New Blog Address

Hey you! Check out our new blog over at -

www.emdes.org

This blogger account will remain open for a time (until google decides to shut 'er down I suppose).

cross-gender friendships

hey all, if you haven't read Kathy Escobar's interview with her friend Dan regarding cross gender friendships, then get ye to her blog!

laundry soap

Okay people, I know you made fun of me for mentioning the Dugger family in reference to making our own laundry soap for Laundry Love, but here's the link anyway. And here's a link for powdered homemade laundry detergent too from a none eighteen child household.

guest blogging

Hey all you writer-y types!
Rachel Held Evans is looking for guest bloggers!
DO IT.
(Yes, I am being bossy.)

harmony not hierarchy

One of the speakers for Big Tent is Rachel Held Evans; she's the woman who wrote Evolving in Monkeytown. Currently, she's experimenting with a year of "biblical womanhood."

She just wrote a post called "Seeking Harmony, Not Hierarchy" on her blog, and I encourage you to read it. She discussed the Wesleyan quadrilateral: the balance between scripture, experience, tradition, and reason. I think that this is a topic that is relevant to us since many of us have experienced an imbalance of the four in our lives.

"In fact, I’ve recently come to realize that when I’m struggling with doubts about my faith it’s because one (or more) of these elements is failing to harmonize with the others."

Immigration

I want to share an fantastic site on immigration and getting to know more about the undocumented people's plight. It's called undocumented.tv

They are looking to share a message about love, understanding, and grace. They are also sharing a video and looking for groups to host discussions. Thought some of you might be interested.

article on atonement

Wow. I just finished reading an article on an "alternative" view of atonement. It really was a twist on what I had been taught, but it really rung true to me.
Check it out. It is really worth your time.

interview with emily

(photo by hannah)

Hey all!
I did another interview of an EmDes'er on my blog!
It's Emily!
Check it out here.

Super Board-Game Birthday Night

I realized that I do not have all of your contact info and wanted to make sure you knew that you are all invited to my place on Friday Jan 28 from 6;30 until the wee hours for a board-game night in order to celebrate my day of birth.

Come one, come all.
No gifts but feel free to bring a beverage. and your game face.

music this week!

hey, everybody! happy new year!
a super-talented musical friend of mine, kat jones, is gonna be in town this sunday and i asked her if she wouldn't mind playing some songs for us. i know we are a music loving bunch and it's not often that we get around to having music, so i jumped at the opportunity. figured since we haven't got anything specifically planned and we're currently between books, this might be a nice little break for everyone before we get back into our regularly scheduled program. sorry for the late notice, but i just found out late last night that kat would be able to do it. i hope you guys can make it!

interview with hannah

Hey everyone! I am currently writing a series on my blog in which I interview my friends. My last post was an interview with Hannah! Here's the link!

Still carrying the book banner

I know we "agreed" upon the Claiborne book, but I thought maybe a change of voice would be interesting as well if anyone's up for it. I've read some Kathleen Norris, and her thoughts offer insight into much of what many of us are dealing with. I especially loved her book, Amazing Grace (link to book on amazon) where she offers a redefining of Christianese terms that have been ruined for many of us.

The other week, our guest speaker was talking about her book on depression Acedia and Me, which I just ordered and can bring Sunday as well. (link to book on amazon)

I'm up for reading Claiborne still, of course, just wanted to throw it out there for responses.

Merry Christmas Eve

Hey all!
It's Christmas Eve!
How about a link to the very first "recorded" Christmas service?
Click here!

This Week at EmDes

I have started and scrapped this blog post like nine times...The second draft got so insanely out of control, I decided to copy it into another document to develop and play with some before hopefully posting to my personal blog. I'm sure you are all grateful for that!

What I really want to communicate to you all is simple but getting it out in a concise way, yah, not so much. Here's the amalgamated version...

We are starting group @ 5pm this Sunday to create some time and space to visit with a new acquaintance/friend of mine (and yours too), Becky Garrison. Jim and I just missed an opportunity to participate in a conversation with Becky when we were in Seattle, hosted at Christine and Tom Sine's intentional community, Mustard Seed House . Consequently, my friend and MSH resident, Eliacin Rosario-Cruz, connected us via Facebook and email.

Becky's flight is scheduled in about 4:10. I will pick her up and bring her back to hang out with the group...if all goes well, we'll be back by 5:00ish. I'd like to ask everyone who is coming to plan to bring a 'pot-luck' type dish to share so that we can enjoy a fabulous community meal, the gift of a new friend and as always great conversation.

Jim and I will facilitate our 4th Sunday of Advent centered on the topic of Peace...or lack there of. It might be a little raw...but, what would you expect from us, right?

2nd Annual EmDes Christmas Eve Brunch

(Posted for Debbie)

The 2nd Annual EmDes Christmas Eve brunch is THE HAPPEN' Christmas party of the season! Please join the whole EmDes crowd at our house on Friday, December 24th at 10:30 A.M. for food, fun and basic holiday mayhem. We will conclude our observation of Advent, sing carols, celebrate, laugh and hopefully see a Christmas play. (Hint to the kids!)

Holiday traditions in this house involves new and different foods. Forget the same old brunch egg dish! This year is the "Make and Grill" your own mini-pizza bar. We will have pre-grilled mini-pizza rounds. Please bring your fav toppings..... pepperoni, mozz cheese, veggies, fruit toppings, anchovies (well not really)...whatever you like on pizza. Folks can build their own pizza and we will grill them to perfection. Kids of all ages love this meal!

All are welcome even if you are unable to bring anything. Really. We mean that! Just come.

Sheri and I will have plenty of mini-pizza rounds and sauce. We will also have coffee, tea, soda etc. Additional food suggestions include fresh veggies, adult beverages, fresh fruit, baked goods and cheeses. (Have I mentioned all are welcome and no one is obligated to bring anything!?)

If you do plan to bring food please post with that information. No fruit cake. Really. We mean that!
Come!

Blanket and Sock Drive

Per Adam's suggestion, I'm putting up this friendly reminder about the blanket and sock drive that my Jr. High girls group is organizing. The plan is to collect donations through Dec. 12th or 15th and then take them out to Tempe to simply hand them out to anyone who wants or needs a way to keep warm this winter.

This is something they came up with on their own and it makes me proud. I love their hearts and really want this to be a success for them. It'll go a long way towards their confidence in starting their own non-profit "ThisSocks".

So, if you all have any old blankets, socks, etc., hanging around the house, please bring them the next couple of Sundays and I'll gladly take them off your hands.

Peace and Love

Christian

Photo Shoot with Fun Family this Saturday AM

Hey all,

In case anybody is looking for something to do this Saturday morning (December 4th) around 10am, you can come hang out with us as we take family photos of our friends, Carletta & her 9 children.

Tara and I have been wanting to do this for them as kind of a parting gift from us (Ha - well, Tara will be providing the photography... I'm moral supporter + kid coordinator:-).
We'll be picking them up around 9:30AM and driving over to Folley Park which is less than a mile from their house. [MAP] We'll just be hanging out, getting a few family shots, individual shots, and candids of course. We'll also have brunch-type food & drinks (pastries, bagels, juice, etc).

The final goal will be to present the family with at least one big print/storyboard (maybe 20"x30") for Christmas. If anybody else would like to contribute some $$ to the printing, then we'll be able to do more...

Looking forward to seeing many of you at the Schroeder party that night as well!

reinterpretation of some parts

Brain McClaren just posted some thoughts of Herzog that reinterpret some passages of scripture that I found pretty mind blowing. Check it out here.

short film: "this KINGDOM"

this KINGDOM from phos pictures on Vimeo.

A moment in the life of Brian Wolke, his wife, his kids

and their challenge.



Directed / Edited: Eliot Rausch

Director of Photography: Lukas Korver, Matt B. Taylor

Message: Darren Rouanzoin

Music: Kreng / Song: Merope

Laundry Love at Christmas Time

I was asked to write a blog about Laundry Love, so here it goes.

Many of you have heard about it already, but here is the jist of what we are doing.

Monthly, we've been visiting a Laundromat in downtown Mesa, providing snacks and drinks, paying for laundry, helping fold clothes and getting to know people. As you may expect, all of the families that show up each month are struggling financially, some are living in temporary housing and some are homeless. It has been great getting to know them and hopefully, as I recently read Jesus would do, loving them wastefully.

We have a few new developments to share:

1. The Laundry we were in is closing down. Luckily, owner has another Laundromat just down the road which he is able to keep open. This new one is at 58 S. Mesa Dr (Mesa Dr. just south of Main St on west side of road). Since we have to move, we are also taking this opportunity to change the date. We are now moving to first Friday of the Month. So, the next Laundry Love will be at new location on Friday, Dec 3rd. As always, we could any help you can provide.


2. With Christmas coming, we also thought it would be nice to try to help some of these families have a special Christmas. So, we are collecting as many gift cards (or money to buy gift cards) as possible in various denominations ($10 - $50) from food stores (Basha's, Fry's, Food City, Rancho Market) or Walmart cards. We plan to have EmDes kids make some Christmas Cards at our next meeting to put with the gift cards.