29.1.03
I CAN'T BELIEVE SOMEONE IS SELLING THESE!
So funny!
posted by kristen stewart | 15:52 | thoughts? |

28.1.03
VALENTINE'S DAY COOKIES
1 (18.25 ounce) package Red Velvet cake mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix and baking powder. Add eggs and oil, then mix until well blended. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven for chewy, proper cookies. Recipe can be altered with different cake mixes and add ins. Makes 40-45 cookies.
posted by kristen stewart | 16:00 | thoughts? |

KINDNESS
i've worked for the same office at UNC for most of my college career, and in that time period, i've met the HR Coordinator about twice. She doesn't work in our building and she takes care of other departments as well so she doesn't come by that often. I had to go see her about paperwork when i was hired, but i can't remember what she looks like. Friday was a payday. My boss refers to the pay fridays as "Good Friday" and the off fridays as "Passover," but i digress. There was snow and slick roads and the HRC was wondering whether or not she would make it in. Of all the employees she is responsible for, i am the only one without direct deposit. i filled out the form, it just never got processed and i like depositing cheques so i don't mind. Anyway, because she was unsure she'd be able to get to campus to deliver the payment notices and my cheque, she called my boss to ask him whether or not i needed the cheque on Friday or if Monday would suffice. He told her that i was a student, so i probably did need my cheque. So, the kind HRC woman looked at the records, wrote a personal cheque for the amount i was supposed to receive and gave it to another employee, so that if she didn't make it in, i'd have a cheque to pick up. She did end up making it in, and the crisis was averted, but it's amazing to me to think about her kindness to me, a stranger.
posted by kristen stewart | 14:53 | thoughts? |

27.1.03
SILLY WEBMAIL CLIENTS
Why are good webmail clients so hard to find? i just started using Squirrel Mail and it ALWAYS has PHP errors, it forgets my settings, and it does silly things like cut off my endings. Maybe this could be attributed to user error, but i really don't think so.
posted by kristen stewart | 13:24 | thoughts? |

26.1.03
SABBATH REFLECTION
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be;
world without end. Amen. Amen.
GLORIA PATRI
posted by kristen stewart | 19:57 | thoughts? |

25.1.03
TECHNOLOGY IS SO CRAZY!
Paulo just IMed me by his cell phone at the Davis' wedding reception. That's just amazing.
posted by kristen stewart | 16:04 | thoughts? |

CONGRATULATIONS
My thoughts and prayers today are with Ben and Caroline and Brian and Stacey. They're getting married! How wonderful!
posted by kristen stewart | 12:44 | thoughts? |

RETRO?
WORLD has a great cultural column this week by Gene Edward Veith on how pop music is largely dominated by older people. It's entitled Rocking-chair Rockers and it got me thinking nice, postmillenial thoughts. You might need to register to view it, but WORLD is worth registering for.
posted by kristen stewart | 12:30 | thoughts? |

YAY!
Mike got pictures up. You can see them here. No, this one was not posed. J.T. just snapped it while we were talking.
posted by kristen stewart | 12:20 | thoughts? |

23.1.03
HERE'S A QUIZ I'D DRINK TO

This quiz was created by Krazy K. Take it here!

WINTERY WHITE STUFF
It's snowing for the third time this winter. Lord, have mercy. What has happened to North Carolina? At least it's really pretty this go 'round. As usual, the University is open. UPDATE: two of my classes have been cancelled, two are pending and one is on. Here's what my Dante professor (born and raised in Italy) said: "Dear students, yes, it is cold and snow is on the ground. But we are in Hell, so nothing matters anymore. See y'all at 12:30 today."
posted by kristen stewart | 08:32 | thoughts? |

22.1.03
I KNEW I DIDN'T HAVE ONE FOR A REASON
When my roommate returned from visiting home this weekend, she brought back a tv/vcr combo. i haven't had a tv for quite some time, so i was sure it wouldn't affect my life very much. Not that i think tv is inherently evil (though it might be), but i already waste enough time without it. We don't have a long enough cable cord to watch any tv yet, but it only took me 24 hours to borrow my first video from the area office. Must... resist... the urge... to watch... television...
posted by kristen stewart | 20:26 | thoughts? |

21.1.03
INTERVARSITY CHARTER ISSUE a continuing series...
When the Chancellor stepped forward and announced that IVCF was allowed to keep its recognition as a student organization, i thought it was all over. i was wrong. Here's what's been going on in the past week, all courtesy of the Daily Tar Heel online:
First, the Queer Network for Change began a letter writing campaign to change the chancellor's mind. No one from QNC contacted IVCF leaders to talk to them directly. Two letters to the editor were published, one from a gay alumnus threatening to stop supporting the University financially and also declaring that Christianity was moving away from "Levitican ridiculousness" anyway and another from an articulate senior involved with InterVarsity about the nature of discrimination and leadership on campus. Then today, the paper published an editorial by the student body vice president and treasurer declaring that student leadership posts should be open to all. i think it's going to be an interesting semester...
posted by kristen stewart | 17:56 | thoughts? |

20.1.03
THANKFUL HEARTS
Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Maybe you got off work or school, maybe you didn't. In any event, i hope you took time to reflect on the Civil Rights movement and to remember the struggle of those fighting for equality in our own United States just forty or so years ago, many in the name of Christ. If you want some primary sources, this oral history project is outstanding. i'd also challenge you to care about injustice around the world in the present. To do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God is a high calling, indeed.
posted by kristen stewart | 22:06 | thoughts? |

19.1.03
SABBATH REFLECTION
Soul, adorn thyself with gladness, leave behind all gloom and sadness;
Come into the daylight's splendor, there with joy thy praises render
Unto Him whose grace unbounded hath this woundrous supper founded.
High o'er all the heavens He reigneth, yet to dwell with thee He deigneth.

Hasten as a bride to meet Him and with loving reverence greet Him;
For with words of life immortal now He knocketh at thy portal.
Haste to ope the gates before Him, saying, while thou dost adore Him,
Suffer, Lord, that I receive Thee, and I nevermore will leave Thee.

He who craves a precious treasure neither cost nor pain will measure;
But the priceless gifts of heaven God to us hath freely given.
Tho' the wealth of earth were proffered, naught would buy the gifts here offered:
Christ's true body, for thee riven, and His blood, for thee once given.

Ah, how hungers all my spirit for the love I do not merit!
Oft have I, with sighs fast thronging, thought upon this food with longing,
In the battle well-nigh worsted, for this cup of life have thirsted,
For the Friend who here invites us and to God Himself unites us.
--Johann Franck, tr. Catherine Winkworth
posted by kristen stewart | 22:53 | thoughts? |

16.1.03
MY LIBERAL EDUCATION 4.2.54
In my Psychology of Religion seminar today we got in a huge discussion about the difference between faith and trust (or lack of difference, as the case may be.) Some grad student said that the Hebrew word rendered "faith" in the O.T. is closer to "trust" and my class had this huge epiphany and decided that trust was less severe than faith (different degrees of intensity.) It was all silly, but it left me with two questions: (1) is the grad student correct about the word and (2) what is the difference, anyway?
posted by kristen stewart | 23:46 | thoughts? |

COUNTING DOWN
i took down the counter from the bottom of the page, as it was just counting down until the DAY Mike and J.T. arrive, and i am now counting by hours... hours! :o)
posted by kristen stewart | 21:08 | thoughts? |

15.1.03
A JUMP, LITTLE CHILDREN QUIZ

14.1.03
WHO'S IN?
Today in my New Religious Movements class* we watched a movie about the Oneida Perfectionists and the Shakers and all sorts of American Communistic Christian groups. The New Testament has inspired many people throughout the ages to hold all things in common and live in community together. Most of these communistic christian groups weren't what most would call doctrinally sound, but there have been some pretty solid people who have endeavored the communal life. Why don't we all? What's stopping us? Where would we start if we did? NB. i am being quite serious.

* for those of you keeping track, i switched from Southern Literature to New Religious Movements, because of instructors. Yes, NRMs are also known as cults.
posted by kristen stewart | 21:33 | thoughts? |

DUANE'S QUIZ
1. Given the great similarity between zoos and prisons, doesn't it stand to reason that zoos should have a death row? yes. for smelly animals.
2. Would you rather drink a Mountain Dew or have your ear gnawed off by a chipmunk? Diet Mountain Dew Code Red. all the way.
3. Mike Stewart or Chris Smith? Mike, all the way. Sorry, Chris.
4. Loofah. That's really not a question. I just like saying loofah. Say it. Okay, now try saying it with a German accent. loo-FAH.
5. Which is scarier, poodles or clowns? poodles. definitely.
posted by kristen stewart | 14:12 | thoughts? |

12.1.03
ANOTHER JOB
i'd like to get another job, perhaps in retail. What's the best way to go about it? There's so many stores in this area and so little time to job hunt... i downloaded applications for Borders and Barnes & Noble that i will turn in tomorrow. (Mike's rooting for them.) i love Whole Foods, so i'll stop by there and get an application as well. Any other suggestions for decent chains to work at?

UPDATE: (11:45 Monday evening) i've turned in applications at 2 B&N stores, 1 Borders, Pottery Barn Kids and Eddie Bauer. Tomorrow i will turn in my application at Whole Foods Market and get screened. Wednesday, Caribou Coffee.
posted by kristen stewart | 23:23 | thoughts? |

SABBATH REFLECTION
The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation by water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her and for her life He died.

Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses with every grace endued.

The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish, is with her to the end:
Though there be those who hate her, and false sons in her pale,
Against or foe or traitor, She ever shall prevail.

Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed:
Yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song!

’Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won,
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee:
--Samuel J. Stone
posted by kristen stewart | 14:05 | thoughts? |

11.1.03
WHAT HAVE I DONE?!
Mike's done gone and left! *sobs* Oh, phew! He just left angelfire, not modernity!
posted by kristen stewart | 22:05 | thoughts? |

LAUREL'S QUIZ
1. What celebrities would you like to host at your home for dinner? the Bushes, my senior/freshman senator, Mr. Edwards, and the Blairs.

2. If you could have your own TV or radio program, what would the content be? A Southern Home Companion -- bluegrass and blues and folk with southron stories.

3. If you could have any sci-fi technology at your disposal, what would you choose? The Star Trek transporter so i could be in Austin in a heartbeat, whenever i desired.

4. If you had sufficient resources to start up a business, what would you do? own a bookstore, one with great literature, reformed books and academic books in the classics, religious studies, sociology, history and languages.

5. If you could be an animal for a day, what would you choose and why? i just want to be a sheep ba-ba-ba-ba so i could sing the song.

6. When you were a kid, what careers did you aspire to? television journalist.

7. What things terrified you as a child? nothing, really

8. What scenarios occur regularly in your dreams? i get married and live happily ever after
posted by kristen stewart | 15:56 | thoughts? |

9.1.03
BAD PRAISE SONGS: an occasional series.
All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply, my breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward, worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

You’re my sacrifice of greatest price
And still more awesome than I know
You’re the coming King, You are everything
And still more awesome than I know

More than all I want, More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know, More than all I can see
You are more than enough
--Chris Tomlin

There has to be established criteria for what is and what is not acceptable for us to sing in corporate worship. To me, any song that is written completely in first person singular addressing a vague second person singular is a bad sign. Add to the mix the lack of any specific names for God. If no biblical texts are appealed to, that's another bad sign. Then try the Celine Dion test. If you can imagine without a great stretch the song being sung on an adult contemporary station, referring to a love interest, we probably ought not sing it in worship. Jesus is not my boyfriend.
posted by kristen stewart | 20:56 | thoughts? |

FAR TOO LONG WITHOUT ONE OF THESE

take the which one of the trading spaces cast are you? quiz!

8.1.03
THE SIDE AFFECTS OF THE CRE
i have become very neat and organized all of the sudden. i find cleaning pleasureable. i began to ponder what might be the catalyst for this change and then, it came to me: Nancy Wilson. i heard her say once that the best way for single women to prepare for being in charge of a home is to take good care of whatever space you have been given now. At the time i scoffed. Now i am the queen of clean. A mere coincidence or a CRE conspiracy?
posted by kristen stewart | 22:08 | thoughts? |

7.1.03
THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
It's hard to believe: this will be my last first day of school for quite some time. What will i make of this semester? i hope to earn my best marks yet and enjoy the process of learning. i registered knowing no one taking anything with me and found that in each of my four classes i had a friend or two to liven things up and study with. Tuesdays and Thursdays i have six straight hours of class, floating from Southern Literature to Ancient History to Dante in Translation to Psychology of Religion. Every class seemed gripping and exciting and challenging and interesting... a fitting exit to my academic career.
posted by kristen stewart | 15:16 | thoughts? |

6.1.03
BLISSFUL DISCOVERIES
After a typical post-church feast Matt and i were talking and i said i didn't really favour dating or courting. "There has to be a third way." Matt told me i should cate. Then he changed his mind. Dourt. I ought to dourt. Dourting is the new way to go from friend to fiancee. It's hip, it's relevant, it can be spelled dordt, which betrays it's reformed roots. I bet i could write a book about it and make a bunch of money. Maybe i'll thank Matt in the foreward...
posted by kristen stewart | 15:53 | thoughts? |

5.1.03
SABBATH REFLECTION
O 'twas a joyful sound to hear our tribes devoutly say,
Up, Israel! to the temple haste, and keep your festal day.
At Salem's courts we must appear, with our assembled powers,
In strong and beauteous order ranged, like her united towers.

O ever pray for Salem's peace; for they shall prosperous be,
Thou holy city of our God, who bear true love to thee.
May peace within thy sacred walls a constant guest be found;
With plenty and prosperity Thy palaces be crowned.

For my dear brethren's sake, and friends, no less than brethren dear,
I'll pray, May peace in Salem's towers a constant guest appear.
But most of all I'll seek thy good, and ever wish thee well,
For Sion and the temple's sake, where God vouchsafes to dwell.
--Psalm 122
posted by kristen stewart | 23:20 | thoughts? |

4.1.03
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
i posted a few weeks ago about the trouble InterVarsity was having at Harvard (and also at Rutgers). It was really a cryptic cover of what was going on in my own chapter. We were told not to discuss it, so i couldn't blog. Here's what happened at UNC. Now, Here is how it was resolved. I was actually interviewed for thirty minutes and provided lots of background for the second story, but wasn't quoted. Who cares. It's over! *hums the doxology*
posted by kristen stewart | 10:37 | thoughts? |

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