YONDER BREAKS

I have a calendar on my desk at work. I listen to a lot of sermons and have a lot of thoughts throughout the day, so I usually write them down on my calendar. I used to use sticky notes, but decided it would be more environmentally friendly since this big piece of paper is in front of me all day anyway, and blankly ripe for writing. At the end of the month, I write down all of the worthwhile stuff in a little notebook, and this month's seemed particularly good because I have been listening to a lot of sermons on manhood. Here's some of the stuff: Manhood = we will see, we will act. We are strong for one reason: to give it up for something greater than ourselves. Women's magazines have so many things for them to be doing all the time (how to cook, how to lose 10 pounds by Friday, how to please your man in bed). The reason is because women are so devalued in society, so they either have to do everything to have purpose, or they have to become sexual creatures. We need...

I woke up this morning to a puddle around my refrigerator. At first, Katie and I thought it was broken (or at least I did). Turns out, something pressed in the spout on our Brita filter and the water leaked out everywhere. At least it was filtered water that I found all over our floor -- maybe it's cleaner now... Anyway, in my clean up, I learned that the shelves in the door of our refrigerator are removable! It got me thinking about how refrigerators aren't the kind of thing we really explore when we get one, so we don't even know what we have. It's not like a new car where you drive it and try to find every cup holder or figure out how to fold down the seats in three different configurations (Honda Fits are amazing...). Or like a new camera with fifteen different picture settings. Or even a washer/drew where you always wonder what would happen if you try Permanent Press. Which reminds me, I have to go change my laundry. Excuse me... Resuming this a day later...any...

I've been thinking about this song today: In particular, these lyrics: I want to see miracles, see the world change Wrestled the Angel, for more than a name For more than a feeling For more than a cause I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You And You're raising the dead in me  It's been tough for Katie and me to get out of bed lately, and I think the reason is because our days lack something spectacular to look forward to. It's not that we don't have good things -- we have an awesome and new marriage, tons of friends, creative projects to work on, good jobs and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to beat -- but it's still not enough to make us excited to wake up (I know, that game came out 5 years ago, but I am always two steps behind in video games). Anyway, I think this is all because we were created to see God work, and if we aren't seeing God work in tangible ways, then there is something crucial missing from our daily lives. And...

 Here are pictures of a shelf/ pot-rack I made recently: This was quite the project. I didn't pre-drill some of the screws and ended up cracking the wood. I thought it wouldn't be strong enough to hold any pots, but put it up for a book shelf. Turned out to be pretty sturdy! Learning lessons in carpentry...always pre-drill with wood! Pictures taken with a Canon 60d, 50mm lens.

Last night, I saw a friend and had some stuff in my hands. I wanted to be a little more friendly than just a "hi" or "how's it going?" So I went in for a fist bump...it felt weird. Then it occurred to me: I am always the recipient of the fist bump, but never the dealer. There's couple reasons for this, I think...first, I usually rebel against all things "hip." Fist bumps are pretty hip these days, so I never want to be the catalyst for such a popular thing. Sometimes this rebellion against all that is hip can be detrimental, however. For instance, I've never owned a pair of Converse All-Stars because they were super popular when I thought I might want one. Now, a couple years after the fact (these shoes will always be popular, but seem to go in waves I think), flat-soled shoes hurt my knees so I try to avoid them. Am I missing out? I may never know, although I have friends that swear these shoes are extremely comfortable. The other reas...