a concerned fellow citizen

i have not written on this blog in a while. i guess i have just gotten busy and forgotten about it. anyways, as a welcome back post i will be writing letters to various people to whom i have been wanting to ask questions:

dear homeowners on sheffield,

why is your grass brown? all summer as i drove by your house i noticed that you and your neighbor's yards were both completely brown. not brown spots. not ugly patches. completely brown. how does that happen? is it some kind foreign grass that thrives in the winter and is dormant in the summer? don't worry. i am not judging you. who am i to talk? my yard is far from perfect. no. i simply want to know why. i literally lay awake at night occasionally and think, "hmmm. the brown yards." if you have an answer for me that would be great!

sincerely,

a fellow knoxville resident named clay

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dear rain,

why are you so obsessed with tennessee? don't get me wrong. the earth needs to be watered and all, but i am so tired of you that i could scream. enough already! are you trying to make a point or something? i mean, where were you two years ago when we had a drought? looks like someone felt guilty about that and tried to smother us all with precipitation overkill. i guess no one ever told you that a little apology goes a long way. so, take a hint and get lost cause we're all drowning here.

-clay

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dear america,

why do so many people have chips on their shoulders? i understand that times are tough right now, but shouldn't we all work together? the economy stinks. the weather stinks. why should our attitudes stink? do me a favor: go out and spread some love.

sincerely,

a concerned fellow citizen

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new blog

well, i most definitely have neglected my blog over the summer. sorry about that. i do, however, have some exciting news...

on friday, august 7 i had the opportunity to watch the movie julie and julia - which i thoroughly enjoyed. over the past two years i have become very interested in cooking. i love to try new techniques and recipes. as i was watching the film, i began to think, "i could do this." now, realistically there is no way that i could try to cook over 500 recipes in 365 days. I mean, youth group summers...enough said. however, i knew that it would be possible with a little extra time.

so...

beginning tomorrow, september 7, i will start working my way through mastering the art of french cooking by julia child, louisette bertholle, and simone beck. this task is to be completed by january 1, 2012. i will be blogging on each recipe along my journey and will do my best to post some photos and videos. i am looking forward to this challenge and hope that you enjoy following along.

you can find the new "cooking with clay" blog here.

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be still and know that he is God

today i was reading in genesis chapter 32 about how jacob wrestled with God.  In verse 29 it says:

"'what is your name?' jacob asked him.  'why do you ask?' the man replied.  then he blessed jacob there."

what a simple question, and yet God blessed him without answering it.  it was not about who he was.  it was about what he did.  i have to admit that i often want to know the answers to my own various questions.  i want God to explain it all to me.  i simply cannot sit still and take joy in the fact that he has blessed me.  sometimes it is not about finding the answers, it is about recognizing the truth that is staring us in the face.  our God is amazing and i am so very blessed to know him and follow him.  

today has challenged me to sit still and listen to the voice of God rather than bombard him with full doses of whys and hows that stem from agendas that i have created.  

be still and know that he is God.

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send us to the looney bin

"in moments of reflection, we often find that describing ourselves as normal is a convenient way of fueling our denial.  we are all weird."

i am the first to admit that i definitely have quirks; however, i often have to take a few moments to step outside myself and observe before i am able to grasp the depth of my uniqueness.  in all honesty, i am pretty strange.  some of the things that i do have become so habitual that i forget they are probably not socially acceptable and/or strange.  below, i will list some of my own unusual habits that have been brought to my attention by...me:

1. raw noodles - apparently i like to eat noodles raw.  something about the crunch and the taste is very satisfying to me.  for the past four months there has been a package of spaghetti noodles sitting in our pantry.  one day, i found myself opening the package and taking out 2 or 3 noodles.  i slowly devoured them and went on my way.  before i knew it, this had become a routine.  each day i would retrieve a small portion of the spaghetti and eat it.  about three weeks ago i realized that all the spaghetti was gone.  i had eaten the entire package raw.  it was not until then that i thought to myself, "something tells me that most people do not do this."

2. sing out! - for some reason, talking to people in the traditional manner can often get a little boring and mundane.  why not sing the words that you say to people?  it works for me.  people have told me in the past that i sing what i say.  it used to be just words, but now it is whole phrases.  most of the time i do not even realize that i do it.

3. mr. frog, please meet the human pretzel - i have always been a very flexible guy.  i mean, i can jumprope with my arms, put both my legs behind my head, etc.  due to the gumbiesque nature of my body i tend to sit and stand in weird ways.  for example, when i get bored and am waiting for a long time i often squat down in a frog position (i must point out that i do not do this to be strange.  it is simply a comfortable position.  i am only aware that it is happening once someone yells out, "why are you sitting like a frog?!?").  Also, when i sit and read and/or watch television my legs resemble a pretzel.  it is so natural that i do not even know i am doing it.

4. butter first - popcorn must be eaten in a pattern.  the order is determined by the amount of butter on each piece.  the most buttered piece of popcorn is the first to go.  the others follow in a pattern of decreasing butterness (not a word).  now, this habit may be confusing.  you may ask, "why not save the best for last?"  the truth is that with the truly buttered pieces having already been ingested, the remaining ones appear to be more buttered than they really are.  it is all a deception game, and i fall for it every time.

5. they are not living.  why are you talking to them? - i have the habit of naming inanimate objects (computers, desks, clothes, books, etc.).  i guess that is not too unusual.  only creative, right?  well, i also take it a step further.  sometimes i even talk to them (not whole conversations.  just a simple "whatsup?" to let them know that i acknowledge their presence).  please don't think i'm too crazy for this one.

i will stop there.  i guess this post is a simple way of coming to grips with the truth that some things we do on a regular basis may seem normal to us but if viewed by another person would be reason to send us to the looney bin.   

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j.j. created a monster

"your father was a captain of a starship for twelve minutes.  he saved 800 lives, including yours.  i dare you to do better."

last thursday was a day of great excitement.  i had anxiously been awaiting the arrival of the new star trek movie.  now, i must clarify that i am not a trekkie.  before last week, i had only seen one of the films and a handful of the original series episodes.  however, for some reason i was so excited about this film.  first of all, my man j.j. abrams directed it.  i mean, come on...lost, fringe, cloverfield...  the guy is my hero!  i had every bit of confidence in his ability to make the movie work.  secondly, the film had received rave reviews from critics.  needless to say, i stumbled into my seat at 10:00 p.m. on thursday expecting to be thoroughly entertained.

i was not disappointed!

from the first few minutes i was completely engaged with the characters and the plot.  the cast selection was phenomenal.  the visuals were amazing, and the music was beautiful.  for two hours and six minutes, going to the movie theater was exactly what it should be.  i am ready to see it again!

many people have reported that the reboot of this very old series is an attempt to gain more viewers who have never been fans of the star trek franchise.  well, i am not really one to conform, but this time i have made an exception.  i am completely sucked into the star trek universe.  i found myself looking up old episodes on the sci-fi channel and setting my dvr to record them.  i love trying to fill in all the pieces and figure out what happened when and on what planet, etc.

i don't know if i see this as a good or bad thing.  i guess we'll see.  for those who know me well, it sort of feels similar to when i got hooked on smallville.  that is a little scary.  j.j. created a monster.

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when the time is right

i laid it down in silence, this work of mine,

and took what had been sent me -- a resting time.

the Master's voice had called me to rest apart;

"apart with Jesus only," echoed my heart. 

i took the rest and stillness from his own hand,

and felt this present illness was what he planned.

how often we choose labor, when he says "rest" --

our ways are blind and crooked; his way is best.

to work himself is given, he will complete.

there may be other errands for tired feet;

there may be other duties for tired hands,

the present, is obedience to his commands.

there is a blessed resting in lying still,

in letting his hand mould us, just as he will.

his work must be completed.  his lesson set;

he is the higher workman: do not forget!

it is not only "working."  we must be trained;

and Jesus learned obedience, through suffering gained.

for us, his yoke is easy, his burden light.

his discipline most needful, and all is right.

we are but under-workmen; they never choose

if this tool or if that one their hands shall use.

in working or in waiting, may we fulfill

not ours at all, but only the Master's will.

my friend patrick shared this poem with me almost six years ago.  he found it in the book streams in the desert.  i made copies of the pages and stuck them in my bible.  sometimes, as i am flipping through the old testament, i will find the poem and read it.  today was one of those days.  i thought to myself, "how appropriate."

i guess i could say that i have been thinking a lot about life recently.  God is really tugging at my heart and trying to show me so many things.  some of his revelations have been encouraging, while others have been hard to swallow - it is never enjoyable to have your flaws laid bare before you.  all i know is that there is something big on the horizon and he is telling me that i need to rest.  i need to open my heart and listen to his voice.  i need to be still and know that he is God.

this poem paints a beautiful picture of resting.  it reminds me that my agenda needs to be cast into the wind so that i can embrace the will of my Creator.  if he commands me to be patient then that is what i will do.  the present may be unsettling and unclear, but i am in his hands and he will reveal his plan to me when the time is right.

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bring on the banner!

my friend kara posted a blog that i thought was funny, so i am copying her idea.  you are supposed to go to google and type your name + needs in quotes (ex: "clay needs").  then you look at the first 10 sentences you see and comment on them.  here are my results:

1.  clay needs tea.  this is a very true statement.  i love hot tea.  in fact, i purchased a tea press last saturday for some loose-leaf tea that i bought in new york city.

2.  clay needs a date.  this might not be the best idea, considering i am married.  lori might have a problem with that.

3.  clay needs to step up.  okay.  i guess i could do a little more in this world.  i will make this my challenge.

4.  clay needs immediate help!  wow.  that sounds serious.  i didn't know that i was in danger.  crazy!  is it possible that i am losing my mind and do not even know it?  somebody help me out.

5.  main character, clay, needs 75k from his dad.  i don't know which part should intrigue me more - the fact that i need that much money or the fact that i am apparently a main character for something.  hmmm.

6.  very handsome, affectionate clay needs home/foster.  i guess i'm about to get thrown out of my house.  at least i'm handsome and affectionate.

7.  i think clay needs that lesson in rooting cuttings instead of hacking.  if you say so.

8.  clay needs some design help.  i take offense to this.  i think my design capabilities are just fine, thank you.

9.  clay needs to start vs. penn state.  i don't know what sport this is for, but i am pretty sure that you do not want me starting on your team.  consider yourself warned.

10.  animate clay needs a banner!  sounds good.  bring on the banner!

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