Quote of the Day, 7/16/08

07/16/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

“But if the great sun move not of himself; but is as an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.” — H. Melville

What I Really Wanted

07/15/2008, 10:00 am -- by David | 1 Comment

In the semi-autobiographical allegory The Pilgrim’s Regress, C.S. Lewis traces the life of John, a man raised in a nominally Christian culture who becomes separated from his hypocritical religious faith, then rediscovers it after a long spiritual journey. Drawing from a theme also addressed in The Problem of Pain, Lewis’s character finds that God has placed him into the world with a desire and capacity for something that cannot be found in that world. As Billy Graham said, each of us is born into this world with a God-shaped void in our hearts — and until we meet Jesus, we spend our lives trying to fill it with anything else.

In the book, John stumbles onto several carnal pleasures that he thinks are the fulfillment of his longings, only to find that when the infatuation wears off, he remains unsatisfied. He finds himself repeating, over and over: “That\’s not really what I wanted.”

After thirty years as a Christian, I still find myself experiencing this feeling. The objects vary, but the swirling infatuations remain. The distraction may be a new relationship, a new friend, or a new job — perhaps a new car or house. With me, it was most recently holidays and family.

On Memorial Day weekend I started planning for the 4th of July; my grandkids were coming for two weeks, my nephews were visiting from New York; I was going to build a fabulous multi-level deck with hanging plants and a fire pit; we would grill out and play guitars and sing and laugh and shoot off fireworks. In the end, it was even better than I hoped for, as my son and daughter-in-law made a last-minute trip from New York, with another friend.

It was perfection.

Yet when it was all over, I found myself saying again, “That wasn\’t really what I wanted.” As sweet as it was, it was just a shadow of the realty that I long for. I long for heaven, the fellowship where there is no parting, where there will be no sad goodbyes, no returning to work exhausted and empty, no constant grasping for the elusive need that first drew me to the Cross.

Joke of the Day, 7/15/08

07/15/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

A man was sprawled across three seats in a theater. The usher noticed and whispered, “Sorry, but you’re only allowed one seat.”

The man groaned, but didn’t budge.

The usher became impatient. “Sir, if you don’t get up, I’m going to have to call the manager.”

Again, the man just groaned. Infuriated, the usher turned and marched briskly up the aisle in search of his manager. In a few moments, both returned and stood over the man. When the manager also could not get the man to move, they summoned a nearby police officer.

“All right, buddy,” the cop said. “What’s your name?”

“Sam,” the man moaned.

“Where ya from, Sam?” the cop asked.

“The balcony.”

The Council’s Ruling — Greatest Wonder of the World

07/14/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This and every Monday, the Bweinh!tributors, having convened in secret for hours of reasoned debate and consideration, will issue a brief and binding ruling on an issue of great societal import.

This week’s question — What is the greatest wonder of the world?

Steve delivers the ruling of the Council, joined by Kaitlin, David, and MC-B:

A network of computers and people with the potential to instantly connect anyone anywhere on the planet: the Internet.

Tom dissents, joined by Djere:

The Colossus of Rhodes. A statue big enough to stand astride a harbor? Sign me up.

Djere dissents, joined by Erin:

Machu Picchu — a site with an amazing history, amazing infrastructure, amazing architecture… amazing everything. And it was all created without the wheel!

Josh dissents:

The Pyramids. I just can’t fathom how they got there.

Chloe dissents:

Bweinh! Because it combines a whole bunch of great stuff with greater people and it’s really great.

Connie dissents:

Babies. The more I learn about them, the more I am in awe of God’s design.

Job and Mike played no part in the determination of this issue.

Next time: At what price did (or will) gasoline become “too expensive”?

Quote of the Day, 7/14/08

07/14/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

“When the leaders choose to make themselves bidders at an auction of popularity, their talents, in the construction of the state, will be of no service. They will become flatterers instead of legislators; the instruments, not the guides, of the people.” — E. Burke

Chicktractvaganza!

07/12/2008, 1:00 pm -- by Steve | No Comments

{democracy:277}

Four Weeks (Part One)

07/12/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Steve | 4 Comments

Read the series in parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Ever since the night I lay awake crying at the pending approach of my tenth birthday, I have been acutely aware of the impact of the passage of time. Although I have been blessed to avoid much significant loss so far in my life, there has stayed in my mind, throughout times both mundane and happy, a constant reminder that they will not and cannot remain. Nothing lasts under the sun.

Inertia may rob me, at times, of golden opportunities for entertainment, education or exercise, but I have vowed that I will never have cause to lament the days I could have spent with ones I loved and could have seen. This attitude is what takes me back to my family home and church most weekends, at the cost of a five-hour drive. It led me to spend the last week before my bar examination with my girlfriend amidst the New Mexico mountains, fording a stream in flight from deluge. And this year it brings me along on a four-week tour of America — and the people I love who make it their home.

The itinerary was to begin directly following my sister\’s graduation, when two of my brothers and I would set out by car for far-off Alabama. After that, a few days in Georgia, a wedding in South Carolina — then the others were to head home, dropping me on Staten Island. From New York, a flight to California, a day at home to exchange clothing (thanks to my own scattershot planning), and another flight to the Southwest. The month would end with three days of basketball officiating at a camp with that same now-graduated sister, perhaps a chance to give her a celebratory technical.

Four weeks. At least 14,577 miles. And perhaps the most exciting month of my life to date.

Joke of the Day, 7/11/08

07/11/2008, 2:11 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

Two eggs, a sausage, and a pancake walk into a bar. The bartender says, “Sorry, we don’t serve breakfast.”

One Hundred Words (24)

07/10/2008, 9:00 am -- by Connie | No Comments

Do you know what are amazing? Babies.

I recently learned something stunning from a ministry teaching by Arthur Burke. He cited a secular researcher who discovered a group of adults who had committed suicide on the date their mothers attempted or thought about attempting an abortion when these adults had been babies. They found the connection when they contacted the mothers. Those people apparently had not been suicidal on the days preceding or following this date, only on that specific date. And none of the grown adults knew about their mothers’ abortion plans. Wrap your head around that.

–CSM

Quote of the Day, 7/10/08

07/10/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

“It is one thing to praise discipline, and another to submit to it.” — M. de Cervantes

Joke of the Day, 7/9/08

07/9/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | 1 Comment

Two men, Jed and Chuck, are sitting on the side of a highway. Jed turns to Chuck and says, “I know everybody.” Chuck shakes his head. “Everybody? I bet you don’t know Tom Cruise.” Jed shrugs. “I know Tom Cruise.”

So they drive to L.A. and find Tom Cruise’s mansion. They knock on the door, Tom Cruise answers, and he says, “Jed, my man! What is cookin’?” Chuck is stunned. As they walk away, Chuck asks, “Well, do you know the President?” Jed smiles. “Oh, I know the President.”

So they drive to D.C. and find the White House. They knock on the door, the President comes over, and he says, “Ol’ Jeddie! I’ve been thinkin’ about you lately! Let’s hang out!” At this point, Chuck is bewildered. After thinking for a while, he finally comes up with a man Jed wouldn’t know.

“Jed, you don’t know the Pope, do you?”

“Chuck, the Pope and I are bosom buddies. We go way back.”

So they fly to Rome and head into the Vatican City. While wandering around the square, they get separated, and Chuck hears a ruckus off to his left. He looks up and sees the Pope on his porch, with Jed at his right hand, holding his scepter. Both men are smiling widely and gesturing to the growing crowd.

Suddenly a man taps on Chuck’s shoulder. “Do you speak English?”

“Yes,” Chuck responds.

“Who’s that old guy up there with Jed?”

One Hundred Words (23)

07/8/2008, 9:00 am -- by David | No Comments

“Will ye steal, murder and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations?’ Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.”

There is no free pass.

–DFS

Quote of the Day, 7/8/08

07/8/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No Comments

“Some people claim that marriage interferes with romance. There’s no doubt about it. Anytime you have a romance, your wife is bound to interfere.” — G. Marx

The Wardrobe of a Homeless Man (Part Two)

07/7/2008, 2:00 pm -- by Chloe | No Comments

Read Part One here!

George’s third layer is a gray zip-up hoody with pockets right where he can slip his hands in. He wears this in the fall and spring when the weather hasn\’t chosen its extreme yet. He found it in New Mexico at a thrift store. He saw a woman come in with boxes and bags filled with all kinds of coats and gloves, so he asked her where they were from. No one person could have that many clothes, he thought. She told him they were from the school she worked at. “Every winter,” she explained, “the Special Ed department offers a free cup of coffee to students who bring in clothes to donate to the Good Will. This is the first week\’s drop.” He found the jacket and left. He keeps the kindness of strangers close to his heart, but far enough away so that the kindness won\’t burn when it turns sour. It almost always does.

His fourth layer is his big army jacket — the one that keeps him warm on the harsh New York winter days. He carries all his belongings in the pockets: his skipping stone with “prosperity” carved into it, his Canadian dime, a ticket stub from the first and last movie he ever saw — Gone with the Wind — a business card from the pastor down at the soup kitchen, and his gold — the library card.

When it gets too cold, all he needs is that card and he can go to the library and read a book or go on the Internet or do whatever he wants. Sometimes he\’ll just sit and watch the people go by. He knows this makes them quicken their step and clutch a purse or a child\’s hand a little tighter. It doesn\’t matter. He wears all his layers on top; their stereotypes mean nothing to him. His coat used to be dark green like his T-shirt, but after years of falling asleep in it, using it as a pillow or a mattress, there is no color. There is Broadway, 24th and Main, Times Square, Central Park, the obscure alleyways in Queens. The color of his coat is New York. He wears his life on the top layer — who he is, where he goes, what he does. It\’s all there for everyone to see.

Then there are his regulars. His black jeans, now gray with white spots and oil stains, his black boots with scuff marks, scratches and a hole at each pinky toe, and his brown socks that used to be white, the ones he nicked from Payless six years ago. There\’s also his cap with a broken bill and his driving gloves with slick leather grips and holes at each fingertip. These are all the commonalities in his life. These are the sins he\’s committed, the good he\’s done, the things that have scratched him and scuffed him and taken things out of him. These are the things that have stolen his years and over time put dirt under his nails and in the wrinkles of his face, dirt that will never wash out. These are the things people assume are there because they see them in everyone else like him. He wears these assumptions no matter what the weather, right against his skin.

Last, there\’s his blanket. It is brown and frayed at the edges. There are torn places where a strip or two has been shed. He found it a long time ago on a subway, covering another degenerate who had been lucky enough to find a token for a ride, but unlucky enough to choose a car where no one would realize that he had expired. George saw him and informed the conductor, but not before he took a memento of the man to remember him by. Now this blanket is what protects him when the world gets to be too judgmental. He wears a shield as his last layer so he can wear his other layers on top, show them off. He wears his last layer to remind him that this too shall pass, that when he dies, the world will still go on and the subway will not stop running.

The Council’s Ruling — Most Pleasant Month of the Year

07/7/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No Comments

This and every Monday, the Bweinh!tributors, having convened in secret for hours of reasoned debate and consideration, will issue a brief and binding ruling on an issue of great societal import.

This week’s question — What is the most pleasant month of the year?

Tom delivers the ruling of the Council, joined by Kaitlin and Steve:

May. Warm, but not scorching. Verdant, but not soaked.

Chloe concurs, joined by Steve:

May — finals are over, the weather is fine, and there’s plenty of time for reading in the grass, wading in the creek, and watching movies at the drive-in.

Djere concurs:

May 1-7 usually contain the first enjoyable week of spring while May 24-31 brings the first reliable taste of summer. College is done for the year and it’s a great time to be alive.

MC-B concurs:

May; the temperature is just right and the summer still lies ahead!

Erin dissents, joined by Connie and David:

October. The temperatures are perfect, no insane holiday rushes, beautiful fall colors, etc.

Mike dissents, joined by Josh:

September; sheer weather perfection.

Job played no part in the determination of this issue.

Next time: What is the greatest wonder of the world?

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