My goal is to be as charming and sophisticated as my Auntie!

I couldn't resist... and he looks so gosh dang adorable trying to be me, don't you think!?!?!

Where The World Became Perfect

May 23rd at 12:08am

6lb 5oz

21 inches long

The cutest baby you've ever seen... and I'm not just bragging!

I am over come with joy to announce the birth of my nephew Gabriel Thomas Murphy... Its been an unbelievable blessing to have held such a perfect miracle. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

















So for the past few weeks I've been struggling with the idea of bringing a child into this broken and hurting world. I've stood in awe of Greg and Kelly and thought them the bravest of brave (or crazy) for bringing a child into this place which can be so messed up. But I get it now... he was perfect, and in him is a perfect promise of hope that with each generation, with each child God starts a new thread of His story of redemption. I believe tonight to be one of the most moving experiences that I have ever experienced. For everything in the world, I couldn't be as happy. I don't think I've ever experienced this kind of love: as long as he is healthy and happy, I could beg for nothing more in this world. All is right. If this is how I feel, I can only imagine the ways in which Greg and Kelly are feeling this love tonight.

Sweet Dreams Dearest Nephew!




Happy Birthday to my Daddy... He got an amazing birthday gift today by 8 minutes! Of all people to share a birthday with, I think my dads a great one!

Op-Ed Piece worth considering...

Iraq Policy Sustained by Geographical Illiteracy


This op-ed is based on material previously published in the Chicago Sun Times on March 18 and August 26, 2006.

Almost no one has stopped to consider the role that geographical ignorance has played in the ongoing disaster in Iraq. Yet only a geographically illiterate public could have been hoodwinked by the characterizations of Iraq spouted in Washington after the invasion. With Iraq little more than a blank space in most people's minds, few could point to the obvious once the United States moved in: the importance of strengthening institutions such as the Iraqi army that promoted state nationalism (not recognized), the strategic advantages that could come from securing Iraq's borders against foreign intruders (not prioritized), the need to guarantee a sharing of oil revenues given the lack of significant oil fields in Sunni areas (not considered), and the value of showing that the U.S. had no long-term military designs on Iraq (not only ignored, but undercut as plans went ahead for new military bases).

The blinders that got us where we are today have not disappeared. The debate centers on what is going on inside Iraq itself. Yet what are the implications of the invasion of Iraq for the larger geopolitical picture? What impact has it had, for example, on America’s influence in Southeast Asia? What role does Iraq play in widening the geographic scope of violent extremism? The crisis inside Iraq should not distract us from the gravity of such questions. Unless they become the focus of attention, the administration can continue to claim, without challenge from significant segments of the electorate, that Iraq is at the leading edge of its "war on terrorism."

The absurdity of this claim becomes clear when one considers that the Iraq invasion has been used relentlessly and effectively by those seeking to undermine American influence in other parts of the world. Al-Qaida sympathizers from Europe have gone to Iraq, and then returned to Europe in a position to wreak more havoc than they ever could have imagined without the training Iraq had provided them. We cannot have a serious discussion of the role of Iraq in the larger terrorism picture if such matters are not part of the conversation.

A democratic society depends upon a certain level of understanding and engagement on the part of its citizens. Yet the limited exposure of most Americans to the history and geography of the Middle East means that few are in a position to question the geopolitical vision advanced by the current administration. That vision was on display when Donald Rumsfeld addressed the Senate Armed Services Committee in early August.

If we leave Iraq soon, Rumsfeld said, "the enemy would tell us to leave Afghanistan and then withdraw from the Middle East. And if we left the Middle East, they'd order us and all those who don't share their militant ideology to leave what they call the occupied Muslim lands from Spain to the Philippines."

This statement casts the Middle East as a monolithic geopolitical node. Yet watching what is happening now in Iraq shows the naiveté of that image. The issue isn’t just Shiites versus Sunnis; there are significant divisions along tribal, village, and political lines. Moreover, the perception that most of the region's states command little loyalty is manifestly wrong. In many respects state nationalism is a stronger force than Arab or Islamic nationalism. One would have to look long and hard to find animosity between two neighboring states as violent and deep-rooted as that between Iran and Iraq. Are Iranians and Iraqis really just one undifferentiated chunk of a common enemy?

In a world in which the gap between political rhetoric and reality is growing by the day, public accountability is impossible in the absence of a basic level of global understanding and inquisitiveness. There will always be differences of opinion on policy initiatives, but the Iraq venture has been conducted and promoted through a combination of on-the-ground illusions and unasked questions—all made possible by a geographically challenged general population.

The results now lie starkly before us. If we are to salvage anything reasonable from the wreckage and avoid similar policy pitfalls in the future, we can no longer let political grandstanding trump serious consideration of the cultural, political, and environmental character of the contemporary world.


Alexander B. Murphy
AAG President 2003-2004

BON FET!

Hello From Haiti!

The party has started and the city of Jacmel is out in force! I wanted to wish you all a happy Fet! I will be posting more when I return!

(Tim and Leah are going to try and post some pictures of my vist on their site, so please feel free to visit and look around)

Don't give up hope!

This is my amazing Mexico reminder... Please don't give up on my Mexico memoirs! I have been writing quite a bit to post for this blog and yet its far from finished. It will come in instalments and there will be quite a bit of heavy stuff mixed in, but I am confident that this is the stuff that made the trip. I am headed to Haiti tomorrow for a short time, and when I get back I will continue with postings. Please be patient as I process all of these amazing trips.

P.S. If anyone knows of a job where I can travel and get paid at the same time, let me know!

The Sounds of Iran

I just got back from the Green Bean (one of my favorite haunts) where I was doing some reading for my trip to Haiti in a few days. I ended up sitting in one of the comfy chairs near the tea cup fire place next to a man who had sat down in the Green Bean to warm up on this wet and chilly Northwest spring day. He needed to talk, and in many ways so did I. Especailly after the horrific happenings at Virginia Tech two days ago, I am more convinced that America's problem is not flimsy security, or poor gun control laws, but the perpetuation of a society that prides the individual so much that it leaves us thirsty for more, for a community, and desperately lonley when we figure out that there isn't anything more. Mishrdad was from Iran. Facinating to me that an Iranian male would sit and talk with me, but he was lonley and had a story to tell. He was so interested in my trip to Haiti and seemed to understand the country better than most Americans I've tried to explain it to. He started talking about Iran and America. Both countries have seemed to over look him and both countries have offered little to his needs. One thing I learned for sure about Mishrdad's life was that his father was a hard worker, he made sure that I understood that. He had a deep respect for how hard and how long his father had worked to support themselves so that they were not dependant on the Iranian government. I didn't quite understand what brought Mishrdad to America and what left him on the streets or what brought him to the Green Bean today, but it was nice to fade in and out of conversation with him between paragraphs of my book. It was wonderful to share a meal and a cup of coffee with him although both of us hungry for different reasons. At this moment, the verse "what you do unto the least of these you do unto me." became real. It became with a blue beany and a full beard. This man would have given anything to get back to his family in Iran, but because he couldn't find a job, he there was little hope of getting back to his country. He continually asked me if I had enough money to get back from Haiti. I assured him that I would be fine. Speaking from personal experience, I apprecieated his concern more than he knows. How freaky would it be to be stuck in a country where there are few opportunities for you and many people who have a false oppion on your people, or only see you for your government... I've learned something very valuable today that I would have previously preached yet hardly practiced... if you truely listen, you put yourself in a very vulnerable place. If you truely see the injustices that are perpetuated even by things we might see as good and normal, you put yourself in a place of responsibility... Listening is the most freeing act I have ever experienced. Yes, I head to Haiti in less than a week where I am certian that I will learn more than I expect, but it is here in my own front yard, in my own beloved coffee shops that I find just as much need to be heard. My passions are international- God knows that- and today I made a trip to Iran.

Happy Taco Day!!!

Hello my faithful readers! I wanted to wish you all a happy 1st annual Taco Day!!! Fireworks have been blasting since 7:30 this morning and excitement fills the air as taco day has finally arived!.... I'm not joking! Actually the fireworks are because its the first day of holy week here in Mexico City, but it truely is the 1st annual taco day here. There is a big festival and concert at one of the Mexico City football pitches and the taco stands are gearing up for a huge influx of people. It just so happens to correspond with the begining with holy week as well. I love mexican culture! Food and God... two of my most favorite things!

Anyways, all of this to say, that I am still in Mexico City enjoying some catch up time with Greg (sadly Kelly had to go back to Socal right after our PIH trip was over). I will be home soon and will post lots of pictures and stories for you all to read and enjoy. One thing is for sure... this trip was not lacking in great stories and adventures!

Adios Amigos!

Duck Man

A sky blue coat and an oversized, bright yellow rain hat are the two least distracting elements that this old man adorns. His smile, large and expressive, sits below a plastic duck beak he wears on his nose, the elastic straps reaching back behind his ears. He moves the beak down long enough to tell the woman behind the counter what he wanted from the selection of pastries that are piled on the counter. In his left arm he clutches his trusty friend Donald duck and loudly announces something to the crowd observing him. He engages them - intrigues them. Everyone wondering where he came from and what ever enticed him to become “duck man”. Although Seattle is an eclectic city, occurrences like this, still throw people off a bit… its pretty fun to watch!

He pays, gets his banana bread and sits down, although not for long. Jumping up he exclaims to all who will listen (and who could really ignore him?) “Before I came here I took my mother-in-law to the airport. She’s on her way back to the Windy City! WOOOYAAAA!” Random… and although he looks a tad bit too old to still have a mother-in-law, the joy on his face lifts 10 years from his complexion. How can you fault the man? Characters, Disney or not… that’s what this city is made up of.

Everyone has their moments, whether you will admit it or not, where a duck beak and an oversized bright yellow rain hat sounds quite enticing. Everyone wants a reason to make a fool out of themselves at least for a split moment, and those who can laugh at themselves because of it, are all the better for it. Moral of the story: embrace your inner duck and find your beak…

Meet the World

This blog is entitled "Soap Box Central" because I love to get up and passionately propagate my opinions. When I was shown this website I was at a loss for words. Icaro Doria's work has visually stunned me... flags are a symbol of national pride for many, and yet if we look, if we truly look, each nation has their reasons to humble themselves. The question is: can we hide behind flags any longer? -- Meet the World Campaign

SENIOR NIGHT!

Saturday, February 24th was Rachel's last home game ever! She is almost done with basketball which is sad, but if she had to have a game to end it all... this one was it! The worked over Western Washington University... our arch enimies! With 9 points and 7 rebounds, Rach helped pull her team to the top... Suckas!

Every Community Has Its Watering Hole

Coffee in hand and text book in front of me, I engage not in the floating aromas of my hot beverage or in the dull arguments of the required text but in the faces that flux in and out of doors each retreating inside for a cup of momentary “pick-me-up” and receding back outside attempting to absorb as many rays of the untouchable gold pouring out of the patchy blue skies as they can on these growing northwest days. Spring is on its way.

Two generations as far away from each other physically as they are experientially sit outside beyond the windows observing the same scene, sitting in the same sun, chilled by the same breeze. Both steal glimpses of one another: the old pondering at the unassuming naivety of the youth and the youth wondering at the hard and determined features of the old. Remembering the past… dreading the future—desiring each others experiences, in a world that values little from those not within the 30/50 window…

Shuffling through the door comes now a couple who have seen life in all its facets and have survived to share a cup of coffee and small moments of conversation. No need to ruin 60 years of dedication with small and trivial conversation. I hear the crouched old man endearingly refer to the woman as “Ruth”. A fitting name for such a poised woman who has more than likely seen her share of troubles, but found herself, legs crossed lady like in front of her, peering out the large windows, letting the soundtrack of her generation float over her.

The old man scoots past me on his way out. I jump to my feet to honor this man by holding open a door he once held open for his beloved Ruth by the chivalry engrained within him. But now reminded of time passed he smiles at me with a smile that no doubt melted many before me... “I have trouble with doors” The old man stated as he leaned on his cumbersome walker. “They’re only trouble if you ask me.” I replied “They are meant to keep out the cold, but instead they just slow us down!”… I tried… the smile says more to me than any other gesture… talk is cheap.

“Double-tall, fat free, extra hot, caramel latte for here!” I’m shaken from my illustrated timeline by baristas pumping out a fresh rush of ordered drinks to our caffeine-crazed city… I resist the urge to sit for hours and rise to collect my things to head home, I’ve gotten too distracted here -- there is much to be accomplished today. I move outside and bend down to pat the head of a golden retriever eagerly waiting for his caffeinated best friend to return for the remainder of their jaunt around town. He welcomes all distraction that will keep his one-track mind from remembering that his walk has been interrupted. I move towards my car, the sounds of the community watering hole, the central meeting place, receding behind me… The place of convergence of generations and of stories.

Its a BOY!!!

For all of you who don't know, Greg and Kelly (my brother and sister in law), are going to have a baby and we found out today that its going to be a BOY! Ok, ok... I know I was telling everybody that I thought for sure it was going to be a girl, but honestly! I am so stoked to have a little nephew! I can't believe that he will be coming into our lives just 87 short days from now. I could never have asked for such a blessed life and for such an amazing family. We are all patiently awaiting, or at least trying to patiently wait on the arival of the newest member of the Murphy clan.... 87 days and counting!!!

Reflections...

Pictures flash in mind of an innocent man with pleading eyes…
“Please understand. Please understand how much I love you!”.
Surrounding him, a great cloud of unsuspecting witnesses who look upon the scene with a naivety that not even 2000 years can erase.
Can you blame them?
This man, “The King of the Jews” was now nailed hand and foot to a tree, common thief—
no, supposed prince.
Not even Pilate could deny propagating the passion. Despair in the midst of darkness, not even those who believed the most could comprehend the moment of
…final breath…
“It is finished”
What is finished? This life? If it was finished then why do I still
yearn for something not yet apparently apparent?
The God of the universe, the one in whom God was pleased to have His fullness dwell, the one in whom all power was made perfect, the one through which the invisible is suddenly made visible--
His side pierced, his human body ravaged from the hands of those he loves. For what?
For you? For me?
He became obedient,
obedient to death,
obedient to death on a cross…
obedient.
Is that it? Is that all she wrote? This nice man, this wonderful teacher, good karma, His perfect yin and yang?
And yet as the lamb looks to the lucid, the sheep understand little but loss.
Let our legs not be broken, so that one day we may stand with a crown of thorns lifted humbly upon our heads not as a reward but as reminder.
Do we long for that same fate? Do we long for a day where, no longer bound and broken, able bodied-whole bodied- believers
skipping jovially into the waiting arms of the one who endured it all?
Yet, we raise our hands in protest, in prayer, pleading that it all be over soon.
That God not look upon his servants with harshness
That He come surpassing all, for He is the beginning of life in full.
He came…He is here… and He will come again.

-Reflections based on Colossians 1.15-20, Philippians 2.5-11, John 1.29-31, 19.1-35 and Matthias Grunewald's "The Crusifixion"

Boogie Woogie Buggle Boy...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to shake off the cobwebs after a long day of work, push the couches back and boogie down to your favorite melody remix? Well, here is my attempt at just that. Danny and I are taking a "partner required" class (sounds impressive uh!?) on thursdays and we had homework. Danny came over and with the encouragement of all six of my roommates we created a masterpiece of lindy-ness that will be used for future jam sessions and lindy bombings to come...

Enjoy! ;-)

My Monsters and Goblins

So I don't have anything spectacular to share. My life is pretty standard... weeks come and go with the pointless freshman level classes that I had yet to take until my last quarter in college, late nights either talking with my roommates or out dancing at various asundry venues scattered all over Seattle, and the never ending job hunt or at least a search for something productive to do while I job hunt. One thing is for sure... I don't like not knowing what the heck is going to happen after March 17th! Ok, that's not entirely true. I'm leading a trip with some of my peers down to Mexico City directly after the quarter breaks, but after that 10 day trip, my days are as un-structured as I've ever had them... the abyss of the unknown looms in front of me. The giant monster that lives in my dirty closet named "lazy" and the sneaky goblin that sleeps under my bed named "fear" like to show their ugly faces from time to time. How much worse will it be when there is no real future... well at least not any plans... there is always a future just not one that I can see. God works in funny ways sometimes, and I'm hoping one day to get a laugh or two from this period of waiting.

Thoughts from Mama T...

There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible. --- Mother Teresa

Lindy Hoppers

Lindy Hop is adicting... the smiling faces in this picture are all living on a natural high: the swing out! I would pretty much agree that one of the only ways to my heart is through a solid lindy swing out. This is a handful of my friends that I meet up with 2-3 times a week to boogie down with. Most of us have "grown up together" meaning that we all started dancing around the same time. We've taken classes together and progressed in our dancing together. I couldn't ask for more amazing people and I've been so blessed to get to know all of them over the past year. Any of you who decide to come visit this great city... bring your dancing shoes!





























http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ts2zUQuSbo .... watch Ajay and I compete in the Harvest Moon Lindy Hop competition!!!

Snow! Maybe...

So we are gearing up for snow and looking towards the sky for that first flake of fantastic hope. Many college students in the greater Seattle area are joing in together at this moment in prayer for this tiny little glimmer of hope that that class tomorrow in which the paper is due in, or the quiz that they've been dreading for ever and yet not studying for will end up disapearing in a flurry of white fluff they call "snow". Yet there is something that is sitting in the gut of all of us who have lived here long enough... its never what you want, its always what you expect... rain. We are all hopeful, and in a few bright and shining moments in November those hopes were realized with a couple half days and one full day off of school, but in reality we all know that what is most practiced here in the beautiful northwest is wet, very wet.

Now if you've talked to me about my experiences since I moved up here in 2003, you know that I continually perpetuate the great lie "it rains all the time in Seattle, it is so wet and dreary and no one in their right mind should move here" when in reality I am saying it all in sarcasim in order to keep the population boom to a minimum as people slowly realize the beauty and wonder of this place. This winter though has been leaning especially towards the steriotype and I'm begining to believe my sarcastic alter-ego. Where has the strikingly beautiful, clear with a finish taste of crisp days of Seattle gone? We used to have this mountain thingy called Mount Rainier, but as of late all we have is billowing clouds that decide to periodically dump mass amounts of rain along with gusts of wind onto our drowning city.

I'm not lying this time... its wet. And as I lounge infront of my wall heater trying to warm my toes awaiting the first sign of snow I begin to hear the Californian calling from the back of my mind... "You fruitcake! Why the heck did you leave 75 on Christmas day to come back to the snowy slopes of Seattle!?" Why?... maybe I'll answer that question for all of you californians tomorrow as I sit enjoying my day off... Heck! Who needs snow, freezing rain will do!