On Jerusalem

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
Psalm 125:2

Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D from JerusalemGiantScreen on Vimeo.

There is much to say about Jerusalem, and I suppose I will write more later. But I came across this video, and it got my mind turning again.

First, the Old Testament makes much more sense after experiencing the physical geography. The Psalm above was posted on a vista looking south across the Kidron Valley and away from the Temple Mount. As a literature nerd, I have always been mesmerized with themes and word pictures, and Scripture employs both quite well. Memorable speakers and presenters engage the audience with tangible reminders, and the Hebrew authors were no different.

Secondly, I took another moment during the movie to ignore the British-accented narrator and the majestic swelling of the orchestra and looked at the landscape. While there is varied climate and terrain, much of Palestine is barren. It seems (to me) to be a difficult place to make a life. Even miles of unbroken sand dunes stretching into the distance have a particular sort of allure. But dust, intermixed with rocky crags, random valleys, fairly severe changes in altitude, and a Dead Sea do not present an idyllic scene.

This got me thinking: why would God show His face here? Is this the sort of place that is meant to evoke His Kingdom and His Majesty? What is the benefit of proclaiming, "If you seek Me, you must meet Me here"?

And, of course, the ready reply. Why does He choose to show Himself through us? What sort of beauty do we possess? He makes His dwelling in this place to bring the Supernatural to the ordinary. Thank goodness He has a habit of using imperfection.

Lastly, I felt a certain manner of discomfort -- even disconnection -- in Jerusalem. There was plenty of zealousness to go around, and religious relics abound. But very little of it felt familiar...in the seat of Christianity and in the epicenter of Judaism.


It seems to me at times that we as a culture (Western civilization, American Christianity, Protestantism) mythologize religion as a foundation and affirmation for our way of life. It turns out that Al-Aqsa is different than the Western Wall is different than the Holy Sepulchre (and the resident Armenians, Coptics, Franciscans, etc) is different than the Vatican is different than Saddleback Church.

Perhaps this is still my Western perspective at work, but one question that I repeatedly asked myself was: How must I see and approach God differently -- more rightly? Both God (and man) have erected so many guideposts in this place. I cannot change nor discard my upbringing, but it would be arrogant and stubborn of me to ignore the traditions that are tangential with my own. The room in which I was taught Sunday School is much different than the physical world in Palestine.

So, what is the meaning of this Psalm?

The literal protection of a particular people group is absurd given ancient and recent history. It must refer to a broader definition of protection. How does God measure time? Not by the lifespan of my hands, or even the measure of hands on a watch... but by the mountains that surround and hold His City.

Today's Conversation

So tonight I volunteered with a couple other folks from church and helped serve dinner and do laundry at a local Men's Shelter.

Historically, I've stayed away from these sorts of these things...I'm not sure why. I almost didn't go tonight either, since I was running late and I'd already had a full day with many things left on the to-do list.

But it was good for me to go. Unstructured time is good, community is good.

While we were there, my man, Rob (not his real name) came cruising back to the laundry/storage area looking for a suit jacket and slacks for a new sales job he started this week. It's wild how everyone has a story, and how listening and understanding is refreshing for everyone's soul.

Rob's from Virginia Beach, and he's used to running along the beach at sunrise to clear his mind. We agreed that a walk in the park is a good substitute, but the ocean is a good thing. He's always been in sales, marketing, and entertainment -- arranging six-figure contracts. But the economy went sideways, and he lost everything.

He talked about how his mind is now clearer, and that all the confusion and troubles he's been through have made him a better person, how he wouldn't trade the knowledge he's gained for the comforts he had before. It's a lesson I need to keep learning.

He's been at the shelter for 6 weeks, and tonight he's trying on thrift jackets while telling me that he used to have silver cufflinks with the Superman logo while arranging big marketing deals. "I used to be Superman," and then somewhat rhetorically, wondered how all this could have happened to him so fast.

I responded, "Sometimes life just happens and you can't control that. But you're still that guy."

I could have attempted a poor explanation of global economies and credit default swaps. But something about the look in his eye told me he was considering living as Clark Kent instead of Superman -- and I needed to set the record straight.

I may not see him again, because I'm confident he'll be back on his feet soon. He's wiser now -- and hopefully he remembers he can still wheel and deal with the best.

Something good for us all to keep in mind.

New Project

It appears likely that I'll be rolling out a discussion forum of sorts with some others where there can be lively debate and conversation. I'm not sure how that will affect my posting habits here (it will probably increase), but there will probably be some overlap or duplicate posting. If all goes well, look for that over the next couple weeks. The idea itself is novel & collaborative and should make for a good time.

In other news, I spent the weekend with The Sabellian and CK1 (the doctor, not the cologne). As part of Sunday service, the Lord's Prayer was recited -- still wise words after all these years.

Daily Bread: I only have the capacity for about one day's worth of blessings and troubles. Now that I think about it, that's all I can ever handle, but sometimes we presume to take on more. I tend to run in feast-or-famine cycles with habits and the rest of life, so it's an interesting and refreshing change of pace to have a sort of daily sustenance of community, thought, and progress.

Forgive us our trespasses: This is quite an audacious request in light of the wrongs we commit. Thank goodness for God's unending forgiveness. Coupled with it is the sobering reminder of the responsibility to forgive others. An odd juxtaposition of the awareness of my own brokenness, the brokenness of others, and the wholeness of God and how all that fits together. There's a reliance and connectedness that's undeniable.

Learning (again) how to be a spiritual leader

I know, a tired old post on the same old, same old. In recent days my thoughts have turned to spiritual leadership, and how best to emulate this. Several years ago, it seemed so easy -- it was relatively simple to be enthusiastic about all things Christian.

But whether life circumstances or people or misconceptions, living and leading in a Christian manner has become much more confusing. So many reliable places that I turned to for guidance, encouragement, and stability have shown themselves to be lacking. My heart, for one, is much more flawed and inconsistent. Likewise, people and churches tend to demonstrate hypocrisy (is it hypocritical if the errors are consistent?) ;)

Family hasn't been a bedrock of strength, and church leaders of various sorts have questioned or opposed our life choices, even when we've been open about receiving guidance -- putting their own theology or perspective ahead of what would be best for us.

I've heard it's hard for abandoned children or those from broken homes to grasp the concept of God as Father -- for that image recalls hurt and isolation. I sometimes feel similar when I hear things about the Body of Christ, the Unity of the Spirit, and the Unchanging Nature of God. Too many times I've seen this as a reason to play by the speaker's rules and squash dialogue...the spiritual Ace of Spades.

I know there is Truth out there, but I'm now chopping through the wilderness underbrush searching for the Still Small Voice, and it's slow going. In one sense, I felt more self-confident and joyful running down a trail blazed by others...gaining boldness by my increased speed. I didn't expect the backlash when the Still Small Voice took me off the beaten path. I expected rough working through uncharted territory, but I didn't expect the scolding and shouting from those I left behind on the wide path.

There's something I recall about the wide path leading to destruction, and I'm also mindful of the danger of heresy when creating my own path as I go along.

I'm trying to understand how to cherry-pick the good parts of community without getting back into the wide, paved road...that place does not hold the Life that it once did, and I realize the Life I thought I experienced was merely the ease and convenience of the journey -- get on the turnpike at Conversion, enjoy the view, and exit at the pearly gates.

There's Life and adventure in groups of two or three foraging through the underbrush, away from the mobs and masses. There's joy and confidence and intimacy with God in the uncharted places too, it's just not convenient and neatly packaged as it is on the wide path.

I want to demonstrate the confidence found on the wide path in the midst of the uncharted places, and if I can do that, it will be a more genuine existence and lead to greater discovery -- the best of both worlds.

On Finding A Church

My apologies for the prolonged silence, but without further ado, let's jump right back into the thick of things. I've been thinking about the merits of various churches for some time now, and I've had a couple good conversations with a few folks over the past week or so that have jogged my thinking. The Philosophress also gave me Blue Like Jazz for Christmas, so this is sort of the culminations of my ruminations (thus far).

I guess most importantly, I'm trying to break down the essentials of church -- or why church is to be an imperative priority in my life. Given my non-denominational background, my instinct would be to say the instruction and teaching of Scripture. But as I deconstruct this idea, I wonder if perhaps that's a bit misguided. Firstly, I have a bad habit of circumventing this point, using technology to my advantage. My original "rebellion" was when I first arrived at Notre Dame and didn't know of local churches or have a ride. I did what ordinary resourceful young folks would do in my place: I downloaded sermons over the internet. Thus, I was able to continue to simulate this first essential point of church, and do so on my own terms. More recently, I've prepped for my weekend drives across state lines by downloading solid sermons to my iPod via podcasts. All that to say I've managed to find a way to get solid Scripture teaching without the "hassle" of waking up early on Sunday morning.

But there must be more to church...isn't there? A recent conversation with a former classmate who's Catholic reminded me that Mass is crucial due to the presence of the Eucharist. While Protestant services do take Communion, I think many churches de-emphasize this as a ritual -- from saying Jesus is always present everywhere to not offering Communion regularly (my church growing up only did Communion once monthly). Suffice to say, if I don't subscribe to transubstantiation, I could (at the very least) make do with going to church service monthly. In a related note, Protestant liturgy isn't all that rigid, so there's a wide variety of musical/worship styles, sermon styles, and Communion procedures. Even a vast majority of modern Christian worship music talks more about us than about God -- it's one advantage of the old timey hymns.

I think the best answer I can come to regarding the Christian life is that it's about people and community. There have been times when I've sat in a room with a couple thousand people and there's no space to greet, have conversation, or make small talk with others. I've found small life groups promote more discussion and accountability than attending a big tent church service. In a recent discussion, it came to my attention that the unplanned pregnancy rate amongst unmarried Puritan couples virtually paralleled today's statistics -- the only difference is they got married and (usually) stayed married. How does this speak to a Christian culture, the role of church, and the pervasiveness of human nature?

I don't have any hard and fast answers, I just know that I'm trying to make my way in a new place -- doing my best to find good spiritual food for myself and be a good leader in my marriage. I guess right now the best I can figure is that small community is incredibly important -- and all the while I realize my own imperfections and shortcomings while trying to extend grace and connect with those in a variety of Christian structural settings.

Crazy Day Today

Couple after work meetings - one to be the volunteer editor of a church newsprint publication, one with a peer counselor. Should be a good evening, but will make for a long day...oddly enough, my pending move could hinder my chances at the editor spot, but it's not like I have recruiters blowing up my phone wanting to schedule interviews...

Good Friday

Great post today on Anywired, one of the blogs I read with regularity:

What would you do if there were ten of you? (Putting aside the social and existential awkwardness that might cause, of course.)

Once you’ve answered that question, something to think about:

What will you do because there is only one of you?

Wow. Where do I begin? For whatever reason, putting things in that light makes a tremendous difference -- filtering out the stuff of life and getting down the meat. There would be a bunch of guitar playing, fantastic late-night conversations (leaping wildly from groan-inducing puns to topics filled with gravitas), and a thirst for adventure. I (We?) would constantly seek out well-thought perspectives to bump against, seeing what makes sense with life. *Lots* of writing -- that would be the industry of choice.

I keep looking for a roadmap, someone who's been this way before to show me the ropes. But because there is only one of me, I have to reference others' decisions rather than plagiarizing their circumstances, experiences, and relationships in hopes of passing them off as my own.

~~~

In light of Good Friday, it's easy to see why Christ did what He did -- because there *was* only one of Him, and His purpose was unique. I feel like such a goof -- I've always heard references to Passion Week and the movie The Passion of the Christ, without realizing the tremendous zeal behind Christ's actions. He didn't walk into the Temple unprepared to throw out the money-changers -- He knew the actions, intentions, and processes of all the transactions occurring. In short, He had done His homework. At the Last Supper, He had already laid out the foreshadowed examples -- going way back to Egypt and Passover. He was the expert in His field, in charge of orchestrating the entire operation. He was undeterred by others who claimed expertise in religion, politics, or pushing for social revolution.

He gave us life, but He also exemplified the passion required to really live.

Brilliant Word Picture

So this weekend's sermon at church was on the "filling of the Holy Spirit" and featured a simplified a spiritual truth that in the past has seemed complex or ambiguous.

When describing "fullness" I've always heard the analogy of a cup, where full means overflowing the brim so that I stay full while blessings flow to others. However, last night the word picture was a balloon.

The pastor gave one puff of air into the balloon and asked the audience, "Is the balloon full?" The answer was, of course, yes and no. And therein lies the spiritual truth -- realizing that growth requires additional being open to "stretching" and infusion from outside ourselves. As I'm sure many of you can attest, there are times in life when I realize that what has brought me this far is insufficient to carry me further -- that I need more. And that's when the balloon needs another breath from God.

Pretty cool stuff...discuss amongst yourselves.

Last two Sundays

So the last two Sunday sermons at church have been better than normal. Maybe I should rephrase that: they seem to have spoken to where I am more than normal. I’ll let the theology sages expound/excommunicate when I’m done, but here’s today’s message in Cliff’s Notes format.

We’re in the first Sunday of Advent, and talking about hope. The main point was that hopes are different than wishes, because a “wish list” is self-focused, and anything that falls short of what we’ve predetermined leads to disappointment, resentment, anger…lots of bad things.

Here’s where things get a bit fuzzy for me: when talking about hope, the pastor was focusing so much on “let go and let God” that it sort of rubbed me the wrong way. I understand that wishes/wants are different than needs, and many times God knows our needs better than we do. But I felt like the general tenor of the message was “God knows us better than we know ourselves” without quantifying or qualifying any limits. Last week, the sermon was denouncing that there is nothing that should be labeled “secular” vs. “spiritual.” To insinuate that selfish wishes arise from within us and godly hope is bestowed on us is a bit cut-and-dried, no?

I go back to The Philosophress’ email from a few weeks ago: my life should have elements that build toward something greater. God will give us hope, but that hope – that perseverance – can come from within us also, right? In some ways, I felt the message was a little too much “check your brain at the door” and not enough “God has prepared you for something bigger and will use your passions in great ways.” The Scriptures leave out gaping holes in the timeline of events, but God must have given Mary and Joseph passions and desires long before the Annunciation. Just because the circumstances were unexpected doesn’t mean they were wholly unprepared, right?

I guess here’s the question behind the questions: I’ve approached too many crossroads with the mindset of “How would X or Y spiritual person respond?” or “How can I demonstrate my wholeheartedness/selflessness/devotion in this situation?” or “I should seek outside counsel before replying.” Those are all positive and desirable thoughts, but those look outward rather than inward.

It’s too easy, just looking outward, to get a tainted perspective – “here’s what *I* would do” – instead of “knowing you, here’s what you should do.” If you’re hoping in someone else’s plan or someone else’s dream, putting effort into following that will lead to frustration and confusion. But if I’m following my passions and my heart of hearts, that should get me closer to where I want to be. I’m not perfect, but if I hang my hat on someone else’s passions that aren’t my own, I’m going to burn out and become worn out.

Wishes are different than hopes. I passionately hope to have a successful marriage, but wishing to live in California got me in trouble. I hope to be able to find a job writing someday, but wishing The Philosophress would stay close by wasn’t helping anybody’s situation. Distinguishing between wishes and hopes shouldn’t mean that we turn into different people – it’s just that we are able to prioritize what’s essential and what isn’t.

Joseph was apparently pretty passionate about Mary and had high hopes for their marriage. Their relationship certainly didn’t end up the way he intended, but I don’t think Joseph awoke from his dream with a different set of ideals and values.

Life experience has indicated that there’s some measure of danger trying to “hope” for something other than your true passion. God might call me to be a writer on the East Coast or Midwest or back in California, but since I don’t have a passion for moving up the ranks and helping people through my banking profession, I can reasonably assume that I should pursue my passion and my hope, even though that’s only manifest within me right at the moment.

No Doubt

This is one of those "mental signpost" entries, where I can look back on a revelatory insight as a reminder as life continues moving forward. The past couple weeks have taught be both the value of self-confidence and the danger of doubts.

First, about doubts. They're not good, in general. And I think doubts are different than questions, because questions bring about discussion. I think questions (whether internally or with others) promote dialogue, invite different viewpoints, and generally have a "this is good, but maybe we can make it better" type of tone.

Doubts, on the other hand, cause nothing but destruction, invite suspicion, and have a "am I on the right path, or am I just wasting my time?" tone.

I've been struggling with doubts in a variety of areas due to life circumstances. But the past two weeks I've really been making an effort to live "doubt free" for the first time in several years. It's a difficult thing to do, because doubts often come as seemingly innocent questions, but quickly lead to dark, incapacitating places. It's a bit frightening to see exactly how paralyzing doubts have made me, and how easily doubts alter my view of myself, of others, and of my surroundings and future.

Instead, I'm just trying to focus on the things I can change. It's much easier to stay in a positive mindset when I'm actually checking things off my to-do list, and I'm starting with the small stuff (so I can feel like I'm progressing). I suppose there will be time at some point to agonize over things like "Why did I think moving to California was healthy?" but in the meantime I should just focus on what I can do this week that will prepare me to wrap up my time here and move someplace better.

Doubts have a way of chipping away at the basic foundations of life and relationships, and that prevents any positive growth whatsoever. Today's sermon at church was the beginning of a series in the Book of Ephesians, where Paul spends 3 chapters discoursing on our privileged status that we enjoy as members of God's family and the second 3 chapters exhorting believers to live worthy of our position. That's probably an apt correlation -- remembering who I am and acting accordingly.

Cleaning out the proverbial attic...

Since I know everyone wants to see pictures of our washer & dryer, I thought I'd throw some stuff on there and post it here. My mother, bless her heart, saved a bit too many mementos of my childhood, and now I have the good fortune of going through it all. To be perfectly fair, she had nothing tangible saved from her childhood (as her childhood is a mysterious topic of conversation for another time), so methinks she saved enough for her and for me this time around. As The Philosophress pointed out, "You wouldn't even display this stuff at your funeral," but I figure a digital photo and blog immortality is a pretty good gig and a more appropriate use of space.



Here is a nifty trophy for my 3rd and 4th grade years with AWANA, basically like Boy Scouts, only for church kids (think Bible verses instead of whittling wood for merit badges).


Once 5th and 6th grade is completed, the four year trophy is quite large and impressive. But I still have most of the Bible verses memorized, so I don't think I need a trophy reminder any longer.


When my birthday rolls around, there's no telling what The Philosophress will find in the Party Supply aisle...

Local Christian Radio Tries Too Hard

Ok, I'm all for Christian radio and the family-friendly messages they espouse. But our local station is trying a bit *too* hard. A couple cases in point:

Female DJ comes on to do a live commercial about donating money to charities who sponsor underprivileged children and provide them with food, vaccinations, and school supplies. It all sounds good until they pull a little too hard on the guilt strings -- something to the effect of "if you no one sponsors little Janey she'll go back into the pile and she'll have to go without clean water and vaccinations for six months while her information is reprocessed and sent out again."

Unless I'm missing something here, I'm supposed to feel terrible that the charity is so disorganized that they can't recirculate profiles in under six months?! It's one thing if they have more needy children than funds, but I'm not exactly excited to give money to an organization that takes six months to act.


Live commercial #2: Female actress/real client comes on to give the traditional spiel about laser eye surgery, finishing the plug with the following: "And laser surgery actually helped me to be a better wife, because now I can see and appreciate how good-looking my husband is."

Only in Southern California can you get away with claiming that laser eye surgery makes one a better Christian wife and mother.

Hey, What's Going On Over There?

Yeah, it's just me and Toodus trading thoughts and ideas. It's deeper than flying squirrels, so join the discussion or sit and ponder. Nothing deep and magical (not from me, anyway).

Enjoy

Reasons Why I Like My Job

Just over a month in, here are thirty reasons why I'll be sticking with this job for the longer-term:

(N.B. I tried to be cute and do 30 reasons for 30 days...the Blogging software interprets "cute" as "putting flowers instead of numbers." Super-manly, indeed.)

1. My desk is not located in a restroom.
2. There is no verbal or emotional abuse.
3. I am expected to take Saturday and Sunday off every week, and enjoy it.
4. My cell phone does not ring with work phone calls at midnight.
5. Extended family and relatives no longer say "You went to ND for that?!" while I inwardly ask the same question.
6. I don't have to work about carrying on a long-distance relationship with The Philosophress...in my own house.
7. In lieu of handshakes, my boss (who was a decent basketball player back in the day) expects a good-morning "fist bump" upon arrival.
8. Aforementioned boss wants to have everyone over to his house to watch a movie on his home entertainment system and experience the surround sound...complete with the "Butt Kicker" subwoofer mounted underneath the couch.
9. I am actually encouraged to eat lunch.
10. If I'm still at my desk at 5:45, one or more of my co-workers reminds me that I should go home.
11. There's actually a *right* way to do most things, and it's not "whatever is fastest."
12. In the words of one Rampolla, "I'm very glad to hear that you have found a position that allows for casual drinking, as opposed to one that forces solace in the bottom of a glass."
13. I am surrounded by people who have lives outside of their jobs which, by association, presumes that I should do likewise.
14. My full day's work starts when I arrive at the office, and I have yet to put in an 18-hour day or a 90-hour week.
15. Humor and laughter in the workplace is genuine, not a coping mechanism for loneliness, despair, and feelings of inadequacy.
16. The thought of going to work does not bring with it an overwhelming sense of dread.
17. Rainy/cloudy days no longer affect work volume, and I don't have to pull tarp when it rains.
18. I no longer find myself using phrases like "24-hour adrenaline rush," "putting out fires," and "$%&!" to describe my daily activities.
19. Supervisors and co-workers aren't divorcing because job demands keep them away from home.
20. If I have a question, I can ask, and receive, timely answers.
21. There is a systematic training regimen that allows me to master new skills and build confidence in myself and my finished product.
22. The Philosophress no longer has to pick me up in shady parts of town at 1 a.m. after dropping off a moving truck.
23. I am no longer expected to make deliveries to downtown L.A. at 9 p.m. with perishable food items.
24. When the regional manager mentioned that I was joining an "international department" during my interview, he was referring to a more diverse culture than illegal immigrants working in the kitchen.
25. Said regional manager is trying to figure out which weekend this fall would be best to catch *both* a home ND game and a Cubs game at Wrigley.
26. I no longer fear what "emergency" I will miss by turning off my cell phone before entering church.
27. I no longer have to worry about an increased workload due to a 16-year-old's parents deciding he/she has "too much studying" to come to work.
28. I no longer have to explain to creditors why the business is constantly 90 days past due, and when I mail a payment to a vendor I know there's money in the account to cover the check.
29. Taking the mail to the post office before 5 p.m. marks the end of the day rather than my lunch break.
30. If the freezer door is left open overnight, I can still have a successful and productive day.
    
    

If you're wondering why I'm thankful for the above said things, it's because I (sadly) know from experience. Yes, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

Good Times

For those of you who want to know what a winning wife sounds like, read the post below. Goodness gracious, she does her homework (or she has to listen to my daily rants, one or the other).

Couple reading recommendations for all you out there in TV-Land. Well actually, I guess I recommend because these books make sense for where I am, not necessarily where you are.

First is Wild at Heart. I read this in college, but now that life has taken its toll/reared its ugly head/displayed its sense of humor, I'm finding it more practical and true than ever. For any and all males who feel like they've done more wrong than right or have taken a journey that led to unexpected locales and don't know how to get back.

Secondly is a book called Boundaries. The Philosophress and I aren't finished with this one yet, but it's quite applicable to where we are. I'm sure there are those of you who can relate to needing to establish independence and navigate relationships with *ahem* certain family members. Much like Wild at Heart, this is more of a "discuss and progress along a continuum" subject, with many conversations ahead. So for those of you who I'll be seeing over the next couple months, you can ask how we're doing on these two journeys.

More (hopeful!) good news...the Little Little Sister is auditioning for a musical production of Narnia this weekend. I'm reeeeally excited for her, because (aside from watching her grow more mature) there's a pretty good chance that this is the sort of thing that makes her come alive. It's so much fun watching her start to discover her own passions...and to start becoming her own unique person rather than an miniature extension of what everyone else tells her to do.

I hope to have many more exciting details to report next week!

And now, I must wrap up this blogging and get back to listening to the soundtrack of the musical Wicked. This marriage thing, it's a give and take ;)

Easter Musings

So this morning we had a fantastic outdoor Easter service...good music, a drama that made sense (some of those "fine art" experiments tend to be a little odd sometimes), and the requisite Altar Call (hey, the Catholics initiate the catechumens on Easter too).

But here's my main point: during the introduction, one of the pastors mentioned that to welcome all the new folks, they had bottles of water and 350 DOZEN Krispy Kreme doughnuts available after the service.


Needless to say, I blacked out and don't remember much from that point on.

(Oh yeah...He is Risen!)

News & Notes from around the League

Couple random things to start the week. First, the Philosophress is fulfilling her prescribed “one blog for every two of mine” quota quite nicely. Actually, it’s probably more of her just humoring me (and hopefully y’all / you’s guys / y’ins also). Quick backstory on the cats. The Philosophress let me name our first cat, and I was hoping for a ND name, but figured Rockne, Sorin, etc. were overused and too common. Before settling on Morrissey, the Philosophress commented, “If it turns out the cat is a jerk and doesn’t like us, we can just change his name to Zahm and kick it around!”

Isabella, of course, derives her name from her Italian roots and also from the Sultry Sicilian who is responsible for the sequence of events that found me bathing cats instead of bowling on a Saturday night (or is that “Summer Monday Nights”?)

You might think that the way we bathed Isabella on Saturday was a neat and novel trick (actually, you probably didn’t think that, just pretend). Not coincidentally, T-Rugg and I used to employ the “baby talk, warm water, and washcloths” method to calm Stags down when he needed to shower back in the day (you should have seen him scratch and claw in protest!)

Also, there was frost on the ground this morning in sunny SoCal, and I’m looking forward to Chicken Little doubling as the weatherman on the local TV/radio/internet today.

Lastly, our church out here is super-hip (that’s what everyone looks for in a church, right?). More serious church topics later, but apparently, when the church purchased new chairs a year ago, part of the selection process involved the “thong check,” which meant the staff had to insure that no female unmentionables would be visible during standing and sitting. I’m really not sure what to think about this…part of me thinks that’s way over the top, but another part finds that tremendously ingenious and considerate to the male population. And then there’s the part of me that wonders if they auctioned off the “Quality Control Inspector” privileges to the highest bidder. Exactly which pastor is in charge of such things? Can you put that on your resume if you’re applying for a new job? Can chair manufacturers use this as a part of their sales pitch? One thing’s for sure…the Philosophress will be going to church clothed in a Bedouin-inspired shroud from this point forward.