NoelHeikkinen.com

Appetite for Distraction

Nov 24, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

.:mood:. Inspired
.:itunes:. The Eyes Of Love by Undercover

Thanks to Letters from Kamp Krusty for this brilliant new GNR inspired song he wrote:

Take me down to Parodox City

Where the grass is green

And yet it’s not

Thanksgiving Update

Nov 23, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

.:mood:. Great
.:itunes:. (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone by Aretha Franklin

Yesterday we had a great Thanksgiving. It was the first year we hosted it (although my mom still provided the Turkey which was a huge help). Here is a run down of the day in pictures.

Those of you not from Michigan may be interested that we got our first snowfall of the season (that stuck) overnight so this was the view on Thanksgiving morning:

The kids got ready by putting on their fancy hats. Notice Coley as the non-conformist Native American with the horizontal feather:

The kids spent hours glued to the front window waiting for the next person to arrive. When everyone made it, there were 11 adults and 6 children.

Kite was the only person who dressed up…

If you don’t count my brother Hans’ pink / flowery shirt (which I don’t):

Grace’s dad made the trip from Chicago to join us. My dad made the trip from DeWitt:

When the meal was served, my mom was MIA from the adult table. We found her at the kid’s table. Apparently seating was by height this year:

My brother Daryl lost his annual thumbwar competition with Ethan:

Jesse got to watch the game with the guys:

I ate a pretzel (I’m a big fan):

We also had three amazing wines. The first was a super sweet white wine (which I heard was good but didn’t taste). The second was the best white wine I have ever had. It was very sharp and woody. The third was a Spanish red that was not too complex, but very very good. Why am I posting about wine? Because I can never remember the names of good wines so I am posting it here so I can look it up later.

Finally, we popped in Evan Almighty and munched on leftovers. Speaking of Steve Carrell, the final cherry on top at the end of the day was the realization that while The Office writing staff may be striking, Dwight is still blogging. I shall close with his thoughts on Thanksgiving.

A lot of people have asked me how the Schrutes enjoy the traditional holiday of “Thanksgiving.” The answer is simple. We do not. Celebrating a holiday that encourages blind appreciation for everything and anything in a person’s life diminishes the rare instances that a person is truly thankful for something, i.e. when that person is pulled from a well they may have fallen into. Giving thanks is also a sign of weakness. It shows that you are placing yourself in situations in which you cannot depend on yourself and, thus, must rely on others to do things for you. At Schrute Farms, we choose instead to celebrate our own holiday called “Resourcefulnacht,” which is a Germlish hybrid word that roughly translates to “Night of Resourcefulness” in English.

Thanksgiving Proclamation

Nov 21, 2007 Quotes

.:mood:. Thankful
.:itunes:. Like It Or Not by Genesis

Happy Thanksgiving

…I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

- President Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1863

Alcohol

Nov 21, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

.:mood:. Moderate
.:itunes:. The Road Not Taken by Bruce Hornsby & The Range

Thanks to Michael for linking to the best paper on alcohol I have ever read: you can read it here.

The author examines specifically everything the bible has to say about the topic and asks whether drinking alcohol is a “scriptural” or “cultural” sin. Here’s the breakdown of verses he examined:

The Four Agreements

Nov 21, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

.:mood:. Conflict Free
.:itunes:. Nightrain by Guns N’ Roses

Thanks to 43 Folders for this link to a book that details 4 Agreements that can resolve a ton of conflict:

1. Be impeccable with your word.

2. Don’t take anything personally.

3. Don’t make assumptions.

4. Do your best.

Simple but profound. Here’s the book:

“The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book” (Don Miguel Ruiz)

Baggage

Nov 20, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

.:mood:. Light
.:itunes:. Circus Envy by R.E.M.

This cartoon from The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus reminded me of the message this weekend at Riverview. During the message I quote someone from Riverview who sent me a Facebook message. Here’s the cartoon followed by her note:

“Hey Noel,

I’ve been thinking about the consequences that are going to come out of this series you are doing, and although I think the good outweigh the tougher ones… I’ve noticed in being a pretty open person, that many Christians are not positively enforced when they spill their secrets to others. I mean this in the sense that I generally get this “we’ll pray for you” kind of response, you know the one where in their head they’re like… “wow this ones pretty messed up… we better help them with their walk.” It’s pretty belittling.

I know this is a really crappy response for other Christians to have to people being open, but I’ve received it more than once from Christians in different groups of people/society. Just a thought, but it’d be nice if you could add a little something in there for how we should react as brothers/sisters to watching all this buried stuff come up from the grave.”

Great Video

Nov 20, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

.:mood:. Straight Up
.:itunes:. The Burning Down by King’s X

Thanks to John & Stephi for this great video:

Chilling in the Cold

Nov 19, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

.:mood:. Thinking
.:itunes:. Stumblin’ by Powderfinger

Normally on Saturday Nights I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off before our first weekend service. This week, things were done early so I found myself hanging out in the cold outside the building talking with people as they were coming in. I haven’t done that in a long time, so it was a blast. I met so many people I have never met before.

The other thing was that because it was so cold, our conversations were always short. The unintended consequence is I met and talked with a lot more people! When I hang out inside the building, the conversations are longer but I meet less people.

I tested my premise by hanging out in the cold before all of the services. It was awesome…I met a ton of new people, including several who were attending for the first time.

I’ll have to do that more often. I may need gloves, though.

Brr.

Chuck says I have to vote for Mike

Nov 19, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

.:mood:. Inspired
.:mashup:. Close To Faith by George Michael VS The Cure

Thanks to Balaam’s Ass for this one.

I have to say I’m tempted to vote for Huckabee based on this commercial alone.

One Laptop Per Child

Nov 18, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge

OK, this is a very cool thing. Check out One Laptop Per Child. It’s a great program that is working to get a laptop into the hands of every child in developing countries.

Until the 26th of November, they are doing something even cooler. If you donate $399 to their organization ($200 is tax deductible), they will ship a laptop to a child overseas and you will receive one. This is a cool way to both get a laptop especially made for a kid and to give one away at the same time.

I love this.

Check out this link and this video: