Schtuff

• I had a great Christmas. The family gathering was quiet small, but fun nonetheless. I got the pots/pans set and the knife set that I wanted
• The “Midnight Mass” Christmas Eve service at Grace was beautiful. They used incense, and I saw one girl cover up her mouth and nose like she was about to be sick from the smell, but I loved it.
• Work is torturing me. Three in the afternoon to three in the morning this week. Hopefully I’ll be back on my regular shift next week when Maya gets back.
• I talked to the shipping superintendent last night and he mentioned that he had taken my resume over to the “white house” (the administration building) last week so they can start the process of getting me hired on permanently. YAY!
• Still no word from Shane at the library about interview. I did introduce myself to him the other day at a thing at my parents’ church and he mentioned it would be a couple more weeks.
• The next two weekends are going to be busy for me. This weekend is when Bishop of Durham, N T Wright, will be in town and teaching/preaching at Grace. On the eighth, Rachel and Andrew are getting married. BJ has asked Fr. and Mrs. Riley and Fr. Powell to dinner with us that evening, but they have yet to confirm the plans. Sunday the ninth, there’s a get-together at my folks house for a wrestling pay-per-view.
• That’s all for now.

1st Sunday after Christmas

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-14)

Merry Christmas!

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born this day of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Isa 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.
For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.

Veni Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go. Refrain

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave. Refrain

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain

O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery. Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
an ensign of thy people be;
before thee rulers silent fall;
all peoples on thy mercy call. Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace. Refrain

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear. Refrain

aweSOME!

BJ showed me today some of the extended and new scenes for ROTK. It was soooo amazing. It makes me want to watch it even more, but it will have to wait awhile. I’m working 12 hour shifts M-W and a double (16 hours) on Thursday. Yes, 2 days before Christmas, I’m pulling a double from 7am -11pm. LOVELY. Most likely I’ll have to work late on New Years’ Eve as well. Just so people can have their chickens. BLAH.

4th Sunday in Advent

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 7:13-14 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Rockin in the 90s

Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
Lightining Crashes – Live
Zombie – the Cranberries
Free Falling – Tom Petty
One of Us? – Joan Osborne
Without You – Motley Crew
Tubthumping (I get knocked down) – Chumbawamba
Until I Fall Away – Gin Blossoms

These are just a few of the songs I heard today listening to “The Hits of the 90s” on Yahoo’s Launch Radio today. I usually listen to stuff like Nickel Creek, Alison Kraus, Faith Hill, Gretchen Wilson, etc. (I’m on a country kick, can’t ya tell?) I just wanted a change for today and this is what I got. I really wanted to “rate” some so I’ll be able to listen to them in the near future, but I didn’t want to taint the personalized station that I have now. Ah, here’s one of my favorites that just came on…Stay by Lisa Loeb

In other news, I’ll be pulling 12-hour shifts again for the next two weeks. The lady on day shift is off next week for Christmas and the girl on graveyards is off the next week. It’s not fair! I’m just glad I get 23rd off as well as the 24th.

I’ll Take You for a Spin in My Apartment…

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) – Feel like you need to turn your life around? Then a new apartment building in the Brazilian city of Curitiba could be for you.

Each floor in the 11-story building can revolve independently 360 degrees to the left or to the right.

“This is the only building in the world in which each apartment can spin individually,” said Joao Carlos Peters, marketing director at the Moro construction company.

The project took 10 years to complete and the suites, which each occupy an entire floor of the circular building, went on sale on Thursday for $300,000.

“This is really a work of art because this was based on an entirely new concept of living,” Peters said.

Spinning in the high-tech building is activated by voice commands. It takes an hour for each 3,000-square-foot (300-square-meter) apartment to complete one rotation.

“You can’t have it spin any faster because you need the turning to be subtle,” Peters said.

See pictures

St. Lucy, the Advent Martyr (Dec 13)

O God our redeemer, who gavest light to the world that was in darkness by the healing power of the Saviour’s cross: we beseech thee to shed that light on us that with thy martyr Lucy we may, by the purity of our lives, reflect the light of Christ and, by the merits of his passion, attain to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

A virgin and martyr of Syracuse in Sicily, whose feast is celebrated by Latins and Greeks alike on 13 Dec. According to the traditional story…

3rd Sunday in Advent (Rose Sunday)

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Comfort, comfort ye my people,
speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
comfort those who sit in darkness,
mourning ‘neath their sorrow’s load;
speak ye to Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell her that her sins I cover,
and her warfare now is over.

For the herald’s voice is crying
in the desert far and near,
bidding all men to repentance,
since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way!
Let the valleys rise to meet him,
and the hills bow down to greet him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked,
make the rougher places plain:
let your hearts be true and humble,
as befits his holy reign,
For the glory of the Lord
now o’er the earth is shed abroad,
and all flesh shall see the token
that his word is never broken.

Taboo??

“Why do they even call it a restroom? You do anything but rest in there. I think-tank maybe but not a restroom.”

W00T!

It’s Friday y’all!

Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

O God, you gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation, and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Ok, this is funny

Neville’s scariest teacher doing a scary thing

Poor baby

My baby nephew (Jacob, 15 months) is in the hospital. He sometimes will “hold his breath” while crying, sometimes until he passed out. I used to think that he was just throwing a tantrum but I don’t really know because he only does it like if he gets pushed over or if Julie’s holding him and puts him down and walks out or something like that. He passed out twice today, and my sister called around (even 911) to see what to do because he was staying out to long. Her pediatrician friend said for her to take him to the hospital, and they ended up admitting him. Julie (my sister) has been dealing with a heck of a lot the last six months and with her husband gone to Vegas for work right now, it’s just making this that much harder. She’s recently started going to church with the boys, which is a really good thing. He’ll be ok.

UPDATE: The doctor at the hospital referred them to a neurologist. The neuro wants an EEG and MRI and other tests done on him but he can’t get in for them untill the 16th.