It's been pressing on my mind lately: What would I do if I woke up German?
Initially I wouldn't realize anything was wrong, but then when I spoke to my flatmate in the morning, I would wonder why she was talking so funny. I would assume she was just being random, but then the radio and my Bible would also be in a language I could not understand! It would be horrible! I asked my mum what she would do if she woke up German and she gave me a look which said in an instant 'where did this child come from?' I did not give up, and asked her the next day 'Mum, have you thought yet about what might happen if you woke up German?' She had thought about it and said 'Yes! And I thought it would be especially confusing if I was in France at the time!' and gave me a look which said in an instant 'is that a strange enough answer to make you leave me alone for a while?' It was, and I did. I was delighted.
Saturday 28 January 2006
Sunday 22 January 2006
Things God Said #1 and #2
Things God said #1
My precocious niece has taught me something already. It was an amazing thing to hold her. She didn't have to do ANYTHING to make me completely delight in her. It didn't matter that her little head was a bit wonky and pointed from having a sucker thing put on her head during the birth, because she was beautiful. God is our father. We don't have to do ANYTHING to make Him completely delight in us. He rejoices over us with singing. I find it so difficult to believe this kind of stuff, but I caught a little glimpse of it in Elizabeth, and it made me smile all of Thursday morning.
Things God said #2
I had one of those sermons this morning that God prepares especially for you, and comes over and whispers in just your ear as the minister speaks. Last night I had to give up something really, really precious - something which seemed to offer me joy and delight and Good Things, but which took my eyes and heart away from Him. Giving up something costly tends to make you wonder if we've got this whole thing right. Is this promise really worth it? Abram was thinking something rather similar (coincidence?) when he refuses the riches that Melchizedek offered him, because of an oath that he had made with God. "After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.'" In other words, 'yes, it is worth it, and no, I will not abandon you until you get Home, I Myself will be your shield.' And Abram, refreshingly, wobbles and says, 'um, yeah but have you seen my wife lately? She's pretty old! Where are these offspring you promised?' He says 'look at all those stars! I made them. It wasn't hard for Me, and niether is anything else.' God reminded me that His promise is sure, and His promise is worth it.
My precocious niece has taught me something already. It was an amazing thing to hold her. She didn't have to do ANYTHING to make me completely delight in her. It didn't matter that her little head was a bit wonky and pointed from having a sucker thing put on her head during the birth, because she was beautiful. God is our father. We don't have to do ANYTHING to make Him completely delight in us. He rejoices over us with singing. I find it so difficult to believe this kind of stuff, but I caught a little glimpse of it in Elizabeth, and it made me smile all of Thursday morning.
Things God said #2
I had one of those sermons this morning that God prepares especially for you, and comes over and whispers in just your ear as the minister speaks. Last night I had to give up something really, really precious - something which seemed to offer me joy and delight and Good Things, but which took my eyes and heart away from Him. Giving up something costly tends to make you wonder if we've got this whole thing right. Is this promise really worth it? Abram was thinking something rather similar (coincidence?) when he refuses the riches that Melchizedek offered him, because of an oath that he had made with God. "After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.'" In other words, 'yes, it is worth it, and no, I will not abandon you until you get Home, I Myself will be your shield.' And Abram, refreshingly, wobbles and says, 'um, yeah but have you seen my wife lately? She's pretty old! Where are these offspring you promised?' He says 'look at all those stars! I made them. It wasn't hard for Me, and niether is anything else.' God reminded me that His promise is sure, and His promise is worth it.
Wednesday 18 January 2006
Auntie Babble
Today I met my niece, Elizabeth Hannah. I would be smiling at the camera, but I couldn't stop looking at her. She could do amazingly complex clever things like sneezing, moving her eyes around and possesing tiny, perfectly manicured fingernails. Who taught her how?
Considering her extended family have been umbilical-free for several decades between us, and have seen thousands of babies before, it seemed absurd that we were in such surprised, awed delight of her, while she seemed so cool about all these new adults, even though all she'd ever seen in her life is the inside of my sister.
She fell asleep in my arms.
Monday 16 January 2006
Acquiescence
Since so many have taken the time
To badger me with such original rhyme
It seems only fair to respond just the same
As I finally now play along with your game
The pressure to say something new or profound
Or witty or funny or future renowned
Has kept me from blogging for fear of rebuff
I don't want to give you a load of old guff
But badger you will, and badger you did,
There's no use resisting - Heaven forbid!
So since it is clear this campaign will persist
'Spose I'd better give you my 7 things list!
7 things to do before I die
1 Finish the race (often feels like I might not make it)
2 Lead someone personally to Christ (preferably family)
3 Learn a language
4 Get a play on Radio 4
5 Go to Iceland (the country, not the frozen food superstore)
6 Make some money making music
7 Learn how to Love People Well
7 things I can't do
1 Remember directions
2 Enjoy small talk
3 Burp on demand (if ONLY!)
4 Any sport of any description
5 Get up on time
6 Do make up
7 Read somewhere where there are people to look at
7 things I say most often
1 Lord, help me
2 How does FE fit into this?
3 I LOVE....
4 I'm not very good at...
5 What is your top 5...
6 Oops!
7 Lush
7 books I love
1 31 Songs - Nick Hornby
2 High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
3 White Teeth - Zadie Smith
4 Search for Intimacy - Elaine Storkey
5 Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
6 When We Were Very Young - A A Milne
7 She Bop - Lucy O'Brien
7 films I can watch over and over again
1 Dirty Dancing
2 Pretty Woman
3 West Side Story
4 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
5 Fight Club
6 The Sound of Music
7 Grease
7 songs I love
ONLY 7?!!! OK, 7 which spring to mind...
1 The Right Place – Eddi Reader : Such beautiful, sublime optimism – in the words, the voice and even the structure of the song itself. Great to sing as a Christian “5 or 10 lifetimes ago, there lived a girl that you don’t know, who walked about and answered to my name. Oh, but let’s not talk of strangers now, of where and when, or why and how, I’ve turned around and I’m looking at a NEW DAY. I’ve been in the wrong place, long enough to know, I’m in the right place now.”
2 Set the Tone – Nate James : It’s that bass-line, my WORD! How can you just sit there! Those off-beat snares and trumpets! It’s just so slinky!
3 Hard to Get – Rich Mullins : I’m forever indebted to Kath for introducing me to Christian music I can relate to, ie someone singing about the fact that this is really HARD, and it doesn’t make SENSE, and why are You so SILENT, and how can You possibly LOVE me? Also does not conform to the usual Christian song formula of bland + bland = bland.
4 Blame it on the Boogie – Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five : I just can’t, I just can’t, I just can’t control my feet.
5 B-Line – Lamb : Sounds like a coiled spring that keeps on escaping and then being wound up again, and consequently makes me feel exactly like that when I listen to it. Impossible to listen to below full volume. Impossible not to dance to it even though it’s impossible to dance to.
6 Vogue – Madonna : never before has a single held chord been so loaded with anticipation as the beginning of that single. Such a perfectly crafted pop song which also manages to sound cool and enduring. Secretly want to buy the video so I can learn the dance.
7 Heal Over – KT Tunstall : I hate the bag for writing a much better version of my song ‘Hush, Hey’, but also love her for writing something so beautiful for a struggling friend. Want to sing it to anyone who ever cries near me, but fear my singing would make it worse.
To badger me with such original rhyme
It seems only fair to respond just the same
As I finally now play along with your game
The pressure to say something new or profound
Or witty or funny or future renowned
Has kept me from blogging for fear of rebuff
I don't want to give you a load of old guff
But badger you will, and badger you did,
There's no use resisting - Heaven forbid!
So since it is clear this campaign will persist
'Spose I'd better give you my 7 things list!
7 things to do before I die
1 Finish the race (often feels like I might not make it)
2 Lead someone personally to Christ (preferably family)
3 Learn a language
4 Get a play on Radio 4
5 Go to Iceland (the country, not the frozen food superstore)
6 Make some money making music
7 Learn how to Love People Well
7 things I can't do
1 Remember directions
2 Enjoy small talk
3 Burp on demand (if ONLY!)
4 Any sport of any description
5 Get up on time
6 Do make up
7 Read somewhere where there are people to look at
7 things I say most often
1 Lord, help me
2 How does FE fit into this?
3 I LOVE....
4 I'm not very good at...
5 What is your top 5...
6 Oops!
7 Lush
7 books I love
1 31 Songs - Nick Hornby
2 High Fidelity - Nick Hornby
3 White Teeth - Zadie Smith
4 Search for Intimacy - Elaine Storkey
5 Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
6 When We Were Very Young - A A Milne
7 She Bop - Lucy O'Brien
7 films I can watch over and over again
1 Dirty Dancing
2 Pretty Woman
3 West Side Story
4 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
5 Fight Club
6 The Sound of Music
7 Grease
7 songs I love
ONLY 7?!!! OK, 7 which spring to mind...
1 The Right Place – Eddi Reader : Such beautiful, sublime optimism – in the words, the voice and even the structure of the song itself. Great to sing as a Christian “5 or 10 lifetimes ago, there lived a girl that you don’t know, who walked about and answered to my name. Oh, but let’s not talk of strangers now, of where and when, or why and how, I’ve turned around and I’m looking at a NEW DAY. I’ve been in the wrong place, long enough to know, I’m in the right place now.”
2 Set the Tone – Nate James : It’s that bass-line, my WORD! How can you just sit there! Those off-beat snares and trumpets! It’s just so slinky!
3 Hard to Get – Rich Mullins : I’m forever indebted to Kath for introducing me to Christian music I can relate to, ie someone singing about the fact that this is really HARD, and it doesn’t make SENSE, and why are You so SILENT, and how can You possibly LOVE me? Also does not conform to the usual Christian song formula of bland + bland = bland.
4 Blame it on the Boogie – Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five : I just can’t, I just can’t, I just can’t control my feet.
5 B-Line – Lamb : Sounds like a coiled spring that keeps on escaping and then being wound up again, and consequently makes me feel exactly like that when I listen to it. Impossible to listen to below full volume. Impossible not to dance to it even though it’s impossible to dance to.
6 Vogue – Madonna : never before has a single held chord been so loaded with anticipation as the beginning of that single. Such a perfectly crafted pop song which also manages to sound cool and enduring. Secretly want to buy the video so I can learn the dance.
7 Heal Over – KT Tunstall : I hate the bag for writing a much better version of my song ‘Hush, Hey’, but also love her for writing something so beautiful for a struggling friend. Want to sing it to anyone who ever cries near me, but fear my singing would make it worse.
Tuesday 10 January 2006
Progress Report
Momentous news. Today at 3:23pm I received the following email from none other than OddBabble herself entitled, "Hypothetically":
"OK, let's just say I DID decide to blog....how would I take over the site from you and post things.....for the sake of arguement? OddBabble"
Progress, my friends. Progress. The finishing line is in sight. A rush and a push and the land is ours! Don't give up now. We're winning this battle. Keep sending in stuff while there's still time!
"OK, let's just say I DID decide to blog....how would I take over the site from you and post things.....for the sake of arguement? OddBabble"
Progress, my friends. Progress. The finishing line is in sight. A rush and a push and the land is ours! Don't give up now. We're winning this battle. Keep sending in stuff while there's still time!
Thursday 5 January 2006
More Poetry Corner
Here at BB2BB HQ we've had a lovely little poem sent in and I'd like to share it with you all, along with my apraisal.
'Pressure Poem'
Hide a light under bushell
Fire burns under log.
Hassle her until she crush'l
Then begin she to blog.
Well done to whoever sent this in. It's a valiant effort although we'll have to use poetic license to excuse the rather frivilous use of the newly coined phrase "crush'l". This is then juxtaposed with the subsequent line that appears to be using a more old-fashioned grammatical construction. All in all a marvelous blend of imagery and wordplay in a delightful pair of rhyming couplets, albeit following an unorthodox ABAB rhyme structure. I am particularly fond of the metaphor of a fire burning under a log, which inevitably must consume the log in its flame. Simply beautiful. With this level of verbosity we'll smoke that blogger-to-be out in no time.
(posted by Nathan)
'Pressure Poem'
Hide a light under bushell
Fire burns under log.
Hassle her until she crush'l
Then begin she to blog.
Well done to whoever sent this in. It's a valiant effort although we'll have to use poetic license to excuse the rather frivilous use of the newly coined phrase "crush'l". This is then juxtaposed with the subsequent line that appears to be using a more old-fashioned grammatical construction. All in all a marvelous blend of imagery and wordplay in a delightful pair of rhyming couplets, albeit following an unorthodox ABAB rhyme structure. I am particularly fond of the metaphor of a fire burning under a log, which inevitably must consume the log in its flame. Simply beautiful. With this level of verbosity we'll smoke that blogger-to-be out in no time.
(posted by Nathan)
Wednesday 4 January 2006
Terrible Mistake
I have unearthed some shocking pictures. It would seem that someone left the second 'B' out of BB2BB. Here is an artists impression that depicts the faulty headline: "Badger 2 Begin Blogging."
Can you imagine the kind of horrendous things a badger would blog? Sordid tales of underground shenanigans, forraging in bins, cavorting with foxes, pretending to be skunks, violating their ASBOs. I love badgers but I thoroughly disagree with the concept of them blogging. They should remain wild and unknown. Unlike OddBabble who should be tamed just enough to sit down at a computer and type some stuff.See what happens when you take the Babble out of Badger Babble 2 Begin Blogging? Let's get more Odd-specific and raise our game. Bring it on!
(posted by Nathan)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)