eric tomeo

Snell Family Thanksgiving 3

2010-11-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Snell Family Thanksgiving 2

2010-11-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

Snell Family Thanksgiving1

2010-11-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

Day 5- Grateful

2010-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Things I am Grateful For in no particular order...

The way that a 25 cent comic book can make Lennon's day the best one of the week.

Adler's smiles and hugs.

The way that Tiffany bears with me, even if I am a little too idealistic at times.

The occasional burst of silence.

A car that mostly works.

The way music can drench the world with harmony.

That God has always given us enough of what we need.

Good Coffee.

That my parents raised me well.

That I have food to eat, everyday.

Shined Shoes: Day 2

2010-10-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

I learned how to shine my shoes today.

I remember, vaguely, when I was a kid, getting out shoe polish to paint a cardboard boat we made for school. We cut out the pieces, taped them together with masking tape, we then wrapped the masking tape around the cardboard shell of a boat to make them look like planks of wood, and finally rubbed brown shoe polish all over them... But I do not really recall using shoe polish for any other reason, such as polishing a shoe.

But today I learned a new skill and found out that with a little time and elbow grease, your shoes can start looking fantastic. But more than that, I found that focusing on a small insignificant task for a while can giv your mind a much needed reprieve from the hullabaloo of life with 2 loud, little kids. I am becoming a better man.

But tomorrow may be tough.

Can't Find a Better Man

2010-09-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

I am going to be improving myself as a man. Soon I will embark on another bearded journey (though this next one will be necessarily a more tame excursion), so I want to improve my manliness in the meantime to improve my chances of having a manly (if neat and trim) beard. There is a website called The Art of Manliness that has a 30 day plan to become a better man. This blog is the first step: Defining your Core Values These are mine. Follow God. This is a Sunday School answer I know. But as I went through the process of choosing which 5 things would I define as my core values, this was one that came up the most. I sat down and brainstormed with myself, in my own head, things that I value. Stuff like being humble, living life with integrity, morality, faith, hope and trust (and a little bit of pixie dust) kept coming up. These attributes that I am striving for are all rooted in a desire to serve God or follow God's word better (besides tinker bell dandruff). I don't think there would be any point to having integrity, were it not for simple obedience rooted in gratefulness. Family. In order to be a great man, you have to be good to your family. I want to actively seek out ways to love my family better. Recently, I have started to cook dinner a lot more for the whole family and its kind of fun. Lennon helps me stir and pour things (which makes him more likely to eat dinner) and Tiffany gets a little reprieve from the stresses of being a stay-at-home mom. I feel like a good husband and father when I do this, because it is an easy way to show my whole family that I love them while doing something I enjoy. However, I know that I can do more and at least for the next 30 days, I will try to find those things. Life as a Journey. This might seem strange, but I really like typewriters, film cameras and albums because they seem more real than computers, digital cameras and cds. There is something tactile, touchable that creates something lasting and un-backspace-able. Journeys are about traveling through real places, seeing real things, experiencing every heat wave, rain drop and cool breeze. Your left arm gets burnt as you drive. Journeys are real, living breathing adventures. Just living and breathing everyday is an real adventure. I want to touch, feel, taste, smell, hear, see and live every moment, every turn that my journey takes Times of peace and reflection. To go along with and balance the exciting adventure of life are times of quiet thought and contemplation. I want to be wise. I want to refresh myself. These quiet times are few and far in between these days but they are vital to my survival and well being. I believe that everyone needs time to soak in all of life's experiences and contemplate life's mysteries. Myself included. Creativity. Without creativity, without stories or songs or imagination, the everyday becomes everyday. Journeys no longer look like journeys, but short paths that start in the middle of nowhere and have no destination. Family life becomes overpoweringly difficult. God becomes nothing but a rule enforcer and we become tired of Him. Wisdom is the power to see things from different perspectives in order to create a better plan. This is impossible without a little creativity. Creativity ties it all together for me. So this is my goal. These are my values. Let's see if I can stick with them.

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T14:35:00.001-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T05:40:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

oakley after hours

2010-07-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

lennon and adler

2010-07-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

2010-07-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

good things come to those who can't wait.

2010-07-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

which is door number 1?

biking didnt really work out...

2010-07-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

and i did not really post anything about it after the initial, "I am going to do this..." but I was busy riding a bike when I was riding it. And I wasn't riding the bike when I wasnt so I did not feel like reporting that. Does that make sense?

Anyway, I feel like making a new start of things again. No one can count how many times that has happened in the past, but my goal is to do it for a while and see where it goes from there.

My friend Jason has told me about Irish women.

Its not what you think. he did not tell me how to pick up an Irish woman at a bar... i mean: pub. Just that they like to pray. He told me that back in the day Irish women would say a prayer while they went through their daily routine. When they washed their clothes they would ask God to cleanse them from their sins. When they woke up they would thank God for the day.

I think I will try that. To link my daily existence to prayer and a constant conversation I will have with God. Some things may be challenging to link back, but as I watch my routine I will maybe... if I think about it... share what kind of prayers I am starting to pray and when I am praying them. SO let's begin, here...

God,

Writing a prayer seems strange to me, because I feel like the words become so permanent the moment they are written. But someday the computer will crash, the server will fry and these temporary pieces of data will be lost to history. You, however are eternal. You have made me everlasting. Please, God, help me not make the rest of my everlasting be a cyclical succession of hope and failure. Let something I do take hold and sustain me. Let, if nothing else, that thing be you.

Amen.

Day 1- Didn't Happen

2010-04-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

For all my tough talking and plotting and planning, I woke up too late to get on my bike and go to work.

To tell the truth I had to close at sbux on Sunday, plus I stayed out a little later, as well. SO when I got home and managed to get everything together and packed it was like 2 when I finally got to sleep. Then I had to wake up at 4ish and two hours of sleep + quiet cell phone alarm = sleeping in = no bike ride.

ALAS!
Tomorrow is another day.

But in good news, my job is really cool.

Commuting

2010-04-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

So I am about to embark on a new journey. One that involves actual, physical work. I am starting a new job that is far away from my house and, having only one motor vehicle at the moment, we were forced to seek alternative means of transportation. The first thought was buses. That seemed pretty reasonable, but then we realized it would take an hour and forty minutes to get to work on a bus. That is an hour and forty minutes of wasted awake time... so I looked into riding a bike to work. I found out, that google maps estimates it would take about an hour and forty minutes to bicycle to work. A 12 mile bike ride, though, sounds a bit daunting. So I have decided to bike 6 miles into Oakley and bus the other half. It will take the same amount of time to get to work, but I will have had some exercise and be a little more alert when I climb onto the bus then I would be if I had just rolled out of bed and hopped on a bus down the street from my house. I think that the bike time will give me a little more energy, so the bus time can be a valuable reading or planning or thinking time. We will see how it works out. As the time approaches I have been reading up on Bicycle commuting and I am excited to try it out. I have a feeling that it could get old real quick or it could be something that I start to really enjoy. This little summer experiment might turn into a daily routine. Heck it could turn into a full bicycle commute at some point. But let's not count our chickens before they hatch out of thier Easter eggs. We will see. I hope to chronicle this biking journey on this blog a little bit. I will share some successes and failures with you, dear reader, as I meet them.

a poem for you, the reader

2010-01-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

please take a moment,
grasp it tight
and read the words I write tonight

it won;t take long
to sit and read
this poem passes with great speed

as soon as you've
the time, my friend
you'll start to read and the rhyme will end.

Vampire

2009-10-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Their beady eyes and sallow skin,
are whispering, "PLease, Let us in"
You pull the covers up o'er your head
and wish the dead would just stay dead

but evil is lurking and you can't resist

there's never been crueler end
to die and be brought back again
to struggle through an endless night
to quell your nasty apetite

but evil is lurking and you can't resist

A coffin made of wood is dark
until you light a fatal spark
throw the match and burn the wood
burn off the evil till its good

but evil is lurking and you can't resist

You drive the stake right through your heart
you feel the flesh being torn apart
you scream in terror, guilt and pain
til you taste the peace of death again

cause evil was lurking and it was you

freedom in non-freedom

2009-10-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

The bouncing rhyme of poetry
binds me in
forces out words that aren't there
to fit
however haplessly
making meanings
new

I struggle to capture the tension
write it down
squeezing truth into formula
to fit
however haplessly
making freedom
easy

is that the road to freedom
to give in
opening the constraints of goodness
to fit
hopefully healing
making me
better

sleeping boy

2009-10-25T23:27:00.000-07:00

he doesn't hear the whispers
he doesn't feel my touch
he just continues sleeping
as I declare to him my love

i know that he's not listening
but I feel compelled to speak
and tell him things I noticed
that made me love him more this week.

i wonder what he's dreaming
what is dancing in his head,
(cause I'm sure if he weren't sleeping
he'd be dancing on his bed.)

IS he flying through the air
on spiderwebs or in a plane
is he Clark Kent fighting bad guys
to save His lovely Lois Lane

I hope somehow he gets it
that his ears catch what I say
and store it up inside his brain
for a lonely winter's day

One day he'll ask who loves me
and I hope that day he'll know
that I told him I loved him
while he slept awhile ago

New Month Resolutions

2009-10-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Every time another year gets added to the list
of wasted chances to improve the things we've often missed
we try again to reinvent our lives and start anew
resolving to start doing things we think that we should do

but every time we make these plans we promise not to break
a month will pass and all the zeal we had at first will shake
and so do i, upon this pattern of which I've just spoken
will attempt to break the pattern that i think is broken

I'll labor hard to do the things I think that I should do
but I will only labor hard for just a month or two.
That way if my entusiasm seems to slow or stop
thes wonderful new things I've done can righteously be dropped

So as November's frosty breath comes sweeping into town
my temporary resolutions here are written down
There is the rare addiction that will bear no shame or malice
upon this rare affliction facebook built its digi-palace

From here on out, until, of course, November is all done
I will use the internet for very little fun
I vow to write some poetry daily in this blog
I'll check my email twice a day to remain a useful cog

3 hours for land of chill at 10pm on thursday night
posting craigslist ads and working on the new website
As for all the free time I will have when this thing starts
I think I'll read some books or take in other forms of art

The thing is I spend most my time just staring at a screen
and I forget there's real things sitting where they've always been
I don't have to google "Who's the Boss?" when I'm up late
I could actually use my time to learn, grow and create.

Guitar Lessons//

2009-08-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

I have a new website up that talks all about my guitar lessons. Make sure you check it out and schedule yours today!

Click here to check it out!

video newsletter v. 3

2009-07-20T12:52:00.001-07:00

video newsletter v. 2

2009-07-20T11:38:00.001-07:00

are you one of Lennon's 20?

2009-04-19T13:58:00.001-07:00

Now Accepting Credit Cards!

2009-03-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

As hopefully, you all know by now, I am raising support in order to work at a church here in Cincinnati called Legend Community Church. If you want to know more about them, click on the elephant above.

I have just made it easier to do so!

All you have to do is click on the .::support eric::. links all over this site. You will be asked to fill out a form so I can send you updates and such. After you submit the form you will find yourself at a thank you page. Below the graphic on that page is a Donate Button. If you click on that you can make a donation using any major credit card or your Paypal account.

If you want me to send you a donate button through email, I can do that too. Just let me know. That way you can just make a donation whenever you feel so inclined. Thanks Again to everyone who has decided to support me in anyway!

2009-03-19T10:25:00.001-07:00

Are you 1 of the 20?

2009-03-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and family,

Journeys define our lives. As we move from one place to another, from one moment to another, we create relationships from shared experiences and mutual interests. We learn. We change. We develop into someone, not completely different from who we were, but always nearer to who we will become.

My journey has brought me here.

Jer. 20:9 In my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.

I have to do ministry.

There is a new church here in Cincinnati that loves Jesus with everything it has. It is called Legend Community Church. The leadership at Legend wants to serve the community of Oakley and create lasting relationships with the people there. They are working hard to create a community based on Scripture, and they would like me to join them in their endeavor.

Matt. 10:10 Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff; for the laborer is worthy of his food.

Because Legend is in its infancy, they cannot pay me. I’m already working full-time elsewhere, but I need a supplemental part-time income to support my growing family. That’s why you are reading this letter.

I am looking for 20 people.

I need 20 people who will stand behind me and support me, who will pray and fast, who will invest in the Scriptures more than they invest in me. I need 20 people who will commit to supporting this endeavor financially with $600 in the next year. You can give it as a one-time gift. You can give it in monthly payments of $50, two $300 payments, or send me a check for $11.54 every week. That works, too.

Perhaps you are not one of the 20. If you want to send a one-time donation, that would be great. More importantly, though, I will need your prayers. Pray for Legend and me as our journeys merge and we reach deeper into the community.

Thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration and support.

Sincerely,

Eric Tomeo

P.S. If you want more information about the church, go to www.erictomeo.com or www.legendchurch.com. I will be creating a monthly e-newsletter to keep you updated on what is happening at Legend, as well. If you want to receive it, make sure I have your e-mail address and tell me to add you to the list.

the 20...

2009-03-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

will you be one?

Poetry...

2008-10-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

So I have once again delved into the crazy pot and pulled out some new children's poetry. Tell me what you think....

Between the Hills of Emer by Eric Tomeo

Way back between the hills of Emer
Among the wily grass that grows
There lived a man named Odd September
Who wore a basket as his clothes

He listened closely to the treetops
Who whispered in the summer wind
“Beware ye, lad, your days are numbered
Ye soon will meet an early end.”

He listened closely, then he trembled
Because the thought did scare him so
He grabbed his giant golden cymbals
And sent their sound way down below

For nothing soothed his fits of terror
Like listening to the deafening roar
Of cymbals when they’re banged together
When their music starts to soar

Into the valley of the Doldrums
Where boredom is a common friend
Where dark grey clouds are ever looming
And sleeping rarely ever ends

There was, however, a set of ears
The clanging sound did not neglect
though they had been for several years
missing any intellect

The ears still rang with precious sounds
And longed for their old days of yore
When sounds did fill their precious holes
And they could know what sounds were for

For these two ears, which heard the noise
Were, for too many years, alone
They’d been abandoned by their head
Replaced by common telephones

The head explained within a letter
The reasons he had chosen such,
But ears do not know how to read
So the letter had not mattered much

They traveled to the Doldrums valley
Cause they recalled a rabbit said
“Doldrums Valley is for the lonely”
When the ears were still with head

They were sad and needed friends
That could not smile or laugh or sing
Because when all is dark and dreary
Lightness is the worst of things

And so they sat for seven decades
And wallowed in their own despair
When around them stillness suffered
September’s cymbal’s clanging glare

Without their brain, alas, they found
They could not know what they had heard
For all they knew they’d heard a sound
Could be a dog, could be a bird

As little thought as ears can process
They managed to agree on this
This sound could be their one salvation
Could be the head they dearly missed.

And so they traveled, as ears are able
Up towards the constant, clanging sound
Up through the misty hills of Emer
And there, September, they had found

September saw the ears and shuddered
Assuming they would cause his doom
For his own ears had given warning
That death would come upon him soon

And so he shouted loud and anxious
For the ears to swiftly leave
upon them He vowed awful vengeance
if they gave not his death’s reprieve

The ears meanwhile wished they could figure
Just what this sound they heard could mean
And hoped the source had found repentance
Their head, his errors, he had seen

Just then the wind within the trees
Began to whisper again and say
“We offer you apologies
Your death, my friend, won’t come today”

“We thought that ye were named October
we thought ye lived between the hills
of smelly grass and handsome clover
We thought your clothes were made of bills.

“So, ye are not the man of whom
we should have whispered death
and hope ye will forgive us soon
for the inconvenience met.”

September stopped his shouting
The ears were worried now
For they had thought the head they loved
Had left again somehow

They sadly started towards the valley
They’d come to call their home
September sensed the ears were saddening
So he took them as his own

So now, if you would dare to take
The path through Doldrums gap
And put the dreary clouds behind
The sorrows in your past

There upon the rolling hills
You may chance upon
A fellow dressed in basket clothes
And playing cymbal songs

If you meet our lovely friend
Be sure that you don’t stare
‘Cause not only does he wear strange clothes
September has four ears.

justin

2008-07-26T23:20:00.001-07:00

My Deepest Friend,

It seems long ago, men would write each other letters. The most notable men would then, posthumously, have those letters published because they would reveal something about that man which had been otherwise lost to history. Perhaps it was a love for cigars, perhaps it was a insight into their childhood. This letter is for an entirely different purpose. Will it give insight into my psyche? Arguably, any sort of writing or creative expression gives the reader a peek into the author’s paradigm. But that is not the main purpose or point of this letter. This letter is written first and foremost to convey a most well deserved happy birthday to one of the deepest friends I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Back some time ago, we sat upon the steeply slanted roof of a place affectionately known as “the Ol’ Ruff and Ready” staring at the city burning brightly through the night. I was standing, you weren’t. You seemed perfectly comfortable with the situation. No fear of falling, no discomfort. I clung to the chimney.

You always broke the silence.

“So what’s the deal with…”

A question. One of your many questions that night. It is odd, but I have always avoided as many questions as possible. I always answer them too quickly without thinking I throw out, ‘I don’t know,’ or ‘everything’s good.’ You never settled for that. You always wanted to know more. You were always willing to pry. I hated the loss of privacy, but it always was good to talk with you. Somehow, because you wanted to know so much more than I was willing to give freely, I knew the information would be safe with you. Maybe, its because you ask too many questions to ever share information with anyone else. Maybe, its just because you are good at asking hard questions.

That night, like so many others, was good. There is no other word that can encompass that whole period of time. You were a bachelor again. I was still one. We had nothing to keep us from the roof. No risk. No consequence.

I don’t know why you chose to ask me the questions. I don’t know why you have chosen to waste time with me. But I do know this, my friend. I am grateful for every minute of it. You are a great friend and brother. I think you are an amazing father and husband, a stellar pastor, and just a cool guy. Keep your love for the Scriptures strong. That is the only orthodoxy you need. Continue to ask questions of those around you. It keeps us on pace. Never forget that I need your prayers.

The journey is not over. I’ve got your back.

Happy Birthday.

Truly,

Eric

yet another stop at crazy

2008-07-10T22:46:00.001-07:00

a break from hope, a journey into crazy

2008-07-08T21:21:00.001-07:00

Lately I have felt the need to write more. To breathe new life into my experiences by exploring the experiences of the people that live only in my head. Sounds crazy. And maybe that is right. Maybe I am crazy. Jesus knows that I have always wanted to be a little senseless. I talked to him about it when I was younger.

Everyday in elementary school I reminded the kids that I was “an odd crocodile.” They would correct my misused cliché and I would chuckle at their ignorance. “Silly second graders that only serves to prove my audacious oddicity. You see, I am no mere bird. I meant I was a crocodile, truly I did.” As I shuffled towards the corner, I would duck behind it and pray that Jesus would just make me crazy so that I would not feel so stupid.

Jesus seems to have answered that ignorant, innocent prayer and made me a writer. Nothing could be crazier. I mean look at Stephen King. The guy is messed up. He has to have a storage facility somewhere exotic in which he keeps all his victims. Look at Lewis Carroll. He was either legitimately mad, or he was artificially infused with foolishness through elicit substances. Point is, I think God has made me legitimately strange for some reasonable, yet mysterious, purpose.

And I am ok with that. Bring on the mystery, bring on the madness.

exiled hope post 7

2008-07-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

"Those men... you said they were from here?"
"Gavriel, have you not heard of Daniel? His prophesies?"
"Like I said before, Matthew, I have studied the Scriptures intently, but I had not suspected my Persian neighbors did as well."
Dov had been watching a fly circle through the air, landing here and there to clap his hands together. He suddenly awoke from his stupor to blurt out, "All the Persians study are star charts and war maps."
Gavriel had learned to ignore Dov's jokes. "So they knew all along of this Messiah?"
"No. Not really." The voice came from behind Gavriel, He turned to find the source but could not find it. The voice was foreign. Not one he had ever heard before. The only people he saw behind him were Dov and Melchoir. The voice spoke again.
"They should have known it by now. Alas, they do not." Suddenly Gavriel realized Melchoir's lips were moving. That was his voice. But it couldn't be. His voice was old, fragile. This voice was booming. It spoke excitedly like it was ready to break through a wall.
Matthew squinted to see the old man. "And what is your name sir?"
"My name is Melchoir. Most of the people here call me Melchoir the crazy, old idiot."
"I never said you were an idiot." Dov insisted.
"And though that has been my name for many years now, my name used to be Melchoir: Magi of Gondophares, part-ruler of the Northwestern portion of Parthia."
Everyone turned to look at Melchoir. On any other day if any person in the crowd happened to pass by Melchoir on the street and they had heard him say the sentence that just came pouring out of his mouth, they would have kicked dirt in his face and called him a lunatic. Today, though, there was something different about him. Perhaps it was his voice or the way he stood a little straighter, but he had changed. That change in posture or pitch and a notable affect on the crowd that had gathered as well. They all stood a little taller together.
"I was there. I saw Hm with my own two eyes. I bowed at his feet and I offered him my gold for he was the king. Even though he was just a child, we could sense the sheer power of his presence.

exiled hope post 6

2008-06-27T21:18:00.001-07:00

A little later on, some high ranking Magi from the East showed up asking everybody they could find in Jerusalem about someone they called "King of the Jews." Armed with mounted guards, these foreign officials found very few people in the streets that would answer their questions. People would run and hide before they could say, "We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
When King Herod, who was in charge at the time, heard about this he was nevous. He rather preferred his lavish parties and could not stand the thought of giving his seat of power to anyone, not even the Messiah himself. Not even if these armed men planed to back the pseudo-king they seemed so eager to greet. So he called all his scholars together to find out where and when the prophesies foretold the Messiah would come.
The answer to the first was complicated. It is right there in Micah. "But you, Bethlehem... out of you will come a ruler." But had the king stayed in Bethlehem? Was he on his way to conquer Jerusalem at that moment? The answer to the second was difficult as well. Suddenly, as if by divine inspiration, a scheme started boiling in the leader's wretched mind.
He had his own guards seek out those Eastern men that were causing such an uproar in his city and they willingly accepted the invitation to his palace. Herod was seated at the table when they arrived. His seat two inches taller than the rest.
"Come. Sit and eat fair travelers. Certainly you are tired from your long journey. Enjoy some of the finest foods Jerusalem has to offer. My wine is perfectly sweet and my chairs are soft and warm." This warm greeting was delivered with a cold, heartless smile.
The air was tight. The travelers looked at their host with unease, but they sat down and started eating. No one spoke, no one even looked up for quite awhile.
Herod broke the silence. "Listen. You have information I need. I have information you need. I want desperately to worship the boy king as well. Long ago, we Jews had been promised a Messiah, a Saviour, a glorious king that would free us at last from the chains of Rome. If this is the king you are searching for..."
"You forget, many of those prophesies were made in our own land. Daniel taught our people of these things and we have come to worship this king and make sure he becomes the ruler God has destined him to be."
Herod was not used to being interruped , but managed to maintain his composure and continue. "I assure you, I do not intend to..."
"We do not care what you intend to do. The whole of Persia will stand behind this king and Rome will have no part in the Salvation he offers. Now where is He?"
Herod took a deep breath. He was not able to hide the red in his face. "How do you even know he has come at this time?"
"We saw his..."
"Star." Furious, Herod stood up from his chair revealing his secret. He paused sheepishly. "I know that. I have heard the tales you have been telling my people. What makes you think this star is his star?"
"The king planet left the the Sun, the father of the Gods, to be conjoined with Venus, the virgin mother in the constellation that represents the lion of Judah here in Israel. Our prophets and teachers have all confirmed that the timing according to Daniel's words and the words of Balaam, a Mesopotamian prophet, is right. We followed Jupiter's path to here."
"When did this all happen?"
"Where is the king?"
Herod stared at the men across his table. He whispered in defeat, "My scholars tell me the boy was born in Bethlehem. But that is all we know."
The Magi were taken aback by this show of faith on Herod's part. Perhaps, they thought, he is honestly seeking to support this king.
"It has been two years that we have been watching these cosmic events unfold."
"Thank you, kindly." Herod bowed his head slightly to imitate a humility he never possessed. "I will send you with my blessing. Go and find this king. When you find him, bring him here so I can set him on what once was my throne."
The travelers turned to the South.

exiled hope post 5

2008-06-26T20:03:00.001-07:00

When Mary told Joseph all that had happened he sent her away. He felt that there was a legion of emotions pounding through his chest trying to escape. His inner self was bound to come screaming out of his body at some point and whoever was there at that time would witness something so raw and naked, something so completely Joseph, they would instantly be intimately connected with his heart. He was not sure Mary was the person with whom he wanted to share that closeness, especially now.
He paced the floor like a ship tossed by strong gales. Tears started to rain down his cheeks and he cried. Deep sighs of pain and regret rushed out with the power of an ocean's wave. But slowly the wind subsided, the air cooled and, his head buried in his knees, Joseph took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"What am I going to do?" he asked no one in particular. he thought about praying but did not really want to deal with God in a time like this. Perhaps it would seem too petty or trivial to the Creator of the Universe, but he felt betrayed. Joseph felt like Mary was a genuinely kind, beautiful, young lady. One that shared his same values and followed the same God. He was absolutely shocked to find out what she was. As he sat there and mulled over his options, he felt the only right thing to do would be to divorce her discretely. Anything else, he decided, would draw too much unwanted attention and ridicule to her. If she were on her own she would be better off.
"But I do not want to let her go." Joseph fought with himself. "She is my Eve, my perfect companion." His tears started again. He leaned his head against the wall and let himself fall asleep.
Bright flashes of light. A figure strangely beautiful and terrifying hovered above a sea of darkness. A voice that sounded as if it had been made of crystal spoke. "Joseph, son of David," The darkened face of the figure seemed to be the source of the talking and Joseph immediately knew this was no ordinary dream. It was a vision from God himself and this was an angel.
" ...do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins."
Joseph woke with a start and rushed to tell Mary he would have her as his wife. That God had spoken to him and that they would name her son Jesus.

exiled hope post 4

2008-06-25T19:32:00.001-07:00

Matthew started naming names of people from Israel's history. "Abraham had Isaac, Isaac he had Jacob, who in turn had Judah and his brothers..."
"Do we really need a history lesson?" asked Dov.
"Shh, just listen Dov."
"Nahshon, Salmon, Rahab..."
"What is he getting at?'
Gavriel answered, "It sounds like he is listing the geneology of..."
"David who was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife..."
"So why is he still going?" asked Dov.
"Because our king would be of the line of David. He is telling the story of our Savior."
"But our Savior has not yet come."
"I think this Matthew guy is convinced that he has."
Matthew continued spouting off names of fathers, mothers and sons. "Zerubbabel the father of Abiud..." Dov looked back at the old man Melchoir who was standing transfixed at this stranger's words. He looked pained almost perplexed. Perhaps this is not the story he had suspected it might be. Perhaps, thought Dov, the only reason the old man was still standing there was because he had requested the story be told. It was only polite.
"...Jacob the father of Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. It is this Jesus of whom I exclaimed God is with us! Emmanuel."
"If he is God as you claim how is it that he has a mother and father. God is, with no beginning nor end." Gavriel was intringued by the way this stranger spoke with such authority and confidence. He figured he'd listen to what he had to say because the more time he spent here with this stranger the less he had to think about the news that caused him to pray what he thought would be his last prayer.
"This is a wise question. What shall I call you young sir?"
"My name is Gavriel."
"Well, Gavriel, this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit before Joseph, the man to whom she was pledged to be married to, and she came together."
"How can someone become pregnant through the Holy Spirit? Was she not just a liar?" Dov shouted above the crowd. It was a light hearted attempt at humor, but no one was in a real laughing mood. His words died mid air and he wished he could take them back.
"Do you not know the prophets?" asked Matthew. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son."
"That is from Isaiah's writings."
"Precisely. This Gavriel seems well versed in the Scriptures."
"I read them frequently Matthew, but I still can not plumb the depths of their meaning."
"They are full of riches and truth. Listen to my story, my friend, and you will know the fulfillment of God's covenant with our father Abraham has come and is made ready for you to dive into its richness."
Dov, his pride still suffering over his failed joke turned to the crowd and shouted, "This man speaks like crazy old Melchoir. He has such joy on such a day as this? I, for one am sick of hearing his happy little fairy tale story and would prefer to mourn the temple at home."
"Dov," Gavriel spoke in hushed tones, "what are you doing?"
"I'm done."
"Just stay. I want to hear what he has to say, maybe its nonsense. But imagine... what if its not?"
"He'll just get your hopes up again, kid."
Matthew spoke. "Sir?"
"The name is Dov."
"Dov, I entreat you to stay. I know you do not know me, but trust me, my story is important."
"Matthew, I will stay for my friend here has asked me." Gavriel flashed his famous smile for the first time that day, but it stayed for only an instant.
Matthew continued.

an exiled hope post 3

2008-06-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

"Gavriel..." He was deep in thought and prayer, sobbing slowly. "Gavriel, something's going on."
"Leave me be."
Dov looked on his young friend in pity. He of all the people he knew had to be the most heart broken. Most of the exiled Jews here in Parthia had already started hedging their bets. They had started the grieving process. Gavriel was just too naive, or too optimistic, or perhaps he was just in denial, but he was always faithful, hopeful, he was always waiting for the Messiah the prophets talked about. He had more faith than anyone Dov ever knew and just now he was learning his faith was all for naught. Slowly, after a stroke of Gavriel's head and a comforting word, Dov made his way over to the mob. He heard a strange voice in the midst of the crowd yelling something he could not make out. Later he speculated that he may have heard the voice all right, but just could not make himself believe he heard them right. He felt like they were just so incongruent, so ou of place from this situation, this horrendous day.
"Rejoice! O Israel!!"
Other voices in the crowd were shouting back, "Today is a day of mourning.," "Heretic!" and "How dare you!" Dov pushed through the crowd to see an old man smiling from ear to ear shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Rejoice! Emmanuel has come!"
"Have you not heard the temple is destroyed?"
"Have you not heard," asked the stranger, "that the temple was destroyed already and rebuilt in three days?"
A man brushed past Dov's shoulder, muttering curses on the man and his bold disrespect.
"Surely the news of the temple has broken our hearts. We are Jews and the temple is where we would meet God. Do not misunderstand my meaning. It is just that God does not and did not dwell there anymore. He has chosen a new temple in our hearts." This message was met with an uproar of contempt. "Brothers, please heed what I have to say." People started turning around and walking away.
Suddenly a voice from behind Dov cut through the grumbling, "Let us hear what this man has to tell us. We have already heard bad news today, perhaps some good news will lighten our hearts. Sir, what is your name?" The crowd stopped and turned again towards the stranger.
"Thank you young man. My name is Matthew. I once was a tax collector but have turned from that life to follow a new path."
"And what path is that?" Dov turned to see that the young man who was conversing with Matthew was Gavriel. His face was still lined with tears as he spoke, but for the first time Dov saw him carry himself like a man, not a young boy.
"I am a story teller. One that has the great honor of telling the greatest story that has ever existed. It is the story of our King, Jesus."
Laughs erupted from the crowd. "We have heard no tales of this alleged king," said Gavriel.
"Which is why I am here to tell it."
An old man near the back of the crowd in a near whisper said, "I believe I know this story. Please tell it so an old man can be restored."
Dov turned to Gavriel and tried to make light of the situation. "Poor Melchoir thinks this stranger can make him sane again."
"Melchoir is a nice man. Do not speak of him that way," chided Gavriel.
"Let's start at the beginning, " said Matthew.

exiled hope post 2

2008-06-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

Though it had not rained in weeks, the butcher was pulling his choice cuts in under his makeshift shelter. Gray skies were threatening to dampen the hot ground beneath him which would be a relief. He just did not want his days wages to be lost to wet meat.
"Dov! Dov!" A voice came shouting from somewhere off in the distance. "Dov!"
"I'm busy, Gavriel! Go away!"
"Dov! I have to tell you. Have you heard the news?" Though the butcher could not see the speaker he knew exactly whose voice it was. Gavriel was a young man who studied the Scriptures relentlessly and yet, somehow, he always wore a smile. Dov enjoyed having Gavriel around, but he never told him that.
"Gavriel, seriously, I don't have time. I have to get these..." Dov stopped. He was silenced by the tears streaming down the young man's face. 'Gavriel has succumb.' Dov thought. 'Doomsday is at hand'
"What is it Gavriel?"
The young man was hunched over trying to catch his breath. "It's the... Jerusalem..." He was speaking between breaths. Dov waited impatiently. "They've destroyed... it's gone" Tears began to flow again.
"What, boy? What is destroyed?"
Suddenly, Gavriel took control of his breathing and looked the butcher in the eye.
"The temple is gone."
Dov's heart fell into his stomach as water started falling from the sky.

As news spread throughout the market and as the rain worsened, so did everyone's mood. Dov methodically closed up shop, throwing his goods in a wooden box he kept under his table. He tried to remain composed and did so, but he could not speak. Gavriel sat on the ground and let the raindrops soak his whole self. He wished the water could seep into his being and make him feel refreshed and clean. But all he felt at that moment was pain. Maybe it was not pain so much as it was a longing for a way to reverse the day. Somehow to push the sun back into its nightly hiding place and restart what was a miserable day. Perhaps, he thought, if he could call on God to treat him as he did Joshua and give him control of the sun's flight, instead of just pausing it in mid air, he could turn it the other direction and somehow avert this tragedy. But he felt now, God was not in the mood to help.
"First we are separated, always with the hope..." Dov was mumbling to himself, " the hope someday to see it..."
"And now there is no hope."
"Gavriel, there has never really been any hope left in this place. You see the people everyday. You know their hearts. God had promised us a king and there is no king save Caesar and Vologezes."
"Can this God be good like the Scriptures claim if he allows our hope, our religion, our worship to be diminished to mere tradition and ceremony?"
"Sadly," Dov said in a hushed voice, "I don't know Gavriel."
"I can only pray once more. I do not think I can handle more than that. I do not know if my prayer will be answered, but I feel one more prayer is in order. Pray with me."
"I will."
Gavriel began praying.
"O Come, O Come Emmanuel
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear."
The rain stopped. Dov looked up from his prayer and saw a crowd of people gathering on the West side of the market. He heard some shouts and cries as if they were angry.

exiled hope post 1

2008-06-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

I will be posting small portions of the novella I am writing called "an exiled hope." Please give honest feedback

Chapter One.
The deep tones of pounding feet filled the marketplace with a somber dirge. Every step, every shuffle, every sandal carried the same tune of discontent. A tune whose melody was as ancient as their forefathers. Their God had exiled them, just as he had done so many years before in the garden of Eden, Like Eve they had fallen prey to temptation, like Adam they had indulged in the dripping, sweetness of evil. Now it seemed they were separated again; separated from the garden, the promised land, and God.
God promised Abraham that He would restore the relationship that was lost long before the flood. It seemed in Canaan God had made good on His word. Moses led the Israelites from destitute slavery to the edge of a promised paradise, while faithful Joshua led them to victory over the Canaanites and their allies. God established fickle, wandering nomads as a Nation, as His people. He gave them many good gifts, which only made them more greedy. When they had manna, they wanted meat. When they had meat, they wanted leisure. When they wanted leisure, God gave them toil.
War, death, famine and pain permeate Israel’s history. When at last their hearts were broken, they would turn themselves around and God would rescue them. But occassionally they would harden their hearts to the words of the prophets. So year, after year the prophets would repeat "God is not happy with what you are doing. He is offering redemption, he is giving you grace if only you would accept."
So eventually God opened the door for great armies from the East to take Canaan from its undeserving stewards: the Israelites. The promised land that flowed with milk and honey, the place where God set his temple, was now a foreign king's playground. It seems a flip of a coin, a battle won, or a bad hand of cards was all it took and Israel's homeland would be traded to a new nation. Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians all took their turns and their spoils. It was for this reason that these feet were now mournfully pounding Persian soil, descendants of the feet that made that long journey many years before. Separated from their land and God's temple, forced from their homes and way of life, living as strangers they changed.
No longer did they waste breath on stories of promises and God's provision. Instead the stories spoke of a vengeful God that was bent on destruction. Fear was the only response to His hand. No longer could they speak of the person of God who walked among humans in the Garden, they told of the fiery angels who stood at its gates. Long ago they abandoned the hope of redemption and only continued their religious ceremonies out of habit. Even now as they prepared for another Sabbath word was trickling through the marketplace that something horrible had happened.

pen song

2008-06-05T02:03:00.001-07:00

in protest

2008-05-20T09:26:00.001-07:00

go on up baldy
Originally uploaded by etlbcnu

In protest of sickness and stuffed up noses.
In protest of the subtle and serious.
In protest of the long lost part of the long lost friends.
In protest of the slipping.
In protest of laziness.
In protest of all the things I am not.
In protest of all the things I was not created to be.
In protest, I have shaved my head.
The hair will not grow back before I have resolved these things.

melancholy

2008-05-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

where?

when?

why?

snow days

2008-03-09T10:02:00.001-07:00

The snow fell as we sat in silence watching the white menace tear through streets and cling to the roofs of building. They hold on for dear life, hoping, I can only guess, to not take their final decent straight to the ground. Because once you hit the smooth black surface your end is immanent. There is no survival to be had, when you lay with the enemy on his turf. Drudged up from the depths of the earth by metal and sweat, placed here to melt, to destroy hope. As if it were not hopeless enough. Soon, peaking through the clouds a glimmer of hot light pierces their ranks. One tiny snowflake lets go. The band of brothers that held so fiercely to the rooftop’s safety fall in one lump. They are scattered upon the ground where may are eaten by the earth’s white monster. Disguised as their own, many are destroyed as they huddle to keep cold. A few manage to refreeze after they melt, but not for long. Spring is coming. The creatures from the deep have foretold it to be so. Green will replace white. The salt will disappear; the melting snow, food for the strong. Soon we will leave this place without protective coverings. Soon we will feel the sun’s warmth conquer this cold on our skin. Soon, the white menace will be a mere memory.

its a bread tornado!

2008-01-31T21:02:00.000-08:00

check out my john 6 post on lifelike jesus to find out what a bread tornado is.

Cutting Me to the Quick

2008-01-28T11:14:00.000-08:00

if you have not checked out lifelike jesus yet... we have just reopened after a week's vacation so you should check it out. the site needed a new structure and we have started that newness today. Today my friend Justin wrote a blog about letting the Scripture cut you. That, if we are always encouraged by Scripture, perhaps we arent reading it enough. That Jesus when he spoke did not give cute little illustrations and happy metaphors. He spoke in hard sayings. I always feel like I am a bit too optimistic. Perhaps that is faith. Perhaps it is just denial. I dont know. But I think sometimes a good dose of reality does not challenge me because I have learned to separate myself from that. Does that make any sense?

I tend to see the good outcomes, ignore the bad and just delude myself into a false sense of security. It is easy to rely on myself in these situations. But I need to change. I need to enjoy God's blessings, but also let his hard sayings be hard. Not always settling for the easy, the convenient answers. I need to enjoy the hard times because they teach me, not merely for the struggle.

Don't be timid! Don't be discouraged!

2008-01-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

I wasn't tired.

Well, to be honest... I was tired, but for some unknown reason sleep has kept a wide berth these last few days. So I sat there with my eyes closed in the dark just thinking. Thinking is the worst possible thing you can do if you ever want to sleep. I was just pondering my life and the direction it is going right now. Its exciting and terrifying. Two things that also are not conducive to catching some Zzzs. So I guess through this rambling blog I have nailed the culprit of the recent bout of insomnia.

But I felt anxious and like I needed to pray. A truck pulled up and shined its brights through our bedroom window at that moment. I was hoping it was an angel arriving to comfort my anxiety, or ease my fears, calm my nerves (totally unBiblical depiction of angels here I know, but it is the middle of the night and this is what I really thought for a moment). God had sent good ol' Gabriel to play me a Satchmo style lullaby on his heavenly horn. It was just a truck.

I pulled off the covers and grabbed a blanket and a Bible. I sat down and turned to Joshua. Why Joshua? Perhaps it was just because I like it so much. Perhaps I just wanted to remember how to be faithful like josh. Perhaps it was something much more significant pulling me to that passage. Sometimes I do not know what I believe about things like this... even if it is my own story. And I started to read.

Yeah... Moses is dead, bla bla bla... Cross the Jordan... ok...let's see...I won't give up on you...I am sending you to lead... Give it everything you have...don't get off track...Don't let the Scriptures leave your mind...Ponder and meditate on it and you will be successful...Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God is with you every step you take.

God, I believe, is at long last giving us rest and for that I am grateful.

lifelike jesus

2007-11-04T11:20:00.000-08:00

i usually do not use this blog for anything but blogging, but here's a shameless plug

new blog
called lifelike jesus
at www.lifelikejesus.blosgpot.com
5 guys
5 perspectives
1 text

launches dec 3

be there

time (a video blog)

2007-09-27T13:01:00.001-07:00

a video post in honor of my son's birthday yesterday

2007-09-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

perahaps a new idea?

2007-09-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

I am not a responsible person. I do not think anyone one could fool themselves so much to call me reliable or trustworthy. They know I will forget before they ask me. They know I won’t think about the consequences. I guess thinking about consequences just isn’t my thing.

That might be why I came up with the idea in the first place. Blame it on the road trip novels and the romanticized ideal of the individual… whatever. But I had this dream that I needed to fulfill. And so I went for it. Full throttle. Straight ahead.

My destination: Seattle. My wallet: sparse.

absence (video blog)

2007-08-11T18:37:00.001-07:00

life flies by in seconds...

2007-08-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you who care about these things... a new video blog is in the works...

An old friend contacted me recently and I have just got done explaining to him what has happened in my life in the last year nad a half... and to tell you the truth... it is a lot! Big events in my life seem to all happen at once and when things calm down, nothing else happens. It is like my life goes in growth spurts. One day I am a kid and the next I am an adolescent. Three years go by and nothing happens and then in one day I am an adult. That is just how it seems I guess.

coffee (a new kind of video blog)

2007-08-01T21:38:00.001-07:00

Poor-o-sity

2007-07-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

I think there is some certain satisfaction, or a certain happiness I feel, I guess you could call it joy, that I only get when I do not have any money.

Like long ago when I was scraping my way across the rugged terrain of the Americas, braving the dark, dusty, black and green roads of the Oregon Trail with my daughter my wife and just a tiny bit of gold. I lost my daughter to pneumonia and my wife and gold floated away when I tried to ford the river. (Note: Never Ford the River, pay the Ferry Boat!!!) Though it was just a video game, I learned from our schools' Apple Computers that every good journey includes suffering. Any good story has to have some disappointment and struggling, otherwise its just boring.

So then later I set out on my own real Oregon Trail, only this time I wanted to make a return trip as well. It was not hard to get to Oregon, the trick was getting back to Cincinnati. If it were not for some very generous hippies in SLC, I would probably not have made it back to the 'Nati in time to meet what would soon be my wife... Crazy!

But, the whole point is that, when I do not have pocket change... I am much more inclined to believe God is reliable, because there is no other way for me to handle it. So today I thank God for my empty wallet because...

Being poor brings out the best in me.

2007-07-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

I want to write down everything I have ever felt and sell it for a profit.

Is that possible?

cool and slow...

2007-06-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

I have to tell myself to hold back. Don't go all a-flutter. Because first of all, only girls and wusses "go all a-flutter" and, second, it would ruin everything.

It is kind of like the first date. You pick her up and she is all primped and polished and beautiful. So you push her into the car and take her to that cafe that you know is the best place to take a date because it has great food and atmosphere. And as you are talking, all of a sudden, out of nowhere this voice in your head says, "You are talking to much. Ask her a question."

"Who is this speaking to me from my own brain?" you ask yourself, but the voice answers...

"I am your fluttery, jittery, bubbly calmer downer"

"I have never met you before have I?"

"I only come out on situations like these... and first dates aren't something you do often, pal."

You shrug, "True." and ask her a question. The problem is that you don't really finish your thought because you are too worried about talking to much that you stop mid-sentence (first to have a silent coversation with yourself, and then...) to ask her a question that has nothing to do with what you were talking about. When she takes a second o recover from the shock of subject change and to finish chewing her food, the calmer-downer in your head assumes she is offended by the question or doesn't want to answer, so he persuades you to throw out your own answer to the question you just asked... and as you finish that sentence there is a long pause. She smiles a half-smile at you...

but it is not the kind of half-smile that says, 'I like you.'

It is more like when you pass that person on the street that looks a little familiar to you, so you start to stare as they get closer, hoping to figure out who he is. However, right as you begin to realize that you don't really know this person at all he looks up at you and catches you staring at him... so you tilt your head up a little bit and give him a half-smile... as if to say, 'I know I don't know who you are and that I was staring at you, but really I just wanted you to look up so I could silently greet you for no real reason at all.'

The stranger half-smile. She throws it out as filler. She is stalling, waiting for something to happen, suddenly the waiter comes as you hang your head and bury your face in the menu. She orders the steak and lobster because she knows this is the only time she will ever go out with you... so she wants to spend your money wisely... you order a salad.

Later that evening you try to murder your calmer downer because he doesn't do his job, but he's hiding.

This is what I want to avoid. I don't want to rush the questions and answers. I don't want to monopolize the conversation. I am not sure what will happen in the next few months, but I need to know that God is faithful and strong. I will strive towards faithfulness and hope that when I fall short, God will not.

So here's to a journey of cool and slow...

another day, another blog...

2007-05-31T20:36:00.001-07:00

There is little to say at this moment...

sorry i don't have much but I will say this.

the website is getting updated... cartoons will be back... music, speaking, links and even the sidebar of this blog have all been updated...

be sure to check back to make sure you know what is going on!

The Secret is Out...

2007-05-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

I think I am on to something with my monkey theory... I am calling it "buy the monkey. live the dream." and if you believe in it too, you can order a shirt at cafepress.com where I have opened up a new store.

www.cafepress.com/erictomeo... this will also be a place to get some other eric tomeo merchandise in the near future.

The Secret is Out...

2007-05-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

The Secret is Out... and it is stupid!

The other day at work we got the wonderful opportunity to watch a ridiculous movie during our lunch break called the secret. In this movie they talk, at length, about the law of attraction. Basically the law of atrraction states that if you think about something long enough and hard enough it will be attracted to you. So they say if you think negatively, like "I do not want to be late" you will be late. If you think positively, like "I will be on time" you will be on time. Or if you think about not having enough money all the time, you won't have enough. But if you visualize yourself as a millionaire... its gonna happen.

That's horse crap!

At the very beginning of the movie they explain how it all works, but they do it real quickly so you do not really think about what they are saying. They say that every thought you have has a distinct frequency. So the more you think about one thing, the more that frequency will play in your mind, and that thing will be attracted to that frequency.

Ok. I geuss that could make sense. I could see things being attracted to frequencies, kind of, sort of, maybe... but if you take a second to think about that... what if my brain, when i think about that bike i want, puts off the same frequency that your brain puts off when it thinks about elephants with painted toenails? Whose frequency does the universe chose? Do I end up with a paint-toed elephant or a bike?

And what if I am an optimistic kid in Africa who thinks about what it would be like to have healthy food all day? Do I get it?

You see, what this movie does is it takes about 2 minutes to explain the asinine theories it spouts off like gospel, so that it can waste another hour or two of your life with stuff that would make you feel good. Much like this...

We believe that if you buy a monkey, name it Susie, keep it in your basement, dress it in fine linens and feed it table scraps, it will grant every wish you've ever had...

do you want to be rich? buy the car you want? live in the house of your dreams?
buy the monkey.

do you want that certain someone to finally realize you are debonair?
buy the monkey.

do you want to smile a lot more than you frown?
the monkey is waiting.

do you want your pantry to always be full of ramen noodles?
the monkey can do that for you too.

buy the monkey today!

click here to buy a "Susie" monkey from erictomeo.com

The Beatles, The Bible and my son, Lennon Part Deux

2007-05-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

We have finally crossed this Jordan on dry ground...

for more info see part one in the archives

in response to a recent post from a friend...

2007-04-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

It seems we are fighting a losing battle. It's kind of like the whole rock n' roll or punk rock thing. Here is something that is totally rebellious and angry at the generation that came before... something that is looking to change the system and fight the man. The weird thing is that pretty soon they have a chance to change the system, but it turns out nothing changes and now they are the man.

it is impossible to not be involved in some sort of movement. it just is. Even if you peel away all the layers upon layers of Christianity that came before and sit down with Peter or Apollos or Paul... Each of them is leading a movement a little bit different than the other. Sit down with Jesus- he is leading a movement.

I think the key is not to get caught up in the movement... people are always looking for something different, as culture shifts and as people start to look different, our churches should look different than the ones that came before. If we say we subscribe to emergent ideals or Catholic ideals, it does not matter, as long as we are constantly trying to serve God in all aspects of our lives. As long as we are loving God and loving people who cares what your church sign says above that witty pun (if your church does not have a witty pun on its sign, you are NOT a Christian and a demon named Belfarius will personally escort you to the 6th circle of hell) or if your church even has a sign at all.

You see, what I am trying to say is this... when we start to argue about starting new movements we start to make our own movement away from movements (like a Hot Topic kid who is trying to be different by wearing the same ripped up leather pants as his friend Billy). And if that is the case, so what? Just roll with it. Always keep Jesus and the Scriptures central, but start your own movement if you want. In the grand scheme of things, it will all come back again. But that is the way things are. As Elton John (or should I say Tim Rice) so originally stated,

"It's the Circle of Life, and it moves us all."

poignant, isn't it?

of childhood storybooks...

2007-04-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

Many people think back on their childhood with regret. They think back to when they were footloose and Kevin Bacon-free (ok so that joke only sort of works, but I vow to run with it) and they just, frankly, wish they still were without Kevin Bacon. Unfortunately you can not "un-watch" Hollow Man. I tried.

But back to the main point. Many people have promised themselves theyy would never lose that spunk and spirit of early childhood. However, most have. I think I may be on the verge of losing it.

When old people have babies, they say strange things. Like instead of calling it an accident, its a surprise. But one of the things that they often say (in fact, they say this so much that I once believed it to be true) is "Well, this little guy here, he keeps us young." For those of you who are yet to be mothers and fathers, just know this statement is a lie. To have a child is the ultimate in grown up. You can not be more grown up than when someone refers to you as a parent or father.

So while kids are fun and cute and are a pleasure to play with and throw around (never shake a baby... the psa for today)they do not keep you young. They, just by the very fact that they are your own offspring, if not from the fact that they keep you up at night crying, make you old.

I'm a Toys-R-Us kid and I am fighting to keep it that way, but it is difficult. Now I have a wife and child that depend on me to provide an income, I have a job that takes up most of my time and all my freetime is spent at home either wiping up spit-up or sleeping.

I think what I miss most are the stories.

I always used to love stories.

Many times before we would fall asleep, a mere two feet from each other, on different beds mind you, mark and i would talk about the journeys that brought us to where we were at that moment. I have retold my cross-country trek a hundred times to a hundred different people. There is a monastery full of stories in the heart of Clifton.

Every story is full of laughter and pain and hope... now, it seems there is no time to create stories. It is not that I am sad... that is not it at all.

I just need an adventure, someplace new to explore, something new to see.

I need a new story... a good one, with lots of adventure and sweet romance, and a little laughter and enough pain to make the story worth it... a story like Hollow Man.

ps to anyone reading this post... know this.
i am not dissatisfied with where life has brought me.
i am merely determined to live it to its fullest.
i am not unhappy with the people i have surrounding me.
i am merely trying to love them more by truly being the person i am.
i am not a fan of Hollow Man.

making space part two...

2007-04-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

it is weird because right now, at the end of the resolution-making season, here i am coming up with new resolutions. we have already given up on those new year's resolutions and lent just ended, so we are all back on meat (unless you're a vegan, in which case you and i have nothing in common when it comes to food preferences). the time to trim up for that startling bikini reveal for the first day at the pool this summer is quickly fading into oblivion.

but here i am resolving to make more space, to become a better person, a better father, a better husband, and a better me.

so hold me to this vow, my internet friends.

i will eat better.

i will exercise, if not every day, every other.

i will watch up to 5 hours of television a week (that includes internet television).

i will take my wife on a date, without lennon, if not every week, every other.

i will take my son for a few hours of quiet sanity for my wife, if not every week, every other.

i will take time to be by myself, read, write or whatever every week.

i will spend time in the word every day.

i will wake up early every day.

the only time i spend on the internet will be to check my myspace, my blog, to update my website, or to check my email. i will not spend hours reading pointless articles on why the chihuahua in paris hilton's arm has a certain new hairdo.

i will maximize the time i have, but i will take moments to breathe.

that is all.

making space...

2007-04-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

there is this guy that i never thought i would ever become. this corporate family guy type of person that was totally not me. i was the cool singer-songwriter guy that would travel the US and sleep in his car for the rest of his days.

it is not that i want to sleep in my car. i tried that for a summer and it was about as pleasant as it sounds.

it just seems like my life has taken an unexpected turn... very quickly.

before i had hours just to devote to writing and playing the guitar. it seemed like i could do whatever i wanted at any moment. if my friend called me up and said, "roadtrip to canada." if i had the cash, i was there. even if i had almost enough cash to make it, i was there. now the answer would have to be, "can't."

not that i do not like where i am. i do. it is just that i feel almost like i am losing that 'me.' it is like an old friend of mine has passed on and the funeral parlor is full of the songs and pictures and moments that made up that era of eric tomeo...

but i know he is not gone for good.

see, that guy was me... and he still is. i think god made me to be that guy. i really do. that guy is he one that my wife fell in love with. that guy knew who he was and who god was and that's it.

a lot of people can point to a time in their life where they were the most fit or healthy. i know, that point in my life was the healthiest i have ever been.

awhile back my friend started a journey to become a better person. i need to start that journey again myself. this journey will not just simply be a trip back in time because things are much different now. but it definitely starts with making some big changes.

somehow i need to create space in my life. somehow i need to spend time by myself, doing things i love while not sacrificing those precious few moments i have to spend with my wife and son whom i love. this journey has begun a million times before, but by god's good grace, this one that i begin now, will create a new person. a better, more natural eric tomeo.

the challenge is creating space without creating another task...

if I had a typewriter...

2007-02-24T18:24:00.001-08:00

I sit here avoiding the rain that is falling outside, thankful that I am in the semi-warmth alone with my thoughts and my laptop. Though on a day like today I wish it were a typewriter. I am not really sure why. There is just something romantic or nostalgic or cool about that distinctive click- clack- whirr on a cold, rainy night.

It just seems right.

Maybe it is the finality in the clank of an old fashioned keyboard, the sound of a letter that has been chosen making its permanent mark on the page that is so in tune with nights like these. Whatever is left on the page is raw, nakedly honest. If you’re a bad typist you can not hide behind a backspace, your error is still evident. And so it is with the cold dark that looms outside my windows. The world can not hide its brokenness. The rain washes away all its make-up to reveal the ugliness within. The world is exposed and it is wretched.

And yet, I have come to love nights like these.

I don’t know why, exactly, but I do. So here I sit, sipping my tea, listening to the passing cars and thanking God that I am in this world of depravity… because if I had a typewriter I could show you how well I fit in.

life in general

2007-01-24T19:14:00.000-08:00

sometimes life seems hard, but it really isn't when you really look at it closely.

sometimes life seems easy, but the same thing applies.

i geuss i will just try not to geuss what life seems like anymore.

things change...

2007-01-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

things change
shift and move
constantly morphing
into the new you.

the old you is still there
wondering where you came from
laughing at where you have been
and how you got here.

even still
things change
shift and move

you.

freewriting...

2007-01-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

remember back in high school when the english teacher would pass out those ratty notebooks that had pictures of dragons and your name scrawled on the cover? She would ask you to write anything that you were feeling or thinking about... just to get practice writing.

The thing is, that practice has led to the widespread belief that whatever people are feeling or thinking is important and should be shared with the world through blogs and podcast and youtube journals.

as a member of this group of people who have written many pointless journal entries with mundane subjects and almost always- no point, I apologize to the world at large. I guess sometimes I just can not think of anything better to do than to scribble something onto my blog... which is weird in a way.

There is no privacy here. at least in high school the teacher promised never to show anyone what you had ranted about for a page or a half an hour.

so now here i am spilling out whatever i am thinking and feeling at the moment, doing exactly what i have been complaining about. so what's the point?

i think, personally, i have added a resolution to my list: when i write, I will write well. I will have a point to what I say and I will do my best to communicate that point in an entertaining and informative way in the hopes that maybe, it will catch on.

new year's resolutions...

2007-01-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

resolutions rarely work because... well, because if we make a new year's resolution it is because we think there is something about ourselves we need to change and its hard to change. but i geus this year i will make one... because its good to change.

i resolve to have more free time.
i resolve to do the things i love just because i love them.
i resolve to create in more "family sensitive" ways.
i resolve to love my wife more.
i resolve to love my son more.
i resolve to love my God more.
\\\so there you go.

the earth slows...

2006-11-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

when you are tired, the world slows. the spinning of the earth actually rotates at a slower speed and time itself stands as still as it can when your eyelids would rather be shut. scientifically this theory can not be proven because when both slow at the same rate, the mph remains the same... but i digress.

your ears become more sensitive to the clickings and drones of our usual sonic habitats. every screech resonates with a thousand chills.

your eyes blur. your muscles relax in preparation for the rest your hopeful body is seeking. your head begins to ache.

your anticipation, you know, is not well founded. you know it will be hours before you could even try to lay down. not only that, but those hours are longer than usual. so you sigh and rub your eyes. you pinch yourself to try and wake yourself up, but nothing seems to help. so you let the earth pull you along on its slow journey around itself, and pray that you get to go home early...

even though you know that won't happen

here's to you...

2006-11-26T20:48:00.000-08:00

let us lift a glass to the old and dead... those things in the past that destroyed us are now empty vessels. The souls of the events of once upon a time have left dust and ashes, but to these dusty mounds we owe our present and quite possibly our future. So here's to you... the dead and gone.

let us lift our glass to the new and undiscovered... though, much like the old and dead you do not exist here and now, we anticipate you will reveal yourself according to the will of Him Who Is To Come. And if you are not revealed you are not whom we toast. And soon we shall see what you will look like, we are anxious for that day. So here's to you... the anticipated and new.

let us lift our glass to the here and now... you are alive and vibrant. each breathe we take shows us more of who you are. Sometimes you are hard and cold. Others warm and welcoming. But you are always there, slowly creating mounds of dust in your wake, pushing us towards the newness of what is to come. You are guide on this path and for that we will be forever indebted to you. So here's to you... the present.

And now let us put our glass down for we've all had too much to drink.

truly

2006-11-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

this is a bit random, but it all makes sense... i promise.

i remember the days when my blogs used to be so insightful and poetic. back when i really tried to say something people would like to read. a couple of people read this blog but i feel that need no longer.

well, maybe a little.

but things are getting better. the journey is under way and i will not walk away. soon the circle k will be renewed and january will bring promising prospects.

God is truly good to me.

truly.

broken...

2006-10-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

good friends make even the most depressng conversations healing, if not just plain fun.

what is my spiritual gift?

2006-10-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

driscoll is the man.

seriously his sermons are great because they make me question who I am, explore who God is, and teach me how to be more. He is currently preaching the spiritual gifts on my ipod and honestly, i do not think i have thought this hard about my spiritual gifts in a long time. i geuss i just assumed that i had the gift of leadership and other things because in high school people always called me a leader. but driscoll says, "you aren't a leader unless you have people following you."

common sense, right?

my friend,justin, definitely has this gift. i can lead, but i am not endowed by the spirit of God with the gift of leadership. Justin is.

i geuss i have always been jealous... trying to get this gift... seeking, hoping, praying that i could be a leader. but God has another gift that I need to learn how to nurture. I just am not sure what it is...

he keeps talking about all these gifts listed in the Bible... and at first, I am like, "this is my gift." but then he says something else and i am totally not that person.

so help me out.

what do you think are my spiritual gifts?

don't just take this chance to tell me how great i am (I already know all that). This s not fishing for compliments, rather,it is a struggle towards truth.

(I wish my gift was speaking in tongues, because then i think it woul be obvious, but alas, i know thats not it.)

Suddenly...

2006-10-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Suddenly, I am tired and haggard and worn and weary.

I am not where I need to be. I am not trusting or learning or studying or praying.

It seems, this would be an easy trap to fall into. It is simple to say, "with all that has been going on..." but it is still not that simple.

Sure, I may need a new job, and yes I have a new son that needs a lot of my attention, and yes my wife still needs loving, and, yep, I am going into the studio soon and of course I am trying to finish the first issue of Hell's Minstrel, and yeah I am trying to learn skills that can keep me from having to do a real job for awhile so I can do more of these things...
but that is not an excuse.

it can't be.

I need Him. I know I do. I just have to convince myself that I need Him FIRST in this hectic schedule once again.

Grath's Abode

2006-09-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

If you've never met a lingering toad,
just hanging out on a dark, dark road,
Then you've never been to Grath's Abode,
where shady camels go to steal
hammock beds and movie reels
from carriages with broken wheels.
If you've never seen that place
and stumbled upon it by mistake
I'd swear you'd have a paler face
for the things that happen most often are frightening,
there's witches and goblins and thunder and lightening,
and scary binoculared sightseeers sightseeing.
Only the bravest explorers would dare seek it out,
but when they arrive there, it happens with no doubt
they will gird up their knickers and be gone with a shout

writing...

2006-09-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

I have recently given it up.

It is strange how these urges I have last for so long, fade, then reassert themselves at the last minute. They cry out to me, "Practice me once again." "Throw away your plans and start anew as a writer, musician, and now painter?"

Now, though, it is much harder to see a future filled with tours around the world. Much harder to imagine going it alone through the Montana mountains with nothing but a guitar and very little cash to get me through. Much harder to devote some much needed down time to things like writing down what my life has been like for the past couple years.

I once wrote an entire book. That seems crazy to me.

I once traveled the country. Insane.

Now where am I going?

I think the place is much more secure, yet it still has that tinge of we might not make it. That is the way I have lived my life since high school. Perhaps I struggled through college just to feel that tension... maybe I will fail. That way, when I succeed I feel like I actually accomplished something.

and when I fail? Its all right, because I felt the tension from the start and prepared myself for the eventual collapse.

It is not that I think the port will fail. I have faith that God will be with us the whole way because we have asked him to be there (and after a little conersation with Justin, I think our job is to expect him to be the good father he promises us he is). Plus I think we have made a concerted effort to be the church God wants us to be. To make him the head of the church, not just the subject of our sermons.

It is just that I feel it will be difficult... that is where I thrive.

At the same time, though I wonder where these yearnings will take me. Should I pursue a literary agent? SHould I make playing out a priority?

I think all these things will continue to be important in cycles, but I think these cycles should be used to their full potential. If I am feeling write-tastic, I should be writing letters and trying to get some articles published and if not, I should be writing new songs or finding new places to play.

I guess I just feel too busy sometimes to pursue the things I love.

Then again, Lennon will appear soon and I can think of little else.

Until then I will make progress where I can make progress...

today...

2006-08-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

today started out with my wife mad at me because the cat puked up a ribbon it ate last night, and because the freezer was open... so that sucked.

then, i found out that i would have to work harder today than i first suspected... so that sucked.

then i found out that i have officially graduated from CCU (there was some stuff that had to get taken care of that have been taken care of)... so that was good.

the problem is now i have to decide whether the good outweighs the bad.

perhaps i can just go get an ice cream cone and give the good the upper hand.

(NOTE: This may not be the most meaningful blog in the history of blogging, but I am a little tired and do not have anything else to say today.)

And Then Samuel Said...

2006-08-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Do you think all God wants are sacrifices,
empty rituals just for show?
He wants you to listen to him!
Plain listening is the thing,
not staging a lavish religious production.
Not doing what God tells you
is far worse thn fooling around in the occult.
Getting self important around God
is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.
Because you said No to God's command,
He says No to your leadership.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (The Message)

this weekend...

2006-08-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

it's an experiment in discipline.

i hope we live up to the challenge. i hope we build this weekend around God, rather, this church around God.

i hope we are able to become the men we should be, rather, the leaders we must be in order to make this work.

though the journey has already started...

this is our small step...

or is it a giant leap::.

God knows... and its a little bit creepy

2006-08-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

God understands who Gideon is and what he needs... he created him that way.

God knows the way I operate and loves that about me.

Perhaps my faithful walk has wondered the desert for forty years and i will get to the promised land eventually, but for now, I geuss I should just praise God for the manna.

..::You might not get it. But my number one fan will thanks to itsaboys.

The Beatles, The Bible and my son, Lennon

2006-07-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Since I am going to be a church planter in a few short years, the plan at this point is becoming the man of God that I should be::.

.::Though this should be the goal, no matter what kind of ministry you do (and, yes, if you are a christian you should be involved in some kind of ministry somewhere) I have found myself recently slacking in the area of spirituality. Hence, in a renewed sense of vigor i have started to attack the Bible, reading Joshua with no attention to chapter markings (this helps me see the story aspect of it). It is raising a lot of issues for me... (one that I am not comfortable to talk about at any length right now, for example, is God commanding Israel to kill the children of their enemies... that is almost too relevant to even think about right now... war... huh... what is it good for... getting rid of Jericho, thats for sure)

Joshua is a leader who follows God and while you see clearly the faults of the Israelites through out the book, it is hard to find one with Joshua... he just always seems to be on the right side of things.. so far (i havent read Joshua for a long time, so I forget. If he messes up somewhere, don't spoil it for me). God blesses Joshua's leadership. When they go to cross the Jordan, the waters back up right when the people carrying the ark step into the river and the Israelites go across on dry ground::.

I want to be that kind of leader. God is faithful to Joshua, because Joshua is faithful to God. After they step out of the wilderness, across the Jordan river, into the proimised land, Joshua builds an altar of remembrance. When children ask about this seemingly random pile of stones the Israelites are to say this is to remind us of when we crossed the Jordan River on dry ground::.

Someday I will get a tattoo of the cover of abbey road silohetted, but the lines on the road will be blue... it may be hard to imagine, but its easy if you try... anyway, the lines will be blue to symbolize the river, to remind me where I have been, (the hard life in the winderness) and where I am going (the promised land, that has its battles, but also has milk and honey)and how God has been faithful to me in both...

maybe this will help me be faithful to this call::.

and when lennon asks me what the tattoo means, I will say...

we've crossed the Jordan on dry ground

what does church look like?

2006-07-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

take out the pews and golden trays.
let the building crumble under its own weight and wave goodbye to all that our parents once held dear.

we are the next generation of church leaders and we are postmodern.

but, alas, we are empty. we make vague spiritual statements like, "open the eyes of my heart." What does that even mean? Is it in Scripture and are we using it in a way that is consistent with its context in the holy book? Does it even matter what the Bible says?

We may never know the answers because its too much work.

But maybe, if we just try a little bit, the answers will be revealed to us.

maybe not. But i refuse to accept this postmodern model anymore. God is God and God is real and God is good. And right now that is all I know.

But its enough to start the journey...
the journey to the port.

so...

2006-07-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

so

here we are.

Why does it always seem like we are on a ledge about to plunge into the ocean that is our future? Why does it never really seem like a plunge when we do? Some might say that God prepares us for these cross roads, that there is some plan working its way through our lives...

but what if that is not the way it is?

Perhaps there is not a real plan, just an idea. Like, long ago at the beginning of time, or at least at the beginning of our conception, God got this idea. He says to himself, "I have just the person for the job." So then he shoots lightning down, or sends a stork to the baby farm in Idaho (where all babies come from), or does whatever he does to call our lives into existence and...

WHAM-O!

We become... something

But we are not just anything, we are something, some idea, some inkling that God thought would add that right little spice that the earth really needs. Now it is our simple task to acept or reject that spicyness God endowed us with.

But then again, everyone rejects it at one point or another.

So now here we are at the ledge where our past decisions have been made and are done with, here we are when we choose our next step. Do we ride the spice wherever it will take us or do we choose to follow the boring path into eternity.

The weirdest part, I think, is that we want to be spicy... but sometimes we settle for the ordinary. That seems pretty ordinary, I geuss, but I think we choose the ordinary because we think it is unique to be ordinary and everyone wants to be special.

If I have not confused myself enough at this point... and if you are not too confused... I will continue and you will read... because... um... well, you came here to read what I have to say so hear me out...

So we choose the status quo in order to stick out, but we end up blending in with the rest of ordinary citizens.

Why do we think the ordinary is extraordinary?

Because we are programmed to be spicy... so we rebel against our nature and end up only rebelling against that which truly makes us unique.

So we choose to be ordinary at times and spicy at others... and i think that when we are choosing to be our spiciest... that is when it feels the most like we are on the verge of...something... something dangerous, exciting, and new.

So, when we take the plunge we don't fall and break our necks, not because God has used our life lessons to bring us to this point, but because God created us to be US for these moments when we are standing on the edge about to leap. He created us in such a way that when we choose to be spicy our lives will never be just ordinary but we will be exactly who we are.

I think the lessons we learn shape us into who we will be, but no matter where we are God always has this idea of who he wants us to be...

and it is only when we choose to be spicy that his dream is realized.

new false starts

2006-07-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

why should you read this journal, this blog, this random compiling of stories, facts, theories, ramblings and sneak peeks into the mind of an often frazzled, sometimes weary, sometimes energetic, crazy person?

maybe you shouldn't. i don't know. i have never been good at selling myself. this may be a prime example.

but, i don't know... if you read it and like it, maybe you will read it again. and then soon you will be relating to things i have said and am saying and we could become friends and perhaps we could get together and play chess and drink coffee. maybe that would just be creepy and awkward.

but, truth be told, i have had one of these online journal things before.

i'd rather not talk about it. my life has changed, gone in a new direction, shifted gears, etc. i felt a clean break would be best.

god rest the old. god bless the new. and may this new false start be a lasting one.