breaking... I mean... dislocating news

Well, the "let's have fun in the airports at Chritsmas" story has just gotten longer, and I haven't even stepped inside another airport since the last excursion on Christmas day (see post below). When I last left you, I was on two legs. Now, I'm on three for the most part, sometimes four when I'm quite daring.

Wednesday morning, I was helping to assemble a CD/DVD shelf for my family. I was nearing the final part of the routine, when I attempted a difficult triple-axle, triple-sow-cow, and I missed....

If only I were so heroic.

Actually, I started to go down on one knee, while the knee that I wanted to go down on wanted to go the other direction. This is what we like to call a diclocated patella, or just plain painful. I ended up on my back with shooting pain up and down my right leg from the epicenter of my knee. I did hear a large *crunch* or *tear* as I went down, and I knew I was gonna be out for the season.

Fortunately, I had 4 able-bodied assistants on hand (Sarah, Mom, Kate, & Rebecca) to bring me back to life, ice my knee, put on a splint, get me sitting up, and offer to wash my car. After about 30 minutes (and the help of two Vicodin), I was able to get on my feet with crutches. I made the long hike upstairs, was lifted into the car, and rushed to the hospital. Dr. Whitaker checked me out, said the X-Rays showed no signs of damage, and gave me a new splint: smaller, lighter, and less-smellier.

It has been 7 years since I had corrective surgery on my left knee for a similar problem. It did take 5 years from the time I first dislocated my left knee until I needed surgery, so I plan on buliding up those muscles on my right leg to not face the same fate.

For now, I'm in an imobilzer brace with crutches for at least 2 weeks. After that, I'll wear a patella restraint brace, which provides full movement but makes sure my knee stays in place. The verdict is still out on whether I will be able to ski this season, but that's the least of my worries. Classes at UW start on Monday, and our first RUF will be Wednesday night. I'm slated to play guitar and lead worhsip, but I may have to bow out of those duties for a few weeks.

To top it all off, Sarah and I were once again scheduled on different flights tomorrow for our triumphant return to the Emerald City. We've talked about it, and think that it's best that I have someone to assist me in the airport and on the plane. My parents have been gracious enough to get tickets for us on the non-stop flight that Southwest Airlines provides from Kansas City to Seattle. This is much better than my 6:00 am flight tomorrow morning!

I'm sure that I'll post more upon my return to Seattle. Can't wait to see what fun is in store for New Year's Eve!

I'm dreaming of a flight-delay Christmas

So I've learned why tickets are cheaper on Christmas. Sarah and I ended up saving between $100 and $150 (each, that is) to fly on the 25th rather than the 24th or 26th. We were traveling from Columbia, SC (Sarah's home) to Kansas City, KS. The only problem was that we were on different flights through different cities. I had to fly to Atlanta for training (see post below), and then hitched a ride to Columbia. Sarah flew in later from Seattle.

Here is how our itinerary should have looked:

Luke's Flights
Delta Air Lines 6281
Operated by: CHAUTAUQUA AIRLINES

Depart:	8:00am morning	Columbia, SC Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)
Arrive:	9:16am morning	Orlando, FL Orlando International (MCO)

Delta Air Lines 622

Depart:	10:05am morning	Orlando, FL Orlando International (MCO)
Arrive:	11:32am morning	Atlanta, GA Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson ATL(ATL)

Delta Air Lines 1801

Depart:	1:03pm afternoon	Atlanta, GA Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson ATL(ATL)
Arrive:	2:17pm afternoon	Kansas City, MO Kansas City International (MCI)

Sarah's Flights
United Airlines 7110
Operated by: UNITED EXPRESS/MESA AIRLINES
Please check in with the operating carrier.

Depart:	7:52am morning	Columbia, SC Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)
Arrive:	9:15am morning	Chicago, IL Chicago O'Hare International(ORD)

United Airlines 1105

Depart:	12:15pm afternoon	Chicago, IL Chicago O'Hare International(ORD)
Arrive:	1:48pm afternoon	Kansas City, MO Kansas City International (MCI)

Please notice my expert booking, putting us no more than 30 minutes apart in departure and arrival, and I even took 3 planes! It was gonna be perfect: her parents drop us off at the same time, my parents pick us up at the same time.

But the airline gods would have things differently.

I find out that my flight out of Columbia has been cancelled... not delayed... cancelled. Getting in line for the Delta counter, I found myself amidst a crowd of distressed mothers, angry fathers, and weepy daughters (I'm sure there were sons around... probably on a GameBoy or something). Turns out that because of all the wintry weather throught the week, many planes were not able to get into Columbia to take people to their destination. And all flights from Indiana east to NYC were unable to land. "But I don't want to go to Indiana or NYC... I just want to take my flight to Orlando to Atlanta to Kansas City... nowhere near those arctic locales." For whatever reason, I was stuck in South Carolina, looking at spending Christmas with my in-laws.

For once, Chicago-O'Hare was no problem to get into. I don't like to fly through there anytime in the winter months because something is bound to go wrong: can't take off because of fog; can't land because of ice; can't move because the engine fell off... stuff like that. But Sarah was gonna get through there no sweat, and she's spending Christmas with her in-laws.

I get up to the front of line after much angst and find that they're able to get me on the same flight Sarah is on into O'Hare with United and then transfer into Kansas City on American Airlines. I would only be getting in 2 hours later than Sarah. No sweat, at least we'd be together when it was all said and done.

After having my checked luggage inspected, my carry-ons inspected, and my own body inspected (fortunately no cavity search this time), I got on the flight to Chicago. Sarah and I were able to have lunch together at Chili's in the airport, and I saw her off on her flight on United, followed by my additional 2 hours in the airport, which was enough time to read Rolling Stone from cover to cover.

When all was said and done, Sarah and I ended up making it to Kansas City without a scratch, and actually got to eat lunch together. We opened presents and had dinner with my family, and it was all well.

I will say that traveling on Christmas Day was a unique experience. You'd think all the people working at the airport and on the planes would be a little bitter that as they helped others get to see their families for Christmas, they were stuck working, apart from their families. But everyone was a bit more cheery, probably because they realized that all the travelers were pretty stressed out about making connections and not losing their luggage, so it was a day for extra courtesy. After all my issues with the commercialization/materistic-nature of the modern-day American Christmas, if it causes us to consider loving others before ourselves – the remebrance of Christ's coming – the ultimate act of love – it's obvious to see that God is still at work in the hearts of men.

Will there be more high-flying hijinx later this week when we return to Seattle on New Year's Eve? Of that you can be sure. Check back here to find out!

laughing at honor

In our civilization…we are clamoring for the very qualities we are rendering impossible. You can hardly open a periodical without coming across the statement that what our civilization needs is more drive, or dynamism, or self-sacrifice, or creativity. In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.

– C.S. Lewis
The Abolition of Man

red-ee to red-eye!

This past Sunday night, I embarked upon a 3-week trip, which includes staff training and Christmas with both of our families. And I learned my second lesson in red-eye flights: never take the red-eye out of Las Vegas on a Sunday night. The first lesson is that sleep aids are your friend, but that's another story.

Red-eyes are no fun, any way you slice it. I mean, it is really nice that you can fly overnight, and wake up on the east coast. It just stinks that you're only in the air long enough to get your drink from the drink cart, take your Benadryl (or other pill), wait for it to work, wait for the person sitting next to you to stop fidgiting, actually fall asleep for maybe an hour, and then get shocked awake when they announce that the plane is on making it's initial descent before final descent. You get to the airport, delirious, wishing that you would have just flown during the day, get to your ride, try to stay awake to make conversation, get to where you're staying, and then crash for anywhere between 3-6 hours, depending on how much sleep you didn't get on the plane.

Even worse, though, is flying out of Las Vegas on a Sunday night. I'm sure flying into Vegas would be a thrill (Nathaniel Thompson has told me so). Everyone is a little jolly, making jokes, and ready to party it up in Sin City. Whereas, Sunday night, after having gotten no sleep since Friday night when they landed, after having played blackjack or video slots and blowing their life savings, after having had as much to drink as one would normally drink in a month (or possibly a year), and then they get on a plane... back home... back to the real world... to go to work Monday morning. Needless to say, they're not in the best mood.

The other problem: the plane is packed..

And nobody is nice to each other...

Well, I actually got about 2.5 hours of sleep on our 3.5 hour flight, arriving in Atlanta at 5:30 EST, which for those of you doing the math is 2:30 PST (better know as "my body time"). And then I had to wait to be picked up at 9:30 to go to the conference center. So I sat with my luggage in the main terminal of the Atlanta airport... and I sat... and I sat. Then I caught a train from the south side of town to the north side of town.

Clif Wilcox picked me up, and I'm glad that he carried the conversation, or at least I think I remember him carrying the conversation. It was a good conversation, as well. After dropping me off at Simpsonwood, I checked in and proceeded to sleep for 4 hours.

Long story short, I'm writing on Tuesday night, and I think that my body clock is almost on the east coast. If not, tomorrow night should feel pretty good.

So off to bed for me; it's a big day of Covenantal Theology with Ben Inman!

lukebrodine.net is no more!

So after much debating in my own heart (and with Sarah), I have decided to take down lukebrodine.net indefinitely. I've found a number of free ways to leave my mark on the internet, namely this blog and flickr.com, and it just didn't make sense to keep a site going that I don't take the time to maintain. Don't be dismayed, I am still keeping my server space, and you can access the old web site at this address: http://www222.pair.com/btb/luke/. Possibly over Christmas Break I will make the site a little more straight forward to download MP3s and whatnot. Thank you for your patience and keep your eyes peeled for new developments in the coming months!

Also, my email has changed: luke@lukebrodine.net exists no longer and has been replaced with luke.brodine@gmail.com; lbrodine@ruf.org still works.

David Brooks on John Stott

I've been a fan of David Brooks for a while. For those of you who don't know who the heck he is, he is an op-ed columnist on the New York Times and has written some hilarious social commentary in the books Bobo's In Paradise and On Paradise Drive Sometimes I get forwarded his articles. This week's stood out to me as noteworthy; click on the title above to link directly to the original.

doubly thankful

Self portrait,
originally uploaded by Luke and Sarah.

Well, being our first Thanksgiving together (even though last year we were 'together' in the sense that we were at my parents, but not 'together' in the we're married sense), we thought that we should do something unique and eat with not 1 but 2 groups here in Seattle. Early in the afternoon we ate at the Dunnington's, along with the Scotts and the Rocks from Green Lake Pres. We had a great time, and even celebrated Patrick Dunnington's 4th birthday with a piñata! (check flickr.com for more pictures)

After basking in the food coma, we rolled ourselves over to Queen Anne to celebrate at the Gary's apartment, along with the Partains and a number of other folks from Green Lake Pres. We played Trivial Pursuit for 3 hours and ate more pie and turkey! In the meantime, we spent our brain capacity listing all of the types of rock music: hard rock, blues rock, soft rock, fraggle rock... you get the picture!

So I'm still new to this blog thing; have to keep up with the times. I uploaded all the pictures and forgot that I had to put something on my blog as well to remember the event. I also forget that people actually read this! Sorry there wasn't anything thought provoking this time around... maybe we can discuss more kinds of rock.

Soli Deo Gloria

lay your deadly "doing" down

this may be an old hymn for everyone else, but it's brand new to me. ran across it in preparing a study on Galatians 3:1-9. original lyric was by James Proctor.

Cast your deadly “doing” down—
Down at Jesus’ feet;
Stand in Him, in Him alone,
Gloriously complete.

great response to works-righteousness.

liturgy fellowship

Jamming out 01,
originally uploaded by Luke and Sarah.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to join other musicians writing for the church, from Seattle, Nashville, and Indianapolis. It was the inagural gathering of the Liturgy Fellowship, being headed up by Rick Jensen and Nathan Partain from Green Lake Presbyterian, the church where I am currently a member.

We headed up into the Cascade Mountains to the Grünewald Guild, a retreat center for the arts. While there, we discussed the future of music in the church, enjoyed each other's music, and ate quite well (defeated the idea of the 'starving artist'). I look forward to seeing what this group grows into. As the fellowship spreads across the country, the hope is that these small groups of musicians in the church will come together regularly to fellowship and edify each other.

One of the writers on the retreat was Brian Moss. He was a part of the beginnings of Indelible Grace in Nashville (he wrote the new version of "The Church's One Foundation") and is now the Worship Director at John Knox Presbyterian in Seattle. He is currently putting the finishing touches on a project he is calling Prayerbook, No. 1. It's actually only the end of the beginning for him, as this is only volume one of a hopefully 10 volume collection of new settings of all 150 Psalms. I admire his diligence to tackle this project, and I am excited to see how the Lord will change him as a man and as a writer. Check out his blog of the project to get more of his thoughts on this work. I got a chance to hear his versions of Psalm 1 & 14, and I was quite moved. I can only imagine how the project will move others (in its entirety, that is).

america the purple

so the election results have been in for a week now, and this article says it all.

rare sunshine

LukeM&Kristen.jpg
Originally uploaded by Luke and Sarah.

If you're reading this, you're probably thinking to yourself, "why on earth is this blog entitled 'rare sunshine'?" To which I answer, "that's a very good question!"

So at the top of the blog, there's a quote from one of the Scottish Covenanters (Presbyterians who were opposed to influence of the British throne upon the church), many of whom were imprisoned and later executed. There is a great book entitled "Fair Sunshine" which details the lives of many of these 'modern day' martyrs, most of which will bring you to tears.

RUF in Seattle is attempting to put the finishing touches on a CD of new hymns and other worship songs, to be released when it's finished (don't you just love how exact we are with dates!). The title will be "Rare Sunshine".

All of this to say, Sarah was the one to come up with the title. She told me about the book and the great quote it comes from, and then changed the title a bit to better describe the state of Christianity here in Seattle.

Go to this page to listen to rough mix samples from a few of the songs, and for now you'll have to enjoy the photos that I've gotten when I'm not in front of ProTools.

independent presbyterian

Savannah
Originally uploaded by Luke and Sarah.

Here is a photo we took in Savannah, GA on our honeymoon this August. Independent Presbyterian Church is a part of the PCA and is pastored by Terry Johnson.