millie’s blog

Irony is a form of utterance that postulates a double audience, consisting of one party that hearing shall hear & shall not understand, & another party that, when more is meant than meets the ear, is aware both of that more & of the outsiders’ incomprehension.^[1]

I think it is interesting that we are so into irony and at the same time our generation is supposed to so highly value genuineness and authenticity...being "real". ironic.

Tonight (not my birthday night...but the one before), I got to go to my favorite place in New York. I was supposed ot meet with the girl who is helping me lead the art part of the Arts Track of our summer project...but she lives here in the City and was getting her Air Conditioner put in. Everyone here puts their window unit in when the summer roles around. Anyway, she lives out in Williamsburg...and I took the bus from Queens to get down there. I wasnt sure what stop it was...so I just got off when things started looking familiar. I stumbled on the old ball field that I have been coming to for the past several summers. I cant pin point what it is about it that I love so much...the casual games of baseball with hasidic jews and puerto ricans and white dude hipsters...or the kids racing their bikes around the track that surrounds the fields...the air, the clover, the lights, the rawness and peace and play it brings in the middle of the city..? I love ball parks in general. I dont know if it is because I associate them with good memories of my childhood, or nostagic Americana, or just the love of the game...or fireflies and playfulness....somehting about it stirs my soul. I love the dirt, the grass, the smells, the bugs, the bases...or just little divits in the ground where a base used to be...the chain fence...the feel of the ball and bat....the unknowns of where the ball is going to go each time...etc. etc. Tonight, there was almost a full moon..the orange kind...which made it all even better. 

So. Today. The first day back on the job here in NYC. We had a short directors meeting and then took to NYC for the row boats. It was just delightful. After wards, I spent the rest of the day walking around the city kind of decompressing from May and the craziness...trying to shift gears. I enjoying a Frappacino and talked with one of my friends  who I shall call "Joooolleee" here for about 45 minutes as I tried to figure out how to cross the 59th street bridge while also realizing I needed to go to the bathroom really bad. (note the afore mentioned frappe). I began walking quickly trying to spot a McDonalds or something...the random Mobile Gas station offered nothing...I rounded the corner noting the movie theater - thinking, "oh yea..I want to see Shrek 3 at some point" my eyes scanning the horizon for salvation...sweating...literally sweating from the desperation...I turned my heals back to the movie theater and paid $11 for the next showing...knowing that would give me full access to their facilities...I sprinted my way down the hall and at last found relief. Shrek 3 was a nice bonus - but I recommend renting. 

I opened the door to the shed:

Maggots+spiders+smell of cat urine;
a row of mason jars sealing fragments of yesterday's ideas.

I resolved this: whatever work my hands find today...to do with all my heart.

Time will pass through me.

I will taste every moment:knowing that tomorrow I will find it stale.

The Kingdom of Heaven is the reign of Christ in the lives of men now and for eternity, to an ever increase.

Under the Kingdom, a man forgives an infinite amount of times realizing the forgiveness of Christ.

Under the  Kingdom, you don’t merely love those who love you but love your enemies.

Under the Kingdom, God is more than fair…He is extravagantly generous to the one who has earned nothing…who has not bore the heat of the day.

Jesus’ vision of His Kingdom calls us to go beyond what is comfortable, safe, and fair - to be generous, radically loving, to honor the beggar, to live more righteously than a Pharisee, and to never be ashamed of Christ.

Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow Him.

Hello Friends.

I wanted to let you know about an amazing opportunity in New York City 
coming up at the end of February. Today is the last day for EARLY 
registration. If you are planning on attending...please let me know. I may 
be able to help find you different housing options. The website is: 
http://iamny.org.


The International Arts Movement will be hosting its annual conference :
 "Redemptive Culture: Creating The World that Ought to Be"
 February 22-24, 2007

Presenters Include
   Jeremy Begbie, Associate Principal of Ridley Hall, University of 
Cambridge; an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge; 
founder and director of the international research project, "Theology 
Through the Arts," and author of Voicing Creation’s Praise: Towards a 
Theology of the Arts
   Daniel Libeskind, master designer of Ground Zero, first Cultural 
Ambassador for Architecture by the U.S. Department of State
   Karen Goodwin, Executive Broadway Producer of Les Miserables, Miss 
Saigon, and others
   Rob Mathes, nationally renowned music director and a multi-faceted 
performer
   Karin Coonrod, director with American Repertory Theater
   Susie Ibarra, percussionist-composer-improviser
   David Hegeman, author of Plowing in Hope: Toward a Biblical Theology 
of Culture
   William Edgar, department chair & professor of apologetics at 
Westminster Theological Seminary
   Joshua Trent, Chief of Staff - Office of Refugee Resettlement (U.S. 
Dept of Health and Human Services)
   Dick Staub, broadcaster, writer and public speaker will moderate the 
conference!

I attended last year and was entirely inspired and came away with a new 
paradigm and way of thinking about art, culture, and my faith. 

If you have more questions, please feel free to email or call me.


Sincerely, 

Melinda Carter

It is a quarter to 6pm.
A Friday night....friends soon coming over for games.
Lit the candles. Will turn on some tunes. Raining outside.  A peaceful hope hangs over me.

Yesterday, was the hope of a friend stopping by. I turned on the music, put on a pot of coffee, lit the candles (not in romantic sense...but in an ambiance sense), cleared the table. For them, it was an easy convenience to turn down the spontaneous invitation...for me, in that moment, it was a spoiled feast, a muted song, a beauty erased, a possibility aborted, Fellowship denied. So, time crawled on. A tear rested inside of my stomach.

I rememeber days that I would drive by my grandparents house...they, sitting on their couch behind a large window...waiting with anticipation for a visitor. For me, it seemed burdensome to try to think of conversation...but for them it was the jewel of their day. Sometimes, I would just keep on driving and not stop...others I would pull in and enjoy their love and the warmth of the sun setting in their living room.

Help me to stop, rest, sow, plant, be, love and live. Forgive me and be gracious when I forget.

What's something you bought, knowing it was a total waste of money?

My gift for the White Elephant Christmas Party at Vox....oh wait...I just dug up something from my closet...