Hello Friends

My friends, it's been a long time. I apologize for my lack of blogging over the past week. I try to have good blogging intentions, but they don't always get carried out to completion. So without further ado, some quick bullet points on what's caught my attention as of late:

1. The Redskins are 6-2. Hoo-rah!
2. I had the opportunity to go hiking at Cunningham Falls State Park several weeks ago. I hadn't been there in at least 15 years. It was good to come back and visit, despite the new boardwalk that they've built at the base of the falls.
3. Check out this blog by two girls visiting Rwanda. Pray for them.
4. The Messiah College Democrats are bringing Donald Miller to campus tomorrow evening. He is campaigning for his presidential candidate. This both suprises and disappoints me. Can anyone help me out with confirming whether or not any other politicians or notable supporters have campaigned on campus in the past?
5. I think I'm going to Whole Foods this weekend. And Trader Joe's.
6. I had an excellent breakfast get-together at Brother's on Sunday. The conversation was great, as was the breakfast. I had the baked oatmeal, blueberry pancakes and home-fries.
7. Home-fries are one of my favorite foods. Three cheers for the potato!
8. Next week I'm going to Mississippi for the first time.
9. FLSA is a hard thing. Who can understand it?
10. I'm currently reading the the book of Esther. I'm still not reading the Bible enough.
11. Chris Tomlin is coming to the Giant Center in January. I'm excited.

Weekend Baking

I did some baking over the weekend. I had some bananas that were
looking quite over-ripe, so I decided to make some banana bread. As I
was doing my prep, I got inspired to try something different. I was
looking through the cupboard and my eyes fell on some
chocolate-hazelnet spread. It's most commonly available here in the
states as Nutella, but takes on other names in other parts of the
world. I don't recall the name of the spread I was using, but I can
confirm that it came from Belgium.

I ended up putting about two knife-fulls of the spread in with the
bananas, which I figure is roughly 1/4 Cup. I mashed up the spread
with the bananas before adding the mixture into the batter.

It turned out okay. There's just a hint of chocolate hazelnut
flavoring to it, but I would have liked it to be a bit stronger.
Perhaps next time I will use 1/2 Cup. Or I might try peanut
butter.....

Oh. My. Stars.

People of the world. I have just discovered that one super-snazzy
Christmas tour is coming to the Harrisburg area in December.

The Love Came Down at Christmas Tour is coming to the Whitaker Center
on 12/21/08 and will feature these fine artists:
Sixpence None the Richer
Sara Groves
Leeland
Jars of Clay

This will be a rockin' show. We should go. Seriously. Mark your
calendars.....

From the Phone

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Financial Portfolios

I don't really have one. I have a 401(k), but it's relatively small.

I've been watching what's been going on for the past few weeks and I've found myself most drawn to the images associated with the news of the current financial situation. It's the people with their hands on their heads, or their heads on their desk, or the shock written all over their faces. And then I wonder what's going through their heads.

It can certainly be jarring when you consider the implications of our current situation. However, I'm not so concerned. Are you? More than ever, I am confident and I have a peace about the current financial picture. Maybe it's because I'm rather insulated because of my lack of investments (real estate or otherwise). Or more likely, that I have the peace that passes all understanding. If I told you "It's only money," how would you react? Would you get indignant because I don't know what I'm talking about? Or would you agree with me?

Consider the words of one Jesus of Nazareth:

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin (Matt. 6.27-28)

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. (Luke 12.22-23)

How do you reconcile your current feelings about this situation to these words?

Give me Your eyes

My small group has started a series on poverty and what it encompasses and how the Church should respond. So I've been thinking about poverty a bit.

I was a show on Saturday night at the alma mater featuring a variety of artists, one of whom being a young guy named Brandon Heath. I was able to hang out with Mr. Heath for a bit and he's a really good guy. He's got this song that's been getting a lot of airplay called "Give Me Your Eyes" and I've taken quite a liking to it. I found myself singing the chorus frequently over the past few days. So I thought I would share it with you.

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breathe in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted
Wasn't it far beyond my reach?
Give me Your heart for the one's forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Yeah Yeah
Yeah Yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath
Theres a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work
He's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?

I've been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone
-Brandon Heath