Love Conquers Hate

Take a moment to check out:
Love Conquers Hate

CNN's "Hate Crimes Bill Goes to Obama for Signing":
Hate Crimes Bill Goes to Obama for Signing

Two Poems

Two Countries
by Naomi Shihab Nye

Skin remembers how long the years grow
when skin is not touched, a gray tunnel
of singleness, feather lost from the tail
of a bird, swirling onto a step,
swept away by someone who never saw
it was a feather. Skin ate, walked,
slept by itself, knew how to raise a
see-you-later hand. But skin felt
it was never seen, never known as
a land on the map, nose like a city,
hip like a city, gleaming dome of the mosque
and the hundred corridors of cinnamon and rope.

Skin had hope, that's what skin does.
Heals over the scarred place, makes a road.
Love means you breathe in two countries.
And skin remembers--silk, spiny grass,
deep in the pocket that is skin's secret own.
Even now, when skin is not alone,
it remembers being alone and thanks something larger
that there are travelers, that people go places
larger than themselves.


Unity
by Pablo Neruda
Translated by Clayton Eshleman

There is something dense, united, settled in the depths,
repeating its number, its identical sign.
How it is noted that stones have touched time,
in their refined matter there is an odor of age,
of water brought by the sea, from salt and sleep.

I'm encircled by a single thing, a single movement:
a mineral weight, a honeyed light
cling to the sound of the word "noche":
the tint of wheat, of ivory, of tears,
things of leather, of wood, of wool,
archaic, faded, uniform,
collect around me like walls.

I work quietly, wheeling over myself,
a crow over death, a crow in mourning.
I mediate, isolated in the spread of seasons,
centric, encircled by a silent geometry:
a partial temperature drifts down from the sky,
a distant empire of confused unities
reunites encircling me.

Absolutely Nothing of Importance To Say

Ever had a day when 'silly things' make you insanely happy? So far today, (1) dropping the car across the street to get it's inspection, (2) listening to the good half of The Psychedelic Furs 'All of This and Nothing', (3) listening to 2 U2 cds in a row, (4) yummy the first time and still yummy as left over, (5) buying freshly made dinner rolls and garlic bread sticks to go with the roasted red pepper humus tonight, (6) sharing life stories with a friend, (7) not at all concerned that no one showed up yesterday - maybe they're waiting for Tuesday's free pizza, (8) reading a translation of Dessert Father's sayings, (9) copy and paste isn't so bad really.

What's on your mind?

I'd really like to know. I'm thinking about the world and how NPR makes me so sad and listening to BBC World News only makes it worse. Then I ask myself, what are you going to do about it? How do you plan to make a difference? That's what's on my mind.

Powerful Piece of Spoken Word

Waiting

I was doing really well waiting for my upcoming meeting. But, as the date gets closer I get a little more ready to have it and move on to the next step. Some of the antsy-ness comes from the home computer blue screening - I really hope my friend can recover my data and put the PC back together again. And the wife recently lost her cell phone. So money is on my mind. And there's an up-coming dental visit in a few weeks. And the wife woke up not feeling good this morning.

Plus there's a project I've been working on and it's running into some road blocks and that has a big affect on some other things that matter alot to me.

So, I'm beginning to show signs of stress. Mostly on the inside, I can feel it working, and I don't like it. Definitely need to exercise tonight. Spend time in prayer, sit with God, and wait.

I am awful at waiting, well not always, but more often then not; though this process is teaching me much about waiting. I'm a doer, a get 'er done kinda girl. Waiting is not my natural state of being. I dislike not being able to fix things, and if I can't fix it myself, then I really like taking it to someone who can fix it, preferably now.

Waiting is teaching me to be OK when life throws me a lemon tree which hasn't born any lemons yet :)

She can sing too

Beautiful video and song

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

The video is beautiful, but it left me so sad...knowing how much of our environment is being destroyed faster then we can heal.

Visiting Friends and a Bit More of Vermont

It's been wonderful having two friends from Tejas here with us for a long weekend. The wife got some much needed friends time, and the kiddos and I got to see more of VT then we had before.

We went to Underhill for their Harvest Festival and had a really good time. This is the second type of festival we've been to in the Fall. But this festival was affordable, from reasonably priced food and crafts and art work to free children's games and even a free hay ride. Sonshine and wife competed for fastest time to cut off a piece of log. The kiddos walked on stilts, played tug-o-war 4-way style, potato sack races, and hammering a nail in wood (who would have thought that would bring as much entertainment as it did).

We found Nannie's Christmas presents, bought local honey and jam, and enjoyed being together under blue skies and sunshine.

Then yesterday we went to the Shelburne museum. The wife and I were worried the kiddos would be bored terrors, but they surprised us with their patience and that they were actually enjoying themselves. There's so much to see, and it's wonderfully done. We all agreed that the motorcycle exhibit was way cool, and from there everyone had a different favorite place we saw. Sonshine and I aren't the best go to museum types, but we both had fun and thats saying something - at least for us. And when we just couldn't look at another something, turn the corner and of hey what's this appears, and when our that didn't work there was always someplace to sit or a tree to play on or around.

It was a good weekend.

Outlaw Preacher Podcast

This Podcast is with Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, a.k.a the tattooed sarcastic preacher:
http://www.khad.com/post/189104518/outlaw-preachers-precast-nadia-bolz-weber-this.

There's a brief intro, then a sermonesque piece, and then some Q&A. Hope you enjoy.

Catching Up

In a few days friends from Tejas will arrive! I'm hoping one of them brings H.E.B. 'homemade' tortillas...oh, tortillas that do not taste like cardboard, mmmmm.

I am/others as well are making progress on my/our Ministry Project though I haven't started my parish discernment (P.D.) yet...the timing didn't quite line up. It's a bit daunting the amount of work to be done prior to getting the new ministry out the door.

My pastor had to reschedule our last meeting for mid-October, and I can't start P.D. until that meeting is completed. So, maybe I'll still start Step 2 in October, but maybe not. Though if not in October, then I imagine early November.

Knowing that I would keep putting off studying or taking the GRE. I went ahead and scheduled myself to take it in February. I found a book to aid me in my studies. I haven't read much of it; however, two things in the introduction struck me: (1) The GRE does not measure your intelligence but instead how well you can take the GRE (2) don't study for months ahead, you'll forget all the strategies. Both of these statements make me feel alot better. I need to finish reading the intro and then I think skim the entire book and then start studying in earnest. I've already gone through what's the worst that can happen scenarios...here's to hoping for a 450 and a 5 :) I took the ACT in high school, and oh my, the scores did not reflect the kind of student I am.

I'm supposed to do a seminary visit to a nearby seminary in November. I'm thinking I'm going to enjoy the drive there more then the actual seminary. It's not where I would want to go, but more of a 'Yes, I have visited x' kinda visit.

That's about it in a nutshell.

Recorders Are On the Way

Sonshine has become quite interested in musical instruments, and though he has no desire (at least not yet) to learn to play a guitar (the kiddos have one their size), he asked to learn the violin we think because lessons are available during after-school care; however, the rental fews out price us. So we talked to him about well why not the guitar, then he said well really I want to play an instrument with buttons. So, we said alright, but lets start with a recorder first. Most of what you'll learn with it will apply to other woodwinds, and if you really like it and stick with it we'll explore other instruments.

So I went searching on Amazon.com and found a Yamaha Soprano Recorder normally $32 for $6.50 which got nice reviews. I bought 3 of them encase Sweetpea wanted to learn too. Plus I too have always wanted to learn how to play an instrument so maybe this is the nudge I need. I pick up my guitar sporadically to learn, but can't seem to get past lack of finger calluses and end up putting it down. From the book I got us to learn how to play the recorder it does not look like finger calluses are a requirement - there may be hope yet.

Healthcare Reform Primer

This is really well done:

Grrr...

The Bishop of West Texas is one of the seven...

http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_114535_ENG_HTM.htm

...these bishops would make Jesus weep and/or turn tables upside.

Talks James Balog: Time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss

Please share with others: http://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss.html

I've tried to embed the video itself, but Blogger was having no part of that.

Lazy Daze Lolling To An End

I have immensely enjoyed July and August. It felt like time stretched for me, like there was always enough time to get all that needed doing done without feeling overwhelmed. I'm not sure that feeling will stay as September begins. I'm looking at my calendar and my two week period of evening meetings 3 nights each week.

Highlights of the Summer in no particular order:
- Getting married (again :) to the same great woman)
- Riding the Cog Railway (if you're going to visit N.H. this was well worth the money)
- Hiking Camel's Hump
- Bike riding
- Reading things other than religiousesque books (having the time to indulge)
- Rowing (Concept2 makes great indoor rowing machines; 4k more and 4+ years later and I'll have rowed my first 1 million meters)
- Sun and warmth
- Visits from family and friends

Looking forward to hot apple cider and brilliantly colored trees.

Getting Married Later Today

So, this is my wife and I's third time to marry each other. No, we aren't addicted to weddings :) Our first wedding and the one that we planned for and put together as a reflection of ourselves and our love for each other and our desire for our friends and family to be a part of our committed lives, well, that one is the one that has it's place in my heart. The one that bound me to a beautiful woman, who has given so much to my life and it is always my hope that I am able to give the same in return.

But, yesterday while we where getting our marriage license, my wife looked at me and asked, you're excited about this aren't you? And I told her that I was, I wasn't exactly certain why but I am immensely happy today.

The civil union was mostly a piece of paper so we could get everyone health care, and the legal benefits we're entitled to in our state. But, this piece of paper is different. It isn't less than, or almost mostly like. It is not separate and different from. It is the same, and that sameness is it's beauty.

Emerging Church

I listened to this podcast by Diana Butler Bass yesterday, "Mainline Churches engage the Emerging Conversation", while trying to work, which means it'll need a relisten; however, what did filter through was very interesting. My only critique is that every once in awhile condescending language escapes from her.

Emerging church has been happening in the UK for over a decade, and if you live in SA area St. David's is beginning to experiment with the concept.

For myself, perhaps I'm a bit a of low church traditionalist (anglo-catholic) who believes in the precepts of emerging church as the way for mainline churches to engage the post-modern world. Emerging church is the radical hospitality way of meeting people where they are at. Even the emergent leaders themselves see emerging/emergent in slightly different lights, which I think is good. It's flexible.

One of my emergent thorns is this belief or statements that pastors over 40 don't get it. As a near 40 something I take offense. Youth doesn't automatically make you clever or somehow more "hip/cool/sick"...plus many of the "known" emergent leaders are no longer spring chickens themselves. So, yeah comments that smack of ageism irritate me.

I think as mainline churches continue to struggle with declining numbers it is my hope that new possibilities of being church emerge.

Sermons

Well, I finally finished my sermon to myself on my ordination day. I've been told that priests only have one sermon in them and that it just gets re-written in variations. If that's the case, well then I'm pleased with what my broken record will sound like :)

Like the song