Maple

I love my dog. See originally we had planned to get two dogs and name one Maple and the other Syrup, but we ended up just getting Maple. Hehe...there were also plans for getting dogs named Chocolate (Black Lab), Corn, Blueberry, Boysenberry... Bad Joke...sorry. Haha. Anyway, here is an adorable set of photos for your enjoyment.

Disclaimer: The writer of this blog is not responsible for any outbreaks of jealousy regarding said dog. Also, he is not responsible for any throat problems resulting from screams of, "Awwww!!!" and "Soooooo Cute!!!". That being said, on with the (slide) show.

(You can click the photos for much larger sizes)

This would be her Regal Sphinx Pose

Stretching just before the performance:

The Yawn.

I'd say that was a 10/10 wouldn't you?

Notice the nonchalance with which she finishes off and excellent performance.

Curtains!

*Thunderous Applause*

Thanksgiving

A few months ago I read Ephesians 14 times (on the advice of Dr. Sanders in his post about synthetic readings of the Bible) and this evening I spent 2 hours reading it once with much prayer for wisdom and understanding. Praise God! He truly works! He cares about us! Even on the 15th reading, there is soooooo much more that I learned! I think Sayers says something about this, like the student will come to the wonderful realization that truism is true! To my shame I admit that I have not read my Bible at all for the past 3 months. (Really, truly read I mean, token scanning but never concentrated, focused, etc.) But in those 2 hours i feel like I've gained a world of Joy. I am very thankful. Thank you God. =]

Salvation?

John Wesley has got to be my favorite author so far in Foundations.

So our class was discussing the topic of Justification and Sanctification and Faith. (Oh Boy!) This has got to be my favorite discussion so far too! It's going to be hard to distill our entire ream of thought but I shall try:

3 Analogies

1)
Good Tree=Good Fruit,
Good Faith=Good Works

The whole relationship is organic. By not doing some good works your faith doesn't automatically shrivel up and die, it moves in degrees towards being alive or dead. Also, when too many fruits are being supported and there are not enough resources to go around, all the fruits suffer. Same with good works. When one is spread too thin, all good acts suffer. This is, of course, a very incomplete and inept summary of this (awesome) analogy.

2) A Muscle is either: Healthy and Fit, weak and flabby, atrophied, or dead.

Same with Faith. It works (so we think) like a muscle. More it is used, the stronger it gets. When it doesn't get used, it starts getting weaker then shrinks then dies. (eventually...I think)

3) Vine:

Sometimes the vine needs to be pruned in order to be able to focus it's resources in order to produce better fruit. Same with us. In order to produce a few excellent good works, sometimes it requires just focusing on those few.

Those were the main analogies we had. We only had two hours but we covered alot! However we didn't go too much into what we meant by good works. Or maybe we did....Anyway, these questions about Faith, Justification, and Sanctification are some of the Cornerstones of Christianity. I hope I never stop learning about them.

Rhapsody on a theme of Rachmaninoff

Rachmaninoff's music is incredible. My friend MKR sums it up by saying, "He's perfect". Especially in his Piano Concertos (#2 and #3 specifically) the music becomes so complexly beautiful, they evoke so many wonderful emotions and give such a sense of hope that nothing I've ever heard can compare with it. For forty minutes I experience ecstacy. And perhaps the most wonderful thing about Rachmaninoff's Piano Concertos is that I can see glimpes of the Divine Love. I suppose the thing I feel is Wonder as defined by Chesterton, "Gratitude mixed with Awe". Nothing seems impossible and eveything is beautiful during those 40 minutes. Of course I haven't heard that much, but he really is and will always be my favorite composer.

What I Learned From Wearing Pink Flip Flops...

In the course of wearing pink flip-flops, I have come to some truths which I would like to briefly present:

1) If you're wearing pink flip-flops, you get odd looks....alot.

2) The reaction that people have towards one's pink flip flops (after the initial weird looks) depends almost entirely upon one's reaction to those weird looks/questions.

3) A lame attempt to hide flops from view will almost certainly illicit snickers and general ridicule of a non-conformist experiment gone too far.

4) An air of nonchalance and total casualness usually produces positive responses ranging from shrugs signifying an acceptance of eccentricity to downright admiration. =]

These being my observations I shall endeavor to list a few things I've learned from wearing pink flip flops.

Everything depends on your reaction to people's reaction.

When buying pink flip flops, the expensive ones are rarely as comfortable as the cheap ones I get in Hong Kong. =]

People are really so conditioned to go with the flow that if you surprise them with something that is out of the ordinary you can pretty much shape what they think of it by letting them know what you think. I myself fall prey to this weakness. I have (I am ashamed to admit) been influenced to think ill of a person I've never met simply by what people have said of that person. Now this is not always bad, only it is very easy to make generalizations and thus you can end up subscribing to falsity rather than reality. All in all, I suggest you try wearing pink flip flops...it makes things just a wee bit more interesting. *wink, wink*

To those who have lost a home in these past few weeks...

My prayers are with you.

Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10th, 1666

Anne Bradstreet

In silent night when rest I took,
For sorrow neer I did not look,
I waken'd was with thundring nois
And Piteous shreiks of dreadfull voice.
That fearfull sound of fire and fire,
Let no man know is my Desire.

I, starting up, the light did spye,
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my Distresse
And not to leave me succourlesse.
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 layd 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 Ruines oft I past,
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,
And here and there the places spye
Where oft I sate, and long did lye.

Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest;
There lay that store I counted best:
My pleasant things in ashes lye,
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sitt,
Nor at thy Table eat a bitt.

No pleasant tale shall 'ere be told,
Nor things recounted done of old.
No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,
Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.
In silence ever shalt thou lye;
Adeiu, Adeiu; All's vanity.

Then streight I 'gin my heart to chide,
And did thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the ske
That dunghill mists away may flie.

Thou hast an house on high erect,
Fram'd by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent though this bee fled.
It's purchased, and paid for too
By him who hath enough to doe.

A Prise so vast as is unknown,
Yet, by his Gift, is made thine own.
Ther's wealth enough, I need no more;
Farwell my Pelf, farewell my Store.
The world no longer let me Love,
My hope and Treasure lyes Above.

Dies Irae

Sooner or later, when you listen to Rachmaninoff, you'll find him quoting this thirteenth century Latin hymn. If you're in the right mind set, the Dies Irae theme can really freak you out. The theme from this Gregorian chant crops up in quite a few places, it shows up in the 9th variation of Rach's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and in his Symphonic Dances, to name a few. It's pretty much talking about the Day of Judgement and eternal punishment if you're not saved. Interestingly enough Mozart (my other favorite composer) also used the text of Dies Irae in the Sequentia segment of his famous Requiem, but wrote different music for it. Here's the text of "Dies Irae": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_Irae

Here's the music for it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlr90NLDp-0

I recommend reading the translation and listening to it at the same time. It's pretty easy to follow.

Although the whole thing is a bit depressing, there is a glimmer of hope in the piece:

Recordare, Jesu pie,
quod sum causa tuæ viæ:
ne me perdas illa die.

This is my favorite line in it. For those of you taking Latin, see if you can read it, if not, you'll find it on the link above, verse 9.

If anyone knows anything more about this, please let me know, I'd love to talk about it. =]