The Penultimate Facet

Penultimate means "just before the ultimate." The ultimate, of course, is Jesus Christ.

The GF is second. I cannot begin to describe what she means to me. I am so completely in love with her. She definitely improves my life, and contributes to making it worth living. I've been in love before, but not like this. It is deeper, more spiritual.

I was so excited when she said, "I love you" when she came up here for my birthday weekend. In all honesty, I didn't want her to leave. She's smart, pretty, a deeply comitted Christian, and just a wonderful person. I still cannot believe that God chose to bless me with her and that she chooses to love me.

We don't always agree on everything, but that's OK. She complements me, to a degree which I did not anticipate. I love just about everything about her. I hope we are together for a long time.

Facet 27- Woody Allen

Unlike most people, I came to become a fan of Woody Allen through his prose, as opposed to his films. I was in Community College and I took this class called "Humor in American Literature." We read several of Allen's pieces. I thought they were quite humorous. So, I decided to give his films a chance. I went to Blockbuster and picked up a couple. Spurning chronology and reviews, I rented "Hannah and Her Sisters", "Annie Hall", and "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion." I enjoyed them all. After that, I became a devoted fan. I think I'm one of the few people in my age bracket (outside of film and/or philosophy students) that give a crap about Woody Allen still.

It's easy, especially of people in my circles of friends, to be dismissive of Allen's work because of his personal life. I choose to go the other route. I point out to people that they do the same things with other things they enjoy, so why apply that to Allen. To do so is to miss out on some amazing, insightful art.

Anyone who knows me knows that I frown on atheism, and with Woody I make no exceptions. However, Allen is one of 3 atheists that has had a profound impact on my life. Interestingly, 2 of them have influenced my sense of humor. Still, my encounter with Woody's characters has forced my to look at his arguments, and has actually strengthed my own faith. But rather than dwell on Allen's lack of faith, let me examine two positive characteristics that I like to point out. One is his interesting sense of optimism (on some things), and his sense of romance. That's what I like about Woody Allen.

Facet 26- "The Tackle" and replays of it

I will never forget this. This was the play that saved the Super Bowl for my beloved St. Louis Rams. Sure, this season is an absolute disaster. But that's one of the great things about sports: It gives you a chance to live in the past, if only for a few shining seconds.

I never get tired of watching the replay of this. It makes me happy. How can you not be happy when your team wins? Though I have my times of impatience with the team, I can always go back to this.

Read about it and see the clip: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tackle

Facet 25- A Carriage Ride Thru Christmas Lights

Well, it's getting to be that time of year. Faithful readers will know that I absolutely love the Christmas Holiday season. I define it as the day before Thanksgiving to either January 6 or the when the College football championship game is played, whichever comes later. (See Facet 2 on Christmas Music)

This is one of the most romantic things I can think of. I wish I could do this for the GF this year. A horse-drawn carriage ride through a big Christmas lights display simply cannot be beat. The whole experience is romantic. From the cuddling under a blanket to that kiss that you wish wouldn't end but you know it has to or else you'd miss the lights, usually surrounded by the sounds of the season. Everything about it is just thrilling! A whole romantic evening during the Christmas season should revolve around this. It's probably as incredible as a good steak. Probably better if you have the special GF that I do.

Facet 24- A Nap During a Football Game

I love American football. And, for some reason, I love sleeping during parts of games. I honestly don't know what it is. And I can't even remember when it started. All I know is a few years back, I fell asleep during one of the late games while sitting on my parents couch. Since then, I mostly get one in, even if it's a small one. While some may say that I have too much time on my hands, I look at it differently.

Of course, I can't sleep when my beloved St. Louis Rams are playing. Then, I'm too busy either pacing or yelling at the screen to sleep. But I digress.

Back to the topic at hand. I like to nap about midway through the 2nd quarter, and wake up about midway through the 3rd. Sure, I might miss some exciting plays. But if it's 2 teams I don't really care about, why does that matter?

You really should give this a try.

Facet 23- MAD Magazine

I was a little kid when I first discovered MAD Magazine. I actually found it funny, despite the fact that I didn't get all the jokes. I liked how they parodied popular culture. I think that's probably where I got it from.

MAD has shaped me, as well as my sense of humor, quite profoundly. In fact, as far as influences on me, my life, and my worldview, only the Bible, my seminary experience, and my divorce have had a greater impact. In fact, I did a paper in college on MAD as a vehicle for political commentary. Essentially, I argued that MAD reported and commented on current events. They have a different readership and bias, but as a political magazine, they should be considered as legit as Time and Newsweek. Maybe in retrospect I overreached, but you get what the point.

My sense of humor is one of the things I take a lot of pride in. I find a good many things funny. I used to say that I have the sense of humor that women say they want in a man. But that's off topic.

My main point is that the influence of MAD, not only in sense of humor, but in general cannot be understated. I still buy every issue, by the way.

PS: This fact is dedicated to the memories of longtime MAD-men Frank Kelly Freas, Dave Berg, and George Woodbridge. I always enjoyed their work. It is also dedicated to the memory of the founder William M. Gaines. I couldn't have done it without you, Mr. Gaines.

Facet 22- Ordination

On July 22, 2007 one of my lifelong dreams came true. I became an ordained minister. I was called to Trinity Lutheran Church, in Silver creek, NY.

I was ordained at my home church, Ascension Lutheran Church in St. Louis. The goegeous lady in the one pic is the GF. That's actually my favorite picture of us together. She's the absolute best!

In the other pic, you can see the participating fellow pastors. All of them are labeled below.

The whole service was very beautiful. I just thank God that he has called me into this career. To me, there's no better job in the world.

The participants
(top row)
Rev. Doug Hoag, reader
Rev. Dr. Richard LaBore, preacher
Rev. Ron Rall, assisting minister
Rev. Bill Wilson, assisting minister

(bottom row)
Rev. Dr. Otto Hintze, assisting minister
Rev. Lee "The Boss" Jany, reader
Rev. Chris Agne, me
Rev. Gary Lampe, reader
Rev. Charles Spomer, liturgist and ordinator

Facet 21- The Twilight Zone

Rod Serling, to me, is a genius. Sure some of the episodes are predictable, and perhaps even trite at times, but I don't think that makes them any less enjoyable. Besides, some of them make good sermon illustrations.

A precursor to the X-Files and similar shows, Serling tapped into an integral and interesting part of the human psyche. It really was a "dimension, not just of sight and sound, but of mind." Part of what made the show successful, in my opinion, is that it allowed people to be scared and weirded-out, but in a good way. After all, at the time in US history, look at what was going on: WWII was over, the crash of something at Roswell, Communism (both as a real and perceived threat), the beginning of the escalation of the Vietnam conflict, the advent of Rock 'n' Roll, the rise of the military-industrial complex, the beginnings of the Civil Rights, and the early Beat poetry and movement. All important incidents in American society. With all that going on, Americans needed a diversion. Lucille Ball and other talented folks provided this necessary diversion through comedy. Rod Serling did it by being a bit more cerebral.

It's fun to be scared sometimes. That's one reason that our celebrations of Halloween are as fun, enjoyable, and profitable as they are. But there's enough to be scared of in our daily existences, that we sometimes need people like Rod Serling to remind us of appropriate expressions of fear, and to be scared of the right things.
That's reality. Not the Twilight Zone.

OK, I'm back!

Sorry about the excessively long absence. Much has happened in the months since my last post on here. If you were a regular loyal reader, I sincerely apologize for my lack of posting. Hopefully, you didn't take it personally. Also, I hope you've been creating your own list of Facets of Affirmation for your life.

Anyway, I will be posting on here much more regularly.

If you want to see how a blog like this is supposed to be run, and what that really should look like, check out the GF's blog. It's the link at the bottom of the page labled "My Sweetheart's Blog." If you like this one, give that a spin. It's waaaayyy better. Mostly because she updates it much more regularly, and because she is such a wonderful person with a fantastic variety of her own facets.

Facet 20-Dragnet

This is a relatively new addition to the Facets list. See, for a Father's Day gift, I got my Pop this DVD set of the old Dragnet series (with Jack Webb when they were still in black and white) from Best Buy. My Pop loves old TV and films, plus we'd seen some of the episodes before.

I find myself watching the ones I haven't seen. OK, and the ones I have seen. It's an interesting show. I love mysteries. And I love cop shows. Granted, the series seems dated, but that's OK too. I love the '50s as well.

There's a clear demarcation between good and evil. This is true in many cop shows today as well. (But not always.) Anyway, I just find it to be a good way to kill some time. True, the dialog is kinda hokey at times. But sometimes, that's not a bad thing.

I love the way Jack Webb goes about his character, Joe Friday. You know the cliche: "Just the facts, ma'am." He really took pride in his show (writer, director, star) and wanted it to be as authentic as possible. If there are any good Jack Webb biographies out there, please let me know. I haven't started looking for any yet, but I'll need some reading material for the upcoming long and lonely winter.

Anyway, that's just some good watchin'.

Facet 19- Les Miserables (The Musical)

I was first exposed to this wonderful musical back in high school. I was with a group that did Close-Up Washington. One evening, we got dinner out and a theatre show. That night, we saw Les Miserable. It was absolutely fantastic! I even incorporated one of the songs into my final sermon on vicarage.

Everything about this production is incredible. I have seen it every time it's been in St. Louis since then.

I was disappointed to lean that it was going back to Broadway. But I was excited to discover that I am called to NY to be a pastor. Now, while I am still 450 miles or so from Manhattan, I'm closer than I am right now. Thankfully, The Muny this year is doing a production. I cannot wait to see it!

Facet 18- Prof. Dost's Class

Now that I am a Seminary grad, I can reflect on some of my experiences there. One of the absolute best was having the pleasure of having Dr. Timothy Dost as an instructor. He was quite helpful to me both inside and outside the classroom. In the classroom, he provided the following gems:

"Sophistry is for money. Nominalism is for free."

"People feel very strongly about not having feelings in church."

"I'd be for moving in the direction of making God a verb."

"Sterile and nuts is not a good way to run an empire."

"Let's all join hands and go to hell together. God always sides with a righteous and holy majority."

"You can't do it unless you're Triune."

"The devil doesn't rule hell. He doesn't rule anywhere!"

That's just a sampling of the way he makes class interesting.

Needless to say, Prof. Dost was my favorite professor. I had him for just about all my history classes at the Sem. They were: Zwingli and the Radicals, History of the LCMS, The Lutheran Reformation, and Western Christian Life and Thought, and Introduction to Historical Theology.

As I said before, though, he was also a great help outside of the classroom. Let me share just one personal story. As some of you faithful readers may know, I went through a divorce while I was a Seminary student. I felt I could trust Dr. Dost. We were meeting in his office to go over my papers. (He meets with every student to discuss their respective papers.) Anyway, as he was reading and critiquing mine, he said, "This isn't as good as you normally write. Wanna tell me what's going on?" I was absolutely floored! I then told him what the story was. He then prayed with me and gave me some words of encouragement. It was then that he became my favorite professor. Truly one of those people that makes the world a better place.

Facet 17- Baby Animals

OK, even I admit this one is kind of schmaltzy. But hey, this is my list, and I'll be as schmaltzy as I want. Do I really need to explain this one? What' snot to love about baby animals?

Maybe it's because I'm a sensitive guy. They're just so cute! Seeing one just makes my day.

Facet 16- Mondrian

I first really came to appreciate Mondrian's work in college. I took a course in Art Appreciation in community college. One of our assignments was to find a painting at the St. Louis Art Museum that we liked, get a slide, and do a presentation on it in class. I walked around for a while noting various possibilities. I finally came to the Mondrian painting there.

I know it sounds cliched, but it "spoke" to me. See the reason I like his stuff, and this particular painting is that it looks structured and orderly. And anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not very structured or orderly. The fact that I see the opposite of myself in it is really the appeal.

I know he has works which are completely different that this one in his portfolio. I've seen them and enjoyed them as well. But those cubish ones are the works which I most admire.

It should be noted that the painting above (not the portrait) is not the one in the St. Louis Art Museum. I chose that one because it is more familiar and representative of his work. Also, I can never remember the exact name of the one at SLAM.

The Only Facet That Really Counts

Dear readers, this is the only facet of affirmation that really counts. The resurrection of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. This is the one I probably should have started with, but I wanted to wait until Easter to post it. Everything else on the list is just a set of blessings that make this life a little better in this corner of the world. But this fact is what makes life truly worth living.

Because of The resurrection of Jesus, because of this Easter hope, I can really get thru the tough times. I can live in the joy of my sins forgiven as a new creation. The fear of sin, guilt, and death is no more. It lies broken at the foot of the cross.

Facet 15- The Record Exchange

The Record Exchange is one of my favorite places to go in STL. I'm always looking for an excuse to send some time there. I go there to kill time, to do some deep thinking, to blow off steam, and to celebrate. It's hard to describe the place as a "hidden gem," seeing as how it's housed in a former library. Heck, I still remember when it was in the smaller place, several blocks closer to my house.

The Record Exchange has an impressive array of music in just about every genre. The vinyl collection will simply amaze you. There's always good tunes playing. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. And Jean, the guy who runs it, is just a super guy. You wanna find somebody who knows music, talk to him. A few minutes spent with Jean is always quality time.

Have I made myself clear? Do I need to go on about how and why this place makes the world a better place? I thought not. Besides, one visit, and you'll know what I mean.

Disclaimer: I am am not now, nor have I ever been compensated for this endorsement. Nor am I now or ever been employed by the Record Exchange. But it's not for lack of trying!

Facet 14- The Music of Cole Porter

Here is another one where I can pinpoint the time origin. It was a few years ago, when I rented the movie Hannah and Her Sisters. This is the exact time I became a huge Woody Allen fan. Anyway, there's a line in there where Woody's character says to Dianne Wiest's character: "You don't deserve Cole Porter!" So, I decided to check out his music. Turns out, I absolutely love it. I did some research into his life, and am still a fan to this day.

His lyrical brilliance is simply amazing to me. As someone who once fancied himself a poet (mine wasn't that good, but the haiku wasn't too bad), I am enthralled with his wit. If there was any particular order to this list, his music would certainly be near the top. Few other composers have captured for me the essence of human love and all its aspects (glandular, joyous, tragic, et al). This definitely makes life worth living. And sometimes, he makes what you're going through both more real and yet easier at the same time.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=images&imgsz=all&vf=all&va=cole+porter&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-&b=1

Facet 13- Hard Case Crime

This is another fairly recent addition to the list. I came across these a couple years ago, but only became addicted to reading them last year. I love the old pulps, as well as the masters (Dashiell Hammett, et al). This series republishes some lost treasures, as well as new authors who write in this classic style. They're pretty quick reads, but they generally grab you and really pack a punch at the end. Couple that with some fantastic cover art, and what's not to love?

The cover art is certainly part of the appeal for me. There's just something romantic about a private eye (or cop, reporter, ex-con, as long as they're hard-boiled), and a smokin' hot femme fatale.

Give the Hard case Crime series a try, and I think you'll agree with me. You can find them in any bookstore, usually in the mystery section, with the yellow ribbon (see above)logo on them.

Just so we're clear: I receive no compensation for this endorsement. I'm just a fan of the series. It's one of those things which enhances my life.

http://www.hardcasecrime.com

Facet 12- Schlafly Beer

Schlafly beer, quite frankly, is my all-time fave beer. They have a bunch of seasonal brews, and more than a handful that are available year-round. It's completely in St. Louis (another reason to love it!). My favorite seasonals are the Maibock and the Oktoberfest. But really, almost any of them will do.

When I was on vicarage, I had visitors from St. Louis bring me up a six pack of Pale Ale. That way, I could be in Joliet and still have the taste of home.

Facet 11- Watching the Prairie Dogs

This may strike some of you readers as either sappy or childish, or perhaps both. So be it. One of the great things about the city of St. Louis is the Zoo. Amazingly enough, it is a world-class zoo which happens to be free to get into.

When I'm there, my fave animal exhibit is undoubtedly the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog. I know their reputation as varmints. But they're just so CUTE. Say what you will about me, but I can sit there and watch them all day. I generally have to be pried away from them. They're just so fun to look at. I love watching them pop in and out of their holes. I often wonder what they are thinking. Childish? Maybe. Child-like? Certainly.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=images&imgsz=all&vf=all&va=prairie+dogs&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-&b=1

Facet 10- Seeing Brett Hull's Number in the Rafters

This is a fairly recent addition to the list.

For a while here in STL, Brett Hull was a kind of controversial figure. There's all sorts of reasons and blame to go around as to why he didn't finish his career wearing a Bluenote. And, in the scheme of things, they're really not important right now. What does matter, is that his number was retired by the St. Louis Blues, and hangs in the rafters of the Scottrade Center.

This makes me feel good to know that sometimes, institutions and corporate entities actually do the right thing, and people their due. It's a great morale booster for fans and the city as a whole. I'm one of those people who contends that even though sports aren't everybody's cup of green tea, they do great things for a city in terms of attitude, morale, and revenue. Plus, it gives people a cause to unite around. Even if that cause is a temporary diversion or a kid's game.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16064827/

Facet 9- Long Stretch of Lonesome

I originally bought this album back when it first came out. In my book, Patty Loveless can do no wrong (musically, anyway). I really liked the single "You Don't Seem To Miss Me." Come on! It's Patty Loveless and George Jones! How can you lose? Anyway, it started out as one of those albums you buy just for that one song. But I gave the whole thing a spin. It's absolutely fantastic! It was especially helpful during my year off. Every song on there describes how I felt at some point in my life when I was going through my divorce. If you're looking for an emotional album, this one is it. It starts and ends positively, with a whole lot of different emotions in the middle. This one definitely belongs in your collection. Really, dear reader, it is that good. It certainly enhances life.

Facet 8- The Cover Art of "Rock 'n' Roll Over"

This is an iteresting one. It's certainly not the best cover art for a KISS album. Nor is it the best KISS album. In fact, as KISS albums go, it's not even my favorite. But it is probably my fave cover art. If those above statements made sense, you're more awake than I am, dear reader.

This album will always have a special place in my heart. See, it's first KISS album I bought. And I just think the cover art is really cool.

Facet 7- Camo

This is one where I can pinpoint how it started. A few years ago, I had to take a year of from the seminary because of my divorce. One day of that year, I bought a camo fleece jacket from Wal-Mart on clearance. I decided I really liked it. In fact,it's the one I'm wearing in the picture with my niece. Ever since then, I've really taken a shine to wearing Camo, and putting it into the regular wardrobe rotation. And the strange things, I don't hunt. I just like the way it looks.

Facet 6- Buffalo Wings

This is another tasty treat that I can't seem to remember when I started really digging. But for quite some time now, my quest has been for the perfect wing. Maybe that's a futile effort this side of heaven, but the pursuit is still fun. My fellow wing enthusiasts and I will debate ad nauseum who has the best wings and nearly every other aspect of this culinary creation.

A lady I know (pretty much a 2nd mom) to me recently went to visit her son (and my friend) in Buffalo, NY. She was kind enough to bring me back a bottle of sauce from The Anchor Bar. I haven't yet cracked it open. I'm saving that for a special occasion. Until then, the tried-and-true mixture of Frank's and butter will carry me through. Tell me your day isn't brightened after eating a bunch of Buffalo wings.

Facet 5- VeggieTales With My Niece

VeggieTales is the cutest thing to come out in quite some time. I actually enjoy sitting there and watching it. My niece Emily really loves it too. It's a good time when I watch it with her.

One of the things I like most about VeggieTales is that it tells the Bible stories in a unique way. The lack of Biblical literacy these days is surprising, disappointing, and nearly shameful. This way, even if all the details aren't correct (as there is a severe lack of pie fights in the Old Testament), the child can make the connection when they encounter the story later. This, of course, assumes that parents, teachers, and pastors are doing their job and starting catechesis at Baptism, rather than later.

Anyway, this is an enjoyable thing for me.

Housekeeping Note

1 thing I should mention. The links that you find on each post are where I got the image from. This is to give credit where credit is due.

Just FYI.

Thanks,

--Chris

Facet 4- Chinese Food and Hoops

I'm not sure when or how I discovered this particular combination, but i know it rocks! I think maybe it was while I was on vicarage when I ordered some Chinese takeout and flipped through the channels until I found a basketball game. Or maybe it was before that. Like I said, I don't remember.

I love making my own Chinese food, but sometimes, I'm content to let the fine folks at the restaurant do it for me. Pot stickers, hot braised chicken, some noodles, and an ice cold beer. Couple that with hoops action, and you have a good time. If you haven't tried this one, you are missing out, my friend. Give it a spin!

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/ncaatournament/story/8C5B44B96E5B88F2862572A00013FCB1?OpenDocument

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=Chinese%20food

Facet 3- Happy Apples

Happy Apples are truly a treat! They've been a part of my life since I was a kid. They're a really delicious candy apple that is available in the fall in the St. Louis area. Similar products go by different names in other parts of the country.

Part of their appeal for me, besides the delicious taste and happy memories, is their logo. It's a smiling candy apple! How can you not love it? Getting into the fall and having a Happy Apple always makes my day. And no, I am not getting any money for this endorsement.

http://www.happyapples.com/