Afternoon Surfing

Back from the afternoon basketball tournament for the 8-10-yr-olds (Trace's team lost a close one by two at the buzzer - but he played really hard, and we're so proud!), we're settling in to watch basketball on TV and surf further in my bloglist.

WHOA - congratulations, Luis!

Linked from IdeaJoy (by way of Pernellog & DashHouse). Plenty to chew on right here, and it's driving me into Colossians for the rest of the weekend (and putting the book quoted below on my Amazon.com wishlist!).

Every time we step into a Wal-Mart or Niketown or Gap or Winners and exclaim over the great deal we get on an article of clothing, or how trendy we now look, we've made sweatshop workers our slaves. Every time we buy coffee that isn't shade grown and fairly traded, we've made those coffee producers and their children into our slaves. Every time we have purchased a product - any product - that says Made in China, or Indonesia, or the Philippines, or Sri Lanka, it is pretty likely that we have made someone our slave...

The truth is we have many choices...Our point is that when there are options available - whether various consumer choices or lobbying - to decide to do nothing is itself a choice. The Gospels call it the wide and easy path. But we can choose another path. There are ways to proclaim and enact Paul's word of release to slaves, women and children.

[from Colossians Remixed]

Ah, just reminiscing over the days of linear algebra and kick-butt midterms. I so do not miss college.

Julie wonders what "mantra" to give to her straightxedge teenager - I suggested "don't be stupid", wishing someone had yelled that at me on my way out the door.

Justa Dad blogs about children selling things for fund-raisers. I, with my third-grader and first grader doing the exact same thing, feel your pain, sir.

Michelle is looking for new ways to connect to the community, mostly just getting out from in front of the TV - too true.

Myles takes the time to quote Thomas Merton - "The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them" - and to paint pictures of thoughts on relationship in Waco.

Rick has a good post on "Why the church wouldn't like Jesus".

David Z. wishes he could fly - don't we all?

Tish wished that wedding bands still meant something. Well they do in this house, sista!

Well, enough blurfing (saw that word somewhere this week, "blog"+"surfing"="blurfing") - time to read and watch USC please please please beat 'Bama.