bread&tea

It's usually pretty fun to think about and figure out personalitys. Things like, "Are you lasagna, spaghetti, elbow, or ramen noodles? A mole, muskrat, otter, or platypus? A where-is-it, when-is-it, why-is-it, or what-the-heck-now-is-it?" Or, are you fire, wind, earth, or water? After all that you might just be as confused as I was creating it. That somewhat-intelligent-sounding gibberish is all just different ways of putting the four roles people slide into as personalitys. The roles of supporter, director, thinker, or entertainer. To be sure, there's plenty of room for people to slosh around in those four areas, and overlap in multiple categories, but everybody's more or less in there somewhere. While all that is/can't/could be interesting, what's more important is applying it. Of course that's implied, but I want to suggest something different that works well in tandem. The concept of figuring out not only your personality, but why you do the things...

Have you ever been disappointed by a listener? That time when you have something you just gotta share, and a certain someone you want to share it with, (or frequently anyone) only to be received by a less than hoped for audience. It's a terrible feeling. I regret to say that not only has that happened to me, I have often been that less-than-hoped-for audience. There's a good chance that listener actually wanted to listen. Of course wannabe and actual do-ers are quite different. It takes more than wanting to listen, to listen well. I hope I'm not taking this verse to much out of context, but 1 Corinthians 14:19 (NIV) says, "But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue." In other words, here are some bullet points to make things go faster. First, eye contact. Simple, yes, but terribly effective. (in a good way) The difficulty is in not staring at who's speaking. It is a good idea to infr...

I wrote this song last night and today. I'm not sure if it's finished. A couple verses could really be used before everything else, but I doubt I will add them. As is usual with my songs, it can be hard to tell if this is better as a song or a poem/rhyme. I change present and future tense, so that may be confusing, though I hope it isn't much. That could be tweaked if I ever edit this. There are certainly different ways to interpret the song, (as is true with many) so I hope that it resonates with you in some way. Songs are better when we care about what is being said. I titled the song "I Do Not Fly". I might change it later, but for now it's supposed to be intentionally vague as to the songs content. Enjoy. (hopefully) Maybe if I could fly Then I would come to your house Ask if you were about If maybe you came out I would only just contain a shout My heart a little wayward I'd wrap you in my arms and leap skyward My fears just a byword I hope you aren...

Just for fun (but mostly because I haven't formulated what I'm writing about next) here is a short story I did for writing practice. The story is very spaced apart; this is because all the italic writing inside parentheses is directions for the reader. I meant for this to be a verbal story, like a storyteller would....tell. The ----- outside of the parentheses is just to get my directions in the right places, as blogger doesn't seem to recognize the space bar for the beginning of sentences. ----------------Extermination of an Abnormally Large Insectoide---------- I was minding my own business. Just sittin’ on my swivel seat fiddling with my --------- (said rapidly) guitar, when he buzzed by. (---------------drawn out---------put force into words---------------------) What a monster! All vicious, hairy legs, with a grotesquely elongated body. Looked more like a wasp than what he was. Which I couldn’t find out with him zippin’ about like. ...

Fireproof is the best, unashamedly christian movie I've seen yet. Having said that, the reason is because although Fireproof does have the gospel in it, it is presented in a personal, realistic way. Realistic as in shown from someone who desires to not shove, but gently reveal what is so beautiful about the cross. And though I've given the movie praise simply for this one aspect, the gospel that plays a significant part of Fireproof's message is not the main theme. Two people fall in love and are married. Without work though, marriage goes down the tubes, and that is what this movie is about. Caleb and Catherine Holt are getting a divorce. My last movie review was about Marley & Me, and although it was a secular take on different areas of marriage, it's interesting to compare these two movies. But anyway. Fireproof does a great job of displaying a very real situation in which both spouses have decided to call it quits. To put it shortly, and without giving away anyt...

I seem to have had my feet glued for these last two weeks. Neither wanting to leave the blog without updates, nor really wanting to post. A lack of general inspiration could be an excuse, but I haven't exactly encouraged inspirational thought recently, so that falls flat. The truth is there are some verses that, although I've read and mulled over them before, simply niggle at my mind every time I attempt to share thoughts on God. Namely, Romans 2:21-24, which says, "You then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." So for two weeks I've glued my feet to the floor, in the hopes of not blaspheming God by untruthful words and an empty witness. Th...

Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." The complexity and design of creation is such that the evidence of a creator/designer is undeniable. From this statement I proceed with the idea that although a simple sparrow reveals intricate design when studied, that same sparrow does not always inspire an immediate declaration of God. Sometimes creation just seems to be there. Nothing more. In my daily life God is evident, showing himself through creation, people interaction, answers to prayer, and numerous little things that tell me he is here, with me. Sometimes, many times, I believe I take his presence for granted. Like the air I breath. I've become so used to his presence in my life that I no longer value that for what it is. Sometimes creation just seems to be there. Nothing more. God temp...