the one with the links: september edition

september has been good to me. read this stuff and it can be good to you too:

this doozy of a post from hannah anderson: leveling the playing field

If we don’t invest our resources in equipping women, our hearts won’t be invested either. For a local congregation, this may mean budgeting to bring in a female speaker, hiring more women on staff, or helping women afford theological education. When resources are on the line, we’re more likely to care about the final outcome. In other words, when we place a bet, we’ll watch the game.

this album:

this barn-burner from scott sauls: the best and worst ways to take a moral stand

Taking up a cross…the radical, self-giving love kind that Jesus spoke about…was a deadly endeavor in the Roman Empire. Eleven of Jesus’ twelve disciples died as martyrs because they took up a cross, having assumed on themselves all of the costs, risks, and inconveniences of love.

The early church also understood that love did not guarantee their safety. To the contrary, sometimes love threatened their safety.

this lip-sync battle:

the one where i’m reading all the things.

here’s the december round-up (well, so far anyway):

bonhoeffer in advent: “God does not fill the emptiness, Bonhoeffer said. Rather, God keeps it empty, and in this way he preserves—even in pain—our authentic communion.” 

receive: an advent meditation:: (from micha boyett) “This past week has reminded me that God’s good gifts are not always easy. They are often complicated, prickly things that must be held carefully with tender hands. They are often painful and beautiful at the same time. They are unknown. The best gifts God offers us are often the very gifts that have the potential to completely upend our stories, change the direction our lives were going. It hurts to change direction.”

impatience:: (from paul maxwell) “Sometimes, all we get from Scripture for our circumstance is that God exists, and he acts, and he is not apathetic about our circumstances. These are not for listening in the major key. These are verses for “sitting among the ashes” (Job 2:8). God is working and listening very actively. “The Lord’s hand is not shortened that it can’t save, or his ear dull that it can’t hear” (Is 59:1). That’s what we have to work with. That is what hope looks like. That is also what grace looks like.

wronged by jesus:: (from fabs harford) “The minute the question comes up, I load up a weapon with theological ammunition and beat that thought into silence.  But I’m learning that silencing questions isn’t the same as faith.  I’m learning that there is a Gospel you will never know if you refuse to let the deep doubts find their way to the Light; there is a Jesus you will not touch if you walk away as if the fight is over before you ever begin to wrestle.”

and just for funsies, a cat video.

i’m white, so this is how i celebrate cinco de mayo.

its cinco de mayo! in honor of this holiday, here’s some random goodness:

if you’re a donald miller fan, you’ll think this is hilarious.

if you like that, you should also watch this: 

and you should definitely just waste some time watching all the videos at dontbethatguyfilms.  especially if you need a laugh.

and if you like that, you’ll love tripp’s blog and tyler’s blog.  these guys have kept me laughing for the last few weeks!

proof that evolution is a crock of crap.

i love bananas.  i try to eat one for breakfast just about every day!

if you’ve known me for a long time, you’ll know that this is a minor miracle- i ate a banana for the first time in 18 years last february.  18 years people!! in case you’re not a math major, let me clarify that for you: when i was 8 we played a game at awana where you had to eat a whole banana, then run around the circle and get the pin to win first place.  the good news: i won.  the bad news: i lost the banana soon afterwards.  it was not a pleasant experience, and i avoided bananas like the plague for many many years.

ok, back to the present.  yesterday i took my banana into the main office for my morning constitution (aka girl chat) with marsqueako.  there were the usual crowd of students studying for tests and just hanging out, and we were all laughing and enjoying ourselves.  i grabbed the stem of the banana to open it and peel down the skin …. and no juice. i tried again, pulling from a different angle.  still nothing. so i did what any frustrated, independent girl would do- i grabbed the banana at both ends and just pulled.  much to my surprise, i ripped the banana in half. so not only is this really funny already, but i startled myself! squeaks starts giggling uncontrollably, and by this point i know its all over.  i start laughing, and try to walk …. i made it about three steps before i collapsed on the floor by squeaks’ desk and lost it.  like full on-can’t breathe-face is purple-people are stopping to look-i’m horribly embarrassed kind of lost it.

welcome to my life.

today squeaks was telling the story to another one of our co-workers (tara) and we were all laughing about it again …. when tara says “you know you’re supposed to open the banana from the bottom right? cause that’s how the monkeys do it.” i must have looked at her like she had three heads, cause she got a little defensive.  “well go downstairs, buy a banana and i’ll prove it to you!”  my morning banana was on my desk, so i retrieved it and we prepared ourselves for this very scientific experiment.  and viola! it worked! (good life skill to have!)

then tara proceeds to tell us that this [not knowing that we should open bananas from the bottom as opposed to the top] is proof that evolution is fake.  “if we were from monkeys, we would have known to open a banana that way!” wow.