mpls...tunisia...italy...mpls

Sarah (our roommate who is a nurse and lives in the basement) has returned to 2520. She returned home after traveling with a good friend to Tunisia and Italy, becoming real tan and eating Gelato multiple times per day. They were visiting another good friend who is living in Tunisia. We missed her a lot so when we came home from church last night, we were so excited to see her backpack by the door and the light on in the basement. It is good to have her back!


Sarah brought these back for us -- tiles from Tunisia! FYI: Tunisia is known for their tiles:


Here's a picture of Sarah giving the Tower of Pisa a hug. She said her hair is tucked behind her ears because she didn't blow dry it.

Remember the 1996 Summer Olympics?

Probably the best Olympics ever. Tonight (12 years later), Steph, Katie and I pulled out the VHS tapes of the women's gymnastics. It's bringing back great memories and tears from some.

Some quotes from watching:
Steph: "I'm getting nervous...I can't watch."
Katie: "I think I'm going to cry." Steph: "Me too."
Steph: "This is like ti-vo...I thought I'd have time for a bathroom break..."

We decided to Google some of the pictures of the girls to see what they look like now. Some of them look so different! Can you name who is who in the current pictures?

then...
Jaycie Phelps, Dominique Moceanu, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes (Awesome Dawesome), Amy Chow, Amanda Borden and Kerri Strug.

now...

steph's commercial

Last night, Steph was telling Lacy about the Desiring God National Conference (post from 2006 conference). She was so excited that it sounded like a commercial. She tried three times on video. We are not sure which one is best (or worst :), so here are all three of Steph's ads:







Which one do you think is the most convincing??

p.s. You can also find more info about the conference at the DG website...

pictures of the pit!!

You're All Invited!

We are excited to announce that we have a new addition to our house! It took hours of hard, strenuous labor, but we finally got our fire pit in. Now it is ready to be enjoyed by all! Consider this your invitation to come over to break it in. We'll probably have fires every night.
Here is a picture with evidence that we worked so hard. Look at all the dirt in the wheelbarrow!
Another picture of us working hard to get the pit in (especially me). Nice smile, Ellie.At one point we dug the pit three feet deep and Ellie got in it to continue digging. She was hoping this might be her secret entrance into Brazil.

*Shout Out*
I want to thank everyone who made this fire pit possible. First, God because he is the giver of all things. Second, my parents. My dad bought the pit, then went out of his comfort zone to bring it all the way to Minneapolis. Third, Ellie and Andrea who did most of the shoveling:) Fourth, Andrea's dad who provided the giant rocks. And finally, Greta, who came over and watched us put it in.

P.S. If you come over, bring some firewood and newspaper!

NBA Finals: Game #6

Ok everybody, get excited.....KG (a.k.a. "the big ticket", or Kevin Garnett) and the Boston Celtics are 3:39 seconds away from winning the 2008 NBA Finals! The score is Boston- 118 to LA- 84.

SJ: Oh, oh...he's so happy! It's so cute! (referring to KG)

(I'm officially going to start "live-blogging" at around the 2min mark, but I had to add that comment)

AF: I'm so happy for him!

SJ: How tall is Kevin Garnett?

EL: I think he's around 7 feet...right??

AF: Yeah, or 6'11"

EL: (after looking it up) he's 6'11".

SJ: He looks taller because he's so skinny.

.............
2:21 left in the game

SJ: I forgot he was called the big ticket.

KH: One hundred twenty-three points! This is like the worst game I have ever seen in my life!

AF: Oh, NO! This is the best game...that's because I have seen game after game after game of KG losing.

SJ: It's because it's a blowout!

AF: Just you wait till you see him after the game.

(TV sound went off for a second)

SJ: Oh, did he swear??

.....
1:52 left in the game

KH: C'mon Lakers...catch up! Is there a 10 pointer??

SJ: Yee-ah!

AF: How do you write that?? YEE-AH

SJ: Boo-ya...alley oop!

KH: Did they put all their B-string players in??

SJ: I don't think they have "B-string" players.

.....
1:04 left in the game

KH: This is just embarrassing for the Lakers...seriously to lose by that much in the final game....41 point difference, oh wait, 42 point difference. No ones even cheering.

AF: AWW!

SJ: Andrea, I'm happy for you...I am, this means a lot to you!

KH: OK, a little premature...you still have 30 seconds to play (after the gatorade was dumped on the Celtics coach.)
..............
26.7 left in the game

EL: Guys! 19 seconds left

KH: And they're running the clock down

SJ: YAY!!

AF: This is so exciting!!

SJ: Wait for it! Oh, this is so cool...I love sports!

KH: Wait, was that a leprechaun??

AF: Well they are the Celtics.

SJ: Are celtics Irish??

AF: Oh yeah, Celtics=Leprechaun

..........
Celtics WON game! (131-92)
...........

AF What are they doing??

SJ: He's crying!

AF: Oh, look at him. I knew he was going to be happy! I've been waiting for 8 years for this moment!

.......KG is being interviewed........

AF: He talks like our neighbors!

SJ: His method of communicating is obviously yelling!

SJ: I bet Jesse's really happy!

from the south

Katie and I are in Louisville, Kentucky for the New Attitude Conference and we are going to be exhibiting for Desiring God at the conference. I have been so excited to come, both for the conference and to see Courtney, who used to live at 2520. We are at Courtney's house right now and Courtney, Katie and I have been sitting on her couch for about the last hour because we saw a mouse. Donald (Courtney's boyfriend) just arrived and is setting traps. He just found two dead mice in the traps that he set under the sink. This is serious. Besides the mouse and getting sick on the first flight, it has been a good trip so far! It has been great to hang out with Courtney -- we all miss her so much. One of the many things I miss about her is her daily routine.

evening:
Download podcasts to Ipod
Get coffee ready in the filter for morning
Get ready for bed
Crawl into the top bunk
Read
Crawl down and go to the bathroom
Get back up into bed and immediately shut the light off
Sleep

morning:
Get up
Turn on the coffee pot
Shower
Hair and Make-up while listening to Ipod with cup of coffee sitting on sink (Burts Bees and cell phone always close by)
Morning devotions
Breakfast (cereal) -- either at the table or standing in the kitchen
Prepare lunch to take to work
Get dressed (in the closet) with clothes that had been picked out earlier
Run out the door immediately after getting dressed

You could count on this routine happening in the same order each day. Courtney tells us that her routine now differs from what it was at 2520. We miss you a lot and a lot and many things about you, Courtney!

Oh my goodness...Donald just told us that their are baby mice and many....ahhhhh... And he is making the "humane" traps "less humane." If you know what I mean. Abraham would be proud.

from what i've gathered...

guys like david letterman better and girls like jay leno better.

agree? disagree?

awkwardness....

I have one question:

Is awkwardness just a perception, or is it a reality?

26 things you may or may not know about steph

1. loves hockey
2. went to norwegian and korean culture camp as a child
3. in HS, went to choir class early to take her friend, Angela's chair
4. bakes a lot
5. plays on a girl's softball team
6. didn't notice the fishy tasting water last month because as she said, she "doesn't really drink water."
7. has had braces twice, one root canal, cap, and wisdom teeth pulled
8. does not like hot weather
9. has a brother living in australia
10. became a christian in high school
11. went to chipotle three times in one day when they were giving away burritos
12. graduated from the u of mn with a major in family social science
13. loves swedish fish
14. was a swimmer in high school
15. wears contacts and does not own a pair of glasses
16. would rather stay in a hotel than in a tent
17. has two brothers and one sister
18. is a small group mentor
19. grew up in shoreview, mn
20. loves it when 9pm rolls around because that means free cell phone minutes
21. was left on a doorstep as a baby
22. has worked at starbucks, great clips and family dentistry
23. the drink she is most likely to order at starbucks is an americano
24. usual grocery store purchases: a couple apples, two little things of yogurt, reduced fat cheez-its, bag of pretzels, pasta, soup -- and that's about it.
25. is a great roommate
26. can't parallel park to save her life

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH!!!!!!!!
(May 10th)

special week!

This is National Nurses Week 2008. And there are two nurses living in our house - Sarah and Lacy! I found an exciting website that allows you to send an e-card to a nurse. If you would like to bless our roommate, Sarah, please go to this link: Nursing World and click on view the e-card. The link for the e-card is: E-Card. Sarah's email is: sarahkron@comcast.net. Some of you who know Sarah know that this is not her main email, but she didn't want me to post it. So, if you know her real email, you can send it there.

please help

As most of you know, Ellie is planning to go to Brazil as a missionary to the deaf. However, there has been a slight hang-up in the process. And we are asking for your help. We've been brainstorming about what to do. We've been thinking that she pretty much has two options: 1. apply for a volunteer VISA or 2. Get ordained and re-apply for the missionary VISA. Neither of the two afore-mentioned options are ideal for Ellie. You can read her blog if you want to know more about why the volunteer option is not best. And she does not feel adequate to be ordained. So, as we were discussing this dilemma this afternoon, a brilliant thought entered my head. It is option number 3. and obviously the easiest and best. She needs to find a husband. Not just any husband, but one who wants to get ordained. Oh yeah, and move to Brazil. The good thing is that we know a whole batch of candidates who could potentially fulfill this role. Perfect. So if you could just help us by picking the best one out and sending him Ellie's way. What a great way you can minister to Ellie. She is open.

Here is a picture of Ellie:


In all seriousness, please pray for Ellie during this VISA obtaining process. Please pray that God would give her wisdom in choosing the right husband (KIDDING). We do ask that you would pray for wisdom for Ellie and for the hearts of the people at the Consulate who will be accepting or denying her VISA. We know that it is in the Lord's hands and that he is able to do all things well and knows the best time-frame.

is 'important' subjective?

A recent phone call from a 2520 girl to 911:

"Hi, this is not an emergency but I think it's important..."

We've been duped!

Our boss, Mike Tong, who we consider to be full of wisdom and insight when it comes to all procedures in the office has always told us that we use Library shipping...not Media. We are obviously not a library. However, even though Library Rate is a strange name for a shipping method we thought that it was named that because it is slow. You know, libraries are quiet and therefore slow. So the shipping is slow too. Makes sense, right?
So, when we got these notes, we laughed and laughed and thought the postal workers were crazy. Maybe it was the "new guy" that wrote the note.
We confess now that we were slightly wrong because we had the wrong definition of what Library Rate was. We equated Library for Media. This error has been corrected by Lukas Naugle. But, DG is also considered an educational institution which qualifies us for Library Rate.
So, now the funny part is that the post office was still wrong and Library Rate is not just for libraries. We think it's still ok to laugh.

library shipping.

Two packages of books were returned to work last week. The packages had been sent out 'library rate' (meaning the cheapest method of shipping with the USPS -- nothing to do with libraries). There was a note attached to the returned package. Apparently there is a USPS employee who is not aware of the meaning of library rate because the note said: "To qualify for library rate the parcel must be going to or coming from a library."

Interesting.
Funny.

when forgetfulness is a bad thing --

Yesterday I read Exodus 16 which is a story of the Israelites complaints to the LORD. Only two chapters earlier, I had read: "The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left." And only two chapters before that, in 12:27, I had read: "...for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses."

I can't imagine experiencing anything like the Passover or dry ground in the middle of a large sea! How could they go from the chapter 12 and 14 experiences to grumbling in chapter 16? Did they forget what the LORD had done?

But a lot of the time, I'm as forgetful as they were. I read verses like Ephesians 2:4-5 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ" or "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" How can I know Jesus and experience his love and still grumble? How can I read verses like these and two minutes later grumble about crummy weather or plans that don't go my way?

free cone day!!

Ben & Jerry's is serving free ice cream today (April 29, 2008)! I guess this year is the 30th anniversary of free cone day. You should go!!

Weird or Talented? Or Maybe Both.

what's happening at 2520?

Of course some of the same things continue to happen near or at 2520 -- such as frequent and strikingly obvious drug deals and our oven's temperature rising to 500 degrees on it's own (only when I make cupcakes). It's happened many times. I don't know why, but our oven hates the combination of me and cupcakes. Other than that...

The other night we had to call the police. I think we were even more justified than normal. Usually our calls are for the average drug deal, loud music or because the door from the abandoned house next door is being stolen. But not this time. We were coming home from small group and Steph and I couldn't find a parking spot -- partially because of our crowded street and partially because of a lack of parallel parking skill. We decided to park behind our garage. As soon as we pulled up to the garage we heard 3 or 4 really loud gun shots. They sounded close. A few seconds later 3 guys ran right behind our car. They were running fast. Needless to say, it made our hearts race and we immediately called the police and told them in a quivering voice what had just happened. I think it is probably one of my scariest moments in the Phillips thus far. The story kind of loses momentum after that because we never found out what really happened.

And that night was the first night our new roommate, Lacy moving in. So yes, we have a new roommate and she experienced hearing the gun shots on her first night. She is in Ellie's old room. It's no longer purple, but peach. We are happy to have her here! Lacy works with Sarah at the hospital and is just as granola or maybe more so than Sarah is. There are lots of other great things about Lacy. Hopefully you will be able to meet her :)

Along with Lacy's arrival came a couch. Now we are well furnished in our living room area, and actually have to get rid of some things. Part of the reason we have so much furniture is because Kin Mily let us down and did not collect the desk he lied about wanting. Anyway, our next step for our living room is organizing the furniture...not an easy task with our awkward shaped room.

We would also like to welcome Mr. & Mrs. Haas to the Internet. Thanks for reading our blog. And sorry that Katie did not tell you about the gun shots. If you want to leave a comment, please feel free.

On Monday nights we have been having a time of prayer for the Phillips area. It has been an encouragement to pray with other believers. If you live in the area and want to come, let us know!

AND this summer Katie is planning to go on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. We are excited. Ellie is going to Brazil when she gets her remaining support and her VISA. If you think of it, pray that her VISA would come through. It is in somewhat of a delay. Also, Sarah is going to Tunisia, Italy and some other places...

Steph had an exciting day today. She had her teeth cleaned this morning and it was the first time in her life that her teeth were cavity-free. Those of you who have never had many cavities probably do not understand how wonderful this news really is.

****Ding Ding Ding**** it's time for a QUIZ! Which paragraph above was NOT written by Andrea? And who do you think wrote it?

Something's kind of "fishy" around here, part 2

So, the title is somewhat misleading because this post has nothing to do with the water situation in Minneapolis. This post is about something else kind of "fishy"...

I recently posted my desk on Craigslist.com to be sold. I received a few emails from individuals requesting more information and expressing interest in the desk. My policy is to respond to the first person to express interest, then pursue other people if that person doesn't work out.

This time the email was from a "KinMily" who expressed sincere interest in the desk and said that he/she for sure wanted to buy it. I pursued this contact and after a few emails exchanged this "Kin" said that he/she would send a check and have some movers come pick it up from me. At this point my warning flags went up and I said that I wasn't sure if that would be ok. That I would prefer having face-to-face contact with "Kin". They assured me that the check was already in the mail and that everything would be fine.

I was out of town when the check arrived and I had Andrea open it. When she opened it she told me that the amount on the check was $2800.00 from a PickaRestaurant.com. Now I was really sure that this was a scam. I emailed KinMily back and said that I was not comfortable with that amount of money coming through my account and that I was unwilling to cash it. They responded saying that they had purchased other items in the area and so the extra money was for the movers and was because there were multiple items needing to be picked up. They sent the address that I was to wire the money to, the "movers", who happened to be an individual in California. At this point I was certain it was a fraudulent check and began trying to contact the company PickaRestaurant.com. I never got through to this alleged company, but got through to the bank listed on the check. As soon as I mentioned who the check was from, the customer service agent said "Oh, let me guess, the check is for too much and they want you to wire the money back to someone??" She said, "Yep, that's a scam!"

Needless to say, I filled out an internet scam report with the FBI and sent an email to KinMily advising him/her of this action. I'm still not sure where the scam actually is, if it's the company PickaRestaurant.com, or if it's this individual. Maybe we'll never know, but it sure is fun getting to the bottom of something like this. I mean, growing up I always wanted to be an FBI or CIA agent, maybe I missed my calling in life!

Or, maybe this whole "missionary" thing is just a cover!

Something's kind of "fishy" around here!

Here's the scoop...



Certain members of this house believe, or are convinced, that the Minneapolis water has begun smelling and tasting "fishy"! The others in the house agree that something is "different" about it, but wouldn't go as far as to say it is "fishy". The really "fishy" thing about this whole matter is what is causing this taste/odor?


One theory is that there are "a million dead fish" in the Minneapolis wells (p.s. I'm pretty sure that Minneapolis water is not well water!)

This is really the only theory posed thus far. We are seeking other opinions on the matter, but are seeking, above all, the TRUTH!! If any of you other Minneapolis-city-dwellers has information, or opinions, please don't keep us in suspense!

A belated birthday post for Sarah

We were in much turmoil regarding the birthday post for Sarah. Her birthday this year was on Easter and we didn't know if it would be appropriate to post about Sarah on such a significant day as Easter. So, that's why it's a belated birthday post.

Here are some of our favorite memories of Sarah (not in any particular order):

1. Sailing.

2. Blue Nile (x2).

3. Her laughing until she was crying.

4. Cleaning out the fridge.

5. Head dancing.

6. Stuffing grapes in her mouth.

7. Granola.

8. Asking if the ice cream was vanilla based at Culvers.

9. Watching movies.

10. Covering our tracks so that she didn't know we slept in her bed.

p.s. the above reason, appropriateness of posting, also applies to why we didn't post for Andrea (her birthday is on Christmas)

pi day

So apparently 3/14/08 was Pi Day. Here is a little excerpt from Wikipedia:

Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day are two holidays held to celebrate the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in American date format), due to π being equal to roughly 3.14. Sometimes it is celebrated on March 14 at 1:59 p.m. (commonly known as Pi Minute). If π is truncated to seven decimal places, it becomes 3.1415926, making March 14 at 1:59:26 p.m., Pi Second (or sometimes March 14, 1592 at 6:53:58 a.m.). Pi Approximation Day may be observed on any of several dates, most often July 22 (22/7 (European date format) is a popular approximation of π). March 14 also happens to be Albert Einstein's birthday.

Our friend, Greta is an enthusiastic pi day celebrater and baked us a pie with fruit and sugar and other wonderful things. She brought it over to our house unexpectedly. What a treat/grand surprise. Thank you Greta!!

ping-pong...

Tonight we (K & A) were talking to a friend (T) about playing ping-pong at BBC. First we studied up on ping-pong by looking up the definition at dictionary.com:

2. "to go back and forth; change rapidly or regularly; shift; bounce"

So we decided we didn't even need a ping-pong table to do it....we could use our words. It seemed fitting to start with the word "ping-pong" and we went back and forth rapidly and regularly shouting out the next word that came to mind. I think we are ready for the real ping-pong season! Here is a re-cap:

Ping-pong
Janitors at Bethlehem
Clean Freaks
Kitchen Fridge
Smelly
Feet
Toes
Steph
Funny
Comedian
Bryan Reagan
Jason Calcote
Small group leader
Small group
Brownies
Table
Antiques
Grandpa
Harmonicas
Trent Burns
Sorry
Sarah Kron
Unashamed
Boat
Gloucester
Meg & Aaron
Friends
Gabe & Julia
ASK class
Pastor David Livingston
House by Piper's
Talitha
Hairspray
Aerosol can
My hair
Greasy
Fast food
French fries
France
Oui
Pronunciation
Frustration
Tupperware

what comes next according to you??

fun with O.

Happy Leap Year Everyone!

In honor of leap year, our boss at DG (that is Katie & Andrea's boss) Mike Tong decided we should celebrate since this day comes along only once every four years. So at 4pm we leaped. After watching the youtube videos of two remote employees who took part in the event, everyone in the office took turns lining up at the starting tape. We were not allowed to make any running starts (much to our dismay because that's the way we practiced). Each person leaped twice in a row and the one who went the furthest won a $15 Chipotle gift card. Here's Jon Bloom (not the winner):



If you want to see videos of any of the other contestants, let us know.

Here are the results and the youtube links (in an email from Mike):

Thank you everyone who came out today – the event was a great success! No one got hurt (except Andrea in pre-event training) and we even had entries from Dan and Jeff.

Here are the final results (from the nicest try to the furthest leap):

11’11” Kate Martin

13’7” Katie Haas

13’11” John Knight

14’1” Sarah

14’11” Seth Magnuson and Jon Bloom

(They jumped together, holding hands for safety)

15’ Andrea Froehlich

16’8” Dan Brendsel

17’11” Tyler Kenney

18’1” Peter Melling

23’3” Jeff McFadden

(You be the judge)

Congratulations, Peter! Thanks for showing us that if we really believe in our dreams, we can LEAP as high as the sky!

Mike Tong

Leap Day Event Coordinator

www.desiringGod.org/LeapForJoy/

random assortment of thoughts...

Yes, the blog still exists.

It has been a while since I have posted, so I will go ahead and give it a go.

So many things have been going on in the 2520 house. Ellie is in Colorado for training before she leaves for Brazil. We miss you, Ellie! The house isn't quite the same without you. Your room looks...well...clean. Katie is leaving for Boston on March 6th and will visit Meg and Aaron. I am a little jealous. I really like Boston. I hope that she has a fun and refreshing time with them! Sarah was at her cabin this past weekend, and we are awaiting her return. She has been knitting a ton in the past couple of months. This hobby has just re-surfaced. Andrea is taking piano lessons this semester and has graced us with her piano playing. Quite good. I can hum along to some of the songs. I finally quit my job at Starbucks and have started working for my dad at the office. It has been good. So far.

I have recently picked up the book, When People Are Big, and God is Small and really love it! This book talks about overcoming the fear of man and people pleasing. It is really good. If you haven't read it--READ IT! This book is probably one of the most helpful books I have ever read.

Ohh! Sarah is HOME!!

That's all. Hope everyone is doing well. Don't forget to comment. :)

(The picture was taken when Courtney came to visit.)

Isaiah 6

Man. We have not posted in a while.

At the fall youth retreat, Kempton (the new youth pastor at BBC) preached some great messages on Isaiah 6. Here is one of them. You should listen to it...

message!!

"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY!"

in honor of katie haas on her birthday.

Katrina!! We love you so much. It has been such a blessing to become closer to you over the past year - as a friend, roommate, coworker, sister in Christ, dance dance revolution and singing partner, fellow model (see pictures below), partner "calling the cops in the middle of the night," purchaser of brown mary-jane crocs, camper, movie star, member of costco, learner of fighter verses, student at theological foundations and U of MN, broomball player, youth group mentor, retreat go-er, pranker (brownies, cars, ridgewood and such)...

You are such an encouragement to us in so many ways. And we are so grateful that you were born :) (cheesy...or corny?) Really. We are though. AND glad that you moved into 2520. We were all pretty sad when Courtney moved out, but the Lord is so gracious and good in allowing you to move in. From the day you moved in, it has been obvious that you belong here.

One more thing. Your diverse interests such as smiling and laughing have brought us to the knowledge that we should also add them to our facebook interests.

February 1st, 1984 a wee lass was born into the Haas family of Hugo, MN. Look how far she has come now...

2007.

so...we realized that we wrote this a long time ago, but never posted it so here it is!

2007 has come and gone. Wow. We have decided to reflect back on this year and all that God has done.

Favorites:
-fall retreat with kempton
-meeting new friends (you know who you are)
-katie moving in!
-senior high weekend at camp shetek
-junior high camp (for andrea)
-sailing on sarah's boat
-dominican republic and cameroon trips
-ellie becoming an official missionary
-andrea starting her new job at dg and quitting her old job at the state
-weddings (aaron and meg, joe and sarah, bryan and alicia, sterling and emily, mike and katie)
-new years eve service
-seeing nieces and nephews (for katie and andrea)
-hedstrom's adopting their children
-pete and jess getting engaged!
-winning bets with steph
-sarah's bed
-dg conference and cdg conference
-meeting cj mahaney and getting our picture taken with him!
-seeing friends who have moved away (you know who you are)
-seeing russ (brother) home for thanksgiving (for steph)

screwtape letters by c.s. lewis

I have been reading this book and sometimes Katie and I read together and discuss it. Each chapter of the book is a letter from a demon (Screwtape) to his nephew tempter (Wormwood). Screwtape gives advice on how to tempt the "patient." Reading it has made me think more about ways in which I am often tempted and made me think about the need to fight harder against sin. Here are a couple quotes from two different letters:

"You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy. It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape."

"Remember he is not, like you, a pure spirit. Never having been a human (oh, that abominable advantage of the Enemy's!) you don't realise how enslaved they are to the pressure of the ordinary. I once had a patient, a sound atheist, who used to read in the British Museum. One day, as he sat reading, I saw a train of thought in his mind beginning to go the wrong way. The Enemy, of course, was at his elbow in a moment. Before I knew where I was I saw my twenty years' work beginning to totter. If I had lost my head and begun to attempt a defence by argument, I should have been undone. But I was not such a fool. I struck instantly at the part of the man which I had best under my control, and suggested that it was just about time he had some lunch. The Enemy presumably made the counter-suggestion (you know how one can never quite overhear what He says to them?) that this was more important than lunch. At least I think that must have been His line, for when I said, 'Quite. In fact much too important to tackle at the end of a morning,' the patient brightened up considerably; and by the time I had added 'Much better come back after lunch and go into it with a fresh mind,' he was already halfway to the door. Once he was in the street the battle was won. I showed him a newsboy shouting the midday paper, and a No. 73 bus going past, and before he reached the bottom of the steps I had got into him an unalterable conviction that, whatever odd ideas might come into a man's head when he was shut up alone with his books, a healthy dose of 'real life' (by which he meant the bus and the newsboy) was enough to show him that all 'that sort of thing' just couldn't be true. He knew he'd had a narrow escape, and in later years was fond of talking about 'that inarticulate sense for actuality which is our ultimate safeguard against the aberrations of mere logic.' He is now safe in Our Father's house."

happy. birthday. ellie.

It's a day late but I wanted to wish Ellie a very happy 25th birthday!!! I am so grateful for Ellie and the wonderful friend she has been to me and to countless others. Here are a few of many things I love about Ellie...

- Will not give up easily.

- Sometimes knows what I'm thinking without me even saying a single thing.

- Is able to memorize other people's credit card numbers and passwords (I'm impressed but don't exactly like the fact that she knows my password).

- Very willing to listen and help me through little or big things going on in life.

- Does not hesitate to help out...even driving down to Rochester and staying awake all night last summer at the hospital.

- Is the one who will figure out how to fix something that I think is impossible (like my bed!)

- Speaks hard truth and asks good questions.

- She loves Jesus and has a heart for God to be glorified and for deaf people to know him.

- Willing to eat gross and crazy things just because she was dared to.

- Dominates at Dance Dance Revolution.

- Did not get angry when I jumped on her bed to wake her up and broke it.

- Taught me how to make granola and many other food items and is the go-to person when it comes to cooking/baking questions.

Happy Birthday Ellie. You are old now.

just for clarification

because a couple people wondered...that "hot runner" is our friend andy and his wife is the one who suggested that title.

:)

hot runner spotted.

bethlehem fighter verse for this week:

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

fun at the vitullo's

A couple weeks ago after the Bethlehem Christmas concert we went over to the Vitullo's house to hang out with them and say goodbye to Molly, Abraham and Orison (we miss you guys)! When we walked in they were playing a fun little game called the "water shot glass game"...or something like that. The point of the game is to drink all the water in the six glasses the fastest. Some were better at it than others...

bomb diggidy and larps.

Name the objects of these pictures:




For new years eve we went out to P.F. Changs for dinner/birthday. We had orange peel chicken, Mongolian beef, fried rice, and of course Chang's spicy chicken. Oh, we also had lettuce wraps. they were the best. (Katie said they were the bomb diggidy, but that we should say something more grown up, like "best"). Boring. Anyways, after dinner we hung out at home for a while and Greta came over. We had so much fun and we spoke to one another in wonderful accents. Sarah showed us some of her Christmas presents. One of them is an awesome snuggle wrap (it's a sleeping bag zip-up to wear). You should come see it and try it on. It's so soft and warm. She went to her cabin and said we could wear it while she is gone as long as we treat it with care. Her bed is also a free for all. Oh, and the housemates gave Andrea a super cool stove-top popcorn maker and a really cool wallet from fossil (with a cool bag). At 10:45pm we went to the communion service at Bethlehem. It was such a great church service. We sang so many great songs and heard testimonies and Pastor Sam Crabtree gave a wonderful message. It was a great way to spend new years. we were at church until around 12:30 then went home. A few of us decided to play a couple rounds of scattergories. It was going pretty well with no controversy. but then one of us got confused over one of the categories (it was late - around 2:30 am). Anyhow, the letter was "L" and the category was "musical instrument." Player number 1 said lyre, player number 2 said lute and we were a little confused when player number 3 confidently said "larp." She's not sure exactly what it is and neither are we. We asked if she meant harp, but she said that was not what she was thinking of. She said "It's a larp and a lyre!" We laughed for about 10 minutes straight.

p.s. We looked up Larp on Google and it's an acronym for "Live Action Role Playing." Clearly not a musical instrument. Needless to say, she didn't get a point for it.

p.p.s. Can you identify the pictures above without googling? Clue: One is a lyre, one is a lute and one is a larp...

Khaki shorts...in winter??

we were driving back to DG after lunch today and saw a man standing waiting for the light to change so he could cross the street. he was dressed in khaki cargo shorts (of course he had a shirt and shoes and socks on too)!! as we were also waiting for the same light to change, we couldn't help but notice how cold he was...he looked miserable. he had in his hand a Chipotle bag and a soft drink (presumably from Chipotle). we had a few theories as to why he would have ventured out into the outdoors attired thus (we gave him the benefit of the doubt in assuming there must have been a legitimate reason...not pure craziness).

Our theories were:

1.) he was a selfless, sacrificing boyfriend/fiance/husband who was running out to get Chipotle for a hungry girlfriend/fiance/wife and being so self-sacrificing didn't even think about postponing the errand in thinking of his own comfort.

2.) he was playing DDR (or participating in some other form of recreation) and so was warm/hot/sweaty when he left his abode...he didn't realize how cold it was outside until he had completed his errand and was again in the outdoors.

3.) he started off with khaki pants of the zip-off variety, but because he was holding Chipotle he was attacked by two ferocious Chihuahuas who, because they couldn't reach the Chipotle bag, grabbed his pants instead and proceeded to rip off the bottom portion of the pants.

"I mean, if you're going to wear shorts in winter at least wear cool ones...like basketball shorts!"

how many grapes can you fit in your mouth?

thoughts...

1. Imagine all the people in the world.
2. Then imagine how many people there have been from creation until now.
3. Each one is an unique individual. Everyone has a unique personality and physical appearance. That is billions upon billions of unique people displaying unique aspects of God's image.
4. Humans are just one small part of his creation.
5. What an amazing God.
6. When interacting with others and thinking how we might serve them, we should remember that each person, whether it's your roommate, co-worker, neighbor, waitress, tax-lady, mail-carrier, homeless man on the corner or politician, they are all created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him male and female he created them.

Colossians 1:15-20

Jesus is the exact image of the invisible God and makes it possible for us to see God's nature. (Heb. 1:3, 2 Cor. 4:4, Phil. 2:6, John 1:18, Ex. 33:20, I Tim. 1:17). Jesus is the firstborn of all creation and existed before anything or anybody else. Before there was an earth, men, ants or air, Jesus existed and he has always been (Ps. 89:27, Jn. 1:1). By Jesus ALL things were created. Everything in heaven was created by him. And everything on earth. He created all that is visible, whether Gerber daisies, fingernails or colors, he created it . And he created oxygen, music, wind, souls and everything else invisible. He created every throne, every dominion, every ruler and every authority. He created authority roles and every mother, father, governor, pastor or king who fills those roles (Rom. 13:1). All things were created through Jesus and all things were created for Jesus. Everything was created and exists to bring glory to Jesus. Whether marriage, people, music, animals, clothes, books, clouds or learning, Jesus is the purpose for all things. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. Jesus holds together rubber bands, fifteen story buildings, computer networks, tree bark on every tree in the jungles of Africa, or in the cities China or on the farms in Minnesota, Jesus is holding them together. Jesus holds marriages, families and relationships together. He holds together the billions of stars in the milky way galaxy (Ps. 147:4). And he holds together the entire solar system which is huge beyond our imagination. He holds together every toe, hair follicle, intestine, heart and blood cell. Just like our physical bodies wouldn't survive without Jesus, the church body would be dead and worthless without Christ as the head...and not only is Jesus The image of the invisible God, Firstborn of all creation, Creator of all things (visible, invisible, in heaven and on earth), The reason for everything that was created, Before all things, Holding all things together, Head of the body, the church, The beginning, The firstborn from the dead, Preeminent in everything...but he also made peace by the blood of his cross. AMAZING. Eph. 2:12-14...having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility"

He is amazing beyond words. He is beautiful beyond any part of nature or person we think is beautiful. He is far more precious than anything we hold dear. What we call valuable is not worth comparing to the value of Jesus (Phil. 3:7-8). He is greater than any person we deem great - whether it's because they preach great sermons, write theological books, love others really well, display humility, love Jesus, are musically talented, smart, on the mission field, persecuted or even died for Christ - no matter how great or humble they may seem, no one even comes close to comparing with Jesus.

colgate, crest, aquafresh=our friends

the topic of teeth and brushing them is quite common at 2520. one reason is that two of the girls living here are daughters of dentists. another reason the topic comes up frequently is because some of the girls living here have had many problems, including many cavity fillings, root canals, teeth pulled, braces (not only once but a second time). the many procedures are not due to lack of good oral hygeine. it is because of soft tooth enamel.

those are not the only reasons for the discussion of teeth. over the last couple years, there have been a few instances with some friends who do not take brushing as serisouly as we do. even though all three have been guys, i think they take hair brushing more seriously than teeth brushing. the three will remain nameless unless they choose to disclose their identity.

a couple years ago friend number 1 stated that he brushes his teeth only in the morning. i thought this was weird, but i thought it was good that he at least brushed his teeth in the morning before interacting with others.

but last week friend number 2 confessed to only brushing at night! first time i had ever heard of that. i thought the only time anyone ever went without brushing their teeth in the morning would be if they forgot or somehow lost their toothbrush. but even in the case of not having a toothbrush i thought one would scrub toothpaste on the teeth with fingers. he thought it was completely normal to only brush at night.

tonight friend number 3 said he also rarely brushes his teeth in the morning. he thinks eating breakfast gets rid of bad breath. he acted like it is completely normal to only brush once a day - only at night. (And he is married...both friends number 1 and 2 are unmarried. we thought maybe that was the reason for the lack of oral hygiene...). so that hypothesis has been disproven. maybe it's a gender thing?

for the last two years i've thought friend number one was the strange one and for the last week that friend number 2 was also, but now i've started wondering if we (2520) are the weird ones...

hence the poll.

awkward. to the max.

1. We have had more awkward moments than we have bargained for.
2. "The book, the book" experience with Joshua Harris. That was awkward.
3. Dancing in a four-some at a wedding last year.
4. Getting told that you are one of the two most awkward people they've met.
5. Grocery store hand-shake experience and getting "caught for stealing" right afterwards.
6. Taking an out-of-town guest to the Halal Market thinking it would suite her grocery needs. She tried to explain before going in that we should probably go somewhere else, but it seemed like the best option and closest to home.
7. Driving away from the gas station without paying.
8. Mistakenly bumping forehead into friend's chin while standing up to give him a hug.
9. Saran-wrapping own car to cover-up tracks. It was a decoy.
10. A prank gone wrong in someone's apartment. We focused so much on getting the key and getting in that we hadn't thought of a plan once we got in. Awkward when they came home and we were just sitting in the living room. This was a long time ago.
11. Eagerly stating "I've always wanted to go to China too!"--after a male friend had told of his desire to serve there long-term.
12. Deciding and announcing that she wanted to be a specific married woman's "understudy"! (not realizing what that word meant)
13. Saying "Me and my friends were out gang-banging last night..." Thinking that gang-banging meant "hanging out"!

Sarah wants to have an awkward scale to rank each others' awkwardness and awkward situations. Obviously she would never be on the top. As a matter of fact neither would Katie or Ellie.

Prayer

This morning I listened to one of Russell Moore's podcasts (CDT, I can't mention him without thinking of you, "HI!") on Hebrews 4:14-5:10 which starts out as:

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need..."

Amazing words. We can go before the God of the universe with confidence because of Jesus Christ. Dr. Moore said so many great things about this text and I'm not even going to try to summarize what he said, but one thing I was thinking about is prayer, specifically for missionaries. Through prayer we can be a part of what God is doing globally. So, this is just an encouragement to be confident before the Lord and pray boldly for missionaries and that the Lord would do amazing things through them for the kingdom's sake. And not only for missionaries, but humbly and boldly approach the throne of grace about everything.

p.s. Since the topic is prayer...If you think of it, please pray for Ellie (she is sick) and for my brother, Michael (he is having surgery next week because his appendix burst).

A "Random" post from Scotch Banyon

I was given permission to take hold of the 2520 blogspot reins and write on a topic of my choosing. I have decided that I will use this opportunity to write about an issue close to my heart. The shortage of new movies showcasing puppetry, and more specifically, puppetry of the muppet variety. While many of us can remember the '99 movie "Muppets From Space" starring the timeless Gonzo, it has been far too long since the Hollywood Machine has taken up the strings and produced another blockbusting muppet epic. Those fat cats out in S. Cali are just gorging themselves on their bowls of milk and fancy feast, paid in full by mind numbingly dull films about rock stars and real life drama starring actual human beings. Who wants to see a docudrama about the the Bay of Pigs fiasco when you can actually have a leading role played by an actual pig? Well a pig made out of felt and foam, but whatever. And hasn't the world seen enough rom coms with meg ryan and tom hanks? Give me Miss Piggy and her Kermie any day. And on that note, this has been the first and last post that I will ever be allowed to do. I apologize to everyone in advance.

- Scotch