EASTER

Which came first – the chicken or the egg? Well, you can’t have an egg without the chicken, right? But then again, how could the chicken get here first when you can’t really have a chicken without an egg? Cliché as it is, this is really a pretty good philosophical question. It is also a good theological question as well because it has to do with creation and, following logic, about God’s role in creation. 

But I am not going to take this post in that direction. I simply begin with this because this is Easter and the egg is one of the most recognized symbols of Easter. 

More importantly, Easter is one of the few religious holidays in American culture that is still deeply rooted in religious beliefs and traditions. The religion in this case is Christianity. Easter is the time when Christians celebrate their belief in the resurrection. That means that after Jesus died, he came back to human life. The purpose of this resurrection was to further demonstrate 2 things: 1) he died in order to be the absolute and final sacrifice for all humans for human sin; and 2) all humans can have eternal life in heaven as demonstrated by Jesus’ return to earth after physical death. 

So what does this have to do with the egg? Well, the egg symbolizes life and in Christian symbolism, it represents the tomb (grave) of Jesus’ death (because it sort of looks like a rock) and eternal life because life comes from the egg. 

As a symbol of life, the egg was a part of spiritual and cultural beliefs long before Christianity. It was taken into Christian symbolism as a natural transition after Jesus.

In present times, Americans enjoy Easter egg hunts usually held on Saturday before Easter or on Sunday afternoon after church and a big family lunch. Colorful eggs are hidden around in the grass, trees, under things and perched in between things and then children race around to find them. 

Many Americans buy new clothes to wear to church on Easter Sunday. And of course, food is always a big part of the celebration events. Families gather together and either eat at someone’s home or they all go out to a restaurant together. Sometimes churches will hold a potluck meal after the worship service.

Whether or not you believe the basic Christian premise – that Jesus the man was God on earth in human form – I hope you will enjoy this traditional Easter hymn.

Christ the Lord is risen today

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!

Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!

Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!

Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!

Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!

Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!

Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!

Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!

Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!

Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!

Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

For more information about Easter, check out the history channel.

Bollywood Love Musical!!

Sunday offers a great opportunity to enjoy Indian culture with Rang De Basanti! Come out and enjoy Indian dance and music along with a real live Bollywood performance!

When: Sunday, March 31, 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Where: Pruis Hall

This Friday come and enjoy the Persian celebration! This Friday, March 29th you can come to the Student Center, Cardinal Hall and enjoy Iranian music, dancing, food and more!

I apologize for the poor quality of the flyer below - but I think you can get a feel for the event that the Persian Student Organization will be offering by seeing their beautiful flyer.

For clarity, here are the details:

Nowrooz Celebration

Friday, March 29, 7-10 pm

Student Center, Cardinal Hall

Refreshments, introduction to Nowrooz, traditional Persian music, dance, a play about Iranian culture, and a fashion show!!

All are welcome!

Monday's Music Pick: Because We Can

Bon Jovi's Because We Can

I heard this song this weekend and it brought back lots of great memories. 

It also inspired me, so I thought I'd share it. 

Enjoy!

I don't wanna be another wave in the ocean
I am a rock not just another grain of sand
I wanna be the one you run to when you need a shoulder
I ain't a soldier but I'm here to take a stand
Because we can

She's in the kitchen staring out the window
So tired of living life in black and white
Right now she's missing those technicolor kisses
When he turns down the lights

Lately he's feeling like a broken promise
In the mirror staring down his doubt
There's only one thing in this world that he knows
He said forever and he'll never let her down

I don't wanna be another wave in the ocean
I am a rock not just another grain of sand
I wanna be the one you run to when you need a shoulder
I ain't a soldier but I'm here to take a stand
Because we can

TV and takeout on the coffee table
Paper dishes, pour a glass of wine
Turn down the sound and move a little closer
And for the moment everything is alright

I don't wanna be another wave in the ocean
I am a rock not just another grain of sand
I wanna be the one you run to when you need a shoulder
I ain't a soldier but I'm here to take a stand

Because we can, our love can move a mountain
We can, if you believe in we
We can, just wrap your arms around me
We can, we can

I don't wanna be another wave in the ocean
I am a rock not just another grain of sand
I wanna be the one you run to when you need a shoulder
I ain't a soldier but I'm here to take a stand

I don't wanna be another wave in the ocean
I am a rock not just another grain of sand
I wanna be the one you run to when you need a shoulder
I ain't a soldier but I'm here to take a stand

Because we can, our love can move a mountain
We can, if you believe in we
We can, just wrap your arms around me
We can, we can
Because we can

March Madness!!

 In Indiana, the term
"March Madness"
refers to basketball.
But this year, the term has an additional meaning:
the weather!

We have a saying:
March either comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion, 
or it comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

We say this because March is the month of transition from winter to spring. 
And in this time of transition, the weather can be unpredictable. So many times, the month of March may start out with lots of wind and fluctuations in temperatures.  We say this is like a lion.



In these cases the end of the month usually turns to gentler weather with warm days, more sunshine, the arrival of the first spring flowers, etc. So this is like a lamb.



Other years however, the month of March might start out with warm days with gentle breezes (like a lamb) and end with tornado-like storms (like a lion).

But this year, the weather is even crazier than usual. It seems like one day is lamb-like and the very next day it could be lion-like. It is maddening – so lots of people have been playing with the phrase “March Madness” this year to refer to the weather.



OK - so now let's change the subject and move on to the
REAL meaning of MARCH MADNESS: BASKETBALL!!



So now let me tell you a bit about March Madness as it refers to basketball. March Madness is the crazy way that Americans enjoy the end of the basketball season as the NCAA (National Collegiate
Athletic Association) goes into tournament time.

Indiana University is Indiana's biggest pick year after year for this tournament prize and this year is no different. IU is currently still in the running and, in fact, if you want to see some great basketball action, tune into CBS (channel 8) this afternoon at 2:45 to see IU play!!

 

So what the heck - today is a LION day - record snows coming in all afternoon and into tomorrow morning, so why not get into the whole MARCH MADNESS craze here in Indiana and give in to both the weather and the basketball hysteria!

Have a great day, everyone!

Muncie Gras 2013

Muncie Gras

2013!

Muncie Gras is Muncie's own version of the famous Mardi Gras holiday that is most famously celebrated in New Orleans.

It is a 21 and older only event held in Muncie's downtown which is gated for the night. There will be all kinds of crazy fun and entertainment.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Downtown Muncie

Tickets: $20.00

African Dinner tomorrow night!!

A Taste of Africa!

Dinner! Dance! Fashion! Culture!

First Presbyterian Church

1400 W Riverside Ave

Muncie, IN

March 23 2013

4:30 PM

$ 10 

Contact: 9739809277

THRIFT SHOP

This week's Monday's Music is from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The Thrift Shop Feat is a song about all the cool things you can get for really cheap when you shop at a thrift store.

In Muncie, we have the Goodwill store which is located northwest of Walmart 

Address: 5035 W Hessler Rd, Muncie, IN 47304 Phone:(765) 747-9808

Hours:

 

Monday hours 9:00 am–9:00 pm 

and the Muncie Mission store which is located at 

Address: 1725 S Liberty St, Muncie, IN 47302  Phone:(765) 288-9122

Here are the lyrics

Enjoy!

Hey, Macklemore! Can we go thrift shopping?

What, what, what, what... [x7]

Bada, badada, badada, bada... [x9]

[Hook:]
I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I - I - I'm hunting, looking for a come-up
This is fucking awesome



[Verse 1:]
Nah, Walk up to the club like, "What up, I got a big cock!"
I'm so pumped about some shit from the thrift shop
Ice on the fringe, it's so damn frosty
That people like, "Damn! That's a cold ass honkey."
Rollin' in, hella deep, headin' to the mezzanine,
Dressed in all pink, 'cept my gator shoes, those are green
Draped in a leopard mink, girls standin' next to me
Probably shoulda washed this, smells like R. Kelly's sheets
(Piiisssssss)
But shit, it was ninety-nine cents! (Bag it)
Coppin' it, washin' it, 'bout to go and get some compliments
Passin' up on those moccasins someone else's been walkin' in
But me and grungy fuckin it man
I am stuntin' and flossin' and
Savin' my money and I'm hella happy that's a bargain, bitch
I'ma take your grandpa's style, I'ma take your grandpa's style,
No for real - ask your grandpa - can I have his hand-me-downs? (Thank you)
Velour jumpsuit and some house slippers
Dookie brown leather jacket that I found diggin'
They had a broken keyboard, I bought a broken keyboard
I bought a skeet blanket, then I bought a kneeboard
Hello, hello, my ace man, my Mello
John Wayne ain't got nothing on my fringe game, hell no
I could take some Pro Wings, make them cool, sell those
The sneaker heads would be like "Aw, he got the Velcros"

[Hook x2]

[Verse 2:]
What you know about rockin' a wolf on your noggin?
What you knowin' about wearin' a fur fox skin?
I'm digging, I'm digging, I'm searching right through that luggage
One man's trash, that's another man's come-up
Thank your granddad for donating that plaid button-up shirt
'Cause right now I'm up in here stuntin'
I'm at the Goodwill, you can find me in the (Uptons)
I'm not, I'm not sick of searchin' in that section (Uptons)
Your grammy, your aunty, your momma, your mammy
I'll take those flannel zebra jammies, second-hand, I rock that motherfucker
The built-in onesie with the socks on that motherfucker
I hit the party and they stop in that motherfucker
They be like, "Oh, that Gucci - that's hella tight."
I'm like, "Yo - that's fifty dollars for a T-shirt."
Limited edition, let's do some simple addition
Fifty dollars for a T-shirt - that's just some ignorant bitch (shit)
I call that getting swindled and pimped (shit)
I call that getting tricked by a business
That shirt's hella dough
And having the same one as six other people in this club is a hella don't
Peep game, come take a look through my telescope
Trying to get girls from a brand? Man you hella won't
Man you hella won't

(Goodwill... poppin' tags... yeah!)

[Hook]

[Bridge: x2]
I wear your granddad's clothes
I look incredible
I'm in this big ass coat
From that thrift shop down the road

[Hook]

Is that your grandma's coat?

St. Patty's Day Parade in Muncie on Saturday

IN MUNCIE, WE ARE CELEBRATING ST. PATRICK'S DAY WITH A PARADE THIS YEAR. THIS HAS BECOME ONE OF MUNCIE'S FINE TRADITIONS.

JOIN THE PARADE!

(Muncie) 29th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held Saturday March 16th beginning at 6:00p.m. Line-up will begin at 4:30 pm at Muncie Central Field house parking lot. The parade will proceed south on Walnut Street to Charles St. and return via Mulberry St.

FUN FACT

In Chicago, they turn the river GREEN every year and it is amazing!

March, 2013

I apologize for the recent absence.... end of session, spring break, new session,...

Anyway, it's March now and the fun-see blogger is back!

March is the GREEN month. 

Green because, here in Indiana, we are so anxious for spring to come that we dream in green hoping that will bring spring to us a little bit faster.

The other reason for green this season is one of my favorite holidays - St. PATRICK's DAY!

St. Patrick was an Irish saint who lived over 1500 years ago. He is known as the saint who brought Christianity to Ireland.

Originally it was a religious holiday, but these days, St. Patrick's Day is the time when Americans celebrate the Irish heritage. It has become so much fun over the years that everyone likes to claim Irish blood, even if they don't have any in their family at all.

Here's the thing - America is often referred to as "the melting pot", meaning that we come from all over the world and most of us have a variety of histories to claim as our own. On the one hand, this is kind of cool because we can feel connected to many different cultures. On the other hand, the truth is that most of us do not know very much about our family history and we really don't know who we are. This is sad, don't you think? So I suggest we look on the bright side - One benefit to the American Mixture is that in theory, we can be anyone we want to be!

And that is just what Americans do on St. Patrick's Day. With slogans like "Kiss me, I'm Irish!" and "Irish for a Day", this holiday has become one for everyone. You don't have to be Irish; you don't have to be Christian; you don't have to be anything at all, except just wear GREEN! That's right - green represents the beautiful rolling green hills of the Irish country-side.

 It represents the 4-leafed clover that symbolizes St. Patrick's Day 

And it represents the SPRING that will surly follow St. Patrick's Day!

There are all kinds of things that we do to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Mostly, people like to wear green and change all sorts of things to green on this one day. You will see green food and green drinks, people wearing green hats and green shoes. You might even see the White River turned GREEN!

I will post a list of activities happening this weekend around Muncie on tomorrow's post.
Check back soon!