" activities in which he has been drawing such wonderfully edifying stories as, "jack and brady are chased by a zombie," and "the shark is eating the mermaid."  nothing like feeling so proud of your five year old.  in all seriousness, though, it was nice to see where he spends 6 hours each day trying to learn how to play with the building blocks of language and life.  fun to watch him in this stage of life.

-also, fall.  man, i love it.  there's just something in the air that can't really be described but is as clear to my soul as a cold glass of apple cider is to my taste buds.  like a pregnant elizabeth, something inside me leaps when i feel that crisp, autumnal air. 

-no!  this doesn't really exist, does it? 

-i'm currently listening to a band called radical face.  so good. 

-i'm currently reading: nothing.  suggestions?  (i will likely only follow your suggestions if they are somehow steelers-related.  just thought i should warn you up front). 

-this sunday is world communion sunday, a wonderful reminder that the table around which we gather in worship is not confined either by the walls of our sanctuaries or by the borders of our dogmas and creeds.  our spiritual feast is one to which all are invited.  what a glorious invitation!  what a fabulous tapestry is the body of Christ gathered around the table!  make us one, Jesus....

-hope you all have a wonderful wednesday.  peace to you. 

Jesus in florida (who is teaching who here?)

sometimes your children are so cute that you can't quite keep it to yourself.  hence this blog post.

caedmon is my accessory boy.  it is not unusual for him to be walking around the house in shorts, 3 shirts (one shirt is definitely not enough), a necktie, sunglasses, a hat, silly bands, sweat bands, different socks, shoes, and a necklace or two.  and then two minutes later it will be a whole 'nother ensemble. 

he's going to preschool now, and he's been learning a prayer for before meals.  but he hasn't quite perfected it yet, so it has been prayed in a variety of forms this week: 

"God is great and God is food,"  as well as the more theologically accurate, "God is great and God is good and Jesus loves me so." 

but just when you think he's got a beginner's grasp on Christology, we have this exchange:

me:  where does Jesus live, Cade?

cade:  in his house.  in outer space.  and around us.  he flies here.  (then, whispering...) he also lives inside my body. 

and then yesterday i asked him again about the whereabouts of Jesus, just to see if he stuck to his story.  not so much.  this time he told me that Jesus lives in heaven.  i asked him where heaven was and he said, "florida."  florida?!?  really?  well, what does Jesus do in florida?  "he rides the waves.  and goes to the grocery store.  to buy snacks for scooby dooby doo."  ahhh, yes.  in the end, all things come back to those meddling kids and their lovable canine. 

and just when i think i've got a bunch to teach him about God, he shuffles out of his bed, first thing in the morning, still barely aware of his surroundings, walks over to me where i am reclined on the couch reading the news.  it's still dark outside.  without asking if it is ok, or pausing to think about it, he somewhat awkwardly climbs up on me and puts his head on my chest, his morning breath a steady assault on my nose.  and without looking up or moving at all he whispers in a barely audible way: "i love you daddy.  sooooo much.  i love you daddy.  soooooo much.  i love you daddy.  soooooo much." 

and i realize that he is teaching me.  even though i may be better at saying grace, and i may have a full arsenal of theological answers, he has so much to teach me about God.  so i squeeze him tightly against my bare chest, his mismatched pajamas and sweatbands, along with his simple 3-year old faith and God-awful morning breath, become nearly invisible and undetectable in the glare of the pure and perfect love whispering out of him.  i cling to his warm and sleepy body like it's the last hug i'll ever have. 

and i say a prayer that i just learned:   i love you daddy.  soooo much.

3-0 (sometimes you just want it more)

oh man, what a day.  yesterday the steelers found themselves in florida playing a football game against a 2-0 buccaneers team in what was deemed as an early season match-up between two playoff hopefuls.  want to know what happened? 

the steelers punched them in the face.

there's really no other way to describe it. 

well, maybe there is.  at least i'll try. 

i unfortunately had to miss the first half of the game, but was recording it at home and knew i'd get to watch it later.  meanwhile, my wife was texting me the scores, and i couldn't believe how fast and furious the scores were rolling in!  steelers int....dang!...bucs 3 steelers 0....touchdown!  batch to wallace!, 7-3....bucs get another field goal, 7-6 :(....touchdown! mendenhall!...another touchdown!  wow!  batch and wallace again! 21-7....holy cow!  watch out ben, charlie to hines, 28-7!

kudos to my wife for her sweet texting analysis of the game, not to mention her take on the quarterback situation in pittsburgh, which despite charlie batch's stellar performance, is not really a situation at all.  charlie will play this week against baltimore (he's earned it), and ben will start when he gets back against the brownies. 

that being said, can we just give charlie batch some love?  the dude spent all of training camp looking up from the bottom of the depth chart at a strange quarterback derby happening above him, and he never once (at least not publicly - which is important) complained or whined about it.  he just took the reps he got and made the best of it.  and here is, the last man standing, throwing 3 touchdowns with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and probably losing his AARP status in the process.  he was confident.  he was efficient.  he was calculated.  he was old age-defying.  at training camp this summer, when i was standing near the walkway to see if i could get any autographs, charlie came near and signed some things for people.  it was so quiet, so i said to him: "steeler nation loves ya, c-batch!"  he didn't look up but he grinned and said, "thanks...i love you guys, too."  i'm sure the shared emotion has never been stronger. 

speaking of steeler nation, can we also pause for a moment to acknowledge the awesomeness of hearing your team supported more vocally than the home team?  steeler nation is incredible.  they were in tampa in numbers - big numbers - yesterday.  great work by steelers fans.  steeler nation is everywhere, and they travel well.  it isn't one or the other.  it is a combination of both that translates into a swarm of swirling terrible towels in other people's houses.  i don't know if there is really a measurable advantage (psychological or otherwise) that this gives the steelers on the road, but it sure is awesome to see.  

finally, just a comment on what has become a defining characteristic (at least to me) of these first three steelers games.  i don't know how else to put it except: sometimes you just want it more.  with QB1 out for four weeks and most of the media deciding to award the division to baltimore or cincicrappy in the preseason, the steelers entered this season a little bit under the radar.  and they have taken full advantage of that, demonstrating that they have really wanted these wins more than their opponents.  in at least two of these games we have seen the team on the other side of the line of scrimmage pack it in.  they got scared.  or tired.  or just couldn't take it anymore.  but whatever it is, the steelers have shown over and over again at least through this very early part of the season, that they really want this.  go get it, boys. 

sigh.  what an awesome day.  next week will prove to be a much more formidable challenge.

saturday song: la la la la lemon

a Long standing tradition here is the saturday song, Likely a Lovable Lilting Lullabye of sorts, Lifting up the opportunity for you to Leave your normal Lists of music and Listen to something Little-known to you.  there is Little debate that i Love Lots of styles of music, and Like Leaving you with some to make you Laugh or Listen.  you've Likely Listened to this before, but if you're Like me, you Love seeing these two Long-time friends Leave Little room for doubt about their Love of L's.  hope you Like it. 



saturday song was brought to you today by the Letter L

the treasure behind the door

in one of his first days of school, jack brought home this drawing.  it's on the back of one of the papers he was supposed to color.  so, when he was finished making a yellow-green and raw umber kangaroo, he turned the paper over and drew this beauty.  i wasn't at all sure what it was when i first saw it, but was fairly impressed with the detail.  i was also struck by the genetics of the whole thing, as i distinctly remember that i also used to turn over my "dittos' when i was done with them and draw things.  for me, it was always trees.  and then a few days later, he brought this one home:

basically, you can tell that it's another version of the top one, albeit with a bit less intricacy.  this one, though, takes a bit clearer shape, and i asked him what was happening in this picture.  he very clearly (and as if a little exasperated that i didn't just know this) explained to me that these people were walking down the stairs to the door.  why are they walking to the door?  because there is treasure inside it.  why are there so many people?  because they all want to see the treasure. 

he keeps drawing the same picture!  here's another one:

now on this one, the door, he told me, is locked, and the people have to search for a key, which is buried in the dirt near the door.  again he told me that just beyond the door is "treasure." 

these drawings reminded me of my own life...of my own tendency to think that there's always some treasure beyond the next "door"...of my own forgetfulness when it comes to just enjoying the moment i'm in.  when i'm awake and aware enough to see it, i usually discover an immense amount of treasure wherever i am, but i am often too busy to see it because i am moving with the crowd towards the next "thing."  these pictures serve as a cute reminder for me that i don't need to unlock any door or climb any stairs or search for any key to find the treasure of my life.  it is right there in front of me: in a 5 year old boy who desperately wants me to play a game with him;  in a 3-year old who giggles like heaven when i tickle him;  in a wonderful wife who is a servant and an inspiration and a constant source of encouragement;  in a career and calling that is deeply satisfying and challenging and rewarding, all at once.  in all of these and more, i find the treasure chests of life lying open before me, if only i will notice them.  here's hoping you take notice today of the blessings in your present moment.  peace.

random: hobbits, crunchy leaves and wild, wild women

-first of all, i just want to wish a happy birthday to both bilbo and frodo baggins.  those bagginses have been an inspiration to me by their courage and relentless hope, so i would just hope they both have a great birthday.  how do i know it's their birthday?  i write on this date in my calendar each year.  am i a total nerd?  yeppers. 

-also, today is supposedly the final day of summer, although they are expecting temps in excess of 90 degrees here in central pennsylvania on friday.  still, as the heat of the sun says its final goodbyes, and the vibrant harvest colors of autumn take their cue, i find myself right smack in my favorite time of the year, weather-wise.  goodbye, summer.  it's been fun, if a bit sweaty.  i'll look forward to seeing you next year, you in your green and blue dress, and me with my arms extended to welcome you in a warm embrace.  until then, stay cool (well, you know what i mean).  and to you, my dear autumn, i offer a hearty welcome.  it's about time you showed up with your football sounds and cider smells.  i've missed the crunch of leaves underfoot and the aroma of a hooded sweatshirt that's been buried in the cedar chest for months.  welcome, indeed.  make yourself right at home.

-now playing:  michael franti and spearhead's "say hey (i love you)" from that corona light commercial.  once that song gets in my head, i just can't stop singing it.  plus, anyone who knows me knows that i love the lyric, "the more i see the less i know."  that's like my life's motto.  here's the vid:

-if you want to see an article i wrote about the steelers and a great sack on vince young last week, you can check it out here. 

-seriously, thanks for all the feedback on yesterday's post about jeremiah, both here and on facebook.  i will be incorporating some of your thoughts into my sermon on sunday.  that's the power of the interwebs, people!

-speaking of birthdays, the world's oldest man according the guinness book of world records turned 114 years old yesterday.  that is correct.  one hundred plus fourteen.  that's like living to be 57, and then doing it again!  think about it, the dude was born in the flipping eighteen hundreds!  he says the secret to his long life has been, "cigarettes, whiskey, and wild, wild women."  sigh.  i guess i'm not going to make it very long, then.  but at his birthday speech, he at least did go on to say that we need to have faith, and that "with all the hatred in this world....let us be kind to one another."  in an age of suicide bombers, and burning korans, that seems like pretty good idea.  you can read the full story here. 

-just in case you forgot, it's still baseball season.  and my yankees are currently 2.5 games up on the rays in the american league east.  and it looks like they'll be making the post season one way or the other.  so, not only is it my favorite time of the year according to the weather, it's also the best time of the year in sports: baseball and football!  booyah!

-i hope you have a great wednesday, and know one thing:  i love you, i love you, i love you. 

a strange purchase

as a united methodist pastor, i have never been forced to think about buying a house.  part of our system is that the church where we are serving provides a home for us.  but we often think about where we will live when we retire, and how we would love to buy a house that we could vacation in for now until retirement.  but when we start looking around, i quickly become overwhelmed. 

i get easily overwhelmed, actually (***warning: unnecessary tangent ahead***).  for example, one time shannon asked me to buy some paint at home depot.  this was a perfectly normal request and i handled perfectly normally until i actually entered the paint aisle(s).  then i was bombarded with words like latex, gloss, matte, eggshell, indoor, outdoor, indoor/outdoor, flat, satin, semi-gl...oh my flipping gosh!  there are too many options!  they found me curled up in the fetal position on the cement floor of aisle 37 at home depot, clutching hand fulls of paint chips.  it wasn't pretty.  (over the loudspeaker:  can we get an associate to aisle 37 for a, um, situation?)

i'm not even good at ordering food at a restaurant.  just too many options.  so you can imagine how it feels to look through book after book of houses for sale.  so many options.  and then there's the question of when is it a good time to buy?  so many experts have so many different opinions, it becomes confusing to know who to listen to. 

it's with that kind of background about the prospect of buying property that i approach the text i'll be preaching on this week.  it's a passage from jeremiah, in which the prophet makes a really questionable decision.  he decides to buy some land.  which, on the surface of the thing, doesn't seem all that dubious, but when you consider that the land he buys is about to be besieged by a great army of babylonians, who are about to take the land as their own, sending the israelites to foreign lands in exile, it becomes a bit more of an eyebrow-raiser.  and by eyebrow-raiser i mean a really stupid move.  i could see if you bought the land a month before the siege, not knowing the babylonians were on the way.  that would just be exceptionally bad luck.  but that's not what happens in jeremiah 32.  the dude knows the army is coming, that the land is about to be burned and pillaged and spat upon, so to speak. he knows that he will likely end up in a prison or camp somewhere, forced to bow to some other God and dream about his homeland.  and as one final act before he leaves, he buys some land.  and he not only buys it, he goes to great extremes to show that he is following the letter of the law here, making it quite public and quite the production.  it's as if he wants everyone to know that he is making this strange purchase. 

why?  i mean, if it were me, i would probably be curled up on the stone floor of the courtyard, in the fetal position chanting "the babylonians are coming, the babylonians are coming."  i am hopeless.  but not jeremiah.  he is quite the opposite: full of hope.  and not just any hope, but the kind of hope that puts its money right where its mouth is.  he doesn't just say, "hey guys, everything will be alright...just wait and see."  no, he does more than talk.  he actually writes a huge check to buy a piece of land that is about to be taken from him, and he makes sure to show everyone how he is putting the deed in a safety-deposit box because he wants them to know that he will one day be needing that deed again.  he is saying, in one defiant, subversive, insane act: "hope is not lost!  we will be back again!" 

and so as i am studying this text this week and thinking about how it preaches, i'm asking for your help.  how does this apply, in your opinion, to our lives today?  are we called to such hope?  do we have it?  if so, how can we demonstrate it?  how would you apply this crazy story to your own life of faith? 

"we got this"

yes, it is monday morning, so it's STEELER TIME again.  welcome to the no-spin zone of black and gold football.  i report; you decide.  hahaha (ironically, that slogan is just as ridiculously untrue here as it is in other places). 

the above video is a perfect metaphor for my monday morning.  i'm the cat, and the steelers' unimaginable defense is the catnip that i am rolling in and trying to wipe all over my face.  like a desperate junkie, i just can't stop.  the game the steelers defense played yesterday was more than just impressive: it was dominant, terrifying, spine-tingling, and awe-inspiring.  simply: wow. 

earlier in the weekend i had posted this picture of troy polamalu with a prescient caption: "sometimes you just want it more."  and it seems to me that accurately sums up the game yesterday against the titans.  we clearly just wanted it more.  i mean, we were inept on offense.  really REALLY bad.  beyond bad.  we scored no offensive touchdowns.  our leading receiver caught two passes for twenty-five yards.  our offensive line was so banged up that i think the punter was next on the depth chart at left tackle.  it was, to be honest, a terrible, horrible, very bad, no good day. 

but that didn't matter.  because - and i think this is important - the defense just wanted it more.  if you follow the steelers at all then you know that the main story (sometimes it has seemed like the only story) to be told so far this year is about ben roethlisberger's absence and who will get the job done: dixon, leftwich, or even batch.  but it seems that all the talking heads forgot to include someone else on that list who could get the job done: the defense.  and they seem to be playing like a unit who feels underrated and disrespected.  i haven't heard them say much about it, but their play is just screaming, "who cares who's playing quarterback?!?  we got this!"

and i love it. 



7 turnovers.  brutal hits.  confusing coverages.  only 34 rushing yards allowed to the "great" chris johnson.  sacks, forced fumbles and just alot of old-fashioned butt-whoopin.  there's only one thing to say about this:

and now i need to get back to spreading defensive awesomeness all over my face.  see ya!

troy

sometimes you just want it more.

darth vader and (more) wildebeests. that's right: beests.

*that's right...two random posts in a row.  i like to keep you on your toes.  (actually, i don't care about your toes.  at all.  it's just an expression that means if i feel like doing two random posts in a row you are going to have to deal with it.)

*just as an addendum to yesterday's random post: wildebeast is supposedly spelled wildebeest.  i figured that out yesterday, but presumed that if i spelled it correctly, some of you would comment saying that i had misspelled it.  weird.  if ever an animal should have the word "beast" in its name, the wildebeest is that animal.  and yet it doesn't.  crazy english language. 

* i was excited about the finale of top chef last night, only to fall asleep before it came on.  i was exhausted but i was happy to wake up the news that ***SPOILER ALERT*** kevin won.  he works at a restaurant in new jersey that we never went to, but drove by a couple of times, and so that was enough reason for me to root for him through the whole series.  and he won.  of course now he's leaving that restaurant and starting his own.  rats. 

*that's it: i'm addicted.  i've been trying to deny it, but it has become completely clear and unavoidable at this point.  everyday when i read the paper, if i don't turn to the puzzle page and do the cryptoquip, then i immediately start to the get the shakes and get irritable (more than normal).  what is the cryptoquip, you ask?  it is like some random quote or pun or saying of some sort (usually unbearably cheesy) in which the puzzle makers have switched every letter to another letter.  you have to solve the puzzle by figuring out which letters stand for other letters.  like in this sentence:  u ynkj gcj tgjjyjpt! where j = e.  (answer at the end of this post). 

*thanks for all your helpful suggestions for my polity class tonight (please read that sentence in the most sarcastic voice you can muster...thanks.)  i think if i follow your advice i will use colored dry-erase markers to draw pictures for the first 5 minutes and then we'll all go out for ice cream.  now that i think about it, we could call it "holy conferencing."  i think they should make an ice cream called 'holy conferencing.'  it would have a bunch of nuts in it.  thank you, thank you...i'll be here all week. 

*  now listening to:  sigh no more by mumford and sons. 

*now reading: the pittsburgh steelers 2010 media guide.  you think i'm kidding? 

* in today's strange news, it appears that the epic villain of the eighties who struck fear in hearts of many a young jedi, is now striking fear in the hearts of convenience store owners in detroit.  oh how the mighty have fallen.  darth vader used to fight for the dark side of the force.  now he fights for a couple hundred bucks and a handful of slim jims.  sad, really. 

* the answer to the above cryptoquip is:  i love the steelers.  now, back to the media guide.  peace!

wildebeasts and corn chowder (another random post)

in today's installment of randomness, i begin with a demonstration that my oldest child is secretly being influenced by a rogue gang of tusken raiders from star wars.  a few weeks we took a hike near penn's creek with a friend when jack struck this pose, and i knew immediately that something was up.  but when he started shouting in ways that sounded like a wildebeast with a mouthful of peanut butter, there was no question about it.  if he starts asking if he can spend the night with a friend on tatooine, i'll know i've got a major problem.

-what have i been listening to?  how about Justin Townes Earle's awesome alt-country album with a new york city theme?  it's called 'harlem river blues,' and you can get it here for $3.  i'm lovin' it right now. 

-i watched a nature show the other night about piranha.  apparently their teeth are really really sharp.  also, the people who live near the rivers in south america like to catch the little buggers and eat them.  and when they've finished picking piranha meat off the bones, they like to clean off the jaws, separate the top jaw from the bottom jaw, and  - are you ready for this - use them as scissors for cutting hair.  that is correct.  they just hold the jaws in two hands right next to someone's head and just click them together, as if their is a really angry bony piranha just inches from your skull, chomping on your locks.  the world is a weird place, man, and probably full of aliens, as evidenced in the picture above.

-we've had issues with cade learnng to talk, and while he is doing better, he still has some trouble.  and by that i mean, we still have some trouble figuring out what he is saying sometimes.  well, apparently we've really been working on the "t" sounds because when we don't understand him recently, he gets singularly frustrated with us, and believes that he only needs to precede whatever he's trying to say with a series of dramatic "t's."   so, with intense over-annunciation he says, "t-t-t-t-t-corn chowder!"

-some pastors are really good.  and, others?  well, not so good. 

-back to wildebeasts for a second.  do you think noah would seriously let wildebeasts on the ark?  i can't really imagine a scenario in which that happens.  in my mind's eye, i see the pair of enormous oafs ambling towards the front door of the gopher wood boat, and noah checking the guest list, saying, "sorry guys, i don't have you down here.  i can't see anything here about giant hideous looking groaning animals.  sorry, hope you can swim."  apparently, they can swim. 

-i am currently leading a study in my church about what it means to be a united methodist. last week we talked about the history of our denomination, and i had 20 people there!  this week we are discussing the polity and organization of the church.  any methodist readers out there have any ideas about how to make this interesting? 

-hope everyone's having a good week.  if you didn't read it, i'd love for you to read what i wrote about prayer yesterday, and offer me your two cents (or five, or twenty-five.  or heck, give me a couple bucks.).  be well. 

the power of prayer

i'm thinking about prayer this week, since my sermon on sunday is going to be dealing with it.  i'm looking at 1 Timothy 2 when we are asked to pray for kings and leaders of nations, that we might live peaceable lives.  i'm all for prayer as an important spiritual discipline, but i'm not necessarily such a big fan certain approaches to try and convince people of this truth.  it seems to me that much of what has passed for 'teaching' about prayer in our churches is really a harmful oversimplification of something that is much richer and more profound than we often realize. 

let me say this: i believe prayer is powerful.  in my experience it is without question a vital element of a rich and growing faith.  i have found it to be transformational, and i do not shy away from saying so.  but perhaps it hasn't been transformational in the way that we often think.  let me explain.

i have often struggled with the way we pray, as i find it to be incredibly selfish.  when i was a child playing pee-wee football, i used to pray that God would help us win.  i used to pray that God would make the Steelers win.  those are cute prayers, in a way, and to be frank i don't think there is anything "wrong" with them as the prayer of a child.  but if we think about it, we realize that there may be people on both sides praying for a win, and only one side gets to win.  is it to God's credit that one side wins, and God's fault that the other loses?  or might it have more to do with poor play by one team and better play by the winning team? 

or consider the prayer of the one who wants a convenient parking space at the mall.  this kind of prayer strikes me as quite selfish, in the context of a world where bombs are being made, and children are dying of hunger and underprivileged people are being forced to toil their lives away for a meager meal and young girls are traded like objects on the black market for some twisted sexual satisfaction.  you get my point.  in such a world, is it okay to pray for a parking space so we don't have to walk the extra 75 feet (when we could clearly use the exercise)?   for me, anyway, it seems to border on sinful.  at the very least it betrays a sadly misinformed understanding of prayer as a kind of "magic wand of convenience" that we can wave when we need it.  when we need a better parking space.  or a victory.  or a safe trip.  or a promotion.  or whatever it is we think we want. 

the way i look at it, prayer is totally different than this.  it isn't a direct line to our Butler-in-the-Sky.  instead, prayer, at least the way i see it, is the hallmark of an intimate relationship with God.  if i want to have a good relationship with my wife, for example, i have to talk to her.  and she will be quick to point out that this involves a healthy dose of listening.  what will help us to grow in our relationship is an intentional and sometimes sacrificial kind of give and take, back and forth, sharing and listening, giving and receiving.  this is what works in my relationship with my wife, and it is also what works in a relationship with God.  only with God, we call it prayer.  and when we learn to pray like that - like a conversation - then prayer becomes incredibly powerful.  more powerful than any Holy-Spirit-inducing, loud-mouthed sweaty evangelist promising to heal your afflictions with one push of the forehead.  God does indeed work miracles, and the greatest miracle of all is that God will walk in each moment with me - with me! - in an intimate relationship.  and that, that changes everything.  so prayer really is powerful.  powerful beyond our wildest imagination. 

the emotional roller coaster

well, its a day following a steeler game, which means i should probably warn you about what you can expect for the next several months. 

if you are checking my blog and the steelers played the day before, you're probably going to be reading something about the steelers.  if they lose, it will be something like, "i don't really want to talk about it," but if they win, you can usually expect a few pictures and a few sentences or so discussing the game or my experience of the game.  i'm not offering in depth analysis here.  there are literally dozens of steelers blogs that are dedicated to some incredibly intricate analysis of the steelers, so i have nothing to add to those conversations here on my happy little blog.  but i also can't help myself but write a little, so you just have to put up with it.  i know my steelers-related posts meet mixed reviews (some of you like them, some of you stop coming to my blog at all about this time of year), but i always remember that i'm not really writing in order to get you to come to my blog.  i'm not a social-media expert.  i'm just writing because i love to write.  and, i love to write about the steelers (when they win).  and there you have it.

so without further ado,

THEEEEE STEEEEEELERS WIIIIIINNNNNN!!!!!!

yesterday was an intense day, and an complete emotional roller coaster for me.  yes, i know mike tomlin praised his team because they did not ride an emotional roller coaster, which makes me glad that coach tomlin wasn't in my living room around 1pm yesterday, because he would have grabbed me by the spot where one would be wearing shoulder pads and he would have glared at me with those incredibly open eyes and he would have told me to pull it together...that the team needs me to stay focused.  you see, i had lost my focus because i allowed my sadness to overwhelm me. 

all week long i've been anticipating steelers football.  as you may know, i even wrote a poem about the anticipation that i go through.  needless to say, i was excited.  i did my homework on the network situation (i don't have direct tv), and knew that fox would be showing the game, since the local fox station out of philly wouldn't be playing the eagles at 1pm, since the eagles don't play until 4. 

so after church i came home and put my jersey one and got everything set up in the mancave.  the whole family ate lunch down there in the excitement of kickoff sunday.  and then on a whim i thought i'd better just check the info to make sure the game that was coming up at 1 was the steelers.  and it wasn't.  it was giants/panthers.  are you kidding me?  I MOVED TO PENNSYLVANIA SO I COULD SEE MORE STINKING GIANTS GAMES?!?

it was literally like a punch to the abdomen.  i quickly moved away from my family, because i didn't want them to see the tear that had started rolling down my cheek.  i spent a few minutes feeling sorry for myself (all they way through the first steelers drive, i think), before i realized that i have a high-powered radio that will at least get the game audio for me.  so i did that, and soon forgot about my misfortune, instead watching the bengals get destroyed by the pats on cbs while listening to bill and tunch on the steelers radio network (i don't know if anyone else listened to them yesterday, but bill hillgrove was simply terrible.  i mean awful.  he got so many things wrong it was very distracting.  at one point in the 4th quarter he kept saying the score was 12-12.  nope.  it was 9-9.  during mendy's game winning run, he reported that mendy fumbled the ball and then picked it up again.  nope.  and numerous times he had down and distance wrong, and was just generally awful.).  so while i was so sad about not getting to watch the first game on tv (stupid philadelphia fox) i calmed down and enjoyed the usual heart palpitations and blood pressure elevations that go with steelers games. 

all in all, it was a fun game to watch, err, i mean listen to.  not much offensive excitement, but a great hard-nosed defensive battle, which makes for some great steelers football.  i can't comment on many players' individual performances, since i really didn't get to watch it, but i will say that it was awesome to see hines ward have such an active role in the win, as he is a major team leader at this point and really led by example.  the fact that he is still breaking records left and right, and going strong, brings me nothing but great satisfaction. 

i thought dixon was fine.  it sounded to me like he was extremely nervous and tight, probably scared to death of making a big mistake, but he was able to overcome that to a certain extent and begin to make some real throws.  i thought it was a decent game for him, and one that will hopefully give him confidence going into next week. 

and what can i say about the steelers defense?  holy cow, they were good.  even without big snack, who left with a hamstring injury, they were solid against a quality offense there with matt ryan at the helm.  they bent a little bit in the middle parts of the field, especially with those passes to roddy white, but they never broke, only giving up field goals.  i have to give them credit for that, and i especially loved seeing troy back out there making an interception at a critical time.  gotta love it. 

and in the end, it is a win.  we are 1-0, undefeated so far in 2010 without our franchise quarterback.  i can't complain about that, and i can only celebrate that we won it in overtime with a great running play, complete with perfect blocking, and hope that that is a sign of things to come this season.  go steelers!

'twas the night before Steelers football

just like christmas.  that's what it feels like right now.  well, to be more precise, it feels like the days right before christmas: those slow, anticipation-filled days.  like the hands of the clock are covered in quikrete, grinding to a halt so that christmas may just never get here.  yep.  that's how i feel right now.  the pittsburgh steelers season is a mere 52 hours away as i write this, but that feels like it might as well be a year and a half.  i just can't wait for it to get here.  so, to try and move beyond the incessant nail-biting and clock-watching, i thought i'd spend my time today usefully, and compose a poem.  it is a well-known tradition throughout the Steeler Universe that defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau (who you may remember was just inducted into the Pro Fooball Hall of Fame this year) takes time each year to read a famous Christmas Poem to his players.  and while this may not seem like the most testerone-fueled activity, it is nonetheless a treasured tradition to the Steelers players who refer to LeBeau as "Coach Dad."  and so, in an sort of homage to Coach LeBeau and his annual poetry reading, i thought i would compose my own verse in a similar style. 

note:  there are a few inside jokes in this poem that you might not get (or at least not as fully) unless you are a regular at what is, in my opinion, the greatest steelers blog on the interwebs, behind the steel curtain.  btsc is a place where steeler fans meet online to discuss football, and just about everything else.  recently, the artistic director of the pittsburgh Camerata (a chamber music group in the steel city) wrote about the similarities between an NFL quarterback and the conductor of an orchestra.  anyway, if you're a steelers fan, i would highly recommend checking into btsc from time to time where you will find some kindred spirits.  now, on to the poetry... (click on the keep reading link to read the poem)

‘Twas the night before kickoff and all through the "Nation,"

not a Stiller fan was stirring, due to some healthy libation.

The terrible towels were placed by the TVs with care,

in hopes that HD images of victory soon would be there.

The Steeler fans were sleeping, all snug in their beds,

while visions of hypocycloids danced in their heads.

And I in my black 86 jersey - Hines Ward -

had just settled down after a prayer to the Lord.

When out in the family room, I heard such a noise,

I could have sworn it sounded like Big Ben and the boys.

I raced down the hall and into the den,

and couldn't believe what I discovered then.

There in the room (right on the couch!)

sat Tomlin and LeBeau - my wife will vouch.

And my jaw dropped in wonder as I stood with a stare

at the coaches before me - wow, what a pair!

Then my wonder grew deeper while I leaned on the wall,

as I watched Coach LeBeau stand up and call,

"Now Deebo, Now Potsie, now Timmons and Wood;

come out all you linebackers, you all are so good.

Now Ike, now Ryan, now B.Mac, keep on growing,

and now Troy, the magnificent ,with hair long and flowing.

Now Diesel, now Smithy, come on now Big Snack,

it's time to let loose the steel curtain attack!"

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

but the entire Steelers defense, inspiring fear.

Then Tomlin stood up; he seemed strong - you should know it -

and he began to orate like a warrior poet.

He spoke with golden tongue, and appeared quite loose

(I noticed there was no coach there named Bruce).

And he called forth the offense by name, one by one,

until each was there - can you imagine my fun?

He called for Starks , Kemo, Essex, and the Rookie,

he called for the Hotel, who was eating a cookie.

He named Randle El, Heath Miller and Hines,

and the future hall-of-famer was smiling so wide.

He called for Big Ben, then Lefty, Batch and Dixon,

Coach couldn't wait for the end of the suspension.

He called for Rashard, who came in with a spin,

then the room got real quiet as they all leaned in.

And then Coach gathered them around and he said, "Men,

let's hear a big cheer for the one we call Redman!"

The team was all there - what a sight to behold -

it made me proud to be a fan of the great black and gold.

It felt so amazing, so good, just like heaven,

when I heard the team say they'd get trophy number seven.

And then in an instant they were gone with a howl,

so I stood there just waving my terrible towel.

It might have been a dream, for all I can say,

but I know that tomorrow they'll be ready to play.

While this night felt like a great Steelers party,

tomorrow they start fighting for that seventh Lombardi.

So sleep tight, Steeler Nation, ‘til the sun shines down bright;

happy game day to all, and to all a good night!



Go Steelers!

our family art project

last night we had a little bit of extra time, having eaten our dinner a little early, and we were noticing the beautiful sunflower arrangement that had been given to us, and so an idea occurred to us for a great family activity: what if we all tried to draw or artistically represent the sunflowers in our own way?  a kind of family art project!  so we cleaned up dinner and got out all sorts of art supplies and got busy.  here are a couple more pictures of the beautiful flowers: 

now, to see what each member of our family came up with, click the "keep reading button right below.

here you see a picture of all four of our creations, and the following will give you a close up of each one.

Caedmons work of art:

Jackson's work of art:

Shannon's work of art:

my work of art:

we had a blast with this little family experiment, and i was surprised the kids' attention spans lasted as long as they did.  below you can see a short video with the before and after of our project.  have a great tuesday!

kids say the darndest things: milinovich version

***since this post deals with things my kids say, please know that it may or may not include references to poop, boogers, flatulence and other hilarious stuff.***

when caedmon burps, he often quips, "excuse me.  i farted in my mouth."

when jackson asked if the mcdonalds we were going to had a play area, shannon told him, "there are no guarantees."  he replied, "yeah, but there is one hope."

when driving past burger king, jack asked me why he is the king of boogers.

we live near a place called shamokin dam.  i like to say "shamokin" as if i am jim carrey in the mask: "shaaaa-MO-kin!"  well, jack has now picked this up, and follows it up with a dramatic "dam" at the end which makes it sound a little dirty.  oops.  then cade repeats it.  so, the whole time we drive anywhere near shamokin dam, i have to listen to choruses of "shaaaa-MO-kin deeeeeeeaaaaaammmmmm" from the backseat.  awesome.

cade calls palm trees "bonka" trees, because he's seen in the cartoons where the coconuts fall and hit them in the head.  ouch.

and, as jack says, hope you have a happy neighbor (labor) day. 

saturday song: first breath after coma

well, glory of glories, it's here: football.  in all its wonderful varities: professional football is less than a week away, the always-exciting college games already started and continue today just in time to usher in this autumnish weather we're experiencing along the east coast, and the high school version, accompanied by so much adolescent drama and the sounds of cheerleading mixed in with rowdy student sections and over-zealous high school bands, just to name a few.  we've got football back, people, and it is glorious.

we took the whole family out last night to catch our local football team - the braves - in their season opener.  they lost, but we had a great time just taking in the smells and sounds of a late summer evening under the lights.  and it all felt so much like what i love about the show friday night lights, which is a great show.  and so for today's saturday song, i'm giving you an awesome - if pretty long - song from the band "explosions in the sky."  it's the band that provided the soundtrack for the friday night lights movie and will forever make me think of football on friday evenings in october, under the crisp autumn blanket of night air.  So glorious. 

the mystery of the spirit

i was recently commissioned to make an assemblage for someone (an assemblage is basically a collage that is made with three-dimensional objects rather than just paper) who had really liked another of my pieces that i sold.  it had to wait until after the move and until i got my art area set up and semi-functional, but i finally was able to do it, and it is now finished and delivered.  when i make a commissioned piece, my anxiety level is always way higher because i am worried about how it will be received.  when i just make a collage for fun, i make it the way i like it, because it seems to appeal to me in some way.  but when i make for someone else, i am so burdened by every little item, so concerned about each decision.  so, it was a relief when i heard from the recipient that they really liked it and were so grateful for it.  insert big sigh of relief here.  and here is the piece:

"the mystery of the Spirit"

mixed media assemblage

august, 2010

gregory a. milinovich

*in other news, it was my half birthday yesterday, and no one remembered or bought me any steelers merchandise or anything. come on, people!  you only turn 34.5 once!  geesh. 

*the weather this last week could be characterized as: hot, hotter, sweat your face off, hot again, and could-someone-please-put-a-dagger-in-heart-of-summer.  seriously.  i'm ready for crunchy leaves and apple cider, sweatshirts and the smell of crisp air.  bring me fall!  or bring me death football, at least!

*speaking of football, my pittsburgh steelers won their final preseason game last night, but likely lost the guy who was going to start the first several games for them at quarterback.  i feel bad for byron leftwich, of course, but i am sort of neutral about this from a team perspective.  i'm not sure who the best guy is for the job, and i'm willing to just let it unfold.  but the real problem is that we have now entered the longest week of the year for me - that week between the final steelers preaseason game and first steelers regular season game.  it's like all the clocks drink decaf for this week.  c'mon, time!  let's move it!

*i came across this tony campolo quote on twitter, and thought it might be worth sharing, at least for a laugh: "I've always been skeptical of those television healers who r bald. If I had that gift, that'd be the first thing I'd fix."

*not that i'm going bald.  i'm not.  i've got hair that's thicker than a bin of brillo pads at the dollar store. 

*today is my first day off with jackson at school.  i was trying to think of what caedmon and i would do with our day, and jack warned us, "don't have any fun until i get home from school."  well, then, i guess that setttles it: we'll be exercising all day (least fun activity i could think of). 

*i just purchased an indie album on amazon by a band called steel train, and i love it!   it's only $5 at amazon, and you can get it here. 

*well, that's it for now.  i must get busy not having fun and watching the clock crawl, sloth-like, towards next sunday.  wake me up when september ends.  (well, at least the first week).