Not suitable for work or those who are faint of heart...

I've got some things to say. And they may trouble you: I believe in gay marriage. I believe in gay adoptions. Period. I believe that I am to love my neighbor as myself and let God sort it out. And I still love Jesus with all of my heart. Chew on that one, James Dobson.

Dan Savage writes this totally INAPPROPRIATE sex-advice column in Seattle. He also blogs daily for his paper, The Stranger.

And here is what he has to say (yesterday) and (today):

Tonight's 30 Days

posted by Dan Savage on June 24 at 3:20 PM

The third season of Morgan Spurlock's FX series 30 Days kicks off continues tonight with Spurlock dropping an opponent of gay adoption into a household headed by a same-sex couple in Michigan.

I happen to know the gay couple featured, Tom and Dennis Patrick, and their four boys. Every summer my family attends Gay Family Week in Saugatuck (not just me and the boyfriend and the kid, but my whole extended family), as do the Patricks. Tom and Dennis are great, mellow, thoughtful guys who've adopted four boys out of foster care. The state of Michigan, which should be pinning a medal on these guys, has instead threatened to take away their health-care benefits in the wake of an anti-gay marriage amendment to Michigan's state constitution. But that's not the point of this post...

Yesterday GLAAD—the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation—sent out a mass email urging "community members" to contact FX Networks to protest statements made by an anti-gay activist Spurlock interviews during the show. GLAAD, which once gave an award to 30 Days, says...

Regrettably, the episode also features a defamatory statement by Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council, an anti-gay activist organization, who claims: "Homosexuality is associated with higher rates of sexual promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse, and those are all reasons for us to be concerned about placing children into that kind of setting." While there is no credible scientific research that backs Sprigg’s claim—and much that disputes it—the episode presents his assertion as if it were fact and offers no credible social science experts or child health authorities to challenge Sprigg’s assertion. Indeed, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the Child Welfare League of America, and many other child health and social services authorities who support parenting by qualified lesbian and gay parents dispute Sprigg’s claim.

GLAAD asked FX Networks last week to either edit Sprigg's comments out of the show or bring in one of those "credible social science" experts to respond to Sprigg's comments. FX refused.

I just watched the episode on a preview copy that FX overnighted to me—in hopes, no doubt, that I would disagree with GLAAD and defend FX and Spurlock's decision to air the show as-is.

Uh... sorry, FX, sorry, Morgan, but GLAAD is 100% right.

Sprigg's comments come early in the program and linger like mustard gas over every scene that comes after. A casual viewer may watch Tom and Dennis with their kids and think, "Okay, these guys are decent parents, and maybe their boys are going to be fine... but other kids adopted by other gays might not be so lucky. Other kids might wind up adopted by those gays that abuse kids, and rape them, and worse."

And GLAAD didn't even mention the interview that comes immediately after Sprigg's: Right after handing the mic to Sprigg Spurlock talks to Dawn Stefanowicz, a woman that wrote a book about living with a gay parent—her biological father—after he came out of the closet in the 1970s. This woman's father talked to her about bathhouse sex "at the kitchen table," and dragged her to a "downtown sex shop." She holds her father up—with Spurlock's help, and tinkly so-sad music playing in the background—not as an example of a lousy parent, gay or straight, but as an example of why no gay people should be allowed to parent. "Based on your personal experience do you believe children are at risk if they’re raised in homosexual households?" Spurlock asks this woman. "Children need a married mother and father," she replies. "I know that there are so many situations that are not ideal, but we still need to hold to an ideal that is best for children."

And, as with the interview with Sprigg, Spurlock doesn't challenge this woman's assertions or bring in anyone to address them. Instead Spurlock moves on to this: Hey, you can make piles of money providing sperm to lesbians that want to be moms—you know, those non-ideal parents that aren't best for children!

So basically Spurlock didn't just talk to Sprigg, and let him lie and lie and lie some more, he brought in someone to second Sprigg—someone using right-wing religious code—and allows her to assert that it would be better for Tom and Dennis's kids if they hadn't been adopted at all. And, again, the casual viewer is left to conclude that it would probably be for the best if Tom and Dennis hadn't been able to adopt those boys because, hey, God only knows what Tom and Dennis are talking about at the kitchen table when there aren't any cameras (or clueless Mormon bigots) in the house.

GLAAD wants you to contact the folks listed below to complain about Sprigg and Spurlock and 30 Days—and so do I.

20th Century Fox Television, Inc. Jeffrey Glaser Senior Vice President, Current Programming (310) 369-0211 jeffrey.glaser@fox.com

FX Networks:
Nick Grad
Executive Vice President of Original Programming
(310) 369-0949
ngrad@fxnetworks.com

Chuck Saftler
Executive Vice President of Programming
(310) 369-0949
csaftler@fxnetworks.com

Scott Seomin
Vice President of Public Relations
(310) 369-0938
scott.seomin@fxnetwork.com

30 Days Reactions From Around the Gay Interwebs

posted by Dan Savage on June 25 at 11:25 AM

It looks like GLAAD and I weren't the only folks offended by this interview night's 30 Days:

Americablog:

FX says gays abuse kids, are mentally ill

Yep. The FX network thought it would be cute, or funny, or something to put on TV an anti-gay bigot and let him spout all the tired old lies from decades ago—and THEN, not have anyone there to say "uh, those are all lies." So, FX's viewers were left with the message that gays abuse kids, are mentally ill, beat their partners, and more. Lovely. Maybe FX can get Heinz as a sponsor.... This is outrageous. It's bad enough for FX to let these bigots broadcast their tired old libel against gays, but then to not have someone there to point out that the "facts" are actually lies. Incredible.

Towleroad:

The episode also airs a disgusting statement from Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council.... I've posted about Sprigg before. You may remember that back in March, Sprigg talked about immigration to the Medill Reports, saying, "I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States because we believe homosexuality is destructive to society."

Good As You

So first, just as we had been warned, they introduce Peter Sprigg and let him present his baseless "facts" in an unchallenged fashion. Even though the episode featured several pro-gay speakers, it is 100% irresponsible to let Sprigg, sitting in the "expert" chair, rail off this list of supposed gay ills as if they are the gospel. That simply would not be accepted with any other group of people! And it's unfair to just trust that the American public is going to realize that Sprigg's words are the product of his own one-sided views, and not credible information.

But that being said, this portion of the program gets almost worse after the Sprigg clip, when the show proceeds to present the conversation with Dawn Stefanowicz in a way that makes it sound as if she is merely a child of gay parents who has written a book about her experiences. Only problem with that? Dawn is not just someone who they found through an advertisement of casting call. Dawn is an anti-gay activist who has taken a situation that is unique to herself, filtered that through a faith in Jesus, and began a new career of using her own past paint to fight against equal rights for gays and lesbians (attracting the attention of rabidly anti-gay extremists like the American Family Association in the process). She is telling the story of her family, from only her own personal perspective, even admitting that "it was not until [her] father, his sexual partners and [her] mother had died, was [she] free to speak publicly about [her] experiences." And she's taking that one-sided story, with nobody alive to challenge it, and sweepingly misapplying it to gay parenting as a whole. It's patently unfair, both Dawn's misuse of personal trauma, and her inclusion on this program in this casual, unfleshed out way!

Complaints should be directed to...

20th Century Fox Television, Inc. Jeffrey Glaser Senior Vice President, Current Programming (310) 369-0211 jeffrey.glaser@fox.com

FX Networks:
Nick Grad
Executive Vice President of Original Programming
(310) 369-0949
ngrad@fxnetworks.com

Chuck Saftler
Executive Vice President of Programming
(310) 369-0949
csaftler@fxnetworks.com

Scott Seomin
Vice President of Public Relations
(310) 369-0938
scott.seomin@fxnetwork.com

Video via JoeMyGod.

tired

Wow...as a far-off coworker wrote in her blog this morning, "Seems like this week’s been a strand of endless days and rather brief nights." I couldn't agree more!

I worked a shift for someone on Sunday at TJ's and I shouldn't have done it! I need my days off--especially Sunday as that's my day off from both jobs. So, my night off from TJ's was last Wednesday (when I met with Jessie at the Varsity!) and I've been working straight through and I'm TIRED!

I even found myself last night UN-amused by Paulo and his need to be the manliest man around (and that generally makes me laugh), and I was plagued with thoughts of "I gotta get out of here" in the sense of I need to make life changes that provide me with different opportunities for employment. I love TJ's, I do. I just wonder if it's the life for me. Let's continue to pray on that one.

But, I do have Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday off from both jobs for Joe's wedding. I'm pretty excited about that.

I got a postcard from The Bikers yesterday...it's a picture of Jen and Jonathan showing off some pretty great tan lines (I love tan lines!).




















Oh, and my friend (and Rebuilt artist) Paul Reeves and his wife Katie had a little girl yesterday, Peyton Bellair Reeves. Congrats!

Corndogorama

Man oh man, why does Joe have to be getting married THIS weekend?

This weekend is CORDOGORAMA weekend here in Atlanta. I missed it last year because of previous plans and vowed to go this year! Enjoy the Paste Magazine article HERE.

Man oh man that makes me sad.

I also started to run this morning and just couldn't summon the energy to go very far--I barely broke a sweat. Maybe tomorrow.

Ever just wish you could walk out of the office, go back home, get in bed, and read or sleep for hours and not have to explain it to anyone? This is one such morning for me. Man it'd be nice to just leave...

Billings, Montana!

My packages to The Bikers made it to Billings, Montana. Hopefully they'll make it to the "general delivery" location before Wednesday. Who doesn't love the package tracking technology? I seriously do love the US Post Office. Well, most of the time.

My friend Greg finished his 300-mile, mountainous terrain, week-long, self-sufficient (carried all his gear on his bike) trip and apparently was humbled by God during the experience and this is what he has to say: "But here is what I can tell you......I am feeling very humbled, fragile and weak. I see clearly how imperfect I am. I see clearly how my energy is no match for the power and energy of God's creation. I see clearly the goodness of people much less "out there" in the limelight than myself. All in all, I finish this ride with a feeling of I did nothing worthy of note, and all that was done was done so because of God's provision. It really was all His glory......not FOR His glory.......His glory."

My biking-across-the-US friends have officially hit their 1000 mile mark--1/4 of their trip! Hip hip hooray!

I got up yesterday morning and decided that I wanted to run to my friend/coworker's neighborhood that's 1.5 miles away from my apartment. So I did. That means I ran 3 miles yesterday--and I didn't get started until about 920 am...it starts to get real hot in GA by then. And man, it was humid! But I feel great--I ran most of that again this morning, but my weekday mornings are under more of a time crunch since I do have to get to work. Maybe I'll get up earlier. Or maybe not. Maybe I'll just continue on as I have been.

I've found I really enjoy running outside (as opposed to the treadmill). It forces you once you've gotten somewhere to have to turn around and make it back home. You can't just hit the stop button and hop off. I've been trying to pray during my runs--and I actually thanked God this morning for my iPod. Ridiculous, I know. But I love that little darn machine. My mom is apparently really inspired by my running (this is week number three!), and she wants us to run the Peachtree Road Race next July 4th (as in 2009). I don't know. It's pretty hot in July, mid-day, with 50,000 runners. We'll see. At first I wanted to loose X amount of pounds by my 28th birthday (October 2009), but now I just want to be healthier. I want to have more energy and just be able to feel good about myself. I had a friend comment that I was the most confident person she knew--and I really gnawed upon that for a while. I don't see myself as being that confident, but I guess I am. I came to terms with my weight long ago and I'm tired of it holding me back. I go after the things I want (except for boys and that's only because God told me to stop!), I talk to strangers, I don't have the mindset that I'm not going to succeed.

I've been inspired by how much Bep reads, so I'm trying to read more. I got a book that's Christian, fiction, and written from a fat-girl protagonist's perspective. Sure, it's not a "classic," but I gotta start with small steps.

I went to church last night. It was good. There were several new people there, and several people came for the second or third time--it was nice to see this ministry we all believe it start to grow. My friend Adam, the lead singer/guitarist/my friend from high school is having a hard time with his son's mother (with whom he is no longer in a relationship)--so please pray for him. My friend Keith has been homeless the past three weeks (an argument with his landlord about air conditioning resulted in him having to move out...A/C is serious here in the south!) and he's been living in the gym where he works (I haven't had the guts to ask him if his gym boss knows...let the man have a little bit of dignity)--but anyway, he's an author. I plan on buying his book and you should too! He wrote it while he was in prison (I also don't know that story). Anyway, he comes to church faithfully, is extremely well-read, has a passion for Jesus, and is a really nice guy (and sometimes he flexes his arms for me--he's a personal trainer!). Anyway, this Thursday he's moving into a boarding-house type place downtown and we're really excited for him. So just pray for Keith's life and apparently he's writing another book for women (his first one is geared toward men) and he's really excited about getting into his new place so he can write again--and get a good night's sleep. I'm excited for him!


Also at church: PB, after exiting the stage, came and sat in front of me (I was on the inner part of the second pew, he on the first) and as he sat down he smiled straight into my eyes. I had to pray extra hard to hear the message that was preached last night (Parable of the Talents). I will refrain from typing more because I'm trying to show some restraint, but let us continue to pray that doors will be opened through which I need to go, and others will be shut if I need to turn around.

So when I went to City Stages I parked my car in a friend's driveway. On Sunday morning she accidentally backed into my car with her Xterra. She was frantic, but since it's not totaled, I'm not that worried. She filed a claim with her insurance and I went to get my car appraised today during lunch. My rear driver's side door is going to have to be replaced. Oh, and when I walked into the body shop the appraiser met me at, I was greeted at the door by a giant fridge of a man. Naturally I chose that body shop to complete the work on my car.

So, friends--sorry for this merely informative and not so humorous blog...I guess I just have a case of the Mondays. But please pray with me for a few things: PB and some discernment; how I'm investing the talents that God has entrusted to me (this is HIS life that he just let me borrow, after all); a home that we just stumbled upon this weekend that could be an answer to our prayers of looking for somewhere to live come September when our lease is up; and the biggest prayer request of this week: the only man I've ever loved is getting married this weekend. To someone else. And I'm ecstatically happy for him, I really and truly am. I'm going up Thursday to join him for family stuff (I'm referred to as 'sis' now) and I'm excited--but it's still awkward. And no matter how confident I am, I have a penchant to get emotional and morose at such events. The ole "this should have been me" kind of scenarios. So let's pray for their life together, let's pray for the rest of his time in seminary as he'll now be married, let's pray for my friend Beth who is his ex-fianceé, and lastly: let's pray for me to survive on hope for what I can't yet see!

Ok, gotta head to TJ's...I'll leave you with a photo of me and the happy couple.

lunch!

So I got my goodies for my biking friends and decided to head back to the office for my free lunch of a burger, beans, and potato salad. I've been eating pretty healthy these days and so it wasn't a bad treat.

I had to walk amongst the spectacle to get to the food. There was bad karoke to Carrie Underwood songs and I heard, "It's 5 o'clock Somewhere" being belted out. The dressed up Elvis, SpiderMan and Iron Man were just walking around--I'm not really sure what they were doing.

But I DO know there were four "tents" that had very long lines. I couldn't tell what people were in line for. And then I figured it out.












At my company picnic there were four tents with TAROT CARD READERS reading people's cards. Seriously. I kid you not.

Well, I came inside and downloaded some videos from La Blogotheque--it's this French filmmaker (hence the site being in French), Vincent Moon, and he films bands performing on the streets of Paris, in parks, in people's homes, on the subway, etc. He calls them Les Concerts a Emporter (The Take Away Shows). I love them and the whole concept. Today I downloaded Bon Iver's six videos, the ones from REM that were filmed in Athens, GA and they are pretty cool--I also watched some older videos from Jose Gonzalez, A Silver Mount Zion and Tralala Band, Okkervil River (love!), and rewatched the videos from Architecture in Helsinki.

Have a lovely afternoon, my friends.

From Stasi Eldredge in she and her husband's book Captivating:

I know I am not alone in this nagging sense of failing to measure up, a feeling of not being good enough as a woman. Every woman I've ever met feels it--something deeper than just the sense of failing at what she does. An underlying, gut feeling of failing at who she is. I am not enough, and, I am too much at the same time. Not pretty enough, not thin enough, not kind enough, not gracious enough, not disciplined enough. But too emotional, too needy, too sensitive, too strong, too opinionated, too messy. The result is Shame, the universal companion of women. It haunts us, nipping at our heels, feeding on our deepest fear that we will end up abandoned and alone.
...
Aware of our deep failings, we pour contempt on our own hearts for wanting more. Oh, we long for intimacy and for adventure; we long to be the Beauty of some great story. But the desires set deep in our hearts seem like a luxury, granted only to those women who get their acts together. The message to the rest of us--whether from a driven culture or a driven church--is try harder.

So, my friends--here is my prayer for ourselves, the women around us, our friends and family and those men who love us: let us let the Lord work through what we feel to the core of ourselves. We were born this complicated mess of feelings and passions and we can't always figure out what's going on--but the heart of a woman is deep and is something to be treasured. We were made in the image of God and who am I to say my image is wrong? He created it for a reason, so let us revel in it!

anticlimactic

the new CEO came. And went. I never saw him. I've worked here 3.5 years and have never been introduced to anyone "important." Oh well.


Today is the company picnic. There is a tent set up outside. I saw Iron Man and Spider Man entering the men's restroom. It'll be a spectacle, that's for sure.

And in quiet protest I'm leaving. I need to go shopping to send stuff to my bikers. They have arranged for packages to be held for them when they get to Brockway, Montana. I gotta send some love to my biking-across-the-US buddies!

But I've handed my camera over to a coworker to take pictures. Updates later!

in a moment of panic, there is clarity.

So, I was about a centimeter away from making my blog private this morning.

Not that I'm ashamed of one letter I have written, not one word--for I'm being real, and honest, and exceptionally girly---but I realized just how OPEN my blog is, how anyone in the world can access it. And anyone includes PB's sister.

So, if you've figured out that you are indeed PB's sister, welcome to my blog.

I don't really know you very well, especially not since I've been an "adult." I know your husband quite well and I thank God for him. He's a true friend. He described himself to me as being an-older-but-not-your-parent-adult friend and he sure has kept his end of this friendship alive and well.

And I like your brother. There. I said it. From what I know of him he's a great guy, he's humble and talented and funny. I would like to get to know him better--if nothing else, then to make a great friend. So if you feel the need to discuss it with him, then by all means.

Hey, PB, if you're reading this, well, you're welcome too. I don't mean to write with such a passion as to scare people off...that's just who I am. I'm passionate and everything I do is big and I get caught up in things. It's what I do and it's fun. I used to apologize for being "too much," but as I've been learning through a lot of praying and reading lately--that's what makes me the woman I am. I am "too much." I have all of this passion for a reason, and I'm not going to tell God he's ill-equipped me and then not use what I've been given. So if you're freaked out by my voracity for life, then I guess you're not the one (the one, the one, the one) for me. And if you find it endearing, well, then, let's get this show on the road!

So there, now that I've got that off my chest, let's discuss what's going on at my day job today: we were called into a meeting on Monday where we were told our new CEO (age: 35) is coming down to our floor between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Thursday (today). He's apparently going to be going around to ask us "what we do." Seriously. We were told what we could and could not wear (as today is our corporate picnic and such days are generally casual...but this year's poster said it's conservative casual, whatever that means) and we're not to be wearing any t-shirts, and if we're wearing shorts they have to come to our knees and must be hemmed properly and no flip-flops and our desk must be clean, but still have papers on it to look like we're busy and we have to have answers prepared just in case he asks us personally what we do. Umm, pardon me? I need to have a prepared statement explaining what I do? I think I know what I do without having to look at an index card.

Why do we have to pretend? Everything down here is not hunky-dorry. It's not. People are not happy, we can't tell our supervisors and managers anything in confidence, we get stepped on if someone else needs to advance and we often get thrown under the bus for someone else's glory. There are even tattle-tales about the dumbest of things. But it's a job and it's a job I'm good at. So I'm not leaving, I just don't want to have to pretend that it's a dream land. It's a corporate job. And I enjoy being employed.

Oh, and it was suggested that maybe I should wear some makeup today. Seriously. That phrase was uttered by someone higher up in the chain. I looked at the person and said, "That is so inappropriate I can't even comprehend. I think I'll just forget you said anything." She had the decency to blush and apologize and then leave the situation. And we left it at that.

But at least it's Thursday! Hip Hip Hooray!

Oh, and my friends Jen, Jonathan, and Carrie are biking across the country for charity (with their awesome van driver Autumn) and they have a blog with some pictures. If you have time, check it out and support them with your prayers and maybe a little cash.

I also have a friend named Greg. He plays drums at my church--but anyway, he's in the middle of a week-long ride across the north Georgia mountains. He's riding a bike with all his gear attached. It's a pretty amazing feat and journey he's on, and he's got a blog too.

So, enjoy. And I welcome all the readers that I don't know are there.

city stages music festival

I have lots to say and it's long. Sit back and grab something to drink and let's go!

Well kids, I wrote a recap of my City Stages festival experience for Rebuilt Records and you can find it at the link above, or I'll copy/paste it here!

A little City Stages recap, courtesy of Anna Leary:

I met Jason and Jana at exit 61 on I-85, we handed off their lovely daughter to a waiting Gram and we headed to Birmingham. The drive wasn’t bad and the company was glorious. We hit quite a few sun-still-shining-brightly-yet-it’s-raining-harder-than-thought-possible storms, but Jason weathered them like a champ (pun obviously intended).

We arrived at the wonderful month-old home of our sole Rebuilt Lady (that’s what I’m calling her from now on), Natalie Moon and her goofy-and-loveable husband Seth. I’m still confused on the time zones, so I’m no sure what time we arrived—but Natalie welcomed us with open arms (I’ve only met her once, perhaps twice, yet we hugged like old friends. We’re MySpace friends, so that counts right?) and we all quickly fell into easy conversation. Regardless of us all being hungry, we were strangely entranced with one of the Terminator movies—I don’t know which one because I’ve never seen any of them before Friday night. This one had the morphing clean-cut cop in it, and S. Epatha Merkerson from Law and Order, and it was strangely good. We then went out to eat and saw a man walking down the street with an ice cream cart. But back to what you came here for: City Stages 2008!

We woke up to a storm Saturday morning and that is generally not what you want to hear when you know you’re spending the day at an outdoor music festival. It’s especially not what you want to hear when you have friends playing in said music festival. So we hit the snooze and when we woke up again it was sunny and bright! We got ourselves together and headed to downtown Birmingham.

Now, I’ll be honest, I expected a festival of Music Midtown (the now defunct huge music festival that was held in downtown Atlanta) proportions. I, however, was greeted with the fact that this is City Stages’ 20th year and things were a little less structured and a lot more laid back. We finally got in touch with the rock star that is Jon Black and through his frantic last-minute “I gotta get through this, I gotta get through this” mantra (Jon frequently channels Daniel Bedingfield lyrics when he’s getting ready for shows) we were able to meet his lovely wife Lauren near the artist entrance at the back of the main stage. Jason and Jana got their “Artist” passes and Natalie and I headed to the nearest gate to buy our tickets. This is an aside, but you generally expect the people that have Event Staff on their shirt to know things like: How do we get back to the Main Stage? With this stamp you just put on my hand will I be able to leave and then come back in? Where is the Merch tent? However, City Stages is so laid back, they don’t get worried and mired down in the details—but we were very generously handed a map. So Natalie and I headed in the direction we felt we should, went down a street that had no gate and eventually got into the festival through an open chain-link fence. We paid our admission fee, so we feel no shame for entering through an unauthorized portal. We were left with no choice. Surely you understand.

The afternoon was warming up and we finally found our way back to Jason, Jana, Lauren and Jon’s parents. Two p.m. is pretty early in non-camping music festival environments, but a crowd was steadily growing. The stage directly next to the Main Stage was apparently the “Death Metal And I Want To Kill My Dad” section of the festival and we got treated to some lovely and inspiring screams and sweet electric guitar shreds while Jon and the band set up. And even though there was some confusion on who was supposed to change out the name plate sign at the front of the stage announcing what band was currently playing, Jason took his Artist pass, went back stage and took care of some things, and the show began.

And, my friends, you may know the Jon Black that is a singer/songwriter with his acoustic guitar. I, however, got to witness Jon Black, Rock Star Extraordinaire. He looked the part (his signature hat, his beard, sunglasses, jeans, cowboy boots, and of course a plain gray t-shirt) and he sounded even better than he looked. Brad Lyons played a mean electric, while Jon’s regulars of Chesley Smith on bass and Robert Harris on drums kept the energy high. And this is the part where recap readers generally want a run-down of the set list and that’s where I will fail you. I have a horrible memory and I only took still photos. But Jason has it all captured on video and I’m sure he could help you out. Heck, Jon loves his fans—he could probably help out too. I do know he rocked with some new tunes (from his upcoming album Goodbye Golden Age being released Fall 2008 by Rebuilt Records and will be available on RebuiltStore.com says the shameless plug machine) and some of the shining moments there for me were "Mr. Tornado" and "Run With All You Got" (a true foot-stompin’, turn the volume all the way up, take another shot of whiskey and hoot and holler kind of tune). If you haven’t seen him live lately, you need to. End of story. His album October Sky is still terrific, but I think you’re really going to like the path he’s taken. It’s the kind of Southern rock your soul longs for.

The crowd certainly had grown to several hundred after Jon had been playing for a little while, and they especially got into it once he started playing Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.” I saw dancing, I saw head banging, and I saw people capturing parts of his performance either with their camera or with their cell phones. It was nice to see him being appreciated as the great artist and performer we here at Rebuilt have always known he was destined to be. So, congrats on a great show Jon!

After his set, Jason, Jana, Natalie and myself got some lunch and wandered around until Landon Pigg played on the main stage. I realize I’m the only one of our group that had heard of him, but his sweet falsetto and syrupy sweet love songs won everyone over and we were glad to see that even though Landon had a later set time, the crowd at Jon’s show was bigger and more into it!

We then headed over to a side stage where we set up our picnic blanket and settled in for a night full of amazement. First we saw Griffin House, it started to rain, and we wondered what the rest of the evening held for us. But shortly it stopped raining and the stage was then set up for my friends and yours, The Guys With Guitars: Eliot Morris, Ryan Horne, and Rebuilt’s own Micah Dalton and Jon Black. They played a great set, and they had a really impressive crowd. Eliot had quite the high school girl fan base, there was a lot of dancing and jiggling going on and I think people really enjoyed themselves. I even saw people that I didn’t know singing along and that’s a nice feeling—that there are legions of people out there getting our boys’ music and seeking them out at a music festival.

Again I’m bad with remembering set lists, but the boys all played together a terrific cover of the Jayhawks’ “Save It For A Rainy Day” (which Jon has uploaded to YouTube). Ryan played two of my favorite songs of his, “Favorite Dance” and “War For Me” while Micah really got into his groove with the gritty (and I use that with the highest of praise) “The Autobiography of Milton Burroughs.” Jon brought on another new song, “Broken Places,” and the crowd was in a hushed awe. I know because I turned around to see why no one was talking and they were all just looking at the stage and I could tell they were into it. They complemented each other vocally and acoustic guitar-ally and I really think everyone had a great time. Let’s hope some new people got to experience these guys for the first time and either they headed to the Merch tent (if they could find it) or at least remembered their names and headed to Facebook, Virb, Myspace, Blogger, Rebuilt Records or wherever to hear and learn more.

I learned something this weekend: if I was not totally comfortable with the crowd and heat at City Stages in Birmingham, I certainly wouldn’t do well at Bonnaroo. We all decided that the only reason we’d be found at Bonnaroo is if one of our Rebuilt peeps made it there. So here’s to hoping our boys (and girl!) find their way to Bonnaroo and I’ll shave my head (ok, probably not) and grab my tent and be content to be muddy and hot and crammed for days just to support them! That’s how loyal I am, kids. I will be sweaty, muddy, and crazily crammed just for your art. I should get some kind of medal or something. At least a trophy. Maybe a cookie.

Someone make me some cookies.

And then the stage was set for Ingrid Michaelson. She’s a favorite of the youngest Rebuilt supporter, Molly Harwell, so I thought I’d at least give her a listen. She was good and I was intrigued. But then she played for an entire two hours and I quickly went from “Oh, I like this girl” to “Oh, I can’t really feel my legs,” and “Man, I sure am sweaty,” and “I wonder when she’ll stop playing so I can get up to find something to drink.”

Our group then split and some went to see Ben Harper and the Innocent Crimnals (which I hear was a pretty great set), some went to join the uber-crowd to see Al Green and I stayed put for Andrew Bird. There were some really terrific acts at City Stages this year and these are the people that I wished I could have seen: Blind Melon (I have this fascination on how the band can go on and release another album after Shannon Hoon’s death), Citizen Cope, Old Crow Medicine Show, Marc Broussard, Robert Earl Keen, Jon McLaughlin (whom Micah has some summer tour dates with! Check it out!), and of course: The Flaming Lips. I looked for some Flaming Lips footage on YouTube and since video cameras were outlawed, all I got was some kid telling me how great it was with confetti, light sticks and Wayne Coyne singing from inside a bubble.

But back to what I really did experience: I do love me some Mr. Bird and he was a perfect ending to a terrific day. I’m proud of Jon, Chesley, Bobbo, Brad, Elliot, Ryan, and Micah and what they’re doing musically and what they’re doing for Rebuilt and independent musicians.

Let us all do our part in continuing to tell everyone we know about these musicians we love and let’s be a part of making them known.

Thanks for letting me tag-along to Birmingham my dear Harwell’s and hopefully I’ll see you all around sometime soon.

--Anna, Rebuilt Records’ Team Mom and Obsessive Picture Taker—a Documentarian if you will (thanks goes to Jana for that one)


___________________________________________
I also used Jason's laptop after everyone went to bed when we got home from the concerts on Saturday. I used this time to write an email to Piano Boy. Here is that email (and I was totally exhausted when I wrote this--there are a lot of spelling errors and other typos, but I felt like the experience needed to be recorded right then and there):

So, I'm sitting here in my new friends' house. And it's 12:45 am central time, as we're in birmingham, but it's really 1:45 am in my head, but that's neither here nor there.

I'm at the house of the only girl on the label I work with, Natalie, and her husband Seth. They very lovingly opened their house to Jason (the guy that started the label and my friend from college), his wife, and I. And we just got back from a very full day at City Stages. Both of the sets my friends played in went very well and were very well received. It was certainly a hot and sweltering day out here...and it rained a little and then it was just sticky humid.........but I'm sure you know all about that as at least I was on asphalt and could escape if I needed to. I also had a pass around my neck that said Artist so that was nice (officially I'm listed as one of the guy's "tour manager" so I can get all-access to take photos, etc.


I write all of this not to flood your inbox with inane messages from myself--I mean, inane is my game, but right now this one is serious:

I just experienced a life-altering music sensation. I've been an Andrew Bird fan for years. I once saw him, early in my college years, playing over at The Echo Lounge in East Atlanta. I also saw him once as an opening act somewhere where I can't remember...but tonight I made an effort to make sure I got to see him play live. Our boys played in this in-the-round thing they entitled Guys With Guitars (original, I know) and they toured with it in the SE this spring and were invited to play as such at City Stages. Anyway, on that same stage immediately after them was Ingrid Michaelson. She was pretty good--I'm not the biggest fan of female singers (I don't know why, but it's like I literally hate Sheryl Crow. Vehemently in fact.), and Ingrid really was good...but she played for nearly two hours! What indie act plays for 2 hours? Anyway, after her, Andrew Bird got set up on stage. But bonus, I had already laid out our blanket hours beforehand knowing that he was playing last night. the crowd was split down the middle by baracades--one side was for standing and the other was for lawn chairs and blankets. We set out a blanket right up front. So while everyone was smushed in watching him play, I was gingerly reclining and relaxing watching him with no obstructions and I got some of the best photos I've ever gotten at a show.

I say all of this to say (it's late, bear with me): I had a spiritual experience listening to him tonight. He plays the violin, guitar, whistles, plays the glockenspiel, and loops it all with varying rhythms and it really is mindblowing. He'd be rushing from one side of his space to the other to make sure he got the right loop at the right time at the right tempo and everything. And it was one of those experiences where my mouth was open and I just stared in utter awe. And I distinctly felt God's hand upon me as I was sitting there listening to one of my favorite musicians play an amazing show and He whispered to me, "I do all of this and I do it for you." I got chills and there was a tear in my eye. God plays all of these instruments and creates these amazing orchestrations just to catch our attention and woo us. He does it because He loves us. And we sit there with our mouths agape at His wonder.





I hope your Bonnaroo experience was and is amazing. Have the time of your life, take a few pictures, and I can't wait to hear all about it.



{Insert silly details of my trip back and who all I need to see, etc. I promise, you're not missing anything.}

It's going to be a full weekend, but that's what I love.

Hope I didn't bore you...but I thought that you, being as musically inclined as you are, would certainly appreciate a God moment surrounded by music. It happens to me quite a lot, I must admit.

Have a terrific Sunday, have a terrific Bonnaroo, and I'll talk to you later.

--anna

Also, there are photos!

City Stages 2008

They don't have captions yet--but the first set is Jon Black on the Main Stage. Then Landon Pigg. I love Landon Pigg. Then Griffin House. Then Guys with Guitars. Then Ingrid Michaelson and then my favorite of all (other than my Rebuilt boys and girl, of course) Andrew Bird.

Enjoy!

oh retail...

I'm currently blogging from the inside of my local lovely Apple store.

I have to buy a new iPod. Gotta love living in a huge city that allows me to be able to access like 5 apple stores on my lunch break.

So, I think I'm getting the 160 GB one. Might as well. My iTunes library can only go up from here. And my iTunes credit card is paid off...might as well get some iTunes points, right?

So friends, enjoy your lunch breaks and thoughts of sesame seed oil shots...I'll need all afternoon just to upload all my crap on a new 'pod.

Remember, they're all dogs

I just got an email from my friend Lori, who works with Piano Boy weekly, and I told her of my growing fondness.

This is her response:

That’s quite a back story. I work with the guy every week putting this service together and I had no idea all the details of his performing schedule, etc. I’m thrilled that the 2 of you are growing closer…and I’ll pray for your discernment so you don’t wake up one morning and decide “what happened….he’s turned out to be just another guy”. I love him, but remember….they’re all dogs. (My preacher told me that!)

Looking forward to reading chapter 2 J!!!!

Love you,

Lori

I can totally hear our preacher saying that too! Ha!

I, of course, do not subscribe to the "they're all dogs" doctrine and I'm supposed to be this pristine alabaster ceramic figure that will save his dog-like soul...but it is funny none the less.

widespread panic, really?

So, my friend Kevin left today (I'm assuming it is today) to head to Bonnaroo. Now, he's not like Paulo who's just going up for one night (the Pearl Jam and Metallica night, obviously--more on this in a moment).

Kevin is headed to Bonnaroo to play with some serious acts. Not little-de-dittle local bands. He's about to play piano/keyboards/organ for Derek Trucks (blues guitar prodigy, the nephew of Butch Trucks--the drummer and co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band. Being two years older than me, he has already been ranked #81 in Rolling Stones' 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. That's no small feat. He's touring with Santana now. Also in Feb. 2008 he was on the cover of Rolling Stone (with John Mayer--GROSS) as a New Guitar God. Anyway, I'm not trying to be this guy's PR lady--I'm just trying to shed some light on what a serious gig this is for Kevin. Thanks Wikipedia.)

Oh, the second act he's playing with is this little-known band out of Athens, GA. You may have never heard of them, their name is Widespread Panic. No seriously. Widespread Panic. Kevin is about to play with Widespread Panic at one of the biggest music festivals that jam bands could dream of. Wow. I haven't known Kevin long, but I am seriously proud of him. I'm proud of him for being a musician that these people want to play with them when they tour.

Oh, and did I mention he loves Jesus? Just a sidenote.

My whole point of this blog is this: I decided this morning (before I dropped my iPod in a glass of water...I'm trying to see if it'll dry out right now) that in my head I hate Widespread Panic. In my head I hate jam bands. But I don't really know their music. So I hopped on over to the Widespread website this morning, I launched the music player, and listened to the 8-minute track they have posted. And it doesn't suck. Am I going to go buy their albums? Probably not. But I will give them a little more credit. They are indeed amazing musicians...I just feel like since I don't drink and I don't smoke pot (or even grow it for that matter) I'm not getting the full experience. Any band that has to put this on their website:

The sale of nitrous oxide is strictly prohibited. N2O cuts off the flow of oxygen to your brain. Countless medical emergencies occur from it, including death. If you purchase N2O you are likely supporting people who care nothing about the Panic community. While state to state the laws covering Nitrous Oxide vary, there are clear mandates by the Food & Drug Administration under the Health & Cosmetics act that address distribution and they will be enforced on our tours.

Is maybe not the best band for me. But I'll give them a shot. And they've been around for as long as I've been alive, they must be doing something right.

My iPod is officially dead. I'm trying to get it to dry out because my friend who works for Apple said if it dries out I might be able to get a new one as mine is still under warranty. This is not looking likely--so I guess I'm going to have to go buy a new one! My iPod has become an essential part of my life--and just like you'd get your car fixed if it broke down, I must get a new music-making device. And that's just the truth.


So, Paulo. Paulo told me last night that he's headed to Bonnaroo for just one night (Saturday) so he can see Pearl Jam. I was thinking he was a huge Pearl Jam fan because it'll take some serious dedication to get to Manchester, TN from Atlanta and then just getting into the muddy, tent-covered fields of the festival site is going to be a challenge. He then said he's not even that big a fan of Pearl Jam. He just really likes Eddie Vedder's work on the Into the Wild soundtrack. I am not even kidding. He's trekking all the way out of town just hoping that Vedder will play one single solitary song that was in a movie soundtrack. Good luck with that Paulo.

Paulo had me proofread some notes he had written last night. They were GHASTLY. I really do think he's dyslexic. Lots of inverted letters and use of the word "then" when he means "than" and other such craziness. He even admitted that he's so bad at writing that he hopes that maybe he can get through the next promotion (he'd be a First Mate...sounds exciting, doesn't it?) without anyone noticing. Poor guy. That's got to be a terrible burden to know that you have so many thoughts in your head and you can state them--but the moment you have to write them (or in this case type them in COMIC SANS, I kid you not. I gagged several times.) everything just gets garbled up. I tried to be positive and not dwell on how bad it was. He really is a nice guy and I truly do want to be a friend he can count on. Oh! I meant to write this yesterday: Paulo, on Tuesday night, was wearing elastic-waisted pants. I kid you not. The kind of khaki shorts that old men that play shuffleboard would wear. I just glimpsed it and I told my friend Maggie (my 2nd mom at work) and she didn't believe me so as he was reaching for something a little later she got right behind him, bent over, and peered up his shirt at his waistband! She's a small lady, so she wasn't that obvious, but I burst out laughing (migraine or not, that was funny). She declared, "I've consulted Snopes.com and they have confirmed it!" Then the rest of the night was laughter on K-Mart and Blue Light Specials (as we can imagine you would find such pants at such retailers such as K-Mart).

Ugh, since I'll be out of work tomorrow (here we come Birmingham and the lesser-known music festival this weekend, City Stages, and our boys Jon and Micah that are playing!), I should get the stack of work on my desk done.

There might be a new blog coming soon...it'll be all about me and my quest to lose 120 pounds in 16 months. More later!

high school

What is it that is so formative about high school? Seriously. I'm 26 now. I have a college degree, a nice life, a promising future, amazing friends...and yet when I went through Facebook this morning looking at profiles of all the people I graduated high school with I felt like I was back to being on the fringe of being cool and the "cool" people still intimidate me.


Weird. It's not that I was friends with those people then and I don't want to be now...but still, it's an odd feeling.


What's not an odd feeling, however, is that Bon Jovi's Runaway just came on my iTunes. I love the shuffle feature, you just never know what you're going to get.


So I worked with Paulo last night and I had this migraine (could be that I've been trying to, oh, I don't know, be a tad bit healthier and one such change is no more diet coke...until you have a headache that turns into a migraine for 5+ hours...then you chug a coke zero like it's your JOB) and my eyes were all swollen from summer allergies (fun!). So, I know I looked like I was high as a kite when I entered the building and later he asked if I had had a little too much fun on Monday night and I just stared at him, my head cocked to the side, and before I could answer he responded, "Oh yeah. You have another job. You're responsible." Ha. I thought that was funny. And I reminded him that I don't drink anymore (who knew, right?) and he said he probably shouldn't either...then he stood behind me and started massaging my head hoping my headache would go away! How cute.

I found out last night that he doesn't have cable. That strikes me as odd knowing him like I do. (That last phrase sounded pompous...I'm just saying that he seems like the kind of guy that enjoys a beer and some ESPN.) Anyway, apparently he doesn't have cable because "I want to get out there and make friends" cause that's so easy when you work crazy hours and at LEAST 50 hours a week...but I soon found the real reason, as he even admitted, he's cheap. Ugh. He makes DOUBLE what I make in a year and I'm working two full-time jobs...and yet he's too cheap for cable. Wow. I can understand people that don't have cable because they're being frugal or are on a budget. I can understand people that don't have cable because they really just don't like television. But not to have cable when you make close to 6 figures just because you're cheap is another story all together. I, of course, am not making light of the damaging effects and the tragedy that is divorce, but seriously--I wouldn't want to be married to a man that makes as much as he does, who never takes vacation time, who is never home, and yet still doesn't want to pay for cable. Ridiculous. What's she supposed to do while he's always at work? I guess she could paint. Or knit. Or grow hydroponic pot.


Oooh, it's 938 am already. Wow. Maybe today will go ok.

lumberjack musician, part 2.

He posted this as his new photo today.

I mean, "Love, _____" emails aside (I didn't hear anything back today by the way), this John Pringle is just adorable.

And he's nice. Maybe I'll go Rock Stalk him soon.

might I go ahead and say:

boys that sign their emails "Love, _____" need to be careful.

They're just asking for my affection at that point.


Work is crazy busy so I don't have much time---so I just thought I'd write that I feel really good in the holding pattern the Lord has placed upon me. TJ's is going well, church is going really well, and I got a chance to have a really long phone conversation with my dear friend Jason last week and that has done my soul a whole lotta good.

Oh, and Jason and his lovely wife Jana and I are headed to City Stages (a music festival) in Birmingham this upcoming weekend. Rebuilt labelmates Jon Black and Micah Dalton are both playing and we're going to be there to support.

This is a big deal, so well done fellas and I also can't wait to get to see Andrew Bird out of the deal! I just love him.

Two things

Ok, so first off: Paulo was in a grumpy mood last night--but I guess it's understandable; he came straight from the airport to work. We got a chance to chat and all...but as predicted, my love* for him has waned considerably. I'm sorry for those that have grown attached to Paulo. There will be someone new, I'm sure. There's always Piano Boy (whom I could actually get excited about) and then you never know who God might throw into the mix.

And secondly, one of the online dating sites I use allows you to see who's viewed your profile. And I just had to take a screenshot of the latest guy to view my profile. Wow. I won't click on his link so I can read the whole thing b/c then it'll show up on his end that I've viewed HIS profile and I don't want to encourage him. Oh, note to online daters: Post a photo. I don't care if you're hideous or not, it's better that I know up front.





He's 55. I'm 26. And he enjoys quite dinners. I'm not quite in any sense of the word. He enjoys soft music. Like what? Christopher Cross and other Dentist Office Rock? And apparently for a 55-year-old faceless bachelor he has lots of private dates at his house where he cooks. Ummm, no thanks. Eww and gross. I'm sure he's a quite (or is that quiet now?) a nice guy and all that, but, umm, I try not to date people 30 years my senior and who want to lure me into their private domain to cook for me. Creeeepppppyyyyyy.

Stupid online dating.
















*Love, lust, tomato, tomahto.

I get it, OK?

I get it. Men need respect. I get it. Their ego and pride are on the line all the time. I get it.


I do NOT get, however, why I can't simply DO MY JOB and ask someone to DO THEIRS without their panties getting into a wad! Good Lord!

Someone did something incorrectly this morning. I had to fix it and take it back to them. Instead of a thank you or an I'm sorry for royally screwing that up--I got a defensive, "Well, it shouldn't have taken THAT long to fix it." No, you're right, your screw up was an easy fix. However, I've had to alter this one document NINE times in 24 hours because each time you make a small mistake. Grrr.

Maybe I should send HIM an email that only says: GRRRRRRRRRRR.


It's only 1052 am. We're in trouble.

it's going to be one of THOSE days I see

1. I almost committed vehicular homicide this morning. Three quite overweight (like, way bigger than me--yeah, I know) African American ladies decided to waddle their way across a 4-lane highway this morning where the speed limit is 55 and it's full of morning traffic. No seriously. I don't care where you come from ladies or that you're going to be late for work, but there is CLEARLY no median on the road and you had to cross through a gully of grass as the median. So don't look at me like I just raped your mother when I honk like crazy as I have to swerve in front of other traffic and go into the opposite gully just to avoid hitting you. I appreciate that the bus stop is on the opposite side of the road from where you need to be. However, crossing the highway is NOT the answer, you loons.

2. As I was exiting my car already frazzled at my almost-murders this morning I dropped my Diet Coke and got it all over my cream-colored pants. And since I cleaned out my car this weekend because I knew Missy would be riding with me, I had nothing to sop it all up with except for my work shirt that I had for tonight. Now I have to go back home at some point today to get another shirt.

3. My cohort in crime here at work got transfered--as in he and I are still working together, but he had to move desks. And now he and I have different supervisors. How that's going to work, I just don't know. But he (and since I share his email address, I did as well) got an email this morning where our client totally GROWLED at us. GROWLED. From her corporate email address. The woman wants am/pm added to her office hours. That's against our corporate formats. He told her that. And she responded with an email that just said "GRRRRRRRRRR." Awesome. This is also the lady that shrieked at him over the phone that the office hours were wrong. Sorry, as she wrote in her email they are WRONG. Yet, he scanned HER handwritten paper that had given us the apparently WRONG office hours on, she backed down. What is it with this company that makes them rude and feel like the are superior to everyone they encounter?

4. I have a friend (if you're reading this, well, I'm sorry, this is how I feel) that's dating someone she swore was horrible for her, he doesn't share her same beliefs, he treats her rather poorly, and the last time she and I really got to talk about this (sadly, this was at new year's) we examined how damaging this relationship was and how she was much better to be out of it. I found out they were dating again via Facebook (as I've found out about many life-changing things in the lives on my friends). I messaged her and I just feel bad. She's a GORGEOUS girl. Like, seriously. HOT model type, you know? And yet, her self worth is in the ground. She'd rather be in a relationship that isn't amazing just so she isn't alone. And that makes me so sad...because I love her so very much and I want the absolute best for her!


Today just needs to be a day of persistent prayers.

Paulo is back from his vacation today. I work with him tonight. I don't know how I feel about that. He really put me into a bind while he was gone. Grace and forgiveness, Anna. Grace and forgiveness. I don't know if he'll realize it as grace and forgiveness. I think he'll just realize it as him not having to answer to his failed responsibilities. But his bosses know of his dropped balls (ha!) and so I guess it's not my place to harp on him about them regardless. Oh, I found out last night from another full timer that he was indeed married and is now divorced. Paulo apparently never takes time off work. He's accumulated $13,000 worth of AR (absence reserve--you get a certainly percentage of hours worked toward paid time off each pay period). I know how much Paulo roughly makes in a year and through some calculations that means he could take near 7 weeks off fully paid. Wow. As Paulo said to this other guy, "No wonder I got divorced." Yeah. Girls don't like boys that are never home. And work super crazy weird hours and don't have holidays off.

Happy birthday Jen!

Happy anniversary Bep and Chad!

no seriously

Why can't John Pringle just go ahead and love Jesus, pray for a wife, and then he'd propose to me? He totally lives nearby. He gives me hugs (not drugs) when we see each other out.

Seriously now. He's a lumberjack musician. I can't help myself.



He's wearing a Gemma Hayes t-shirt. I hung out with her while I was in Ireland. She's terrific. He's terrific.



Hrrrrmmmmmmmpppphhh.

ponders and panders

I guess I have a lot I want to say but don't necessarily have it all lumped together. I think bullets are the best way to go today:

• I got an email Friday afternoon from my dear friend Jason saying that he and I needed to talk. I knew what he wanted to talk about and I was all kinds of trepidatious like I was being sent to the principal's office. So I sent out an email asking for people (you know, YOU people) to pray because I feel like I'm on the cusp of something life changing and I just wanted you to pray for me hearing God's voice. Well, I got called into work on Friday night (which is cool...me flexing more of my You Can Have Confidence In Me muscles) and I didn't get a chance to call him. Then Saturday was Susan and Mathew's wedding and then I played hostess with the mostess for one of the bridesmaids Saturday afternoon (we went to the World of Coke--so touristy and cheesy and yummy and carbonated. It was terrific!) and then Sunday morning. So, I didn't get a chance to call Jason and we will all know why as I move to bullet #2.
• I went to church Sunday night and heard a sermon where my pastor literally was making eye contact with me 85% of the time. He apologized for it afterward, but I appreciated it. His message was based out of Luke 18: The parable of the persistent widow:

• Luke 18

  The Parable of the Persistent Widow

  1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

  4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

  6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

• Right. So, I ended up talking to Jason for well over an hour yesterday and this is what I told him: I don't want to be a nag. I don't do it in real life and I certainly don't do it in my prayer life. I pray for something once or twice or every once and a while and I don't want to "bother" God again. Well, my mind has been changed. As Jimmy (my pastor) stated: Persistent prayer changes things. It couldn't be MUCH clearer: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." Not all of the parables have a key to tell us exactly what Jesus means. This one, however, he steps up to the plate and tells us exactly what he means. We are to always pray persistently and never give up. So, to answer all the career related questions: I've been give the red light. And that's not bad. It's a red light telling me to wait. I know things are in the works and I just need to pray persistently, never giving up and my request will be answered in His right time and His right way. Rebuilt is going to great places and I just need to wait. TJ's is going to great places and I just need to wait. So for right now I'm continuing in my holding pattern. God is good (all the time) and all the time (God is good).
  

• So, we're all honest friends here: I want to be married. It's true. Not to just anyone. I want to marry a Voddie-approved man (if you don't know Voddie, you let me know right this instant and I'll put the CDs of the sermon that changed my life in the mail right now!). I want a man that fits all of the requirements of a Godly husband and I'm not willing to compromise (hence me politely declining the "ride" I was offered at the gas station the other night...gross!). So I've decided to persistently pray about that too. And so I got this match this morning on one of my online dating sites. His name is Tim. He lives about 10 miles from me. He's 31. He's 5'9" (an inch taller than me). He drinks socially (I used to and may again). He doesn't smoke (gross, me either). He's got a post graduate education. He's self employed and his occupation is listed as Artistic/Musical/Writer. He likes voluptuous women (see Bep, I knew I'd find a Squishy admirer!). Never married. Doesn't have kids. Lives alone. He's a Christian and goes to church more than once a week. He likes the things I like. And here's the kicker of them all where I here God saying, "Finally. You've got the idea. Ask and you shall receive. But you've got to really ASK." Here's what he's written about himself:
  
  

  Hi, my name is Tim, and I am looking for a wife.I am looking for marriage, not just a date. I can't wait to share my heart, my love, with my wife. To express to her my love and affection--to her and her alone. I am searching for a woman who belongs firstly to Jesus. I’m looking for someone who is committed and sold out to Christ and who understands that she can love Him only because He loved us first, who truly believes that her salvation is dependent completely on what Christ did on the cross, and that the grace to live a life pleasing to Him can happen only through His power. I’m looking for someone who has a truly Biblical worldview, and a solid understanding of the Gospel and grace. When you are deeply in touch and in love with Christ, you can deeply love and be in tune with your mate because God's love is flowing through you.
  
  I am looking for a woman who wants to be attentive to the Holy Spirit in her life, who sees walking with God as a lot like dancing, where we need to trust that we will feel His gentle lead if we just remain in His arms and look to His face. I’m looking for someone who would go together with me into the Lord’s presence every night in prayer. I’m looking for someone who draws her strength from the Lord. I look forward to a relationship that is focused on God.

Now, I'm not saying he's The One (the one, the one, the one)...I'm just saying that God speaks, friends! He says, "You ask and I provide what you need. I will reveal myself to you when you are ready." There are some of you out there that could totally be freaked out by his online profile and I get that. But I'm not. I admire his honesty because I also am not looking for games or hookups. I'm serious (for once) and God just makes me smile sometimes.

• Paulo is in the doghouse. He going to have some major kissing up to do once he gets back from his vacation (tomorrow). He left three things undone that he said he was going to take care of (I don't like it when boys break their word) and so I had to deal with the fall-out of each of them. He's only been gone since Saturday--but things in the grocery business go really quickly and one day makes a huge difference. Oh, and apparently he's super touchy about his bad handwriting. And I understand that. I do not, however, understand why he gets super touchy when I'm just being honest and telling him I can't read what he's written. Maybe this vacation was good for him. And he found Jesus. And is ready to sweep me off my feet. We'll see. Anything's possible, right?

• Piano Boy was at church Sunday. And he played Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus whilst singing for the offertory. It was gorgeous. I love that song! I came into the sanctuary after he was already on stage b/c I was running a little bit behind. But afterward he came right over and gave me a big hug and was quite effusive with how glad he was to see me and I was all aflutter. We had dessert after the service and then we were talking outside (a group of us) and I casually asked if he got my email. He said yes, but he's a horrible corresponder. A group from church usually goes out after church (to a bar, DUH!) and I got invited to go--so I decided to. He had to bail that night, but you could tell he was reluctant to go home when he knew I was going to their hangout spot too...but he promised "Definitely next week." So I wrote him another email yesterday entitled: "Well now that I know you don't write back...I won't feel so bad." And I just said that, well, here's the whole thing:

Anyway, we missed you last week and it was lovely to see you again last night!

And thanks for playing Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus...it's one of my favorites.

I think everything gelled last night and I agree with Greg--it feels like we're a family. A wonderful and warm family.


Oh, and you were totally missed at the [the bar]. No seriously, it was a little bit ridiculous. One of Adam's friends had just gotten into a bar fight when we got there and so I (being the caretaker I am) got my first aid kit out of the car and Melissa had to try to help him with this huge gash (caused by a boot no less) on his forehead. Anyway, it was an interesting time of bar fights and Mitch trying to convince me of some interesting theology and it would have been nice to have you there too.


Well, our servers have been down all morning but they're back up now, so I guess I should get some work done. Silly corporate job...

Have a wonderful Monday and I'll catch you next week I suppose.


Peace, Anna

His response:

It's not that I don't write back, it's just that I'm a tad forgetgul, sometimes. Great to see you as well. I agree, there is something really cool going on at that church. I can't remember being as comfortable in my own skin as I am down there amonst such caring and loving folks such as yourself.

Shame I missed the craziness, that sounds like it was kind of fun in a weird sort of way. It would have been awesome it if broke out into a straight up western saloon brawl, with beards and hats and chairs hitting people over the backs and bottles breaking and stuff. It' s crazy to me that we are all down at A1, in this loving warm environment, and within minutes, we can be in a place where it's every man/woman for him/herself. Anywho, glad you could be of assistance.

Hope your monday has been fantastic so far, and I will look forward to seeing you soon.

Cheers!!!
[Piano Boy]

Points I like: he says Cheers, which is fun. He said Anywho and that makes me laugh. He thinks I'm caring and loving (that leads to loving the fact that I'm "squishy" right?). He wants to see me soon. And he likes to exaggerate--the part about the saloon brawl made me laugh out loud. If you don't know how I like to spin a yarn, go back to the letter I wrote Paulo about him killing his girlfriend and wearing her skin around the house.

I think that's all I have to say right now. Oh, and I'm totally praying for Kate to be pregnant (only nine more days until we can know!) and for Jen, Jonathan, and Carrie that are biking across the US for charity and their driver Autumn, and for the team selection meeting I'm having for my Chrysalis weekend this Thursday night. And I'm praying for my friend Greg that has hurt the people he loves the most and he's just looking for some forgiveness. And I'm praying for Rebuilt and Small House and what the future looks like and where I am in that picture.

OH! I almost forgot: Apparently the man I loved for six years and who is getting married in less than a month to someone other than myself (praise the Lord! He is indeed good!) assumed I'd be staying at his place for a couple of days before the wedding with the rest of "the guys". Wow. The rest of the guys. I guess some things just never change.