May 13, 2008
if you haven’t been praying already, now’s a good time to start…
Posted by thelivingroom under UncategorizedNo Comments
Over 12,000 dead. 18,000 unaccounted for, 2000 missing. Christ, have mercy.
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May 12, 2008
This week’s theme: Celestial bodies–sun, moon, stars, planets.
1. Plumb - Late Great Planet Earth
2. Adam Pascal - Tomorrow and the Sun
3. The Juliana Theory - Constellation
4. The Decemberists - Sunshine
5. REM - Man on the Moon
6. Bruce Springsteen - Waiting on a Sunny Day
7. Jars of Clay - Sunny Days
8. Feist - My Moon My Man
9. Steven Delopoulos - Holy SUnlight
10. Nickel Creek - Jealous of the Moon
11. Iron & Wine - Sunset Soon Forgotten
12. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
13. Mar - Mother Star Sun
14. Aqualung - Brighter Than Sunshine
15. Jim Sturgess - Across the Universe
16. David Crowder Band - Stars
May 7, 2008
This week: “13 ways people have impacted your life and probably don’t know it.” (Thanks, Caleb.)
1. I took this class in college, and it was way, way over my head–not my particular discipline, and not really conducive to the way I think–and I was having a really hard time. But the professor was incredibly kind and patient, gave me a better grade than I think I deserve, and also helped me see (although I doubt he knows this) that I am definitely not called to be a professional academic. 
2. Jeff Hatton made me love liturgy and the story of redemption.
3. Kaleo–like, the whole church, not just a few people–has shown me the importance of being hospitable, the importance of service to the community and to one another, and the importance of being winsome with our doctrine.
4. Holly Young taught me how to knit…and thus created a monster.
5. Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, C.J. Mahaney, and John Piper have shaped both my ecclesiology and my missiology, and my views on Christianity and gender, too.
6. Numerous English teachers told me I was a good writer, and got me to write.
7. Numerous friends gave me encouragement and acceptance when I was going through some deep dark times, but they didn’t know it. I am probably alive and sane because of them. So, thanks.
8. My coworkers are being really key players in my sanctification by helping me see what an arrogant freak I am…and then being really nice to me. Heh.
9. Donald Miller, believe it or not, is part of the reason I am a liturgy-loving, paedobaptist Calvinist. He started this odd trajectory I went on and landed me here. *shrug*
10. Jimmy Fogleman taught me how to love Jesus.
11. I have, interestingly enough, a lot of apostates in my life, and they’ve made me really nail down what I believe, and study apologetics more…
12. I had a couple of professors in Baylor’s English department that really turned me on to modern and postmodern lit, and I have never been the same.
13. I read craft-bloggers, and they’ve gotten me thinking about creativity and what I do as a writer, as a crafty kind of person, and as a human being in general. Specifically: Jeffrey Yamaguchi at 52 projects, the ladies at Mason-Dixon Knitting, Blair at Wise Craft, Danny Gregory, and the good people at Knitty.
May 6, 2008
starting music: Bebel Gilberto - Um Segundo
1. I’m starting to run out of t13 topics, yo. We might have to pull some out from three years ago unless I can get some ideas (or, you know, you guys give me some good suggestions).
2. Dad and I went to see Iron Man on Saturday, and boy, oh boy, is it a fun movie. The cast is stellar, the special effects are great eye candy, and I found myself turning to my dad and going “You know, if that was real, it’d be really cool.” It’s definitely a good set-up for a sequel, too, so I guess we can look forward to that. If you go and see it, stay until after the credits.
3. Isn’t it funny how much our bodies and minds affect each other? For some reason I didn’t have any caffeine yesterday, and I was cranky and tired all day. Something as small as whether or not I have a Coke affects my whole mood. So much for that matter-spirit duality thing we have set up–and Jesus came to redeem them both together.
4. Currently reading Tim Keller’s The Reason for God, courtesy of my church (I love a church with a good book table), and it is some good stuff. Some of his arguments are familiar, but it’s good to see them all in one place and articulated so well, I think. (For those who don’t know, The Reason for God is a Christian apologetic work and Dr. Keller’s response to all those atheistic manifestos out now–think Christopher Hitchens or Richard Dawkins or all those guys.)
5. I’ve noticed (and you guys probably have, too) that I’ve been blogging less, and I think a great deal of it is that I’m just not as interested in it anymore. I mean, I don’t think I’m ever going to give it up completely, but quite frankly there are things I’d rather write about, and they’re not really bloggable things. But, you know. I have some projects in the works, and as soon as I get them off the ground I guess I’ll let you know about them. Mix Tape Monday and the T13 will probably not be going away any time soon, so don’t worry.
6. Because we haven’t done this in a while, some questions for you guys:
a) What’s one thing you’re looking forward to doing by the end of 2008?
b) What was the last thing you purchased?
c) So, uh, what are you doing for your mom for Mother’s Day (assuming your mom doesn’t read this, which I think is rather likely in most cases)?
d) Caramel or peanut butter?
e) You get an extra $100. What are you going to do with it?
May 5, 2008
This week’s theme: Songs that tell you a story.
1. U2 - When Love Comes to Town
2. Ben Folds Five - Steven’s Last Night In Town
3. Loretta Lynn - Portland, Oregon
4. Derek Webb - I Wanna Marry You All Over Again
5. Jars of Clay - Famous Last Words
6. Ceili Rain - No You, No Me
7. Waterdeep - City of Atlantis
8. Patty Griffin - Trapeze
9. Johnny Cash - The Long Black Veil
10. Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day
11. Andrew Osenga - The Priest and the Iron Rain
12. Bob Dylan - North Country Blues
13. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
14. Foy Vance - Gabriel & the Vagabond
15. The Decemberists - The Mariner’s Revenge Song
16. Nickel Creek - The Fox
May 1, 2008
Dudes. We should totally do this. It’s such a great idea that I think I might try to coordinate something.
Remember Josh Harris? The guy who wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye? Well, his younger twin brothers are in on the book-writing deal, too, with a book called Do Hard Things, and their own blog at The Rebelution (I love that name). Haven’t read the book, but it looks interesting at the very least.
Good words for bloggers: “Blog Responsibly” by Suzanne Hadley.
By the by, today is the Feast of the Ascension, something that’s not oft-celebrated in Protestant Christianity, so here is a brief primer.
May 1, 2008
This week: 13 letters you want to write.
1. Thank-you notes to every teacher and pastor I’ve ever had, if I can hunt them down.
2. A long letter to the next president.
3. “Dear Mom and Dad, thanks for everything…”
4. One to my older brother, explaining me.
5. Actually, another one to most of my extended family, explaining me.
6. One to my biological parents, introducing myself.
7. One to each one of my kids, to be opened on their eighteenth birthdays.
8. A letter full of poems for my beloved.
9. “Dear Mr./Madam editor, this is my manuscript…”
10. “Thank you for considering me for the best original screenplay Oscar…”
11. A rant about the Global Fund, to my senators (*sigh*).
12. “Thank you for sending your piece to our magazine…”
13. A thanks (and maybe a “well…”) to my high school.
April 30, 2008
#76 on my life list done–I won Script Frenzy. 
Now for the work of editing…
April 28, 2008
if you don’t know what Embrace the Lame (from here on abbreviated EtL) is, an explanation: my friend and colleague Teacher Dave of blogdom fame decided we ought to have a fake Internet holiday where we all post our respective points of geekery so others can support us in them. so without further ado, my 2008 list:
1. i just figured out the other day that, through my baylor account, i still have access to lexus/nexus and JSTOR. i am so excited about this and I DON’T KNOW WHY!
2. last july, i was one of those crazy people who read the last harry potter book in less than a day, and have since spent my time considering its theological and philosophical implications. homegirl quoted 1 Corinthians 15 in it. that doesn’t happen in your everyday fantasy book, boys and girls.
3. i have a moleskine. nothing lame about that, really; they’re good little notebooks, and they have that spiffy pocket in back. what scares me a little is that i numbered all my pages, and i have an index…i fear i’m turning into a lifehacker.
4. for a while, steph and i have been dropping the occasional “word” (as in, i agree, homeskillet) in conversation, and we recently figured out that “forsooth” is the elizabethan equivalent. so that’s been showing up, too. and we find this really amusing.
5. finally…dudes. i’m becoming a librarian. i find this remarkably awesome, but apparently the stereotype runs deep. *shrug* and, look, i knit, and i read a lot of books, and i drink a lot of tea. all i need is a cat or two (or six) and i’ll be set for life. (good thing i’m not really a cat person, eh? or a small dog person, either.)
April 28, 2008
This week: Numbers!
1. The Decemberists - 16 Military Wives
2. The Beatles - Eight Days a Week
3. Jars of Clay - The Eleventh Hour
4. U2 - Hawkmoon 269
5. Derek Webb - Zeros and Ones
6. Steven Delopoulos - 12 West Front Street
7. Johnny Cash - 25 Minutes to Go
8. Patty Loveless - Two Coats
9. Nick Drake - One of These Things First
10. Denison Witmer - 24 Turned 25
11. Rosie Thomas - 2 Dollar Shoes
12. Stop Thief! Quartet - Spring or the 4th of July
13. Finger Eleven - One Thing
14. David Shook (*no, not that David Shook) - 27 Years
15. Sandra McCracken - Ten Thousand Angels
16. Caedmon’s Call - 40 Acres
17. Andrew Peterson - The Ninety and Nine
run time - 1 hour, 7 minutes, 6 seconds
