Worldly Holiness

Who Should You Marry?–Some Advise from the Little Ones

Beating Out the Competition in Plaça Cataluña, originally uploaded by papalars.

My sister is a regular source of funny stuff. I usually don't like to just post garbage jokes so you need to know that this one passed the screening. Also, things have been a little heavy in my life lately and on this blog so I thought it was time to add a little light fare for a change. This picture was a fun capture down in Plaça Cataluña several months ago but I have not posted it here yet. So, enjoy the combo and have some fun this week. Pray for the missionaries you know. Pray for God to help them have a sense of humor and to find joy in what they do, the people they serve and the place they live. Pray also for their families, children and loved ones from whom they are separated. Thanks.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
— Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
— Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
— Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
— Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
— Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
— Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
— Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
— Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
— Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
- - Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
— Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
— Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
— Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is……..
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck hit her.
— Ricky, age 10

May 2nd, 2007 Posted by andres | Lighter Side | no comments

Out my Window in Barcelona

Click the photo to get the flickr posting where you can view this picture in a larger size. The Sagrada Familia church is on the horizon in the right third of this pan.

A quickie here. Someone just inquired where I got all these nice photos. Well, a little confession. Before we came to Europe I splurged and purchased a real digital camera. An SLR camera which means "single lens reflex." It is not one of the snapshot versions but neither is it top of the line. Purchasing this camera kind of released me to be creative with an old hobby of mine. The freedom of shooting and not having the burden of taking a roll of film to the store, like I did for more that 30 years, added to the absence of developing costs, organizing and on and on….well I have had a bit of a photographer's renaissance.

This photo is what they call a stitch job. I took 4 vertical shots out my apartment window this afternoon and "stitched" them together to get this beautiful panorama. As I comment on my photo site, "the clouds over Barcelona have been spectacular the last few days."

Tonight I had a session with Fabio in our house. I will post a story about him, with photo, over the next few days. He is another friend and ministry partner here in Barcelona, directly helping the "Esparcidos Project." More later on what that is all about and on Fabio. Carol is back in Seattle helping our daughter get adjusted to some new digs. So Erick and I are batching it. We haven't starved, thanks in large part to some food Carol froze before she left. We are ready to have her back though. Look for a few pictures to the right on flickr that tell the story of batching it….hint…"Honey, I shrunk the sweater!" http://www.flickr.com/photos/papalars/422894751

So, all these photos are mine, 100%. It is my therapy, tool for communication, telling stories and a way to worship our creator. Comments invited.

March 20th, 2007 Posted by andres | Lighter Side | no comments

Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", originally uploaded by papalars.

Just thought I'd post a fun picture I caught down at Plaça Cataluña day before yesterday for a change of pace. This would go to the lighter side of my blog. Let me tell you the story of how I caught this picture. I was headed down to have my laptop checked out for something. I popped my head out of the metro stop to the low, dull roar of chanting, something that often happens in the Plaça. It is a place of perpetual happenings. Anyway, as is prone to happen because we are new people to the area, we still don´t have the culture´s rhythms down yet. We don´t know what is happening much of the time. Since the local news on the TV is in Catalan (we do watch the news in Castellan, but those stations are from Madrid, that other country), we miss local stuff. The ¨low, dull roar¨ was actually the voices of a chorus of untrained young men from Liverpool taunting the locals before the big, I mean big, soccer match to be held that evening with Barcelona. I migrated over to the noise and got some pictures. I´ve got one on my flickr showing a group of these fans mixing it up with the local police assigned to crowd control. Check it out. A lot of bravado and testosterone being thrown around.

I´m digressing. Sorry. After keeping post in front of the action, waiting to see if anything significant would happen, I decided to make my way to the computer store. Another digress. I was told there were 4,000 fans from Liverpool who flew down from England for the soccer match. They were all clad in the red Liverpool jerseys and t-shirts while the people from Barcelona had coats and scarves on. You can always tell when a northerner is in town. This is big stuff in Europe, actually in most of the world. Cross region soccer rivalries are big theater. You can just feel something in the air when there is a big soccer match. Well, on my way to the computer story I had to cross the main Plaça (the ¨ç¨ is pronounced like our ¨z¨) where they have all the birds. And here is where I saw this panic going on with the birds above! What fun. I took some other pictures that came out nice so jump over to my flickr file.

Tonight I have to take goodies to my Arabic class for not doing my homework last week. Relationships are starting with classmates and my teacher who you prayed for last week. Keep it up. My language acquisition is not going well just yet, but I´m not giving up and God is beginning to build some trust and friendships.

I still owe you another post about our trip last week. I´ll get to it, don´t worry. Thanks for your prayers. God is very faithful and provides some fun serendipities sometimes for my fotos! Comments are welcome and invited.

February 23rd, 2007 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Lighter Side | no comments

Ronda “Nuevo” Bridge [built in 1793]

Carol was laughing hard as she watched me edge up to the fence to get several pictures of the Nuevo Ronda Bridge. I really do have acrophobia and after about 10 minutes of trying to get the perfect shot I was dizzy and a little sick to my stomach. A very strange sensation overtakes me if I linger too long at the edge of a precipice like this! I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach like the wind is going to pick me up and throw me over the edge. Let me explain a little bit about this place and then why we were there.

Ronda is a city in the Spanish province of Andalucía, of southern Spain. It is located about 100 km from the city of Málaga but takes about 2 hours by car because of the winding, somewhat dangerous road from the coast to the town. Its population is 35,512. Ronda is situated in a very mountainous area about 750 m above mean sea level. The Rio Guadalevín runs through the city, dividing it in two and carving out the steep El Tajo canyon upon which the city is perched. Ronda was first settled by the early Celts, but it’s Roman and then Moorish rulers are reflected most prominently in its architecture. Did you realize the Moors who were Muslim, made their footprints in this part of Spain. That is significant for our work with Mosaics [more later]. Finally after many centuries of Moorish presence in this region, the forces of Catholic Spain took control of the town in 1485. Wikipedia tells us that three bridges, Puente Romano ("Roman Bridge", also known as the Puente San Miguel), Puente Viejo ("Old Bridge", also known as the Puente Arabe or "Arab Bridge") and Puente Nuevo ("New Bridge"), span the canyon.

The term "nuevo" or “new” is a bit of a misnomer, since this bridge was completed in 1793. The Puente Nuevo is the tallest of the bridges, towering 120 meters above the canyon floor, and all three serve as some of the city's most impressive features. Another important site in Ronda is the Plaza de Toros, the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain that is still used, albeit infrequently. It was built in 1784 in the neoclassical style by the architect José Martin de Aldehuela, who also designed Puente Nuevo. This is where modern day bullfighting originated with the innovation of the matador standing in the ring on his own feet to face the bull instead of on a horse. That all started in this place. Both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles resided in Ronda for many years, and both wrote about its beauty, contributing to its popularity. Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls describes the murder of loyalists early in the Spanish Civil War by being thrown from the cliffs of El Tajo by Franco's forces. Wow. I'm glad I read about this after our trip.

Tomorrow, I will tell you more about why we were in this place. By the way, I haven't gotten any comments for awhile on my blog. I know you are visiting my blog because I watch the numbers each day, so why don't you leave a comment. Would love to start a discussion about anything mentioned in these pages. Simply click the footer below where it says "comments" and you can add your thoughts whether they are profound or simply a greeting.

Ciao,  

February 21st, 2007 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Lighter Side | no comments

Chucho–Giving Pets Pills

Chucho, originally uploaded by prayformosaics.

This one is dedicated to our cat, Chucho, who ran away just before we moved from Newcastle to Barcelona. We miss him a lot. He was a most wonderful and interesting cat. One night he brought home a crow and left it at our doorstep. Other animal parts were deposted at least weekly. He was so macho some of us in the family thought this would have been a better name. I still have a scar on my hand from a playful moment with Chucho. Anyway, we hope we meet Chucho in heaven. With all his personality this little exercise in giving animals medication reminded us of our dear cat! Laugh with us in memory of Chucho.

Giving Pets Pills

CATS:

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm, as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call partner from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees. Hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get partner to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get partner to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink one beer to take taste away. Apply band-aid to partner's forearm and immediately remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot and drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve the friggin' cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining room table. Find heavy-duty pruning loves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get partner to drive you to emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Stop at furniture shop on way home to pick out new table.

15. Arrange for Humane Society to collect mutant cat. Call local pet shop to see if they have hamsters.

DOGS:
1. Wrap pill in bacon.

November 27th, 2006 Posted by andres | Lighter Side | no comments

I´m standing on a ledge for this one! You should see my feet…hold it…

I needed a break from the office today so I took a walk, and ride on the metro. The sky looked good, that is clear, for taking pictues so I scrambled up to Park Guell, a place where you get good views of the city as well as an up close look at Gaudi´s mosaic work. By the way, that is the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) cathedral behind me on the right. Click the picture for a larger version. They are still working on erecting the 12 spires, representing the 12 apostles. On the left is a modern office building they describe as an inverted cigar. We go to church close to these two sites and also have some emerging ministry contacts in that area as well. Anyway, after this little trip up the hill, I returned home refreshed and ready to go another 6 to 8 hours, after a short nap–grin!

I read in the news that rain is coming hard to Seattle, but that the Seahawks finally won a game! They are having record rainfall and experiencing the worst potential flooding in 10 years. Wow, could that really be? What is the difference between wet and soggy anyway? Well, think about it for a bit. The volume of water spilling over Snoqualmie Falls was reportedly flowing at a rate of 69,000 cubic feet per second, eclipsing the old record of 50,000 cubic feet per second. That is a lot of water. I was there this summer before we packed up to leave for Barcelona. I think the riverbed where I stood with my sister in June is probably 15 feet underwater, or more! I miss Seattle, really, but I´m not sure why. Go figure. I guess we are a little lonely in this new place, taking a while to develop new friendships. Pray for us in that regard.

Hey, I´m off to Turkey this week for an important conference. Pray for me, and the family in my absence. Pray for our kids in Ecuador and Chicago, whom we dearly miss as well. Pray that we all yield our lives to God´s will and direction. Pray for friends too.

I keep updating the photos in my flickr badge to the right so keep checking back. Click the moving parts with your mouse to get bigger versions of the pictures. These are just thumbnails. I have added some pictures from interesting visits in and around Barcelona, namely–the Montserrat monastery nestled in the hills above the city and the Boqueria market downtown which makes Pikes´ Place pale in comparison. The goat heads from the market are featured. Here´s looking at you. There are additional photos from the ordination service in La Coruña as well. Further down on the right sidebar, I´ve also posted a link to some of the books in my library, most of them I was able to bring with me. Then you will find a link to my wish list of books I hope to read in the next year. Enjoy!

Bendiciones,

Muchas Gracias! Hasta pronto. Andres

November 7th, 2006 Posted by andres | , Daily Journey, Lighter Side | no comments

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

Thanks to my sister for the following. She is the funny one in the family and has helped keep us all laughing through life. Love to Signe! Warning to the more sophisticated among us–hope your sensitivies are not offended.

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

   1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto, the blockage will be almost instantly removed.

   2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

   3. You can avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat just by using the sink.

   4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use an egg timer.

   5. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

   6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you will be afraid to cough.

   7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget all about the toothache.

   8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are:

      In life, you only need two tools - WD-40 and Duct Tape.

      If it doesn't move but should, use the WD-40.

      If it should not move and does, use the duct tape.

   9. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

  10. Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

November 4th, 2006 Posted by andres | Lighter Side | 2 comments

Have you ever wanted to zap somebody in the stands?

My brother-in-law just sent me a very funny video clip that put me on the floor laughing. It is close to what I have wanted to do watching little league baseball sometimes. Keep this one. It is good therapy to laugh. Enjoy! 

http://www.honeywell.com/sites/portal?smap=aerospace&page=zing_video&theme=T8

October 12th, 2006 Posted by andres | Lighter Side | no comments