Almost there

Well, everything is about to start falling together. We leave tomorrow for California for 8 days, then back to Bloomington. We'll have 3 or 4 days to finish packing, and we'll leave on June 21st from our apartment for good. Driving to North Carolina, then back to Indianapolis - Anne's parents house. Then 2 days after we'll be gone for 3+ weeks of training in New York and family vacation in Michigan. Whew!

Please pray for us now - it's easy to be stressed out with all kinds of things to do. I'm feeling sick (Chris), and we don't have so much time for me to rest. Plus - we've been talking a lot about adjusting to all the changes going on and how we adjust to that. Pray for us, that we'd go to God with our struggles and anxious thoughts.

Back to packing.... :)

Misi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's your birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!

The Days are Just Packed

I think that's actually a title from a "Calvin and Hobbes" book, meant to be facicous.(sp?) Actually Calvin and Hobbes are much more on the lazy side of life. But our days have actually been ganz beschaeftig (very busy). So are you ready to whet your whistle on the highlights of the last few days for us???

0.5. Bubba was here for a few days.
1. I was going to go to New Joisey to visit the Griffices, but had to change my plans to stay home, support Anne, and get stuff done for Austria.
2. I packed a bunch of boxes, brought things to Goodwill, sold some things (bike, clothes, etc.), jumped through some hoops to get paperwork for our visas to live in Austria, got help working on and replacing a bad video card for our computer, etc.
3. Drove up to Indianapolis for the weekend. Watched Shrek 2. Ran in a 4 mile run. Won a gift certificate for running shoes. Went to church. Hung out with Bob, Meg, Scott, Tom, John, and Kim.
4. Saw the Indy 500 - well, some of it. It kept raining and they said a tornado was nearby, so we left early.
5. Packed more boxes, unofficially sold our Honda Civic, paid bills, etc.
6. Drove to Indianapolis, watched the Lakers WIN, and drove the Honda back to Bloomington.
7. Anne began her last week of school and Chris went to Cincinnati to visit friends and go to a concert.

I hope you didn't drown from all of the quick facts. :)

Just call me Errand Boy

Now that I'm done with my job at IU, I've been focusing on getting stuff done. Yeah - stuff: Paperwork that is required for getting a visa in Austria, packing boxes, trying to sell or get rid of the last few straggler things we aren't taking to Austria or storing, and just doing things that Anne can't do since she's at school. Her last day is a week from this Friday. It's been a good feeling, tackling so many things in a day. It makes my sense of accomplishment move up in the rankings. That's nice, but really, I need to put my sense of accomplishment in God and the fact that he is arranging all the parts to make all of this happen. He created the universe, and he sustains it - things in nature, governments, interpersonal relationships, and even directions and steps of individual lives. If wasn't for him in my life, it would be at best, pointless. My life would be just getting by, maybe feeling good about things in life, but really, just like walking on thin ice. I am not the one that holds myself up. Even my physical body is in God's hands. Amazing, how we get so caught up in the activities of life and forget how God does things. Thanks God, for loving me, choosing me, adopting me as your child, and sustaining my life. You brought me up out of the pit of being alone and in a downward spiral, out of the miry clay.
Help me not forget.

Anyone want to buy this from me? Controller, battery, and charger included. 

Today Today Today!!!

It's my last day of work! Goodbye Indiana University School of Continuing Studies. Hello Vienna Christian School!!! I'm gettin' excited!!!!!!!! :):)

thoughts

I had a conversation recently with a friend of mine, Robert. He likes to talk deeply about life. He had been listening to a series of tapes by a guy whose name I can't remember. Anyhow, the main point that I heard from Robert about those messages was our perspective. As believers in and followers of Jesus, our perspective can be either that of an orphan or that of a son/daughter. An orphan feels like they have to do everything to take care of themselves - safety, food, where to sleep, etc. A son trusts his dad to take care of it. An orphan doesn't trust others and is very protective. A son has learned trust by seeing the faithfulness of his father. An orphan doesn't like to allow people to go "deeper" into their life because of fear (rejection, hurt, failure, etc.).

Anyhow, it was a great topic to converse about and ponder. In what ways do I act like an orphan in my relationship with God? I think it's my default sometimes, to feel like I have to do everything and do it right in order for things to go well. I think that if I don't dot all my i's and cross all my t's and take care of every detail, everything will fall apart. WRONG. I need freedom. Lord, help me truly believe in my role as being your son, your child.

Gammy and Baby Holritz 

Misi and her baby daughter 

A Proud Day for Uncle Crispy

Well, the news is that I'm an uncle again! I'll put a picture on here in a little bit, but here's the scoop. Baby Holritz (no name yet) was born on May 19th at 7:59pm. She was 22.5 inches long and weighed 9 pounds and 8 ounces!!! And even better, Anne and I will get to see her in less than three weeks!

A Proud Day for Papa

Wow, am I proud of my boys! I think I had about 5 heart attacks last night during that Spurs-Lakers game. It was probably one of the most amazing finishes to an NBA game. Just unbelievable - and I'm just so lucky to be a Laker fan because we just ended up on the winning side of a big battle that ended with 2 amazing shots. And I guess just about everyone else picked up on what Shaq said: "One lucky shot deserves another."

Amazing Photo of the Day

OK, I just couldn't pass this one up :)



recognize these "down home boys"??

Too Cool

Blogger has upgraded things and given all kinds of new templates to pick from. So here we have this new one! What do you think? I like it - different and fun. I think this blog needs to change somehow. If this is going to be a way for Anne and I to communicate to all of you while we're over in Austria, we'll need to write more about stuff that's going on, things we're thinking and feeling, things God is doing, etc.

So, I just want to let you all know that if you're reading this, we would really appreciate your prayers regarding spiritual warfare. Maybe that seems strange to you, but we're convinced that the more we follow God's leading (namely to VCS) the more resistance we get. The things that we see and touch every day are only temporal and passing away (2 Cor 4). All this stuff, including our bodies are going to pass away and disappear like a vapor. But what is unseen is eternal - and that's what we want to invest in. But satan doesn't want us to and he seems to be working more than normal in our surroundings - trying to get Anne and I mad at eachother, discouraging us at work, stressing us out with packing and other things to do, etc. We dedicate ourselves to you O Lord. We place our weakness in your strength.

All you Laker-Haters will like this one

read up!

Wowzers!

We had a great weekend!!

Wowzer #1: We ate at Yat's - which is a Creole, New Orleans-style place to eat. Very inexpensive, very good, big portions, and fun + funky atmosphere. The floors were black and red checkered, there was cool jazz for music, and random lighting. Plus it was just fun to hang out with all of the Corinth Crew.

Wowzer #2: Kelsey, our friend and Corinth Crew member, whooped up on our eardrums Saturday afternoon. We went to her graduate recital for voice - and heard songs in English, German, Italian, and French. She was amazing!!

Wowzer #3: John and Kim hosted a support raising party for us on Saturday night - S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y....NIGHT! It was a lot of fun to hang out and connect with lots of people that we knew and didn't know. And a number of people really stepped up and committed to support us in prayer and finances. (see the updates to the left)

Very cool :)

Yat's

Tonight, the Corinth Crew (AKA, our Bible study group) is going out to eat and having a last hurrah. Shaunessy is leaving to do nursing relief work in the Sudan and Ben is going to Virginia Beach and then to Florida with Campus Crusade. Then in the near future, Anne and I will be leaving, and so will Josh. I think that's all - for what is planned. So we're going to eat at this unique and new (I think) place called Yat's. Then we're going to have an all our war on the ping pong table at Shaunessy's. OK, maybe we'll just hang out and have a party. Either way, it'll be time for the cameras so we won't forget each others faces. :)

Neue Praesident

Austria has elected a new president - Heinz Fischer.
I don't know anything about him, really. But I read something interesting about the other main candidate. Benita Ferrero-Waldner gathered up 47.59% of the votes, but it wasn't enough as Fischer brought in 52.4%. During the campaign, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner (yes, Miss) stopped in the southern province/state of Carinthia where Joerg Haider is governor. Maybe you've heard of him. As a supporter of Ferrero-Waldner, Haider presented her with a live pig as a good luck gift.

Odd, strange? Seems that way to me - and I just hope he wasn't trying to hint at her hygiene or eating habits. :)

Dear Boston,

Mournfully yours,
Indiana

Subservient Chicken

Check this out, if you have a high speed internet connection. I've never seen anything like this!!! It's strange and funny. Some of my favorites are "do the worm", "pick up the tv", and "run". Tell him what to do.

Mornin'

No matter how today is going, I choose to accept God's grace. It's truly amazing. Where else can I go, since he is the giver of life? I submit to the one and only.

German Word of the Day

der Spleen (dair SHPLEEN) - eccentricity; quirk

German Word of the Day

schlucken (shlOOken) - to swallow

Only 50 Grand for a Cat

I think this is an actual company, but it's crazy to think it's true. Click 'n Clone. Oh, and notice the company name, complete with play on words.

Hey Bob!!

This might be a good investment for you. :)

Can I get a...

Anne and I have a few big gatherings coming up where we'll talk about Austria, teaching at VCS, and asking people to consider supporting us in some way. One of those will be next Friday night in Bloomington - all the families and kids from Anne's 5th grade class from last year have been invited. That's 4/16, and it's being hosted by one of those families from the 5th grade class.
Then on Friday 4/30, our very own John and Kim (uncle and aunt) will be throwing a party for the same purpose. They've already been bathing it in prayer - daily, and we have joined in. That is so encouraging to us!
Wanna join?!? :)

German Word of the Day

felsenfest (FELSin fest) - rock-solid; adamant

Amazing "Photo" of the Day

I have a dream!!

and it might just look something like this.....

Austria

Isn't that great?!?!?!
As you can see on the left, we've added in the latest info on where we're at with support raising. It's really been great to see God provide and challenging to wait for his timing and way of doing things. We are in the process to trying to be in touch with as many of you as we can. We hope we can catch you by email or phone or in person over the next few months!
Keep checking back to see where we're at! :)

Jars of Candy

A couple days ago, Anne filled three different jars will different kinds of candy. She took them to school to have a contest for her students. These 3rd graders had the whole week to calculate and guess how many pieces were in each jar. The winner would win that jar of candy! (only one jar per child, please)

Well, yours truly thought he'd give it a go. Guess for jar #1: 260 jelly beans. Guess for jar #3: 50 chocolate eggs.
Answer for jar #1: 260 jelly beans!! Answer for jar #3: 54 chocolate eggs!!!!

OOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAH! Can you feel that???!!?!?!?!? OOOOH OOOOH! Who's your daddy!?!?!?!? (that was my victory dance)

I skipped jar #2 because I don't remember what I guessed or the actual number. But I was relatively close to that one also.

What will they think of next?

This is something new to me. Is it a guiboard? Is it a skatar? I'm not sure, but you should definitely check this out!!!

German Word of the Day #2

die Sossenschuessel (dee SOsen shoosul) - the gravy boat

German Word of the Day

verfallen (fair FALLen) - to expire, decay

Comments Please

Well, I just found out about a new dimension I can add to our Blog. And so I did! Maybe it's not that big of a deal, but it's worth a try.
It's a way for you to make comments on the posts we make to our blog. So if you want to try commenting on this, or any post, just click on the link below that says "Comment" and then a number in parentheses (which happens to be 0 right now, since it's brand spankin' new!)

So be the first! Make a comment!

Pile Number Three

Anne and I have been gradually going through our entire apartment and sorting things into 3 piles (very large piles, mind you).
Pile One - Things we are taking with us to Austria.
Pile Two - Things we aren't taking with us to Austria, but are going to store somewhere. (Our smallest pile)
Pile Three - Things we are selling.
Pile number three is definitely the biggest. So, are you interested in taking a gander at it and maybe buying a book or two, a board game, 7 oz. rubies, a table, framed pictures, or Christmas decorations? Come on over!

Get me out of here!!!

Aaawwwwwwwwww yeah! We're taking off tonight, right after work, to fly to Florida. We're excited to have some DOWN TIME. Plus it's going to be warm - instead of 20 degrees, which it is here today.
And, by the way, we'll get to hear one of Anne's favorite things to hear on an overhead speaker. As you arrive in the airport in West Palm Beach, and are waiting to pick up your luggage, you hear a deep, resonant voice announcing "Welcome to the Palm Beaches." I'll be taking in that listening bliss in - oh, say, 9 hours. :)

Amazing Photo of the Day

Ey or Ay, Eh?

Just a few days ago, Anne told me that I say her mom's name (Meg) incorrectly. "What are you talking about!?!?"
Well it turns out that there is a difference that I have never noticed between the way she and her family say Meg and the way I do. I say Meg as in "pay" or "bay". Anne and the Luginbills say Meg as in "elephant" (the first syllable). And that goes for egg, and also peg and keg I suppose. So, the way I tell myself to pronounce my mother-in-law's name is "Mehg" not "Mayg".
I wonder if this is the difference between the Midwest and the West Coast. Do you have any idea?

German Word of the Day

deutlich (DOYT leesh) - definite; precise; clear

Me Yeti, you Penguin

This is a funny and amusing game - maybe an Antarctic/Himilayan version of home run derby. Have fun :)

All Talk

Mike (Anne's brother) and his friend Ryan are staying at our place for a few days. It's fun. Last night they ordered a pizza for themselves and were talkin' it up how they were going to destroy and murder it.
The pizza arrives and they go to work.
Not long after that, Mike leans back on the couch with one piece left on his plate. Ryan taunts him "So - annihilating that pizza, huh?"
Mike tries to make up some excuse, but can't.
Score: Ryan 1, Mike 0

(quotes not exact)

Amazing Photo of the Day

oh really?

Great perspective

Chris Webber of the Sacramento Kings has been unable to play basketball for almost a year, due to an injury and a short suspension. He's first day back is today, but check this bit of an article out from the Sacramento Bee Newspaper:

Webber has become accustomed to dealing with self-manufactured troublesome situations and often unrelenting criticism. He said he's trying a different approach for handling crises.

"That's how life is," he said. "I'm glad I went to see the 'Passion of Christ' (on Sunday night) because like they say, 'It's easy to love those that love you.'

"For the (Kings broadcaster) Grant Napears that know everything and people out there that didn't like me from Day 1 coming in, it just makes me go out there and say, 'You know what? I have nothing against you. I love you. I'm going to keep working hard, and I have nothing against you.' "

Ahhhhhh

I'm feeling pretty accomplished after the weekend. I think Anne is too. We sent out a few more stragglers after the onslaught of letters around the country last week. Even better - we talked through and made a calendar of the next 5 or 6 months. It outlines when we go to training in New York for 2 weeks, to when we'll be finished with work, and even when we're going to sort through and pack up the stuff in our apartment. I love it - it's all organized and systematic. One day, the closet and drawers in our extra bedroom, then the rest of that room, the living room, the kitchen, etc. I think it will help us stay sane over the next few months. And get this - Anne was much more the instigator in this whole idea.
WAY TO GO ANNIE!!

Interesting Fact of the Day #2

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

Go ahead. Try it. :)

Interesting Fact of the Day

Q: What is an activity performed by 40% of all people at a party?

A: Snoop in the medicine cabinet.

Amazing Photo of the Day

Can I get a...

G'day mate!!!
I wanna give a shout out to all our homeys down under - all the blokes and mates. There's James in Taree, keepin' it real. And well, that's about all that'd ever look at this. So, this one's for you, James! Cheers!

It's in the Mail

Our support letters/brochures are out in the realms of US Mail, waiting to make a new home in your mailbox. :) Invite it in as one of your own. :) A steak dinner isn't necessary, just a warm dry place.

Third Grade Love

Love is gross.
Love is kind of - I don't understand.
Love is odd.
I love my mom.

That was a good treek, no?

fielding

I just recently discovered a new band that I want to let you know about. They're called fielding. A couple of the guys in the band used to be in Plankeye - maybe you've heard of that group, which closed up shop in recent years. Anyhow, I just bought their CD for a measly $9.99 through their website so I could enjoy the soaring melodies and hearts along with the deep, creative, and almost cryptic lyrics. I love that! This album has been called "a lone hollyhock in a truckload of turnips" by MeanStreet Magazine. Check it out!

Big Giant, Little Giant

look at that cute little Shaq

German Word of the Day

eindeutig [ine (as in "mine") DOYtig] - definitely

I mean, like totally, for sure!!

Yep, it is officially definite.
We've been asked to go to Vienna Christian School and teach, starting next school year!!! Anne would be an elementary school teacher, and Chris would be a secondary Bible teacher (and maybe a sports coach). How cool, huh?

It's time for a little celebration dance! :)

German Word of the Day

fast (fahst) - almost, nearly

May the Forss be with you

Don Forss, that is. He was with us and about 25 other people at our apartment on Friday night. It was our large group Segue meeting (grad students/young adults) we have every month. Some people read their favorite Psalm outloud with some quiet music in the background. Then Don went at it - extrovert extraordinaire. He was amazing - speaking with a lot of passion and a lot of knowledge about the Bible. He talked about 1st and 2nd Corinthians - and particularly focused on the big picture with a handful of side notes along the way. I wish I could remember more details from it to give you an example or two, but I usually don't remember details of conversations and talks like that. Then we all had some great conversations and hang out time after that. It was a great time, just trust me on this one.

Props to Laura Luginbill

just because I can

Mieskuoro Huutajat

No, this is not a German word for the day. This is a group also called the Shouting Men of Finland. Basically, they dress up in black suits and wear black ties made of tire rubber. Odd? Strange? Genius? They don't sing, but SHOUT songs like the Finnish national anthem. I'm not making this up! They even have their own version of the Star Spangled Banner.

the BIG GAME

Well, as far as from a Laker fan's perspective, the game was stinky. Shaq mouthed off too much the night before, so he didn't play either. It made for a low scoring game with the Lakers getting the schooling end of the stick. As I was getting taunted while walking out of the game (with my Lakers beanie on), I told the guy I was sorry that they didn't have any banners hanging from their rafters. Of course I said that out of his earshot. :)
I just couldn't resist.
Maybe next time we'll get 'em.

Goin' to the BIG GAME

Anne and I are going to drive through rain, sleet, and snow to get to this matchup!! Too bad that both sides have injuries (total of 3 key players). I hope I don't get jumped while I'm sporting my Laker garb in hostile territory. :)

99.9% Fat Free

If the United States is the epitome of overweight and overeating,
and Austria is the prime example of health and natural eating,
then we're 99.9% fat free.

"Where are you going with this, Chris?" you ask.

Where we're going with this is Vienna Christian School. We haven't been officially invited to go and teach there, but almost. Anne still has to be interviewed on the phone, but the VCS people already feel like Anne is a sure fit. They already decided that I am a good fit for teaching Bible to jr. high and high school kids!

Still waiting for that 0.1%.........................

Sidewalk Chalk Extraordinaire

Hinge Day

Today is the day of when the VCS administration will meet and talk about my possible fit as a Bible teacher!! So, it seems that whether we work at VCS or not hinges on their conclusion about me today. Actually, they could have already had the meeting since they are 6 hours ahead of us on East coast time. Wooooaaaahhh. Captain, speak your words...that move us along.

Amazing Photo of the Day

Need I say more?

Snow!

Probably about half of the country has snow right now. We here in Bloomington, Indiana, haven't been overlooked. Anne is the lucky one today because all the schools in the area are closed. It's a day off for her while I have to keep bringin' home the bacon. :)

Amazing Photo of the Day

Captain, speak your words that move us along.

Waiting Isn't Easy

I'm supposed to be getting a phone call any day now during lunch from Phil Paden. He's the director of Vienna Christian School. I found a spot where I could speak freely in the student union during lunch yesterday. The exact location is a secret, though, so don't ask me to give that away. :) So he didn't call yesterday or today - maybe tomorrow. Right now I'm feeling pulled in multiple directions - from VCS to Subway and back again. Back and forth, back and forth, back and back and back and forth.

That is a quote from something I just remembered from childhood. I used to go to the Orange County swap meet with my family. It's a sort of nicer flea market. Anyhow, there was this guy there all the time, and Asian guy. And he was selling this special slicer-dicer-cut up veggies special gizmo. And he was really fast doing his demonstration, using a back and forth movement with this slicer. And he would call one side of his tool New York, and the other one L.A. He'd say, "New York. L.A. Back and forth, back and forth, back and back and back and forth!" And slice stuff up with the same rhythm. It was cool and funny - and maybe you just had to be there to get it.

Now you've been able to follow along in the paths of Crispy's brain for the last couple of minutes!! How fun! :)

German Word of the Day

das Vorstellungsgespraech (dahs fohr shtelloongs gehSHPRAYK) - the interview

Amazing Photo of the Day

T O D A Y ! ! !

It's Annie's Birthday! I wanted to put up a cool picture of her, but all I could manage was this.....



but at least it IS Anne Frank, just not my Annie. :)

If I was a movie star....

You've gotta check out this link on the top left called "Your movie personality"!!! It's not a trick. It is a short test (you choose how long) and then it gives you some cool results about your personality.
ooooohh, are you interested????

Birthday

This Thursday is Anne's birthday (1/15)!!! Send her a card or something for her 25TH!!!

Amazing Photo of the Day

The Super Hornet!!!

This is what my new toy will look like very soon! Or actually, it will be more like a blurred version of this. Ha ha!!

Weekend Fun

Just thought I'd fill you in on a couple weekend highlights. Friday, I used my Christmas money to but a remote control car. I'm excited! I'm halfway through building it, which is fun, but it takes a long time. It's supposed to go 30 MPH!!! YEAAAHHH I'm gonna be chasin' cats or something. OK, maybe not, but it'll be fun.
Another highlight was volleyball practice. A friend of mine, Eugene, is a really gifted volleyball coach and he's letting me join his practices for his 8th grade girls team. Not as a player, silly, as an assistant coach. Yesterday I did a lot of the drills along with the girls and my legs are SORE. For all Deutsch readers, "Ich habe SCHWER Muskelkarte!" I'll be back at it again tomorrow night. So far, it's a lot of fun and I'm learning a lot. :)

I guess this is mostly about me, and not so much Anne. So I'll give this a try: she used her new bath pillow and loves it! She baked banana bread and made chicken salad yesterday and it was awesome! She hung out with Katie Cronk (leaving for Asia) on Friday night for dinner and a movie and a "goodbye" time.
OK, well that's just the facts and she doesn't talk that way. She'll just have to start entering things on her own once in a while. Someday......

Can You Say Frequent Flyer Miles?

Good. Anne and I are taking off tomorrow morning for our big adventure. We're driving to Indianapolis for Christmas with her family (the Messerlies). Then on Monday we're flying to California to visit my family and eat at In N Out, of course. :) Oh - and how could I forget Christmas day - watching the Lakers battle Yao Ming and the Rockets! Then, the day after Christmas, we'll fly to Florida to hang out and have Christmas with her family (Luginbills). It'll probably go fast (quickly, yes I know) but it'll be a blast! Here we go...

Amazing Photo of the Day

Hay is for horses; Grass is free; Cows eat it; Why don't we?

No, really?!? Why don't we?
I mean - it's good for you and yummy. That is, the grass in Superfood. It's a drink made by Odwalla that has all kinds of vitamins, minerals, grass, and other natural healthy stuff.
A while ago, I was really thirsty for some quality juice, and bought one for a rip-off price of almost $5 at an airport. Never again. But dang, that stuff was really good. And I realized that it was really good for me too. Since then, I've noticed that there are a bunch of different kinds of Odwalla juices at the Indiana University Union for much cheaper. Now, I've tried a few different kinds and read up on which flavors have more of which vitamins and minerals. It's great!

So, I recommend that you try a flavor that tempts your palate. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's as good as root beer.

Another example of Odwalla juices

German Word of the Day

der Schnee (dair SHNAY) - the snow

Clementines

Man, I feel sorta ashamed for being such a new-comer to clementines, considering I grew up in Orange County. When I thought of oranges, what came to mind were those baseball - softball sized things that took me about 20 minutes to peel. I think that kept me from really getting into eating oranges. Well, lo and behold, God created clementines too! I think the first time I had them was in Austria, but since have learned to love them here in the US. I think the beautiful thing about them is that they are so easy to peel! And I think somehow it appeals to my desire to have a sense of accomplishment. I mean, it only takes a few seconds to peel off big pieces of peel. Anne and I have been buying those mini-crates of them for a while now. Yum.
I think I also like the potential they have to be hucked/chucked/geworfen.

So the next time you're at your local grocer, pick up some of those little clementine puppies. :)

Hoosiers Win! Hoosiers Win!

The National Champions are everywhere!
ESPN
CBS Sports

Wish I was there

Check out the Who's Your Soccer link on the left (Hoosier Soccer).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

iT's ThE oNlY dAy Of ThE wHoLe YeAr ThAt DeBbIe PaRrIsH cAn'T cElEbRaTe HeR uNbIrThDaY!!!!!

Mint Kisses

Raise your hand if you've tried those new mint Hershey Kisses! Wow, those puppies are good. Mint and chocolate is just one of those perfectamundo combinations. Yum.
This isn't a mint one - but just pretend that it says MINT instead of KISSES. :)

German Word of the Day

der Regen (dair RAYgen - like the president) - the rain

Three Cheers For the Hoosiers!

The men's soccer team is the only really good sports team that Indiana University has this year. Anne and I went to 2 of their games this past week. It's the NCAA playoffs. The second round game was last Wednesday night. We braved the cold and the rain and cheered them on to a 2-1 victory in double overtime over Kentucky. Then, on Sunday, we saw them smack Virginia Commonwealth University silly to the flavor of 5-0!
Next up is UCLA (ranked #1 in the nation) on Saturday in L.A. This is a good matchup for my affections, because it's a win-win situation for me.

A Thanksgiving Poem

(actually it's a funny little song, but I can't sing over the internet)

A Turkey sat on a backyard fence
And sang this sad, sad tune

Thanksgiving is coming
Gobble, gobble GOBBLE gobble
And I know I'll be eaten soon
Gobble gobble, gobble gobble
Gobble gobble gobble
I would like to run away
Gobble gobble, gobble gobble
Gobble gobble gobble
I don't like Thanksgiving day.

German Word of the Day

der Truthahn (dair TROOThahn) - the turkey

German Word of the Day

das Schaedlingsbekaempfungsmittel (dahs SHAYDlings behKEMPFoongs MITtel) - the pesticide
Literally, it means the damaging/harm fighting agent.

Don't you love those big German words???? :)

The Corinth Crew

This is 10 out of the 12 in our Wednesday night Bible study. We're studying 1 Corinthians, having good fellowship, and eating great food. As Kelsey would say, YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!

Supersize Diet

I read this today, and I totally noticed the difference that this article explains when I lived in Austria.

Taken from Outside Magazine (Dec 2003):
Paul Rozin, a University of Pennsylvania psychology professor who specializes in why people choose the foods they eat, recently took a big step toward explaining why only 7.4 percent of the French are obese - despite a diet rich in cheeses, pastries, and other high-fat foods - while 22.3 percent of Americans are un-healthily rotund. His research comparing portion sizes served up in Philadelphia and Paris revealed that the French eat smaller portions than supersize-obsessed Americans. Here's a sampling of what he found:
Regular Fries at McDonald's         72% larger in U.S.
A Pizza Hut Pizza                       32% larger in U.S.
Average Chocolate Bar                41% larger in U.S.
Average Coca-Cola                      52% larger in U.S.
Average Hot Dog                         63% larger in U.S.
Average Serving of Ice Cream       24% larger in U.S.

German Word of the Day

das Gift (dahs gift) - the poison

Speaking of rubber bands, I am currently under attack from my coworker, Jesse. We shoot rubber bands back and forth from our cubicles - in silent stealth mode. Don't worry - we get our work done, too. :)

German Word of the Day

das Gummiband (dahs goomybahnd) - the rubber band

Timing

Hopefully, you know a little bit about our trip to North Carolina last weekend. It was great.
It just so happens that tomorrow night at our Bible study, we're studying 1 Corinthians 9. We already asked another guy in our group, Josh, to lead that night. And now, with the possibility that we'll need to raise support in the near future to go to Austria, it seems like much more than coincidence. If you don't know what I mean, take a look at 1 Cor. 9. Some things stand out to me like "Don't muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," sowing spiritual seed and reaping a material harvest, those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel, and running the race of faith to get a lasting crown. There is so much in that chapter.
The timing of all this seems like God's work. Anne and I aren't promoting ourselves, but God seems to be bringing up the topic of support for those doing ministry.

Snow in L.A.???

Yep, it's true. I wasn't there to experience it, but there was a ton of hail that fell on L.A. on Wednesday night the 12th. I read that some places had a foot of the unflavored icee from heaven. Woah.

2.67 Hat Tricks

Yes, that's 8 goals. My niece, Emilee, scored 8 goals in her soccer game over the weekend. I wish I'd been there to seen it. No, she doesn't play for UCLA or Virginia or something, it's her 4-6 year old team. But, I mean, c'mon! 8 goals!?!? Did she dominate as her tiny little 4 year old self, or was the score some ridiculous 27-19? That sounds more like a football score (American football, of course). I feel bad for that goalie - if she cares even a little bit about her performance, she's probably depressed. Already, at age 5, the poor keeper is wallowing in her misery, looking for Spongebob and Dora the Explorer fruit snacks to medicate her pain.
Ahhh, the joys of youth soccer...

LG







The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Praise him.







10.30.03