posted by riddle at 3:38 PM | |

 
Put Downs
I got these from a website a while back that randomnly generates put-downs...but now I've forgotten the name of the site. It was late at night and Amy and I found them humorous:

You are a imbecilic and grossly cacophonous crank, who gains immense enjoyment from depressing others. Your bottom is also incredibly farcical.

You are a disgusting and chronically wrinkled paranoiac, who gets pleasure from farting. Your house is also unusually rusty.

You are a stupid and usually malevolent lollygagger, who gains immense enjoyment from depressing others. Your nose is also chronically old.

You are a styptic and peculiarly doddering simpleton, who is always losing. Your brother is also sadly unshaven.

You are a decrepit and sadly wrinkled dunderhead, who enjoys excreting in one's undergarments. Your leg is also strangely flatulent.

You are a rusty and oddly fecal donkey, who enjoys leaving a mess everywhere. Your mouth is also sadly wrinkled.

You are a fat and peculiarly old ninny, who gains immense enjoyment from urinating oneself. Your leg is also strangely sour.
posted by Jimmy at 10:48 PM | |

 
I'm so Blessed!

A woman tells a friend she's struggling with the death of her daughter 5 years before. Her friend listens and is comforting and later tells her husband "We are so blessed! Our kids are healthy!"

A man tells a friend of his wifes struggling health and the friend says, "We I don't know about any of that, I've been blessed so far with our health."

A teen from the burbs working on an urban mission plunge to Houston says, "The people have nothing. They were born into bad families, or bad circumstances that have molded them in negative ways or attempted to hold them back. I'm just so blessed to live where I live and to have the family I have!"

What does this say about how we view God?
What does this say about how we view ourselves?
What does it say about what value?

It seems our blessings are often connected to how we are doing materially. or more importantly how we feel about our place in the world.

Someone once said something like this to me. "We've just been blessed!"
I wanted to say... "I guess God hasn't blessed us."

But this kind of theology is .... (pause) um.... ugly.
posted by riddle at 12:34 PM | |

 
King of the Nursery
Jacob Benjamin Pics
Well, the nurses called him the "King of the Nursery" because he was the biggest baby all week...

posted by Jimmy at 5:05 PM | |

 
It's a Boy!

Jimmy and Amy had their third child this morning!
Their first boy!
10 lbs 7oz 20 inches long

way to go!
There is no name at this moment. An update will appear when we know.
Jimmy was wishing the hospital was wified by it's not....
so pics will come later!

Congrats!

UPDATE:

Jacob Benjamin Doyle (i'm guessing at the spelling)
posted by riddle at 11:23 AM | |

 
A Symbol of Something

I thought to myself, "There has to be something in this."

Every year, our high school does a big fundraising dinner and auction. They must raise a barrel of money. I wasn't able to bid on any of the auction items because of price. Several of the live auction items get upwards of $2-3000.

It's held in the high school gym, and it's supposed to be a "formal" occassion. They put table clothes on the tables. The serving staff wears uniforms. People wear ties.

So I went to wash my hands.



Underneath the thematic decorations, the burning, scented candles, and the fake flora, it was still just a run-down high school bathroom.

And I thought, "There's got to be a symbol in this, somewhere...."
posted by Stephen at 9:43 PM | |

 
Mourning to Dancing
Well, I thought I'd catch everyone up on my last post...since it was such a downer. I guess I kind of freaked some people out.

First of all, let me say thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, written us notes of encouragement, and gone out of your way to lesson the burdens that Amy and I feel right now. You are present evidence to us that the hoped for Kingdom of God within the Body of Christ exists. Your love in action will never be forgotten.

Second, let me say that things are bad. As a matter of fact, they are slightly more stressful as I have a 102 degree fever right now and our baby is scheduled to be born via C-Section on Thursday. And Amy has started showing the same symptoms as I had when the virus started. But I want to say that the last part of my previous post, that we know God is present in all this (even though He's hiding), is the stronger foundation for us. I would much rather be abandoned to Him (with all the confusion, mystery, and sometimes suffering that comes with it) than to have it all together and not be aware of His grace and love.

There are just moments where the only words in this love relationship with the Divine are ones of frustration and anger. Sometimes it's actually frustration and the joy of surrender. Amy and I have long enjoyed the old Lost Dogs' song "No Ship Coming In". It's kind of our marriage anthem. I'm so glad the Scriptures are full of such songs and prayers of complaint. Sometimes they are gleaming with hope and other times they are tarnished with fear and hopelessness...but they come from the same heart. They all seem to acknowledge the Absent Presence of the One who knows and loves.

Again...thank you for being the Body to us.
posted by Jimmy at 8:26 PM | |