Two out of the last three weeks Roy and Lindsay have made the Tribune.
picture 20/71
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Dobby house elf tears up costume contest and many other magical memories
Last night the Carney’s joined millions of American across the country to celebrate the release of the most creative piece of writing since Inklings laid their pens down.
It was a night full of fun and friends. We joined up with Robyn and Hannah Howard and Britt and Holly Duke and occasionally a not working, but really working Craig to fulfill all six House Cup challenges.
1. Honeydukes Jelly Bean guessing contest
2. create your own potions contest
3. quidditch toss
4. OWLS
5. Face Painting and
6. Pictures with Hagrid and Harry
There were several highlights to the evening including Hufflepuff’s House Cup victory, the house to which we all belonged, but far and away the most exciting moment was Roy Clemens' third place finish in the costume contest…awarded to him for his masquerading of Dobby the house elf. As a prize, Roy won a five dollar gift certificate to Hollywood Video, some Godiva Chocolate, and an official Minerva McGonagall Noble collection wand. A coveted item.
When asked what he would do with the winnings Roy told reporters, "give the chocolate to my mom, go see Ratatouille with the gift certificate, and finally work on discovering my potronus charm with the wand, which I predict will be a grizzly bear or maybe even Bear Grylls himself, cause I'm rugged ass just like my dad."
Roy was quite a hit as he posed for countless pictures for perfect strangers and might even make the photo album on the online Trib. if they create one.
Now for carving out time at the end of my summer semester to read about the conclusion of this saga.
It was a night full of fun and friends. We joined up with Robyn and Hannah Howard and Britt and Holly Duke and occasionally a not working, but really working Craig to fulfill all six House Cup challenges.
1. Honeydukes Jelly Bean guessing contest
2. create your own potions contest
3. quidditch toss
4. OWLS
5. Face Painting and
6. Pictures with Hagrid and Harry
There were several highlights to the evening including Hufflepuff’s House Cup victory, the house to which we all belonged, but far and away the most exciting moment was Roy Clemens' third place finish in the costume contest…awarded to him for his masquerading of Dobby the house elf. As a prize, Roy won a five dollar gift certificate to Hollywood Video, some Godiva Chocolate, and an official Minerva McGonagall Noble collection wand. A coveted item.
When asked what he would do with the winnings Roy told reporters, "give the chocolate to my mom, go see Ratatouille with the gift certificate, and finally work on discovering my potronus charm with the wand, which I predict will be a grizzly bear or maybe even Bear Grylls himself, cause I'm rugged ass just like my dad."
Roy was quite a hit as he posed for countless pictures for perfect strangers and might even make the photo album on the online Trib. if they create one.
Now for carving out time at the end of my summer semester to read about the conclusion of this saga.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
On hell...unfortunately
We think about hell from time to time. I’m not sure that it is the one theological doctrine that we should be tied up in thinking about, but as someone shared on a special this last Friday on 20/20 about the topic hell, Dante’s Inferno has been read much more than Dante’s Paradise.
Flames and turmoil are what most of us were led to believe growing up. Anything that strays from this conception is usually condemned with a comment that goes something like, “you don’t believe in a literal hell?” usually fired by someone who is somewhere along the lines of conservative to moderate evangelical.
I wonder what is meant by literal? I suppose it has something to do with the middle of the earth and heat and flames. I get that. I really do. When I think about Adolf Hitler, I really think this is the place a guy like that should exist for a long time if not eternity. I don’t care what the depths of grace look like? I want that guy to spend some time thinking about what he did.
Here’s where I’m going with this. It’s not that I’m interested in deconstructing the traditional notion of hell. In fact, I think my official position is that it is a mystery described by metaphor in the New Testament and almost a non-existent idea in the Old. However, I’ll never forget what a professor said in class about the juxtaposition of emotional vs. physical pain in reference to hell. He said, “I’d rather cut hand off with a butter knife for the rest of my life than watch one of my children die.”
Tonight as we gave Roy a bath, I thought about this one boy, Matthew Carlson who died of cancer in the sixth grade. I was in eighth grade when he died and I don’t remember much about him, only the somber state of my dad when he returned form visiting him and his family the last couple months of his life.
Hell…I think it is often used a threat in evangelism. This is the place you’ll go if you don’t buy into the program of our Western Jesus. And then I think about the Muslim mother who has lost all her children to the ravage state of reality we call war. I wonder if the hell we postulate poses much of a threat to her anymore.
There is this one scene in the movie Troy, where Hector’s dad comes to plea for the body of his recently killed son at the hands of his son’s killer who happens to be Achilles. Achilles is quick to point out the state of affairs for the king…he, the king of Troy, could be easily be killed given the circumstances. But in the reality of the agony of the situation the king points out that the threat of death has no sway over him.
I think it must seem strange to some who a presented with the gospel. “If you don’t accept Jesus you’ll go to hell.” I wonder how different that would be from how they are living now?
Grace for all of us, for now.
Flames and turmoil are what most of us were led to believe growing up. Anything that strays from this conception is usually condemned with a comment that goes something like, “you don’t believe in a literal hell?” usually fired by someone who is somewhere along the lines of conservative to moderate evangelical.
I wonder what is meant by literal? I suppose it has something to do with the middle of the earth and heat and flames. I get that. I really do. When I think about Adolf Hitler, I really think this is the place a guy like that should exist for a long time if not eternity. I don’t care what the depths of grace look like? I want that guy to spend some time thinking about what he did.
Here’s where I’m going with this. It’s not that I’m interested in deconstructing the traditional notion of hell. In fact, I think my official position is that it is a mystery described by metaphor in the New Testament and almost a non-existent idea in the Old. However, I’ll never forget what a professor said in class about the juxtaposition of emotional vs. physical pain in reference to hell. He said, “I’d rather cut hand off with a butter knife for the rest of my life than watch one of my children die.”
Tonight as we gave Roy a bath, I thought about this one boy, Matthew Carlson who died of cancer in the sixth grade. I was in eighth grade when he died and I don’t remember much about him, only the somber state of my dad when he returned form visiting him and his family the last couple months of his life.
Hell…I think it is often used a threat in evangelism. This is the place you’ll go if you don’t buy into the program of our Western Jesus. And then I think about the Muslim mother who has lost all her children to the ravage state of reality we call war. I wonder if the hell we postulate poses much of a threat to her anymore.
There is this one scene in the movie Troy, where Hector’s dad comes to plea for the body of his recently killed son at the hands of his son’s killer who happens to be Achilles. Achilles is quick to point out the state of affairs for the king…he, the king of Troy, could be easily be killed given the circumstances. But in the reality of the agony of the situation the king points out that the threat of death has no sway over him.
I think it must seem strange to some who a presented with the gospel. “If you don’t accept Jesus you’ll go to hell.” I wonder how different that would be from how they are living now?
Grace for all of us, for now.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
And Heaven Came...
Dear Waco,
You are welcome that Brett Favre came to you to sign autographs. The only way this could have possibly been better is if Jesus Christ himself would have showed up to sign autographs or perform miracles...probably the latter as he might have found the former idolatrous.
Anyhow, for those of you who don't know, Brett Favre came to Waco this weekend to promote Young Champions, a facility that will provide and promote a place for kids to work out. The first 500 to sign their kids up for a memberships were granted a Favre photo which he was guaranteed to sign. Additional fans could stand in a lotto line for a chance to meet Brett and get his autograph. That is what we did.
I got a little nervous as we approached, but my heart was quickly put at ease as Brett and I had an existential moment where our hearts beat as a Wisconsin one. I shook his hand handed him a cheesehead to autograph and we got our picture taken.
I lived in Wisconsin for 18 years and have been a Favre fan for about 15 of those. Define irony my son is 3 1/2 months old and he meets him in Waco, TX.
sorry about the first picture. Turn your computer or head sideways to fully enjoy.
You are welcome that Brett Favre came to you to sign autographs. The only way this could have possibly been better is if Jesus Christ himself would have showed up to sign autographs or perform miracles...probably the latter as he might have found the former idolatrous.
Anyhow, for those of you who don't know, Brett Favre came to Waco this weekend to promote Young Champions, a facility that will provide and promote a place for kids to work out. The first 500 to sign their kids up for a memberships were granted a Favre photo which he was guaranteed to sign. Additional fans could stand in a lotto line for a chance to meet Brett and get his autograph. That is what we did.
I got a little nervous as we approached, but my heart was quickly put at ease as Brett and I had an existential moment where our hearts beat as a Wisconsin one. I shook his hand handed him a cheesehead to autograph and we got our picture taken.
I lived in Wisconsin for 18 years and have been a Favre fan for about 15 of those. Define irony my son is 3 1/2 months old and he meets him in Waco, TX.
sorry about the first picture. Turn your computer or head sideways to fully enjoy.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
oops
I've been messing with some customize settings and in the process screwed up my blog template. I had to reset it and lost all my personal links. Don't be offended if you are gone, which all of you are. I've meaning to do a makeover anyhow.
Be back together soon.
Be back together soon.
Done Reading
I have fought the fight, I have run the race. This week I finished my last ever required reading text for Truett Seminary. The Lucky winner, Richard Hays’s The Faith of Jesus Christ: The Narrative Substructure of Galatians 3:1-4:11.
I can feel the end. I can see the finish line.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
The sun still shines on luddites…
As most of you know I spent this last week revisiting bachelorhood as my lovely wife and son made their way up to the holy land. For 8 whole days I spent my time in Waco as the sum total of the Carneys.
I sadly dropped off my wife and son last Friday to begin not only my first time away from Roy, but also the longest streak my wife and I would spend apart since we got married. On my way back to Waco I was quickly cheered up by the new reality I would find awaiting me when I got back home. I slept in my bed with the fan on high all week and no covers whatsoever. I also was able to allocate half the grocery budget for beer and other essentials. Needles to say I quickly found myself back in 2004.
As part of my wife’s absence I embraced the luddite lifestyle. Well not really, but she did take our now only cell phone and I committed to riding my bike to as many events and places as possible to minimize the use of our cars… being that I did not have to haul around a car seat and the 13 lbs that is the hunk of burning love…Roy. I did so fairly successfully using my car to drive only to places like Jen’s and the Dugan’s pool and when it was advantageous for Craig and I to travel together. This is quite an accomplishment given the week-long inclement weather patterns of central Texas of late.
On Monday, in the spirit of bachelorhood, I accepted the sympathetic “poor alone Josh” invitation to my friends the Fillinghams to enjoy an evening meal. They live by Mountainview Elementary School. As part of my journey towards their house I rode by Hillcrest Baptist Hospital. I came from 30th and Colcord and so pulled up to the hospital from the east side. As I approached I looked into the window on the second floor and a big smile found itself on my face. That was the room Roy Clemens Carney was born in.
I felt a sudden sense of sadness as the mild pain of missing my dear wife and child become acute. I began thinking about March 20th, 2007 and in an unusual moment of literary genius I realized that the situation lent itself to a triple entendre. That day the Son rose on my wife and I in a unique way.
This morning the Carneys arrived at home at about 1:15 A.M. Roy, frustrated by an odd day of travel, chose to exercise his lungs for a few minutes as we laid him down in his crib. Out of sympathy, but really because I was looking for an excuse to do so, I picked up my crying son and begin to bounce him on the exercise ball at 1:30 A.M. Tired, I closed my eyes and began to review a week of bachelorhood. A few minutes later I looked down to see Roy had fallen asleep. I set him down made my way through earlier clean living room now covered by the mess of unpacked travel items. I laid down next to my wife who asked for the comforter because our room was simply too cold. I got up, got the comforter and plopped back down now officially done with the comparative living experience situation.
The last few thoughts that run through my head...
“This, This, This…the grass has never been greener right beneath my feet.”
I sadly dropped off my wife and son last Friday to begin not only my first time away from Roy, but also the longest streak my wife and I would spend apart since we got married. On my way back to Waco I was quickly cheered up by the new reality I would find awaiting me when I got back home. I slept in my bed with the fan on high all week and no covers whatsoever. I also was able to allocate half the grocery budget for beer and other essentials. Needles to say I quickly found myself back in 2004.
As part of my wife’s absence I embraced the luddite lifestyle. Well not really, but she did take our now only cell phone and I committed to riding my bike to as many events and places as possible to minimize the use of our cars… being that I did not have to haul around a car seat and the 13 lbs that is the hunk of burning love…Roy. I did so fairly successfully using my car to drive only to places like Jen’s and the Dugan’s pool and when it was advantageous for Craig and I to travel together. This is quite an accomplishment given the week-long inclement weather patterns of central Texas of late.
On Monday, in the spirit of bachelorhood, I accepted the sympathetic “poor alone Josh” invitation to my friends the Fillinghams to enjoy an evening meal. They live by Mountainview Elementary School. As part of my journey towards their house I rode by Hillcrest Baptist Hospital. I came from 30th and Colcord and so pulled up to the hospital from the east side. As I approached I looked into the window on the second floor and a big smile found itself on my face. That was the room Roy Clemens Carney was born in.
I felt a sudden sense of sadness as the mild pain of missing my dear wife and child become acute. I began thinking about March 20th, 2007 and in an unusual moment of literary genius I realized that the situation lent itself to a triple entendre. That day the Son rose on my wife and I in a unique way.
This morning the Carneys arrived at home at about 1:15 A.M. Roy, frustrated by an odd day of travel, chose to exercise his lungs for a few minutes as we laid him down in his crib. Out of sympathy, but really because I was looking for an excuse to do so, I picked up my crying son and begin to bounce him on the exercise ball at 1:30 A.M. Tired, I closed my eyes and began to review a week of bachelorhood. A few minutes later I looked down to see Roy had fallen asleep. I set him down made my way through earlier clean living room now covered by the mess of unpacked travel items. I laid down next to my wife who asked for the comforter because our room was simply too cold. I got up, got the comforter and plopped back down now officially done with the comparative living experience situation.
The last few thoughts that run through my head...
“This, This, This…the grass has never been greener right beneath my feet.”
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