Tis the Season....

Although this is the season of Immanuel...it's hard to fully appreciate God incarnate without a fireplace. It all began with a few sketches and one crazy afternoon in our office on the second floor.




My sketches, however, didn't consider door size in moving the fireplace to the living room. Yet, with a little rope and my enormous man strength, we were able to lower it off the balcony.




Finally, with a little paint, stain, and candles the fireplace is completed. It even features a T.V. behind the picture frame and dvd/sound system access on the left side!



Goodbye Mr. Fireplace....we're all sad this season is over. Everyone, thanks for letting me share...and stay tuned for The Destruction of Mr. Fireplace: when fake fireplaces meet real fires.

Immanuel: God With Us

And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
Luke 1:46-55

Today we celebrate The Incarnation, God becoming flesh. It's easy for us to forget the "reason for the season," or even why it's good news at all! But my EBC (English Bible Class) reader recently summarized the significance of Jesus' humble birth to ordinary parents by saying "God came down stairs! You know, to be with the normal people." From two normal people to a bunch of normal people: "Merry Christmas!"

A Very Important Announcement from Kelly R. Barneche

My friends and fellow Americans:
After careful deliberation and consultation with trusted advisors, I am prepared to announce to you that....




I look like Hillary Clinton. Or at least that's what I was told by a mail delivery guy who recently came to my school. The funny (okay, the funniest) part is that I'm pretty sure he meant it as a big compliment.
For those of you who haven't seen me in awhile, let me assure you that I haven't started sporting a blonde 'do, nor do I make a habit of wearing navy suits, nor do I have a law degree from Yale, for that matter.
We'll let you know as soon as someone tells Mark he looks like John McCain. Or Barack Obama.

I feel the SAME WAY about running...

A case of Japanese non-verbal communication? (look closely)

If you'd like to see more pictures of my (Kelly's) school's "marathon," go here

And just to clarify, she's not doing that on purpose. It was just a case of having a camera in the right place at the right time!

Prepare to be challenged...

Let's say you're an American currently living in some unspecified Asian country. Keeping up with current events is a priority of yours. You listen to NPR and BBC podcasts on a daily basis, you spend the whole week looking forward to the arrival of your Newsweek (International Edition), and you've even been known to spend your time at the local library browsing the English-language periodicals. Dinner time in your home is often characterized by lively discussions of such topics as the AIDS epidemic in Africa, or American foreign policy, or Middle Eastern politics, or even, occasionally, the most recent development in the life of Britney Spears. You'd like to think that you're a savvy and informed 20-something expat. But can you locate Rwanda, or Lebanon, or Venezuela, or Sri Lanka, or even Afghanistan on a map? I sure can't.
Here's a tool that might help you become a more informed citizen of the world:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/geographyzone
So far, it's only served to make me feel ignorant. And maybe that's an important first step.