A hermitudinal view of...stuff...
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| Smeagol is Free! A hermitudinal view of...stuff... |
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10.31.2008 Framing Fall 
posted by Bolo |
6:16 PM3 speakage Linkage: Coffee In response to the Young Man Sporting Old Man Hair, I bring to you a coffee-themed post filled with coffee-themed links. Enjoy! I seriously need four of these beans, personalized just for yours truly. Perhaps some Esmeralda Gesha beans, eh? Heck yes! No, don't worry, I'm not going to get one. Rev and I will, however, make a trip to Chicago soon. Intimidated by what you are or are not tasting in a cup of coffee? Don't worry, you're not alone. posted by Bolo | 1:05 AM 0 speakage 10.30.2008 Of Sheep and Shepherds There's nothing quite so comforting found in the body of believers as knowing and being known by a church and a pastor that loves and cares for you. When your shepherd tells you, a sheep of his pasture, that he longs to shepherd your soul to heaven, and he means it, you hear in his voice the echoes of John when he wrote, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth." Furthermore, you hear the very words of Jesus Himself, the Great Shepherd of our souls...wow! The shepherd cares for his flock, laying down his life for his sheep. Wouldn't it do us well that we, as sheep, look to our shepherds for guidance and comfort and love? posted by Bolo | 6:14 PM 0 speakage Wants vs. Needs Need...coffee... posted by Bolo | 7:56 AM 0 speakage Nights Nights seem to be the hardest. *Sigh*. Yeah...definitely the hardest... posted by Bolo | 2:26 AM 0 speakage 10.29.2008 Mugged  
posted by Bolo |
10:15 PM0 speakage Quotes: SWFWDA "Oh, I know people go out with me just to see what will happen next...I've been told." "You can make the most benign exchange of information seem ominous." "I'm basically guaranteed to do or say something that falls under the categorical heading of 'inadvertently amusing'." "Seriously, Lisa actually told me she wants me to marry this guy -- who is her husband's best friend -- so we could do 'family things' together. Then she laughed and said, 'Yeah, that's right...we have to get you married and pregnant! I have it all planned out...' I didn't hear anything but a loud buzzing after that...it all went blurry." "I do have one magical dating power...I can make people get married...I'm the 'last girlfriend'...the next girl is the wife." posted by Bolo | 5:01 PM 2 speakage Simple 'Drew and I chatted for quite some time last night. At one point I observed to him that it is a very remarkable thing to me that the LORD has blessed us with such a friendship, for though our friendship is deep, it is, at the same time, exceedingly -- and joyfully -- simple, not at all complicated. Neither of us expects anything from the other, yet, at the same time, we expect everything. How so? It's because in the gospel, we are stripped of everything, yet in the gospel, we are given everything. In other words, while our expectations here on earth are squashed to the dust, our eyes and hearts are granted glimpses and yearnings of heaven in order to stir the eternal and infinite hope that we have in Christ. We've each come to see this in the other through the years, and I think it safe to say that we've each become more and more grateful as those years have gone by. posted by Bolo | 8:36 AM 0 speakage 10.28.2008 Prima Surprise!   
posted by Bolo |
1:03 PM0 speakage Quotable "Uhhhnnnghhh...I put the 'break' in 'break-dance'...uunnnnghhh." -Warren Kesselring posted by Bolo | 10:43 AM 0 speakage Stories & Smiles I see Kayla online a lot these days. I told her she could call me anytime she needed to. She said she probably wouldn't; that's just not her style. I told her I understood. She asked when I was getting back. I told her I wasn't sure. She told me that I had better hurry up. She said that about four times, I think. I remember when she was small, really small. She was this tiny little thing that had these ears that kind of stuck out, and she was always on the pale side. Life seemed much simpler then, much more reliable and clear. I would tell her a story, and she, my dependably-sassy niece, would roll her eyes and tell everyone else that I was just making something up. She'd smile her impish smile to let me know she saw right through my mischief. There are few things I'd like more than to tell Kayla a story and have her smile that impish smile once more. I'd give a lot to see that smile. posted by Bolo | 3:22 AM 0 speakage 10.27.2008 Cup of the Afternoon Actually, this is the second cup of the afternoon. The first was a Sumatra Lintong, which was, in all facets of its flavors, intense. Sweet, dark and brooding, that cup had hints of tobacco and leather, spice and bittersweet fruit. Like I said, intense. This cup we're now enjoying, however, hails from the Sidamo district of Ethiopia. The bean is dry-processed and was roasted last week roughly a minute out of the first crack. In layman's terms, we could consider this a medium roast. Floral hints, herbs, dark chocolate, and lots of subdued, rustic fruit. Yeah, definitely a cup worth hogging ;) posted by Bolo | 3:18 PM 0 speakage Fifty-Fifty Kane and I had been wanting to pull shots with that blend of 50% dry-processed Koratie and 50% wet-processed Koratie for a couple of weeks now. That being the case, I decided to document our first venture down this little road of espresso ecstasy. Here, Kane explains what we're gonna do: Kane does his deal, and I observe him doing it: The second shot and Kane's verdict on the two straight shots: Being that those shots were filled with bright notes, we decided to see how it would turn out with some milk. Much to our delicious delight, we think we hit on a winner: posted by Bolo | 12:11 AM 3 speakage 10.26.2008 Role Reversal When I called Andrew the other night, there was a distinct and sad irony to that entire conversation. On a cold day some three years ago, it was he who was trying desperately to get a hold of me, I who sat in stunned and pained disbelief. But not so this time around. One of the things we wondered at was not how this could happen, but why this doesn't happen directly to us. It's been a theme of our friendship for some time now -- the two of us sitting there, asking one another, "Why does God love us the way He does? Why is it that we are chosen, His beloved?" We've found we don't have an answer we can wrap our heads around, one that satisfies our egos and doesn't reveal our utter helplessness. And that, I think, is where the rubber meets the road. The situations like this that make those kinds of phone calls necessary are the situations that reveal our dire helplessness, the very depths of life that humble us both with the realization that we've seen and belong in the heavens. I hope we never have to share one of those calls again. posted by Bolo | 2:36 PM 1 speakage Unfixed It's well past one in the morning. My living room floor is cold and there's a lingering aroma of freshly-roasted coffee in the air. For some reason I would love to say I don't understand, I won't let iTunes play anything other than Coldplay's Fix You. And the tears come streaming down on your face When you lose something you can't replace When you love someone, but it goes to waste Could it be worse? posted by Bolo | 1:46 AM 0 speakage 10.25.2008 Man & Machine 
posted by Bolo |
7:30 PM5 speakage 10.24.2008 One Big Cliché One day later, my world is still full of clichés. I suppose I'm writing this now not because I want to update anyone, but more so to keep myself from feeling entirely morose and isolated. The surreal nature of this whole thing is...well...exactly that...surreal. It's hard to remember the gospel in this, it is, but like Ryan said today, those for whom the gospel is life and peace will see all kinds of life and peace in this, whereas those for whom the gospel is foolishness and despair will see naught but foolishness and despair. That, more than anything, is the most telling part of it all. I'm sorry if all of this sounds mysterious and vague; I do so because the pain is still too near, still too shocking. Maybe some day I'll be able to process this better; maybe after the tears come. posted by Bolo | 8:14 PM 1 speakage Why? Why? Why? They hurt...they cry...and I hurt...and I wish I would just cry. Why...why? I just don't want to be alone tonight...and they can't help but feel so alone. There they are...it's just them...and it's just not fair. No one ever thinks it's going to be like this, do they? But they're still there...just wanting to be alone...because they already feel so lonely. *Sigh*...why? posted by Bolo | 1:14 AM 1 speakage 10.23.2008 Quotes: SWFWDA I think the Single White Female Who Desires Anonymity should run for some sort of public office. I could be her campaign manager. What thinkest thou, Fair Readership? "Eventually, I'm going to need a token well-dressed male for something or someone, and I'm going to remind you of this." "Well, I have to admit I was concerned when I noticed that my exes were becoming Facebook friends...I think they're getting organized...cautionary ad campaigns will appear in men's rooms statewide." "'Unusual' and 'unlikely' does fairly describe SBTS men, especially the odd one who tricked me out of my phone number when I tried to check out a library book." "Well, my intention is for this to be a fully uneventful non-date. Uneventful isn't really my strong suit, but I'll do my best." "I believe my words were something to the effect of, 'Would this be the right time to hide under a rock for the rest of my life?' All I got was laughter." posted by Bolo | 11:34 AM 1 speakage 10.22.2008 No, We Didn't Hire a Midget He's just a really really really short human. posted by Bolo | 11:34 PM 0 speakage Thoughts Apparently, all one needs to do to increase one's daily blog hits by roughly four-hundred percent is to write about relationships instead of Jesus and sin. Oh my, there's dried fruit, dark chocolate, and a touch of rustic, dry-processed quaintness, almost like I'm sitting on a dusty back porch on a lazy summer afternoon, munching on some dried apricots and a bar of Green & Black's. Yes, Athens. Yes, I was talking about coffee with the fruit and chocolate on the porch, you silly people. I'm still waiting for the Kesselring Trendsetter to yell out, "Flame on!" So, uh, I found out that that collapsible bowl with soup in Ben's backpack is definitely collapsible. Moon: after a week, I just got the "really cool apotamus" line. Farmer may want to kill me, but we both know she said we shared a moment...hah! Guess who got informally invited to be a guest roaster at his favorite coffee house in Louisville, roasting right smack dab in the shop on their 10K STA Impianti? Irish Wolfhounds...I really really really need Irish Wolfhounds...now. Or penguins. I think the body on that will develop better with a couple more days of rest, and not just less than twelve hours. Maybe we can get his infant son to yell out, "Flame on!" instead. Thanks again, Chabbs! If for no other reason, I've gotta be lame just for the fact that I can't tell the visual difference between the Sidamo and Harar I roasted last night. Austin Powers this, Mikami: "He is thoughtful, and everything he says is so well said. He speaks and it is as if a writer or poet is speaking to us, sentence fragments and all. He could totally destroy your life and you would love him for doing it -- not that he goes around destroying lives or anything." I do hate winter, I do. Shoot, I miss 'em. posted by Bolo | 9:35 AM 6 speakage Quotable "Being friends with you, John Letoto, is a dangerous thing." -Paul Butterworth posted by Bolo | 1:33 AM 1 speakage 10.21.2008 What a Week: Reprisal Here's another quick look back at a great week that was, and hopefully, even better weeks to come!    All of this reminds me of the one burning question I still have from that night: is it just me, or does Jeesh look like the scariest one of us all? I mean, seriously, how is that even possible? posted by Bolo | 6:03 PM 5 speakage 10.20.2008 Relationally Speaking: A Story I don't know where to start this. That's as good a start as any, I suppose. I'm writing this to men primarily, but I think it's safe to say that this isn't just being written for men. I think it'll be the first of two parts, but I'm not sure if it'll end up being more than that. Wait, I need to back up some, because I know I'm not making much sense just yet. I almost never publicly and explicitly write about the personal relationships with girls that I've pursued -- the last time writing and publishing of that sort happened was late 2004. Sure, there have been vague references, veiled hints and coded phrases, but nothing made publicly-available that recounts or reflects upon specific instances or girls in a manner that will reveal anything. In this one post, however, I'm going to change that. My reasons may be my own, but they've been borne out of what I've seen and heard in those around me: interactions and conversations with those people, their frustrations and joys, and circumstances that seem beyond the capability of the human heart to deal with. The time was the Summer of 2007. I'd been pursuing a girl that had been a good friend of mine for a couple of years up until that point. I had made my intentions clear, and while she herself was undecided, she also made that clear as well. Let me be brutally up front lest anyone jump to any ill-formed conclusions: I hold any indecisiveness on her part to have been perfectly acceptable, as she did not in any way try to string me along; in fact, while she was often quite apologetic -- sometimes overly so -- for not being able to decide one way or another, she always strove to communicate clearly to me exactly where she stood on "us." I'll be honest. That was a strange, difficult, and confusing time of life: I would wake up early without an alarm clock; I couldn't speak to her without sounding like an idiot; I lost my appetite. I ended up pondering what I was doing in that entire situation quite a bit. My stomach would do twists and turns at the thought of her telling me, "Sorry, John, but I think I'm going to have to ask you to stop calling." On the other hand, I remember telling Scott numerous times that we talked for "only" three hours the night before. Life felt like it was turned upside-down with no upside-up in sight. Incidentally, I'm certain that my bible reading took a turn for the better during that time, but I've no doubt that that was often because I wanted to have something to share with her. The point of all of this preamble is to make clear this one thing: if I went by emotions alone, if my conduct toward her was based upon how I felt about her or by how she was responding to me, then I have no doubt that I would have done her heart some serious harm. What, then, could I do? How could I stay sane? How could I remain joyful? During one of our long conversations, I shared with her how ceaselessly turbulent and uncertain my heart felt. Before she could really reply, I told her why that didn't matter to me, why I could keep pursuing her with the utmost joy no matter what would happen. I told her that I imagined her on her wedding day, walking down the aisle. She's there, beautiful, flawless and glorious, a living and breathing picture of what the Father is preparing for His Son, our own Bridegroom. I told her that I could see myself standing there on that day, joyful and exuberant, watching her walk down the aisle, watching her walk toward...her bridegroom...another man. I told her that I could honestly see myself there, at her wedding, being wedded to another man, and that I found great joy in that thought. I told her the obvious: I had no way of knowing whom she would marry. I also told her that that could not and would not change the one thing I wanted most for her, which was and would continually be to seek to see Christ formed in her. Whatever I was to her, whatever she was to me, the one thing I knew with absolute certainty that was in God's will for our lives was that I would seek to make her more like Jesus, and she me; that's it! I told her that the joy I had in continuing to pursue her was founded upon the promises of the gospel. God does not promise a spouse, but He does promise a Bridegroom. He does not promise a life free from sorrows, but He does promise that He Himself will wipe away every tear. While He promises us no more than His Son, He promises us no less than all that being His Son's entails. I told her that I could think of no greater grace than to think that I had been an instrument, however small and broken and failure-prone, to make her more like our Father's Son, to prepare her for her bridegroom on their wedding day. I meant that when I said it, and I mean it still. We chatted last night, she and I. I asked her permission to post this, and she granted permission gladly. We spoke about her wedding, which is being planned, and I assured her that I fully intended to be there, just as I said I would: grateful and joyful in celebrating God's gracious depiction of the gospel together with them. posted by Bolo | 9:39 PM 4 speakage Not '93, '83! Seriously? Wow! Gentlemen, if we had only known...oh, the HIMYM references! We could have announced a new Ted! posted by Bolo | 8:06 AM 2 speakage And Your Mom Recently, Mr. John-Michael LaRue posed the following question by way of a poll: "Which one will occur first: John Letoto graduating or John Letoto getting married?" Although the responses were...well...interesting and varied, Miss Katie Faye Vaughn came up with the best answer by far: "Letoto getting married. I don't think he needs to graduate. He's already smarter than you and your mom." Daaaaaaaang... posted by Bolo | 12:12 AM 3 speakage 10.19.2008 Mmm in the Morning 
posted by Bolo |
4:03 PM0 speakage 10.18.2008 Thoughts If I start answering my phone with, "Go for Barney," the Spring Street crew needs to do an Intervention. Cold toilet seats are a definite sign that Winter is on its wretched way. After this, it's impossible not to love the guy a little more. It's sticking with me: I'm glad you're in my life, too. We're Team 4, we have no name, we think we wear green, and we finally won a game. I hate Winter. I got to shoot stuff at work yesterday; that was fun. E is gonna head up that new church...sweet. More tables, more games, more fun next time. Nothing is quite like walking past the Fullertons' house, glancing up toward the door, and seeing James standing there, mouth and eyes wide open, squealing, "Hey Mr. John Letoto! Mr. John Letoto!" The goal: to know joy. I promise, I won't blog too much of it, Huffman. It's past noon-thirty and I'm eating...breakfast...gotta love Saturdays. I could use a long, long talk with 'Drew right now. Speaking of 'Drew, we're coming up on five years, aren't we, brother? posted by Bolo | 12:37 PM 0 speakage Scrabbled Out The first of what will possibly be many Toto-sponsored Scrabble tournaments took place tonight, ending just within the past hour. The first shot is the board of the final match, and the second is the score sheet from the same. In addition to Ash and Laura, the Shreves also made it over and helped make the evening quite tasty...literally and figuratively ;)  
posted by Bolo |
2:09 AM1 speakage 10.17.2008 Winter's Wrath Note to world: splotchiness will invariably and inevitably seep into my skin over the next several months. I know I am letting you down, Surf Crew, but such things cannot be helped. A gray, ashen quality will overtake what was once a comfortable brown exterior, and a sickly yellow in my skin's color palette will negate any tone of yellow from being employed in my wardrobe. World, please understand this and be comforted: no degree of splotchy, ashen grayish yellow can prevent Spring from breaking through Winter's wrath. Until then, I bid you adieu, LBJ. *Sigh*... posted by Bolo | 8:09 AM 0 speakage 10.16.2008 Word Hosea 2:14 - 23 "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her. Then I will give her her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. It will come about in that day," declares the LORD, "that you will call Me Ishi and will no longer call Me Baali. For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, so that they will be mentioned by their names no more. In that day I will also make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the sky and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land, and will make them lie down in safety. I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, then you will know the LORD. It will come about in that day that I will respond," declares the Lord. "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth, and the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine and to the oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'You are my God!' " posted by Bolo | 6:21 PM 0 speakage He Calls Me Doc 
posted by Bolo |
1:36 AM0 speakage 10.15.2008 Thoughts My feet reek right now; I'm not sure if it's the socks, the cleats, or the kim chee. The difference between talking to Huffman and Farmer is that while both of them are stomach-hurting hilarious, one catches on to subtle turns of phrase more than the other, which means you can laugh at one because she isn't getting it, and then turn around and laugh at the other because she's getting the jibes you're tossing her way. Everyone should have a Kevin Mikami in their life. If anyone finds Butterworth the Younger's airport buddy, I'm sure he'll give you a big hug and a kiss on the cheek if you return it to him. Maybe it's 'cause I didn't match my socks tonight. I'm diggin' the new pipe. I don't care how bad it sounds, the milky eye thing is hilarious! Even if I could pull off a mullet, I'd feel morally offensive in some way. Oh reeeeaaaaaally, Boss? Scrabble tournaments are awesome! Speaking of awesome, the Intervention episode was legendary. Yes yes yes, I'm a terrible person. I could do more Nubs, really I could. Heavily-laden berry bushes, my men, heavily-laden berry bushes. I'm glad that I achieved one of my main goals for Kev while he was here: turning him into a HIMYM monster. Mmmm...hamachi! There's four and two and then there's four and two, but I'm more than happy with this four and two. posted by Bolo | 10:47 PM 2 speakage 20 Already? Mon was there! posted by Bolo | 1:22 PM 1 speakage Cake Eater Hosea 3:1 Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes." For some years now, Hosea has been one of my favorite books of Scripture. The reason is simple: while the LORD is forthright and shocking in what He communicates to His people through Hosea, He is also shamelessly vulnerable. We've all seen it before: the guy who won't give up on a girl, even though she's made it abundantly clear, in one way or another, that it just won't work out. Sometimes, the girl is just way out his league; at other times, his buddies don't know what he sees in her, and they don't feel any remorse in letting him experience the full length and breadth of their mockery. Either of those situations, to be kind, are truly quite sad. In the case of God the jilted lover, "sad" just doesn't cut it. He uses Hosea's painful marriage to an errant bride as an illustration of His own covenant fidelity to His people in the midst of their blatant and remorseless infidelity. The prophet is not given a voice to portray his pain, but the human heart does not need such kindling: Hosea's wife, the one whom he has loved, has been unfaithful, again and again and again, and still, God commands His prophet to redeem her and love her yet again. It would seem naive or cruel of God to command such a thing of Hosea, wouldn't it? Indeed, much like God's unrelenting pursuit of Israel, the whole situation can seem agonizingly foolish and hopeless, given Gomer's, like Israel's, propensity toward waywardness and sin. I almost want to ask, "God, don't you get it? Why don't You just give up?" I think...that's the point. God's pursuit of me is beyond absurd. If anyone else did what God did in loving me...well, it's not even possible, so I can't even ponder such an asinine notion. The point, fellow sinners, is that God will not stop short in doing what He must to make you know and feel the full force of His love. Unlike some half-baked idea concocted by some testosterone-filled hopeless romantic, however, God's love is perfect. Is it painful? Yes. Is it patient? Yes. Does it reveal flaws? Yes. Does it keep its promises? Yes. Is it unrelenting? Yes. Does it overcome sin? Yes. I write this not for you, but for me. I write this because I need to be reminded, every single second of every single day, that God does what He promises. I write this because I forget, and because I sin. A lot. I write this because, while I hate to sin, I'm still afraid to go to God for forgiveness when I do sin. And that's a lot. I write this because I think, throughout all of Scripture, even though God's message is unrelenting, I still don't get it...and because of that, He did not and will not give up. posted by Bolo | 3:14 AM 0 speakage 10.14.2008 Smokin' Last Thursday afternoon, we sat and smoked on the back porch at the residence of the Revell Brothers & Others. This, thanks in part to inspiration from Mr. Mikami, is the bowl of my beautiful new church warden, seen with smoke spiraling through shafts of sunlight. Mmmm...delightful! 
posted by Bolo |
5:48 PM2 speakage Quotes: SWFWDA Yes, ladies and single gentlemen, the Single White Female Who Desires Anonymity truly does say such things: "Gosh, a girl spends her whole life trying to find a guy who will actually look at her eyes when he talks to her...and then you ruin it with one anecdote." "I am also the least self-aware psychologist you will ever meet. Therefore, I'm a great people-watcher myself, but I'm usually not conscious of being watched. It's a very disconcerting experience, given the number of things that I say that likely should remain unsaid." "Out of your other female friends of unknown number, you don't have even one who could do this?" "Hey, the salesgirl misunderstood and thought I was the bride. It was not good. Then they said, 'Oh, I guess by now you've already done all that...no? No? Are you sure? At your age? Why not?!?!' " posted by Bolo | 12:46 AM 1 speakage 10.13.2008 Linkage Wow. I guess you never know. Heck yeah, he's back! And wouldn't you know it, he's even wanting to suit up! The big yellow one... Every day? Really? Really. How much is that Butter worth? A lot, so check it out. Far, far away. And here you thought there weren't going to be any coffee links. Silly human. Check out what this used to be, and skip ahead to the finished product. posted by Bolo | 8:27 PM 2 speakage Nostalgia Mikami found this a while ago and emailed it to us, but only now is it getting posted here. Dang, that session had to have been forever ago! I don't even remember that shot being taken. I guess that goes to show that you never know what rare but random things will turn into mementos of days gone by. I dare say that in this case, it's a rather treasured memento. Cheeehuuuuuu!!! 
posted by Bolo |
2:32 PM0 speakage 10.12.2008 Stand Up Nub 
posted by Bolo |
11:54 PM0 speakage Emptied and Humbled Paul, in the second chapter of his letter to the Philippians, tells us that Christ both emptied and humbled Himself in becoming a man and dying on a cross. By emptying Himself, Christ laid aside His rights and privileges as God, as firstborn over all creation. By humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross, He took on our sin and shame and bore God's wrath on our behalf. If I sit here and think about what Christ has done long enough, I find I must confess that I have an immense problem with both of these. There's a niggling notion in the back of my brain, telling me something's wrong. I suppose this is the case for one basic reason: Christ, to a degree, gave us a pattern to live by when He lived His life here on earth and died on our behalf. I spend the vast majority of my life trying to maintain my dignity. Even in the midst of being silly and foolish, I think it's safe to say that I do so with a purpose, and that purpose is aimed toward maintaining a carefully cultivated persona. This purpose, my purpose, insofar as it resists the emptying and humbling manner of Jesus' life and death, rails against the purposes of God. You see, Paul did write about Christ coming to earth and dying. Yet, in the same letter, Paul also made clear, with vivid and compelling pleas, to look toward the resurrected Christ and to rejoice in Him. In other words, Paul's instruction on Christ's life and death was to be seen in the light of Christ's glorious resurrection and victory over sin. Death could not hold Him, and because of this, neither can death lay claim upon us! If I have trouble accepting the fact that my life, just like Jesus', is to be filled with a laying aside of my own supposed rights and privileges, as well as a humbling myself by putting sin to death, it is because I do not see either of those in the light of heaven. Just as Christ did not take on the form of man and die on a cross to rot in a grave for eternity, so I, too, am not to hold fast to my own earthly wants and pridefully stay away from the mercy found at the cross. To do so would be to turn away from the joys of heaven...and that, dear friends, is not worth any sort of earthly dignity. posted by Bolo | 12:48 AM 0 speakage 10.11.2008 Do Work, Son Tamp.  Pull.  Pour. 
posted by Bolo |
7:29 AM2 speakage 10.10.2008 Pondering and Wondering Is there any greater beauty, any greater glory than God's? Furthermore, can there be any greater wonder to ponder than God's own beauty and glory being displayed in the remade lives of sinners made into saints? No, there cannot be, for it is impossible to even ponder in wonder -- and truly so -- unless one has been made new, as the soul hates God if it has not come to love the truth that the light of God reveals. Thus, it is the sinner pondering his sainthood in Christ, thinking upon God's grace, His glorious grace, who ponders the highest joy, the truest praise, the greatest glory! Cars rolled by, lattes and cappuccinos were sipped out of warm, worn porcelain mugs, and the sun snuck higher into the sky while those few sentences were scrawled out in my journal this morning. I share them here for one basic reason: I want to ponder anew such truths, and desperately so. The highest joy? I ache for those. The truest praise? I am made for nothing more, nothing less. The greatest glory? Oh, to see Christ formed in the hearts of His beloved! And yet, 'tis not enough merely to ponder such truths; nay, I want to wonder at them once again, afresh, anew. posted by Bolo | 11:40 PM 0 speakage Quotes: SWFWDA Straight from the brain of the Single White Female Who Desires Anonymity: "You are the only person I know who answers questions with blog links." "I think people are terrified of the prospect of me raising kids -- they don't realize I already raise other people's kids all day as an alleged 'expert'. So, my chicken-ness is keeping me single, but my denial is keeping me happy about it. Remember, ignorance is not bliss. Denial is." "I just have an inexplicable need to see what happens when a priest throws holy water on a cat. Well, I thought about it, and it seemed like a good idea until I considered that he hadn't been neutered yet and therefore might take a romantic interest in a nun's leg. I think that might be the most appalling visual ever, so I think he will have to do without holy water." posted by Bolo | 2:48 PM 0 speakage Oh, What a Night! It wasn't late December, and it definitely wasn't back in '63, but still, we all had a blast. Here's to more of the same! 
posted by Bolo |
1:02 AM6 speakage 10.09.2008 Cup of the Morning In the cup this fine, foggy morning is a blend of the two Koratie beans, both the dry-process and the wet-process, brewed after almost a day and a half of rest. This batch, the third of this fifty-fifty Koratie blend thus far, is closer to the first than to the second: lighter, winier, and more subtle. The second had a dark sweetness to it, deeper and more complex. Each sip is a bouquet of bright, juicy fruit, without a hint of bitterness or bite. It's a cup that can go quickly because it's so light and subtle; that's unfortunate. posted by Bolo | 9:43 AM 0 speakage 10.08.2008 Quotacious "You're just like this legend that some know personally but others only hear of and wish they knew." -Charlotte Burcham "So, Christina and I were married for over a year before we had to buy a second pack of toilet paper." -Ryan Szrama "I do have the dress... and I'm getting all my gray hair covered up next week...what more could a guy ask for?" -Lauren Farmer "I don't drool. How many times do I have to say this?" -Katie Vaughn posted by Bolo | 5:05 PM 0 speakage 10.07.2008 Getting What? If you think I'm nuts, well...just watch :) posted by Bolo | 10:54 PM 0 speakage 10.06.2008 Smokey & Shady   
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10:47 PM0 speakage 10.05.2008 Mikami? He's here. Yeah. posted by Bolo | 6:35 PM 0 speakage 10.04.2008 Reading and Reading Again I like going back and reading what I've written before; it opens my eyes to see what's really there. Today, I read this. posted by Bolo | 12:46 AM 0 speakage 10.03.2008 ETA? He's on his way...  ...no, really... posted by Bolo | 5:47 PM 0 speakage Word Zechariah 2:10 - 12 "Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD. "Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem." posted by Bolo | 7:47 AM 0 speakage 10.02.2008 Just Thinkin' Tonight, I asked little Lukey Fullerton what he thinks about during the week. He sat there and thought for a second, then smiled and said, "You!" Aaawwww... posted by Bolo | 12:23 AM 0 speakage 10.01.2008 Aboutme Every so often, I go on a ridiculously creative kick and do something so beautiful, I sit back and think, "I didn't think I could ever do that. Then again, I don't think I'll ever do something like that again." And then I go ahead and do it again. Weird. Much like many believers, I'm far, far, far more prone to seeing my sin and feeling crushed by it than I am seeing God's grace and feeling upheld by Him. A part of this beholding sin is believing I'm alone in struggling and failing against sin; that, too, I share with many believers. I like to play with little kids; kids are simple, and they're generally pretty transparent, even as they develop into these complex little beings. I think being around them reminds me that I make life much more complex than it needs to be. posted by Bolo | 8:10 AM 0 speakage Dell Coupons |
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