Paved Paradise

Since I last posted, I had a wonderful weekend in MN with my family celebrating a cousin's high school graduation and my twin uncles' 50th birthday. This trip included a black raspberry pie whose berries had been picked not 12 hours before they came out of the oven in a pulchritudinous pie. One of the people who came back for a second piece (and was still talking about it the following morning) was Jean-Yves, a retired French chef who started as saucier at La Caravelle in 1969 in NY and moved to sous chef at Le Cirque before finishing at the University Club as Executive Chef. I'm still quite proud that I was able to make something for him to enjoy.

The parking lot behind Prescott Hall, in front of my work, is being refinished this week. Monday they sprayed a new coat of tar/asphalt, and today they painted new yellow lines. I find the immaculate lot to be a thing of beauty and wish I had the means to take some aerial pictures before it is spoilt by use and the bleaching sun. The black lot and yellow lines are striking. Then again, it could just be the tar fumes talking.

"Reach out and touch Faith."

I made wonderful time on Friday. leaving from work a bit early and arriving a bit after 8, I covered the 423.7 miles in 366 minutes. We left at 5:30 am to make the four hour jaunt north to DAA.

Talking to my mom the night before, I was feeling cynical about DAA's situation (They have less than forty students in attendance.) The previous Annual Fund goal of $300,000 (which alumni and constituents of the conference have met every year for a long time) is now $400,000. I said to my mother, "Are they going to have us raise $500,000 next year for 30 kids?" Why should a parent send their kid to DAA instead of another Adventist school? Should they spend $50,000 sending their kid to DAA or put that toward the $80,000 that Union now wants (or both)? So I was happy to go see my sister, but I wasn't as supportive of the institution any more.

My sister helped teach the Sabbath school lesson, which was good. Van Hurst, former president of the conference, current youth ministries director for the Mid-America Union and father of a senior girl, had the sermon. The sermon was based on the demoniac of Gadarene. He talked about how mutilation be it tattoos, premarital sex, drugs, suicide (the most severe form), or plain ol' cutting and burning is a crying out to be heard and loved. For some reason (he even questioned it himself) Van shared that the first mutilations take place on private parts, and that by the time you see cuts on arms "it has already gone much further."

Lunch was with my sister's friend's uncle who is the Boy's Dean Worrin Allsman. He has three brothers Orrin, Dorrin, and probably Lorrin. Refreshingly, they served roast beef. It was tasty.

For the main event, instead of the sponsors or students themselves reading a letter about their life and influences from academy as in previous years, they had the parents talk about the students. It was a nice change. Everyone should be so lucky to be viewed through their parents' eyes. I know I enjoyed seeing the twelve seniors through their parents' eyes. While I think going to academy is important to who each of those kids are, I don't think it is necessary. I think the habits and traits of children are formed long before they get to academy.

"The silence of a falling star lights up a purple sky."

I Promise

I find it interesting that homosexuals use a symbol that according to Christian mythology was given by God as a promise that he would never flood the earth again. Presumably flooding the earth in the first place because of the rampant sin and corruption of its inhabitants. Aren't sodomists, who God has given plenty of laws about to His people, kind of waving it with a limp wrist in His face?

One of my co-workers recently received her daughter's report card. One of the areas of evaluation for the teacher to mark is "Embraces paradoxical thinking." How can you evaluate an eight year old on that, or anyone for that matter?

Only the Lonely

Christmas is a peak suicide time.

I think it gets cold during the holiday season because all the Christmas warmth is in our hearts instead of the environment.

Be good and you will be lonesome. -Mark Twain, author and humorist
(1835-1910)

Nival Silence

One of the beautiful things in all of life is the hushed tones of a snow-covered world.

Wait Just One Millenia.

I know why Adventists are late. They don't want to commit to anything, just in case Christ comes. Why bother starting a program, or anything for that matter, on time when it could be so rudely interrupted by the Apocalypse? So they wait a bit to make sure Christ won't be coming in the next half hour and then go ahead as planned.

It is with narrow-souled people as with narrow-necked bottles: the less they have in them, the more noise they make in pouring it out.

There is a Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania.

Take It For Granted.

Please. Because it is. It is all granted, if it wasn't you wouldn't have it. So if it is there take it. Accept it.