a text convo

A conversation over text messaging: 

Mandy: Who is this? 

Me: It’s Anthony. Is this Amanda Thomas? 

Mandy: No it is not. 

Me: Oh. Well who is this? 

"Mandy": I don’t know you and I don’t know how you got this number. Please stop texting me. 

I still can’t figure out how in the world I have a stranger’s phone number plugged into my contacts list. The weather is becoming warm again. Some trees are beginning to cover themselves with leaves. A row of budding flowers leads up through dead leaves to the front porch back home. I wish Doogie were here to enjoy it. He never did like winter. 

I’ve officially taken up the internship offer at Forest Lake Christian Church in Minnesota. Here is a picture of the church where I’ll be working as an interning preacher:

child of god - cormac mccarthy

I am constantly astounded by Cormac McCarthy’s literary genius. I can only hope to one day be nearly as good as he is. I have finished my second Cormac McCarthy books, Child of God, so let me tell you a bit about it. It is about the depravity of man and the haunting possibilities that the human hand can achieve. It is a story of about Good vs. Evil, about the degradation of an Appalachian highlander named Lester Ballard, and it is provocative, thought-provoking, and—literally—breathtaking. In complete honesty, when I started the book, I couldn’t figure out where McCarthy was taking the story. But halfway through, something happened, and I found myself floored. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the book, engulfing every word. After each setting of reading, I would sit down the book and just think, take quiet drives off-campus, letting the story soak into my mind. It is haunting, creepy, and leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth. A fantastic book.

easter re:visited

The resurrection is the focal point of the Christian faith. Going hand-in-hand with Jesus’ torture and death, the resurrection serves as a signpost to something great going on in our world. I can’t count on my fingers the number of sermons I’ve heard or read that tell us that Jesus’ resurrection took place to show us that we will go to heaven when we die, and that we can have hope in this life that things will get better in the next. This is perhaps one of the greatest misconceptions about the resurrection that I have ever heard. So give me a moment and let me tell you what I think the resurrection is all about, and why Easter should be celebrated everyday. So, behold: my *current* interpretation of “Easter.” The early Christians called Jesus “the Christ.” Christ is a Greek word for Messiah. “Who is the Messiah?” Jesus believed he was the Messiah, and Christians believe, too, that he is the Messiah. To understand the implications of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, we need to look down through the centuries of ancient Jewish thought, where a theology of waiting for the Messiah developed. The Jews anxiously awaited the Meshiach (or Messiah in Hebrew), and the Israelite poets and prophets spoke of this Messiah. They prophesied that he would be a human figure who was somehow divine, they believed that through the Messiah God would truly become king of the entire universe, and this would take place when God would overthrow the oppressing world empires (in the days of Jesus, the great oppressing empire was the Empire of Rome). These empires—these “monsters”—would be judged by the Messiah, and this would be the beginning of the coming of God’s kingdom, where God would rule the world in a sovereign and evident way, judging evil, vindicating His people, putting everything to rights, and making the world beautiful. The resurrection, I believe, is a testament to the true arrival of God’s kingdom, and thus a testament to one of the greatest themes of the kingdom of God: the new creation. When we speak of the “new creation” in the biblical sense, we are not speaking of something entirely new. Rather, we are speaking of a creation that will be restored, rejuvenated, regenerated, made complete. The prophets spoke of the Messiah coming and bringing justice, restoring the Temple, re:invigorating the Law, and bringing worldwide peace and prosperity as he “replants” the Garden of Eden (the clearest picture of this “new creation” is not found in Revelation, as many surmise, but in Genesis 1-3). The Messiah will enact a great reversal, a “homecoming” of Eden, and Christians understand this “new creation” to be taking place in Christ. Has Christ completed the new creation? No. He is currently at work bringing this new creation to work, working through the Holy Spirit and through his followers, Christians. When the new creation is finally complete (something theologians call the “consummation”), the universe will be restored to its original beauty and grandeur: the inhabitants and its cities will be beautiful, peaceful animals will fill the countryside, and the mountains and hills will sing for joy. When Christ rose from the dead, the new creation began. A new era in the history of humanity dawned. It was the era the prophets spoke about, the era of the birthing of a new creation. As I write this, God is at work in the world, spinning the universe into a mosaic of beauty (many of you may wonder if I am postmillennialist; in answer to that question, I respond, “I’m not sure.”). As Christians, we should look at the resurrection of Christ as the beginning of the new creation, a restored universe that includes everything from the tiniest microbes to the vastest galaxy clusters. And we should see the greatest beauty in this new creation: our restored relationship with God. Eden is being reversed; the greatest curse laid upon us by God for our grave rebellion was becoming cut-off from His friendship. But now, through the suffering and resurrection of the Messiah, we are able to become friends with Him if we so desire. The resurrection invites us—no, summons us—to embrace the reality of the new creation, letting it saturate our lives, and to co-labor with God in bringing His new creation to pass

writing update

I have decided to make Dwellers of the Night a trilogy; the published version will be the complete collection, and it will be around 600 pages (for you college folk out there who write papers in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, that equates to an 890-page research paper). I’ve decided to go the trilogy route for two main reasons. The first is that it makes reading the book a lot easier: there are three different books, each around 200 pages, and that’s nowhere as daunting as picking up a 600-page novel. Also, it will enable me to “take a break” and spend time working on some other works of fiction I’ve been itching to write. So here is my proposed outline for the formation of my new literature: 

Dwellers of the Night: Book One 

Almost Lovers (or All Hail the Heartbreaker) 

Dwellers of the Night: Book Two 

Shadows in the Ashes 

Dwellers of the Night: Book Three 

the toothless kiss of skeletons 

And, as always, my works will be available for free PDF and MSWord download (PDF on lulu.com and MSWord on my sister site). They will also be available in hardcover or paperback (which you will have to buy, but the prices are pretty good).

how quickly life can turn

Isn’t it funny how some things change so quickly? 

Karen, a friend for one and a half years, suddenly transformed into the very definition of beauty. Isn’t it strange how we can never see ourselves with someone until we get to know them, and then we cannot imagine being apart from them? Isn’t it strange how when it seems that you’re at the end of your rope, you find that at the end of the rope there is a bouquet of flowers and a delicious glass of wine with steamed mussels? Isn’t it strange how we so easily abandon hope that things will get better, and the moment that we do, everything is transformed? Isn’t it strange how life can suddenly be so clear? Isn’t it strange how one minute the skies are dark and foreboding, laced with lightning that threatens to kills, and in the next moment the rains stop, the clouds part, and a rainbow appears? Isn’t it strange how the human heart works?

spring break - the last day

And so the last day of Spring Break 2008 has dawned. It’s been pretty exciting. My girlfriend and I got to spend a lot of time together, and that’s always a plus. Monday thru Thursday we were together in Cincinnati, visiting Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, dining at the Claddagh Irish Pub, browsing Shawnee Lookout. Thursday thru Saturday Amanda joined us for a trip up to my cousins’ place in Lexington, Kentucky. Lots of great food, non-stop partying, grilling out in the sunshine, and basically having a good time with the family. Tomorrow I have church, plan on working on my story a little bit, and then heading down to Cincinnati. This week is full of work at school, including a grueling midterm and working on my final term paper for a class (it’s on Martin Luther’s exile). But it should be fun, too. I’ll get to see more of Karen. On Monday Sarah and I are hitting up the Claddagh and then watching “30 Days and Nights” at her place with Trixie and her deranged grandpa. And hopefully Monica and I will get to go to Barnes & Nobles to do some homework later on (we were supposed to do it a few weeks ago, but we keep rescheduling on one another).

of providence & cow farms

Karen came down to Kentucky with Amanda and I to see Mom’s side of the family. It’s been a pretty fun time. Everyone really likes her. Amanda told me, though half-drunk at the time, “If you got married to Karen right now, I would be so happy for you.” She then told me in secret, “I told you God would bring her to you. Every time you had your heart broken, I told you that God would bring a wonderful and fantastic girl into your life, but you didn’t believe me. And now she’s here.” She raised her beer and took another drink. “I really like her, Anthony. I want you guys to get married. She’s perfect for you.” 

On our way down to Kentucky, I took some pictures of a cow farm. I know, it’s ridiculous, but I like the pictures:

snowed in (II)

Karen returned home from Gatlinburg last night, absolutely exhausted. She called me as she crawled into bed, and we talked for nearly an hour. We would have talked longer, but she fell asleep on the phone. And that was when the conversation became really interesting. She started talking to me in her sleep. She talked about crème-filled Halloween candies, a meditating man, and a magical Card Number 12. When I talked to her this morning, she didn’t remember any of it. To be honest, I found myself tempted to talk about zombies while she was sleeping in the attempt to make her have a zombie dream. I have zombie dreams all the time, and I love them, and I wondered if she would enjoy such an experience. However, I know my taste in zombie dreams is quite unusual, and I figured she would find them more frightening than fascinating. My zombie dreams are nearly always terrifying, but it’s like watching a good scary movie: you’re so scared you want to stop watching, but you find yourself glued to the screen and unable to turn off the television. 

Here’s an update on Dwellers of the Night. Right now, I am nearly 1/3 through the book and at around 200 pages. With this in mind, I’ve been seriously considering turning Dwellers into the Night into a trilogy entitled The Dark-Walkers. If I do this, upon completion of the third volume, I would blend all of them together as the novel Dwellers of the Night. I’m not sure if I’m going to do this, however, but it is certainly a possibility.

I’m going down to Cincinnati tonight. I’ll be spending three days with Karen, then going to Kentucky with Amanda over the weekend. I am extremely excited. This is a wonderful Spring Break. Here are a few meager pictures of the snowfall we received over the weekend (and these were taken only during the first half of the blizzard):

snowed in

I’m totally snowed in. I have a headache. It is icy-cold. I am on YouTube, browsing several videos. I’ve been watching some videos on demonism and demon exorcisms. It is not surprising how many people believe that demons are a figment of medieval thought, a superstitious fantasy, and that anyone who believes in them are ignorant, naïve, and stupid. I have never been to 3^rd-world countries, but I have friends who have gone there on missions trips, and they have come back with terrifying stories of demon possession and demonic activities. Haiti seems to be the biggest hub for demonic activity. But how come there is nearly no demonic activity in the Western world? The answer, I think, is simple. The Enemy is doing his work here in a different way, through materialism, greed, and the lust for fame, power, and wealth. He is at work, though he is disguising himself, convincing us that he does not exist. And in so doing, he is winning greatly. I am not ashamed to say that I believe in demons. I believe in the possibility and reality of demonic activity. I believe that demon possessions take place today. And I believe that demons are active in the lives of Christians, though they disguise themselves so as not to be discovered.

the road - cormac mccarthy

I have finished reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. I must say, it is one of my favorite books. I recommend it (and, apparently, so does Oprah). I have already started reading Child of God, another book by Cormac McCarthy. This book is an easy read, with vibrant descriptions, great dialogue, and it holds you glued to the page till your fingers bleed from flipping the pages so quickly and so fervently. Many of you may not have any idea who Cormac McCarthy is; remember the recent movie No Country for Old Men? The movie was nominated for 29 awards, won 79 awards, and received four Oscars. It’s based off one of Cormac McCarthy’s novels, No Country for Old Men. Anyways, if you’re interested in The Road, here is a synopsis from Barnes & Noble: 

A searing, post-apocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.  

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. They sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-and each other. The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love.  

Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

my weekend

Friday: Trista and I grabbed lunch at Grand China Buffet, then I picked up Karen from her house and we drove to my place. We played a few games of Halo, shared a delicious meal of fettuccini alfredo with my family, and then my sister, Karen, and I went to Target. Amanda bought me a cool $2 journal where I have been scribbling down story ideas. We finished the night by watching “Wedding Crashers” and playing some more Halo. 

Saturday: Karen and I went out for lunch at Max & Erma’s. We grabbed some Heath bars and chocolate ice cream on the way back; we grinded up the Heath bars, added some ground-up girl scout cookies, and dumped it in with our ice cream. It tasted just like Coldstone. Karen and I took a nap in one another’s arms, and then I took her down to Newport for her friend’s birthday party. I drove up to Wright State and went to Ashlie’s apartment, where we baked cookies, ate pizza, and shared lots of laughs with a bunch of high school friends, including Hank, Chris, and Dewenter. Around 1:00 I became exhausted and left. 

Sunday: My scheduled plans for tomorrow (well, today) are as follows: clean out my car, see “There Will Be Blood” with Dad, and watch “To Kill A Mockingbird” for a paper due in my Worldviews class tomorrow. I’m not sure what time I’ll be returning to Cincinnati (right now I’m at home near Dayton), but if it’s early enough, I’ll swing by Karen’s house and give her a visit. She is a wonderful girlfriend, and I am very thankful to have her in my life. We are doing this relationship right, keeping God at the center, and that includes praying together, reading the Bible together, and even doing a devotional for dating couples I bought from the campus bookstore.