Some people keep trying to push for truth in advertising. You know, not letting any exaggerated claims or untruths make their way into that little jingle or blurb that gets written to entice you into buying something you really don't need or to hide the true conditions of the item in question. Sometimes though the push for truth in advertising might go a little too far. Case in point:
Original advertisement:
For Rent: Cute, 1 1/2 BR, 1 BA white farmhouse tucked away on quiet country lot. Easy access to major medical center and highways providing access to suburban amenities, as well as a walking trail/bike path. Pleasantly nestled between two large agricultural fields, providing sunset views and scenic surroundings. Street address lends itself to unique and interesting blog titles and nearby pond provides rare glimpse at aquatic wildlife in the midst of suburban neighborhood. Charming plaster walls and original fixtures (including bathtub and doors/doorhandles) lend an aura of reminiscence for days gone by. Large yard suitable for gardening and playing croquet or volleyball. Tenant responsible for lawn care and all utilities except water.
Truth in advertising:
For Rent: Cute, 1 1/2 BR, 1BA white farmhouse tucked away on what seems to be a quiet country lot. It's fortunate that there is a major medical center nearby, as frequent accidents will occur at all hours of the day and night, so be prepared to have 911 on speed dial. This includes major car accidents and wipeouts by 10 year olds screaming bloody murder when they fall off their bike tearing down the hill. Easy access to major connecting routes means that everyone and their brother will know where your house is, and will often comment on such things as - "oh, I was just driving by your house the other day, and noticed you use Dawn dish detergent. Isn't it great?" Pleasantly nestled between two agricultural fields which provide pleasant views, scenic sunsets, and plenty of small rodents to inhabit your house when the corn's cut down, and hundreds of flies in January when they fertilize the fields (not to mention the pleasant aroma that goes with it). Occasional blown power line transformers may set the field on fire, which lends itself to a chance to meet your neighbors and for acquiring new dents in your car.
Street address lends itself to interesting and unique blog titles, and nearby pond frequently floods with heavy rain, thereby blocking your road to through traffic. Charming plaster walls fall apart whenever you try to hang even a calendar, plaster ceilings that crumble when pipes leak, and doorknobs that fall off at every turn are par for the course. A leaking bathtub necessitates replacement of the entire bathroom, as hardware stores don't like to reminisce about days gone by. Large yard suitable for playing croquet and volleyball, except when cars flip and overturn in the middle of the croquet lawn. Better take out extra life and health insurance, because you'll need it when you mow the lawn.
In case you're wondering where to call to rent this lovely villa ~ sorry, but it's already taken :) By two highly intelligent, charming, funny, creative, and stunningly beautiful women. And that, my friends, is truth in advertising.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Enough already!
Ok, I think God is trying to tell me something. For some reason James 1 has been on my mind for a few weeks. And every time I go to something where there's a testimony, the person mentions James 1. And tonight as I was sitting around waiting for Joanna to call me about where we're going to dinner, I thought I'd catch up on some blogs. One of Joanna's recommended blogs is Jeneric Jeneralities, so I thought I'd catch up on it. And guess what she mentions??? I'll give you 3 guesses, the first 3 don't count.
so here, for your reading pleasure, is James 1:
so here, for your reading pleasure, is James 1:
James 1
1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Quietness and Trust
Still
Words and Music by Reuben Morgan
Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are god
Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Oh the irony...
Apparently a writer for the LA times wrote an article recently about what irony is and what it isn't. I liked his list of bona fide ironic stories, with a couple other ones I found along the way....
- Brewing heir Adolph Coors III was allergic to beer.
- County supervisors in Pima County, Ariz., held a closed meeting to discuss Arizona's open meeting law.
- U.S. Border Patrol uniforms are manufactured in Mexico.
- When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, so many visitors were taking souvenir pieces that a protective fence was installed, so that, yes, the Berlin Wall was guarded by a wall.
- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's 2005 state of the nation address, in which he promised to remedy his country's chronic electricity shortages, was blacked out by a power failure.
- A 17-year-old Amish boy was electrocuted by a downed power line that became tangled in the wheels of his horse-drawn buggy.
- The "Marlboro Man" died of lung cancer.
- A 2001 Father's Day tribute on ESPN featured "How Sweet It Is (to be Loved by You)," sung by Marvin Gaye, who was shot and killed by his father in 1984.
- Entries for the Florida Press Club's 2005 Excellence in Journalism Award for hurricane coverage were lost in Hurricane Katrina.
- Adel Smith, president of the Muslim Union of Italy, who brought charges against Italian author Oriana Fallaci for defaming Islam, has been sentenced to six months in prison—for defaming the Catholic Church.
- That Valentine's Day was placed in February, just in case single people have recovered from the loneliness that Christmas and New Year's Eve induced.
- People who refuse to see a psychologist because they don't need to pay someone to help them out with their issues, but will gladly spend $100 a week at a tanning salon.
- That you wouldn't have the faintest idea if your accountant was ripping you off.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Warmth
So I have to laugh. I log on to the internet today, and my home page comes up. It's a weather page, which likes to compare today to yesterday. Guess what it says? Today is forecast to be Warmer than yesterday. Just like that - red letters and everything, to make you feel Warmer as you read it, or something :) Why am I laughing? Because yesterday's high was a frigid 18 degrees, and today is forecast to be a high of 20 degrees. Ah yes, 20 degrees invokes such a feeling of Warmth. I guess it's all a matter of perspective :)
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
My Grandpa
I've been thinking lately about the past, and thinking about what I'm going to write in the book I'm writing about my life. I was going to write about high school, but that's a long and complicated story, so I'll save it for another time. Then I thought about people that have been in my life, and most of those stories are long and complicated too, and some of them read my blog, so getting the story "just right" would take a while. But my grandpa is dying, and I've been thinking about him lately, so I figured that might be a good place to start.
It's actually kind of interesting that I've been thinking about my grandpa so much, because I'm not actually that close to him, even though he's the only grandpa I've ever known. Grandpa Seaton died when I was about 3, and the only memories I have of him is a picture in my mind from when he visited us in Houston, and a memory of his burial, where I in my 3 year old mind couldn't understand how Grandpa could fit underneath the tarp that was only about 3 inches off the ground. But this Grandpa, Grandpa Brownell has always been around.
When I was little, we lived in Houston, and we'd fly back to visit Syracuse, where both my parents grew up, once or twice a year usually in the summer and sometimes at Thanksgiving or maybe Christmas. I always thought that was fun, because we'd see real snow, and get to make snowmen and snow angels (a novelty for us Texans!) I remember my grandparents meeting us at the gate, and riding home in their old Buicks or Oldsmobiles with the cushy seats. It's kind of strange, whenever I think of Grandpa Brownell, I don't usually think of him, I think of things associated with him, like his cars or the old falling down house they used to live in on Kirkville Road with the scary basement and huge vent in the middle of the hallway floor, or the time he took us down to the fire hall to see the fire engines and where my mom went to kindergarten. For some reason, I've always been hesitant to talk to these grandparents very much, maybe because I never knew what to say or what to ask when my parents were sitting in the same room, and they usually monopolized the conversation.
Most of my memories of my grandfather though are actually from the last 12 years or so, after he had his stroke and was confined to a wheelchair or his recliner. Somehow he became a little more approachable then. Maybe it's because he no longer towered over me (he's 6' plus or minus an inch or two) or because he had more time to sit and chat or I grew out of my shyness, or whatever. I remember being sad to see my grandpa in a wheelchair, but it's never seemed like a disability to me. It just became a little harder to play Scrabble or dominos with only one hand, but he did it well enough. I always knew he was in the army and the Korean War, but when I came to college in PA and actually knew where Fort Indiantown Gap was, it made it a little more interesting to me. He's had a hard life - he lost his only son during an operation for brain cancer when my uncle Gary was only 10. I don't think he's quite ever gotten over that, even though it's been 40+ years. But Grandpa has always been the sensitive one - he'd cry without fail everytime we left to go back to Houston on the plane, or everytime we get in the car to drive home. I never really knew any other grown man that would cry that openly, and it always made me want to cry, even just now thinking of it. I guess he knew how quickly life can disappear, or how each goodbye might be the last.
Even though we've been through this before (we thought it was the end my junior year in college and made a trip up to NY) I think this time it really is the end of the road for Grandpa. I think one of the things that makes me saddest is for my grandma, who will be married to him 52 years on Monday, and my mom. After all, even though he was just my grandpa who I didn't know very well, he was her dad. He was the one who yelled at her for going 70 miles an hour down a hill during the midst of the gas crisis in the 70's (she claims she couldn't help it, she was going downhill), and who taught her to be so good at Scrabble. He was the one who was a volunteer firefighter, driving the truck since he couldn't walk well enough to actually go in and put out the fires. I think that was the thing that made me proudest of him ever since I was little - the fact that he was a firefighter, and eventually won an award for his long years of service (30 or more?). But now all that is over, and we're just waiting for the end. Sneaks up on you kinda fast.
It's actually kind of interesting that I've been thinking about my grandpa so much, because I'm not actually that close to him, even though he's the only grandpa I've ever known. Grandpa Seaton died when I was about 3, and the only memories I have of him is a picture in my mind from when he visited us in Houston, and a memory of his burial, where I in my 3 year old mind couldn't understand how Grandpa could fit underneath the tarp that was only about 3 inches off the ground. But this Grandpa, Grandpa Brownell has always been around.
When I was little, we lived in Houston, and we'd fly back to visit Syracuse, where both my parents grew up, once or twice a year usually in the summer and sometimes at Thanksgiving or maybe Christmas. I always thought that was fun, because we'd see real snow, and get to make snowmen and snow angels (a novelty for us Texans!) I remember my grandparents meeting us at the gate, and riding home in their old Buicks or Oldsmobiles with the cushy seats. It's kind of strange, whenever I think of Grandpa Brownell, I don't usually think of him, I think of things associated with him, like his cars or the old falling down house they used to live in on Kirkville Road with the scary basement and huge vent in the middle of the hallway floor, or the time he took us down to the fire hall to see the fire engines and where my mom went to kindergarten. For some reason, I've always been hesitant to talk to these grandparents very much, maybe because I never knew what to say or what to ask when my parents were sitting in the same room, and they usually monopolized the conversation.
Most of my memories of my grandfather though are actually from the last 12 years or so, after he had his stroke and was confined to a wheelchair or his recliner. Somehow he became a little more approachable then. Maybe it's because he no longer towered over me (he's 6' plus or minus an inch or two) or because he had more time to sit and chat or I grew out of my shyness, or whatever. I remember being sad to see my grandpa in a wheelchair, but it's never seemed like a disability to me. It just became a little harder to play Scrabble or dominos with only one hand, but he did it well enough. I always knew he was in the army and the Korean War, but when I came to college in PA and actually knew where Fort Indiantown Gap was, it made it a little more interesting to me. He's had a hard life - he lost his only son during an operation for brain cancer when my uncle Gary was only 10. I don't think he's quite ever gotten over that, even though it's been 40+ years. But Grandpa has always been the sensitive one - he'd cry without fail everytime we left to go back to Houston on the plane, or everytime we get in the car to drive home. I never really knew any other grown man that would cry that openly, and it always made me want to cry, even just now thinking of it. I guess he knew how quickly life can disappear, or how each goodbye might be the last.
Even though we've been through this before (we thought it was the end my junior year in college and made a trip up to NY) I think this time it really is the end of the road for Grandpa. I think one of the things that makes me saddest is for my grandma, who will be married to him 52 years on Monday, and my mom. After all, even though he was just my grandpa who I didn't know very well, he was her dad. He was the one who yelled at her for going 70 miles an hour down a hill during the midst of the gas crisis in the 70's (she claims she couldn't help it, she was going downhill), and who taught her to be so good at Scrabble. He was the one who was a volunteer firefighter, driving the truck since he couldn't walk well enough to actually go in and put out the fires. I think that was the thing that made me proudest of him ever since I was little - the fact that he was a firefighter, and eventually won an award for his long years of service (30 or more?). But now all that is over, and we're just waiting for the end. Sneaks up on you kinda fast.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Catharsis
Yesterday evening, I was on my way to my parents and listening to the Writer's Almanac by Garrison Keillor on NPR. He was going through this day in history, and it was the birthday of W.C. Fields. And he gave two quotes that fit exactly with stuff I've been thinking about lately, so I thought I'd share them. And there's a few people I need to tell the second quote, but we'll chat later :)
Quote 1:
"It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to."
Quote 2: "There comes a time in the affairs of man when he must take the bull by the tail and face the situation."
Quote 1:
"It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to."
Quote 2: "There comes a time in the affairs of man when he must take the bull by the tail and face the situation."
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Reflections
Last weekend, I went on a retreat in Sandy Cove, MD with the Christian Medical Society, which was a really great experience. The speaker, Dr. John Patrick, encouraged us to write our stories - to put down on paper our testimony and the various ways that God has worked in our lives. I have always said that I'm going to write a book before I die about my life, and some of the crazy things that have happened and just how God has worked in my life. A few months ago, I wrote to Susan Isaacs, a woman who has a blog and who had been looking for a church home. She was kind of stuck between a more liturgical service and an "emerging church" style service. So I wrote to her, sharing my experience and explaining why I love going to my church here in Dillsburg. Just thought I'd post an excerpt from that e-mail and begin telling my story.
I've grown up mostly in non-denominational and "emerging" churches for most of my life. When I was young we lived in Houston, and attended one a Vineyard church, which was a good experience (vibrant worship, etc....). My family left Houston at the beginning of the Toronto revival movement, when the whole "being slain in the spirit" thing started happening. I was a teenager then, and some of the experiences were moving, but at points I don't think I understood it very well. Then we moved to VA to a small college town and we went to the church my parents had gone to 20 years earlier, when my dad was in grad school. It was non-denominational, but my parents' reaction when we returned was "it was the same people sitting in the same chairs (70's folding chairs with bright yellow cushions) wearing the same clothes and singing the same songs". For some reason they stuck it out, hoping to convince their friends of the benefits of moving into the modern world, and really discovering what it meant to be a Christian in the context of a broader society. Well, four years later, the church split after a HORRIBLE year of fighting, secrecy, gossip, and all sorts of crazy stuff (like a woman accusing another of demon possession and extracting spiritual power every time they hugged). It was insanity (literally, perhaps!)
All of that happened my senior year of high school, and I went off to college kind of bitter, hurt and not knowing what to think or how to trust or relate to Christians. I never gave up on Christ, but Christians were another story. I still was unsure of more traditional churches, because they didn't produce that exhilarating feeling or the emotional high of the Vineyard type And I wasn't quite ready to trust people either. For a year I went to a large church with several services. I always went to the middle service and felt shuffled in and out to make room for the next crowd. It was hard to connect with people because there were just so many people there. In the meantime back home, my parents were going to another "emerging" church which was great, with its freedom and, yes, it did that painting thing too! But when I went home and would cry because of the bitterness and hurt I had towards the church that split, people would lay hands on me and try to get me to somehow have complete spiritual healing all in one day. And that didn't feel right either. I needed to have time to grieve and process the living hell church people put me through during my senior year in high school, which was supposed to be a great time in my life.
So my second year of college, I happened upon a church that was Brethren in Christ. I was a little wary at first; because the little I knew about the denomination was that they started in PA and were from the Anabaptist, Weslyan and Pietist traditions. I was envisioning a church just one step closer to the modern world from the Amish, with traditional sits and stands and passing the peace and the Apostle's Creed and only super old hymns. Not that any of that is bad, it's just not what I thought I was looking for at the time.
To my utter surprise, the church was nothing like what I had envisioned. We went the first Sunday, and people were nice - came up to us, introduced themselves, and it was a good service. A mix of more contemporary songs and traditional hymns, a really neat and well balanced service. The message was good, but what I liked the most about it was that there was a time between the singing and the sermon for anyone in the congregation to share what God had been doing in their life. Old, young, mentally handicapped, whatever, you were free to share any experience you thought would benefit the church. So I thought, hmm, that's neat, maybe I'll come back. The next week, we returned, and what stood out to me was PEOPLE REMEMBERED OUR NAMES. Not just one or two people, but everyone we had talked to that first week. And as my roommates and I kept attending, it was just evident that God's love was there. There were special Sundays like "special needs" Sundays, where the mentally challenged lead worship and shared God's love. They had missions Sundays where we would gather for a meal native to the country of our speaker after church. They talk about things relevant to everyday life, not always some lofty "spiritual" lesson, though they have those too.
I guess what I love the most about my church is the genuineness of the people in it. These are everyday people living everyday lives who are Christians too. We debate about politics and social justice issues. The church is constantly trying to make the church accessible to people that might never want to step foot in a "church". We have dinner theaters every year to just have fun and enjoy a play with a message such as getting along with difficult people, or just trying to give people a chance to laugh and enjoy life. (The first dinner theater I went to was a sock hop theme, with swing dance lessons before the play!) I have felt totally comfortable taking my non-Christian friends to church with me – I know that they will hear God’s word in a relevant, non-threatening way, and I’ve seen my non-Christian friends changed by what they’ve heard at my church. I guess the best way to say it is that the people in this church care about each other and everyone around them, and are down to earth, NORMAL people. They don't condemn movies or on the other end overspiritualize anything; yet if you meet them, you can tell that something is different. No one is pushy about their faith or trying a bunch of gimmicks to get you to come to church, or convert. They're just living their lives, genuinely concerned about others, and inviting them along on their journey. They are honest about their joys as well as their failures, and are willing to share life's experiences and come alongside when you just need an ear to listen.
I've grown up mostly in non-denominational and "emerging" churches for most of my life. When I was young we lived in Houston, and attended one a Vineyard church, which was a good experience (vibrant worship, etc....). My family left Houston at the beginning of the Toronto revival movement, when the whole "being slain in the spirit" thing started happening. I was a teenager then, and some of the experiences were moving, but at points I don't think I understood it very well. Then we moved to VA to a small college town and we went to the church my parents had gone to 20 years earlier, when my dad was in grad school. It was non-denominational, but my parents' reaction when we returned was "it was the same people sitting in the same chairs (70's folding chairs with bright yellow cushions) wearing the same clothes and singing the same songs". For some reason they stuck it out, hoping to convince their friends of the benefits of moving into the modern world, and really discovering what it meant to be a Christian in the context of a broader society. Well, four years later, the church split after a HORRIBLE year of fighting, secrecy, gossip, and all sorts of crazy stuff (like a woman accusing another of demon possession and extracting spiritual power every time they hugged). It was insanity (literally, perhaps!)
All of that happened my senior year of high school, and I went off to college kind of bitter, hurt and not knowing what to think or how to trust or relate to Christians. I never gave up on Christ, but Christians were another story. I still was unsure of more traditional churches, because they didn't produce that exhilarating feeling or the emotional high of the Vineyard type And I wasn't quite ready to trust people either. For a year I went to a large church with several services. I always went to the middle service and felt shuffled in and out to make room for the next crowd. It was hard to connect with people because there were just so many people there. In the meantime back home, my parents were going to another "emerging" church which was great, with its freedom and, yes, it did that painting thing too! But when I went home and would cry because of the bitterness and hurt I had towards the church that split, people would lay hands on me and try to get me to somehow have complete spiritual healing all in one day. And that didn't feel right either. I needed to have time to grieve and process the living hell church people put me through during my senior year in high school, which was supposed to be a great time in my life.
So my second year of college, I happened upon a church that was Brethren in Christ. I was a little wary at first; because the little I knew about the denomination was that they started in PA and were from the Anabaptist, Weslyan and Pietist traditions. I was envisioning a church just one step closer to the modern world from the Amish, with traditional sits and stands and passing the peace and the Apostle's Creed and only super old hymns. Not that any of that is bad, it's just not what I thought I was looking for at the time.
To my utter surprise, the church was nothing like what I had envisioned. We went the first Sunday, and people were nice - came up to us, introduced themselves, and it was a good service. A mix of more contemporary songs and traditional hymns, a really neat and well balanced service. The message was good, but what I liked the most about it was that there was a time between the singing and the sermon for anyone in the congregation to share what God had been doing in their life. Old, young, mentally handicapped, whatever, you were free to share any experience you thought would benefit the church. So I thought, hmm, that's neat, maybe I'll come back. The next week, we returned, and what stood out to me was PEOPLE REMEMBERED OUR NAMES. Not just one or two people, but everyone we had talked to that first week. And as my roommates and I kept attending, it was just evident that God's love was there. There were special Sundays like "special needs" Sundays, where the mentally challenged lead worship and shared God's love. They had missions Sundays where we would gather for a meal native to the country of our speaker after church. They talk about things relevant to everyday life, not always some lofty "spiritual" lesson, though they have those too.
I guess what I love the most about my church is the genuineness of the people in it. These are everyday people living everyday lives who are Christians too. We debate about politics and social justice issues. The church is constantly trying to make the church accessible to people that might never want to step foot in a "church". We have dinner theaters every year to just have fun and enjoy a play with a message such as getting along with difficult people, or just trying to give people a chance to laugh and enjoy life. (The first dinner theater I went to was a sock hop theme, with swing dance lessons before the play!) I have felt totally comfortable taking my non-Christian friends to church with me – I know that they will hear God’s word in a relevant, non-threatening way, and I’ve seen my non-Christian friends changed by what they’ve heard at my church. I guess the best way to say it is that the people in this church care about each other and everyone around them, and are down to earth, NORMAL people. They don't condemn movies or on the other end overspiritualize anything; yet if you meet them, you can tell that something is different. No one is pushy about their faith or trying a bunch of gimmicks to get you to come to church, or convert. They're just living their lives, genuinely concerned about others, and inviting them along on their journey. They are honest about their joys as well as their failures, and are willing to share life's experiences and come alongside when you just need an ear to listen.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Waiting and wonder
This Christmas eve, I went to church twice, once in the morning as usual, and once in the evening with my family. Interestingly enough, both sermons were about wonder, and not losing the wonder of Christmas. Interesting again, because Joanna had just finished commenting the past Friday night about how crazy and amazing Christmas is, and how it's really kind of crazy to believe in some of the things we believe in. God coming down and becoming flesh? Kind of weird and yet wonderful at the same time.
At this point, I knew that God was trying to get a point across to me, but I've been too tired and kind of emotionally disconnected lately. It just seemed like too much work to try and wrap my head around wonder, when I had a hard enough time wrapping my head around wrapping the presents and catching up with people who were in town and the fact that I had to go to work every day in the past few weeks except Christmas Day.
The other thing that has also been in the back of my mind lately is Advent and waiting for things. I've been really frustrated lately waiting for things. It seems like I have a desire for certain things and God's placed that desire in my heart for a long time, but it just isn't happening. I can try to make it happen or try not to make it happen, but it just doesn't happen. And so I work myself up over it. Or there are other things that I know God has called me to, but I just can't see how they are going to work out. And again I fret and get upset, because I know I should just be patient and pray about it, but getting tired of not seeing immediate results.
This morning though, God gave me little glimpses and little answers to some of the wonder and waiting issue. On my way to church, I heard a sermon from last week on the radio. When I watched the movie the nativity story, the part that really got me was the part about the shepherds. And this morning on the radio, they repeated the story from Luke, and the part about the shepherds got me again. There they were, minding their own business and the sheep, and the angel of the Lord came, and the glory of the Lord shown around them! And the angels brought them good tidings of great joy, that to them a Savior had been born, who is Christ the Lord! And then, to top it off, the angels had to tell the shepherds how to recognize him - you will find him wrapped in cloth, lying in a manger?! And at the end, the shepherds went through the village telling people about the amazing things they had seen and heard. Wow, what a wonder-full thing that had happened! Can you imagine? Being a shepherd and believing this crazy thing enough to go and see it, and then to tell others about it. What a wonder.
During the church service this morning, someone shared during the sharing time about how they had been looking for and praying for a building for a rescue mission in Scranton. Finally, after two years, it's purchased and open. In talking about the New Year, a guy said that we think about a New Year and what we would like to get done in the next year, etc... But God is infinite, and he's outside of time and thinks about time differently. So when we don't see the immediate fruits of our prayers, we get upset. But God is still working in that time. It's actually pretty amazing. Perhaps while we are being faithful, God is working in someone else's heart so that they will do what he has called them to do. Perhaps they are stalling, or aren't hearing God's voice. Yet the God of the universe, who could strong-arm them into doing what he wanted, waits patiently for them to hear his voice and respond. And only then, can all the pieces come together to bring to fruition the prayers of his people.
So I don't know what this means for the New Year. I don't know if it's going to make it any easier in those moments where I just wish God would hear my prayer and answer it. But it is reminding me to watch for the wonder of God working in my heart and mind and to treasure those "God-moments" where I can see his hand at work.
To Him be the glory, for ever and ever, amen.
At this point, I knew that God was trying to get a point across to me, but I've been too tired and kind of emotionally disconnected lately. It just seemed like too much work to try and wrap my head around wonder, when I had a hard enough time wrapping my head around wrapping the presents and catching up with people who were in town and the fact that I had to go to work every day in the past few weeks except Christmas Day.
The other thing that has also been in the back of my mind lately is Advent and waiting for things. I've been really frustrated lately waiting for things. It seems like I have a desire for certain things and God's placed that desire in my heart for a long time, but it just isn't happening. I can try to make it happen or try not to make it happen, but it just doesn't happen. And so I work myself up over it. Or there are other things that I know God has called me to, but I just can't see how they are going to work out. And again I fret and get upset, because I know I should just be patient and pray about it, but getting tired of not seeing immediate results.
This morning though, God gave me little glimpses and little answers to some of the wonder and waiting issue. On my way to church, I heard a sermon from last week on the radio. When I watched the movie the nativity story, the part that really got me was the part about the shepherds. And this morning on the radio, they repeated the story from Luke, and the part about the shepherds got me again. There they were, minding their own business and the sheep, and the angel of the Lord came, and the glory of the Lord shown around them! And the angels brought them good tidings of great joy, that to them a Savior had been born, who is Christ the Lord! And then, to top it off, the angels had to tell the shepherds how to recognize him - you will find him wrapped in cloth, lying in a manger?! And at the end, the shepherds went through the village telling people about the amazing things they had seen and heard. Wow, what a wonder-full thing that had happened! Can you imagine? Being a shepherd and believing this crazy thing enough to go and see it, and then to tell others about it. What a wonder.
During the church service this morning, someone shared during the sharing time about how they had been looking for and praying for a building for a rescue mission in Scranton. Finally, after two years, it's purchased and open. In talking about the New Year, a guy said that we think about a New Year and what we would like to get done in the next year, etc... But God is infinite, and he's outside of time and thinks about time differently. So when we don't see the immediate fruits of our prayers, we get upset. But God is still working in that time. It's actually pretty amazing. Perhaps while we are being faithful, God is working in someone else's heart so that they will do what he has called them to do. Perhaps they are stalling, or aren't hearing God's voice. Yet the God of the universe, who could strong-arm them into doing what he wanted, waits patiently for them to hear his voice and respond. And only then, can all the pieces come together to bring to fruition the prayers of his people.
So I don't know what this means for the New Year. I don't know if it's going to make it any easier in those moments where I just wish God would hear my prayer and answer it. But it is reminding me to watch for the wonder of God working in my heart and mind and to treasure those "God-moments" where I can see his hand at work.
To Him be the glory, for ever and ever, amen.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Culture, politics, etc..
I have been thinking a lot about culture lately. I don't know why, I just have. Last night I saw a piece on illegal immigration in Colorado. It was interesting, because this one place in Colorado has a bunch of illegal immigrants, and they are willing to have the jobs no American wants to do, like construction work. I don't really like the immigration debate, because sometimes it gets too political for me. But the most interesting part of the story to me was when they interviewed a white woman with kids in the public school. They were talking about how this school does bilingual instruction for everyone, with part of the time in English and part in Spanish. This woman was happy that her kindergarten son knew some Spanish, but she felt uncomfortable about the future, because her son was in the minority. She basically said she didn't want him to lose his culture and was in essence worried about her son becoming more confortable with the Hispanic culture. How ironic! It's funny, because I would be excited to have my kids learn more about another culture! I think it's great to experience different points of view - makes you more aware of your own culture. And yet here she was, a white woman in the US, afraid because her son was in the minority. Interesting irony.
I was a minority growing up, and faced "reverse discrimination" at the tail end of the time my family was in Houston. Strange though, because as a kid I just saw everyone as people, as my neighbors. But they were black and I was white, and so there was a difference.
Today I had an interesting conversation with a Russian guy at work. He was talking about how he has a hard time in English because of all the articles like a, an and the. Apparently in Russian, there are no articles. Although everything has a gender. So I was telling him if he had a hard time with English, he should try Spanish! Not only are there articles, but you have to get the right masculine and feminine articles for everything! So then we were comparing the gender of various inanimate objects between Spanish and Russian. It would be interesting to do a complete word study and figure out the differences in the gender of inanimate objects between languages. There has to be an interesting reason why "table" is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Russian. Then again, maybe no one really cares.
On the way home from work, I was listening to the news on the radio. There was some quote by someone talking about Iraq. It's been said a million times before, but for some reason I actually heard it today. Whatever important "knowledgeable" source was talking on the subject of troops in Iraq. And they said "the Iraqis need to want to take over the security of their nation. They need to want to take control of their country and quell the sectarian violence. They need to step up and take initiative for securing their own country". Basically this would be so we could get out of there. Say WHAT? The Iraqis need to want to secure their country? As if they are sitting around sipping tea and coffee all day, oblivious to the fact that hundreds of people die each month. As if they are waiting for us to say - oh, you can take care of securing your country now, it's fine by us. What about the fact that we came in, bombed the **** out of their country a few years ago, they are faced with a new way of life and a new way of thinking, they don't know to trust and who not to trust (I'm talking about Iraqis), they fear for their daily safety, and that it's going to take TIME to accomplish all of this? True, I don't want any American troops to die. But I think it's arrogant for us to say - we came in, left your country in disarray, and now we want to walk away from it! Of course the Iraqis want to be able to run and secure their own country. But going back to culture, let's acknowledge that it's a matter of different cultures and there needs to be some room for that. Let's acknowledge that democracy is a new thought for these people, and it's going to take some time for that to sink in. Let's acknowledge that maybe our way of seeing things and doing things isn't always the only way of seeing things and doing things. And maybe we can learn more by being in the minority and being uncomfortable rather than trying to rearrange our lives so we are always surrounded by "our own kind". Maybe we can learn something from our differences.
I was a minority growing up, and faced "reverse discrimination" at the tail end of the time my family was in Houston. Strange though, because as a kid I just saw everyone as people, as my neighbors. But they were black and I was white, and so there was a difference.
Today I had an interesting conversation with a Russian guy at work. He was talking about how he has a hard time in English because of all the articles like a, an and the. Apparently in Russian, there are no articles. Although everything has a gender. So I was telling him if he had a hard time with English, he should try Spanish! Not only are there articles, but you have to get the right masculine and feminine articles for everything! So then we were comparing the gender of various inanimate objects between Spanish and Russian. It would be interesting to do a complete word study and figure out the differences in the gender of inanimate objects between languages. There has to be an interesting reason why "table" is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Russian. Then again, maybe no one really cares.
On the way home from work, I was listening to the news on the radio. There was some quote by someone talking about Iraq. It's been said a million times before, but for some reason I actually heard it today. Whatever important "knowledgeable" source was talking on the subject of troops in Iraq. And they said "the Iraqis need to want to take over the security of their nation. They need to want to take control of their country and quell the sectarian violence. They need to step up and take initiative for securing their own country". Basically this would be so we could get out of there. Say WHAT? The Iraqis need to want to secure their country? As if they are sitting around sipping tea and coffee all day, oblivious to the fact that hundreds of people die each month. As if they are waiting for us to say - oh, you can take care of securing your country now, it's fine by us. What about the fact that we came in, bombed the **** out of their country a few years ago, they are faced with a new way of life and a new way of thinking, they don't know to trust and who not to trust (I'm talking about Iraqis), they fear for their daily safety, and that it's going to take TIME to accomplish all of this? True, I don't want any American troops to die. But I think it's arrogant for us to say - we came in, left your country in disarray, and now we want to walk away from it! Of course the Iraqis want to be able to run and secure their own country. But going back to culture, let's acknowledge that it's a matter of different cultures and there needs to be some room for that. Let's acknowledge that democracy is a new thought for these people, and it's going to take some time for that to sink in. Let's acknowledge that maybe our way of seeing things and doing things isn't always the only way of seeing things and doing things. And maybe we can learn more by being in the minority and being uncomfortable rather than trying to rearrange our lives so we are always surrounded by "our own kind". Maybe we can learn something from our differences.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Moldy Nativities and other Christmas (mis)adventures
This past week, Joanna and I set out to decorate the tree and get into the Christmas spirit. Well, let me tell you, that was harder than it looked! Our adventures started Tuesday evening when we decided that after a week and a half of having the tree, we really should decorate it. So we scoured the house looking for decorations, which were deep in hiding from last year. Having finally found a box (or more accurately a suitcase) containing some of the decorations, I discovered that we had one set of lights, and the cross-stitch nativity my mom had made smelled like mold. You see, it had been stored in the basement, and this summer the basement was damp a lot and so now lots of things smell like mold that have been in the basement. So we forge ahead and decide that we should decorate the tree the following evening.
Well, little did we know how the evening was going to progress! Here's how it went:
1) we get home, it's been a long day for both of us.
2) we decide to go ahead and put lights on the tree
3) we discover that one strand of lights is not enough for our fat, 5-6' foot tree
4) we try to play Christmas music - my CD player won't recognize the CD
5) Joanna: did you get cranberries to string yet? Kelly: Um, did you get cranberries to string, because I haven't!
6) Joanna: For heaven's sake - this is pathetic! Let's just go to K-mart and Weis and get lights and cranberries!
7) Kelly: Sounds good to me! And while we're at it, we should get some good Riesling too.
8) K-mart - doesn't have white lights, much less anything smaller than about 700 lights or icicle nets
9) Weis - only has colored lights, and we can't find the cranberries. The barely out of high school customer service manager is a boy, and suggest that since they don't have fresh cranberries, we should try canned. (Boys!)
10) Having finally located the fresh cranberries, we decide on the low-cost alternative to Riesling, sparkling grape juice. Besides, it's a worknight, so drowning our Christmas cheer in grape juice is probably a safer bet.
11) We get home and string cranberries. Did I mention we have a FAT 5'-6' tree? Yup, one bag of cranberries isn't going to cut it.
12) We finally scrape up enough decorations for the tree and we're all set. Yay!
13) we decide to celebrate by breaking out our sparkling grape juice - hooray! And we promptly gag on the juice, which smells and tastes like it's been sitting in the hot, humid basement for months!
BAH HUMBUG!
So after all of our Christmas adventures, let's just say I wasn't feeling much in the spirit of Christmas. But then this week, God has been reminding me what Christmas is all about. Hearing all the Christmas music and having those songs in my head are great for focusing me back to the reason for the season. And we went to see the Nativity Story. And you know what? I bet that first nativity scene was pretty moldy and smelly. And their plans didn't go as planned, and I bet they weren't in the Christmas spirit looking for room in an inn and not finding any. And talk about humble circumstances without any decoration! But in that place, that tangled mess of broken lights and moldy nativities and dried up cranberries, God's plan shone through. And nothing could stop the Saviour from being born.
What Child Is This
Written by William Chatterton Dix
What child is this who laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary
Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding
Good Christian fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh
Come peasant king to own Him
The King of kings, salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary
Well, little did we know how the evening was going to progress! Here's how it went:
1) we get home, it's been a long day for both of us.
2) we decide to go ahead and put lights on the tree
3) we discover that one strand of lights is not enough for our fat, 5-6' foot tree
4) we try to play Christmas music - my CD player won't recognize the CD
5) Joanna: did you get cranberries to string yet? Kelly: Um, did you get cranberries to string, because I haven't!
6) Joanna: For heaven's sake - this is pathetic! Let's just go to K-mart and Weis and get lights and cranberries!
7) Kelly: Sounds good to me! And while we're at it, we should get some good Riesling too.
8) K-mart - doesn't have white lights, much less anything smaller than about 700 lights or icicle nets
9) Weis - only has colored lights, and we can't find the cranberries. The barely out of high school customer service manager is a boy, and suggest that since they don't have fresh cranberries, we should try canned. (Boys!)
10) Having finally located the fresh cranberries, we decide on the low-cost alternative to Riesling, sparkling grape juice. Besides, it's a worknight, so drowning our Christmas cheer in grape juice is probably a safer bet.
11) We get home and string cranberries. Did I mention we have a FAT 5'-6' tree? Yup, one bag of cranberries isn't going to cut it.
12) We finally scrape up enough decorations for the tree and we're all set. Yay!
13) we decide to celebrate by breaking out our sparkling grape juice - hooray! And we promptly gag on the juice, which smells and tastes like it's been sitting in the hot, humid basement for months!
BAH HUMBUG!
So after all of our Christmas adventures, let's just say I wasn't feeling much in the spirit of Christmas. But then this week, God has been reminding me what Christmas is all about. Hearing all the Christmas music and having those songs in my head are great for focusing me back to the reason for the season. And we went to see the Nativity Story. And you know what? I bet that first nativity scene was pretty moldy and smelly. And their plans didn't go as planned, and I bet they weren't in the Christmas spirit looking for room in an inn and not finding any. And talk about humble circumstances without any decoration! But in that place, that tangled mess of broken lights and moldy nativities and dried up cranberries, God's plan shone through. And nothing could stop the Saviour from being born.
What Child Is This
Written by William Chatterton Dix
What child is this who laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary
Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding
Good Christian fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh
Come peasant king to own Him
The King of kings, salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
God is into details...
I've been wanting to write about my Thanksgiving for several days now, and it seems like something I should do, just because everyone else with a blog that I read has published about their Thanksgivings, and it would be interesting to write about. But now that I have time to sit down and write it, I really don't want to. And it's interesting - I kind of feel like sitting down and writing it out and having people read it is kind of weird at the moment. Because mostly all of the people that read my blog are people that I interact with on a daily basis, so having you guys read my blog to find out how my Thanksgiving went, especially since it's almost a week past just feels weird to me. And since I've been thinking it out, it seems more suited for my journal than my blog. But now I'm just rambling.
Lately however, I've been thinking about how life is really complex. That sounds stupid to say, but I'm not talking about personal life issues, but life itself. As in DNA and molecules and organs and what drives us and motivates us. It's kind of ironic, the higher up you move in science, the less you want to deal with God. So many scientists and professors I know go crazy if you even dare to think of the fact that God is behind the workings of science. I guess they figure that as we advance in knowledge, we can explain away God because we can comprehend why things work in the natural world. Yet, the more I learn about God's creation and our human bodies, the more I am blown away by the complexity of it all and I am driven to stand in awe of such a great creator! He knows how all of this works! Even more - he DESIGNED it. That is so amazing to me. In the process of developing drugs to cure illnesses, it's amazing that there are so many medicines that we don't know how they act, we just know they produce a desired effect. And other drugs that we "rationally design" that have so many unintended side effects. And you can spend your whole life studying one particular protein in the body and still not know the complete picture and how it fits into normal or abnormal functions in the body.
I've also been thinking a lot about emotions as well. There are different thoughts on emotions, especially the extremes. Sometimes people say that emotions (especially the extreme ones) are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, which I think can be true. Some people think that emotions are the figment of our imaginations, and it must be squashed and logic should take over. But no one really knows how or why we have the emotions we do. And why do certain physical triggers affect our emotions? Like hunger. Hunger is a physical thing, yet it can produce so many emotions. But if emotions are just all chemically based, then how can we reason our way out of things? Take the dark for instance. About a month or so ago, I was sitting in my living room, reading about Saddam Hussein's guilty verdict. It was dark out, and the subject was kind of weird and creepy. All of a sudden I hear a knock on the door, and this kid is there, in a leather jacket, and a stocking cap. I'm immediately in a state of apprehension, given all of that. It turned out to be okay, but I had to talk myself out of being scared. And I was able to mentally be okay, even when my body was still on alert. And emotions are further complicated by the fact that the same situation doesn't produce the same feelings all the time. Again, the dark. I can be in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night camping, and be at peace and comfortable. I can be in the woods in the middle of the night walking somewhere, and be totally freaked out. So that argues against a purely chemical basis for emotion. In that case, I'm left to the Creator and Designer to say that he made us somehow to be emotional beings. Even if people would say that the situations are not 100% the same because of subtle differences, I would still have to come back to the creator. Because if it all is 100% chemical balance, there would have to be billions of possible combinations depending on the scenario, the contextual clues, and the mix of hormones and chemicals. Can you imagine - humans only use about 10% of their brain capacity on learning and thought. Can you imagine all the stuff God needs to keep track of and how much greater He is? It just blows me away.
Reminds me of Psalm 8.
Lately however, I've been thinking about how life is really complex. That sounds stupid to say, but I'm not talking about personal life issues, but life itself. As in DNA and molecules and organs and what drives us and motivates us. It's kind of ironic, the higher up you move in science, the less you want to deal with God. So many scientists and professors I know go crazy if you even dare to think of the fact that God is behind the workings of science. I guess they figure that as we advance in knowledge, we can explain away God because we can comprehend why things work in the natural world. Yet, the more I learn about God's creation and our human bodies, the more I am blown away by the complexity of it all and I am driven to stand in awe of such a great creator! He knows how all of this works! Even more - he DESIGNED it. That is so amazing to me. In the process of developing drugs to cure illnesses, it's amazing that there are so many medicines that we don't know how they act, we just know they produce a desired effect. And other drugs that we "rationally design" that have so many unintended side effects. And you can spend your whole life studying one particular protein in the body and still not know the complete picture and how it fits into normal or abnormal functions in the body.
I've also been thinking a lot about emotions as well. There are different thoughts on emotions, especially the extremes. Sometimes people say that emotions (especially the extreme ones) are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, which I think can be true. Some people think that emotions are the figment of our imaginations, and it must be squashed and logic should take over. But no one really knows how or why we have the emotions we do. And why do certain physical triggers affect our emotions? Like hunger. Hunger is a physical thing, yet it can produce so many emotions. But if emotions are just all chemically based, then how can we reason our way out of things? Take the dark for instance. About a month or so ago, I was sitting in my living room, reading about Saddam Hussein's guilty verdict. It was dark out, and the subject was kind of weird and creepy. All of a sudden I hear a knock on the door, and this kid is there, in a leather jacket, and a stocking cap. I'm immediately in a state of apprehension, given all of that. It turned out to be okay, but I had to talk myself out of being scared. And I was able to mentally be okay, even when my body was still on alert. And emotions are further complicated by the fact that the same situation doesn't produce the same feelings all the time. Again, the dark. I can be in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night camping, and be at peace and comfortable. I can be in the woods in the middle of the night walking somewhere, and be totally freaked out. So that argues against a purely chemical basis for emotion. In that case, I'm left to the Creator and Designer to say that he made us somehow to be emotional beings. Even if people would say that the situations are not 100% the same because of subtle differences, I would still have to come back to the creator. Because if it all is 100% chemical balance, there would have to be billions of possible combinations depending on the scenario, the contextual clues, and the mix of hormones and chemicals. Can you imagine - humans only use about 10% of their brain capacity on learning and thought. Can you imagine all the stuff God needs to keep track of and how much greater He is? It just blows me away.
Reminds me of Psalm 8.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Moving up and moving on
So I'm taking a break from cleaning my room (a long overdue chore!) I've been sorting through a box that has moved with me from my one apartment on campus to the other apartment (Dec 2004) to my current apartment (July 2005). So here it is, November of 2006, almost 2 years since the first move, and the stuff has been sitting in this enormous box for me to trip over everytime I try to get into my room. It's an odd assortment of old papers, lists of books I'd like to read, some Psalty and Colby cassette tapes from my childhood, random hair ties and what seems like millions of double A's that are long since dead. Kind of funny to think about, since most of this stuff did have a use at one point in time, and was "needed", or I wouldn't have purchased it in the first place. And now, especially since it's a bunch of little things in the bottom of the box, it seems like useless clutter, and I'm tempted to through the lot of it out the window for the garbageman to carry away. But I will continue to sift through - I'm telling myself to just put away one thing at a time, and then before I know it, it will be done! I will say though, I did discover somethings I thought I had lost forever, so it is exciting to know that I can still find them and use them. Thought I'm kicking myself, because it's so close, yet so far!
I guess it's good to do this sorting at the beginning of the holiday season, so I won't be as tempted by all those ads touting stuff you "must" have, or else you will cease to exist. Speaking of ads, I really don't like that Nextel ad with the blinking cell phones. On the one hand, it's semi-clever, though on the other hand, it's just REALLY annoying, especially when they take the picture of the deer. Sorry, random side note. Back to the point. So it's good I'm doing this right before the mass consumerism pushed on us at Christmas. And I'm trying to get rid of things that are past their useful lifespan, but that I really want to hold on to. Like that really comfy t-shirt with ragged edges that I've had since the 90's (late 90's, but okay, that was a decade ago - yikes!) And why exactly do I need 25 of (insert your favorite toy here)? So my new motto is "less is more". Except of course, when it comes to violets :)
I guess it's good to do this sorting at the beginning of the holiday season, so I won't be as tempted by all those ads touting stuff you "must" have, or else you will cease to exist. Speaking of ads, I really don't like that Nextel ad with the blinking cell phones. On the one hand, it's semi-clever, though on the other hand, it's just REALLY annoying, especially when they take the picture of the deer. Sorry, random side note. Back to the point. So it's good I'm doing this right before the mass consumerism pushed on us at Christmas. And I'm trying to get rid of things that are past their useful lifespan, but that I really want to hold on to. Like that really comfy t-shirt with ragged edges that I've had since the 90's (late 90's, but okay, that was a decade ago - yikes!) And why exactly do I need 25 of (insert your favorite toy here)? So my new motto is "less is more". Except of course, when it comes to violets :)
Friday, November 17, 2006
ducks make me smile
this morning I walked out of my house to go to work, and I was grumbling because of all the rain yesterday. because of this rain, we now have 4-6 huge ruts in our driveway, about 2 1/2 feet wide and about 6 inches deep. Plus, all the runoff created a mess in the yard, with leaves and debris everywhere! So I'm debating if I should ignore the problem and hope it goes away, wait 'till spring and nicer weather to clean it up, or just suck it up and clean the mess out of the yard.
As I pulled into work, I looked over at the huge drainage pond in front of the med center. It's normally dry and covered with grass, but everytime it rains a lot, that drainage ditch really does become a pond, or a medium sized lake. As I looked over, I noticed that there were 50-60 ducks and geese, having a wonderful time swimming around, flapping their wings and splashing each other, and practicing take-offs and landings. It was really fun to watch! They didn't care how the water got there, or that yesterday they were pelted with rain and were dodging lightning bolts, or confused because this lake wasn't usually there. they were thinking - hey, cool, a lake! hey - you splashed me! you'd better watch out - I'm gonna get you back!
maybe I'll go splash in a few puddles on my way home :)
As I pulled into work, I looked over at the huge drainage pond in front of the med center. It's normally dry and covered with grass, but everytime it rains a lot, that drainage ditch really does become a pond, or a medium sized lake. As I looked over, I noticed that there were 50-60 ducks and geese, having a wonderful time swimming around, flapping their wings and splashing each other, and practicing take-offs and landings. It was really fun to watch! They didn't care how the water got there, or that yesterday they were pelted with rain and were dodging lightning bolts, or confused because this lake wasn't usually there. they were thinking - hey, cool, a lake! hey - you splashed me! you'd better watch out - I'm gonna get you back!
maybe I'll go splash in a few puddles on my way home :)
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
it's 10:23 pm
Not that that is relevant, I just couldn't think of a better title! I'm amazingly content this evening, though I didn't get my "alone" time that I usually need today. It was a day where not much got done at all, but I didn't feel bad about it either. Perhaps since the holidays are coming up and I know I get a real rest before I gear up again. Or maybe it's something else, I don't know. I had a long conversation with one of my committee members today about my project. He wanted me to bring my seminar and go over each slide with him. And it was interesting - the whole time I was talking to him, I just felt this real contentment and this peace. Have you ever been so at rest or so at peace that it was almost tangible? Like you wanted to pick it out of the air and hold it close to you, basking in the enjoyment. Like the smell of cinnamon apple tea and the feel of the warm cup in your hand. Or like taking a nap or reading a good book curled up on the couch on an overcast day. It was so nice to feel that way. And he asked the most interesting questions -they were questions I should have known - if I reached way back into the far recesses of my mind - but strangely enough, I really want to go look them up now. And then I got the vegetables and came home and enjoyed a really good salad and then nachos from Taco Bell. After that, I went to Walmart with a friend who can't drive and doesn't get out much. And that contentment and peace just followed me all through the evening. And it's still here now, and still tangible. For the first time this week, I'm not going to go to bed because I'm bored! It's nice knowing that this evening somehow, someway, meant something, and wasn't just wasted and spent on myself. So now I'm going to sign off and go to bed, and may this peace follow me through the starry dust of my dreams and as I wake up tomorrow.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Need furniture?
So I was writing an e-mail to Joanna and thinking about her lack of furniture at work. And I was thinking - what do they have a lot of? Boxes! I'll bet there are websites that tell you how to make cardboard furniture. And lo and behold, thanks to Google (see it's good for something Rachel!) there are numerous websites dedicated to the subject.
Here's one complete with picture:
http://www.andrewsenior.com/gallery/design/chair.html
and here's one that I threw in, because it's good for a great laugh when you read the blurb describing the book:
http://www.mycraftbook.com/Book_Reviews/Creative_Cardboard.asp
Who knew you could be so creative with cardboard? :)
Here's one complete with picture:
http://www.andrewsenior.com/gallery/design/chair.html
and here's one that I threw in, because it's good for a great laugh when you read the blurb describing the book:
http://www.mycraftbook.com/Book_Reviews/Creative_Cardboard.asp
Who knew you could be so creative with cardboard? :)
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Love
Recently I've had a chance to be more of a friend to someone who is not a Christian. It's interesting, because it's one of the first times that I can see that I'll have an opportunity to share what I believe and why I believe it. And it was interesting to think about what I would say if I was asked why I was a Christian, or why I believe in God. The things that came to mind immediately were the kind of "churchy" answers, such as "Jesus died for me and saved me from my sins". That's easy to say, and kind of what we've been trained to say. It makes perfect sense to me - I've grown up in the church my whole life, and those kind of answers are familiar to me. But I was really struggling with the relevancy of that kind of answer to a non-Christian. I think if I was a non-Christian, that wouldn't be enought to make me believe. Sin? I mean, I'm a good person, yeah, I do things occasionally that are probably not the best, but sin? What is sin anyways? Why does it matter?
So I was pondering this for about a week. Then last week I saw the announcement for the Nobel Peace prize, and it directed me to nobelprize.org for more info on the man who won. While there, I came across Mother Theresa's speech when she won the Nobel Peace prize in 1979. It was an incredible speech. She's always fascinated and amazed me, but reading this speech was just amazing. There's no other word for it. If you get a chance, you should read it . Basically Mother Theresa states that love is the most important thing in the world, the most important gift you can give. She says that the disease of the poor and forgotten is the same disease that can affect the rich as well - feeling unwanted and unloved. Here's a story she told:
"The other day I received 15 dollars from a man who has been on his back for twenty years, and the only part that he can move is his right hand. And the only companion that he enjoys is smoking. And he said to me: I do not smoke for one week, and I send you this money. It must have been a terrible sacrifice for him, but see how beautiful, how he shared, and with that money I bought bread and I gave to those who are hungry with a joy on both sides, he was giving and the poor were receiving. This is something that you and I - it is a gift of God to us to be able to share our love with others. And let it be as it was for Jesus. Let us love one another as he loved us. Let us love Him with undivided love. And the joy of loving Him and each other - let us give now - that Christmas is coming so close. Let us keep that joy of loving Jesus in our hearts. And share that joy with all that we come in touch with. And that radiating joy is real, for we have no reason not to be happy because we have no Christ with us. Christ in our hearts, Christ in the poor that we meet, Christ in the smile that we give and the smile that we receive. Let us make that one point: That no child will be unwanted, and also that we meet each other always with a smile, especially when it is difficult to smile."
And it struck me, that's it. That's why I am a Christian. Christ has loved me. This person I am reaching out to has said "what's the secret to eternal happiness?" "I tried work, and that's not it." After reading Mother Theresa's speech, it was just so amazing to realize that I could explain in terms anyone could understand, and anyone could relate to. Christ's love is this - he says "this life is hard, but I love you enough to say - this world is not it." I died for you to say, even though you will struggle now, I love you enough to give you a place after this life. I love you enough to want you to be with me for all eternity. You don't have to be the best, the brightest, the prettiest. In fact, you can be the ugliest, the stupidest, the lowliest person on earth, and I have a place for you with me in heaven, if you believe. I love you enough to give you a hope and a future."
That is truly love, and that is truly amazing.
So I was pondering this for about a week. Then last week I saw the announcement for the Nobel Peace prize, and it directed me to nobelprize.org for more info on the man who won. While there, I came across Mother Theresa's speech when she won the Nobel Peace prize in 1979. It was an incredible speech. She's always fascinated and amazed me, but reading this speech was just amazing. There's no other word for it. If you get a chance, you should read it . Basically Mother Theresa states that love is the most important thing in the world, the most important gift you can give. She says that the disease of the poor and forgotten is the same disease that can affect the rich as well - feeling unwanted and unloved. Here's a story she told:
"The other day I received 15 dollars from a man who has been on his back for twenty years, and the only part that he can move is his right hand. And the only companion that he enjoys is smoking. And he said to me: I do not smoke for one week, and I send you this money. It must have been a terrible sacrifice for him, but see how beautiful, how he shared, and with that money I bought bread and I gave to those who are hungry with a joy on both sides, he was giving and the poor were receiving. This is something that you and I - it is a gift of God to us to be able to share our love with others. And let it be as it was for Jesus. Let us love one another as he loved us. Let us love Him with undivided love. And the joy of loving Him and each other - let us give now - that Christmas is coming so close. Let us keep that joy of loving Jesus in our hearts. And share that joy with all that we come in touch with. And that radiating joy is real, for we have no reason not to be happy because we have no Christ with us. Christ in our hearts, Christ in the poor that we meet, Christ in the smile that we give and the smile that we receive. Let us make that one point: That no child will be unwanted, and also that we meet each other always with a smile, especially when it is difficult to smile."
And it struck me, that's it. That's why I am a Christian. Christ has loved me. This person I am reaching out to has said "what's the secret to eternal happiness?" "I tried work, and that's not it." After reading Mother Theresa's speech, it was just so amazing to realize that I could explain in terms anyone could understand, and anyone could relate to. Christ's love is this - he says "this life is hard, but I love you enough to say - this world is not it." I died for you to say, even though you will struggle now, I love you enough to give you a place after this life. I love you enough to want you to be with me for all eternity. You don't have to be the best, the brightest, the prettiest. In fact, you can be the ugliest, the stupidest, the lowliest person on earth, and I have a place for you with me in heaven, if you believe. I love you enough to give you a hope and a future."
That is truly love, and that is truly amazing.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
awesome verse
I came across a really neat verse this morning as I was reading through Amos of all books.
Amos 4:12-13 - ...prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn into darkness, and treads the high places of the earth - the LORD God Almighty is his name.
Wow, what a verse. the part - and reveals his thoughts to man - just really struck me. Our God, who is so powerful and can form mountains, create the wind, and tread the high places of earth, chooses to reveal his thoughts to man. That's just so amazing.
Amos 4:12-13 - ...prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn into darkness, and treads the high places of the earth - the LORD God Almighty is his name.
Wow, what a verse. the part - and reveals his thoughts to man - just really struck me. Our God, who is so powerful and can form mountains, create the wind, and tread the high places of earth, chooses to reveal his thoughts to man. That's just so amazing.
Monday, September 18, 2006
The flip side
This morning I was thinking about my post on how other's opinions matter to us, and we (or at least I) don't want people to think badly of me or misunderstand where I was coming from. So that got me thinking about the flip side. What are my opinions of other people, and what am I critical of in others? Am I critical of things without knowing the whole story, and do I criticize just based on the outward actions, or based on the real intentions of the person? I was talking to someone the other day and made the comment - evaluate the person and the actions separately - you don't know how that person got to that place. Sure, you may decide the action is wrong, and you may even need to tell them that, but don't be overly critical and judgemental of that person, because you don't know what was going on inside of them at the time, or the circumstances. I've been feeling a real burden lately to be compassionate towards others and really trying to find out the reason behind why they do certain things. It's kind of a desire to really get to know that person and what makes them tick and what makes them do certain things (both good and bad). Someone in church a few weeks ago preached on how C.S. Lewis' book The Weight of Glory is all about being known by God and that is the weight of glory, knowing that someone knows you inside and out and still loves you intensely anyway. I've never read the book, so I don't know if that's what it's really about, but that is such a great thought, and makes me want to live my life in such a way that I get to know people and love them for who they are and not reject them or judge them for things they do. It's so hard to do sometimes (especially at work, where it seems like everyone is critical!) but I think in the end it's the right and the best thing to do.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Other's good opinions...
I've been thinking lately how much we care about other people's opinions. It creeps in to our lives in so many ways and can have a significant impact on what we do or how we do things. I was riding my bike this afternoon along the trail, going up the fairly long hill by our house. There were people walking, and I kept thinking - I hope I can make it up this hill, or they are going to think - what a wimp, she can't make it up the hill the whole way! Why do I even care what they think or don't think? I have no clue who they are, and will probably never see them again. Yet I was trying to avoid having them think less of me. When I finally got home, I was thinking about a book I wanted to order from Amazon. So I was thinking I should read the other reviews of the book online to decide whether I really wanted to get it. Then it struck me how silly that was! Here I am, basing my decisions on what other people think, and I have no idea who they are or if they even like the same things I do! They could be 90 year old grandmas or 15 year old teens, or atheists or monks or whatever! Yet I am again basing my decisions on what other people think. Granted, this is kind of a trival example, but it will be interesting to see how many other ways people I don't even know influence me...
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