28 November, 2007

Tribute To Mike

  • For the past week, I've been waking up with a strange feeling. This feeling also comes when I turn off the lights at night. Today, I realized what it is. It's the understanding that most of my bedroom floor is visible, and it's been...life-changing. Well, maybe not that dramatic. Perhaps we shall call it habit-changing.
  • I broke two ornaments when I decorated the Christmas tree yesterday. Poor, spun-glass reindeer. Poor dancers, who were given to me by Mrs. Hoffman (or maybe that was Mike's?). Oops.
  • Cameras are pretty fun, but it takes a while to get used to using one. Since I'd never had a camera before last Friday, I never bothered to learn the nitty-gritty stuff about 'em. One of the details I just can't figure out: What should I name the guy? My computer's name is Jake...Fred is the turtle in Jess' car...Bert came to mind, but I want to make sure that's the perfect name for him. What do you think? Check out my Flickr for his portrait.
  • Is naming electronics weird? I hope so. I was thinking about this phenomenon just now...all my electronics (which aren't many) have monosyllabic, male names. Except for my cell phones. They have names like "my old phone," "my first phone," "the red phone," "John's old phone," ...you get the idea. I wonder why.
  • On the way home from school, I was thinking about Jesus and prayer. This had to do with some song that was playing on my iPod, but I can't remember the song. Anyway. SO, Jesus prayed quite a bit. But why? Jesus was God incarnate, after all. Talking to himself doesn't seem like it'd be a long process. Wait, God lives in me, if my theology is correct. So, why do I pray? On the other hand, why don't I walk on water at will, or heal whenever I so choose? Huh. Something to think about, for sure. (Before anyone goes willy-nilly on me, keep your shirt on. This sort of theology isn't what I'd call necessary to a saving knowledge of Christ, it's a question probing God's grace. Prayer is a gift, I know that. If I never find the answer to this question, I don't care. It's just fun to think about.)

9 comments:

Author at 661 said...

visible =O

;-)

My lappy's name is Celia.
I was gonna name it Harrison... or Fred. The first name I thought of was Fred. I've been indecisive ever since I got it on whether to change it and whether it should be a girl or a boy.

My cell phone doesnt have a name.
Neither does my camera.
They are both needy & nameless pieces of technology ;-)

For your camera- Bennington. Clarence. George. Max. Humphrey.

I honestly dont know whether it is weird. I'd be interested in knowing... but then again, weird is scaled differently by every person walking down the street so what difference does it make.

Anonymous said...

How 'bout Smedley Butler?

Laedelas Greenleaf said...

Max would be a good name for my (unnamed) iPod!

Butler is a good last name, especially for something electronic. What's "Smedley?"

Anonymous said...

I've never been into naming things, though I have friends who name all of their cars (George was a little mazda that he drove when he was in Pittsburgh - no heat, made a huge racket when driven above 55; I don't remember the name of his car now - sporty thing with fancy steering when traveling at high speeds, can barely fit me in the car, etc. etc) expensive electronic equipment (Cynthia, the synthesizer - not sure on the spelling, Synthia seems weirder), and Bob the pitch pipe - who lived in his pocket of his jeans for 10 years, so was lovely to look at, smell and blow on...

As for your serious question, I think Jesus and God aren't one person, ie. without any reason to communicate one to the other, which would be the case if they were completely one. Jesus prayed, "nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done". I don't think he was saying, "well, really my will and your will are exactly the same thing". The huge separation while on the cross was probably larger than we can really comprehend, and I think likewise, I am not sure if I can really comprehend the closeness they share either. I do think that Christ was a man, and we ("they who are sanctified") are "all of one", and "he is not ashamed to call them brethren" (Hebrews 2). I think the closeness/familial relations we can and should have with Jesus is much bigger than we think - that God has a much higher calling mindset for us than perhaps we even like to think sometimes. I have really loved/clung to Ephesians 3:20 these last couple years: "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us..."

So, God is able to do those things that he wants to do? Exceeding, abundantly, above, all... Seems like he could have just said, he'd do it... But, no, his picture is far bigger than that. He is able to do exceeding above all that we ask... Ok, above all that we ask, maybe I can imagine that... oh wait, he said, exceeding abundantly above all that I can ask or even THINK... I guess that is a mindblower by definition...

And then even the last part - according to the power that worketh IN US... Not some far off, only in bible times, etc. etc. in US. today.

"According to your faith be it unto you."

I guess I am preaching more to myself than to any of you who read this... Do I have the faith to believe Ephesians 3:20, or does it not really mean that - does it really just mean I should live my happy, little, American life, mostly devoid of God, except for small shining lights here and there if you look really hard, or does it show a mind-blowing, gazillion watt light of God's power, and his desire to do work in my life???


"Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24)

zvttbhfc: Zaccheus Vacated The Tree Barefoot: He Found Christ.

hrm. I must have taken too long to write that comment. So, I get another captcha:

bgaie: Before God's Actions, Is Empty

Author at 661 said...

Smedley Butler. my first ever game of risk. haha.
I forgot about that!

laedelas- I was at the time reading The Savage Wars of Peace for APUSH. Smedley Butler was highlighted throughout. wikipedia him =]

ouxnvwm
agh no time it's dinner time...

Anonymous said...

Hey, if you want a Japanese name, you could use: Ieyasu Tokugawa, or Toritomi Hideyoshi, or -oh never mind.


iigaxc

Sounds like some sort of vomiting provocative.

Laedelas Greenleaf said...

Jon, thanks for that incredibly thoughtful response. It answers my question, but digs so much deeper...This should be quite an interesting topic for the next few sleepless nights! (duh)

Anon-That would be quite a mouthful. "Hey, could you hand me Toritomi Hideyoshi? There's this really good photo op that's going to disappear son..."

Anonymous said...

Yeah, don't name your camera any weird Japanese name. I'm saving those two for my (someday) camera and lappy. No touchy.


xbnyyu

Xeroxing brand new yamaha yummies underneath... (something else that wasn't included in the word verification)

Anonymous said...

My computer is named Achtung!

My camera... Well, I don't have one. My iPod is named iJosh, though. I don't think naming electronics is silly at all.