so we're approaching the end of january and so far this whole thing about writing more isn't working too well.. I'm consoling myself with the fact that maybe I didn't tell very many people and therefore not too many people will be regularly checking this thing to call me out on it. . . however, if you're reading this you're probably proving me wrong, so go ahead and call me out on it. . .
so a few things have been on my mind, and a few more things have been exciting. I don't know how much i want to go into it right now, but I wanted to write something, so here goes.
Issue #1: Oprah vs James Frey
I am totally and wholly fascinated by this story, on many levels. There's the initial levels and thoughts using my experience with Artists that as an artist he has a certain liscense to change embellish things to make for a good story, he sure as hell is not the first to do so. And yet Oprah and her audience are shocked and taking such a holier-than-thou perspective on the fact that, yes, this guy maybe made some stuff up to get each of their $15. The bottom line remains though is that he wrote a good story, he must be a good author (i have not yet read the book but brooke kept telling me I needed to before all this scandel came to light). And then there is the questioin of the publisher not checking facts . . . c'mon, this guy wrote a story, why shouldn't they believe it. Oprah seemed to want to demonize everybody else so as to limit the embarassment herself.
I was telling my friend josh about this story and about Oprah ripping him apart on the air and he mentioned how when we put idols up and they fall, afterwards we tear them apart. interesting . . . but I can't seem to not slightly smile when Oprah says she's been 'duped,' and so were all her followers . . . all of those followers . . . duped.
Issue #2: Ken Hutchenson.
Here is a guy that, growing up on the eastside I respected quite a bit. He seemed to do things his own way which in my anit-establishment state I always appreciated. But now we've lost another good soldier to the establishment of James Dobson and right wing christian (with a lower case 'c') fanaticism. I will limit my rant to two points: 1) Ken is being prideful, he is relishing in the power that the media has given him which is a far worse sin than being gay. 2) You cannot legislate morality. It's that simple.
Issue #3: artist collective
I'm really excited about movements ina direction in this town to bring people together and encourage each other on issues of faith and art. there will be more on this later, but I've been thinking a lot about it and getting pretty excited, i think it'll be something significant.
that's all, i'm not dead, just thinking . . . a LOT!
Kristoffer
Friday, January 27, 2006
Monday, January 02, 2006
What a year for a new year
I've been thinking about resolutions. When I would ask customers at the coffee shop if they had any, almost all responded by saying "oh no, I've given up making any." I think frozen by the possibility by failure we do not make resolutions any more. My beat up Webster defines resolution as "1, the act or result of resolving something. 2. the thing determined upon; decision as to future action 3. a reolute quality of mind. 4. a formal statement of opinion or determination by an assembly."
I can't help but link 'resolution' with 'resolve' (a word that now could by included in the many 'bushisms,' but regardless an important word to pick apart). resolve is defined as "1. to break up into seperate parts; analyze. 2. to reach as a decision; determine. 3. to solve (a problem) 4. to decide by vote."
The root of both these words is "solu" which means to loosen. How is making a resolution or resolving something loosening? I would think that in some way, when we make resolutions it is perhaps to be more disciplined. "I'm going to quit smoking. I'm going to work out more. I'm going to make a budget." Wouldn't it be tightening up behaviors that have had only loose dominion in our lives? When I think of the word "loosen" immediately i think of an image of sand. For some reason sand i see as loose, free flowing, not attached to anything. Yet it's movement is dictaed not by it's own accord but to the current, the natural flow of the earth, the water. Sand is free yet it's movements are not it's own.
But yet resloution and discipline seem to go together. Of course Discipline and Disciple also share the same root. To be a disciple is to obey Christ.
I am always moved by John 15, when Jesus teaches about the vine and the branches.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word i have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
This excerpt is taken from this website: http://www.mastergardenproducts.com/gardenerscorner/a_guide_to_pruning.htm
"What is Pruning?
Pruning is a regular part of plant maintenance involving the selective removal of specific plant parts. Although shoots and branches are the main targets for removal, roots, flower buds, fruits and seed pods may also be pruned.
Pruning wounds plants, but plants respond differently to wounding than do animals. In plants, damaged areas are covered by callus tissue to close wounds. Simply put: animal wounds heal, plant wounds seal.
Another response to pruning occurs inside plants. around wounded areas, walling off or compartmentalizing the wounds. Compartmentalization limits any decay that results from wounding, or from the natural death of branches. Use pruning techniques that minimize plant wounding and speed wound closure.
Current pruning recommendations advise against pruning branches flush to the trunk. Flush cutting is harmful in several ways: it damages bark as pruning tools rub against the trunk, it removes the branch collar , and goes behind the branch bark ridge."
Perhaps by making resloutions to be more disciplined we should have these resolutions be a way of allowing God to prune certain things that have control over our lives, perhaps by giving up certain things so that God can heal them and create new life. By allowing God to loosen dead branches we can then be disciplined by allowing new growth to occur. OR going back to the example of sand, sand comes from giant rocks, parts of huge boulders that gradually the sea erodes away. But only until the sand is free from it's former 'home.' can the sea move it to a totally different place. But the sand must 'resolve' to detach, let go of the rock to which it is clinging.
There are many branches that need pruning in my life. Thoughts grow in my mind yet I have a tendancy to not follow them through, as God wants to take me to a deeper understanding i usually give up, go to sleep, turn on the TV, listen to music. So my resolution is this, to be disciplined about writing, reading, thinking, praying. Hence the creation of this blog. I'm not sure if any will read it, but i guess it doesn't really matter. It is about being disciplined and allowing God to loosen these thoughts, to allow him to prune branches that i may not know are not allowing me to grow. By pruning God will wound me and it will hurt, this is what the true calling to the Cristian life, to let God wound us and heal us and therefore creating a further depedence on Him.
I can't help but link 'resolution' with 'resolve' (a word that now could by included in the many 'bushisms,' but regardless an important word to pick apart). resolve is defined as "1. to break up into seperate parts; analyze. 2. to reach as a decision; determine. 3. to solve (a problem) 4. to decide by vote."
The root of both these words is "solu" which means to loosen. How is making a resolution or resolving something loosening? I would think that in some way, when we make resolutions it is perhaps to be more disciplined. "I'm going to quit smoking. I'm going to work out more. I'm going to make a budget." Wouldn't it be tightening up behaviors that have had only loose dominion in our lives? When I think of the word "loosen" immediately i think of an image of sand. For some reason sand i see as loose, free flowing, not attached to anything. Yet it's movement is dictaed not by it's own accord but to the current, the natural flow of the earth, the water. Sand is free yet it's movements are not it's own.
But yet resloution and discipline seem to go together. Of course Discipline and Disciple also share the same root. To be a disciple is to obey Christ.
I am always moved by John 15, when Jesus teaches about the vine and the branches.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word i have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
This excerpt is taken from this website: http://www.mastergardenproducts.com/gardenerscorner/a_guide_to_pruning.htm
"What is Pruning?
Pruning is a regular part of plant maintenance involving the selective removal of specific plant parts. Although shoots and branches are the main targets for removal, roots, flower buds, fruits and seed pods may also be pruned.
Pruning wounds plants, but plants respond differently to wounding than do animals. In plants, damaged areas are covered by callus tissue to close wounds. Simply put: animal wounds heal, plant wounds seal.
Another response to pruning occurs inside plants. around wounded areas, walling off or compartmentalizing the wounds. Compartmentalization limits any decay that results from wounding, or from the natural death of branches. Use pruning techniques that minimize plant wounding and speed wound closure.
Current pruning recommendations advise against pruning branches flush to the trunk. Flush cutting is harmful in several ways: it damages bark as pruning tools rub against the trunk, it removes the branch collar , and goes behind the branch bark ridge."
Perhaps by making resloutions to be more disciplined we should have these resolutions be a way of allowing God to prune certain things that have control over our lives, perhaps by giving up certain things so that God can heal them and create new life. By allowing God to loosen dead branches we can then be disciplined by allowing new growth to occur. OR going back to the example of sand, sand comes from giant rocks, parts of huge boulders that gradually the sea erodes away. But only until the sand is free from it's former 'home.' can the sea move it to a totally different place. But the sand must 'resolve' to detach, let go of the rock to which it is clinging.
There are many branches that need pruning in my life. Thoughts grow in my mind yet I have a tendancy to not follow them through, as God wants to take me to a deeper understanding i usually give up, go to sleep, turn on the TV, listen to music. So my resolution is this, to be disciplined about writing, reading, thinking, praying. Hence the creation of this blog. I'm not sure if any will read it, but i guess it doesn't really matter. It is about being disciplined and allowing God to loosen these thoughts, to allow him to prune branches that i may not know are not allowing me to grow. By pruning God will wound me and it will hurt, this is what the true calling to the Cristian life, to let God wound us and heal us and therefore creating a further depedence on Him.
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