Analog Retirement Party
HT: http://www.bustedtees.com/analogretirement
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’
Water for children
Ethos water, sold at Starbucks, has a tagline of “helping children get clean water.” I recently had a meeting at Starbucks, much to my chagrin, and decided to use the remaining $2.12 on my gift card to purchase some water. The cashier rang it up, and announced the total due, “$1.98, please”. I make a comment about the cost of the water and she responds with something to the tune of, “well, Ethos water will make a donation to help get clean water to children in developing countries.” This made me feel mildly better about the asinine price of a bottle of ‘natural spring water’ … on second thought, no it didn’t make me feel better.
I just spent $2 on water, and $.05 is being donated to help kids get clean water. Don’t tell me (as they do on their sticker) the reason your company was created was to get clean water to kids in need when you’re only investing a paltry 2.5% of the sale (I realize it’s a higher percentage for what ethos makes b/c Starbucks marks this up for retail likely by 50% or more).
The same thing irritates me about the whole “product (red)” campaign. I see ads all over the place that tell me that my money is going to help people in need when I buy something (red) … that I should feel good about myself because that $150 cell phone I just bought will provide $5 of food for someone in Africa. Take that $150, give $50 to help someone in need, and buy a used cellphone instead.
I realize there is a balance, and I’m not suggesting that we (wealthy people by the worlds standards) should stop buying superfluous things/toys. Rather, I want to make us aware that $.05 for a bottle of water is good, but getting a free glass of tap water and taking that $2 and giving it to help children get water is 40 times more than what you’d be “donating” by getting that bottle of water.
Our new house
Given that all goes as planned, here’s a link to some pics of our new home in Franklin, TN.
Molly Ann Mutz 6/13/08 - 6/19/08
Molly Ann Mutz
6/13/08 - 6/19/08
May all who hear her name know the beauty that she brought to this world. Let it be known that this princess was of royal blood, who’s time to meet the King arrived far too soon for us. Molly Ann, I miss you already.
Glory!
Con Te Partrio, Molly Ann
Friends,
Today is Molly’s 7th birthday. She has graced us and everyone who has met her with 7 beautiful days of living. Yesterday my sister and brother got to bathe her for the first time, got pictures with her, and both had a turn holding little Molly’s naked body on their chests. In the words of my brother Jake, “It was Heavenly!” Tragically, the celebration of Molly’s life will turn to mourning her death today around 5pm in Denver.
I can’t help but to keep shaking my head at the thought of what Jake and Bec have to do today. The decision they made on Monday to not pursue surgery was difficult to say the least, but the decision facing them today is incomprehensible. Today is the day they have decided to let Molly go, to end her suffering by taking her off of life support. They are sending her to Jesus. There are no words, just my shaking head that gets more pronounced the more I feel, the more I think.
My goodbye on Tuesday with Molly was sweet. I wrote a note in her journal and then read it to her….I wept it to her. Shortly after, I played the song “Con Te Partrio” (Time to Say Goodbye in Italian). I didn’t want to say goodbye, I still don’t.
I ask that each of you today be reminded to pray for Rebecca and Jake as they inch closer to the time later today when they will take Molly off of life support. When you look at the clock for when lunch will arrive, or when your next appointment is, or when work/school/etc is over; will you be reminded that the Molly’s time is drawing to a close. Remember Bec and Jake as with each minute, they inch closer to giving the final word to remove life support. Pray for a miracle.
Truly truly, her life has been special. If there was a symbol that gives you a picture of her life, it is the exclamation point! She came, she changed, and now she is going. Molly’s work here on earth is done, and what an amazing work she has done. In 7 days, she has accomplished more than most 77 year olds.
I’ll say it again, I pray that you experience the ripple, nay the waves of change that her life has caused.
Here are specifics that you can pray for today (from Jake and Bec):
Please pray for us today.
1) A miracle for Molly - for her to be completely healed when she comes off life support
2) Peace & guidance for us throughout this day & this process.
3) Christ’s tangible & obvious presence to be known & felt as (assuming no earthly healing) we hand her into Jesus’ arms.
4) For us to be able to grieve without a clock (both today & continually), at our own pace, without the pressure of today, tomorrow, others, or each other.
5) For Molly to continue to be medically stable throughout the day until it is time to take her off life support. We assume we will take her off life support this afternoon around 3-5pm. Please pray that God will show us the right time. We know her body is weak & we had a scare with this last night. We won’t ever be really ready but we just weren’t prepared to have to do that last night. (That is a praise she made it through the night!).
6) So more accurately, pray that Molly will make it to her appointed time & that will have prepared us for that time.
7) Finally, that the last people we have to hear a “2nd” opinion from - The Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City - will do so before noon. I don’t want to give up the fight to soon - despite hearing almost a dozen other “2nd” opinions - I am holding on to this last glimmer of hope.
come quickly Lord Jesus, come quickly.
undoing
Last year around this same time, I posed a question “What is this place”; on my blog. The question was cryptic at best as my effort to go into more than just the question itself was not there. However, a month later put a little more effort into that question with the post, ;There. Is. More.
Today, I’m at the same place wondering what is this place (MHGS), and how is it that I hope and call myself and others to more. I’ve spent the past year wondering if I had it in me to search for more. It is impossible for me to deny the need for a voice to call others to more….and I wonder how I can call the institution of Mars Hill Graduate School to more: More responsibility, More truth, and More gospel. If we truly believe that the gospel is all it’s cracked up to be (especially here at MHGS), then our pursuit for what that gospel is should stop at nothing. The problem is, what is that gospel? Specifically in the context of MHGS, what is the gospel that is taught and encouraged? What we’re taught is that the gospel is the belief that any story can be redeemed …. regardless of how that story was created. And that emphasis on ‘creating chaos’ is the problem.
New blog address.
I’m starting this blog here as a move from my old domain name. In the future, I hope to move all my content from the old site to here, but at this time, I just don’t have the time to mess with it all. So why laughingseven? Well, for one thing laughing has become one of my new favorite hobbies. And seven is the most biblical number out there, right? ha! Seriously though, the name just popped into my head one day when Nathan (my 3rd kiddo) was smiling/laughing behind me as I was working, and the name laughingseven just popped into my head. So there you go. Thanks for reading my thoughts.
Links of interest :: 2.10.08
Retail Therapy: Does Sadness Mean Spending? We may be willing to spend more when we’re feeling down, new research suggests.
HT: ABC News
Why we love, and Flirt.
HT: MindHacks
Griefer madness The subculture of online gatherings surrounding antisocials and those that like to cause grief. HT: MindHacks
Get eBay and Craigslist Spelling Ideas with TypoBuddy.
HT: Lifehacker
Insult generator Easy ways to insult your friends | Insult Me!. HT: Me
Outsourcing child-care
Pretty funny satirical video from www.theonion.com
Follow up: What does it mean to be white?
My post a few weeks ago has garnered a bit of comments (the most for my blog) and I wanted to follow up on it and point out a few of the quotes that I appreciated from folks.
“I’m too afraid to say, much less be honest.”
“I think for me being white means privilege … in knowing my privilege, I despise it, wishing it were not there.”
“[to be white] means living, walking, and breathing on this foundation called privilege”
“Mostly I feel shame when I think of what it means to be white.”
“For most of my life being white didn’t mean anything at all”
“I don’t think I can “get†what it means for me to be white unless I love someone who is not.”
“I noticed that I have only been capitalizing when I type the word ‘Black’ - but not ‘white.’ ”
The original post and full comments can be found here.
