Wise Teeth / Hairy Feet

to nobody in particular:

...today is the day that my wisdom tooth gets pulled -- and i am going to the dentist to get it done, because Sarah wasn't willing to pull it for me...

...oh joy...

...oh sweetness...

...and did i mention that it is a discouragingly dreary day outside?...

...thank God He's with me...

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currently reading: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

(finally)

Coffeeship / Companionship

to nobody in particular:

...it's a busy week -- and you know what i think?...



coffee is overrated



...there -- i said it...

...and it's on the internet, so it must be true...

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currently proof-reading: my message for Sunday (auf Deutsch) about friendship with God...

Giving Up / Trekking On

to nobody in particular:

...last year, i gave up music for Lent -- and it was rough...

...this year, i'm giving up sweet/salty snacks/desserts -- 'twill also be rough...

...but, like giving up music, will be ultimately beneficial...

...no chocolate, pretzels, cakes, chips, blah blah -- should be pretty interesting...

...last year, with no music, i was able to keep myself quieter with less distractions -- more thinking, pondering, praying and more physical and spiritual awareness...

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currently watching: "Lost" -- Season Five

...yes, we are finally almost completely caught up -- and watching this season (5) has been quite entertaining -- no letdown whatsoever...

The Past 168 Hours / The Future Oscar Winner?

to nobody in particular:

...here's a concise look over the last week...

saturday: Hannah throws up through the night (not constantly, but consistently)...

sunday: Saints deservedly win the Superbowl while Colts deservedly lose...

monday: Travis throws up through the night (not constantly, but consistently); Hannah joins in as well...

tuesday: tired after three nights of less than three hours each...

wednesday: Sarah throws up through the night (not constantly, but consistently); Ben becomes last man standing...

thursday: cool evening out with friend; break from the sick family...

friday: finish up English Camp brochures; anticipation increases...

saturday: Feinkost ladies tea is today; have fun, Sarah...

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recently enjoyed watching: The Hurt Locker

...Avatar should not win Best Picture, especially when this movie is in the running...

Short Thought / Rogue Agent

to nobody in particular:

...after more than a dozen times throwing up within a span of 8 hours throughout the night, Hannah is finally feeling better -- and sadly, it was already laundry day today, so the washing machine is working over time...

...on top of that lack of sleep, the Superbowl game (starting at 12:30am local time) is welcomed at our party at Don's house, along with more than 10 other guys who are crazy enough to hang out with us superlate on a Sunday night (most of whom aren't even American!)...

...did i mention: go not-Colts!...

...i've almost forgotten what normal snowless sidewalks look like, as well as the fact that grass is the color green -- snow, just give it up already...

...how is Avatar the highest grossing movie of all time? -- disgusting...

...i'm wondering if Jesus Christ is one of the most mistakenly misunderstood individuals in the history of individuals -- or maybe just simply one of the most awesome, probably...

...you know why i'm blogging right now? because Sarah is watching Pride & Prejudice (the A&E Colin Firth version) in the other room -- and life goes on...

...dot dot dot...

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currently reading: Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Sanction by Eric Van Lustbader

Including Cold, Weight-Loss, Godfathers & Perspective / Including Smoke, Hatches, Numbers & Secrecy

to nobody in particular:

...here are some recent thoughts, followed by explanations...

..."more snow, God? are You kidding me?" -- i walked out of the house the other day and, much to my dismay, the 15-degrees-below-freezing-Celsius weather was accompanied with even more snow, just when the recent barrage was starting to give way to the sidewalks underneath -- i know it is strange for me to think the following, but i was looking forward to having decent non-slip sidewalks to run on in the early mornings/late evenings...

..."wow -- this is tougher than i thought" -- last year, i was part of a group of four who had a small contest to lose weight, and, even though it went well for that period of time, and i was able to lose 15 lbs myself, i gained a couple more over the last month or so (Christmas time is a killer) -- well, to continue my weight-loss, i started a new personal campaign, and i have a goal to slim down to a certain weigh-in (which i will not post here) before the opening kickoff of the World Cup of 2010 -- it is a lofty goal, but i am determined...

..."yes, these have been pretty good, but i don't think they are any of my favorites" -- i've recently watched the Godfather movies (i re-watched The Godfather and have watched Part II and Part III for the first time) and, although i find the arguments behind them being great movies valid and seeing their place in movie history, they are not personal favorites...i did really like the first one, the second one was pretty good too, and the third one is kind of meh -- overall well done and interesting, but nonetheless slightly disappointing, with a letdown in the third act (Part III)...

..."does it all boil down to the matter of perspective, or is that just my perspective?" -- we are encouraged to be joyful always, to pray continually and to always be thankful in all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5) -- but why?...think about it -- and after i did for a while, i've concluded that it comes down to the view that we have on our life, on our perspective, on how we interact with the happenings of our days -- to sharpen a correct perspective on life centers on these three intentional choices, i believe -- living with joy (not happiness), praying as central, and having a constant gratitude -- enormously tough, of course, but invaluably imperative...

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currently watching: "LOST" (yes, still)

Singing & Friends / Forgetting Loved Ones

to nobody in particular:

my daughter, at 18 months old, is a genius -- and this is just a sliver of proof...

...she does pretty well with learning the words (or at least, the sounds of the words), and we have a growing list of songs that she likes to sing...when it comes to music, i think Travis has the rhythm and Hannah has the harmony -- so far, anyway...

..."and now for something completely different"...

...at one of our last brunches last year (in reality, a few weeks ago), i guided our discussion in thinking about God as our Friend -- how Jesus views us, those who know Him and His Father, as friends...

...this reality and truth has carried on with me into this new year, and though many times i'm inclined to focus on my relationship with God as a Father/Child relationship, or Creator/Creation, i want to intentionally realign and look at it as a Friend/Friend relationship. this is very eye-opening and challenging -- in the areas of communication, perspective, responsibilities, etc. i think one of the toughest things is not necessarily looking at it only as God as my friend, but that i am a personal, close friend of His. how am i trustworthy, reliable, honest, listening, and sensitive to God as His friend? is my communication limited to my perspective, or should my improved perspective even enhance and breakthrough previously grounded limitations?...

...He's great...

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currently listening to: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Soundtrack"

...great soundtrack to a fantastic movie -- gems like this are rare...

Photos & Black Eyes / Pages & Images

to nobody in particular:

...the kids took part in a spontaneous photo session recently...


...yes, yes -- it's very cute...

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since i haven't posted in a while, here's a concise list of top choices from the last few months...

recently read: The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning (pretty good, but not as life-altering as i thought it could be), Shutter Island by Dennis LeHane (suspenseful and interesting), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (classic and spectacular), Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (charged and thought-provoking), excerpts from The Bible by God (awesome, of course)...

recently watched: Avatar in the theater (not bad, but not life-changing either), rented Star Trek (pretty good, but Star Wars IV-VI still rule), State of Play (meh, but intrigued to watch the English mini-series instead) and borrowed The Godfather Parts I & II (still haven't watched Part III yet -- soon) and Apocalypse Now (heard it's a classic, and thought it was fairly interesting)...