Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Birthday cakes...update

realizing we would never be able to eat this cake...

i made this one.

OMYGOODNESS.

Easy and perfect.

The only change I made was to use cake flour in place of all purpose.

We ate it with freshly whipped cream instead of icing.

OMYGOODNESS. Happy birthday to us. :-)

Monday, April 26, 2010

sidewalk crack


sidewalk crack
Originally uploaded by no. higher
"Who would've thought it but life is finding a way
Through this wasteland of cynics, concrete, and pain
There's a man down here not worried or afraid
That some politician forgot all the promises he made
And he's raising the dreams in the graveyards
Where we've laid down our dead
His name is Hope"


John Mark McMillan

Thursday, April 15, 2010

e.e. cummings

I got an ee cummings book out of the library last week. At first, I thought it was all nonsense, just like a lot of "modern art" that is neither beautiful nor profound. But I was wrong. Some of his work I still don't get. But I'll ascribe that to my lack of diligence in sorting through all the seemingly random parentheses, and not to the poet's lack of sense. Here's a favorite:

I shall imagine life
is not worth dying,if
(and when)roses complain
their beauties are in vain

but though mankind persuades
itself that every weed's
a rose,roses(you feel
certain)will only smile


I love this. Its like even though everyone in the world may "call evil good" and praise what is worthless, that doesn't change the fact that good is good, evil is evil, and a weed will never be a rose.

and this one:

when any mortal (even the most odd)

can justify the ways of man to God
i'll think it strange that normal mortals can

not justify the ways of God to man


That last one reminded me of John Piper saying, "What I feel about God is about as relevant as a broken shutter flapping in the wind." Or a funnier quote, "He is so far above us... we're like ropes on the Good Year blimp." (
Billy Murray about Doctor Marvin in What about Bob?)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

taking a little break

Every year around my birthday, I like to re-read some of my old journals. It reminds me of who I am and where I've been and how faithful God has been. Its like stepping back from an intricate jigsaw puzzle and seeing what you have so far and where you need to focus your attention.

This year one the things that struck me was that I haven't written anything in a really long time. In my journal or on here.

The original purpose of this blog was to get me writing again. Its kinda taken on a life of its own now, which involves very little actual writing. Its become just another way for me to veg out. I don't like it.

Etsy finds aren't real writing and perusing dozens of blogs isn't real reading.

So I've taken a break this week, and have instead spent my time reading actual books and getting back in touch with actual people. Its been nice.

I'm not giving up blogging, but I'm hoping to change the ratio of fluff to writing.

We'll see if that happens...

Saturday, April 3, 2010

He is Risen

One of my favorites:

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.

There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

I used to think as a child that we really should celebrate Good Friday more than Easter, because isn't Jesus dying for us the whole Christian deal?

1 Corinthians 15 tells us why Easter is of the utmost importance to Christians:

"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all"!!!


Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Friday, April 2, 2010

A Bacon Necklace

I'm as much a carnivore as the next red-blooded American
but this necklace, entitled "I love bacon,"
is GROSS:



But I'm not gonna lie, it made me laugh.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Birthday cakes...

Trying to pick a cake for Beefygeek and I (we're both April babies)

This the one time of year I make a cake, so its gotta be pretty ridiculous.

How about this:

Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake



I think I may just eat my screen.

We're gonna need a lot of milk.