Archive for December, 2005

I despise New Year’s resolutions and I never write mine down which means I will probably write at length about them here and change my mind several times about which ones are most important and which ones I can actually do. When is it too late to change your mind about a resolution? Officially, that is.

On second thought, forget what I just said. How wimpy is it to try to accomplish only what you know you can do? The answer is “very wimpy.”

I, Harry, hereby resolve (probably) (okay, no, really) to do the following in 2006 because they sound like good ideas and they’re all cool and introspective and stuff and I’m 32 and life just keeps passing me by, man:

1. To the best of my ability I will make informed decisions and choices that improve the quality of life for all involved, including what I buy, wear, support, say, eat, and in general, do;
2. I will get that business launched, people!
3. I will take my wife out on more dates because she’s awesome, she’s so Kath-a-leen;
4. I will eat and exercise and be a good steward of my body because it’s the right thing to do, not because of what people might start saying about my butt, which would be something like, “Wow, that’s primo booty, my friend,” which is a nice compliment but hardly a long-term motivator;
5. I will bike from Seattle to Portland in a 2-day event;
6. I will try not to be so inverted, or introverted, either one;
7. I will spend more time reading than watching;
8. I will spend more time listening than speaking;
9. I will spend more time doing than talking about it;
10. I will learn to play that Phil Keaggy song at full speed; same goes for that Eric Johnson song;
11. I will live in the light;
12. When I fail I will remember that I am human, imperfect, forgiven, and loved, and that I should get up and do it again;
13. I will remember to give that same grace to others;
14. I will have at least 10 goals. (Check that one off.)

For a snapshot of our lives in 2005, please enjoy our online slideshow. If you prefer viewing pictures to reading seemingly endless amounts of information, just skip the next part and go straight to the pictures—we’ll understand.

It seems obvious to share that we’ve experienced many changes this year, because change always seems to be an operative word for describing the passage of 365 days. Thankfully, this year we have been grateful for the changes, and recognize that such joy is not always immediately the case.

In January, Kathleen started a new job with a very different focus in the world of speech-language pathology: from adults in hospitals to kids at a private practice! This has turned out to be a great move due to fabulous coworkers, endearing clients, and extra perks like a 4-day workweek. Working weekends and holidays is a thing of the past!

Harry’s career changes are currently classified as TOP SECRET, so you will have to kidnap and drug him to find out, unless you just ask him yourself. Nonetheless, exciting things are on the horizon and we look forward to seeing where his creative ideas lead. In the meantime, he remains faithfully at UW.

Other highlights included: Kathleen learned how to really swim, we both learned how to ride road bikes (in sometimes treacherous conditions) without losing any limbs, Harry took his first flight lesson (more to be completed later), we finished many house projects with little prior do-it-yourself knowledge, enjoyed visits with family & friends, and gained a new dining table & chairs built by dad.

Our church body, with whom we spend many hours, has also been transformed, and continues to be so, by increased focus on prayer. We have seen and experienced incredible answers to many different cries from our hearts. We have also watched close friends and family go through many difficult times, but provisions have consistently been available. Seeing God respond and provide so tangibly has truly been the best part of our year.

Here are some of our favorites from 2005:

Board game

• Kathleen: Ticket to Ride
• Harry: Ticket to Ride

Books

• Kathleen: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
• Harry: Blue Like Jazz

Movies in the Theatre

• Kathleen: “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”
• Harry: “Good Night, and Good Luck”

Favorite song

• Kathleen: “Don’t Panic” by Coldplay
• Harry: Toss up between “DJ Song” by DJ Spinna and “Sometimes” by My Bloody Valentine

Favorite album

• Kathleen: The Garden State Soundtrack
• Harry: Simply Red’s “Picture Book”

Sporting event

• Kathleen: Danskin triathlons are all-around amazing—even to watch!
• Harry: seeing Kathleen do the Danskin was pretty cool

Northwest outdoor summer activity

• Kathleen: bike riding and kayaking
• Harry: bike riding, frisbee, sitting in the backyard with music and a beer

Northwest outdoor winter activity

• Kathleen: hmmm…indoor swimming!
• Harry: walking to the coffee shop :)

Dawkins:

“If it’s true that it causes people to feel despair, that’s tough. It’s still the truth. [blank] doesn’t owe us condolence or consolation; [blank] doesn’t owe us a nice warm feeling inside. If it’s true, it’s true, and you’d better live with it.”

[via Kottke]

Now, for 10 points, is he talking about the existence of God or the non-existence of God?

I happen to agree with Donald Miller’s take on the issue of arguing over the existence of God. In Blue Like Jazz, he says:

“My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don’t really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don’t believe in God and they can prove He doesn’t exist, and some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter, and honestly I don’t care.”

As a C.S. Lewis fan and a believer, I admit I’m a little biased. However, I think you should see this film.

If for no other reason, go see it for the performance of Georgie Henley, the little girl who plays Lucy Pevensie. She had more genuine (and believable) enthusiasm for her character than any child actor I’ve seen. Excellent casting.

If you need another reason, I give it 4/4 stars for a retelling of a children’s fairy tale. I and the others with me were completely absorbed in the film. The pace was good. The computer animation was very well done; the battle scene in particular had me glued to my seat. Seeing cheetahs and tigers running flat out towards each other at the onset—wow!

Finally, I had the same reaction to Aslan and the story that I did while reading the books. In short, I was overwhelmed. Honestly, as I believe the underlying truth presented in the story, there were a few times that I almost lost it during the film. It was very easy for me to put myself in the story. For that I would like to say bravo and thank you to the cast, crew, and filmmakers. I’m very much looking forward to the next parts in the series. Please give them the same attention you did here.

Kathleen and I remarked that we’d both go back and see this film again in the theater; that doesn’t happen very often for us. Perhaps the Cinerama next time?