Word of the day: stultify

stultify \STUHL-tuh-fahy\, verb:

1. To render useless or ineffectual; cripple.
2. To cause to appear stupid, inconsistent, or ridiculous.
3. Law To allege or prove insane and so not legally responsible.

Filed under: Uncategorized , Word of the Day

Word of the day: furbelow

furbelow \FUR-buh-low\, noun:

1. A pleated or gathered flounce on a woman’s garment; a ruffle.
2. Something showy or superfluous; a bit of showy ornamentation.

I’m about to leave for a post-grad program in DC this weekend, so unfortunately I will just have to leave you with the word of the day. I encourage you to get into the Word. If you would like to leave a comment how this word ties into your spiritual walk, by all means, go ahead. In terms of words-of-the-day, this one is a little bit of a challenge.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Word of the day: furtive

*Edit: This word was actually from Friday, August 14th. But since word enrichment is the goal, I’m including it as a bonus post.

furtive \FUR-tiv\, adjective:

1. Done by stealth; surreptitious; secret; as, a furtive look.
2. Expressive of stealth; sly; shifty; sneaky.
3. Stolen; obtained by stealth.
4. Given to stealing; thievish; pilfering.

⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

-Matthew 6:6

I just had lunch at Chick-fil-A with one of my best friends, and, as always happens when I eat at Chick-fil-A, good conversation came with my #1 combo (no pickles). We talked about motives–why do we do the things we do? It’s a sobering realization that Christ is interested more than anything in our hearts, because it seems that just when I think I have gotten hold of my tendency to stop doing bad things by the world’s standards, I want others’ attention and approval for doing good things. How can this be just as bad? I mean, I’m doing admirable things–giving to the poor, not stealing, contributing to society–I deserve a little credit here and there. But when I think about the possibility of doing them in secret, something inside me cringes, and that’s when the true motives of the heart spring forth.When I sin, I have no problem justifying and rationalizing that I should keep it a secret, deal with it by myself, and save as much face as possible. When I do good, I feel like shouting it from the rooftops. But this is not the Kingdom way. I hope that today I can dig into that paradox of “the last shall be first” a little more and furtively my King without the need for approval.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Word of the day: luminary

luminary \LOO-muh-nair-ee\, noun:

1. Any body that gives light, especially one of the heavenly bodies.
2. A person of eminence or brilliant achievement.

I remember the summer before 8th grade was the last time that I was jobless, and it was fantastic. By jobless, I mean that I lacked gainful employment. My job, for all intents and purposes, was to play tennis as often as possible. Though I had originally taken up the sport a year earlier to avoid going out for the track team, I had been smitten with Cupid’s HyperHammer 5.3 arrows and was determined to make the high school team. To that end, I had agreed to help out with a local tennis coach as he conducted some youth sports camps and in exchange I would get some pointers here and there and $20.00 a week. Looking back on it, that was a horrible violation of child labor laws (not as bad as my overnight shift at a skate rink when I was 15, but close enough). But at the moment, I lived for my Head Ti.S5, the U.S. Open, and the semi-western forehand grip.

With that trip down memory lane, I remember a certain song that my mother would play on the way to the tennis club. It was one of those VBS Mix Tape songs with an 8th grade-sounding girl singing a song and 5th grade girls/boys ramping it up at the chorus. Despite its kitsch, I still remember it today. I would like to think it’s because of the simplicity and beauty of the lyrics and melody. In reality, I probably just thought the lead vocalist “sounded good-looking”. If you’re a singer, you know what I’m talking about.

Father of light, author of good and right, I worship you for all you are;

Holy and pure, faithful you will endure, I worship you for all you are.

And that’s pretty much it. Simple. And it seems to pop up in my mental play-list whenever the events of my life have become too complicated for me to even carry on with the illusion that I have everything under my control. Father of light–sounds like it’s straight out of Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter, or one of those incredible epics that everyone loves because it speaks to something deep inside of us. Every culture has them–stories that speak to our place in eternity, of the battle between good and evil, and the joy when redemption comes. It’s amazing to think that the Gospel is the destination of our heart’s cry for these overpowering emotions for truth and beauty. In the Cross we find the ultimate Story, the ultimate redemption, and the ultimate Victory. If I reminded myself of that every morning before my feet touched the ground, I would live life pretty differently.

Filed under: Uncategorized , job, light, tennis, Word of the Day

Word of the day: cynosure

cynosure \SY-nuh-shoor; SIN-uh-shoor\, noun:

1. An object that serves as a focal point of attention and admiration.
2. That which serves to guide or direct.
3. [Capitalized]. The northern constellation Ursa Minor, which contains the North Star; also, the North Star itself.

Revelation 22:15-16

¹⁶“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” ¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

I recently graduated from a university in Houston, and oftentimes I would find myself walking back from the library to my dorm room in the early hours of the morning (mostly due to the fact that I had procrastinated an assignment until the last minute). Every once in a while, the Houston humidity would fall like a ground-level raincloud on the campus, and I could barely see the walkway to my dormitory. It was in these moments that I looked up to find the Rainbow Building, a 26-story, recently-built medical office building with a pavilion of rainbow lights atop its glassy structure. The lights used to remain constant as if a sort of mood ring for the city: green would make me feel peaceful, red would agitate and remind me of my unfinished work, and blue would beckon me to rest as I sojourned back to my room. Now, that feature seems to have been broken and the lights flash a kaleidoscope of colors from across the spectrum. But I digress. Regardless of the Rainbow Building’s particular hue, I could always look to my left and find it, using it as a lighthouse so I could get back to my dorm.

For all intents and purposes, I was using the Rainbow Building as a cynosure. The problem arose whenever the building’s regular maintenance schedule and a foggy night intersected in time. With the guiding lights temporarily extinguished, my navigation became much more uncertain. True, after four years, I could walk to the library with my eyes closed. But what if I were at an unfamiliar place on campus–say, the science building (gasp!)? What if I chose to visit one of the many shops located around campus, or even drive in the labyrinthe that is the Houston highway system? I found myself lost more than once in these situations because I had used a faulty reference point.

How about you? Have you used a faulty reference point in your life? Have you substituted the ebbs and flows of your emotions for the bedrock truth of the Gospel? Have you used the advice of your friends to replace the truth of the Word and prayer (especially when they advise you to take a more comfortable path)? Like the Rainbow Building, God gives us an abundance of resources to use to seek out what He has for us. But when we attach the magetic irrefutability of a compass to things that will pass away, we will lose our way in unfamiliar territory. Jesus calls Himself the true bright and morning star. Let us focus on Him alone to guide and direct us!

Filed under: Uncategorized , deception, guidance, Revelation, truth, Word of the Day

Word of the Day: travail

travail \truh-VAYL; TRAV-ayl\, noun:

1. Painful or arduous work; severe toil or exertion.
2. Agony; anguish.
3. The labor of childbirth
4. To work very hard; to toil.
5. To suffer the pangs of childbirth; to be in labor.

Romans 8:18-25

¹⁸I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹that^[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

I often joke how lucky I am to be a man and not have to go through childbirth. I mean, I was permanently scarred after having to see The Miracle of Life in 9th grade biology, and the whole process seems agonizing, quite frankly. But as I mentioned this in passing to my wonderful, wise mother, she replied, “Yes, of course–the pain is unimaginable. But you forget all of it once you hold your child in your arms.”

What a picture of Christ’s love! Paul talks in Romans 8 about all of creation groaning, as if in perpetual labor pains. For God to see me, His unworthy child, constantly shame His name through sin must be hard to watch. Even moreso–the millions who know the truth and yet choose to follow their own path away from the Creator. How much pain must that bring God? Yet He’s big enough to juxtapose that pain with joy overflowing that this world will pass away, culminating in the joy of the Church uniting with Christ. Don’t we serve an awesome God?

Filed under: Uncategorized , love, patience, Romans, suffering, Word of the Day

Happy Friday!

Consider me an official part of the mobile revolution. I am blogging from my phone. What do I have to say? Not much. Therein lies the rub of the Internet explosion. It seems the more tools we have to communicate with, the less we havre to communicate.

Happy weekend.

-Payton

Filed under: Uncategorized , mobile, quick update

Massive Summer Update

Every once in a while I have grandiose visions about actually updating my blog, posting interesting things like inspirational quotes and camera-phone pictures of newsworthy events, and getting a barrage of comments filled with happy emoticons. Yet, like much of life, desire rarely blooms into action. For the three of you who read this blog, this is your lucky day.

This summer has been unexpected, to start with. It started with graduation, an event that I had long been anticipating. Why, you ask, when graduation is but a chance to bake in the Houston humidity and hear forgettable words from a commencement speaker before shaking President Leebron’s exhausted hand and carrying around a vinyl tube with only the promise of a diploma inside?

Two words: The Sallyport.

Rice lore has it that a student is to walk through the Sallyport but twice: once during matriculation, and once during commencement. A slightly silly off-shoot to this lore is that a rhinoceros will attack you if you violate the Sallyport rule.

Despite my friends urging me to desecrate this sacred walkway with my premature passing, I managed to avoid the area like a plague (even though I flirted with disaster in filming a music video near its arch). Finally, on a humid May morning, I got to walk through it once again. I have to admit, it was an emotional experience. Though it would be typical to say that it flew by before my eyes, I do not perceive my time at Rice as such. In fact, at times it seemed interminable. Especially during Industrial Organization in the Spring of ‘07. Sorry, Dr. Dudey.

I thought that having  a blue shirt would be an appropriate statement, given our school’s colors. Too bad when I removed my stiflingly hot black robe for lunch, the back of my shirt looked like I had slip-and-slided through the Sallyport instead of regally processing. Thanks, Houston!

Eric Reinelt, from the Phils, gives me a high-five as I walk through. I will miss the Phils so much. It was one of those group where you give yourself over to its demands, knowing that it will look a little silly once you have some perspective on it. I mean, collegiate a cappella? But there’s another part that will always smile as I look back at the (mostly useless) drama and, more importantly, the moments of performing where we were in our element.

After graduation, I embarked on a farewell tour of sorts that attempted to cover up for the fact that I had no job and no plans for the summer. I would’ve normally been worried, but God had absolutely humbled me by providing an amazing opportunity for the upcoming school year through a post-baccalaureate fellowship with the Trinity Forum. I figured that I would find a part-time job, soak up the freedom, and decompress from four years of a semi-destructive lifestyle of studying, recreating, and not self-discovery.

Part of my farewell tour was an impromptu visit to Racine, WI to visit Kyle Clark. While there, I visited his family, walked around outside without feeling like I was in a sauna (Thanks, Houston!), ate beer-cheese soup (No. Just…no.), and took a day trip to Chicago, where Kyle and I captured special moments on film.

Just to clarify, I actually majored in economics, not photography. I know, you were probably wondering after that photo, but that…that’s just natural.

Kyle and I also went to Uno’s Pizza, where we waited an hour to get a table while watching other, more well-funded patrons get whisked in front of us as a result of tipping the maitre d’. If that’s not representative of how things get done in Chicago, I don’t know what is.

Me, doing an interpretive dance on the frustration with political corruption in Chicago while at Uno’s.

After Chicago, I went to down Meredith’s deer lease in Lampasas, where I shot a gun for the first time, rode an ATV, and fell asleep while trying to look for deer at 6:00 a.m. I was able to shoot a spray paint can seven times in a row from 70 yards or so–a feat that impressed me, at the very least. When Mer and I tried our hand a annihilating some turtles in a nearby pond, we had no such luck. Either that, or we happened upon some magic turtles.

Meredith gave me a dual cowboy/beach hat that was actually used by the Soviets in their war with the Afghans, circa 1988 or so. I feel a little Communist while wearing it, but also a little hip.

When I returned from my farewell month, I thought it would be a good idea to try and find an internship/part-time job for the remainder of the summer. I began searching online, cold-calling, and throwing my resume out to random contacts in Dallas. Nothing. I went to Banana Republic, sure that I would be hired after perfecting my sweater-folding skills in Houston. Nothing. I lurched back to Albertson’s, knowing that my boss had always promised me a job. Nothing. Hello, bottom of the barrel. Did I hurt you? Must’ve been scraping too hard.

So, I volunteered at a legal aid clinic for a couple of times, which made me grateful for my Spanish translation classes at Rice and gave me some exposure to the legal field. After dive-bombing the LSAT in October, I put away the thought of law school until I could make more of an informed assessment on where I could fit into the legal profession. My volunteering certainly piqued my interest again. If I could grow facial hair, I would be stroking my beard thoughtfully. Thanks to a Cherokee great-grandmother, though, that could never be.

Then, through a couple of unlikely connections, I ended up moving (back) to Houston for seven weeks to work as a research assistant for Dr. Michael Lindsay, a sociologist at Rice and now-well-known author. I am on his research team, where I work in SPSS all day and run statistical analyses of survey data. I’m learning a lot, and I think I’m contributing to the project. I know this opportunity was a God-given. While others knew months in advance what they would be doing, I waited for what seemed like an eternity for both post-grad and summer opportunities. Now, even with a little hindsight, I can see that God was working on my lack of faith, preparing me for future work in His Kingdom. What an awesome Savior I serve.

Since I moved down to Houston, I’ve of course gotten to hang out more with my ladyfriend. Carm and I attended the biggest land-based fireworks show in the nation for July 4th, watching as fireworks turned into happy faces, butterflies, and hearts to the tune of classical and pop music. I was impressed.

Even more impressive was a young boy perched behind us at the fireworks show, whose excitement grew to such level that he ceased to use words and just screamed over the thunderous pyrotechnic display. It’s amazing what you can get away with as a kid (or an old person).

Though my work is stimulating enough as it is, I have to say that a little competition in the mix never hurt. Some of my co-workers and I have started a Word-of-the-Day Faceoff series for the summer. I subscribe to dictionary.com WOTD, while Pat goes to Merriam-Webster for his fix and Mary Grace, the purist, uses the OED’s WOTD. We compare our daily words along many sets of rigorously-tested categories and calmly discuss whose is the best. Alright, it’s fierce. There are alliances. There are tears. We’ve almost come to blows. Truth be told, the OED sometimes sends out words like “wallet” and “square”, so Mary Grace gets the short end of the stick. Today was round 13, and I won with this one. Boom, baby!

As you can see, .com WOTD is clearly in the lead. Below our tally is my representation of spangles. You know, from “The Star-Spangled Banner”. I guess nobody really thinks about what a spangle is. Which is why Mary Grace took that round and earned my artistic spangling of our whiteboard as a tribute to our great nation.

Well, that’s mostly it for the major events of the summer. While you’re surfing, be sure to visit Meredith’s blog for some dessert ideas. If you’re nice, I may put in a good word for you and you can sample some of her creations.

Hasta el próximo.

Filed under: Uncategorized , girl, Phils, summer, update, Word of the Day

Jesus and the Elliptical Machine

One of my favorite things to do is search around on iTunes for new artists. Maybe it’s an attempt for me to feel more cultured than I am. This search hasn’t led to me to elitism and indie-worship, but it has led me to find some awesome artists that I otherwise wouldn’t have (Shawn McDonald!). Apparently, these artists are not that obscure, but the fact that I must embark on an iTunes excursion to find them just serves as a testament to my life inside the hedges being one of library study rooms, music videos, and morning naps and not one of being fully engaged with the outside world.

Song that is stuck in my head and has made me think about the Savior’s sacrifice: “True Love” by Phil Wickham.

When blood and water hit the ground

Walls we couldn’t move came crashing down

OH DANG. Jesus really did pay it all! I love those moments where it comes back and hits you and I wish I could live with that sense of wonder and gratitude all the time.

There are so many components that make a song great for me, and the most important is probably the lyrics. When someone can pump out a line of truth in a new and fresh way, you could put it to a polka tune and I would probably listen to it.

Another thing that I’ve noticed makes me love songs is their elliptical-ability. This is a scientific term which describes whether or not the song is a suitable soundtrack for exercising. You see, a song has to be upbeat. I can’t go on with my bad self to a ballad, even though those key changes are a surefire endorphin releaser.

Examples of unellipticalable songs:

“My Heart Will Go On”

“Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”

“You Light Up My Life”

On the other hand, rhythm must play a role. I find myself getting instep to the beat of a song, so if Beyonce’s chugging along at 200 beats per minute, I feel foolish trying to keep up. Thus, ellipticalability is a function of lyrical adeptness, non-cheesiness, rhythm, and awesomeness. This is indisputable and has been verified in countless case studies by me on the elliptical machine, where I often can be seen air-drumming and singing while I zoom along next to people watching ABC Family or reading their Social Psychology textbook.

For lifting weights, I need something angry to substantiate my masculinity and give purpose to the fact that I am in a room lifting causing myself physical exhaustion by lifting metal bars over my head when I could be sleeping, eating at Taco Bueno, or airdrumming to my favorite song on the elliptical machine. To fulfill my weight lifting music needs, I turn to the Black Eyed Peas. Pretty much any song of theirs will do, since they all display some creativity beyond laying down a creepy synth beat and whispering about hoes and cristale like the rest of the hip-hop world. This is an overgeneralization, I know–but look at the top songs on iTunes and then try and try and tell me that the most popular songs aren’t about hyper-sexualized, unrealistic “hook-up” scenarios in clubs where people dance all night. I mean, dancing all night? That’s not even possible…but I digress. As for the BEPs, it’s too bad they went off in their separate ways (though I could probably sing along with “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie)–looks like “Monkey Business” and “Elephunk” will have to see me through my journey toward getting “cut”.

Speaking of “cut”, you should all see the bon-qui-qui video if you haven’t already.

Filed under: Uncategorized , Jesus, random

25 Things About Me

Sure, some may call it an exercise in narcissism, but I think it’s more of a “you think you know, but you have no idea” kind of thing–it’s my hop on the bandwagon of the “25 things about me” Facebook trend, replicated here for your pleasure.

1. People have said I have handwriting similar to a computer font. So I’ve got penmanship is my corner.

2. While driving back to McKinney to visit home, I’ve been known to swing by the Taco Bueno drive-thru before walking in my front door.

3. Whenever everyone has that “remember those awkward elementary/middle school years when we had braces?” talk at the lunch table, I glance around nervously since I had braces my senior year in high school.

4. That said, I wear my retainers religiously. If I don’t get my full 8 hours of sleep, I keep them in until I’ve logged my time. Kind of sad, but I bet I’m a poster child for orthodontists.

5. Walking into the Rice quad for the first time as a high school senior was one of those “life moments”. If ever God revealed His plan for me, it was then. I knew I was supposed to come here.

6. If there’s one thing I tend to stand firm against, it’s watching the same movie twice. I mean, I already know what happens…?

7. I’m learning to play the guitar, and it’s slow-going. But I’ve joined the ranks of just about every other male on the planet in my pursuit.

8. I love the Spanish language and Latin American culture. I infrequently dream in Spanish and I thought I was going to bust a blood vessel with happiness the next day.

9. My favorite place at Rice is the recording studio by myself. If Rice added a “sound engineering” minor, I would get on that train.

10. Starting up phrases and slang and then watching it spread is something I like to do. If you find yourself saying “YAYUH!” “Dolla bill!” or “What the junk?” then you’ve probably been hanging around me too much.

11. To be on stage and perform gives me so much happiness, but in reality I rather enjoy being alone.

12. Some of my best moments with God have come at 3 a.m. when I’m returning to Baker from Fondren and watching the flickering lights of the Rainbow Building.

13. I love my friends, but there’s something special about being around my family. They know the Payton that I probably wouldn’t volunteer to others.

14. If there’s an object that’s important to me, it has a name. My car: Kayla. My bamboo plants: Hortensia and Ernesto. My gorilla slippers: Herbie and Bianca. My iPod: Candace. And my whole family is the same way.

15. I auditioned for American Idol. For the five minutes before I was cut, I thought that my whole life was in preparation for impending superstardom.

16. That said, I would love to get the chance to work with some musicians and lay down a demo in a studio.

17. Giving gifts: big love language. I consider myself a good gift-giver, and to receive a thoughtful gift will pretty much make me yours forever.

18. When I was younger, I played this game with my best friends who lived down the street, the Brooks family, in which we were mutants who said “muscle spasm! muscle spasm!” whenever our powers were about to come forth. I still laugh at that.

19. I can do pretty much anything on a trampoline as a result of years of having the deathtrap amusement device in my backyard.

20. I worked at Albertson’s grocery store, and then at the Banana Republic. Can you guess which place had the nicer customers and co-workers? It’s not what you think.

21. If there’s one vanity I suffer from, it’s the fear of going bald. I just simply will not do it. Cloning, fabric, lasers, transplants–whatever you need to do, I will have a head with hair on it.

22. One of my favorite new hobbies (now that I’m a senior) is getting up early in the morning, looking out my window, and going back to sleep. It’s my morning nap.

23. As I’ve progressed in my time at Rice, I have placed more and more emphasis on relationships. I can’t remember much of Differential Equations. But a good conversation where we both are real? Can’t forget that.

24. One time I stayed up 70 hours straight to finish a paper. I don’t drink caffeine, sot popping a couple Monster energy drinks sent me into hallucinations.

25. I must decrease, He must increase. Hopefully moving more toward that everyday.

Filed under: Uncategorized , random