junk food in, junk food out.


sigh.

olsen twins in the nytimes

i'm humbled. they're more than a punch line...

starfield, "love is the reversal"

Welcome to the worldwide train wreck
Welcome to the come undone
Welcome to the big rejection
Welcome to the hit and run
Where mercy cries for everyone

Yeah, nothing is as good as it should be
'Cause this is the rehearsal
Yeah, in between the was and the could be
Love is the reversal

I believe we're underwater
I believe the engine's blown
Yeah I believe our secret longings
Tell us that we're not at home
But grace reclaims what the world disowns

It is one of the defining marks of Our Time that God is now weightless. I do not mean by this that he is ethereal but rather that he has become unimportant. He rests upon the world so inconsequentially as not to be noticeable. He has lost his saliency for human life. Those who assure the pollsters of their belief in God's existence may nonetheless consider him less interesting than television, his commands less authoritative than their appetites for affluence and influence, his judgment no more awe-inspiring than the evening news, and his truth less compelling than the advertisers' sweet fog of flattery and lies. That is weightlessness. It is a condition we have assigned him after having nudged him out to the periphery of our secularized life... Weightlessness tells us nothing about God but everything about ourselves, about our condition, about our psychological disposition to exclude God from our reality.


david wells, "God in the wasteland: The reality of truth in a world of fading dreams", 88, 90.


"Oh, that young and old would turn off the television, take a long walk, and dream about feats of courage for a cause ten thousand times more important than American democracy - as precious as that is. If we would dream and if we would pray, would not God answer? Would he withhold from us a life of joyful love and mercy and sacrifice that magnifies Christ and makes people glad in God? I plead with you, as I pray for myself, set your face like flint to join Jesus on the Calvary road. 'Let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come' (Hebrews 13:13-14). When they see our sacrificial love - radiant with joy - will they not say, "Christ is great?"

-John Piper, "Don't Waste Your Life" Chapter 7

James 4:13-15:

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"--yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

jesus paid it all (elvina hall - 1865)

I hear the Savior say
Thy strength indeed is small
Child of weakness....watch and pray
Find in me....thine all in all

Chorus:
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone
Can change the leper's spots
And melt the heart of stone

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim
I'll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calvary's Lamb

And when before thy throne
I stand in Him complete
Jesus died my soul to save
My lips shall still repeat

interestingggggg

1. Ramen Halu, 375 Saratoga Ave Ste M, San Jose
2. Santa, 805 S B St, San Mateo (pre-move)
3. Himawari, 202 2nd Ave, San Mateo
4. Maru Ichi, 368 Castro St, Mountain View
5. Ryowa, 859 Villa St, Mountain View
6. Tanto, 1063 E El Camino Real, Sunnyvale
7. Do-Henkotsu House of Tokushima Ramen, 4330 Moorpark Ave, San Jose (closed)
8. Gen Ramen, 47890 Warm Springs Blvd, Fremont (closed)
9.BY Grill, 3226 Geary Blvd, San Francisco (closed)
10.Norikonoko, 2556 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley
11.Hana, 4320 Moorpark, San Jose
12.Katanaya, 430 Geary Blvd., San Francisco
13.Masa's Sushi, 400 San Antonio Road, Mountain View
14.Gochi, 19980 Homestead Rd, Cupertino
15.Oyaji, 3123 Clement St, San Francisco
16.Sanmi, 3226 Geary Blvd, San Francisco
17.Maru Ichi, 530 Barber Lane, Milpitas
18.Hatcho, 1271 Franklin Mall, Santa Clara
19.Kahoo, 4330 Moorpark Ave, San Jose
20.Tomoe, 810 3rd St, San Rafael (closed)
21.Ringer Hut, 1072 Saratoga Ave, San Jose
22.Kumako, 211 E. Jackson Street, San Jose
23.Izakaya Mai, 212 2nd Avenue, San Mateo
24.Japanese Restaurant Hoshi, 246 Saratoga Avenue, Santa Clara
25.Ramen Club, 723 California Dr, Burlingame
26.Ryowa, 2068 University Ave, Berkeley (after ownership change)
27.Tazaki Sushi, 3420 Judah St, San Francisco
28.Ramen Rama, 19774 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino (closed)
29.Ogi-San Ramen, 10789 Blaney Ave, Cupertino (closed)
30.Kaimuki Grill, 104 S El Camino Real, San Mateo
31.Tanto, 1306 Saratoga Ave, San Jose
32.Okazu Ya SF (Noriega), 2445 Noriega St, San Francisco
33.King's Garden Ramen, 39055 Cedar Blvd, Newark (closed)
34.Sushi Bistro, 445 Balboa St, San Francisco
35.Genki Ramen, 3944 Geary Blvd, San Francisco
36.Mitsuwa Hokkaido festival booth, 675 Saratoga Ave, San Jose
37.Lakuni, 325 E 4th Ave, San Mateo
38.100% Healthy Desserts, 1155 Taraval St., San Francisco
39.Mifune, 1737 Post St, San Francisco
40.H2A Noodle, 42318 Fremont Blvd., Fremont
41.Iroha, 1728 Buchanan St, San Francisco
42.Miraku Noodles, 2131 N Broadway, Walnut Creek
43.Manpuku, 2977 College Ave, Berkeley
44.Tanpopo, 1740 Buchanan Street, San Francisco
45.Sushi Yoshi, 39261 Cedar Blvd, Newark
46.La Shang Niang Ramen (OEC), 42 Dixon Rd, Milpitas
47.Oidon, 71 E. 4th Avenue, San Mateo
48.Taraval Okazu Ya, 1735 Taraval St., San Francisco
49.Suzu Noodle House, 1581 Webster Street, San Francisco
50.Fresh Taste, 2107 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
51.Sapporo-ya, 1581 Webster St, San Francisco
52.Tokyo Ramen, 678 Barber Lane, Milpitas (closed)
53.Kamakura, 2549 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda
54.Mama-san!, 312 8th Ave, San Francisco (closed)
55.Katana-ya Ramen, 10546 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito
56.Hotei, 1290 9th Ave, San Francisco
57.Bear's Ramen House, 2521 Durant, Berkeley

closer ep!

"Love Song For A Savior"

In open fields of wild flowers,
she breathes the air and flies away
She thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses
in no simple language
Someday she'll understand the meaning of it all
He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on her lips
Someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call her and she will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

Sitting silent wearing Sunday best
The sermon echoes through the walls
A great salvation through it calls to the people
who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
As close a heartbeat or a song on our lips
Someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
Someday He'll call us and we will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

It seems too easy to call you "Savior",
Not close enough to call you "God"
So as I sit and think of words I can mention
to show my devotion

"I want to fall in love with You"

"my heart beats for You"

dreams and where i am today.

Monday, September 29, 2008 12:04 AM

Isaiah 29:13 And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
14 therefore, behold, I will again
do wonderful things with this people,
with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”
15 Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,
whose deeds are in the dark,
and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”
16 You turn things upside down!



last night God gave me a dream.

it was a wedding, all the lace, flowers and candles one could ask for.
i realized it was mine.
so often the bride and groom are all the fuss: all shiny, glossed and curled, white and gleaming.

but we're only fooling ourselves.
God's the star of this show. God must be honored in this place. it's God who's orchestrated all of this from the beginning. that has never changed.

(in my life who is the star?)


i turned 23 last month. i'm getting to that point where i'll be seeing all my friends at weddings, funerals and the like.

and yes, there is immense pressure to be married in the next few years.

but is my relationship with God strong enough?
if i'm given a godly man to share my life with, will i continue to seek christ with my whole heart?
if i'm in love... if i'm really in love... it'll be all i can talk about and all i can see. where my treasure is, there my heart will be also.


i turned and the groom was coming... tall, dark.

and it impressed on me... hosea 2:19-20: "I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord."

how could i pretend to be devoted to someone i didn't open my whole life to? that i didn't communicate with regularly? that i didn't consult when i was struggling? that i didn't laugh with in all joy?

if i claim to love jesus, i sure don't act like it sometimes.

/ / /

thought #2:

buying the field.
when i first thought about going into ministry this parable pushed me off the edge.

yes, we are ALL called into ministry when we receive the holy spirit.
but each one of us is created specifically, for a specific purpose and with a specific passion that becomes what we give our life to and for.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.


there's some unbelievable depth here:

treasure: defined as "a concentration of riches." can mean autonomy, freedom, wealth, life for an indescribable amount of time, depending on who you ask.

hidden: many will look; not all will find. "for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

man found and covered up: haha, i guess he was protecting his own investment. but anyway, he saw this treasure and figured out its value would be like nothing else he might ever find.

in his joy: i find this the most profound part! at times it actually makes me tear.
another version could be: "well done, good and faithful servant. you have been faithful over a little; i will set you over much. enter into the joy of your master."

goes and sells all that he has: again, you don't do this on a whim. it isn't SUPPOSED to come easy! but here it does. what kind of treasure this might be! who IS this king of glory? also note... he sells all he has. not a little bit. not in part. all. maybe he doesn't have much, but he knows this will demand all he has (and, may i suggest, all he is).

and buys that field: again, wow. he's invested all he is because the kingdom of heaven is apparently that great.

all i need is you

All I Need Is You Lyrics

Left my fear by the side of the road
Hear You speak
Won't let go
Fall to my knees as I lift my hands to pray

Got every reason to be here again
Father's love that draws me in
And all my eyes wanna see is a glimpse of You

All I need is You
All I need is You Lord
Is you Lord

One more day and it's not the same
Your spirit calls my heart to sing
Drawn to the voice of my Saviour once again
Where would my soul be without Your Son
Gave His life to save the earth
Rest in the thought that You're watching over me

All I need is You
All I need is You Lord
Is You Lord

You hold the universe
You hold everyone on earth
You hold the universe
You hold
You hold

All I need is You
All I need is You Lord
Is You Lord

wow! nba per diem

Rocky Mountain News : Printer-friendly story
NBA players cash in on daily allowance of $106 during trips

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News

Monday, March 19, 2007

At first glance, Jamal Sampson's statistics are minimal, averaging 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds.

But when it comes to saving money on the road, the Nuggets center might have the top numbers on the team.

"I'm the Subway king," said Sampson, prouder of that crown than some have been after being named player of the week. "I don't do room service. I'd rather walk."

Sampson, making $798,112 this season, makes hitting the pavement in an opposing city profitable. NBA players receive $106 per diem on the road for meals and incidentals.

When the Nuggets show up at the airport today to begin a five-game trip, each player will be handed an envelope by athletic trainer Jim Gillen containing $799 in crisp bills. That's for seven days and a prorated day for dinner at $57.

Players can use the money as they choose. They can order room service at a ritzy hotel, which could set them back more than $80 for a meal.

Or, like Sampson, who figures he pockets half his per diem, they can take to the streets.

Then again, it's not out of the question some players could see a large chunk of their per diem vanish before the plane lands tonight in New Jersey in preparation for the game Tuesday against the Nets.

"Man, we gamble away that money right away on the plane," said Nuggets guard DerMarr Johnson, referring to high-stakes card games. "We put it right into the gambling pot."

But Johnson, making $932,015, has his limits. He said he pulled back on a recent trip, not wanting to play for money with some of the higher-salaried players.

'It's a nice little benefit'

The average NBA salary is $5.5 million a year, and the good life doesn't stop there. The teams stay at hotels some marketers now say are six-star. The per diem is $21 more than baseball and hockey players receive.

"It's a nice little benefit," said Nuggets center Marcus Camby, whose salary this season, including bonuses, could exceed $10 million. "They take care of us. But in those fancy hotels, that per diem is probably enough for a breakfast."

Camby is exaggerating a bit. But Nuggets forward Reggie Evans recently dropped $85 for a room service afternoon steak at the swank Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco.

Portland Trail Blazers center Jamaal Magloire spent more than $80 last week for a room service steak at The Westin Tabor Center.

But it's hard to complain too much. In 1957, through much negotiating, Boston Celtics guard Bob Cousy, who helped organize the players' union, got the first per diem in the NBA.

It was $7.

In 1964, the union fought hard for improvements. One they got was an increase of per diem.

It went to $8.

Times have changed. Per diem last season reached the century mark for the first time, at $102. It went up this season, with rules in the collective-bargaining agreement stipulating cost-of-living adjustments.

"It feels like free money," Nuggets guard Steve Blake said.

Sometimes it is. Meals are served on team planes and spreads often are available in the locker room after games.

Envelope, please

The man Nuggets players love to see at the start of a trip is Gillen.

Before each month, he determines how many nights the team will be on the road and sends figures to the accounting department.

On partial days, players are paid about $57 for dinner, $30 for lunch and $19 for breakfast.

Gillen gets the envelopes for each player before a trip. With 13 on the roster, that adds up to $10,387 for this voyage.

"They put their names on (the envelopes)," Gillen said of the accounting department. "I take it to the airplane, and they have to sign for it. I give them the envelope, and away they go."

Gillen keeps two.

Forwards Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony request all their per diem at the end of the season. So Gillen locks up those envelopes until the two are ready.

A Nuggets player going on each preseason and regular-season trip would finish with 26 envelopes and the total take would be about $7,500, though taxes must be paid on about 40 percent of per diem.

Martin, out for the season after undergoing right knee surgery in November, and Anthony, suspended for 15 games earlier in the season, haven't gone on all trips.

"I give them to my nieces and nephews," Martin, making $11.8 million, said of what he does with his envelopes. "They got the price on them. I take it out and count it and give it away."

Camby's hired hand

Martin isn't the only high-salaried Nuggets player willing to part with his per diem. Camby gives envelopes on some trips to guard Yakhouba Diawara in exchange for certain chores performed by the team's only rookie.

Diawara, making the rookie minimum of $412,718, carries some bags and sometimes brings meals to Camby. It doesn't sound as if Diawara buys much for himself.

"There's nothing over a $10 meal for 'Kouba,' " Sampson said. " 'Kouba' will walk three miles. He'll walk around the whole city just to save some money."

Diawara scoffs at Sampson's claims. He said there are days he has only $10 remaining from per diem and spoke about having a $24 breakfast and $40 lunch on a recent trip.

Sampson, though, is proud to be regarded as the team's most frugal player.

"Subway. Quiznos, I'll go to whatever sandwich shop," he said.

Call Sampson the Subway king or the Quiznos king. It might depend on which is giving back the most change.

Big man, big meal

It can get pricey ordering room service at the finest hotels. What Nuggets power forward Reggie Evans had for an afternoon meal recently at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco:

• Steak

• Baked potato

• Bread

• Lemonade

• Ice water*

• Vanilla ice cream

Cost: $85 (including tip). *Free

Per diem data

• NBA per diem: $106, after being $102 last season. It is addressed in the collective-bargaining agreement and increases slightly each season, based on cost of living.

• Introduction of per diem: 1957 ($7).

• Per diem for preseason: A Nuggets player going on all three trips received about $1,000.

• Per diem for regular season: A Nuggets player going on all 23 trips will receive about $6,500.

• Taxes: Must be paid on a certain amount, depending on laws in the city where the team travels. Nuggets athletic trainer Jim Gillen offered a sample city daily figure of $62, so players visiting that city would be taxed on $44 of the per diem (41.5 percent).'It's kind of like allowance'

Per diem through a sampling of NBA players:

• Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony felt like a kid when he joined the NBA in 2003 and was told the per diem amount. "It's kind of like allowance," he said. "One-hundred dollars a day. That's crazy."

• When guard Chucky Atkins played in the Continental Basketball Association in 1996-97, he received $25 per diem. "It was Burger King, Subway, IHOP, Waffle House, Denny's," Atkins said of his restaurants of choice. When Atkins, now with the Memphis Grizzlies, made the NBA in 1999-2000, he continued those eating habits but soon learned from veterans. "They told me you've got to fuel your body with some good food," said Atkins, saying the advice has helped, and he now uses the bulk of his $106 per diem.

• As the Nuggets' only rookie, guard Yakhouba Diawara has added duties. But don't think he's not compensated. "Sometimes I give it to 'Kouba,' " center Marcus Camby said of his per diem. "He doesn't have the big contracts like a lot of us. I take care of him. I've bought him suits, PlayStation and an iPod." For Camby's generosity, Diawara sometimes carries bags and gets food for Camby. But it doesn't sound like he's overworked. "I just help him out, nothing too much," Diawara said.

• Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is making $12.5 million this season. When he was out for 2 1/2 months earlier this season because of a broken right leg, he was asked by a Houston Chronicle reporter why he went on a certain trip. Yao quipped it was so he could get the "road trip per diem."

• Forward Eduardo Najera is perhaps the Nuggets' most energetic player. He makes sure he doesn't waste his energy on the road trying to save money on food. "In my first two years in the league, I'd go to places like (Denny's)," said Najera, who broke in with the Dallas Mavericks in 2000-01. "But I learned from the veterans it's better to get your rest rather than go walking around. It's an investment to stay off your feet and get (hotel) room service and pay the extra money so you can perform better."

• Money for food? Yes. But New Or- leans/Oklahoma City Hornets guard Devin Brown uses his per diem for a lot more. "DVDs, video games, batteries, headphones. Stuff like that," Brown said.

• A lot has changed in a year for Rockets rookie forward Steve Novak. He played last season for Mar- quette. "We got a $110 check every two weeks," he said. "That's about the same as we get in the NBA for one day."

• So do players dislike two games in two days? Not necessarily. "I love it when we have a back-to-back," Nuggets center Jamal Sampson said. "That means we get free breakfast." If the team's second game of a back-to-back is on the road, the Nuggets have a breakfast meeting at the hotel instead of a shootaround.

tomassonc@RockyMountainNews.com

© Rocky Mountain News