Aw, liddle brudder!!

I feel like Anita, Patrick Fugit's big sister in Almost Famous, when she gave him her record collection when she left home and he became a great enthusiast and one of the nations youngest rock journalists as a result (yes it is a fictional story, but don't kill my joy).

My brother has started listening to good music! Influenced dually by me and his friend Walker, and some of his own taste as well... he is now about to dive into the world of rock 'n roll. Welcome my boy, welcome. You have made the right choice. I will show you the path's beginning but then you must find your own way from there. May the journey be safe from harm and your taste be unwavering - may you never fall prey to the evils of Europop or raido-country. And most of all may you never be consumed by this journey but rather by the Lord who gave us this wonderful gift of music (which so many fellow believers have so horribly abused!).

He called me tonight to ask the name of the other band that the lead singer of Death Cab started (postal service) and then asked if I owned, a bunch of really good bands which I mostly do own. He's already been into White Stripes, Weezer, and some 70's rock for a while, this was a new step forward, and I feel so proud!
love you Sam!

Mmmm... pizza

Ally was house sitting all last week and I went and stayed with her on Friday and Saturday night. It was really fun. On Friday night we made yummy french-bread pizza. Yes, that is broccoli on mine, it's good, you should try it some time. On Saturday night we had a Matt Damon/Ben Affleck marathon and watched Dogma and then Goodwill Hunting right in a row. Thankfully we watched them in that order becuase I don't know what kind of dreams I'd have had if I went straight to bed after watching Dogma! (I'd seen them both before, being rather in love with Matt Damon as I am, but Ally had seen neither). Anyway, that's a little update from me. Hope you all are well!

Munch on this.

I just wanted to share some thoughts I had while reading through Genesis... or at least one of them.
Please get our your bibles and turn to Gen. 47:20-21 (just kidding I'll quote it for ya) "So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharoah. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. the land became Pharoah's and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to another." I was struck by this thought as I read this: This too was part of God's plan - somehow Pharoah controlling all the land like that was part of his plan because God clearly made it happen (we see in the previous chapters how he obviously brought Joseph into power in Egypt and know that Joseph was very obedient to the Lord in all that he did). My immediate reaction is that Pharoah and Joseph are being very unjust, HOWEVER, for me to judge this plan, or God's current political and social working, by my own standards of what I believe justice to be is arrogant and foolish. I am not the standard of truth, he is. He is not good because I say so - I only know what good is from him. I am the marred one - he is the rightous one.

That's just something I have to remind myself of often so I wanted to pass it along to you all. My own definition of "good" or "truth" or "justice" is not necessarily what those things really are - God himself is is the definition of good and truth and justice. Therefore whatever he does, whether it aligns with my own thinking of those things or not, is good and true and just.

Steve Saint

I had the unique opportunity this past Sunday evening (last night) to see Steve Saint and "Grandfather" Mambajmi (? ok I don't remember the name... it just won't stick, anyway, the tribe's man who killed Steve Saint's dad Nate Saint and is now the "grandfather" to steve's children) speek live at Jefferson Baptist Church. It was crazy. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about you should really go see the End of the Spear or read Through Gates of Spleandor by Elizabeth Elliot. It's an amazing story. Bethany mentioned it in her blog a few weeks ago. It made me all the more excited to go to Ecuador! So anyway, Steve and Grandfather came and spoke and it was really cool - and then I went and saw the movie with my mom tonight, although I was already fairly familiar with the story before that. Steve gave a great talk about how it's not us who writes the stories of our lives but God who does, and he talked about people think he's so special because people know who he is and he had an abnormal (to say the least) upbringing, but he insisted that each of our "stories" was just as important as long as we're living out what God wants us to do. Yeah, a little cheesy maybe, but a really good point coming from him. Then the best part was when grandfather came and told the gospel in tribal "people talk" his tribal language (he doesn't speak any other) with Steve interpreting. It was really powerfull to hear the gospel in these simple, Christianees free, terms.
Some other highlights of the talk were little stories Steve had about what it was like for Grandfather to expeirence the Western world for the first time - not being able to understand why we sleep on beds, or what a watch is - that was a cute story. Grandfather asks what the "wrist things" are and Steve explains that the foreigners live in houses so they have to wear a thing on their wrist to tell where the sun is in the sky and Grathfather says "no that cannot be all that they are because I have seen the foreigners and they always look down at the wrist thing and then they look scared." It was really facinating actually - like if you've ever wondered what an alien would think if they landed in our culture... well that's basically the reaction you get from a person who has lived their whole life in the rain forest in ecuador with virtually no contact with the outside world.
Gosh, there's a lot more I could say about this... I mean I got to see Steve Saint speak live! But it's not coming to me. Ask me if you want to come back to it more later.

In other, less pleasant, news: my brother's girlfriend broke up with him again - didn't see that one coming! I'm not being sarcastic there, I really didn't. Poor boy, but my parents say he's taking it really well this time (they broke up for a few months just before this and had only been back together for about a month). I'm sad for him. I hate to see people get their hearts hurt. I really hate it.

Baby!

Ok I know there are very few of you reading this who will particularly care but I must share the news! Kathryn (otherwise known as Vive) had her baby! I just saw the pictures and she's beautiful. Theona Salon Moreno was born a happy healthy girl! The last time I saw Theona (in a ultra sound picture when Kathryn was up for my sister's wedding) she was the size of a gummy bear! Now she's a real person! Amazing. Love you Vive and Abraham! Congradulations!

Feel no obligation to read this.

I usually try to avoid posting long poems or song lyrics, though I'm sure I've done it once or twice... but I may find this resolve a bit more difficult now that I'm taking a poetry class. I hadn't read Anne Bradstreet, puritan poet of the late 1600s, but we just studied her in class and I feel I can quite agree with the general concensus of her actually being the 10th muse. Anyway, I found this poem to be especially poignant. It gives me goose-bumps honestly. So if you should be so inclined to read it, I hope you enjoy this poem by Anne Bradstreet.

Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666 (quite a name eh?)

In silent night when rest I took
For sorrow near I did not look
I waked was with thund'ring noise
And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.
That fearful sound of "Fire!" and "Fire!"
Let no man know is my desire.
I, starting up, the light did spy,
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my distress
And not to leave me succorless.
Then, coming out, beheld a space
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And when I could no longer look,
I blest His name that gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust.
Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was His own, it was not mine,
Far be it that I should repine;
He might of all justly bereft
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the ruins oft I past
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,
And here and there the places spy
Where oft I sat and long did lie:
Here stood that trunk, and there that chest,
There lay that store I counted best.
My pleasant things in ashes lie,
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sit,
Nor at thy table eat a bit.
No pleasant tale shall e'er be told,
Nor things recounted done of old.
No candle e'er shall shine in thee,
Nor bridegroom's voice e'er heard shall be.
In silence ever shall thou lie,
Adieu, Adieu, all's vanity.
Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide,
And did thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mold'ring dust?
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the sky
That dunghill mists away may fly.
Thou hast an house on high erect,
Framed by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent though this be fled.
It's purchased and paid for too
By Him who hath enough to do.
A price so vast as is unknown
Yet by His gift is made thine own;
There's wealth enough, I need no more,
Farewell, my pelf, farewell my store.
The world no longer let me love,
My hope and treasure lies above.

True this poem is an excellent example of Iambic Tetrameter, uses much biblical allusion, and has a strong consistent AA,BB ryhme scheme - but hopefully any of you who read it got a little more than that out of it. I know I did. Guess we could learn a bit from the puritans eh?

In other news, I went to the doctor today and he gave me antibiotics so I now have hope that this blasted sickness I've had since before Christmas (serioulsy, I'm not exaggerating) might actually be on the way to getting better! Hooray!

Kaylie!

Kaylie and Nate (who I didn't know before today but enjoyed meeting very much) came to Portland today and we had a great time hanging out. We went to my favorite coffee shop and then Kaylie and Allison and I had delicious middle-eastern food while nate hung out with a friend from Multnomah. It was very, very fun. Praise the Lord for dear friends, awkward waiters, lemons, and for having school off on a monday!

Sunday.

Reasons why today was lovely:

1. I slept my first night of 2006 with no codine in my system and therefore woke up BEFORE my alarm clock feeling very awake and alive (comparitively). Unfortunately, I have to take it tonight or I won't be able to stop coughing.
2. Ryan Adams made me happy on my drive to Portland.
3. I had to use sunglasses while driving.
4. Rick's sermon on Romans 6 was seriously awesome. I believe I asserted more than one amen as he spoke. To hear it (and I highly reccomend this) go to www.imagodeicommunity.com and listen to it. Seriously, do it. I wish I could quote many parts of it for you but I can't.
5. "I'll Fly Away" bluegrass style was our final worship song. Very fun.
6. I bought the new live Wilco at music millenium. I love Wilco. I love Music Millenium.
7. I went for a walk through Laurelhurst neighborhoods. It was so gorgeous out! (comparitively at least).
8. Walked to Portland Coffee house on belmont and had DELICIOUS Rose Hip tea and read "Why I'm not a pacifist" by C.S. Lewis on a comfy leather couch in the corner- and was thoroughly convinced to not be a pacifist.
9. Had Lori's yummy chicken and rice cassarole for lunch.
10. Got a cute e-mail from Sue Gilmore.
11. Watched Sister Act with Ally.
12. Played a disney movie trivia game with the fam (allison's not mine). I don't know much about disney movies but it was still good clean fun.

Introductions

Friends, meet my little brothers.

This is Samuel. Often we call him Sam. Sam is 14. He's everyone's favorite kid out of the 4 of us. He's not so brainy as us other 3 and is a lot more fun. He and I are most similar out of my siblings... but he's funnier than I am... but I'm probably cooler...

This is Charles. He's 17 (hands off Kaylie he has a girlfriend). He's going to Embry Riddle University next year and wants to be an Aerospace Engeneer. Yeah... he's a nerd. Big computer gamer. Does robotics club. Luckily he landed a great girl early on before his nerdiness really took over - he says he's going to marry her, and I've got to be honest, I hope he's right. I love Haley.

Should be nice this time of year... all that snow...

Nope, just kidding, no snow here. Only rain. All these crazy Oregonians like it too! (Yes Ally, you heard me. Or... read... me). Not that I'm not an Oregonian, I am, I'm just not crazy.My mom made me skip class and go shopping today. Seriously forced me against my will. Ok, not quite, but she did encourage me to a little. I got new pants and a new shirt that I like. But they don't seem to be making up for this depressing rain. It's depressing. Bleck.
In other news I'm now a size 6 in pants at Old Navy. Which just goes to show how incredibly subjective women's sizes are... but it still worked and made me want the pants more...

Wheaton Update... or lack thereof

Hey I just thought I'd fill in those who asked about Wheaton. Since I'm a transfer student the application isn't due till March, so even though I sent mine in in like October I think they won't look at it till then so then I won't hear till a while after that I guess. It kind of sucks that I didn't notice that earlier cuz I could have put more stuff that I've done this year on the application but whatev's it's in God's hands now. I just have to send in my college transcripts and then wait. So check back with me in March - and keep your fingers crossed Jimmy!

Obligatory post

I know I need to post, I'm due... but I just don't have much to say of interest. I've been sick for 2 and a half weeks, bad cough... codine is a requirment for sleeping at night. I started school today - it took me over a half hour to find a parking spot which almost made me cry and it is ugly weather but other than that school looks like it will be good - all my professors seem really nice and personable and knowledgable and all that. I was awoken by a phonecall from Rebecca today which was preferable to my alarm clock. It's nice to be back with Ally and Lori and Doug though I do miss my mummy and daddy. Mummy's sick though so I'm glad I'm not to close to her.
Yep, that's it. I told you I had nothing of interest to say.

A Very Happy New Years!

The last 5 days were spent on the road with all sorts of beloved Capernwrayers. I don't really have the energy to go into full detail so I will use mostly pictures to describe.
The first night we - Ben Ken Jon Marissa (who drove up from Cali) Luke Danny and I - all stayed at Danny's house, I have no pictures of that but it was lovely. Danny's family is lovely.

Friday night we stayed at Janice's in Seattle with about 11 wonderful people as well as 5 more joining us for the evening. Here we're playing a game where you have the name of a famous person on your forehead and you have to ask questions to figure out who it is, good fun. Incedentally I was very good at this game and won both times. It was a grand evening with GREAT food and wonderful hosts. Thanks so much Janice!!

Then it was down to BJ's grandparent's house in Olympia for the big time party. Well actually first night was just 11 of us then by about 2:00 on New Years Eve the rest began to come. It was a night of laughter, sharing, talking, eating, and much dancing. I can't think of any other group of people I'd rather have danced the new year in with. I FINALLY got to meet Hanna (see picture of her and Caleb above) she has my FULL approvall, not that is would matter it all if she didn't... but just so you know she most certainly does. It was a diverse and delightful group. Again - Thank you BJ! And especially thank you BJ's grandparents! They actually got a hotel in town on New Years Eve so we could all have the house to our selves and be as crazy as we wanted!

Finally on new years day Ben and Ken and Luke and I (Jon and Marissa decided to fly home. An ENGAGED Jon and Marissa I might add) all went down to Luke's house where the 4 of us spent the night. (I was in another room from them ok!) and then today, Monday, Luke and I went up to Portland where our dear Brenty was visiting his brother and we got to spend the day with that darling boy. The 3 of us had much fun drinking tea, going to burgerville, and holding hands.

And so ends 5 delightful days, made slightly less delightful by the fact that I was sick the whole while (sorry Luke) but altogether amazinly wonderful none-the-less. Yes, I do not deny it, I am an extremely blessed individual.

Hope you all had WONDERFUL New Years as well - may this coming year be full of learning love and life in the Lord!