A good night--sushi and Crowded House

Last night-August 28th...
What was going on in my life?
So glad you asked!

Josh and I had sushi for dinner! Josh likes sushi but I have publicly stated it's not my thing (much to the chagrin of a number of my friends--including Foxx!). However, I have to be honest and confess that I've only ever really had sushi at a little mall in New Zealand during my stay there. It was ok. Consumable. But it definitely wasn't something I have ever craved again...by and large because I have a thing about eating *hot* food for a main course as opposed to cold/room temperature food.
But last night's sushi experience was quite different. We went to a sushi restaurant just up the street from where I work, and I ordered a tornado roll, which is cooked. It was really good! Maybe a little hard to eat, but good! What's more, Josh let me try some of his--he ordered eel something or other--and I liked that too!
So, huh! Never say never, I guess...

And after sushi, we went to the Greek Theatre to see one of my favorite bands ever perform.
Yes, it was Crowded House--the new version anyway.
I have to admit, I wasn't that impressed by their latest album...it had only a few songs that grabbed me...but live, all of their stuff really comes alive.
It was fantastic to hear a number of old gems as well--and Neil is perpetually inviting the crowd to sing along so that's a doublescore! :)
The famous Crowded House banter was in full swing last night too. (I'm sure it would've been even more animated if Paul Hester--the late drummer--would've been there, but the guys did quite well for themselves as it was.) Neil even composed a song on the spot when someone from the crowd made a comment after Split Enz was mentioned. Neil's song was something like "I'm a mess on the message board"...sounded quite Enzish. No paper airplanes to be seen though...

One of the best moments for me was when the band played "Pineapple Head", with Neil's oldest son Liam being a backup musician. The lyrics came about when Liam was a little boy and had a fever and was talking crazy...Neil thought it'd make a good song.

So, the concert of the year? Depends on who you ask, I suppose. Suffice it to say, I believe I got my money's worth. Good on ya, Crowded House! ...and thank you God for tickets to the concert, and the best company I could ask for!

The comedic genius of Hunter Robinson

So I am on the verge of leaving the first ever apartment that I scouted out for myself/spear-headed moving into/had the bills in my name. Friday I will be gone and Apt #202 will miss me, I'm sure.
My roommates and I are also parting company.
It's been a good run, but life goes on.
We all three chatted for a little bit this weekend, and remembered last October when we went out to celebrate roommate #3's birthday. Hunter (who was humble enough to reside in our living room area and thereby save Sandra and I an extra $400/month) turned 23 last year, and we took him out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Sandra snapped a few pictures, and I finally persuaded her to email them to me, so I can post them for the rest of the world to enjoy.
This first one was snapped as the waiter brought out a little dessert in honor of Hunter's birthday. After Sandra took the picture, the two of us laughed (to the point of hysterics) for the next 10 minutes or so because of it. Maybe you have to know Hunter to fully appreciate what is caught on film here, but I diagnose it as a mix of shocked-surprise with a slight fight-or-flightish glint in his eye betraying a thought to deck the guy handing him the dessert. :)

Once Hunter relaxed though, he was pleased with his culinary gift...note the smile he can't suppress below.
And then came the serious task of eating the thing...not a chore to be taken lightly!
And this final pic is quintessential Hunter...
He hates the comparison, but Sandra and I both think he could easily fit into the movie Napoleon Dynamite. In fact, I'd one up that and say that if someone would make a movie just by following Hunter around for a few days, it might just be one of the funniest things ever.
Two thumbs up from the K-section.
:)

Reflection from Acts 1

So at the end of the month I'm leaving my apartment, which means I have a significant amount of packing to do.
I managed to put a good dent in it all this afternoon...hopefully the rest will fall into place easily over the next week...
While I was sorting through some papers (determining what merited holding onto, and what should be sent to the trash heap), I came across something I wrote over a year ago at my first Canvas Group meeting with the Hollywood Peeps. (Canvas Group is the name for our small groups/home groups/fellowship groups at Kairos)
I meant to go back to it and dig a little deeper, but that never happened.
As it is, I don't feel right throwing out the sheet of paper without giving it its voice first.
So I thought I might as well post it on my blog...
Here it is then:

Was it a "No," or a divine "Wait"?
The disciples had been through so much.
They walked, ate, and slept in the company of their treasured Rabbi, forsaking daily the call of 'normal life.'
They lived through his arrest, trial, and torture.
They came out of the black hole of despair after Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them.
40 days He remained with them--teaching them, encouraging them, guiding them...proving His victory over the grave.
When Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit, did it all look so clear?
The Messiah was finally coming into His own... The promise that generations of Jews had held onto was now being fulfilled...Right?
So they asked.
"Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?"
A simple Yes or No would suffice.
They got neither. "It is not for you to know..." Jesus replied.
And they trusted Him this time.
This is our legacy that those who came before us have left an example of.
We may want things to make sense,
to all come together,
to be clear...
but when God tells us, "It is not for you to know," will we find a way to content ourselves and keep following whole-heartedly...?

KR Recommends: Getting/Giving Flowers :)

Wow!
Seriously, my friends...what can compare to flowers? :)
My Fantastic/Wonderfully-Awesome/Terrifically-Amazing Boyfriend Josh had flowers sent to me at work today. Josh is in Virginia for about a week while I'm still in LA missing him like crazy. This morning I realized I still had 5 more days till his return.
What a delightful surprise then, to be delivered a bouquet of red roses and calla lillies during the middle of my lunch break at work! They look beautiful and smell lovely! And I had a smile on my face for about the next 3 hours straight. :) (A large number of my coworkers were sharing the joy too!)

When the subject of flowers comes up, I know some people frown and say they are a waste of money. I sort of wonder if these people have ever been on the receiving end... I'm rather on the practical side myself, but there's something about the beauty and symbolism of flowers that touches my heart in the way that a plant...or say a giftcard to a gas station or grocery store...couldn't. And whether the flowers themselves last a few hours to a few days, the powerful impact remains the same.

So, if anyone is wondering if they should or shouldn't buy flowers for anyone/any occaision, I say go for it! :)
[And Josh, if you read this, thanks SO much again--you completely made my day!!! ...and the card was lovely too! :) ]

Mi familia

Just because I can...I feel like putting up these pics that were taken at my Grandpa's birthday celebration on August 11th! These are just a few of my family members back in Wisconsin...they might kill me if they find out that I'm putting these up, but oh well! :)


This is my Mom and her youngest sister, who goes by the nickname of "Mutt". She hates that name, but my mom and their older sister picked it out when they were kids, and she hasn't been able to shake it. My mom is making a face--she doesn't usually look that appalled! Ha!
This is my uncle "TB." He'll tell you that stands for "The Boss", but really it's derived from 'Tinkerbell.' Yes, he has an interesting sense of fashion, but he's one of the coolest people on the earth.
This is my aunt Sharon holding her Great niece. Sharon has a knack for having odd expressions right when a photo snaps. I think I might be following suite. And yes, that's red hair and freckles to the max, but no, she's not Irish...100% Norwegian, believe it or not!
These are my cousins--Mutt's boys Mike and Ryan. Ryan's wife Angie and his son Hunter are in the middle. Ryan is the 3rd oldest of us 11 grandchildren, and the first to get married. Well done! My brother and I tip our hats to you!

And this is Ryan and Angie's daughter Gracie. I haven't met her in person yet, but I'm astounded by how much she looks like a real-life doll! Can you believe that porcelain skin and those deep blue eyes? Gorgeous!

God Writing #38b: Be the Tree

1/24/07

[Continued...]

Another text was Luke 4, which records Jesus opening up the scroll of Isaiah 61 and reading it in the Temple (basically declaring himself the Messiah). I touched on Isaiah 61 in a previous writing as well, but I feel it really fits in here.
In verse 3 (which apparently Jesus didn't actually read out loud, but I'm guessing he fulfills it just as much as verses 1 and 2), "those who grieve in Zion" are mentioned. Granted, I have no Bible degree, but when I read that phrase, I ask myself, "Who would be grieving in God's holy city?" To me, the answer seems clear--those who see God's way of life not being followed. (Feel free to disagree with me.)

Assuming you can follow my line of thought, maybe you can relate...? Have you ever looked at the people around you and felt consumed with grief because their lives were so disconnected from what they could/should be? Have you ever been crippled with the sadness of seeing someone blind to truth, or enslaved by sin?
1 Peter 1:18-19 reminds us--"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."
I see the 'empty way of life handed down from [our] forefathers' ALL AROUND ME. Sometimes that feeling of emptiness that resounds from all manner of fruitless living depresses me to the point of despair.
But if I'm right about Isaiah 61, then the rest of the chapter holds some priceless promises for me--and anyone else who knows what I'm talking about!
Isaiah 61:
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captive and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance and so will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. 'For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.'
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seed to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations."

With all this talk of heritage and reconnecting/rebuilding, what about those of us who can't look back to any direct relation of our own as an example of godliness?
Notice, the last verse of Isaiah 61 speaks of "all nations". I've heard that the word "nation" in The Bible refers to a specific people-group...so all nations would mean every people-group in the world.
Psalm 67 speaks of a situation where all peoples have a right relationship with God.
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God: May all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth." (vs 1-4)

No one who seeks God needs to feel outside of his family. If we can trace our family trees back to great evangelists and missionaries, that's Fantastic. But, if we can't, we don't have to feel left out. By faith, we are all Children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--ie, Israelites.
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." --Galatians 3:26-29
"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." --Galatians 3:14

We, the Children of God, no doubt find ourselves living in a culture very different from the Way of Life God originally intended for us. We are who we are, where we are, when we are, and what we are for a reason. Let us all strive to rediscover our spiritual inheritance and rebuild it into our daily lives and world, letting God's joy in our turning to Him be our strength.

The weirdness of Life...God bless ya, Minneapolis

Hours ago I found out about the tragedy that took place today in one of my favorite cities in the world--Minneapolis, Minnesota.
During the end of evening rush hour, a freeway bridge spanning the Mississippi River collapsed.
What the heck?!
Seriously...what the heck?...how do these things happen? Further proof that life is not ever as under control as one would think...?
The phones weren't working so well in the Twin Cities following this occurrence...rightly so, I guess. It took me quite awhile to get a hold of people and make sure they were ok. Thankfully, most of my friends are accounted for. I was really happy to find out that a bunch of people from Route 212 (a youth ministry I used to volunteer with) were out on a boating trip (and therefore nowhere near 35W when it happened).
I hear it might take 2 years to get the bridge back up. For a city with congested traffic as it is, that's pretty serious.
Dang.
But I guess that all pales in comparison with the fact that a good number of people suffered loss today...lives, cars, peace...

I don't want to be trite or cheesy, but my heart goes out to you, People of the Twin Cities. I used to drive over that bridge to and from work every day for about a year. Dang.
Tomorrow I think I'm going to wear my Minnesota t-shirt.