inside saddam.

during my lunch break today, i watched the recent "60 minutes" release of the exclusive interview of saddam hussein's interrogator, who was his daily company during the 6 months after his humiliating capture back in 2003. stephen forwarded me the link, along with the enlightening news that fbi agent george piro was a classmate of his at georgetown's sfs. small world.

in brief, what i find fascinating is how this insider's view brings saddam's maniacal actions into a more rational light... shaped by the complex forces of geopolitics. so if you haven't yet watched this unique glimpse into the infamous dictator, here's your chance.

part 1


part 2

logic of life.

today my worlds collided on google reader - well, sort of. three of my blog subscriptions coincided on the same topic - tim harford's new book release, the logic of life. now, i admit, two of those blogs are actually harford's - his self-titled site and FT blog - but hey, slate linked to it too. it seems we just can't get enough of these mainstream applied economic books, spearheaded by levitt's revolutionary freakonomics.

anyway, the point is, that even though it was only published yesterday, they posted a few enticing excerpts. an often theorized and sometimes controversial subject, it analyzed the economics of family life through the impact of birth-control on domestic dynamics. in short, the rational explanations on why the sociological make-up of marriage has changed over the past 50 years.

although my perspective of marriage comes from a biblical perspective, thus comprising a minority in the analysis, his behavorial economic analysis is just fascinating.

what are your thoughts?

mat kearney.

i confess - i have a new band crush.

not that i still don't heart good charlotte's new daddy, joel madden, but i have recently fallen hard for the oh so soulful, mat kearney. i've been a budding fan of his over this past year as his singles were gradually released into the top 40, but it wasn't until this weekend when i bought his full cd on itunes that i truly flipped!

his unique-to-himself blend of pop/folk/rap masterfully combine the art of poetry and melody. wow, is he good. truly there is not one song that i don't absolutely love. and to make things even more sweet, i was enamored to find out this man has a sincere heart for the LORD. his lyrics may not be overt in this message, but just like in creation, his art touches the universality in all of us and ultimately points us to our maker.

check out this intro video of kearney, put out a year or so ago. my favorite line:
one thing i tend to do is to dive in to the depravity of reality but also with one hand hold onto the beauty of life and the grace of god that i have experienced

also, below are the lyrics to my new favorite song - in the middle. i'm sure it can be interpreted a multitude of ways, but i believe mat is talking about his promise to GOD and HIS unwavering commitment back. i feel it just captures my life of faith; it resonates with my soul.

you can listen to the song by hitting track #6 on his main website page - www.matkearney.com

i meant it all and every part
and every word right from the start
i’ll never let this love fall in the middle

‘cause you know you broke the hardest part
you know you broke the hardest heart
i’ll never let this love fall in the middle
through it all

fifteen years old in a sea of blank faces
swimming bold against a stream that’s mocking as it races
in these halls, mountain high under a tangerine sky
crack a smile just to hide the race that’s inside

eighteen years old bags packed and a pass for the rail
one last look at the past as it drowns in the hail
one in a million, still i keep feeling you keep me from a fall
a world to lose coming back with you tall
through it all
------
no parachutes or safety nets here
one foot on the water to face these fears
coming out strong like i can’t be wrong
i said eh, i wont fall in the middle
------
twenty five here i am with freshman lps
one life to write one, two years to repeat
behind a curtain, uncertain if an encore’s in store
tuck my shoulder like a soldier to knock down the door

thirty something here i am running with kisses for one girl
these scars upon my sleeve still casting out my pearls
throw each stone microphone like it’s my last turn
with a kiss to the abyss and watch the ripples return
through it all
------
------
and i said i’m gonna be alright,
i’m gonna be alright
with you by my side

and i said i’m gonna be alright,
i’m gonna be alright
with you through this fight
through it all
------
------
i meant it all and every part
and every word right from the start
i’ll never let this love fall in the middle
through it all

neighborly love.

not a day goes by that i don't see at least one homeless person...usually perched on the corner of a city block or resting on a park bench. most days, i'm oblivious - you just get used to such a sad reality. when i am actually aware, i shy away from eye contact, pretending to be busy messing with my ipod, rummaging through my bag, checking voicemails or merely zoning out. although i rarely feel threatened by their presence, a flood of awkwardness mixed with guilt overcomes me. how to do we, especially as christians, effectively answer the need that is so apparent in our city - and how do we do this with justice AND mercy?

growing up in a secluded bubble of a houston suburb, it was not until college when i was rudely awakened to the disparity of humanity that runs rampant in most urban settings. from the hub of power and money, you find those on the other extreme - desperate for hope and future, not to mention life's basic necessities of food and shelter. as an underclassman i spent about a year of my time in philadelphia addressing the dichotomy as such found in the infamous west philadelphia neighborhood. from a beautiful safe campus, a walk just a few blocks west took you into another world, as if alice stepped through her looking glass to find, instead of a fanciful wonderland, an urban wasteland.

working with a local public elementary school on improving literacy rates in a 3rd grade classroom, i was amazed at the students' stories that were aroused from various writing assignments we assisted them on. these were just children but faced insurmountable challenges daily - drug deals, street violence, hip-hop culture pressures. it's no wonder correct verb usage was the last priority on their list! even so, after our morning session concluded, returning back to campus to our privileged lives as well as demanding collegiate responsibilities, it was hard not to feel hopelessness for our neighbors....and sadly, just as easy to shove it onto the back burners of our mind.

all this to say, this conflicting burden of conscience has not dwindled but has increasingly grown on my heart. especially dc, with it being our nation's capital - the center of supposed justice and constitutional values - the irony is one you become cynically accustomed to. from the raging race riots of the late 60s to the transient nature of such a town, it's no wonder the district is far from the model city it should be. however a change is a-brewing, bringing economic prosperity and shiny new opportunities for growth.... otherwise known as gentrification.

on the surface, i think this is great thing; after all, i directly benefit from the transformation of the gritty to the glitzy. but what often goes unnoticed is the strong undercurrent the pushes the poor out of their homes and to where...? for the past 50 years, the inner city has been synonymous with the ghetto 'hoods of the forgotten and unwanted. but as this urban revitalization trend has built momentum, the reality is a diaspora of the most vulnerable and needy. no, they don't just disappear; they have to go somewhere, and that's a huge issue.

being a part of gracedc, a church in the city, for the city, this need has not gone unnoticed. so in coordinating 2 other dc churches - church of the resurrection and christ our shepherd - a multi-church symposium was organized in effort to unify dc christian's to address these needs with mercy and justice. one of the first such events convened in the history of the city, the interest was in no surprise, historic. with over 400 in attendance, members from 25 local churches, it was a beautiful mix of believers with a heart of the poor and impoverished.

friday night kicked off the weekend with a talk from the headlining speaker - bob lupton of atlanta - who has addressed the need for community development in conjunction with the force of gentrification for the past 35 years. this article published by PCA's web magazine - by faith online - captures the essence of his work and what this symposium centered on.

on saturday, i attended a morning and afternoon workshop - only 2 out of the 10 offered, but i wish i could have gone to all! ranging from education to public health to urban race issues to homelessness, there was a breadth of topics available with a wealth of knowledge and experience presented. instead i decided to attend sessions regarding housing development and job provision, facilitated by the directors of sister NPOs - jubilee housing and jubilee jobs. initially started as programs through a local church up in NW's adams morgan neighborhood, the visionary direction and compassion of these now established organizations have proved indispensable for this city.

i won't go into any more detail as i think this post is now long enough! but if anything this weekend proved that despite the efforts of our government - whether HUD's Hope VI program, HHS's welfare and unemployment benefits or dept of ed's NCLB initiative - positive sustainable social change can only really come from neighbors who care. developing a community that promotes mercy and justice to those without a voice, to those who could use a helping hand, to those that need the love of christ.... to that is what we are called.

and you shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. the second is this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. there is no other commandment greater than these. - mark 12:30-31

sleeping beauty.

one of my new years resolutions is convert my night owl ways into that of a morning-loving early bird. yeah, good luck to me. i love my snooze button more than many things in my life. the idea of sneaking in a few extra minutes...or hour(!)...as a cuddle up in our way too comfortable bed... it seems so worth it at the time. that is until i actually get up and curse myself for my evident laziness as i'm forced to fly through the early morning to catch up on lost time.

over the past few years, my husband has become slowly accustomed to this annoying idiosyncrasy i possess. after all, the alarm actually has the desired effect on him - er, interrupting REM cycles. recently he's made the comment that he thinks it's my actual alarm clock that's the problem. it's not cacophonous enough and the snooze button is positioned too well for quick hit. honestly, he's right...

plus, it's one with 30 buttons for 5 radio presets, cd stop/start/fwd/back controls, clock-time change, 3 different alarm functions with a 9 permutation possibilities, a nap button, etc... even though i usually hit a grand total of 2 buttons on a day to my alarm, i'm sort of haunted by the others. no joke, i often have dreams about its complexities, in between my snooze hits, and i subconsciously refuse to wake up until i sort out the jumbled mess in my head. i wish i could explain it further that this, but it's a little beyond my conscious mind.

needless to say, it was time to get me a new morning buddy. something so simple and so loud and with NO SNOOZE button, that i couldn't help but drag my feet from under the covers to the awaiting day's reality. well, i'm happy to report i did find the perfect alarm - for a mere $13! a big thank you to target and a thank you to the simplicity of yesterday's classic - bell & hammer. isn't she a beauty?

now, i may still have to place this baby on the other side of the room to get the desired effect, but at least i'm on right path to resolution!

p.s. franklin appears to like the new alarm clock too... can you see his reflection in the right bell???

hope on the horizon.

back to work, back to the grind. after a not-so restful winter break, i can't help but sigh at the circumstances. but there is hope on the horizon... in just a few short weeks, stephen and i will be taking a much needed vacation - to the gorgeous islands of hawaii nonetheless!!!

with stephen's recent completion of grad school and his upcoming 30th birthday in february, we knew a celebratory trip was in order. we started brainstorming this past fall and settled on america's pacific paradise. he has never been and last time i checked, it was over 20 years ago that i had the pleasure. so we looked up flights, compiled our frequent flier miles and booked two tickets to honolulu for a mere $10 each!

now this was back in october, and our planning pretty much stopped there, that is until this weekend. this may sound bizarre, but this is the first real vacation i've had to plan...ever. i was totally clueless on our honeymoon plans and every other trip i have took has either been planned by my parents or accompanying friends. so first things first, the day after we got back from houston, we headed to borders and picked up a comprehensive travel guide book.

during my lunch hour thursday, i booked our lodgings at modern boutique hotel in the center of waikiki. that evening i purchased a 3-day go-oahu-card and drafted a schedule to maximize our savings. friday night, i spent the entire evening reading the guidebook cover to cover. and this weekend, while stephen was busy working preparing for his upcoming armenia trip, i searched dozens of websites, made a handful of reservations, purchased pro bowl tickets (AHHHH!), organized all my links into a google notebook and then neatly summed up our travel itinerary using the amazing new internet tool - tripit. so cool!!! i forwarded my account to my oh-so-organzied dad to check out my handywork in my first planned vacation.... let's just say, i certainly did him proud.

in the meantime, i updated my netflix queue to have hawaiian movie classics sent me over the next month. first up, elvis presley's blue hawaii. fools may rush in, but....

FEBRUARY 5th CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH!!