I don't even know what to say...

...wow. I kinda knew it was coming, but wow. Poor Jennifer- this would feel like a slap in the face to me.

The thing that confuses me, about myself even!, is that even though I feel bad for Jennifer and wonder exactly when this relationship started; I like Brad and Angelina together.

Go here to read all about Brad and Angelina's latest news...the baby they're expecting!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060111/ap_en_mo/people_jolie

Congrats to Ben and Jen

So, welcome to the world...wait for it, wait for it...little Violet Affleck. Yeah, what is up with these names these days? I don't know, maybe you guys like the name, but I'm thinking that Sydney Bristow, I mean Jennifer Garner, could have come up with something better than Violet. Whatever. Little Violet was welcomed to the world late Wednesday night. Go here if you want to read it yourself.

So I wonder if the other Jen, of former Bennifer fame (I sooo do NOT miss that media nightmare) is off crying in a corner somewhere. If you believe all you read she's been dying for a kid for sometime now...and now her ex-fiance's new wife delivers a healthy baby girl. Humph- as much as she irritates me (and to be honest I'm not keen on Ben either), I feel kinda sorry for her.

While we're on the subject of celebrity babies- the Angelina rumors are really going into high swing. Suppossedly she and Brad are trying to add baby number three to their new family. What is up with this wierd relationship receprocity going on. What was in the water on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith? First, Brad and Angelina start this whole relationship frenzy as they hook up, and now it seems that Jennifer ( yes, another one. Aniston this time.), Brad's ex, is really serious about Vince Vaughn. Vaughn of course being Angelina and Brad's costar on Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Now their out kissing in public. These switcharoos make my head hurt. Like when Michael Vartan starred as the love interest for Jennifer Lopez...the ex-fiance of aformentioned Ben Affleck, who was coincendentally dating Michael's ex girlfriend Jennifer Garner. What is up with that??

Anyway, enough rambling. Welcome Violet Affleck. I hope your life is a bit less melodramatic than your mom and dad's...and I hope your dad really has stopped smoking.

It's now officially Christmas

That's right, I can now celebrate Christmas without feeling guilty. I am one of those individuals that has to wait until after Thanksgiving before I can really start celebrating the Christmas season. I always feel guilty if I listen to christmas music, decorate, or even shop before Thanksgiving is over. I feel like most of the world (read retail) goes straight from Halloween to Christmas...and I don't want to contribute to the 'Thanksgiving doesn't exist' movement.

But that's all past us now! This weekend, being the first one after Thanksgiving in my book; (Black Friday and the weekend immediately following doesn't count in my book. I have no desire to be trampled or otherwise injured so I stay as far away from retail stores as possible on black friday. ) will be my annual Christmas shopping spree weekend. I know some people shop all year, but my family doesn't even exchange lists until Thanksgiving. So now, armed with aforementioned lists, I will hit Athens, Commerce, Gwinnett, possibly even Anderson; not to mention my must visit websites such as Amazon and eBay. Yeah!!

My shopping trip marks my official involvment in the Christmas festivites and I am very excited! What a most wonderful time of the year...

Check it out...

So this is all the latest craze with my family. Check out this website: www.googleearth.com. You have to download the free program, but if you go there you can zoom in on any address you want. You can literally zoom into any house you want to; not blow it up or look at different grids, just a continual zoom. The location has to have been shot by satellite, but most everywhere has been these days. This is feakin' awesome. Enjoy...

Breaking Entertainment News Update

For those of you that find yourself isolated from your usual news sources during the holidays, here's the latest entertainment news.

1. It's true. We finally have confirmation from the couple themselves that Jessica and Nick are in fact really parting ways. After three years they are in fact seperating/divorcing. So all the so called entertainment "rags" actually had it right.

2. ALIAS is now officially cancelled at the conclusion of this season. Can anyone truly say that they'll miss it...and that you didn't see it coming. Long live ALIAS season one and two; truth be told, we should have stopped there.

3. Threshold, the CBS sci-fi offering this season, has been cancelled. In fact it's cancelled immediatley. It won't even be on next week. Which is so unfair... what did they expect airing one of the finer sci-fi offerings this season on a Friday night? Who's at home then...other than me?

If you need to see it somewhere else to believe it, you can check out USA Today. All of the above were in today's paper. Check it out at http://www.usatoday.com/life/front.htm.

What am I Thankful for?

So obviously since it's Thanksgiving (or the day after) I feel obligated to share what I am thankful for. Actually, with my family Thanksgiving is almost bigger than Christmas. Each year as every member of the extended family gathers at my grandmother's house, we indulge in the whole 'go around the table and share what you're thankful for' tradition...and it's very serious stuff. You can generally count on it to turn into a church service; praise reports, prayer requests, devotions, crying and all. So in my family you actually start preparing for this 'testimonial' days in advance.

The past two years everything I was thankful for revolved around the miracle of my fathers health; and while I am thankful for my fathers continued health, this year I found myself thankful on a more personal level. This year has been particularly challanging from a professional standpoint, and I am tryly thankful that God is I AM. When I have in turn felt completely desolated, stressed, lonely, or depressed God has been whatever I needed to come through it. In any given moment he has been I AM. I am your comforter, I am your provider, I am your stregnth, I am your protector; truly I AM all that you could/would/ will ever need.

So I guess in summary, I am thankful for a new level of intimacy with my personal Savior, Jesus Christ. What about you?

The Blur that is my Life...

Do you ever have those days...those weeks, that just seem to be one long blur? Where it feels like everything is a crisis and there is no way to do all that needs to be done? Yeah, well; that's been my last two weeks.

I did take a 10 minute sanity break today to read this article on Generation Y. It makes for really interesting reading. Check it out.

I have no time to offer anything else even remotely interesting today. Though of late I have been pondering the whole idea of equity in Praise and Worship time and the time left for sermons/teaching/preaching. Maybe I'll open that can of worms later this week.

Edited to add: Oh yeah, I also took time out to finally purchase an iPod nano. I am extremely ecstatic (is that redundant?)! Yeah for me!!

I was scooped

and didn't even know it. So, I was all geared up to post about Anne Rice and her return to the church...and then I decide to check out Michelle's blog before I post. So yeah, I guess the big news is old news now. I just read about it this morning after a talk with "The Dean". Oh well.

So instead of dwelling on the old here are a few random thoughts that have been rambling around the noggin today.

1. Gas is only $2.29 if you get it on the way to Hartwell.
2. Am I the only one that get's "ashy" elbows when it gets cold? I think I've used more lotion in the last two days than I did all summer.
3. Why am I plagued by genre reading impulses? (I find I go through phases where I crave a specific genre...and nothing else will do. Currently I am in the middle of a sci-fi/fantasy spell. However, I think I'm about to transition into a murder mystery phase. Regardless, whenever the urge hits I can't mix genres. Humph.)
4. I love Barnes and Noble. I really think that one day after I've retired from Higher Ed I will own a bookstore.
5. Why is it front page news that Justin Timberlake issues a statement regarding the blackmarket Brittney's baby picture scandel. And why is that a scandel? I'm an entertainment junky, but really; this is news?
6. I love cholcolate. I think my, thus far successful, diet may be in danger. How is a former chocoholic suppossed to survive October when Halloween candy is everywhere??

Anyway. Not a whole lot going on right now. I have no time for deep thinking (as you may have noticed from the comments above). I did have a good day though. It always feels good when you feel like you were really able to make a difference for someone just by doing your job well.

Later...

ALIAS Spoilers Ahead...you've been warned

Yeah!!!! So reports of Vaughn's death may have been greatly exaggerated...maybe. It's possible he's only mostly dead. TV Guide is reporting that Michael Vartan did sign back on for some undisclosed number of episodes and is on set filming right now! Are there words to describe my pure happiness at this development? I think not. Bring on shirtless!Vaughn.

Are you Gold-Plated?

So. I heard a phrase yesterday in chapel that just sent me whirling off on a tangent. The speaker was talking about how some people put on a veneer of christianity. Meaning that they haven't changed at the core, but rather that they just go through the motions. For some reason my mind just got stuck on that idea and the phrase "Are you gold-plated?"

I told you I think in metaphors. So anyway, I really started thinking about the difference between solid gold and gold-plated. How many of us have seen a really nice piece of jewelry and then changed our mind about buying it because it was gold plated instead of "real" gold. I know I have. Generally because I don't want my skin to start turning green. The gold plated stuff always leaves a mark. It never holds up for very long. Real gold holds it's appeal forever. It may get a few kinks now and then or have to be taken in for repair; but you don't have to worry about it losing its luster or changing color.

I think you can make the same argument for christianity. If you define christianity as a truly life changing experience, have those of us claiming to be christians really changed all the way to the core of who we are? Or are we simply "fronting"?

I can totally see the connection between solid/real gold and christianity. Those that are going through the motions and putting on the mask of christianity are in reality gold-plated. And after a time, when they start to sweat and the pressure is on, you start to see what they are truly made of. Those that have not really changed at their core began to turn. Ugly black and green marks rub off on the relationships around them and they start to loose their luster. An individual that has truly committed to Christ and has been changed to their core may have to go through repairs, and there may be times when they 'kink up'; but they never loose their luster. The spirit of the Lord will always shine from within.

So that's my metaphor for the day. That's what occupied my mind for a large part of chapel yesterday. You may not see the connection, but I wanted to capture the reminder and image for myself. I want to strive daily to be real gold. How about you?

** You should so not expect something of this depth everyday. It's just a matter of time before I start posting my thoughts on the faux-Sydney on ALIAS. You knew it was coming!

An Introduction of Sorts

So, why metaphorically speaking? What does that mean exactly? Well, nothing really. I do not, as a rule, speak in metaphors. I do however have a tendency to go off on strange tangents of thought regardless of time or location, and independent of the fact that I may actually be in the midst of conversation.

Plus, I just like the name.

Seriously, I think the reason I went with the name Metaphorically Speaking is because I often interpret random events around me in a somewhat metaphorical way. It seems that when I am really contemplating problems or trying to study something of interest I inevitably find answers in the strangest events and things around me. I suppose it's only natural that I learn in metaphor...my Mom was an English teacher.

I don't know how often I'll update, or for that matter if anyone will be reading; but soon enough my own random ramblings will be added to the virtual world we all seem to be living in these days. I imagine that my posts will range from the obviously superficial (those that know me, you know that my hollywood/celebrity addiction will rear its head often), to sublimely ambiguous and philosophical. Who knows, maybe you'll understand half of what I say at least a third of the time.