It's Christmas!

This is usually the day when I say "see here for the continuation of the story." However, that is not to be this week. My cohort, Ben, has been rather busy as of late, and has not gotten a new part of the story out. I shall therefore proceed to a regular post, in hopes that he gets his pen together...figuratively speaking, of course.

Here's to Christmas traditions! We (try) to set aside a night wherein all members of the Coder Clan may participate in a family-wide evening of decorating (specifically) the tree and (non-specifically) the house for Christmas. With Christmas CDs that we've grown up on playing in the background, and handling decade old decorations, this evening is a perfect way to reminisce of "the old days" (when we were younger - quite a paradoxical statement). Nonetheless, all enjoy it, and sometimes it can get crazy - it all depends on the song currently playing and how much chocolate had been consumed by that point.

The decorated Christmas tree

The inset picture is of these two many years ago

I tried a new version of photobombing - a selfie-bombed photo

The twins being twin-like

A similar photobombing stunt. 

However, let's not forget why the season is celebrated. Indeed, it would be very poor of us to get so caught up in fun activities and traditions to forget what Christmas is really all about. Over two millennium ago, the God of the universe was wrapped in a piece of cloth, a midst the cows and sheep of His creation.

The following two Christmas songs are very good, hence why I'm showing them. Take the time to not only listen to them, but consider their words and meaning.

Please don't lose size of God's love.

Merry Christmas!!!

But God...

There are currently two words in the New Testament that have absolutely captured my fascination, as they both reference and imply quite profound ideas. For example, I was dead in my trespasses, disobedient, and a child of wrath. I did not care for anything that did not benefit me, and was thus very worldly. From a worldly perspective, I was rather unpleasant. From a spiritual perspective, I was dead. Nothing in me would attract the attention of a Creator-King, at least in the positive sense. I was condemned to eternal punishment. My methods of escape were limited (meaning none) and faulty. I was a hopeless wreck.

But God.

And with these two words, my entire life, future, and eternal state were quite literally reversed. 

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2.4-9 (emphasis mine)

That says it all. What could I add to that? To think that God loves me for no reason at all, save that He does, is completely beyond my comprehension. 

I cannot recommend the following artists, Casting Crowns, but these lyrics hit it absolutely bang on (the entire song is not repeated here).

"Who Am I"

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart?
...
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me?

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are.

...

"Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!" II Corinthians 9.15

A Fairy Tale Continued

(to read part one)

Once upon a time…long ago…in times past…

         
  Thanks, Ben.

There was a prince...

  Wait a second, there's always one prince. What could we do to change it up (without it being overly weird)?
  I don't know, Josh. How 'bout make the prince have brothers? That way, the princess has a couple options to choose from.
  Great idea, Ben! Thanks!

There were four princely brothers. They were, as stated, brothers, who shared the occupation of princes (their resumes were quite impressive). However, the four brothers were rather eccentric, each in his own way. Of course, if they weren't eccentric, this tale would be nigh-on boring. Therefore, they are eccentric.

The first and eldest of the brothers was Charles Charming (of course the last name is Charming...what else could it be?). Of the four brothers, Charles was the first to accept the full-time position of prince, and was therefore the most experienced

The second and second eldest of the brothers was Maximilian Augustus Charming.

  Josh, you better not make Maximilian's bio as boring as Charles's...
  ...okay Ben.

 Max was in a strange quandary at the time of our story, but his quandary requires a short story. Several years previous, he had had the misfortune to be turned into a frog. Of course, the only way to turn him back was for a princess to kiss him. He was most fortunate in an unfortunate way. He was fortunate to find a princess in distress, who had dropped her magic mirror down a well (it had been dried out many a year - do not ask what the princess was doing that caused her mirror to drop down such a hole, as that's another story). Being nimble in frog limb, he immediately made it known that he would fetch her magic mirror. In one bound, he was down. He began to tug on the mirror. However, it took him some time to figure out a way to carry it. That's the unfortunate part of the story. The princess was so taken by the little frog's endeavor, that she blew him a kiss; since everything's wireless nowadays, it had very much the same effect as a physical kiss: it changed the frog prince into a prince prince (a human one, that is). Dear Reader, a frog may easily escape the warming pot, but a prince has no chance. He was therefore, and still is, stuck at the bottom of the well, his only consolation being the magic mirror, by which he began to know everything, and write books and periodicals on the same. His weekly, the Prince's Deeply, is a well read newspaper, and very informative.

The next brother was Philosophically Charming, or Phil for short. In the nature of his name, he sought humanitarian relief for all underprivileged classes. He even went as far as to subsidize poor, forgotten animals. His housing plans for such creatures were his greatest failure, as his pilot program involved determining the structural analysis of various building materials for the razorback breed, being of straw, sticks and bricks. His initial plan called for three of the breed to be housed in each of the buildings. This failed because of the carnivorous and enchanted nature of his younger brother Fred.

The last and final brother, as well as the youngest, was Frederick Charming. Like Max, Fred had the inconvenience of being shape-shifted, but he into a carnivorous canine. You see, Fred, a vegetarian, liked dogs so much that he had 127 different breeds, hosted 3 dog shows a week, and provided the famous Canine 9k Scholarships for veterinarian students. However, when a representative from the Safeguarding Animals Against the Tyranny of Living in Cramped Quarters with Others of Different Breeds Legal Association (SAATLCQODBLA) arrived and determined that 127 dog breeds living on 381 acres was too cramped, he complained to the Princes Behavior Correction Agency (PBCA), which determined Fred's sentence: he was to be turned into a generic dog and be carnivorous, unto the point that he had been kissed by a princess (which they were sure was never going to happen).

And so...

...At a date undetermined, in a land not found on modern maps, there once was four princely brothers...

  That's great Josh! Much better than "There once was a prince..."
  I'd quite agree. It'll keep our readers guessing...

  Stay tuned on Ben's blog.

A post about Not-Much

I've finally done it. Since I'm lacking inspiration for things to write, I went ahead and videoed myself playing the bagpipes...rather vain, in my opinion. But oh well. Since this is the first video that I've uploaded, I'm not quite sure I have all the strings tied on how to do it, so forgive the mishaps. 

And on that note...

I do know that the drones are not in unison. This does not help with the effect of the bagpipes. I need to learn how to tune them accurately. It's quite a chore, believe me!

In regards to the challenge issued, the first part has been published! I will be posting a second part on Monday the 10th. Just a hint - Ben and I will be trying to get every single fairy tale possible mentioned throughout this story. Be alert.

Until Monday!

My Weekend

This is a post about my past weekend, as well as a blogging challenge. Customarily, here are a few pictures:

My little sis Megan...

 The gent in this picture is my grandfather, and is the reason for this weekend excursion, for on Thursday he turned 80! We were blessed to spend the weekend with not only him and grandma, but also with my aunt and uncle from Indiana, my aunt from France, and my cousin from France who is currently living in Spokane. It was a very special time, and good to see them all again!

A different little sis Grace...

 This was just later the same day. It was beautiful the entire time, probably one of the best weather conditions at the beach that I've been at, personal opinion.

Okay, now I'm sure you're all dying to know what this new challenge is. This challenge was issued to me and my brother Ben at White Knuckles Holding Fast. Essentially, we are to tag team writing a fairy-tale story. But don't worry, we plan to make it memorable. Stay tuned to figure out how distorted Ben and I can make a simple story...or, stories.

Untitled/Work-in-Progress

I was hoping to have this a little more polished/expanded, but alas, I need a post. INPUT is appreciated!!!

(Beginning/setting)

The mighty host of heaven watched,

As God declared the world to be,

And breathed in man the breath of life,

Then man did sin, the fruit of the tree.

And so they saw throughout the years,

As God did work on earth a plan,

And fashioned history to make

Redemption for the fallen man.

They heard Him speak through many men

Who told a strange, prophetic cry

Of God to come and make man right,

And He man's sinful soul to buy.

(Redemption/climax)

And then a hush was spread,

the host did wonder now,

 for God had gone to earth,

but not for knees to bow.

They sang a song of praise,

for HE was born that night,

but wondered what He did,

for it did not seem right.

They watched the Devil tempt,

the Lord as He was weak,

and wondered why the King,

did turn the other cheek.

Then awestruck did they see

Him beaten, shamed with scorn,

and mocked, for on His brow,

a crown of thorns was worn.

And still they wondered why,

their God allowed this shame,

for Him to dwell with men,

who'd curse His holy name.

(unfinished)

(Conclusion/conclusion)

(being worked on)

I Peter 1:12 - "To [the prophets] it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven -- things which angels desire to look into." (emphasis mine).

Notes - I do understand that there is a change in meter/rhyme in the fourth stanza. This is purposeful, and unless it goes against all poetic licensing, I'd like to keep it that way. Basically, I'd like the poem to be in three parts - the Beginning (st. 1-3), the Redemption (4-x), and Conclusion (x-end). I will be posting it again in a "more final" draft (probably in the next "two weeks"...), but I thought I should show ya'll what I've worked on recently.    

Tag! Some of you are It!

On Monday the first, I was nominated by SarahJayne at Lass of the Lord for a blogger questionnaire-thingy. Therefore, and hence, this post. It's a bit of a longer one, so bear with me.

First, the rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog. Thank you SarahJayne (link above)!
2. Answer his/her 11 questions.
3. Add to these 11 random facts about yourself.
4. Come up with your own 11 questions.
5. Tag (up to) 11 other blogs (with under 200 followers) to answer your queries and follow the previous 4 steps.

The questions are as follows, and answered respectively:

1. If you had tomorrow cleared of any previous commitments, what would you do with it? Read and/or play frisbee/soccer/sports in general.

2. What is your favorite book? :) Yah, good one. I think I'd have to echo your sentiments here, SarahJayne. There isn't just "one" favorite, as I like different books for the different themes portrayed in each. Here are a couple that I do like: I Serve, The Three Edwards, and Hebrews, in no specific order.

3. What is the coolest place you've ever visited? Without a doubt, that'd be Corbridge Roman Site. 

4. Who is your favorite author? I've not read many authors widely. I would say that C S Lewis and R M Ballantyne are in the Tops, though.

5. If you could learn another instrument, what would it be? Possibly, it would be piano or classical guitar.

6. What is your favorite sport? {and you don't have to be good at it... :p} My favorite sport is soccer. I played that good game for many years. I tally it at six, and spanning from Recreational soccer to Select, and from outdoor to indoor. 

7. Favorite soundtrack? I'm not one of those musical people who enjoys listening to soundtracks very much. However, some of my favorites do include "Master and Commander" and "How to Train Your Dragon".

8. Best movie adaptation of a book? I believe one of my favorite movie adaptions is the 2005 "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." The next two movies in the series gradually strayed from the book (some of those "good-as-movies/not-so-good-as-book-adaption" cases), but this one, in my opinion, is very good.

9. Favorite chore? I'm sure this is a misprint...once I've begun a chore, I don't usually mind it. The biggest detriment is just simply starting.

10. Most thought-provoking concept you've come across in the last week? Concept of agape-love. Basically, this is the love that you show toward your enemies. Consequently, it's the same love that God showed toward us. We are to be willing to die, or to live in "persecution" for, those who seek us harm. This is also the basis, really, of Christianity, summed up in two laws by Jesus Himself (see Mark 12:30-31 and I Corinthians 13).

11. Favorite type of tea? Despite being surrounded by tea addicts, both inside and outside my family, I've not found the same enjoyment in that beverage. Not to say I don't mind tea, I just don't have the same sense of appreciation for it. However, I did once receive a lose leaf tea that had cinnamon, cocoa, and other homey spices in it, and that was rather good. But I forget the name of it.

Now, for the 11 facts about myself...which seems kinda vain, but oh well.

1. I will begin my junior year of high school with taking classes at Clark Community College.
2. I've been playing the bagpipes for a little over a year now.
3. I've been involved in 4-H sheep raising since 2008...sadly, however, it's not been that entirely successful.
4. I've traveled the Chunnel (which is a train that goes beneath the English Channel, from France to, well, England). 
5. I've held a "conversation" with an elderly lady in French...but in Dublin, not France.
6. Part of #2 has involved me playing the bagpipes in a CEO's 9th story office in downtown Vancouver during business hours.
7. I'm currently reading a book that claims that the Chinese discovered America between 1421-1423. Quite fascinating.
8. I love the smell of old books. You'll know what I mean if you do too.
9. I enjoy the making and eating of pizza.
10. When it comes to sports, I'm all in. Golf is not considered in this grouping, as I'd agree with Mark Twain when he said "Golf is a good walk spoiled." 
11. I want to write a book. Problem is, I don't know what about, or how. But the desire is there, nonetheless.

Here are those whom I will nominate to continue the fun. Just look at the beginning of the post for the rules to follow:

Benjamin at White Knuckles.
Jonathon at Haiku Gardener.
Nathan at Adventures in Imagination.
Rachel at Windows through my Life.

And here are my questions to be answered:
1. What is your favorite board game?
2. A favorite quote of yours (humorous or thought provoking)?
3. A book/series that disappointed you?
4. Furthest place you've traveled from home, and why?
5. Your favorite non-board-game activity (sports, reading, card games, eating, etc...)?
6. A favorite character from a book/movie, and why?
7. If you could have any car, which one would it be?
8. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
9. How many states have you been in (driving through, staying at, but not flying over)?
10. What is your favorite type of pizza?
11. What's the story behind your favorite (or most infamous) nickname?

Until next time!