Riss and I are lucky enough to have periodic access to a beach house where we can stay in Rockaway Beach. Here’s a few pics from our trip this last summer…

One from the beach itself, where someone built a really cool fort, out of which I’m snapping this pic:

Then a couple from in town, where a certain cafe provided fun with their signage:

Loving it.

John

While I must admit, I haven’t really listened to or kept up with “christian” music for the last number of years, and I think “christian” works better as a noun than an adjective, I was absolutely blown away by a Derek Webb song.

Apparently the song made waves because of its subject matter and the author’s choice include a swear word. In the end, his label (INO – self-identified as a “christian” label) refused to release the record with this song on it – so the record came out without this song, and derek has made the song available on his website.

DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: www.derekwebb.com

The reason I share this song with you is because I think it’s good art. For some time now bad art has been successfully sold, consumed, and even lauded within much of “christendom.” This song, along with the record as a whole are not easily understandable nor consumable. But they are surely artistic, provoking thought, reflection and response (of all kinds). I Hope it does that for you as well.

Song Backdrop:

Over the past number of years, prominent christian leaders (in particular James Dobson / focus on the family / focus action) have urged christians to vote based on their “christian vales.” But what they have meant by that term is voting pro-life and anti-gay-marriage and voting for candidates who embrace such stances. Such a statement would suggest these leaders believe that those two issues (abortion and gay marriage) are the most important issues when it comes to a christian’s responsibility as a voter. It would seem that other “issues” such as justice, hunger, poverty, etc. are just not as “important.” The song “What Matters More” asks precisely this question – which “issues” matter more? It also levels a palpable frustration toward those who would speak for christians and declare the aforementioned two issues as “the” issues, using sarcasm to point out both hypocrisy and irony.

Song Lyrics:
You say you always treat people like you like to be
I guess you love being hated for your sexuality
You love when people put words in your mouth
‘Bout what you believe, make you sound like a freak

‘Cause if you really believe what you say you believe
You wouldn’t be so damn reckless with the words you speak
Wouldn’t silently consent when the liars speak
Denyin’ all the dyin’ of the remedy

Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?

If I can tell what’s in your heart by what comes out of your mouth
Then it sure looks to me like being straight is all it’s about
It looks like being hated for all the wrong things
Like chasin’ the wind while the pendulum swings

‘Cause we can talk and debate until we’re blue in the face
About the language and tradition that he’s comin’ to save
Meanwhile we sit just like we don’t give a shit
About 50,000 people who are dyin’ today

Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?
Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?

Thanks Jordans for the kick in the …

I really did like writing and sharing via this thing, so I’m picking it up again. Spread the word

John

I felt decidedly old last Thursday night as Marissa and I hunkered down in our dining room for our 1st-ever as a couple game of scrabble. I’ve been playing a bit recently and thought maybe it’d be fun to try playing together…

About half-way though, here’s the less-than-thrilled look Marissa was giving me:

But it all turned out ok in the end. Riss said she actually enjoyed it… we may even try again sometime.

I’m at the end of day 2 of being sick. Really hoping I beat this thing by tomorrow night so I can do the gig at vicinato. What a lame thing being sick is. I feel the urge to lament sickness.

Today, all I did was sleep, take pills, blow my nose, take more pills, sleep, neti-pot myself, sleep, try a nose spray, and sleep more. I know it may sound like a glorious day off, but let me assure those keeping score at home that it was not glorious. Constant headache, sinus pressure unlike that I have ever felt before, and the nagging feeling that the world is continuing on without me.

It seems like we get sick at the worst times too, doesn’t it? I’m preaching this sunday, have a gig friday night, am teaching a class sunday afternoon, and have plenty that was supposed to be getting done the last few days. The image that ran through my decongestant-laden mind was that of a merry-go-round (representing life I suppose) and me unable to run alongside fast enough to jump on – feeling too fragile and sick – so simply trying to toss stuff up in the air and hoping that it lands on the merry-go-round. Perhaps I took too many sudafed..

Anyhoo, there is my lament. I’m sure it probably doesn’t quite qualify as true lament (mostly complaining) but that’s the best I had right now.

Here’s my sick face:

Up to 52 MPG! Due to a nice solid Seattle trip and a deft touch on the gas pedal, I’ve recorded a new personal best on a full tank in the Prius. Note the total mileage… over 500 miles for the tank, with an average of 52.7! Great Success!

and I am going through our garage, cleaning it out and throwing stuff away, I run across Marissa’s costume from last year. I end up tearing it apart and recycling it, but I felt like I really needed to post the picture here because it was so GLORIOUS and I was so proud of my handiwork…

As you may remember, we used to drive a silver XB, thus this went over really well at Marissa’s work (Gresham Toyota) and was fairly easy to make from a box (since the car is so “boxy”…)

Regardless of what did or did not happen, what Bonds did or did not (knowingly or unknowingly) take, I found this guy’s shirt really, really funny.

Front:

Back:

As many of you may know, I am a New York Yankees fan. This has been a bit of an unfortunate reality the past number of years for a variety of reasons (general hostility toward yankee fans, the team’s now perennial under performance, joe torre’s departure, etc.) and it appears this year will be the first in over a decade that they will not be playing in the postseason. Lame.

Thus, this last weekend, when we journeyed to Seattle to watch the Yanks play, with really very little to play for, it could have been a real let-down. And, for those of you who may have watched M’s starter Brandon Morrow carry a no-no into the 8th, you would understand my excitement at seeing a potential no-hitter, but also my dismay that it was MY TEAM who was getting no-hit…

All this to say, that despite the potentially disturbing realities of the trip, I still managed to have a really, really good time! I ate warm ball-park peanuts and spread the shells shamelessly around on the ground beneath my feet. I drank a vastly over-priced cup of crummy bud-light. I took pictures…

Here’s the family we went with: Marissa’s co-worker Katrina in the middle, with her husband and daughters.

Here’s the 1st pitch of the game from our fabulous seats (no zoom here, this is really exactly where we sat!)

And here’s Riss and I after the game (She really liked the little hand things the M’s gave out…)

All in all, it reminded me of how much I like safeco field. It doesn’t have a lot of character or history like Fenway or Yankee Stadium, but it really is a fabulous ballpark.

Out.

Our good friend Mieke Ryneal stopped in to visit on her way up to Mt. Ranier with her family. She’s started doing some really cool paintings (as you can see below) and I was lucky enough to buy one of her guitar masterpieces…

Mieke’s paintings are available online for viewing and even for purchase if this one strikes you as cool (which it is)… www.studiosfumato.com

Here’s a few more pics we took: