“Ah, I have picked up magic in her nearness.” –Poet Ezra Pound I don’t vomit that much. In fact, prior to puking on Monday night after the final episode of The Bachelor, I can tell you the time, place and scenario of my last barf. It might have been the food I was eating, I’ll give you that…but all I know is that the moment I began watching the episode my stomach started turning. I have only seen the last few weeks so if my …
Weeping uncontrollably is never a way I like to start off a “Stuff I like” blog…but to tell you the story of Miss Annie Bethancourt and myself, is where I must begin.
For Valentine’s Day my mother gave me a book on loving the church. How romantic. While I don’t want to reveal too much of my personal life in this blog, her Valentine’s gift should: a) give you an idea about the current status of my love life; and b) make you question if I am contemplating joining a convent. (Note: If you are wondering, the status of a) rhymes with “shingle,” and b) rhymes with “Jess.”) (Note 2: My parents both had trouble figuring out …
My flight was cancelled yesterday and I am still in Florida. Erin, who I am staying with, is off to work and I am home alone.
I almost wrote a blog on “Stuff I like: Going through peoples stuff when they aren’t home.”
Dear Fellow Readers,
Since I am currently in Florida with my two main readers (mom & dad), I assume there won’t be great upheaval if I don’t write a serious blog this week. (Am I ever that serious?) I wanted to take this afternoon off and soak up the sun, but since I went outside yesterday for one hour with no sun screen, I look like this.
Not only is this one of the most brilliant play on words I have ever heard, but the concept is genius.
You know when “artists” sit around and talk about a new existential project they are working on which will take three years, a lot of glue and half of their soul? Well, I am guessing the meeting for this ground breaking new website (as well as iPhone app) looked a lot like that. The synergy must have been electric.
Is there power in submitting or does submission always = loss of power?
Have you ever had someone tell you they “suggest” you do things differently? But “suggest” probably means your method was moronic?
For Christmas I made a “mixed CD” for my siblings and friends. I had obsessively been listening to a band called Mumford & Sons and the play list ended up being 97.9% them. So much for a “mix.” I ended up limiting myself to only six of their tracks, but getting rid of certain songs was literally like dropping little orphan Annie off at Miss Hannigans. Needlesstosay… I am obsessed. And so are others. Two of my friends blogged about them recently which is affirming …
(a fictitious letter)
Dear Fellow Friends of Rachel,
Did you know that infants, if put in a pool, start swimming naturally? It’s kind of scary to watch because, well, they are infants. What more can they do than sleep, eat, poop and cry? Letting go of an infant takes a huge amount of trust in the child’s natural instincts. Something we can’t see.
I thought this blog was finished when my friend came by my office this morning. I decided to include her story. She shared how she has been hurt by our Christian community here in Portland. I asked her why and she expressed how words had been said to her in harsh ways.
Stephanie (stephaniebasso.com) and I both grew up in East Lansing, Michigan and attended high school together. She was a year younger than me, and way cooler. I envied her style as she always rocked the layered necklace and bracelet look long before the Olsen twins.
Dear Christian Friends,
This whole Pat Robertson bashing has to stop. We are wasting our energies. I am surprised and appalled at the viciousness I have “heard” via Twitter and Facebook about Robertson’s comments regarding the Haiti tragedy.
Writing is something I am still getting the hang of. I would rather sit on my couch with you and verbally process my thoughts and have you say, “You’re crazy, man” or start weeping and move into the fetal position because I just nailed your deepest darkest fear. Oops.
But since that won’t happen today…here are my thoughts…
My dear friends,
Merry Christmas.
For those of you who believe in the miracle of Christmas, all I want this year is for you to know the life of baby Jesus even more and be encouraged in your worship of his humanity and divinity.
I had lunch with a couple guy friends this week. One was a thirty-something year old bass player who had his first relationship a couple years ago. He had focused on school and music for many years. As a Christian he believed the Lord would bring him the right woman when the time came. After reaching thirty and having zero dating experience with no woman on the horizon, he started to question if he had made the right choice. Where is the wife he trusted …
I now know why I fell in love with my ex-boyfriend: He was a hugger. Ok, I fell in love with him for more than that. He made me laugh, doted on me, and had really strong arms. What? That’s not shallow. What would be shallow is if I told you I fell in love with him because he had a nose that was almost as adorable as mine. But back to the hugging thing… Fun Fact of the Day: Oxytocin is a chemical that …
It’s just been one of those days. From the minute I laid my head on the pillow last night, until typing this now. It’s been heavy, hard, beautiful, exciting and encouraging…all in 24 hours. But the best part of days like this is that you know you won’t forget them. They are times of growth, reflection, humility and seeing God in people, music and the stillness of staring at a computer. I am not going to vomit it all up. Not necessary. But I hope …
A few years ago, my pastor had the idea to do Christmas differently. It was titled “Advent Conspiracy.” That word “conspiracy” immediately makes me wonder if the government is still listening to our conversations and monitoring our NetFlix selections. Yes, I said “still.” But back to the other conspiracy…Maybe just watch the video: (Update from 2009’s post to the NEW 2011 version) This year, some friends and I started an Advent Conspiracy group where we watch a DVD that our pastor and some other dudes …
It is not the arguments of theologians that solve the problems of a questioning heart, but the cry of that heart to me, and the certainty that I have heard. -God Calling In the summer of 2007 I felt a heaviness on my life. I wasn’t sure what it was but I felt it. Looking back on journals I saw that I was asking the Lord for direction. What that would look like, I didn’t know, but I asked to serve and help my generation, …
A few of my girlfriends were over last week and we were talking about Unicorns. Naturally. Let your love for these animals grow and take a moment to thank Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers for doing such glorious justice to these amazing creatures. Believe! (said in excited, but hushed whisper.) Some of my friends scoff at my love, while others send Unicorn thoughts, videos and paraphernalia my way. Take a gander: 1) My friend Amanda told me to do a search in the King James bible. …
I rarely paid attention in school. I blame part of it on self-diagnosed A.D.D. and partly on the fact that my friends write really good notes. Looking back, I wish I would have ditched the notes, and signed up for every history class offered.
Because the past is the best determinant of the future.
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