Over dinner this evening...
Me: Mom, what do you think of when I say party brownies?
Mom: High school - and the brownies I use to make for you.
Me: Mom, do you know what special brownies are?
Mom: You mean the kind with applesauce?
Dad returns from the restroom.
Me: Dad, do, you know what special brownies are?
Dad:
My parents are here for a visit this weekend. Neither of them have been in the city since the 1960s. And when my roommate asked them what they want to see when they're here, they said me. :) And so yes, they are seeing me, but I'm also seeing to it that they are experiencing much of the greatness that New York has to offer.
And this evening, although it's the opening night of Blue Like Jazz, rather than watching it, we went to a Jazz club in Greenwich Village where my dad was mesmerized by the music, and my mom was mesmerized by her key lime martini.
After I put them to bed, I headed out to Brookyln for the final hour of an event...
Friday, April 13, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Canning 1, 2, 3, 4
"Our personalities reflect our relationships with God." ~Sophie
Sophie is a sophomore at The King's College where I work as a Resident Director. And it just so happens that Sophie is on my team of students I'm taking to East Africa this May.
This evening on our class break Sophie and I got in a dialogue about how we all experience God a bit differently, and that we shouldn't expect our relationships with him to all look the same.
The conversation stemmed from a teaching time with an evangelist trainer, who left my East Africa team feeling less than satisfied with his presentation of presenting the Good News. I felt bad, actually, that even I as the leader faced inward opposition as I listened to the man insist on the "traditional" methods that in today's world are ineffective and outdated. As Os Guinness stated a few months ago, "Any method that goes 1, 2, 3, 4, needs to be canned." Os pointed out that Jesus' interactions with people varied significantly as he met each person where they were at in life. With Jesus, there is no cookie cutter method, or way to be a Christian, yet for years the church has tricked people in saying there is only one way to be a Christian.
My debrief time with the team was short, I only asked for the positive, since we didn't have time to hash out all the ickyness felt by my team. This, of course, is a mistake as a team leader, but with the clock quickly ticking away, I honored time rather than honesty. Of course I hope to return to the dialogue in a future meeting, but sometimes a delay in debrief is less than effective because by then people have forgotten or are indifferent to what the situation or conversation is or was.
Sophie is a sophomore at The King's College where I work as a Resident Director. And it just so happens that Sophie is on my team of students I'm taking to East Africa this May.
This evening on our class break Sophie and I got in a dialogue about how we all experience God a bit differently, and that we shouldn't expect our relationships with him to all look the same.
The conversation stemmed from a teaching time with an evangelist trainer, who left my East Africa team feeling less than satisfied with his presentation of presenting the Good News. I felt bad, actually, that even I as the leader faced inward opposition as I listened to the man insist on the "traditional" methods that in today's world are ineffective and outdated. As Os Guinness stated a few months ago, "Any method that goes 1, 2, 3, 4, needs to be canned." Os pointed out that Jesus' interactions with people varied significantly as he met each person where they were at in life. With Jesus, there is no cookie cutter method, or way to be a Christian, yet for years the church has tricked people in saying there is only one way to be a Christian.
My debrief time with the team was short, I only asked for the positive, since we didn't have time to hash out all the ickyness felt by my team. This, of course, is a mistake as a team leader, but with the clock quickly ticking away, I honored time rather than honesty. Of course I hope to return to the dialogue in a future meeting, but sometimes a delay in debrief is less than effective because by then people have forgotten or are indifferent to what the situation or conversation is or was.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Parent Packing
Tonight my parents are packing for New York City. It has been at least 50 years since either of them have stepped foot onto Manhattan Island.
Over the phone this evening, I requested that my dad bring along his saxophone.
My mom responded, "You better check the city ordinance to see if that’s allowed."
Like I said, it has been a while since my parents have visited the Big Apple. I think they're in for quite a surprise.
Over the phone this evening, I requested that my dad bring along his saxophone.
To which my mom replied, "Why do you want him to bring his saxophone?"
Because I want him to play it in Central Park… (& It would be a great photo opp!)
My mom responded, "You better check the city ordinance to see if that’s allowed."
Like I said, it has been a while since my parents have visited the Big Apple. I think they're in for quite a surprise.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Almost Something More Stories
Last night I wished I could speak Portuguese.
Tonight my Special Agent friend called to tell me that he just returned from Brazil. He doesn't know Portuguese either, but for this trip he didn't need it. Instead, he wished that he knew how to speak Norwegian. Because he ended up on a rockclimbing excursion (that I like to think I help inspire) with a fabulous Norwegian woman. My Special Agent friend shared with me he'll probably never see again, not because he doesn't want to, but rather because of the realities of life's circumstances.
It was one of those almost love stories.
We all have them, don't we? Those times (which is seldom for me) when there is some sort of initial chemistry, but for whatever reason it just doesn't pan out to being anything more. Someone loses interest, someone moves away, someone gets bored, someone is actually just super charming and is able to create that chemistry with nearly every person of the opposite sex (and sometimes the same sex too.)
It's confusing, actually, and disappointing as well. But thankfully by now I've had enough of those "almost" something more stories that I've learned to be less expectant. It's not that I'm jaded, but rather I'm cautious in my hopefulness. Which, for me, is a good and healthy thing.
And, right now, as life might have it, I'm hopeful once more.
Tonight my Special Agent friend called to tell me that he just returned from Brazil. He doesn't know Portuguese either, but for this trip he didn't need it. Instead, he wished that he knew how to speak Norwegian. Because he ended up on a rockclimbing excursion (that I like to think I help inspire) with a fabulous Norwegian woman. My Special Agent friend shared with me he'll probably never see again, not because he doesn't want to, but rather because of the realities of life's circumstances.
It was one of those almost love stories.
We all have them, don't we? Those times (which is seldom for me) when there is some sort of initial chemistry, but for whatever reason it just doesn't pan out to being anything more. Someone loses interest, someone moves away, someone gets bored, someone is actually just super charming and is able to create that chemistry with nearly every person of the opposite sex (and sometimes the same sex too.)
It's confusing, actually, and disappointing as well. But thankfully by now I've had enough of those "almost" something more stories that I've learned to be less expectant. It's not that I'm jaded, but rather I'm cautious in my hopefulness. Which, for me, is a good and healthy thing.
And, right now, as life might have it, I'm hopeful once more.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Portuguese
Tonight I wished I could speak Portuguese.
Not because I'm making plans to travel to Brazil - at least not anytime soon - but rather because this evening as I was picking up some groceries (i.e. Peanut M&Ms, Bite Size Snickers, & Hersey's Hugs, etc.) from the K-mart on 34th Street, I stumbled across a little boy (age 3 or 4) who was in tears.
He sat on the edge of a bottom store shelf, and a girl, who appeared to be his sister (age 5 or 6), attempted to console him in a language that I identified as not English, German, or Pig Latin.
I suspected they had somehow lost their mother, but when I inquired about the whereabouts of their parents the little girl responded by saying, "We don't speak English."
So I tried Spanish. And that didn't work either. The girl responded by saying, "Portuguese."
So I tried one last time to inquire in English, "Do you know where your mom is?"
"Ma." The little girl replied, and both she and her brother shook their heads yes. And so I trusted that "Ma" was in the nearby vicinity and had place her son and daughter in "time out" as she was picking up a few other items a couple of aisles away.
I walked away with hesitancy, and now reflecting back, I wish I would have stayed with the two until Mom returned, because New York is not a city (no city is), that you should leave your kids unattended.
-----------------------------------
Tonight my church celebrated its first Sunday evening service with kids programming. We had a total of four kids present, but as we continue to grow as a local parish, we are hopeful that the number of kids in our church body will also grow. I'd volunteer to contribute, but I haven't quite yet found the right sperm donor.
-----------------------------------
Not because I'm making plans to travel to Brazil - at least not anytime soon - but rather because this evening as I was picking up some groceries (i.e. Peanut M&Ms, Bite Size Snickers, & Hersey's Hugs, etc.) from the K-mart on 34th Street, I stumbled across a little boy (age 3 or 4) who was in tears.
He sat on the edge of a bottom store shelf, and a girl, who appeared to be his sister (age 5 or 6), attempted to console him in a language that I identified as not English, German, or Pig Latin.
I suspected they had somehow lost their mother, but when I inquired about the whereabouts of their parents the little girl responded by saying, "We don't speak English."
So I tried Spanish. And that didn't work either. The girl responded by saying, "Portuguese."
So I tried one last time to inquire in English, "Do you know where your mom is?"
"Ma." The little girl replied, and both she and her brother shook their heads yes. And so I trusted that "Ma" was in the nearby vicinity and had place her son and daughter in "time out" as she was picking up a few other items a couple of aisles away.
I walked away with hesitancy, and now reflecting back, I wish I would have stayed with the two until Mom returned, because New York is not a city (no city is), that you should leave your kids unattended.
-----------------------------------
Tonight my church celebrated its first Sunday evening service with kids programming. We had a total of four kids present, but as we continue to grow as a local parish, we are hopeful that the number of kids in our church body will also grow. I'd volunteer to contribute, but I haven't quite yet found the right sperm donor.
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