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Monday, December 31, 2007

which one are you?

Your Score: Modern, Cool Nerd

73 % Nerd, 56% Geek, 39% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.


Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST


Thursday, December 27, 2007

Holiday Cookery

Of which there was plenty, in my family, but not quite so this year. There're the traditional meals to prepare, and, of course, the sweets to put a smile on everyone's face.

This year's noche buena had a very simple menu:
Arroz Valenciana and fruits suspended in whipped cream. Hot cocoa on tap. Always. With Dwight (and his family) abroad, Winston (with his family) typically holidaying somewhere, and George sleeping through tradition there's really no point in lavish dinners for Mum, Dad and myself. Gone are the days of overflowing tables and a house spilling with people.

However, every Christmas a friend gifts us with a garden of vegetables from Baguio. Since we can't finish those beautiful vegetables all at once nearly everything is destined for preservation and thankfully keeps the holiday kitchen alive. Chutneys, pickles, and roasts are the easiest to prepare and can last a long time in the pantry (if not consumed immediately).

Mum copied a recipe for tamatar chutney from a magazine she chanced on while we were snacking at Chocolat over at MoA. I have yet to try that out, but despite the number of spices the amounts listed leaves me thinking that it won't be as flavourful as the chutneys of memory. Plus, it sounds like it will be a very watery chutney instead of being thick, gooey, and rather chunky like any self-respecting chutney should be. The more I think about it, the more I suspect it to be a recipe for ketchup. Hmm.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Advent 2007 Meditation, supplied by GBGM

The Time of Fulfilment Has Come! Advent 2007 Meditation

by Beth Ferrell

The illuminated Christ child inspires awe to the shepherd in this 17th century painting.
Adoration of the Shepherds.
Image by:Gerard van Honthorst, courtesy Wikipedia

Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

Isaiah prophesied; the psalmist had a sure hope; Mary was willing and obedient; Joseph was true to God's revelation in a dream: JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, WAS BORN AS A TINY BABE IN A GIANT WORLD!!

Yet to be fulfilled is the part that you and I, as individuals and in community, are to play in the unfolding chronicle of God's plan.

  • Is there a sense of responsibility and urgency to share our material/spiritual blessings with those in dire circumstances?

  • As Isaiah struggled with being prophetic, do we struggle with ascertaining God's true word today?

  • Do we have hope in the chaos of our times as the psalmist did in the chaos of his time, praying: "Restore us, O God, make your face shine upon us that we might be saved" (Psalm 80:3, 7 and 19). Notice the plural pronouns in the psalmist's petition. Hope, in addition to the individual aspect, is a community affair. We are in this chaos together!

In the United States, we tend to forget we are a part of the world community, the majority of whom do not enjoy the blessings of the abundance that we have. Significantly, God chose a lowly Jewish girl to be the mother of his son, and Christ's birth was first announced to shepherds, marginalized people of that day. Their simplicity was fertile ground. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain in the new kingdom of Immanuel, "God With Us."

What chance does further fulfillment of God's unfolding plan have in our lives? Do we need to have an increased awareness of God's true Word today, to dare to hope, to be willing and obedient and to follow Jesus in the true way? To do so, we must, in Christ's name, share our material blessings with people in need and be open to receiving blessings from them. In these chaotic times, can you and I be as simple and humble as Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds?

Prayer

Lord, may we be forgiven through your grace, filled with your love, directed and empowered by your spirit to be instruments, individually and in community, for the continuing fulfillment of your kingdom in the "here and now".

In Christ's name we pray. Amen

Scripture Readings

Isaiah 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

Psalm 80

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. ...
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.
Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1: 18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Beth Ferrell is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church currently serving as Mission Interpreter in Residence (MIIR) in the North Central Jurisdiction (Midwest).

http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=4763

Friday, December 14, 2007

i like to go a-meandering

What Do You REALLY Want?



December 7th, 2007 by John

The statement, "You can do anything you put your mind to," leads us to believe that all you must do is imagine what you'd like to accomplish, set your mind to the task, and wait for success.


To a certain degree this is true. Focused intention combined with action is a powerful force. But the statement is misleading because it fails to mention the difficulty and necessity of focusing your mind on a specific goal.


Most of us don't know what we want. We think we do, but we really don't. We only know what we don't want. We don't want a boring job. We don't want to be poor. We don't want to disappoint our loved ones.


Knowing specifically what you want is much different than knowing what you don't want. When you only know what you don't want, your intentions aren't focused. Consider this example.


Pete doesn't want to be poor. He's sick of earning less than his friends, and he's determined to raise his status. To accomplish this goal, Pete could take many different paths. He could train for a high paying profession, such as doctor or lawyer. He could start his own company, go into real estate, or do many other things that would lead to acquiring wealth.


But Pete isn't sure what he wants to do. He doesn't know which path best fits his skills and personality, so he doesn't resolve to follow any particular path.


Hoping to answer this question, he investigates a dozen possibilities, but as soon as he runs into adversity he decides that path isn't for him and moves on to a new solution.


Pete's actions aren't focused. Although he works very hard, his efforts don't build on each other. Rather than building one giant impenetrable sand castle, Pete has built twenty smalls ones that are easily toppled. He ends up confused and discouraged. Ultimately Pete's
lack of focus leads to failure.


Now, what if Pete had chosen a specific path? Suppose he decided on the law profession. His actions would have been clearly defined:


  • Get a high score on the LSAT
  • Attain letters of recommendation
  • Get accepted to a good law school
  • Decide on a field of law
  • Earn a law degree
  • Find a high paying job with a good law firm

A set of specific goals is much easier to achieve than a vague end goal like becoming wealthy. Being focused on a path gives Pete a logical set of actions to follow. Each accomplishment is one step closer to the final goal.


I think we can all agree that committing to a clearly defined path, regardless of which one, gives Pete the best chance of becoming wealthy.


But how can he choose a path if he doesn't know what he wants? Maybe money isn't his only goal. Maybe he wants to do something he loves at the same time. Maybe he can't afford to go back to school. Reality is complicated, and Pete doesn't want to commit too soon.


And that's why he fails.


But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Most people don't fit neatly into a predefined path. Forcing yourself into one may lead to success, but it probably won't make you happy.


This is the point. If you want to be conventionally successful, to attain wealth and status, you need to choose a specific path (preferably something mainstream) and follow it to the letter.


On the other hand, if you aren't particularly concerned with wealth or success, you can take your time searching for that perfect niche.


Just don't wait too long to decide. Each moment you deliberate, your already committed competitors sprint further ahead.


But, then again, maybe life isn't a race, and maybe the most interesting people follow a path all their own.



http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/you-arent-getting-anywhere-because-you-dont-know-where-you-want-to-go/