Hey all you Starbucks addicts fans out there, did it work? Comment and file your report.
Hey all you Starbucks addicts fans out there, did it work? Comment and file your report.
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Rumor has it that I'm hard to please, but it really doesn't take all that much to make me smile. To prove my point, here's what did it today (and I'm not making these up):
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I finally trimmed my fingernails today.
I hate having long fingernails.
I could never be a woman.
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I spent my birthday teaching as a Christmas tree per Westminster's Spirit Week festivities going on all this week (today was "inanimate object" day).
And that's all I have to say about that.
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I've got a wife, four children, and at least 100 students praying for a snow day tomorrow. Even though I'm giving a test, I suppose I'd stay home if the forecast panned out (supposedly 5-8 inches by Friday morning). Possible snow day linkage for you:
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Yes, I know the Republicans just had their third winner in three primaries and I should probably have thoughts, but I'm a little politicked out. These links seem more interesting:
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If I lived at Whole Foods, I would weigh 600 pounds...by summer.
Man, that place is amazing.
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Not sure how you approach a new year, but here are some helpful/humorous links I found:
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I'm up to my eyeballs in papers and tests, so in case there are any other teachers out there facing a similar doom, here are some links to grade by:
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I was hoping that, due to freezing rain and sleet last night, we'd have a snow day today. Alas, as of 5:50 a.m., it doesn't appear to be. So, here are some links for a frigid Friday:
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Not sure why, but this category (and the entries below) popped into my mind today:
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My folks, Rog and Char, along with my uncle Bob and aunt Janice, are making their first trip ever to Las Vegas this weekend. Apparently, in addition to Mom and Dad heading for America's favorite desert oasis, the Democrats are as well (not their first trip, mind you).
It would be hilarious if my father ran into his state senator (Obama) somewhere on the strip, started talking agriculture, and ended up making it onto the national news. I could totally see my Mom hitting it off with Hillary at a Vegas show and, in the midst of some "warm chatter" (as is the Mary Kay Way), selling her some makeup for the road.
If my parents don't run into the Democrats this weekend, maybe they'll rub shoulders with O.J.'s lawyers getting ready for the weekend after next. Who knows?
Only Vegas...
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...too long, in fact, I had to look it up:
rain |rān| noun moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in separate drops : the rain had not stopped for days | it's pouring rain. • ( rains) falls of rain : the plants were washed away by some unusually heavy rains. • [in sing. ] a large or overwhelming quantity of things that fall or descend : he fell under the rain of blows.
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A couple of (mostly) current events links for you:
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One student defending to another why she had "such a stupid song" on her music player:
"It's an iPod, not a wePod!"
Ah, the community of technology.
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This week in Biblical Ethics, we've been studying the First Commandment - considering God's Person and right in calling us to faithfulness as part of his covenant with us, as well as studying a few of the many gods (Asherah, Baal(s), Chemosh, Dagon, Marduk, Molech) that Old Testament cultures (including Israel) created instead.
After the Old Testament study, I then had my students get in groups and spend some time naming our gods today, coming up with a little history (as they understood it) of where the god came from, and listing a few requirements for each god's followers. I asked them to have fun with it (which they did), but they also made some insightful observations in the process. Here are just a few of my favorites:
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(Taken by Megan while driving through Louisiana, MO, after this year's Apple Festival)
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Some links for you on a Friday:
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For those who missed it (or need it), happy late National Punctuation Day yesterday.
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Names that are verbs (in no particular order):
Sue, Max, Mark, Bill, Tripp, Doug, Jett, Pat, Jack, Peter, Bob, Neal, Flo, Wright, Skip, Josh, Hugh, Chance, Grace, Chuck, Page, Rob, Wolf, Rowan, Mike, Hope, Judge, Nick, Don, Drew, Dick, Cary, Duke, Pierce, Will, Flip, Skip, Tank, Chase, Peg, Wayne, Rip, Mary, Dustin, Jimmy, Sharon, Bea, Karen, Phil, Marshall, Trace, Rip, Picabo, Mary, Sally, Holden, Tucker, Piper, Biff, Chip, Buck, Leigh, Talley, Ty, Bette, Hyde, DJ, VJ
Any you would dispute/add?
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Some links for an overcast, rainy Saturday:
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My mother, Charlotte, just retired in May after 30+ years teaching high school English. As this will be her first August without having to prep for school, I thought I'd better ask for her top ten teaching suggestions before she forgot them all. Here's what she emailed me:
in Family, Random, Westminster | Permalink | Comments (12)
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Real teacher names (and the classes they teach) posted on various classroom doors around here at The Catherine Cook School in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood:
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Just in case anybody needs a little pick-me-up today, I would offer these alternatives for some helpful perspective on your particular situation (whatever it may be) in life:
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This afternoon I laid down on the couch to do some reading and take a Sunday afternoon nap. As I dozed off, I remembered hearing Megan begin preparations in the kitchen to fix sloppy joes for our summer Bible study group this evening. Thankfully, the smell eventually woke me up from the very vivid dream I was having of being chased by the Abominable Manwich.
I know what you're thinking, and I agree: too many freaks, not enough circuses. Man, I'm weird.
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Went to see Hello, Dolly! at The Muny with Megan and the girls last night. Didn't care much for the story as a whole (no characters to really root for), but the production was top-notch and the sound was amazing. We had a beautiful 75-degree evening for it as well, so that made it nice.
Thought I'd throw out some links this Friday:
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I just got new glasses. It was a good 10-year run with my last set of lenses and my prescription had barely changed; however, with the last Harry Potter book coming out July 21st, I figure it's time to give up the rounded specs for some rectangular ones. I am such a slave to fashion.
My Pearle Vision associate called my frame selection "geek chic," though I'm not sure I've thought of myself as either. What do you think? Geek, chic, or other?
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Running around today on a slew of errands: returning an overdue library book; trying to understand financial aid; doing some grading for Covenant's Access program; getting an eye exam; etc. This afternoon, our two oldest have their final day at The Magic House camp they've been enjoying this week (complete with program finale, which we're attending).
Afterward, we'll drop all four off tonight for some babysitting by a team of short-term missionaries raising funds to go to Red Lake, MN, to work with Native Americans this summer, while Megan and I (finally, after six months) redeem a Christmas gift certificate for dinner at the Top of the Riverfront restaurant downtown.
That said, I'm not thinking too much today, so here are some links for the end of your week:
Have a good weekend.
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Spent a glorious Thursday morning working on church details: accumulating intern hours; planning the next two cycles of Adullam leader retreats for this fall and next spring; and giving thought to a redesign of Memorial's website. I forget sometimes how much I love strategic and tactical planning. As the old Chinese proverb says, "He who aims at nothing hits it everytime."
It's been a week of such planning as I've started my teaching preparation for this fall's New Testament and Ethics classes at Westminster. It's so much more motivating for me to prepare to teach something than to just be tested on it, and the main difference between this week's study and the past month's of Christ & Salvation has been one of refreshment (not that I didn't enjoy or won't use what I learned in C&S for my New Testament class this fall, of course).
Other stuff I've been doing: having people over for dinner (last four nights); trying to exercise and watch what I eat (I've been slacking a bit); finishing up The Brothers K (good book - best when it sticks to baseball); and prepping for the summer study series Megan and I are hosting Sunday nights in July over the book of James (4:30-6:30 p.m.; eat at 5, so bring something).
What have you been up to lately?
PS: By the way, remember that moral quandry I faced last week while taking my Christ & Salvation final? Well, my grade got posted today and I came out with a B+ for the class, which means I must not have done quite as badly as I thought I had on the final. Whew.
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This morning, I had an interview for a temp job at a law firm downtown. My friend, Emily, has worked there and recommended me to them, so they actually called me, which was nice.
When I came downstairs for breakfast wearing a suit and tie, my three-year-old looked at me strangely over her cereal and asked, "Daddy, why are you wearing that costume?"
Guess she's not convinced I'm the attorney gofer I was dressed up to be. On the backside of the interview, I'm not convinced either (at least not for more than two months of summer).
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Happiness is finally getting your mower back from the shop and taking the morning off from studying to mow your yard - twice. There are no words for my joy when things just work.
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Just a couple quick thoughts this morning on a few news items of the day:
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Driving to the seminary this morning, I saw a bumper sticker that read "Trees are the future."
Ironically, the bumper sticker was on a wood chipper.
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(Photo taken by Megan at The Butterfly House; thanks to our landlord for the free tix)
Here are some coming highlights for the next seven days:
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I'll come right out and say it: I'm a fan of Daylight Saving Time. Part of my affinity is simply change (which I usually like); part is that it just makes sense for a lot of reasons, not the least of which that it buys me a little extra time in the morning as my kids adjust to trying getting up in the morning after playing later outside the night before ("falling back" always works against us).
"Springing forward" to make use of more daylight seems good stewardship to me, and I'm not just talking about energy. During the winter months, I always feel like my body is fighting against nature. Personally (and I have no way to prove this other than my own observation), my body line ups/feels better during DST. I don't know why; it just does.
Maybe this is the farm kid in me talking, but if the sun's up or out, there must still be work to do somewhere. Then again, that may be this farm kid's father talking - he who, when I would lumber to the breakfast table at 8:05 in the morning to woof down breakfast before speeding to make an 8:15 school bell, would remind me "the day's half over".
In case you're wondering, Dad always liked DST; Mom, not so much, as we were always eating dinner at 7:30 during planting season.
I know there are plenty of folks who have all kinds of reasons why they don't like DST, but I've not heard one that seems legitimate. Maybe you have one?
Megan asked me last night if she thought our Macs would compensate for the earlier-than-usual time change this spring. Sure enough, they did (our PC is still an hour behind), which is just another reason to buy a Mac instead of a PC, not one to give up daylight saving time.
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More proverbial wisdom from my students:
"Like sunlight through a window is a man of wisdom's words:
a source of light where there is none."
"When you are in pain, go see your physician;
for the pain he inflicts upon you will replace your original agony."
"An only child is lonely,
but siblings create discord."
"There is one whose roads are lost,
and the knowledge of house is hidden.
No one knows how to find his bed,
and he is content to drive alone.
Others may look and follow his car,
but we will never find his true address."
in Poetry, Random, Wildwood | Permalink | Comments (3)
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I'm a week away from finishing up the book of Proverbs with my Wildwood high schoolers (we're studying biblical wisdom literature). As part of today's class (and with no warning and a ten-minute time limit), I asked the students to write their own proverbs. Most were really clever, and I thought I'd post some of their entries throughout the week (I've got a test tomorrow morning and two papers due Thursday, so blogging may be sparse this week). Here goes:
"Dogs are like children;
give them a cookie and they love you forever."
"A wise man heats his car up before scraping ice off of it,
but a fool hastily hacks it off and cracks his windshield."
"Like salt on a wound does too much gum ail the jaw,
but a big mouth will become useful."
"My son, expecting others to make the right choices will surely lead to disappointment, but he who keeps their humanity in mind will not be caught off guard."
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I haven't done a post of interesting links, podcasts, and other various and sundry items for a while, so here goes (warning: don't click these links if you don't want to think):
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Yes, it would curtail people's personal freedoms and take us back to the dark ages when people actually had to talk to one another, but for no other reason than basic human courtesy, I don't think this is all that bad of an idea.
Who's with me?
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...when your 8-year-old, given the task of coordinating the cleaning of the two rooms belonging to her and her sisters, requests as a soundtrack, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles (later covered by The Presidents of the United States of America for The Wedding Singer).
Training them up in the way they should go (at least when it comes to 80's music classics)...
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I sat down to blog tonight, but for some reason had a difficult time picking a topic and investing the energy. Thus, I won't subject you to a "second draft" that's really only a first one.
Hope you feel loved.
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Been up to my eyeballs in paper grading and the last of our moving experience (my least favorite part: hanging stuff). We're loving the new place and really making the most of the new space, planning to host an open house before the spring semester starts later this month. If you're in town, consider yourself invited (details to come).
Saw The Nativity Story the other night with Megan and the girls and thoroughly enjoyed it (though it got a little modern/Hallmark-ish at the end, especially in the cheeseball "Silent Night" soundtrack arrangement and the Nativity "pose" at the end). The appearance of Gabriel to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds was underwhelming (manifesting a convincing angel is no easy task), but I loved how they portrayed Joseph and fleshed out his character and circumstance - a nice visual to the "resolved to divorce her quietly" struggle in Matthew.
In terms of book reading, I'm halfway through The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester, as well as The Shangri-La Diet by Seth Roberts. I'm planning to read Derek Kidner's short commentary on the Wisdom literature (Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes) so I can finalize the syllabus for the Bible class I teach at Wildwood, which starts Monday. I'm really looking forward to studying this with my students, and plan on doing most of our work in class together so as to teach the "how" as well as the "what" of studying Bible discourse.
Not too many extra plans for 2007, other than:
Now that we're in a house in a neighborhood, I'd like to re-learn how to relate to people who live on my same street, rubbing intellectual and emotional elbows with folks who come from a different perspective than mine, and learning from them as I learn to love them in the process. That would be hugely encouraging to me.
There's more (as always), but it would be too much. We'll see how this much goes and take it from there. Any resolutions/plans out there you'd like to share?
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In case I'm not awake at midnight (and I won't be), Happy New Year.
More in 2007...
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We're at the grandparents' in Illinois through Christmas Day, when we'll then head to Megan's sister's near Kansas City until Wednesday, (finally) finishing moving in at the new place Thursday. We're 90% there, but that last 10% is always the hardest.
In the meantime, we're catching up on some sleep and some reading (sans highlighter), and letting the grandparents do their thing with the little ones.
I'm also playing with my parents' new dog, Annie (a really sweet black lab), enjoying my folks' new high-speed Internet, and hoping to get some extended time to walk and pray before Monday. It's good to be home.
Coming soon: my 2006 booklist (with rankings). Look for it Monday or Tuesday.
Merry Christmas.
PS: Pray I can endure the gift exchange(s) with grace. Not real fond of those...
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Megan's thirty-third birthday is today, and it comes after a doozy of a Thanksgiving "break," as our youngest has been in the hospital here in Pittsfield, IL, since Thanksgiving night with pneumonia. We're hoping to bring her home (to Grandma and Grandpa's, that is) this afternoon/evening, and maybe even make it back to St. Louis on Monday, but at this point we're not holding our breath.
But that's not the point of this post.
I took this picture of Megan a couple of months ago when we were here for the Griggsville Apple Festival. While you can't tell it from the picture, she's sitting in the middle of the chaos of our Apple Jacks float amongst our four little ones as well as my sisters' kiddos (two each for a total of four), and this shot represents as well as any the quiet and gentle spirit within her (not to mention her fierce commitment to her family and what we sometimes require).
Most people have no idea how absolutely lost and lonely I would be in this life without Megan. I cannot imagine going through so much of what we have (especially in the past year-and-a-half and our move to St. Louis) with anyone else - she has been more supportive, more flexible, more committed, more loving, and more gracious than I ever deserve. Truly, I married well.
One of Megan's closest friends in Colorado once told me that the thing she respected most about Megan was that she had never, ever heard Megan criticize me in public. After almost ten years (as of next month) of marriage, this is a remarkable accomplishment to me, as well as a tribute to her impeccable character and relentless love.
She is a great wife and mother who also happens to be a talented writer, a gifted seamstress, a skilled cook, a warm lover, and a consummate companion without whom I would be the worse for wear. She is the Eve to my Adam; the Scully to my Mulder. And today she adds another year of wisdom to her well-lived life and teaches me every day about faith, hope, and love.
Happy birthday, Crazy. I love you.
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I swear I am being abducted by aliens at least on a daily basis. How do I know this? I am periodically (and perpetually) missing time (usually about seven minutes a shot) in my day.
For those not aware of such abduction lore (yet another reason to watch The X-Files on DVD), the conspiracy goes that when aliens abduct humans, the humans' watches record that time has passed, though they have absolutely no memory of it.
The ways this phenomenon manifests itself in my world are multiple:
I want to believe.
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Overheard tonight at my two oldest daughters' rehearsal for the St. Louis Children's Choir:
A mother (on cell to husband): "Rather than come home to change, I think it would just be quicker to pick some clothes up at the mall."
Same planet, different world.
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In the midst of midterms, I had the thought today that there were enough things, ideas, projects, opportunities, and pursuits swirling around me for which I have very specific and deep hopes. And, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to record some of them. I'm not sure how interesting this may be, but you're welcome to add your own list of hopes to mine.
By God's grace,
Enjoy it while you can.
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Here are a few weekend links you might find engaging:
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As the past week has largely been a wash in terms of actual content here at Second Drafts, I thought I'd round out the week with a random list so as not to break the cycle. Thankfully, this weekend is fairly unspoken for in terms of previous engagements (the first time in nearly a month), so I'll try to do better. In the meantime, enjoy the random schmada below.
Intriguing search engine terms with which people found my blog in the past week:
Latest season of The X-Files watched on DVD: Season 4
Latest song downloaded from iTunes: "Suitcase" by Keb' Mo'
Best book read in the past month: How to Read the Bible Book by Book by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
Worst book read in the past month: The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks
Book I'm looking forward to reading in the next month: What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain
Check back next week for something (hopefully) a little more intellectually stimulating.
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