Winter follies

If it has to be cold, at least we can have some fun in the D!  Saturday afternoon we headed downtown to visit with our friend Jodi, take in the activities of the Motown Winterblast around Campus Martius and also stop by the Ice House in Detroit for some pictures.  Good times, indeed!

 

Now that's funny

Eight of us had a grand ole time last night at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak to see the comedian Sugar Sammy.  He even took a shine to my sister "hiiii Aimeeeee, poke me on Facebook!"...hee hee :).  There were 3 other comedians leading up to his headline act, but he was the funniest by far.   Especially amusing to us were his jokes about the Asian-filled city of Troy (where we just happen to live), holla!  What a nice way to end a drab winter week, thanks for the laughs, friends.

Happy birthday, Abe!

No, not my sister-in-law's husband, but the great president himself!  Needless to say I'm a big fan, and the Lincoln Memorial (preferably at night) is my favorite spot in DC.  Oh, and please don't send me any Lincoln-hating emails unless you can also name a president who was perfect :). 
 
Anyway, if you haven't read some of his speeches you're missing out!  Aside from the Gettysburg address, the "House Divided" speech that he gave upon his nomination acceptance by the Illinois Republican Party for U.S. Senator (which he lost)  became one of his best known speeches.  Why doesn't anyone write like this anymore?  While earlier versions of the same scripture referenced exist, his is probably the most quoted.  "A house divided against itself cannot stand" is taken from Matthew 12:25: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."
 
This has so many applications, from political parties, workplaces, churches, groups and even family life.  It certainly doesn't mean that we have to give up our beliefs and differences and always stand completely united in everything we do, but it's a treacherous position to turn against one another with the danger of losing it all.  So in the spirit of love in the shadow of Valentine's Day this weekend (do you like my farfetched transition? :), take a look at your own "house" and be mindful if there are any cracks in the foundation. 

This precious life

No doubt that this has been on many people's minds here at the office, as a former colleague passed away last weekend in an accident.  Tragedy always seems to push all of us to reflect on our own lives, and then the daily grind takes over and we are again consumed with life as we know it.  Just a little reminder to be grateful for this life we've been given, with a hope for something much more rewarding.
 
"..that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you."  1 Peter 1:4

Vote for: Crutch Performance!

My cousin Clarissa and her fiance Everett have joined Crate & Barrel's Ultimate Wedding Contest, please consider voting for this super cute couple! http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/25781 

 

We're very happy for them, they were so nice to travel to Michigan from California for our own wedding during the weekend of their 2-year dating anniversary :)

 

In God We Trust

Yesterday I received one of those mass e-mail forwards from a former friend wanting me to go vote in an online poll to show my support for keeping the phrase "In God We Trust" on America's money to show the news organization sponsoring the poll how many Christians there really were in America. This e-mail made me ask several questions.

Does God even care about an online poll? Does he care more about what words we print on our money or does he care about the condition of our hearts? Is he honored more by having the phrase "In God We Trust" on our money or when we trust God with our money - and with our words, or our actions, our futures, and our lives? Are Christians supposed to encourage each other to vote in polls to puff ourselves up, or is the mark of a Christian the encouragement of others to live a more Christ-focused life?

A thirsty soul

So I guess this is more of a book review than a blog post, as I just finished reading Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in A Thousand Years" this morning, essentially it is about how the author lives, writes and edits his own story while living it (for the actual overview of the book, find it here). Quite honestly, it started out a wee bit slow for me, but because I've been so richly rewarded before with his writing, I plodded through, until at last the book poured forth with the poignant, humorous and insightful thoughts that I thoroughly enjoyed and will certainly re-read.

Here's one of my favorite excerpts:

"...I felt the way I hope God feels as he writes the world, sitting over the planets and placing tiny people in tiny wombs. If I have a hope, it's that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically, into the story, and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as though to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you. I've wondered, though, if one of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don't want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage. And if life isn't remarkable, then we don't have to do any of that; we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants."

Like other books he's written, it's a commentary about his experiences, but he confesses that many times he's had to force himself into having an experience, not just the bigger feats like hiking the Inca Trail or cycling across the country, but things like getting off the couch and walking the dog or calling a friend to get together and catch up. I think we can all relate to that on some level, and can certainly agree that the most memorable memories are ones that we create and experience together in a relational way, the way God intended. I'm thankful to each of you for being a part of our "story", and here's to making the best of it!