Year: 2014

Generosity

A Better (or at least more productive) Christmas Gift

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Here’s a little quiz I often give the people we counsel on finances. You only get ten seconds to answer each question, so put that fancy phone to use. Keep your eyes on the first question only right now — no peeking!

What’s the most memorable Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

Got it? OK, next question.

What’s the most memorable Christmas gift you’ve ever given?

In my experience, most people can answer the second question without a problem, but often struggle with the first one. That shouldn’t surprise us, because Jesus told us that it’s better to give than to receive.

Music

Do You Care What I Hear?

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The title’s a slight play on words for one of my favorite Christmas songs. Ryan and I have been giving each other ideas for posts for the last couple of months, and he did it again today (although this time unintentionally).

I should pause now and encourage you to use that link. Ryan’s one of my favorite people to “listen” to about music, even though I often disagree with his tastes. He’s knowledgeable, articulate, has a good ear, and the vocabulary of a good music critic. For all of those reasons, I forgive him his obsession with Charlotte Church and his dalliance with 4HIM.

Music

The Magical Music/Movie Tour

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I gave my music-savant friend Ryan a challenge the other day, and that in turn led him to a post on fandom. The circle must be unbroken, so these are some musings on his musings inspired by my question. (We have Dramamine available in the lobby.)

The (Not So) Sure Thing

Back before anyone knew who John Cusack and Nicolette Sheridan were, they made a movie called The Sure Thing (how could that possibly be thirty years ago!). In it, Sheridan played the title character (and that title is how she’s credited) who was the object of desire of every boy in school for obvious reasons.

Family

Meet Ten of Our Kids

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That title might come as a surprise to our daughter, who for twenty-nine years has thought she was an only child. (She’s really thirty-two, but children aren’t really cognizant of much those first three years, right?)

John and Ashley

Ashley is the one whose birth certificate has our names on it, but John got here as soon as he could. The most important person in this picture, however, is the little guy on the lower left. He is known to all who know me as the WCG, the World’s Cutest Grandkid, for obvious reasons.

The Phifers are currently phollowing the Lord twelve timezones away in Cambodia.

Music

And the Award for Dumbest Voters Goes to …

Vince2 Comments

I had a random stream of consciousness conversation on Twitter the other day that ended with me mentioning Grammy stupidities. My friend Ryan Brymer was curious what my top 5 were, and here we are. (Ryan has more knowledge about music in his thumbnail than I have in my whole body, so I’m expecting him to reciprocate when we’re done here.)

The Grammy’s have a long history of stupidity, but this list is limited to what I consider to be the most egregious in the timeframe that I have been paying attention to music, which goes back to around the invention of the treble clef.

Church

Not Not Letting Go

Vince4 Comments

My friend Ryan Brymer wrote a really good piece on Faith Village a week or so ago, and then he and I and another friend of ours had a lively Twitter discussion about it the next day. Since 140 characters isn’t conducive to a very good conversation, I decided to put my thoughts down here.

First, you should go read his piece. Actually, you should read all of his pieces (except the ones where he goes on and on about Charlotte Church, don’t read those, it just encourages him in his obsession for bad pop music). For now, though, read just the one.