lexington. thoroughbred park. night. pictures.
expect macros perhaps saturday.
thoroughbred park
Death is but crossing the world
Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they needs must be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass, they see face to face; and their converse is free, as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal.
– William Penn, Quoted in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
12 july dragonflies
Decided to actually use the camera again today.
cats and cars
a couple of shots from this weekend.
40% off on the Fourth
I bought a new Bible today. Several years ago I found a Bible that was bound in a soft leather – one of those special edition things that was out a few years before it would be cool. I didn’t get it, but have searched high and low (well… not really that high or low) to find one since.
Little did I know that my opportunity would come today.
Lifeway Christian stores were having a promotion today – 40% off of any one item on the Fourth of July, if you had a coupon. My family and I drove over to see if there was anything we couldn’t live without, and the best thing we could come up with to get was a Bible.
While we took advantage of the promotion, I will admit that the entire idea of the sale struck a bit of a nerve with me. When, outside of a marketing ploy, did a Christian bookstore decide that the nation’s birthday was an event worthy enough of recognition that it merited a sale? Do Christian bookstores in Mexico offer a 16% off sale on the 16th of September?
I don’t necessarily blame Lifeway – I think their marketing campaign was intelligently directed at a group of people who equate patriotism with being “a good Christian”. What I do question, however, is this assertion that somehow says that if we’re not out waving flags on the Fourth, that somehow God loves us less, or that we’re not really as Godly as the people who are, or, really, that we’re somehow less patriotic than the next guy.
What I truly wish is that we as Christians would examine our marriage (on the whole) with a narrow political ideology, and that we would evaluate it in the context of Christ’s teaching and mission, and that, if necessary, we would consider a divorce.
Houston Butterfly Center
Last weekend Katie and I got to go to the Butterfly center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. ‘Twas a bit dark, but still a rather nice time.
Paul Simon
Congratulations to Paul Simon, who recently won the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. I’ve long said that I consider Paul Simon to be the second greatest American Songwriter (after Bob Dylan), though in terms of longevity Simon has him beat. PBS aired a show tonight that was basically a tribute concert to Simon and his body of work. If you can watch it as a re-run over the next couple of days, I would highly recommend it. There are several great performances, in my opinion topped off by Alison Krauss singing “Graceland”. Though I’ve posted the lyrics here before, they’ve been echoing through my head the past several days, and, especially as we focus on forgiveness here this week, I feel it’s fitting to post some here yet again.
And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you’re blown apart
Everybody feels the wind blow
In Graceland, in Graceland
I’m going to Graceland
For reasons I cannot explain
There’s some part of me wants to see
Graceland
And I may be obliged to defend
Every love, every ending
Or maybe there’s no obligations now
Maybe I’ve a reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland
quick macros
a couple of quick macros from this weekend.
today i resolve – part six – not to make excuses.
Today I resolve not to make excuses.
When I am wrong,
I will admit it as soon as I can.
I will not blame my mistakes on others.
I will not pretend my choices are not my own.
I will recognize that I am not perfect,
and will not pretend to be better than I am.
As far as possible, I will be honest,
not denying what I have done
or imagining what I haven’t,
I will own the consequences of my actions,
instead of justifying them.
today i resolve – part five – to listen better
Today I resolve to listen better.
I will not simply hear the words people speak, but endeavor to bring them into my heart.
I will wait until people finish speaking before I start to talk.
I will not give unwanted advice.
I will do my best to remember
that people feel what they have to say matters,
and they wouldn’t say it otherwise.
As such, I will not discount people’s words as unimportant or trivial.
Rather, I will try to listen not only to what people say,
but also what they mean.