Tag Time

One of my favorite people, Craig Hodgkins, tagged me for a fun little book meme, because I am, to quote Craig, “quite the literary type.” (Thank you for that, Craig!!) Craig is very cool; he worked for Disney for sixteen years, likes Roger Miller, and plays the ukelele in the office (well, not every day).

On the surface, the task is simple. Here are the rules:

• Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
• Open the book to page 123.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post the next three sentences.
• Tag five people (I will refrain from this only because I do not know anyone who would humor me).

The first three books that I tried for this didn’t work. One had material inappropriate for a blog (don’t get the wrong idea; it was just Kerouac), another was a less-than-stirring description of a room (Jane Eyre), and the third book just had “Chapter 8” on page 123 (Ishmael).

The closest book to me right now, however, will suffice. It is A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Last year, I could not escape from hearing the name of this book—friends were reading it, raving about it, and recommending it all around me. When I found a used copy in Seattle at Christmastime, I knew I had to grab it. Here is why I loved used books—in mine is written: “To Bob, Because you are a ‘Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius’ and cause I started reading it and he’s kinda funny. Love Bob.” That just makes me smile. Anyway, I just started reading it this week and, clever as it is, wonder if it will live up to the hype.

Here’s the requested passage (I’m actually going to post more than three sentences because it will be funnier):

Outside it’s blue-black and getting darker. There is a man walking up the steps. He is unshaven and is wearing sandals and a poncho made from, one can be almost sure, hemp. I do not want to talk to this man. I have talked to the man from the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG). I have donated to the couple from the women’s shelter, and to that little boy from the youth group, to the woman from the Green Party, the kids from the Boys Club, the pair of solemn teenagers from SANE/FREEZE. The Berkeley-ness of Berkeley, so charming at first, is getting old.

The bell rings.

“You get it,” I say. “I’m not here.”

“You’re right next to it.”

“So?”

“So?”

“Topher.”

He gets up, sock-footed. I am given a look.

“Tell them you’re home alone,” I say. “You’re an orphan.”

He opens the door and says something to the man and suddenly the man is in our living room. What did I just say—

Oh. The baby-sitter. Stephen.

JULISA

Juli and I went through the drive-thru of a Jack in the Box last week, in the nothing city of Yerma, California. We were in the middle of the desert, driving home from Utah, when those new cherry chip milkshakes were calling our names. Juli drove up to the window and saw the employee’s name tag. “That’s an interesting name. How do you say it?” She asked her. The girl replied “Julisa.”

Juli looked at me wide-eyed…“That’s OUR name!!” We both started laughing.

Julisa, meanwhile, was trying to hand us our shake. “Do you want a spoon?” She clearly did not find anything exciting about her name. Juli then proceeded to explain that her name was Juli and my name was Lisa, so it was really cool that her name was Julisa. She didn’t think it was that cool, but we did!! How many people do you know named Julisa?! I only know one, and she's in Yerma, California!

My lame eyeball saga...

Why does weird stuff like this happen to me? So I went to the doctor today and he said I have an infected tear duct. Um, okay. I felt so lame going to the doctor and telling him my eye hurt. But really...this is super painful. He gave me antibiotics and told me to go to an eye doctor if it's not better by Monday.

Anyway, yeah, just wanted to update you =)

Eye have issues.

So for about five days my right eye has been constantly watering. Weird, right?

I was comparing my tear ducts last night and the right one is twice as big and sore to the touch. What on earth is going on? Am I making unhealthy eye makeup choices? Is something clogged? Do I need an eyepatch?

Just so you know…if you see me “crying” in the next couple of days, it’s just an out-of-control, watery eyeball…unless you really did make me cry. Here’s to keeping you guessing…

I’ll keep you updated on this problem.

London Calling

Two weeks ago at my first class of the new semester, each of us had to say one interesting thing about ourselves. Now, I'd like to think I'm an interesting person, but under pressure I couldn't think of anything to say other than that my preferred highlighter color is orange or that I like to sit within the first ten rows at the movies.

It made me think of those painfully, but always endearing, interviews that Alex Trebek gives during Jeopardy! Whenever I hear another story about how a contestant's dog does yoga with her or that another contestant was named after a labor strike (these are true stories), I always think, "Is that the most interesting story of themselves that they could think to share on national television? Really?"

I ended up telling the class that I'm going to London this summer! It's high time I made it back over to Europe. I'm leaving for a week, end of June, and I simply cannot wait! The thing I'm most looking forward to? Seeing the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum. I get "emotional" just thinking about it!

So, you have two minutes to tell me an interesting thing about yourself that I don't know. Leave a comment!

Life is a Chaiway

I go to Starbucks all the time. I suppose it could be considered a vice. (Go ahead and judge me.) I generally don’t spend my money too extravagantly, and when I get a $4 drink I skimp on the next meal or eat in to cut costs (Cream of Wheat for dinner? Oh, yeah!). I could justify going to Starbucks at any time. The people at ‘my’ Starbucks know my name, greet me with a smile, ask how I’m doing, and are always fast to make my drink. And they never mess up an order. I love starting my day at Starbucks!

I don’t think you’ve fully actualized life until you’ve tried an iced soy chai. I don’t drink coffee, so I was always stuck with having to order hot chocolate or iced tea before I discovered the amazingness of chai. My friend Jeananne introduced me specifically to iced soy chai. Starbucks’s description of it is the following: A spicy drink of black tea infused with cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and star anise added to fresh soy milk and ice. Yum. (The ‘yum’ was added by me.)

Spicy. Sweet. 230 calories and 3 grams of fat. Perfect. A Venti can substitute any meal. A Tall goes great with a book or a half-hour TV program. A Grande will get you through the first half of your workday.

If you’ve never had it, just chai it! And tell me what you think…

I once was lost but now am found...

Christian art is as old at Christianity itself. Art can be a powerful tool to communicate the truth of the Bible and of who God is. One of my favorite paintings is the Conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus, painted around 1600 by the Italian Baroque painter, Caravaggio. Caravaggio is such a rock star. He was the painter in Rome at the time and is one of my all-time favorite artists.

Here, Caravaggio has captured an amazing moment in history, which can be read about in the book of Acts. Saul was on the road to Damascus to arrest Christ's followers and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. Acts 9:1 says that "Saul was uttering threats with every breath." That he was so zealous to destroy Christians and had such a hardened heart is significant to what happens next!

Acts 9: 3-4 says, "As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him! He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?'" Saul asked who the voice was; there was no one around him but his groom and his horse. "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do." (Acts 9: 5-6) When Saul tried to get up, he realized that the light had blinded him. He couldn't see for three days until Ananias laid his hands on him. Now called "Paul," he was baptized and immediately began preaching the Good News.


Caravaggio has captured the moment that Saul’s heart was miraculously touched by God. Saul has just been thrown from his horse and is laying flat on his back with his arms thrown up to heaven, as if he’s trying to embrace the divine light that blinds him. Have you noticed how the composition of the painting is so concentrated? There’s hardly any empty space. The horse is massive and takes up most of the painting but creates a frame that locks us into a close-up, intimate view of the scene. The figures are life-size! Imagine the impact this painting has on its viewers! It’s like we’re witnessing this spiritual event ourselves. There aren’t any angels or halos or supernatural figures, either. Caravaggio made this experience look natural, like it could happen to any of us.

The light in the painting is remarkable. It’s coming from a source that is outside the painting. There are a few visible rays in the top right corner of the composition. Caravaggio’s use of light is dramatic and reflects the significance of the moment. The stark contrasts of light and dark was a signature style of Caravaggio’s that shocked and then fascinated his contemporaries. It’s a technique called tenebrism and became a prominent feature of Baroque painting—dramatic, deep shadows with intense illumination. Saul is emerging from the darkness, literally and figuratively.


Look at the serenity in Saul's face—it’s like Caravaggio is inviting us to be transformed along with him. He is stunned but not in agony. I don't know about you, but I would probably look a little more freaked out! Saul's calm expression invites us to participate in the mystery of the conversion.

This painting reminds me of how relational God is. Paul wrote of his desire to be in relation with Christ in Philippians 3:10—“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” The result of the event in this painting was knowledge of God—of what he has done and of the relationship between God and Paul. He spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus, but he speaks to us and he’s alive today too. God restores all of our souls and enlightens us the way that he did with Paul.

In Acts 22:10, Paul wrote that he responded to the voice of Jesus by asking, “What shall I do, Lord?” He was willing to do what Jesus commanded of him. Caravaggio’s painting is a reminder of the saving power of Christ and how his grace transforms us. Grace by faith through Jesus gives us hope that any sinner can be forgiven. Like Paul, we must be willing to let God transform us, acknowledging his authority, and respond to him with “What shall I do, Lord?”

I'll be mission you...

My 2007 ended with a trip to beautiful Mission San Juan Capistrano with Mic and Jimbo. Mission San Juan Capistrano is called the "Jewel of the Missions" because it's generally considered the most beautiful of the 21 missions. I've only been to a couple of the others, but I'm inclined to agree. After a cold and dreary week in wintry Seattle, it was such a pleasure to experience a bright sunshiny day with friends in Southern California. We took hundreds of pictures! The amazing thing about this place is that you can totally suck at taking pictures, but the scenery is so gorgeous, your photos will still come out looking great!

This mission is the seventh of the 21 missions. It was founded in 1776 by Father Junipero Serra. He founded nine of the 21 missions. The first church here was built in 1777 and it still used today. It is considered the oldest church in California.


The central courtyard feels like paradise. Time slows down. Worries vanish. Life is peaceful.

I really liked Jim's Laguna Woods T-shirt.

Jim and Mic were fascinated by all the bees on the poppies.

So spy...

One of my favorite things about the mission is the bells. All four of them are named and were cast in Chile and used to hang in the Great Stone Church.

When you leave the mission there is a sign that has the old expression of goodbye, "Vaya Con Dios," which means "Go with God."

A Legendary Notebook

Last week, a friend told me all about Moleskine (pronounced mol-a-skeen'-a) notebooks and how amazing they are. After a good amount of talking the brand up, I expected the journals to be covered in jewels or for the paper to have gold specks in it; you know, something flashy and exciting, something that would warrant the raves. I was amused when I saw that they're basic, average little black journals. Upon first glance, there didn't seem to be anything special about them. What was all the fuss about?

After I bought one, I understood.

Moleskine notebooks are the perfect size to keep in a bag or purse and great for writing down those fleeting profound thoughts, sketching something beautiful, or capturing impressions. They’re all handmade, have an elastic outer band that keeps them closed, an inside pocket and ribbon bookmark. You can get them with or without lines, but black covers are the coolest.

Legend has it that Van Gogh, Picasso and Hemingway all used these unassuming journals. That’s reason enough for me to be a loyal Moleskine notebook purchaser. They’re now available at Barnes and Noble, but in the 19th Century they were only available at little stationary stores in Paris. In 1986, the last manufacturer of Moleskine stopped making the books. It wasn’t until twelve years later that they started being produced again, by a small Milanese publisher.

They’re a bit pricey (my little notebook cost sixteen bucks), but hey. I’m ready to write the next Great American Novel.

Pleasure

C.S. Lewis’s book, The Screwtape Letters, is a series of letters from a devil named Screwtape to his younger nephew, Wormwood, on how to tempt the human he’s been assigned. The following is one of my favorite passages. Screwtape is explaining pleasure to Wormwood (the point is that pleasure needs to be twisted before it is of any use to the enemy):

"[God] is a hedonist at heart. All those fasts and vigils and stakes and crosses are only a façade. Or only like a foam on the seashore. Out at sea, out in His sea, there is pleasure and more pleasure. He makes no secret of it; at his right hand are ‘pleasures for evermore.’…He has filled his world full of pleasures. There are things for humans to do all day long without his minding in the least—sleeping, washing, eating, drinking, making love, playing, praying, working…"

This passage reminds me to take pleasure in the little things in life. God has created an indefatiguably fascinating world, and I really do think he wants us to find joy in everything, even seemingly small, quotidian things—learning a new word, getting a new journal, sunshine, eating a perfect apple, possibilities, poems, memories, a love note, a fragrant flower, a good book. Heck, even pet peeves. The world is bigger than we can even imagine, and it’s ours for the exploring and enjoying.

You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in your presence,
With eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16:11

Why, then the world’s mine oyster, which I with sword will open. –Shakespeare