This is an ode to the crack (of the couch). Mrs. Wagenhauser told me, "if you love the crack so much, why don't you write a blot post about it?"
So guess what I'm doing? I'M WRITING A BLOG POST ABOUT THE CRACK.
The crack is the space of the Magdsick's couch in which two cushions meet. It is really comfortable.
The crack is...difficult to explain. It's also very simple to explain. It's the best place in the world, probably. The couch is perfectly "cushy" if you will. It's not too firm - it is perfectly soft. Sinking into the crack is like sneezing slowly for six hours straight. It's like eating pretzels and drinking grape soda. It's like a good scotch and a pipe. It's like peanut butter and jelly.
The crack's the BEST. It is my favorite ever.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Trains, learning, and grace.
So, this is weird. I'm sitting outside. With the sun shining on me. In Seattle. In February. And I'm warm. And it is ten in the morning. I'm not bundled up either - I brought my pea coat but I had to take it off. My sleeves are pushed up.
Ahhh, it's good to be here. Sitting outside of Coffee to a Tea, on good ol' California Avenue, drinking my black coffee, smoking my pipe. Love it.
I went down to Eugene last weekend. It was weird.
I took the train down Thursday night. Read most of the time. Everybody got off at Portland, and I had the entire train cabin to myself from Portland to Eugene. I'd never taken the train before. It was long. We departed at five thirty-five and rolled in at twelve-twenty. The train makes a lot of stops. Leaving from Seattle, we stopped at Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia, Chehalis, Vancouver, Portland, Oregon City, Salem, Albany, and finally Eugene. The stops are surprisingly efficient. We stopped for only probably five minutes or so at each stop. Maybe not even that.
I was able to hang out with two of my best friends for most of the day on Friday. It was good to see them. Good to catch up with them. It's weird realizing that we have pretty much nothing in common now, though. We're all leading completely different lives.
Although, I suppose I'm the one that changed, not them. And it's tough staying in contact with them. I'm sure they can agree to that. We have such different schedules.
It's also weird talking about things that you don't have any interest in anymore. Talking about getting wasted and sleeping around (well, I was never much of a partier, but I certainly had my nights of drunkenness). I just don't have that desire. And I'm thankful for that. I'm also thankful for never having an opportunity to exercise those desires when I did have them.
And then came the late-night party. I don't think I've ever been more "out of my element". Like I said, I was never much of a partier when I was younger. Hell, the first party I went to was my senior campout on the last day of high school. Anyways. People pushing me to drink more and get drunk is not my thing. I was planning on staying the night. But, I didn't know anyone besides a few people, and I had just spent the day with them. So, after a beer and a half, I went back to my dad's house.
I'm not close with my dad's side of the family. I'm not close with my dad, my step-mother, my sister, or my brothers. Let alone all my cousins. I don't like that. I feel like I don't know any of them. At all. When I'm around all of them, I do what I do when I don't know anybody - crawl inside myself. I become quiet. I don't like it at all. Because that isn't me.
So, Saturday morning, I took my sister and their foreign exchange student out to coffee in an effort to get to know them. I know you can't "push" that sort of thing - that feeling of being close with somebody. I just wanted to spend some time with them. Get to know them. They don't know anything about me, besides the fact I live in Seattle. I'm making it sound like they don't ever see me, or I didn't see them for a couple years or something. That's not the case at all. It just always in a group setting, and we don't ever get one-on-one time. I just want to be close with my family down there. I'm really close with my mom and step-father and my brothers on that side of the family. I love them so much. But that's because I used to spend every day with them.
I spent the day with my dad. We did a little wood-working. Then went out to the grandparent's house. It was good to be there. I was able to talk to my cousin, who's going through Seminary. That was nice. I don't think we've ever had a "good" conversation (God-centered). And THAT is what I want with other family members! It's difficult, though, when they have the exact opposite beliefs as you do. So, that conversation was nice and well-needed. Going from having consistently good theological discussions every single day to talking about screwing around and getting wasted... God > Partying. Amen.
As my dad and I headed up to Seattle on Sunday afternoon, we had a conversation I've been wanting to have for a looong time. About our beliefs. I was able to learn what my dad believes. While he considers himself a Christian, we have the opposite beliefs. Completely opposite. Which makes my arguments against his pretty moot; he doesn't believe the Bible is the Word - I do - and everything I had to say I backed up Biblically. But if the person you're talking to doesn't believe in the source material, like I said, is pretty moot. Anyways. It was nice to see what he believes.
I was happy to come back. Get back into my normal routine.
The week went well. I was able to have incredibly fruitful conversations.
I've always had an interest in leading well, and God has been amplifying that want even more lately. Which I love. He's been teaching me how to guard hearts better and extending grace to people. Learning both are difficult.
Talking to people who are much, much wiser than I am about grace was convicting. Slowly learning and understanding that every single time (let me say that again: every single time) I sin, God sees me as a new creation and extends more grace to me. And to not extend that grace to other people who (I feel) have wronged me, is basically saying their sin against me is bigger and badder than their sin against God. God's faithful, though, and shepherds us well.
If you can pray for me to learn to lead well, have a soft heart, and to grow in my faith, I'd be very grateful.
My pipe is out. It's time to re-light, get myself another cup of coffee, and start my reading and journaling.
Ahhh, it's good to be here. Sitting outside of Coffee to a Tea, on good ol' California Avenue, drinking my black coffee, smoking my pipe. Love it.
I went down to Eugene last weekend. It was weird.
I took the train down Thursday night. Read most of the time. Everybody got off at Portland, and I had the entire train cabin to myself from Portland to Eugene. I'd never taken the train before. It was long. We departed at five thirty-five and rolled in at twelve-twenty. The train makes a lot of stops. Leaving from Seattle, we stopped at Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia, Chehalis, Vancouver, Portland, Oregon City, Salem, Albany, and finally Eugene. The stops are surprisingly efficient. We stopped for only probably five minutes or so at each stop. Maybe not even that.
I was able to hang out with two of my best friends for most of the day on Friday. It was good to see them. Good to catch up with them. It's weird realizing that we have pretty much nothing in common now, though. We're all leading completely different lives.
Although, I suppose I'm the one that changed, not them. And it's tough staying in contact with them. I'm sure they can agree to that. We have such different schedules.
It's also weird talking about things that you don't have any interest in anymore. Talking about getting wasted and sleeping around (well, I was never much of a partier, but I certainly had my nights of drunkenness). I just don't have that desire. And I'm thankful for that. I'm also thankful for never having an opportunity to exercise those desires when I did have them.
And then came the late-night party. I don't think I've ever been more "out of my element". Like I said, I was never much of a partier when I was younger. Hell, the first party I went to was my senior campout on the last day of high school. Anyways. People pushing me to drink more and get drunk is not my thing. I was planning on staying the night. But, I didn't know anyone besides a few people, and I had just spent the day with them. So, after a beer and a half, I went back to my dad's house.
I'm not close with my dad's side of the family. I'm not close with my dad, my step-mother, my sister, or my brothers. Let alone all my cousins. I don't like that. I feel like I don't know any of them. At all. When I'm around all of them, I do what I do when I don't know anybody - crawl inside myself. I become quiet. I don't like it at all. Because that isn't me.
So, Saturday morning, I took my sister and their foreign exchange student out to coffee in an effort to get to know them. I know you can't "push" that sort of thing - that feeling of being close with somebody. I just wanted to spend some time with them. Get to know them. They don't know anything about me, besides the fact I live in Seattle. I'm making it sound like they don't ever see me, or I didn't see them for a couple years or something. That's not the case at all. It just always in a group setting, and we don't ever get one-on-one time. I just want to be close with my family down there. I'm really close with my mom and step-father and my brothers on that side of the family. I love them so much. But that's because I used to spend every day with them.
I spent the day with my dad. We did a little wood-working. Then went out to the grandparent's house. It was good to be there. I was able to talk to my cousin, who's going through Seminary. That was nice. I don't think we've ever had a "good" conversation (God-centered). And THAT is what I want with other family members! It's difficult, though, when they have the exact opposite beliefs as you do. So, that conversation was nice and well-needed. Going from having consistently good theological discussions every single day to talking about screwing around and getting wasted... God > Partying. Amen.
As my dad and I headed up to Seattle on Sunday afternoon, we had a conversation I've been wanting to have for a looong time. About our beliefs. I was able to learn what my dad believes. While he considers himself a Christian, we have the opposite beliefs. Completely opposite. Which makes my arguments against his pretty moot; he doesn't believe the Bible is the Word - I do - and everything I had to say I backed up Biblically. But if the person you're talking to doesn't believe in the source material, like I said, is pretty moot. Anyways. It was nice to see what he believes.
I was happy to come back. Get back into my normal routine.
The week went well. I was able to have incredibly fruitful conversations.
I've always had an interest in leading well, and God has been amplifying that want even more lately. Which I love. He's been teaching me how to guard hearts better and extending grace to people. Learning both are difficult.
Talking to people who are much, much wiser than I am about grace was convicting. Slowly learning and understanding that every single time (let me say that again: every single time) I sin, God sees me as a new creation and extends more grace to me. And to not extend that grace to other people who (I feel) have wronged me, is basically saying their sin against me is bigger and badder than their sin against God. God's faithful, though, and shepherds us well.
If you can pray for me to learn to lead well, have a soft heart, and to grow in my faith, I'd be very grateful.
My pipe is out. It's time to re-light, get myself another cup of coffee, and start my reading and journaling.
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