A hermitudinal view of...stuff...
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| Smeagol is Free! A hermitudinal view of...stuff... |
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5.31.2005 Droolworthy Hamachi sushi...sashimi...*drool*. Thanks to Mike, I found myself sitting next to the big Scot at Osaka, a sushi bar on Frankfort Ave. I think I'll be needing to go back...soon...for a little order or two of Saba :) On a less glorious and droolworthy note, work has been nice, yet still bordering on exorbitance. If I did the math correctly, I did 40 hours in less than 3 days. Tonight will be the "short" 1 am to 7 am shift, but that'll be taken up mostly with reading/writing/talking on the phone. Speaking of which, it's time to be getting to that shift. posted by Bolo | 11:56 PM 0 speakage 5.30.2005 Scrabble, anyone? "I think Chris Berman may have competition. Mike Florio of profootballtalk.com has nicknamed new Vikings owner Zygmunt Wilf 'Triple Word Score.' I mean, that's the best nickname for anyone in football, ever." -Peter King, from SI.com's Monday Morning Quarterback posted by Bolo | 1:55 PM 0 speakage 5.29.2005 Headwear Boss told me that he was sitting in his room last night, playing his guitar...wearing his Oakley A Frame snow goggles (silver/black iridium, in case you were interested). The funny thing is, I don't need to see a picture to know exactly what he looked like ;) posted by Bolo | 5:17 PM 0 speakage 5.27.2005 Quote "The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." -Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man posted by Bolo | 9:46 PM 0 speakage Double Whoa After the initial post failed, I decided to post this after trying in vain to describe this outfit to Andrew. Here it is, in all its...uhhhh..."glory"...try to picture him with the coat on...yeah...*gulp*.
0 speakage Gazing Been doing a little reading about Jesus today. What stuck as I scanned through Piper's The Pleasures of God was the nature of Christ's supremacy and submission. The beauty of beholding our glorious Savior is rooted in the truth that while He is supreme over all of creation, He was also supremely submissive to the Father in saving us. While there is no one who could possibly be greater or more glorious than Christ, there is no one who is more gentle, humble, or meek. As I pondered this line of thought, what came to mind was the idea of Christ not only being above me in His supremacy, but also below me in His humility. Who suffered more than He did? Who endured more? Who was more broken? Certainly not I. In His redemptive work, He embraced a humility that I can only wonder at. Yet, it cannot be forgotten that the fullness of Christ's beauty is shown in the perfect intermingling of His traits. This is something that I find so hard to grasp - or be grasped by. I think that gazing upon and delighting in Jesus is an endeavor that has far too often become a task. The joy of knowing and being known by God becomes...well...not a joy. The searching of my heart becomes a painful trial, for I find within me things that I'd rather not see. Instead of looking to my Savior with expectant hope, I look to Him with...an unhealthy fear and trembling. As I talked to Scott, I told him that I need prayer for delight...delight in the Lord. When I ponder beholding our Savior, I want to do so with joy and with passion. I told Ryan today that I hate the numbness that pervades my soul, and that I yearn to tremble before the Lord with fresh desire. What he told me encouraged me, and I praise god for such encouragement. Ryan said that I'm in a better place than I think I am. *Sigh*...I suppose that times like these, times when the Lord allows me to peer into the depths of my soul, are the times that He uses to break me. Christ was broken by the loving hand of the Father...I can only hope that I, too, am being broken in the same manner, by the same hand. posted by Bolo | 3:25 PM 0 speakage 5.26.2005 Whoa If he sticks out his tongue, he kinda looks like Jabba ;)
1 speakage Mimbsy Stirsman said that Mimbsy-poo doesn't like his picture taken. Oh well :)
1 speakage 5.25.2005 Top Ten Sometime in the wee hours of the morning...roughly twelve hours ago, perhaps more...an idea for a post came into my head: the top ten places I'd love to be, other than here. So, here they are...in no particular order...hmmm...hopefully I can come up with ten. 1. The Easton Town Center in Ohio. I could spend a whole week there and not spend a dime ('cause like Scott says, I'd somehow manage to get people to give me food). The flagship Express is there, along with a decently-sized Banana. Oh...let's not forget an absolutely ginormous (did you know that Webster's recently honored that "word"? Yep...they did) Barnes & Noble. But that's just the top of the shopping bag ;) 2. Ward Starbucks. 'Nuff said. 3. 509 N Judd St, circa late 2001 - early 2002. Aaahhhh...the fun days! Highlights include: watching David eat a banana...while it was still in the peel; calling 101.9 to win a free shirt...that Goose and Be and I would share...but never winning the shirt; Ben & Jerry's binges...two for five, baby; Jedi Outcast binges...and frustrations; Smashmouth's All Star; Shanghai...let's not forget Spike; and last but certainly not least, pouring icy water on Andy while he was in the shower. *Sigh*...yeah...life was good :) 4. Kewalo's. Duh. 5. Diamond Head. My arms would fall off, but no biggie :) 6. Europe (be quiet, Mike). I've always wanted to go on a jaunty trek through Europe...sip on an espresso in some outdoor café...discover some cool Spanish relatives of mine...run from the Portuguese government 'cause they still have a ridiculous warrant out for my who-knows-how-many-great grandfather's pirating (the old fashioned stuff, not the stuff I did)...you know, the usual swashbuckling/romantic/heroic/Jedi-cool stuff everybody does in Europe ;) 7. The gym. Didn't want to drive over there, drive back home, then drive back over the river once more. Bleh. 8. Sushi King with Boss and Uch. The Midnight Special, baby :) 9. Oregon. Visiting Jon & Amy is a must. Eventually I'm sure it'll happen, but better sooner than later. 10. Aotearoa. Who wouldn't want to visit Middle-earth? Maybe I can see some of my long-lost relatives! posted by Bolo | 3:14 PM 0 speakage 5.24.2005 Talking I was talking to Boss, musing on a variety of things...Shizuoka Prefecture, his 6' 5" board, the Jamba at Ala's that doesn't exist, his allotment at Oakley, June 3rd of next year, this upcoming semester, and Revenge of the Sith. What I shared with him that was deepest on my heart, though, was the notion of how my hiding (or glossing over) my sin from the Lord is, in essence, an attempt to hide the public proclamation of God's just and righteous wrath together with His glorious and joyous grace upon the cross. How so? Well, think about it. My sin is the object of God's wrath, and I am the object of God's grace. Take away or lessen my sin (which, given sin's infinitely heinous and offensive nature toward God, is a moot point anyway), and there is no need for grace, let alone the infinite and surpassing degree of grace. Yet, my sin was indeed paid for upon the cross...all of my sin. God's glory was and is displayed in the punishment of my sin, because it was that punishment which then justified and justifies His myriad graces toward me. If, then, it is my sin which is being being proclaimed upon the cross, why would I "hide" it from God? Why would I try to minimize the horrors of my sin, particularly in light of the wonders of God's grace that is ours in Christ's work upon the cross? Yep...that was what I was talking with Boss about. posted by Bolo | 1:08 PM 0 speakage 5.23.2005 Puddles The other night...last Thursday, I think it was...we got a lot of rain. A lot of rain. Nothing wrong with that, right? Nothing, save for the fact that Mike and I were hungry, and we didn't have any food in the dorms. So we drove to Penn Station. In the rain. Nothing wrong with that, right? Nothing, save for the fact that it was raining hard...really hard...and parts of Lexington Road were FLOODED. Yeah. Something was wrong with that. My little Camry was soon to be found crossing "puddles" of water about a foot deep. Yeah. Something was definitely wrong with that. It was a darn good thing we didn't have to cross anything deeper, 'cause if we had to cross anything deeper, there definitely would not have been any crossing going on...know what I mean? My brake pads were wet and slippery, my power steering was going in and out, and I nearly peed in my pants peering at and pondering the prodigious and prolific precipitation pouring upon our pathway, which then precipitated pandemonium pertaining to the pining over the potentially pedestrian nature the pathetic pair (Mike and I, that is) would portray upon our persons. Was this protagonist prone to perspiration? Precisely the point! Nevertheless, I had a blast :) After we cleared the water, I was screaming at Mike, "ooooohhhhh my goodness, that was SOOOOO COOL!!! We should circle around and do it again!" posted by Bolo | 11:57 PM 0 speakage 5.22.2005 75 Dad's surprise birthday party was last night. He turned 75 on the 20th. (Ironically, two years ago I flew out from home on his birthday. Go figure.) When I got home, Mon reminded me that I needed to call him...whew...good thing she did, too, 'cause I wouldn't have done so otherwise. Yeah...definitely not good. Mom answered the phone when I called, and she immediately informed me that he was helping Kayla gamble with "the rest of the adults"...whatever that means. For some strange reason, I had visions of Carver Hall dancing in my head ;) Dad was thrilled that so many people showed up for his party, especially since he had no clue about it. (Jeff said that somewhere around 90 people RSVP'd that they would be coming...yeesh.) The usual suspects showed up, which included the whole Letoto side of the family, plus a bunch of unusual characters that I remember only by name. (Those are the people who look at me and go, "Leonard!") You know, it's kind of funny, but if we (meaning the seven kids) invited all of our friends for my Dad's party, they'd probably all come, too. I distinctly remember Albert Lum (or was it Gary? Hmmm...maybe the memory is not so distinct...whatever) telling us several years back that he walked into the Blood Bank one day to donate some blood, and when he sat down in the lobby to wait for his name to be called, he looked up and said to himself, "eh, it's Mistah Letoto!" when he saw Dad's picture up on the wall. Apparently, my Dad had made some sort of Blood Bank hall of fame for giving a bunch of blood. There's all sorts of strange things about my Dad that I find out as the years go by. Dad was quite happy to talk to me, yet sad at the same time. He told me so many times that I lost count, "you know, son, I really miss you." Ouch. If that wasn't a plea to come back home, I don't know what is. *Sigh*. Still, he's happy I'm here, so that makes me happy. posted by Bolo | 7:45 PM 0 speakage 5.20.2005 Hmmm... Yeah...I don't know about this...you tell me...
0 speakage 5.19.2005 Episode III Dare I say it? Star Wars Episode III nearly makes up for I and II...at least, that's what I'm saying at 4:15 in morning, an hour or so after I finished watching it. Maybe sanity and Star Wars cynicism will set in once more when I wake up in a few hours...then again, maybe not :) posted by Bolo | 4:07 AM 0 speakage 5.18.2005 No Loss Philippians 3:7 - 11 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. On the drive over to his place, Scott asked me how I was doing. One of the things I told him was that I'd been reading through Philippians, and that reading about the gospel of Christ that is so richly portrayed there has been a refreshing endeavor. The gospel hasn't seemed this fresh in a long while; to be honest, my heart's been too numb to really react to it. Engaging with and being changed by the truth of the gospel is something must be a daily process. What is frustrating is going through those seasons when the beauty of the cross seems difficult to apprehend, let alone comprehend, or when the brightly shining glory of Christ becomes too powerful to gaze upon from the depths of my sinful heart. It's times like these, times when I don't want to be honest with myself, that I toss aside the eternal for the temporal and neglect to count all as loss for Christ's sake. I was asked just a little while ago how my semester had been. I responded with a "nyeerrrrhhhuuuuhhhhhrrrrrrmmmbleh." That was my way of indicating that my semester was just so-so. But now that I think about it, that's not the case at all. "To live is Christ, to die is gain...I have been crucified with Christ...it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me...He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you holy and blameless and beyond reproach...for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God...the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Sure, the semester was hard. Sure, I felt like my heart had gone sour at times and I ended the year on a tough note. So what? That's what life in Christ is like at times. That doesn't negate the fact that there's a far greater, a far more glorious reality that still governs me. That reality is that Christ lives in me, and I in Him. Why? Because He died with me, and I with Him. It's hard to remember that. I'm praying that this summer, the Lord will bring the truth of the gospel to fruition within my heart in a way that...well...would be exceedingly glorifying to His name. That sounds so bible-college to me, yet I really can't put that prayer any other way. What else could I want? Anything less than God's glory simply will not do. Why would I want to savor the work of God in my life if I did not see that it glorified Him? Such savoring would not truly be savoring. posted by Bolo | 12:33 AM 0 speakage 5.17.2005 Wake Up Call It's not always a good thing when the phone call that wakes me up has for the caller ID "SBTS." That means that school is calling. When that happened this morning, several thoughts ran through my mind. "Uh oh...prospective student tour...gotta drag my butt out of bed! Or maybe they're kicking me out of school. Or maybe they're trying to get money out of me. Or...or...or...maybe I should answer and find out." It was just Ginger. She chastised me for still being asleep at 11:15. Whatever. After getting home from the Ryherd's, I'd been chatting a while with Boss. That was good...I really needed that. Of course, that meant I went to bed at some obscene hour...like...5ish...but nothing wrong with that...it's the luxury of summer vacations... posted by Bolo | 12:20 PM 0 speakage 5.16.2005 Movin' On Up After two trips (using a fleet of Ford Rangers plus my Camry) interspersed with several pauses to speak of the goodness of the ice cream we could not partake of, lunch, and a whole lot of useless talk about how much "stuff" Scott has, we finally moved Scott and Rob into their new place today. Kind of. They're sleeping with all their stuff still mostly unpacked, and Sczrama's load must still be brought in from his old apartment. Nevertheless, all is well at 501 Camp. I think. One can never tell in that neighborhood :) One question did arise from the day's moving that will take perhaps an entire generation to answer: Which will occur first, Smythe getting married, or me graduating from Boyce??? (Yes, such a mystery deserves three question marks!) posted by Bolo | 11:53 PM 0 speakage 5.15.2005 Blogging Thoughts So. As I pondered today what I'd be writing for this post, I thought of the various ways this blog has changed over the two-plus years it's been in existence. At first, it served as a means by which I could alleviate the need to generate those hideously generic mass emails that I sent out when I first arrived here. At that point the blog scene was still relatively tame, and had not yet acquired the status of "homepage replacement" that would be thrust upon it. Therefore, keeping a blog was...well...somewhat unique. From the outset, however, my main desire was to keep the blog as an outlet of sorts for my own sanity. Not a replacement for my journal, mind you, but a creative outlet, one with an aesthetic form and systematic shape that would allow me to clothe my thoughts in whatever fashion I desired. As Chaucer said in A Knight's Tale, "I'm a writer...I give the truth scope!" As time went on and the reader base expanded beyond those whom I knew from home, the purpose of the blog inevitably changed. It became more than a canvas upon which I would paint the pains and joys of my soul; my humble little blog, like it or not, became a public display through which friends and strangers alike would peer into my life and keep tabs. It became more than just an occasional means of communication; it became constant and consistent. This change holds inevitable frustration for me. The creative introvert in me likes to think that when I write, I write for myself. Well, myself and God, but humanly speaking, for myself. The socialite likes the attention and thrives in the public aspect of the blog. But you know what? It's times like these, times when I keenly feel the bite of my need to be alone, that I'm sorely tempted to change the URL of the blog to something ridiculous and impossible to locate, or to take it offline entirely. Why? So that I could write exactly what I want to write, without the feeling that someone was looking over my shoulder, giving approval to my syntax and diction. It's always been one of my guiding principles in keeping this blog to write to please myself, not anyone else. Yet, when I feel this dark, this lonely, I feel the need to either hide the blog or write some big fat lie by saying all is cheery. All this to say that right now, I'm what Jon used to call "funky". "Funky" meant that I felt almost irrationally introverted and impetulant to the point of frustrating the dickens out of anyone who wanted to talk to me. Almost anybody short of Jesus could walk into the room right now and I'd tell him or her to go away. *Sigh*... But you know what? I don't feel bad for it. If anything, I'm glad I get like this from time to time. A constant need to be around people would drive me nuts. Several weeks ago, Gary told me to write. Go out in nature and write. Listen to God, process my thoughts, let my feelings flow, and write. It's a part of who I am, a part of the intrinsic makeup that makes me me, one of the key and necessary activities that are good for my soul. So you know what I'm going to go and do? Read :) posted by Bolo | 11:34 PM 0 speakage Old School It's been a while, but the Old School block is updated... posted by Bolo | 12:29 PM 0 speakage 5.14.2005 Standout Of the many reasons I'm happy that Scott graduated today, the one that I remember fondly is that little session we had after lunch where Scott's dad showed us The Baby Pictures. One picture in particular stands out (and boy, does it ever stand out), but I won't get into its particular details ;) posted by Bolo | 10:20 AM 1 speakage 5.13.2005 K... Kristin Wicker is Kristin Wicker no longer... She's Kristin Yeldell. From the bottom of my small intestine, my stomach thanks the new Mr. and Mrs. Eric Yeldell :) posted by Bolo | 11:45 PM 0 speakage 5.12.2005 Nikki's Party The invitation said something about an end of the year/birthday party at the Texas Girls' apartment. Nikki wasn't feeling too good, so she looked a little frowny.
0 speakage Mike...hmmm...I'm not sure what to make of this one...
0 speakage Only Jason Dees can look that cool in shorts that short. That's my official fashion statement on the matter.
0 speakage Barrett and Ben...playing Taboo. I won our little game by getting everyone else to guess six cards in 48 seconds. Second place went to Barrett with 66 seconds ;)
0 speakage Pablo's Pain: Part Deux You want to know what's really funny? Go to watch a movie with Pablo within a one to two month period before Episode III comes out. Make sure he's had a good amount of liquid consumed before he gets to the theater. Walk into the theater just as the trailers start rolling, and somehow get him to go to the bathroom during the trailers. A good way to accomplish this is to announce that you must go to the potty, as you wouldn't want to miss the movie. Note that this technique only works when you still have someone else in your group who is watching the trailers. When he gets back, tell Pablo that they showed an Episode III trailer while he was in the restroom. Laugh appropriately at his hideously geeky reaction...I think it borders on contained impotent fury :) Hey, this was all Mike's idea! I was the one in the bathroom! posted by Bolo | 2:44 PM 0 speakage Linkage Hmmm...Rob and I used to play a similar game in the office ever...uhhh...juuuuust on "slow" days...we'd use fans and stuff to create wind currents and the like ;) Ginger would agree with these guys, no doubt. Star Wars geekiness in all its glory. At the very least, check out the trailer...it's Jar Jar free. I'm thinking the full movie can't possibly be worse than Episodes I and II. *Groan*...only from MIT. These guys have got to find something better to do with their time than this. Tut, tut. posted by Bolo | 2:25 PM 0 speakage 5.10.2005 Hyperbole Scott and Emily: that title ought to make you guys smile. It may be a "laughing out loud" smile, a nervous smile, even an "oh no what is Toto/Uncle John going to write" smile. Whatever the case, I know that this is a post you've been looking forward to with dreadful anticipation :) (Note to Abbicus Maximus: right about now would be a greeeaaaaat time to go and get your mom, if she's not already reading this post with you. Did you get her? Yes? Good. A happy belated Mother's Day to you, Mrs. Cavie! Don't worry, despite the rumors that are wildly flying around this campus, Emily absolutely, positively, without a doubt did not write Scott's Mother's Day card for his mom. I'm not sure if she purchased it for him or not, but I'm certain that she didn't write it. On a personal note, I just realized that your house was one of my highlights for both 2004 and 2005...it was that amazing! Oh, and if you and the Mister have the sliiiiiightest desire at all to pass on any more hand-me-downs, feel free to do so...burr grinders, Gondorian Shields, street signs of streets rhyming with "turkey" obtained with only a minor degree of shadiness...I'm not above such gifts! ) So. Anyway. Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of taking Scott and Emily out on a "date". Normally, when the situation calls for one person to be the proverbial Third Wheel, a certain degree of discomfort or awkwardness hovers over the evening. Not so with last night. (Come to think of it, me being the Third Wheel is quite common...yet almost never awkward...hmmm...not sure why that's the case...anyhow...back to the recounting.) I figured that since Emily is leaving soon, Scott would want me to spend as much time with her as possible before she left. Therefore, I thoughtfully took it upon myself to take them out to dinner. Hehe...riiiiiiiiiiiiight. I found out that the real purpose I was there was to keep them from elo...er...elongated conversations about portions of theology that had no bearing upon their sanctifiction ;) Anyway. We ate at Tumbleweed. I had 14 ounces, prior to cooking to medium-rare perfection, of one of the best hunks of ribeye steak I've ever had the palatable pleasure of satiating my carnivorous cravings with. Scott had what he calls "the best steak of my life...and that's not hyperbole." I think Miss Cavanaugh had the taco salad. After dinner, I took the young pair out to a nice little scenic pond with some waterfalls. Scott tried to push Emily into the water, and Scott made a weepy-eyed confession that he's deathly afraid of spiders. I'm not sure if the push had anything to do with the confession, but suffice it to say that Scott tried to valianty redeem his manhood by telling us of his arachnocidic derring-do in the killing of two tarantulas. I don't know if Emiliy was persuaded by Scott's northerly brogue or the size of the shoulders he claimed to have employed in the killing, but she seemed very much attentive and appeased by his heroic epic. I don't think she forgot the pushing episode, but I do believe that all was forgiven. She did wonder aloud to me today if perhaps he thought she had cooties...but that's another story ;) The nightcap was spent at the Ryherd residence, and it was there that we had yet more ice cream. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that after Tumbleweed we partook of some McDonald's ice cream cones. Scott had two. I think he was the happiest person in the world at that point; his stomach, in all likelihood, would not be inclined to disagree. Anyway. At the Ryherd's, there was more ice cream. I had mine topping a nice, warm piece of brownie. We talked, we laughed, we reminisced...it felt good not to have to worry about schoolwork, even though there was still "stuff" to do. I don't think too many other implicating things came out during our conversation at the Ryherd's, which is good for Emily and Scott's sanity, I'm sure ;) One thing of importance did emerge from last night, however. This school year was quite momentous for Mr. O'Neal, and not least because it was his last as an undergraduate student. It started out with him being adamantly single. "No time for that," was our response to any girl situation. Pfft. That soon changed. And my, what a marked change it was. Let's just say that October was a crazy month, and as was recounted last night, there were many hours spent in Scott's room running through "the situations" in our minds. Hourly updates were required. Fasting and praying was engaged in with vigor and fervor. Oaths were spoken, and blood was spilt in keeping those oaths. Well, not quite...but close! Ok, maybe not. Hey, the point remains that October was crazy, and we're at a point where we can look back upon our self-inflicted zeal with amusement :) I'm just glad I won't have to repeat it ever again. (Oh, wait...Rob's still single. "Uuuhhhh...yeah...uhhh...well...uhhh...hmmm." Dangit.) Still, I'm glad I got to spend last night with those two, and that Scott and Emily are "Scott and Emily." That's defintely no hyperbole :) posted by Bolo | 11:56 PM 0 speakage Pablo's Pain I should probably feel horrible. I should, in all seriousness, feel contrite. I should feel, at the very least, somewhat sorry. Or at least try to. But I'm not. In fact, if given the choice, I'd probably do it over again just so I could laugh the snot out of my nose. Well, I didn't really laugh that hard the first time, but it sure felt like I was. Mike defnitely sounded like he was laughing that hard. And Jason, to round things off, didn't help my sanctification by rolling around on the ground while he laughed. Ok, maybe he wasn't rolling on the ground. He was just doubled over. When I ran over Pablo's ankle today with my rear right tire, I'd like to say that I initially felt bad. Yet, as I search through my memory banks, the only emotion that I can remember feeling was...well...amusement. I think it was his pubescently pitched squeeling that did it for me. The sound that came forth from his pained countenance sounded somewhat akin to a teenage boy caught in the throes of an inordinately long voice crackage. Or, if you will, a twelve year old male Star Wars geek trying his best to imitate a Wookiee. Whatever the analogy, know that Pablo's pained cry caused, much to my shame but not necessarily chagrin, a plethora of comedic joy to flow forth from my soul. See. I told you I should feel horrible ;) posted by Bolo | 11:12 PM 0 speakage 5.09.2005 Mother's Day Postscript Mary said she may want to visit after August. Hmmm...I wouldn't have to travel home to see my nephew...that'd be cool :) On an utterly random note, I'm reminded of what my father would say every Mother's Day: "If not for fathers, there would be no mothers!" He would say that every Mother's Day. Every single one. The joke is nearly as old as he is, and it's far more stale than anyone outside of our family can imagine. But you know what? I miss my dad's stale jokes. *Sigh*...Pops will be 75 on the 20th. Eeesh...you know, I was the only one of his children NOT to be at his 65th birthday party. That was for reasons I won't get into...and uhhh...yeah...I won't be there for this one, either (a SURPRISE party...so don't tell him...I doubt he'd remember anyway, but still...ssssshhhh), so I'm feeling a wee bit sheepish. posted by Bolo | 2:15 AM 0 speakage 5.08.2005 Mommy's Day Just got off the phone with my Mommy. That's a good thing, considering it's Mother's Day. The strange thing about that? She called me, not the other way around. Understand, however, that I don't feel guilty about that; after all, who calls their mother at 7 in the morning on Mother's Day? Certainly not I! She didn't call for Mother's Day, anyway. She was calling to encourage me with some things she'd been reading lately...yeah, my Mommy rocks :) One of the things that came to mind while we conversed was the conviction that my life is not mine. As she spoke, Dietrich Bonhoeffer's teaching on costly discipleship rustled through my brainwaves, and I thought about the various ways I declare to the Lord that He is not Lord of my life. *Sigh*. It seems to me as though He's removing much of the blindness in my heart and showing me a greater degree of my sin than ever before. Yet, as I was telling Andrew yesterday, I find that as I venture back in my mind to gaze upon seemingly insurmountable prior seasons of life, an encouraging grain of truth is revealed. Those seasons, difficult as they were, had me heavily in fetters; yet this season, although it in some ways surpasses those prior in its uncertainty and discouragement, does not seem to hamper me quite so horribly. Mom said it's because I'm growing...that's funny, 'cause I think I actually lost some weight. (Yeah, isn't that horrible, Scott?) I told Mom that she was reminding me of something I told some of the youth at our Galatians study on Wednesday. (We've finally gotten through verse three after four weeks...woohoo!) Paul, when writing his epistles to the other churches, would include in the greeting some sort of praise to God for or affirmation of the faithfulness of those to whom he wrote. Ephesians: "To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus." Philippians: "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all..." Colossians: "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae..." The other churches that Paul wrote to received some sort of affirmation as well, yet Galatians included no such greeting. But what was the reason of Paul's pained writing? It was not to condemn; rather, his severe tone was one that was meant to restore them to the grace and peace that was given to them in Christ! That was his ultimate purpose, for the Galatian church had embraced a distorted view of the gospel. Paul sees beyond their current circumstance and was writing with a passion borne of having beheld the glory of God that is revealed in Christ. He writes having known that the Galatians have beheld the same glory, yet have turned away from it into darkness once more. There is a Godly sorrow and hope that intermingles in his writing, for he knows that the Galatians have within their callous hearts the eternal hope of the gospel. Therefore, it is through a passionate conveyance of such sadness and hope that Paul hopes to enflame their hearts once more with the glorious hope of the gospel. That's how I described the state of my heart to my Mom. There's a hope that goes beyond the current circumstance and a sorrow that intermingles sweetly with that hope. In fact, as I step back and see all that the Lord is doing, what I'm struck by is how much the Lord uses all this junk to orchestrate something far greater than I could ever imagine. Indeed, it's glorious :) Oh, one more thing. Yesterday, Andrew was describing certain characteristics of a group of individuals who shall remain nameless. He said that they consider themselves very fashion-conscious, and that many of them work at Abercrombie & Fitch. My immediate response was, I must confess, one of wry amusement: "How the heck in the world can they consider themselves fashion-conscious when they work at Abercrombie?!?!?!?!" Uch was, to say the least, quite amused ;) posted by Bolo | 2:01 PM 0 speakage Smythe Man!
This is Rob... posted by Bolo | 1:00 AM9 speakage
This is Rob at 5 a.m. posted by Bolo | 12:57 AM0 speakage Mobile? Blogging from my phone is something that shouldn't be too complicated, right? Hmmm...we'll see. I can't edit the previous post, one that was only meant as a means by which I could commence mobile-blogging. Bleh. In any event, be warned; pics snapped with my camera phone are now fair game to be posted! (Boyce College/Southern Seminary people, this means YOU.) posted by Bolo | 12:42 AM 0 speakage 5.07.2005 Decision If I happen to get a bespoke (hand-made, custom dealio) suit some day, one thing I've been sold on is to have a permanent crease in the pants. How so? Have 'em stitched in, not merely pressed. Yeah, yummy :) That's one feature the legendary Jack Taylor puts into the suits he makes for his clients. Not that I could afford Mr. Taylor...but hey, one can drool, right? posted by Bolo | 9:57 PM 0 speakage 5.06.2005 Not Mine It's not a very strange thing, for me to be so weary at the end of a semester. What is strange, however, is to feel as though I'm still in the midst of it it, rather than at the end and having everything finished. I know why such a feeling exists, however, and that in and of itself is encouraging. Wedding plans are well under way, and I'm stoked. No, not mine you ninnyhammers! I was able to run through some things with Andrew the other night, which was amusing on many levels. The fact that he went to a bridal expo (or something like it) and didn't get all grossed out impressed me a great deal. I'm sure the ensuing months will bring impressions of a far greater magnitude :) When I popped into Smythe's room earlier today, he told me that he'd read yesterday's blog post. He then asked if I was going home. I reminded him that I was planning on being home in roughly a year, but for a wedding. Hmmm...you know...I'm beginning to think that the only way I'll ever get home is marriage. No, not mine you ninnyhammers! OTHER PEOPLE getting married. Goose and Michelle's, Lisa and Jeff's, Andrew and Sandi's...hey, it's a recurring theme, spaced roughly a year and a half apart. Can't fool Boss this time around, though...or can I??? posted by Bolo | 10:42 PM 0 speakage 5.05.2005 Hmmm... You know...God is good. Really good. I don't deserve the myriad blessings I've experienced this school year, but I have them nevertheless. It's hard to fathom that the year is now over and done with; in all reality, it has been for over two days now. I've got a lot on my mind, a lot of contemplating to do between now and August. *Sigh*...we'll see how everything goes...I'm not sure what the future holds. I told the guys that the end of this year feels extremely different from the end of last year's, and I don't think that such a comparison can be overstated. But chew on this: perspective is something that is inherently limited and skewed, and one can never see what lies just beyond the proverbial bend in the road. Who knows; perhaps at this time next year, I'll be looking back and saying, "wow...the end of this year feels so different from the end of last year's." Well, at about this time next year, there's a good chance I'll be at home ;) posted by Bolo | 10:40 PM 0 speakage 5.03.2005 Word Amos 5:21 - 24 "I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Psalm 27:8 When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O Lord, I shall seek." posted by Bolo | 1:12 PM 0 speakage 5.02.2005 Remembering "May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i." In da hana bata days, yu know small kid time, always gotta say dat eeeevry May Day, but wen you da kine, get od an get planny kine stuffs fo tink abowt, hooo cuz, no can remembah. Bumbai, aftah da ting pau, maybe can remembah, but wen no can, no can. No? I forgot that it was Lei Day yesterday...*sigh*. Not that I would have really done anything differently, but remembering it just now puts me in the mood to hear some Brothers Caz or Olomana or John Cruz. Mmm...that'd be nice :) posted by Bolo | 3:27 AM 0 speakage "No such thing as bad student..." Mr. Gary Lau...you're awesome. Your "I don't know" is much better than a yea/nay from many other counselors. Mahalo! posted by Bolo | 1:23 AM 0 speakage 5.01.2005 Spring Banquet Spring Banquet '05...wow...that was the most funnest thing I've done in a while...definitely funner than this crazy week has been...even though that research paper on the church was second funnest :) Of myself, Rob, and Scott, I think Mr. President seemed to enjoy himself the most, hands down. I can't possibly conceive of what reason he'd have to have so much fun, though...*cough*. I had fun watching him have fun, watching Rob work his way through oodles of discomfort and uncertainty, and having fun with my date. Fun highlights include... Rob's "No Flower Card." An explanation to his date on why he didn't get her a flower...if I were Ashlea, I'd frame that thing and put it up on my wall :) Valerie's hair, which JV and Crazy Candace did a great job on. Hmmm...I didn't get that picture with the back of her head...that would've been great for the "silly factor"...oh well...I snuck in enough of the other pictures to make up for it ;) If I were to ask Scott today how Emily looked, I might not get a coherent answer, so I'll take the liberty of saying that she looked great. In fact, all the ladies looked great. Scott and Rob didn't look too shabby, either. Which reminds me...Scott O'Neal, and ONLY Scott O'Neal, of all the people on this continent, can borrow one of my suits. And he did. But ONLY Scott O'Neal. He looked good last night, he looked very good. I told him the other day that if I were to die, he could have one of my suits. Andrew would get one of the others. The last one, I'd be buried in. Goose and Brian are too short, Rob is too tall, and nobody else would really appreciate (much less fit) them. Back to the Banquet. It was a nice repast from the hustle and bustle of papers and finals, not to mention all the other zany happenings of Life. Everyone looked great (no silly outfits, like last year's Banquet produced), and I was particularly proud of my "work"...some people had dates, and some people had some nice suits to match their date's outfit. All in all, a very nice little evening. But now...*sigh*...back to work. One more thing: Robbie Byrd isn't funny ;) posted by Bolo | 12:23 PM 0 speakage Dell Coupons |
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