If I exhibit only a few of the minor side effects of the medications my doctor just prescribed, I will have nasal congestion, dizziness, drowsiness, sleeplessness, headache, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, high blood pressure and to put it all home, weight gain. I had all of those before I went to the doctor. In my delirium, I went to the doctor to have those symptoms relieved.
Is there something comforting about suspecting that my symptoms are now drug induced rather than because I am ill? That they are only temporary and will abate when I finish the medications?
There is very little good and very much bad about succumbing to the currently circulating, in vogue winter illness. This year I was prepared. I stocked up on tissues treated with aloe and touted to be softer than a baby's bottom. A baby without the winter flu I presume. My kitchen was stocked with zinc, C, natural throat lozenges also with zinc and C, orange juice and herbal teas.
My meds cabinet held my favorite holistic nasal swabs that "you use at the first sign of a cold to keep your cold under control". In the three years I have used them, my colds have only been minor. Before discovering them, my hyperactive immune system laid me out for weeks. I fear this is a laid-out-for-weeks cold.
Because of all my overly swollen tissues, the kind in my lungs and nose not the ones in the box, my doctor put me on steroids. I guess my professional baseball career is over. However, since I am a fifty plus woman I guess it was already over a long time ago. Maybe I can use this time that I am sick to get crafty. I could come up with a wonderful way to decorate plastic grocery bags with tissue paper to give as get well gifts to folks who are sick. Just think, pink and white tissues crunched like roses each held delicately with a dot from the cold glue gun adhering them to the sides of the bag. Dispenser and trash receptacle all rolled into one.
Unfortunately, I would have no one to give them to. People visit sick people only when they have problems like heart surgery, kidney transplant or preferably a broken leg. Those are heroic problems that are not contagious. No one comes to visit you when you have a cold. At best they offer to pick something up for you and leave it by your door because they are afraid they may wake you up.
Besides, most people have already had this crud. My doctor informed me this was the thing he was seeing before the holidays. In fact I was that last one in my family to come down with this stupid cold. Precisely the reason that by the time I came down with it on Christmas Eve when all the stores closed early, all of the soft tissues where gone and only the boxes of mildly above sandpaper were left. All the lozenges, zinc and C were gone, all the holistic nasal swabs were gone as well as the herbal teas and was reminded that I had forgotten to buy D. I was arrogant and above hope thinking that this one was going to pass me by, someday one has to.
The story of my life, always the last to get what is in vogue or be in the know. I normally don't give a hoot. Maybe I should since being sick during and after "the holidays", meaning I am wasting off-time. Those people smart enough to get sick before the holidays, when one should, can stay at home and do some holiday planning maybe even eking out an extra sick day to do a bit of Christmas shopping while buying more tissues and orange juice. They are well prepared and perky for the celebration, I just feel old and sick and watch more TV each sick day than I did the total preceding year.
The worst thing about being over fifty and sick is that I am afraid that my face won't come back. My non-sick face has weathered its half-century acceptably but it is starting to get to that point where I might soon start "looking old". When I have a bad cold, I look catastrophic, at best at the verge of death. My eyes sink deeper, the bags get darker, my wrinkles become vats, my less-supple-than-a-few-years-ago upper lip becomes thick and stiff, red, flaky, callused and hairy. Let's face it who wants to pluck excess facial hair from an already painfully abused area. I pity men with colds, young or old, as shaving a raw upper lip must be painful and a manly mustache is not a great alternative.
The other yucky age associated absurdity is that you cannot cough up that horrid mucus without wearing your glasses. You have got to know what color the stuff is and whether or not it is streaked with blood. Well without my glasses I might be able to get it in the tissue and maybe even get in the ball park of color but checking for streaks of blood with out reading glasses is out of the question. To make it worse, my eyes and head hurt too much to read so I don't even know where my glasses are.
I am assuming that this torture will be over in a few days. I am using my stocking stuffer exotic skin lotions to try and coax my face back to normal. I know it will take longer than in previous years. My doctor said to call him if I don't get better. What? To prescribe more side effects...
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
Seeing God - 100% true story
God's hand shows up at the most unexpected times. Obedience has its rewards.
We thought she had already used up her nine lives. We found out last night she had at least one more saved up.
Last February, we live-trapped Zoe Cat. She was filthy, starving, half-grown, 99% feral and living under a dumpster. Nine months later, we have a gorgeous 99% tamed, fluffy kitty. (go to www.agapehands.com "Resources" page to see her picture)
Last night we thought we would loose her. It had been a busy Sunday. I threw a Happy Birthday Jesus party for the kids in my Sunday School class. They showered me with wonderful munchies and other gifts. Little was I to know Mary gave me a Christmas gift that would save Zoe's life. (yes her name REALLY is Mary!)
Later that evening, we returned home after a successful presentation of the Children's Christmas Play. I was pooped. I was the drama director. I saved a good book just for this occasion.
I read, relaxed, moved on to get groggy and when the book got to the line where the author mentioned kittens and pj's, I dozed off for a few seconds... Time for bed.
I got up from the sofa and started looking for the gift Mary had given to me; a lovely book marker; an angel on satin ribbon decorated with bells.
I thought I had put it in the dining room. I walked in there to see Zoe Cat eating a piece of tinsel. One shiny part was sticky out her mouth. Zoe still freaks if you try to grab her so I decided the tinsel wouldn't hurt her and let it go. Then it struck me that we didn't have any tinsel. Years ago I deemed it more mess than beauty.
Fortunately because I had been reading, I was wearing my glasses. I bent closer to see what she was eating. She half gagged, half swallowed trying to keep me from getting her prize. I saw the end of a sewing needle disappear into her mouth.
I knew if she swallowed it, it would probably kill her without surgery. It was Sunday night, no vets at the clinics. Balances of cost and cat life teetered in my brain. Zoe gagged and drooled. I grabbed her.
The 99% tame cat turned wild against my grip. When you forcefully grab a cat, you either hold it or you don't. There is no in-between.
I forced her mouth open. Not an easy task when she was trying to bite off my fingers. I screamed for my husband to bring a towel.
Zoe gagged and growled. There was hope. If she was gagging, maybe I could see it in her throat.
Hubby securely held her legs in a towel. I used both hands to hold open her mouth. I caught a glimpse of silver on her palette. The needle lodged against the roof of her small mouth. I screamed for needle nose pliers.
Zoe struggled to free herself from my vise grip. Roaring, she repeatedly tried to close her mouth on me, her teeth whacked the pliers. I feared they would shatter because of the force of her slashing. I screamed for my son to get a wooden spoon. Tim the Jack Russell wanted to help. He was quickly evacuated.
Wooden spoon securely wedged across the back of her mouth, I pried at the needle with the pliers. Zoe thrashed. Better to rip her palette than have the needle go down into her stomach and puncture her innards. Missed. One more try. I thought I had the needle loose when Zoe almost got loose. The spoon came out, her mouth closed. She drooled and gagged. She wretched.
The end of the needle stuck a half inch out of her mouth. I grabbed it. The cat struggled. I held on loosening the needle from her clamping teeth. Along with it came a foot long piece of swallowed thread. Freed from our "attack" Zoe ran.
If I had not found Zoe at the precise moment that I did, I may never have know she had a problem until she set up with infection from a perforated stomach. If one of the elements of the story had not been set, then the story would have been changed.
The elements of the story were set.
* In September, I accepted the position of Sunday School teacher.
* Mary and/or her parents offered a gift for Christmas, because I was her teacher.
* They got me a book marker.
* I was tired from directing the Christmas play and retreated to start a new book. (Ironically, unbeknownst to me, it is a mystery involving saving injured animals). I fell asleep at the part about kittens.
* I woke and went to get a book marker, Mary's gift.
* I found the cat in the room where I had thought I had placed the gift. (it wasn't there)
Oh, by the way. This morning Zoe is back to 99% tame. Maybe she knew we were helping. We rejoiced and chatted about having to save the cat's life again...My son's comment, "Yes, her life was hanging on a thread." Touche!
Thank you Lord.
In case you are wondering how the needle got there: No one had been sewing for weeks. Evidentally the needle fell out of the sewing drawer when someone was going for scissors, or maybe the thread was hanging out and Zoe pulled the needle out playing with the thread.
We thought she had already used up her nine lives. We found out last night she had at least one more saved up.
Last February, we live-trapped Zoe Cat. She was filthy, starving, half-grown, 99% feral and living under a dumpster. Nine months later, we have a gorgeous 99% tamed, fluffy kitty. (go to www.agapehands.com "Resources" page to see her picture)
Last night we thought we would loose her. It had been a busy Sunday. I threw a Happy Birthday Jesus party for the kids in my Sunday School class. They showered me with wonderful munchies and other gifts. Little was I to know Mary gave me a Christmas gift that would save Zoe's life. (yes her name REALLY is Mary!)
Later that evening, we returned home after a successful presentation of the Children's Christmas Play. I was pooped. I was the drama director. I saved a good book just for this occasion.
I read, relaxed, moved on to get groggy and when the book got to the line where the author mentioned kittens and pj's, I dozed off for a few seconds... Time for bed.
I got up from the sofa and started looking for the gift Mary had given to me; a lovely book marker; an angel on satin ribbon decorated with bells.
I thought I had put it in the dining room. I walked in there to see Zoe Cat eating a piece of tinsel. One shiny part was sticky out her mouth. Zoe still freaks if you try to grab her so I decided the tinsel wouldn't hurt her and let it go. Then it struck me that we didn't have any tinsel. Years ago I deemed it more mess than beauty.
Fortunately because I had been reading, I was wearing my glasses. I bent closer to see what she was eating. She half gagged, half swallowed trying to keep me from getting her prize. I saw the end of a sewing needle disappear into her mouth.
I knew if she swallowed it, it would probably kill her without surgery. It was Sunday night, no vets at the clinics. Balances of cost and cat life teetered in my brain. Zoe gagged and drooled. I grabbed her.
The 99% tame cat turned wild against my grip. When you forcefully grab a cat, you either hold it or you don't. There is no in-between.
I forced her mouth open. Not an easy task when she was trying to bite off my fingers. I screamed for my husband to bring a towel.
Zoe gagged and growled. There was hope. If she was gagging, maybe I could see it in her throat.
Hubby securely held her legs in a towel. I used both hands to hold open her mouth. I caught a glimpse of silver on her palette. The needle lodged against the roof of her small mouth. I screamed for needle nose pliers.
Zoe struggled to free herself from my vise grip. Roaring, she repeatedly tried to close her mouth on me, her teeth whacked the pliers. I feared they would shatter because of the force of her slashing. I screamed for my son to get a wooden spoon. Tim the Jack Russell wanted to help. He was quickly evacuated.
Wooden spoon securely wedged across the back of her mouth, I pried at the needle with the pliers. Zoe thrashed. Better to rip her palette than have the needle go down into her stomach and puncture her innards. Missed. One more try. I thought I had the needle loose when Zoe almost got loose. The spoon came out, her mouth closed. She drooled and gagged. She wretched.
The end of the needle stuck a half inch out of her mouth. I grabbed it. The cat struggled. I held on loosening the needle from her clamping teeth. Along with it came a foot long piece of swallowed thread. Freed from our "attack" Zoe ran.
If I had not found Zoe at the precise moment that I did, I may never have know she had a problem until she set up with infection from a perforated stomach. If one of the elements of the story had not been set, then the story would have been changed.
The elements of the story were set.
* In September, I accepted the position of Sunday School teacher.
* Mary and/or her parents offered a gift for Christmas, because I was her teacher.
* They got me a book marker.
* I was tired from directing the Christmas play and retreated to start a new book. (Ironically, unbeknownst to me, it is a mystery involving saving injured animals). I fell asleep at the part about kittens.
* I woke and went to get a book marker, Mary's gift.
* I found the cat in the room where I had thought I had placed the gift. (it wasn't there)
Oh, by the way. This morning Zoe is back to 99% tame. Maybe she knew we were helping. We rejoiced and chatted about having to save the cat's life again...My son's comment, "Yes, her life was hanging on a thread." Touche!
Thank you Lord.
In case you are wondering how the needle got there: No one had been sewing for weeks. Evidentally the needle fell out of the sewing drawer when someone was going for scissors, or maybe the thread was hanging out and Zoe pulled the needle out playing with the thread.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Focusing in...ward
I am a function of time. The amount of time that I have here on earth determines what I become...At least to a point.
In making an effort to gather up and organize my parcels of minutes, I have learned 2 new crafts, discovered four new areas of interest, a gazzillion cool web sites.
There is so much good to be done in this world, how can any physically functional person be bored or be bad? Even a person whose body is not working, will be able to find millions of ways to grow his/her mind.
Finding direction is easy. The world is a candy store of wonderment. Focusing on any one direction is harder.
A am developing a formula for focus. A developed explanation will follow in the next blog.
Personal Interests
1. Pray and ask God what He wants you to do.
2. Make a list of my top 10 favorite "personal" things to do, in order of favoritism.
3. Analyze how these top ten glorify God.
4. Cut out anything that is a waste of God's time.
5. Cut the top ten list to TOP TWO list.
6. Leave the remaining favorites to other people or for the future.
7. Pray and ask God if the list is right.
Okay, my top two are horseback riding and self expression (Note: I cleverly fit art and writing into one category)
How does horseback riding fit into glorifying God? Well, first, it is the way I keep my body (God's temple) healthy. I am 53 and can tote a hay bale with one arm. The fresh air, the interaction, the sites, the smells, the workout, the success all keep my mind and heart happy. Why? God make me that way. I did not choose to be interested in horses. My interest has been there forever. Besides, I can share my horses with someone who doesn't have horses and therefore bless them. My favorite Bible verse is
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war." Revelation 19:11.
God likes horses enough to let them into heaven.
Art and writing are MUCH more complicated. Madeline L'Engle in her book Walking on Water does a much better job at explaining it than I ever could.
Later, I will write more about:
Interactive Interests
(See, I can sneak in more than 2 things if I make groups.)
1. Pray and ask God what He wants you to do.
2. Listen to the needs of others to see where you fit in.
3. Determine what gifts of yours can best be used and who needs the most help.
Blessings,
Jane
In making an effort to gather up and organize my parcels of minutes, I have learned 2 new crafts, discovered four new areas of interest, a gazzillion cool web sites.
There is so much good to be done in this world, how can any physically functional person be bored or be bad? Even a person whose body is not working, will be able to find millions of ways to grow his/her mind.
Finding direction is easy. The world is a candy store of wonderment. Focusing on any one direction is harder.
A am developing a formula for focus. A developed explanation will follow in the next blog.
Personal Interests
1. Pray and ask God what He wants you to do.
2. Make a list of my top 10 favorite "personal" things to do, in order of favoritism.
3. Analyze how these top ten glorify God.
4. Cut out anything that is a waste of God's time.
5. Cut the top ten list to TOP TWO list.
6. Leave the remaining favorites to other people or for the future.
7. Pray and ask God if the list is right.
Okay, my top two are horseback riding and self expression (Note: I cleverly fit art and writing into one category)
How does horseback riding fit into glorifying God? Well, first, it is the way I keep my body (God's temple) healthy. I am 53 and can tote a hay bale with one arm. The fresh air, the interaction, the sites, the smells, the workout, the success all keep my mind and heart happy. Why? God make me that way. I did not choose to be interested in horses. My interest has been there forever. Besides, I can share my horses with someone who doesn't have horses and therefore bless them. My favorite Bible verse is
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war." Revelation 19:11.
God likes horses enough to let them into heaven.
Art and writing are MUCH more complicated. Madeline L'Engle in her book Walking on Water does a much better job at explaining it than I ever could.
Later, I will write more about:
Interactive Interests
(See, I can sneak in more than 2 things if I make groups.)
1. Pray and ask God what He wants you to do.
2. Listen to the needs of others to see where you fit in.
3. Determine what gifts of yours can best be used and who needs the most help.
Blessings,
Jane
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Spread too Thin
A month ago, my friend Beth gave me mini-lecture on "just say no". I have gotten spared to thin and have become less than "effective as possible" in everything.
She told me it is alright to "just say no" which I already knew. I searched the decision making part of my brain and found out that I really don't have a problem saying no to other people, I have trouble saying no to myself.
I love to learn new things, I love to teach, I love to create, I love to be with other people. It is sooooo easy to over commit.
Last night I found myself agreeing to do ONE MORE THING....But fortunately, I caught myself and said "not 'til after January".
So where is God in all of this? I have obviously been given the spirit of "revolving involving evolving" rather than one of "routine executer". I have been blessed with a life that has fed that spirit.
I have lived 10 lifetimes of events from hiking out of the Grand Canyon alone (I was flown down there in a helicopter) to running a church nursery.
Luke 12:48 ... From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
First a look at what I need to heed: Ecclesiastes 4:4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
I see something and I want it for myself. It could be a thing, an experience, whatever. This is part of my "drive". That drive is perpetrated by people asking me to do things. "Can you do such and such" flips my mind into "I would love to experience this". PLEASE NOTE: This is not a spirit of service!!!!!
Oh, how I need to heed having a spirit of service.....But would my focus would become apparent? So some of my "spared thinness" is because I am serving.
then 1 Chronicles 29:6-14 says The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
Okay, so how do I focus?????? How do I do what I was meant to do? I don't have time to figure that out right now, I have too much other stuff to do.
She told me it is alright to "just say no" which I already knew. I searched the decision making part of my brain and found out that I really don't have a problem saying no to other people, I have trouble saying no to myself.
I love to learn new things, I love to teach, I love to create, I love to be with other people. It is sooooo easy to over commit.
Last night I found myself agreeing to do ONE MORE THING....But fortunately, I caught myself and said "not 'til after January".
So where is God in all of this? I have obviously been given the spirit of "revolving involving evolving" rather than one of "routine executer". I have been blessed with a life that has fed that spirit.
I have lived 10 lifetimes of events from hiking out of the Grand Canyon alone (I was flown down there in a helicopter) to running a church nursery.
Luke 12:48 ... From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
First a look at what I need to heed: Ecclesiastes 4:4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
I see something and I want it for myself. It could be a thing, an experience, whatever. This is part of my "drive". That drive is perpetrated by people asking me to do things. "Can you do such and such" flips my mind into "I would love to experience this". PLEASE NOTE: This is not a spirit of service!!!!!
Oh, how I need to heed having a spirit of service.....But would my focus would become apparent? So some of my "spared thinness" is because I am serving.
then 1 Chronicles 29:6-14 says The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
Okay, so how do I focus?????? How do I do what I was meant to do? I don't have time to figure that out right now, I have too much other stuff to do.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Living Hypocrisy: As Long as You Don't Know...
Hypocrisy is a huge complaint about Christians. Hypocrisy turns away many people who are passionate and have caring hearts. The fear of becoming a hypocrit turned me away from Christ for many years. It still gauls me that so many who claim to be Christians are nothing like Christ. It is critical to not be hypocritical.
Yes, I know "not one of us is perfect" and "if we were perfect, we wouldn't need Jesus". I know "all of us are sinners". Those are not excuses to choose to sin.
One day I was complaining about fellow Christians whose passions support sinful behavior in others. I am not speaking of the "obvious biggy sins" I am speaking about supporting industries whose sin is covered with layers of consumerism; products that on the surface look totally acceptable.
The response to my complaint was "It is okay as long as 'you don't know'".
It would seem obvious that intentionally "not knowing" is a sin of omission. In a country as blessed as the USA, there is no way that we can know everything about all the products and companies we support. I contend that if you never check things out, you are choosing to sin. Perhaps a few minutes a week checking out web links could help reduce our personal hypocrisy and could put a dent in the world of sin. I am glad to smack evil in the face whenever I get the chance.
It is my intention to learn and then to educate by posting those things that I have learned so that others will also know and maybe in our small part, we can spread the word of sinful abuse of humans.
I will begin with one of my personal passions. If you want me to check something out, let me know.
Because of spammers, I will disquise my email just replace the "dot" with periods and "at" with the appropriate symbol. Send email to: Jane dot cares at agapehands dot com .
Chocolate (OH NO!!!!!)
General Information http://www.radicalthought.org/A55868/cocoa.nsf/Companies!OpenPage
Companies listed as to whether or not their chocolate is obtained with child slave labor...... (sign!) http://www.radicalthought.org/A55868/cocoa.nsf/allpg!OpenPage
Sports equipment: http://www.globalmarch.org/campaigns/worldcupcampaign/Index.php
Information on Obvious Bad Stuff
Child Trafficking
International Labour Office http://www.ilo.org/iloroot/docstore/ipec/prod/eng/2005_traf_involved_en.pdf
Yes, I know "not one of us is perfect" and "if we were perfect, we wouldn't need Jesus". I know "all of us are sinners". Those are not excuses to choose to sin.
One day I was complaining about fellow Christians whose passions support sinful behavior in others. I am not speaking of the "obvious biggy sins" I am speaking about supporting industries whose sin is covered with layers of consumerism; products that on the surface look totally acceptable.
The response to my complaint was "It is okay as long as 'you don't know'".
It would seem obvious that intentionally "not knowing" is a sin of omission. In a country as blessed as the USA, there is no way that we can know everything about all the products and companies we support. I contend that if you never check things out, you are choosing to sin. Perhaps a few minutes a week checking out web links could help reduce our personal hypocrisy and could put a dent in the world of sin. I am glad to smack evil in the face whenever I get the chance.
It is my intention to learn and then to educate by posting those things that I have learned so that others will also know and maybe in our small part, we can spread the word of sinful abuse of humans.
I will begin with one of my personal passions. If you want me to check something out, let me know.
Because of spammers, I will disquise my email just replace the "dot" with periods and "at" with the appropriate symbol. Send email to: Jane dot cares at agapehands dot com .
Chocolate (OH NO!!!!!)
General Information http://www.radicalthought.org/A55868/cocoa.nsf/Companies!OpenPage
Companies listed as to whether or not their chocolate is obtained with child slave labor...... (sign!) http://www.radicalthought.org/A55868/cocoa.nsf/allpg!OpenPage
Sports equipment: http://www.globalmarch.org/campaigns/worldcupcampaign/Index.php
Information on Obvious Bad Stuff
Child Trafficking
International Labour Office http://www.ilo.org/iloroot/docstore/ipec/prod/eng/2005_traf_involved_en.pdf
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Different Drum
After writing the last blog which is a few down, I looked for the lyrics of the Nesmith song that Ronstadt sang.
Take my advice don't search for "walk the beat of a different drum". There are a lot of STRANGE people out there.
However, I did come across a song that spoke to me.
I am sure it is copyrighted and I will plug Mr. Voelz's web site. http://www.johnvoelz.com/voelzrss.php
I Belong to the Band
I'm gonna walk this road whatever the cost
And by Your grace I'll make my stand
I'm committed to a vision to do Your work
Halleluia, I belong to the band
Not gonna keep my light hid out of sight
Pressin' on, I won't look back
I'm an instrument tuned by the Master's hand
Halleluia, I belong to the band
And I'm movin' to the beat of a different drum
In step with the leader of the band
And I'm singin' out so loud for the world to hear
Halleluia! I belong to the band
Now, to hear this song you must be still—
it's whispering' in the breeze
It's heard in the silence of the heart
when a player's on their knees
And I've marched with some who are out of step
You can't dance without a tune
So I'm singin' the song of the Ancient of Days 'cause
His encore's comin' soon
Take my advice don't search for "walk the beat of a different drum". There are a lot of STRANGE people out there.
However, I did come across a song that spoke to me.
I am sure it is copyrighted and I will plug Mr. Voelz's web site. http://www.johnvoelz.com/voelzrss.php
I Belong to the Band
I'm gonna walk this road whatever the cost
And by Your grace I'll make my stand
I'm committed to a vision to do Your work
Halleluia, I belong to the band
Not gonna keep my light hid out of sight
Pressin' on, I won't look back
I'm an instrument tuned by the Master's hand
Halleluia, I belong to the band
And I'm movin' to the beat of a different drum
In step with the leader of the band
And I'm singin' out so loud for the world to hear
Halleluia! I belong to the band
Now, to hear this song you must be still—
it's whispering' in the breeze
It's heard in the silence of the heart
when a player's on their knees
And I've marched with some who are out of step
You can't dance without a tune
So I'm singin' the song of the Ancient of Days 'cause
His encore's comin' soon
What would they think?
Hmmmm...What might they think?
-Having a relationship with God is bogus.
----My answer: Try it you'll like it.
-I am not intelligent enough to realize that God is hocus-pocus.
----My answer: I am intelligent enough to know that there is a God.
-I am such a weak person that I have to rely on a "god".
----My answer: True. I have seen what I have done without God in my life and I know that "I" alone am much weaker that "I" depending on God.
How does one get on fire for God??? If you do it, it will come. You can't make a fire by looking at two sticks. You have to rub them together.
What does it feel like to be on fire for God? Drink a bottle of hot sauce...Or on second thought, just imagine drinking a bottle of hot sauce. The desire you would have for liquid water is the desire you can have for the living water.
-Having a relationship with God is bogus.
----My answer: Try it you'll like it.
-I am not intelligent enough to realize that God is hocus-pocus.
----My answer: I am intelligent enough to know that there is a God.
-I am such a weak person that I have to rely on a "god".
----My answer: True. I have seen what I have done without God in my life and I know that "I" alone am much weaker that "I" depending on God.
How does one get on fire for God??? If you do it, it will come. You can't make a fire by looking at two sticks. You have to rub them together.
What does it feel like to be on fire for God? Drink a bottle of hot sauce...Or on second thought, just imagine drinking a bottle of hot sauce. The desire you would have for liquid water is the desire you can have for the living water.
Luke Warm-Naked before the Lord
My heart is aching for Christians who are not on fire.
I see so many people who are so worried about what other people are thinking that they cannot come to Christ personally...
I look back on my life and see how my experiences, mind-set and choices all led to this conclusion and my freedom from its oppression.
I always loved the part of the refrain of the song whose lyrics where "you and I walk to the beat of a different drum". The truth has set me free.
Why are people so constricted when it comes to loving God? Is it that people have such low opinions of themselves that they cannot trust their own thoughts? Is it that they crave being loved by others so much that they have to have the immediate and visible (READ: doubting Thomas) love of other human beings rather than the perfect love of God?
Human love is to fast food as God's love is to a twelve course meal.
I guess I have been greatly blessed. I have family and friends who love me for who I am, not for what "I" have done. I don't worry about limiting my relationship with God because of "what people might think." I don't need to grovel for the approval from my family and peers.
If you are afraid that people will think you are weak, trust in God and you will see how strong you can become.
I cannot say it enough....trust in God. But what comes with that is the need to worship God. This is hard for us in a country where we are taught to worship ourselves, our intelligence, our money, our status, our accomplishments, our talent....etc. Those things are so fragile and based so much on what we "do", not who we are.
If your dropped all the "me" stuff and stood naked only before the Lord, what would He see? That is what counts.
I see so many people who are so worried about what other people are thinking that they cannot come to Christ personally...
I look back on my life and see how my experiences, mind-set and choices all led to this conclusion and my freedom from its oppression.
I always loved the part of the refrain of the song whose lyrics where "you and I walk to the beat of a different drum". The truth has set me free.
Why are people so constricted when it comes to loving God? Is it that people have such low opinions of themselves that they cannot trust their own thoughts? Is it that they crave being loved by others so much that they have to have the immediate and visible (READ: doubting Thomas) love of other human beings rather than the perfect love of God?
Human love is to fast food as God's love is to a twelve course meal.
I guess I have been greatly blessed. I have family and friends who love me for who I am, not for what "I" have done. I don't worry about limiting my relationship with God because of "what people might think." I don't need to grovel for the approval from my family and peers.
If you are afraid that people will think you are weak, trust in God and you will see how strong you can become.
I cannot say it enough....trust in God. But what comes with that is the need to worship God. This is hard for us in a country where we are taught to worship ourselves, our intelligence, our money, our status, our accomplishments, our talent....etc. Those things are so fragile and based so much on what we "do", not who we are.
If your dropped all the "me" stuff and stood naked only before the Lord, what would He see? That is what counts.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Homeschool teaches real communication
One of the finest benefits of homeschooling is that homeschool students learn to communicate verbally....Really communicate.
A quick look at the "communication" differences in government (public) school vs homeschool shows the main difference to be that government schools teach writing as the main form of communication and in homeschooling we inadvertently teach verbal communication as most important. We talk to each other frequently whenever there is a need. Thoughts are naturally drawn out and relational, not truncated on a piece of paper.
The reason government school kids have to write is because the teacher does not have the time to verbally communicated with each student to the extend to which they would need.
Homeschooling is much more natural. Homeschool students are not subjected to the artificiality of long periods when they are not allowed to talk or to having raise their hand to speak to express a need.
In our home my son talks A LOT more than he writes. Like many boys his age, he does not like to write. He does not like the mechanics, the slowness or the thought processes of writing.
In making life less stressful for both of us, he often does "verbal" reporting. He prefers to speak answers, whether short or long. Of course, sometimes I make him write a little, but more frequently I sit with him and we talk about the "answers".
The benefits of verbal communication are multi-faceted. A few off the top of my head are:
1. We enjoy each others' company and develop "relationship".
2. He has confidently learned how to express himself verbally and is a very "verbal male".
3. He does not have to give "short" answers to avoid writing.
4. He is encouraged to expand thinking and think deeper about his answers.
5. We can discuss what he says.
6. He gets immediate feedback on his thoughts.
7. I can assess whether or not he is interested in a subject and if it is worthy of further study.
Let's face it. If someone can organize and correctly express verbal information by comparing, contrasting, informing, etc., they can eventually also do it by writing.
Because he can answer verbally, he can think more and share what he thinks without the "consequence" of having to write. Speaking encourages expanded thinking while writing would discourage his thinking further.
Over and over again, people express their recognition of the verbal eloquence and ability of homeschool students. Most of these students can speak easily with people of all ages. Because they "converse", they usually "know what to say" and are confident in their ability to relate to other people.
Writing is an important skill, but is seriously less important than being able to relate to other human beings face to face.
unfortunately, government schools obviously cannot teach this way. Personally, when I was a young student in government school, I hated writing. I did learn to summarize. I wrote as little as possible.
It took me about twenty years to de-tox. When I discovered that all the day dreaming I always did in school was because I had a gifting for story telling, I finally learned to write. Now I love to write. I have written a novel, several short stories, magazine and newspaper articles, along with blogs and web pages.
I do understand that some students prefer or love writing and this should be encouraged. I am not addressing those students/parents. My purpose here is to encourage those whose children do not like to write. They can learn to write when they need to. That does not mean that they HAVE to do written science reports in the third grade. They do not HAVE to do written book reports in the fifth grade. So what if they can't?????
When their minds have matured a bit when they reach high school age, this is when the skills of writing need to be developed.
If a student knows how to organize thoughts and speak coherently, he/she already has more than half of the writing skills they need.
There is no reason to force very young students to write a lot. If it is their gift, then develop it but if it is their nemesis, shelve it.
A quick look at the "communication" differences in government (public) school vs homeschool shows the main difference to be that government schools teach writing as the main form of communication and in homeschooling we inadvertently teach verbal communication as most important. We talk to each other frequently whenever there is a need. Thoughts are naturally drawn out and relational, not truncated on a piece of paper.
The reason government school kids have to write is because the teacher does not have the time to verbally communicated with each student to the extend to which they would need.
Homeschooling is much more natural. Homeschool students are not subjected to the artificiality of long periods when they are not allowed to talk or to having raise their hand to speak to express a need.
In our home my son talks A LOT more than he writes. Like many boys his age, he does not like to write. He does not like the mechanics, the slowness or the thought processes of writing.
In making life less stressful for both of us, he often does "verbal" reporting. He prefers to speak answers, whether short or long. Of course, sometimes I make him write a little, but more frequently I sit with him and we talk about the "answers".
The benefits of verbal communication are multi-faceted. A few off the top of my head are:
1. We enjoy each others' company and develop "relationship".
2. He has confidently learned how to express himself verbally and is a very "verbal male".
3. He does not have to give "short" answers to avoid writing.
4. He is encouraged to expand thinking and think deeper about his answers.
5. We can discuss what he says.
6. He gets immediate feedback on his thoughts.
7. I can assess whether or not he is interested in a subject and if it is worthy of further study.
Let's face it. If someone can organize and correctly express verbal information by comparing, contrasting, informing, etc., they can eventually also do it by writing.
Because he can answer verbally, he can think more and share what he thinks without the "consequence" of having to write. Speaking encourages expanded thinking while writing would discourage his thinking further.
Over and over again, people express their recognition of the verbal eloquence and ability of homeschool students. Most of these students can speak easily with people of all ages. Because they "converse", they usually "know what to say" and are confident in their ability to relate to other people.
Writing is an important skill, but is seriously less important than being able to relate to other human beings face to face.
unfortunately, government schools obviously cannot teach this way. Personally, when I was a young student in government school, I hated writing. I did learn to summarize. I wrote as little as possible.
It took me about twenty years to de-tox. When I discovered that all the day dreaming I always did in school was because I had a gifting for story telling, I finally learned to write. Now I love to write. I have written a novel, several short stories, magazine and newspaper articles, along with blogs and web pages.
I do understand that some students prefer or love writing and this should be encouraged. I am not addressing those students/parents. My purpose here is to encourage those whose children do not like to write. They can learn to write when they need to. That does not mean that they HAVE to do written science reports in the third grade. They do not HAVE to do written book reports in the fifth grade. So what if they can't?????
When their minds have matured a bit when they reach high school age, this is when the skills of writing need to be developed.
If a student knows how to organize thoughts and speak coherently, he/she already has more than half of the writing skills they need.
There is no reason to force very young students to write a lot. If it is their gift, then develop it but if it is their nemesis, shelve it.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Star Wars 3 Revenge of the Sith
This isn't a spoiler. (unless you didn't know Anakin becomes Vader ;-)
I was amazed that Lucas hit so hard upon the male commitment to work and family. Poor Anakin, he was just trying to take care of the ones he loved....NOT
Anakin is the epitome of selfishness. His main concern was not for the ones he loved but for his own feelings...A glitch in the entire Star Wars series, as the Jedi always teach "trust your feelings". Anakin's feelings were self serving; saving the ones he loves to satisfy his own needs. Selfish feelings cannot be trusted to be in the best interest of others.
Lucas hit the "abusive husband" character on target. "But I love you so much it makes me crazy..." Sorry but not true. Anakin only loved himself so much he could not bear losing something he wanted.
I thank George Lucas for portraying what can happen to a person when he/she fears not having one's needs met while believing one's own needs are the most important thing in the entire world.
In real life there is another "Hope".
We can learn when our needs are important and where our needs fit in the scope of the universe. If we rely upon ourselves as our main resource to satisfy our needs we very well may be doomed the fate of Anakin/Skywalker/Vader.
There is one who can satisfy all of our needs. There is one in whom we can find true fulfillment as a person without fear and without losing our identity. There is one who has a planned niche for us in this universe. Choose to follow that one. That one is love...That one is God.
I was amazed that Lucas hit so hard upon the male commitment to work and family. Poor Anakin, he was just trying to take care of the ones he loved....NOT
Anakin is the epitome of selfishness. His main concern was not for the ones he loved but for his own feelings...A glitch in the entire Star Wars series, as the Jedi always teach "trust your feelings". Anakin's feelings were self serving; saving the ones he loves to satisfy his own needs. Selfish feelings cannot be trusted to be in the best interest of others.
Lucas hit the "abusive husband" character on target. "But I love you so much it makes me crazy..." Sorry but not true. Anakin only loved himself so much he could not bear losing something he wanted.
I thank George Lucas for portraying what can happen to a person when he/she fears not having one's needs met while believing one's own needs are the most important thing in the entire world.
In real life there is another "Hope".
We can learn when our needs are important and where our needs fit in the scope of the universe. If we rely upon ourselves as our main resource to satisfy our needs we very well may be doomed the fate of Anakin/Skywalker/Vader.
There is one who can satisfy all of our needs. There is one in whom we can find true fulfillment as a person without fear and without losing our identity. There is one who has a planned niche for us in this universe. Choose to follow that one. That one is love...That one is God.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Intimidated - Ode to be a poet - lesson
Okay, I was TRYING to write something lyrically profound about the wind but then read some Carl Sandburg..........and I wondered about my place in this world.
I can see the art of God in every ant, every blade of grass, every cloud. But, when I read words that adequately paint the pictures of God's work I cannot even think of words to say. It is like thinking about walking while enjoying the thrill of riding a roller coaster. I am impressed, thankful, and intimidated.
Fortunately, children show me that I have a gifting writing lesson plans. Maybe my downfall was that I was researching to write something of the heart...okay, so I LOVE researching. That must be what lesson plans are about.
I can see the art of God in every ant, every blade of grass, every cloud. But, when I read words that adequately paint the pictures of God's work I cannot even think of words to say. It is like thinking about walking while enjoying the thrill of riding a roller coaster. I am impressed, thankful, and intimidated.
Fortunately, children show me that I have a gifting writing lesson plans. Maybe my downfall was that I was researching to write something of the heart...okay, so I LOVE researching. That must be what lesson plans are about.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Where I Stand
My heart was searching and was never fulfilled.
Then the direction of my life was profoundly changed, for the better. My virtual backpack of sorrows and resentment is now empty. My heart is full and satisfied.
I could write this blog with several "voices" but I choose to voice as neutrally as I can write. But this weekend is a celebration that defies neutrality.
The reason my life was filled and changed for the better was because I crept out from under all my self-guided philosophies and discovered that God was real.
This weekend is the celebration of the beginning of new life. If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus you are missing out.
I have so much more to say on this matter, but I am so full I will need to organize my right brain before I can plaster the thoughts on this left-brain format.
If you have been turned off by churches, I can only say one thing, church is made of people and people are not perfect AND God is much bigger than any church. (okay so that was two or three things).
The last thing I have to say is that a truly free and peaceful heart lies with a TRUE relationship with God.
May God touch your heart and free you from any false illusions of peace and freedom.
Then the direction of my life was profoundly changed, for the better. My virtual backpack of sorrows and resentment is now empty. My heart is full and satisfied.
I could write this blog with several "voices" but I choose to voice as neutrally as I can write. But this weekend is a celebration that defies neutrality.
The reason my life was filled and changed for the better was because I crept out from under all my self-guided philosophies and discovered that God was real.
This weekend is the celebration of the beginning of new life. If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus you are missing out.
I have so much more to say on this matter, but I am so full I will need to organize my right brain before I can plaster the thoughts on this left-brain format.
If you have been turned off by churches, I can only say one thing, church is made of people and people are not perfect AND God is much bigger than any church. (okay so that was two or three things).
The last thing I have to say is that a truly free and peaceful heart lies with a TRUE relationship with God.
May God touch your heart and free you from any false illusions of peace and freedom.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Sticks and Stones
"Sticks and Stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me," is a lie.
In the The Three Little Pigs, the three houses are made of straw, sticks and brick/stone.
Functional life is a balance between being straw that will bend in wind and stone that cannot be blown over. We need to be pliable enough to be functional yet not be blown flat. We need to be strong yet not have hearts of stone.
Along with experiences, words build us up or flatten us.
Phrases handed to me by friends have become part of my life. Each one was a gift of words that has helped me to focus on what is important. They are words, but they are NOT just words.
I hope this list expands and I hope to also develop a "reject list".
1. He's not Jesus.
This seems obvious enough, but I find that I am more willing to accept my own weaknesses than those of my husband or other people. After all, my life would be a whole lot easier if THEY were perfect. This first phrase was directed to me almost twenty years ago by Margie when I was complaining about my spouse, but the phrase applies to anyone of whom I have expectations.
2. It's like water off a duck's back.
We have a choice to hang on to offenses and load them into our virtual backpack of sorrows adn resentment, or we can let them go. It takes the mind-set of #1 to apply this one without resentment. This phrase was handed to me by Kelly, a Park Ranger I was supervising. Who knows what I was upset about.
The third was handed to me by Lezlie who said it came from her grandmother.
3. Do not sweat things that are not of eternal value.
Seriously folks, that virtual backpack of sorrows and resentment can drag us down. It is SOOOOO important to figure out what is REALLY important. The one thing that really counts is your soul/spirit. If your spirit is holy everything else falls into place.
More to come...
In the The Three Little Pigs, the three houses are made of straw, sticks and brick/stone.
Functional life is a balance between being straw that will bend in wind and stone that cannot be blown over. We need to be pliable enough to be functional yet not be blown flat. We need to be strong yet not have hearts of stone.
Along with experiences, words build us up or flatten us.
Phrases handed to me by friends have become part of my life. Each one was a gift of words that has helped me to focus on what is important. They are words, but they are NOT just words.
I hope this list expands and I hope to also develop a "reject list".
1. He's not Jesus.
This seems obvious enough, but I find that I am more willing to accept my own weaknesses than those of my husband or other people. After all, my life would be a whole lot easier if THEY were perfect. This first phrase was directed to me almost twenty years ago by Margie when I was complaining about my spouse, but the phrase applies to anyone of whom I have expectations.
2. It's like water off a duck's back.
We have a choice to hang on to offenses and load them into our virtual backpack of sorrows adn resentment, or we can let them go. It takes the mind-set of #1 to apply this one without resentment. This phrase was handed to me by Kelly, a Park Ranger I was supervising. Who knows what I was upset about.
The third was handed to me by Lezlie who said it came from her grandmother.
3. Do not sweat things that are not of eternal value.
Seriously folks, that virtual backpack of sorrows and resentment can drag us down. It is SOOOOO important to figure out what is REALLY important. The one thing that really counts is your soul/spirit. If your spirit is holy everything else falls into place.
More to come...
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Spiritual Atheism?
Julia Sweeney spoke eloquently about leaving God and becoming an atheist. Yet she still spoke about having a spiritual aspect to being human. Whoa. That doesn't work.
Ms. Sweeney has not stopped believing in God, she has simply replaced Him with another god. From what I could ascertain, it is the god of humanity. She is impressed that we has humans have evolved on this earth, without help, to become such a complex animal. (Her thoughts not mine) She talked about how wonderful humans are so I deduced that "humanhood" is her god.
Ms. Sweeney has "lost her faith". If she sat back and listened to her own speaking, she would hear that she still does believe in God. She has for some reason turned her back on the true God.
People are spiritual. Look at people throughout the ages. No matter in what god they came to believe, the great majority of historical humanhood has believed in a god. If "god" had not been a real part of our collective lives, like breathing and drinking water, "spirituality" and worship would surely have devolved long ago. What is the evolutionary purpose of spending precious time and resources on something that does not exist? Humanhood could have developed fellowships without a god.
The questions are: in what god do you choose to believe and how much of your life do you want to dedicate to him, her or it.
Personally, I have chosen to believe in the Creator, not the created. I have been blessed by God.
Ms. Sweeney has not stopped believing in God, she has simply replaced Him with another god. From what I could ascertain, it is the god of humanity. She is impressed that we has humans have evolved on this earth, without help, to become such a complex animal. (Her thoughts not mine) She talked about how wonderful humans are so I deduced that "humanhood" is her god.
Ms. Sweeney has "lost her faith". If she sat back and listened to her own speaking, she would hear that she still does believe in God. She has for some reason turned her back on the true God.
People are spiritual. Look at people throughout the ages. No matter in what god they came to believe, the great majority of historical humanhood has believed in a god. If "god" had not been a real part of our collective lives, like breathing and drinking water, "spirituality" and worship would surely have devolved long ago. What is the evolutionary purpose of spending precious time and resources on something that does not exist? Humanhood could have developed fellowships without a god.
The questions are: in what god do you choose to believe and how much of your life do you want to dedicate to him, her or it.
Personally, I have chosen to believe in the Creator, not the created. I have been blessed by God.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
My Life as a Nut-shell
I have searched high and low and behold, no previously written testimony. That means I have to start all over again....hmmmm
My childhood was a decent, go to church on Sunday, US of A upbringing but becoming a teen in the late 1960's was quiet a challenge for my creative artistic personality.
As a teen, I knew something important was missing from my life but I was not sure what that was. I was born a seeker and I looked everywhere for the "meaning of life".
Trying to find the truth, I took all the information available to me and made up a set of rules to live by. I tried living by my own rules for over ten years and found that I was only seeking more and more. I was becoming more and more dissatisfied with the answers I was manufacturing.
During that seeking, I finally condescended to go to university and eventually ended up in Art school. My creativity was unleashed and that felt really good. It was a part of me that had not been previously satisfied. I lived the unfettered life of a typical art student. My body and mind felt satisfied but something was still missing. In fact the more free I thought myself, the more I realized something was missing. My favorite subject to paint and draw was an empty turtle shell.
I searched myself hard and realized that there was something more than satisfying my body and mind. I discovered that part of me called spirit and wondered if that is where I was incomplete.
One day a fellow art student, Elizabeth Senter, invited me to her church's Christmas pageant. I though, hum, Christian Christmas, not my cup of tea, I knew churches were full of hypocrites but at least it would be an investigation into something somewhat spiritual.
I sat detached watching the pageant unfold. It was about the life of Christ, complete with volunteer pseudo-nailed to the cross. As an art student, I saw cliche written all over the performance. It was definitely predictable. I knew the story. It was not my theatrical "cup of tea".
However, what I could not predict was that the Holy Spirit was present in that church. I was not sure what was going on in my heart, but I knew that something here at this church was the something that was missing from my life.
Soon after my visit, I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life.
My life is now changed. I am still a seeker, by my heart is at peace. I have the freedom to be who I am and not search for what I think I should be. I know even in the low times I am not alone. The presence of God is in my life. The peace he has given me is beyond words.
Although I immediately felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. I was not magically transformed, it took time and work. It took time and study to understand how to let God work in my life.
I began by going to a Unitarian Church that was intellectually satisfying and somewhat spoke to my spirit. Six months later I met a man (now my husband) who suggested I try the church across the street from the Unitarian one.
It was a fundamental Bible believing church. I was shocked. The people there were intelligent, believed the Bible AND the Holy Spirit was obviously present in their church. I was hooked. It was here that I asked Jesus to be the shepherd of my life.
For the last almost 20 years, I have studied the Word of God. I love to seek, I love to question, I love to learn, I love to grow. Each step that I take to follow God is more rewarding than the last.
My childhood was a decent, go to church on Sunday, US of A upbringing but becoming a teen in the late 1960's was quiet a challenge for my creative artistic personality.
As a teen, I knew something important was missing from my life but I was not sure what that was. I was born a seeker and I looked everywhere for the "meaning of life".
Trying to find the truth, I took all the information available to me and made up a set of rules to live by. I tried living by my own rules for over ten years and found that I was only seeking more and more. I was becoming more and more dissatisfied with the answers I was manufacturing.
During that seeking, I finally condescended to go to university and eventually ended up in Art school. My creativity was unleashed and that felt really good. It was a part of me that had not been previously satisfied. I lived the unfettered life of a typical art student. My body and mind felt satisfied but something was still missing. In fact the more free I thought myself, the more I realized something was missing. My favorite subject to paint and draw was an empty turtle shell.
I searched myself hard and realized that there was something more than satisfying my body and mind. I discovered that part of me called spirit and wondered if that is where I was incomplete.
One day a fellow art student, Elizabeth Senter, invited me to her church's Christmas pageant. I though, hum, Christian Christmas, not my cup of tea, I knew churches were full of hypocrites but at least it would be an investigation into something somewhat spiritual.
I sat detached watching the pageant unfold. It was about the life of Christ, complete with volunteer pseudo-nailed to the cross. As an art student, I saw cliche written all over the performance. It was definitely predictable. I knew the story. It was not my theatrical "cup of tea".
However, what I could not predict was that the Holy Spirit was present in that church. I was not sure what was going on in my heart, but I knew that something here at this church was the something that was missing from my life.
Soon after my visit, I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life.
My life is now changed. I am still a seeker, by my heart is at peace. I have the freedom to be who I am and not search for what I think I should be. I know even in the low times I am not alone. The presence of God is in my life. The peace he has given me is beyond words.
Although I immediately felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. I was not magically transformed, it took time and work. It took time and study to understand how to let God work in my life.
I began by going to a Unitarian Church that was intellectually satisfying and somewhat spoke to my spirit. Six months later I met a man (now my husband) who suggested I try the church across the street from the Unitarian one.
It was a fundamental Bible believing church. I was shocked. The people there were intelligent, believed the Bible AND the Holy Spirit was obviously present in their church. I was hooked. It was here that I asked Jesus to be the shepherd of my life.
For the last almost 20 years, I have studied the Word of God. I love to seek, I love to question, I love to learn, I love to grow. Each step that I take to follow God is more rewarding than the last.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Invoice
I am dedicated to "of the moment" teaching...And learning.
Yesterday my pastor gave the congregation homework. We are to write down our personal testimony and share it with our husband and children. It was a no brainer to post it here. Sooooo....
No problem, I have already written several that I can use according to which audience I am speaking...hmmmm. That doesn't sound quite right. I promise, they are all the same, some just more detailed...
Okay, so this was this morning's lesson to me. I am searching my computer, through the zillions of documents I have, looking for "Testimony". It did not exist. I searched other spellings, abbreviations, nothing. So all the while I am reorganizing my thoughts so I can type it quickly and go feed the horses.
I was scanning appropriate folders and ran across one that I read as "in" voice. My brain froze. What a word. I had never read it like that before.
What is your IN voice? To whom to do listen? If you are not listening for the voice of God for guidance, you are listening to a much less experienced and powerful voice. I am not talking "God's voice" a la Moses... But He does speak to us in so many ways. Through His written word, through his prophets (teachers not future tellers), through His children and through the Holy Spirit (which some would de-deify as conscience).
God is awesome.
.....I will post my testimony when I get it re-written.
May God Bless You...
Yesterday my pastor gave the congregation homework. We are to write down our personal testimony and share it with our husband and children. It was a no brainer to post it here. Sooooo....
No problem, I have already written several that I can use according to which audience I am speaking...hmmmm. That doesn't sound quite right. I promise, they are all the same, some just more detailed...
Okay, so this was this morning's lesson to me. I am searching my computer, through the zillions of documents I have, looking for "Testimony". It did not exist. I searched other spellings, abbreviations, nothing. So all the while I am reorganizing my thoughts so I can type it quickly and go feed the horses.
I was scanning appropriate folders and ran across one that I read as "in" voice. My brain froze. What a word. I had never read it like that before.
What is your IN voice? To whom to do listen? If you are not listening for the voice of God for guidance, you are listening to a much less experienced and powerful voice. I am not talking "God's voice" a la Moses... But He does speak to us in so many ways. Through His written word, through his prophets (teachers not future tellers), through His children and through the Holy Spirit (which some would de-deify as conscience).
God is awesome.
.....I will post my testimony when I get it re-written.
May God Bless You...
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Benefits and deficits of Homeschooling
Time is probably the crucial difference between homeschool and "send-off-to" school. Homeschool does not "take time" it "gives time" to your children.
Benefits ---this list may grow---
(BTW, I have a MS in Education and have taught in public schools. I now homeschool.)
You maintain a very close relationship with your child. Quantity is important. There is no way you can develop the same level of relationship when you send your child away from home for 7+ hours a day. Everyday, homeschoolers spend time with their children when everyone is fresh. Time is not limited to evenings after a long day and/or to weekends. You laugh and cry together all day long. You live life together as a family.
Your children's giftings can be individually encouraged. You can direct your child's learning toward their interests.
You know what your child is learning....And the homeschooling parent gets to learn new stuff. The benefit for the student is that he/she can actually carry on an intelligent conversation with an educated parent AND the student knows the parent does know something.
Your child can learn confidently on his/her correct developmental level. My dyslexic son reads and writes "one grade lower" and does math "two grades higher". He does not have to compare himself to anyone. He just has to learn.
Your child is not humiliated or frustrated by not doing well. You repeat, take a break and/or do it some other time. You can take as long as you need to teach something. The desire to succeed naturally motivates learners who have not been discouraged by failure.
Your child learns how to live real life. What is more important, family or job (school)? In homeschooling, family, not school is the focal point of your lives. Your child learns to be a functional member of a family. This cannot be taught in any school. In fact school-life might require a divided loyalty.
Thinking and self examination is not encouraged when a child must sit quietly, follow directions without question, read what and when told, do math when told, only move when told, have to ask to go to the bathroom, eat only when allowed, etc..... Schools are situationally artificial. For most people not in prison, life is not that controlled. Homeschoolers do naturally learn the skill of "quiet" but not for 7 hours a day.
The School is not in control of your family life. Your child can learn life skills by doing. They learn to shop wisely, cook, build, clean, even watch the news. You and your children can find time to attend weddings, funerals, visit nursing homes, do vacations, go to the vet.
If the dog dies, you take a break to grieve together without being left behind by the rest of the class. If your child is subsequently curious about illness of death, you can change gears and study it.
When they are 16 they can get a day-time part time job if they wish. However many homeschoolers invent their own jobs and maintain them long before they are 16.
Your child has adult family members for "major-time" role models, not peers. The homeschool kids that I personally know are generally more self confident and relaxed than kids who are put with a large group of peers for most of their day. Homeschoolers rarely succumb to peer pressure. It is much easier for them to become who they were meant to be, rather than who their peers feel they have to be. Homeschoolers do not develop their values according to TV commercial slogans.
Deficits of Homeschooling----
hmmm....I can't think of any right now...After 9 years of homeschooling, I will have to think hard...Some superficial ones might be;
I could make more money if I worked outside the home.
If I sent my son to school and didn't work, I would have more free time.
AHHH...I thought of one!!!!! The house gets messy!!!!!
Our Homeschool
I homeschool our one son, YES, who gets along well with his peers and is very social.
We use a variety of curricula, some canned, some that I develop.
We volunteer together to work at the local children's museum.
We participate in a coop. We have a "group co-op school" every other Friday. Some moms rotate teaching classes in which they have skills. They have a play production and a musical and holiday craft parties (all the good stuff from schools). They also have a 4-H group.
My son also plays in a homeschool band that started up this year. The director is wonderful, the kids love him. After 4 months they are already in the second year book.
He has taken fencing, karate, basketball, swimming and will start soccer this spring.
We participate in many church activities. He had a lead role in the last children's play.
He enjoys playing video games online and off. He is something of a computer nerd and at 11 has taught himself how to "hack" into some of the games he owns.
Benefits ---this list may grow---
(BTW, I have a MS in Education and have taught in public schools. I now homeschool.)
You maintain a very close relationship with your child. Quantity is important. There is no way you can develop the same level of relationship when you send your child away from home for 7+ hours a day. Everyday, homeschoolers spend time with their children when everyone is fresh. Time is not limited to evenings after a long day and/or to weekends. You laugh and cry together all day long. You live life together as a family.
Your children's giftings can be individually encouraged. You can direct your child's learning toward their interests.
You know what your child is learning....And the homeschooling parent gets to learn new stuff. The benefit for the student is that he/she can actually carry on an intelligent conversation with an educated parent AND the student knows the parent does know something.
Your child can learn confidently on his/her correct developmental level. My dyslexic son reads and writes "one grade lower" and does math "two grades higher". He does not have to compare himself to anyone. He just has to learn.
Your child is not humiliated or frustrated by not doing well. You repeat, take a break and/or do it some other time. You can take as long as you need to teach something. The desire to succeed naturally motivates learners who have not been discouraged by failure.
Your child learns how to live real life. What is more important, family or job (school)? In homeschooling, family, not school is the focal point of your lives. Your child learns to be a functional member of a family. This cannot be taught in any school. In fact school-life might require a divided loyalty.
Thinking and self examination is not encouraged when a child must sit quietly, follow directions without question, read what and when told, do math when told, only move when told, have to ask to go to the bathroom, eat only when allowed, etc..... Schools are situationally artificial. For most people not in prison, life is not that controlled. Homeschoolers do naturally learn the skill of "quiet" but not for 7 hours a day.
The School is not in control of your family life. Your child can learn life skills by doing. They learn to shop wisely, cook, build, clean, even watch the news. You and your children can find time to attend weddings, funerals, visit nursing homes, do vacations, go to the vet.
If the dog dies, you take a break to grieve together without being left behind by the rest of the class. If your child is subsequently curious about illness of death, you can change gears and study it.
When they are 16 they can get a day-time part time job if they wish. However many homeschoolers invent their own jobs and maintain them long before they are 16.
Your child has adult family members for "major-time" role models, not peers. The homeschool kids that I personally know are generally more self confident and relaxed than kids who are put with a large group of peers for most of their day. Homeschoolers rarely succumb to peer pressure. It is much easier for them to become who they were meant to be, rather than who their peers feel they have to be. Homeschoolers do not develop their values according to TV commercial slogans.
Deficits of Homeschooling----
hmmm....I can't think of any right now...After 9 years of homeschooling, I will have to think hard...Some superficial ones might be;
I could make more money if I worked outside the home.
If I sent my son to school and didn't work, I would have more free time.
AHHH...I thought of one!!!!! The house gets messy!!!!!
Our Homeschool
I homeschool our one son, YES, who gets along well with his peers and is very social.
We use a variety of curricula, some canned, some that I develop.
We volunteer together to work at the local children's museum.
We participate in a coop. We have a "group co-op school" every other Friday. Some moms rotate teaching classes in which they have skills. They have a play production and a musical and holiday craft parties (all the good stuff from schools). They also have a 4-H group.
My son also plays in a homeschool band that started up this year. The director is wonderful, the kids love him. After 4 months they are already in the second year book.
He has taken fencing, karate, basketball, swimming and will start soccer this spring.
We participate in many church activities. He had a lead role in the last children's play.
He enjoys playing video games online and off. He is something of a computer nerd and at 11 has taught himself how to "hack" into some of the games he owns.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Our Personal Prisons
Free thought on bars.
We all have bars that limit our abundance of life.
My personal prison is transient. Sometimes I feel very confined, other times free as a bird.....But even the bird has bars.
Unfulfilled desires can create the bars behind which we live.
My personal prison is wanting to hear approval from other people. Running in the background is the thought "if I don't hear approval, then 'they' are not approving".
If I do not hear approval, then I find myself likely altering my behavior. This is the structure of the bars. Prisoners have their behavior modified by the bars of their prison. My thinking could really put a burden on other people and/or limits upon myself.
Ideally, I should be able to function with only the approval of God. However, I do believe He has put in us the desire to hear from our fellow humans. He has made us social. Social requires bonding. Bonding requires dependency. Dependency creates limits...Bars.
The bars are a part of human nature.
The question is: "Are the bars detrimental"? Ah, therein lies a very complex answer. Without bars or limits in our interactions with others, we become very self serving and preserving.
Bars can create a bit of safety. They can protect us from dangerous activities, relationships, etc. They can also be a hindrance. They can limit our behavior so severely that we do not function to our full ability.
So how does one tell if our own personal bars are protective or hindrance? The answer is relatively simple. If your bars are keeping you from doing God's work then they are a hindrance.
So what is God's work?
Again the answer is simple: Glorifying God by loving our neighbors by strong>DOINGto others as we would have them do to us.
All the rest pales before this command.
People make life so complicated when in reality if we keep our focus on the right mark, it is realitively simple. Super Bowl weekend is upon our country. The players work together for a single purpose. They take hits for each other, they block the "enemy" all with the goal in mind.
The bars, the blocks, the hits, the hurts, the obstructed paths all fall into perpective as part of the inevitable life on earth. God's team functions best with gloryfying God as the goal.
We all have bars that limit our abundance of life.
My personal prison is transient. Sometimes I feel very confined, other times free as a bird.....But even the bird has bars.
Unfulfilled desires can create the bars behind which we live.
My personal prison is wanting to hear approval from other people. Running in the background is the thought "if I don't hear approval, then 'they' are not approving".
If I do not hear approval, then I find myself likely altering my behavior. This is the structure of the bars. Prisoners have their behavior modified by the bars of their prison. My thinking could really put a burden on other people and/or limits upon myself.
Ideally, I should be able to function with only the approval of God. However, I do believe He has put in us the desire to hear from our fellow humans. He has made us social. Social requires bonding. Bonding requires dependency. Dependency creates limits...Bars.
The bars are a part of human nature.
The question is: "Are the bars detrimental"? Ah, therein lies a very complex answer. Without bars or limits in our interactions with others, we become very self serving and preserving.
Bars can create a bit of safety. They can protect us from dangerous activities, relationships, etc. They can also be a hindrance. They can limit our behavior so severely that we do not function to our full ability.
So how does one tell if our own personal bars are protective or hindrance? The answer is relatively simple. If your bars are keeping you from doing God's work then they are a hindrance.
So what is God's work?
Again the answer is simple: Glorifying God by loving our neighbors by strong>DOINGto others as we would have them do to us.
All the rest pales before this command.
People make life so complicated when in reality if we keep our focus on the right mark, it is realitively simple. Super Bowl weekend is upon our country. The players work together for a single purpose. They take hits for each other, they block the "enemy" all with the goal in mind.
The bars, the blocks, the hits, the hurts, the obstructed paths all fall into perpective as part of the inevitable life on earth. God's team functions best with gloryfying God as the goal.
Friday, January 28, 2005
This is the Day
Someday, I will organize this more coherently. Until then, it is just plopped out.
I really get tired of defending the FACT that I can believe both that the Bible is the infallible word of God AND believe that the days in Genesis may be longer than 24 literal hours.
Consider:
First, time is not linear to God. (see the end for a few Bible quotes)
I find it interesting that people on one hand proclaim we are still in the "soon" period of Jesus returning, yet refuse to consider that one day may be construed as long time. God's time is not within our understanding.
Second, let me put forth the matter of language. If I say "cool", what does that mean? Today it could be the temperature outside my window as it would have meant two hundred years ago. However, two hundred years ago it would not have meant "nice" as it could mean today.
(the controversy centers around the Hebrew article that goes with the Hebrew word day... It is most often indicative of a 24 hour day not "day" as in era.)
We have a hard time interpreting our own Constitution of the US even though it was written only 200 years ago, in this country and in our native tongue. Why should we be so certain that we understand the correct interpretation of one article of speech that was written over 3,500 years ago.
I worship and fully believe in God who inspired the writing of the original (Hebrew/Greek) Bible. I do not believe in the infallibility of theologians and linguists who interpret the Bible. Experts in Hebrew exegesis agree that the "literal twenty-four hour day" is not the only way the words in Genesis could be interpreted.
The important thing is not whether we interpret "day" as 24 literal hours or "day" as an era. The important thing is that we realize that God could have created the universe in any length of time.
Quibbling about the interpretation of one article of speech is petty. The important thing is not how long God took to form the earth, the important thing is that we believe that HE did it. I do not see that God would have us quarrel about how long he took. The time is NOT IMPORTANT. However, people would take this unimportant element and quarrel fearsomely about it.
The earth is a tribute to his glory no matter how long he took to make it.
What I am saying is that I believe in an infallible Bible, just different human thoughts that apply to the same little words. I have no problem with folks believing in the "literal twenty-four hour day". I do not see why they would have a problem with me believing in a "long day".
I have heard evidence on both sides. Neither can "prove" which is true. It is all interpretation...DO NOT QUARREL ABOUT PETTY THINGS!!!! Glorify God on all the earth, that is what is important.
Have a nice day,
Jane
Job 10:5 Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a man...
Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by...
2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.
1 Timothy 3-7 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work-which is by faith. The goal of this command is love which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
I really get tired of defending the FACT that I can believe both that the Bible is the infallible word of God AND believe that the days in Genesis may be longer than 24 literal hours.
Consider:
First, time is not linear to God. (see the end for a few Bible quotes)
I find it interesting that people on one hand proclaim we are still in the "soon" period of Jesus returning, yet refuse to consider that one day may be construed as long time. God's time is not within our understanding.
Second, let me put forth the matter of language. If I say "cool", what does that mean? Today it could be the temperature outside my window as it would have meant two hundred years ago. However, two hundred years ago it would not have meant "nice" as it could mean today.
(the controversy centers around the Hebrew article that goes with the Hebrew word day... It is most often indicative of a 24 hour day not "day" as in era.)
We have a hard time interpreting our own Constitution of the US even though it was written only 200 years ago, in this country and in our native tongue. Why should we be so certain that we understand the correct interpretation of one article of speech that was written over 3,500 years ago.
I worship and fully believe in God who inspired the writing of the original (Hebrew/Greek) Bible. I do not believe in the infallibility of theologians and linguists who interpret the Bible. Experts in Hebrew exegesis agree that the "literal twenty-four hour day" is not the only way the words in Genesis could be interpreted.
The important thing is not whether we interpret "day" as 24 literal hours or "day" as an era. The important thing is that we realize that God could have created the universe in any length of time.
Quibbling about the interpretation of one article of speech is petty. The important thing is not how long God took to form the earth, the important thing is that we believe that HE did it. I do not see that God would have us quarrel about how long he took. The time is NOT IMPORTANT. However, people would take this unimportant element and quarrel fearsomely about it.
The earth is a tribute to his glory no matter how long he took to make it.
What I am saying is that I believe in an infallible Bible, just different human thoughts that apply to the same little words. I have no problem with folks believing in the "literal twenty-four hour day". I do not see why they would have a problem with me believing in a "long day".
I have heard evidence on both sides. Neither can "prove" which is true. It is all interpretation...DO NOT QUARREL ABOUT PETTY THINGS!!!! Glorify God on all the earth, that is what is important.
Have a nice day,
Jane
Job 10:5 Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a man...
Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by...
2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.
1 Timothy 3-7 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work-which is by faith. The goal of this command is love which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
Friday, January 21, 2005
On Being Dead
I am struggling here. I am trying to understand the REAL purpose of funerals and my part in those funerals.
What I envision when I die is being in heaven. I could care less about my funeral. I will celebrate my life as I am living it. After I die, my life will not be made any more memorable by oration but I will be remembered by the ways I have affected the people I have touched. Ways they may not even know about.
I do understand that funerals are not for the dead but for the living....hmmmm... let me sort this out. Personally I think the REAL "reasons" for funerals are to make funeral directors rich. It is big business.
Let me recover here a bit. If someone dies young or suddenly, I realize the family may need a "confirmation of death", a time of support, a time of gathering. Or if they died heroically people should be made aware, however not necessarily by a funeral, as would be true if they have died in service to others.
What I am talking about is funerals for the great multitude that grow old and die as a natural part of living. Today I am closer to my "death day" than I was yesterday. Some people are gracious enough to take years to die. Their family is well prepared and may even be grateful at the passing of some folks. For many death is a wonderful release from a crippled or ailing body.
What would I want for "my funeral"??...I have trouble with this because it is impossible for me to "have" a funeral. When I am dead, I will not be at my funeral.
Okay, so, let me plan my body's funeral.
1. A plain box please... the most environmentally efficient whatever that is.
2. I prefer being "prepared" in the most environmentally friendly manner. No makeup, no false stuff...I really don't care if my body rots. It is a natural process created by God for environmentally sound purposes. I doubt if that is legal to do in town?? Whatever is minimal.
3. Just take me from the morgue to the cemetery...no "formal gathering". At the grave site, someone can pray that I do not irritate God asking too many questions. Thank Him for accepting me into His fold. If it is honest, thank Him for knowing me. Do not lie in prayer. I do not want people to sit around listening to selected folks talk formally about me. If you know me well enough to care that I died, then you know all that stuff anyway. FYI, I am appalled by open caskets. I certainly do not want people staring at me when I am dead...get a life. I would much rather people see me with their mind's eye the way they last remember me. I do not want people to travel from afar and create expenses. If you want to spend a bunch of money seeing me, do it while I am living, not after I have died. If people want to get together and "remember me" do it informally somewhere where everyone can get a chance to speak AND LISTEN. Have a dinner party if you must but I would have just had snacks. Or preferably if weather permits have a picnic at a nice park. Have s'mores and good bottled water. Take a walk together and see the things God created that I always have loved, like trees, birds, blue skies and clouds. Remember them, they need caring for after I die, I won't. I will be in good hands.
4. Speaking of trees and birds, at one time I thought cemeteries were a waste of land, until I realized that they are actually nice green spaces. They are a little manufactured but still most have some trees, squirrels, possums, etc. They are nice places to take kids bike riding. They are quiet places where you can walk and contemplate life and death. A person's imagination can be inspired. I would prefer my body's resting place be a beautiful cemetery with lots of trees. So animals and people can enjoy the space. Bury me in the town where I died. Do NOT waste resources and money transporting my dead body. Just pick the closest cemetery with the most trees.
5. Tomb stone... Maybe something like "My word to you is to glorify God"
What I envision when I die is being in heaven. I could care less about my funeral. I will celebrate my life as I am living it. After I die, my life will not be made any more memorable by oration but I will be remembered by the ways I have affected the people I have touched. Ways they may not even know about.
I do understand that funerals are not for the dead but for the living....hmmmm... let me sort this out. Personally I think the REAL "reasons" for funerals are to make funeral directors rich. It is big business.
Let me recover here a bit. If someone dies young or suddenly, I realize the family may need a "confirmation of death", a time of support, a time of gathering. Or if they died heroically people should be made aware, however not necessarily by a funeral, as would be true if they have died in service to others.
What I am talking about is funerals for the great multitude that grow old and die as a natural part of living. Today I am closer to my "death day" than I was yesterday. Some people are gracious enough to take years to die. Their family is well prepared and may even be grateful at the passing of some folks. For many death is a wonderful release from a crippled or ailing body.
What would I want for "my funeral"??...I have trouble with this because it is impossible for me to "have" a funeral. When I am dead, I will not be at my funeral.
Okay, so, let me plan my body's funeral.
1. A plain box please... the most environmentally efficient whatever that is.
2. I prefer being "prepared" in the most environmentally friendly manner. No makeup, no false stuff...I really don't care if my body rots. It is a natural process created by God for environmentally sound purposes. I doubt if that is legal to do in town?? Whatever is minimal.
3. Just take me from the morgue to the cemetery...no "formal gathering". At the grave site, someone can pray that I do not irritate God asking too many questions. Thank Him for accepting me into His fold. If it is honest, thank Him for knowing me. Do not lie in prayer. I do not want people to sit around listening to selected folks talk formally about me. If you know me well enough to care that I died, then you know all that stuff anyway. FYI, I am appalled by open caskets. I certainly do not want people staring at me when I am dead...get a life. I would much rather people see me with their mind's eye the way they last remember me. I do not want people to travel from afar and create expenses. If you want to spend a bunch of money seeing me, do it while I am living, not after I have died. If people want to get together and "remember me" do it informally somewhere where everyone can get a chance to speak AND LISTEN. Have a dinner party if you must but I would have just had snacks. Or preferably if weather permits have a picnic at a nice park. Have s'mores and good bottled water. Take a walk together and see the things God created that I always have loved, like trees, birds, blue skies and clouds. Remember them, they need caring for after I die, I won't. I will be in good hands.
4. Speaking of trees and birds, at one time I thought cemeteries were a waste of land, until I realized that they are actually nice green spaces. They are a little manufactured but still most have some trees, squirrels, possums, etc. They are nice places to take kids bike riding. They are quiet places where you can walk and contemplate life and death. A person's imagination can be inspired. I would prefer my body's resting place be a beautiful cemetery with lots of trees. So animals and people can enjoy the space. Bury me in the town where I died. Do NOT waste resources and money transporting my dead body. Just pick the closest cemetery with the most trees.
5. Tomb stone... Maybe something like "My word to you is to glorify God"
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Let it begin with me
My hair is grayer than yesterday, my skin saggier, my eyes baggier and even though I worked out last night my belly is still a pudge.
Should I be resentful or envious that God did not give me J.Lo's body, Kim Hill's voice, Kay Arthur's teaching ability, Connie Rice's brain, and Mother Theresa's heart? Those are what I would have chosen if given the chance. Isn't my plan better than God's?
Now let me think about what I would have chosen for my husband....well, I guess it is best not to go there....
In our country we struggle so hard to "be me" but so often "me" is so much based on "her" or "him". We strive to be so individualistic but spent so much time shopping for the right clothes the right shoes the right lipstick the right.... Maybe abaya's are not too bad.
When I was in high school I designed and made all my own clothes because I didn't want to look like anyone else. I wanted to stress my individuality. I finally decided that took too much time and I would rather be riding or hiking or doing something outdoors. So I ended up with only jeans and t-shirts.
I have reached a compromise of sorts. I "wear other people's clothes" when I need to be socially acceptable but I am in my jeans and "t" now.
So what's the point? What I look like is not me. I think of the young boy who is totally scarred because his wacko father attempted to burn him to death. I look at Joni Erickson Tada and do not envy her athletic ability. I don't know what happened to "the boy" but if I try to look at Joni with eyes like God's I see a heart that honors Him. Hopefully "the boy" has a heart for God.
If I look in the mirror and complain about my grayness, my saggy and bagginess, I am complaining about the gifts that God gave to me. I am his work of art. I do my best (well maybe not my BEST) to take care of what he has given to me. I try to function in the realm of socially acceptable without being obsessed with my outward appearance. I do dress according to social norms - abayas are not currently "in" in the USA.
Stressing the point: I am God's child made by his hand. He designed me to fit His purpose. In this I find great honor. Why should I compare myself to the rest of the world?
Should I be resentful or envious that God did not give me J.Lo's body, Kim Hill's voice, Kay Arthur's teaching ability, Connie Rice's brain, and Mother Theresa's heart? Those are what I would have chosen if given the chance. Isn't my plan better than God's?
Now let me think about what I would have chosen for my husband....well, I guess it is best not to go there....
In our country we struggle so hard to "be me" but so often "me" is so much based on "her" or "him". We strive to be so individualistic but spent so much time shopping for the right clothes the right shoes the right lipstick the right.... Maybe abaya's are not too bad.
When I was in high school I designed and made all my own clothes because I didn't want to look like anyone else. I wanted to stress my individuality. I finally decided that took too much time and I would rather be riding or hiking or doing something outdoors. So I ended up with only jeans and t-shirts.
I have reached a compromise of sorts. I "wear other people's clothes" when I need to be socially acceptable but I am in my jeans and "t" now.
So what's the point? What I look like is not me. I think of the young boy who is totally scarred because his wacko father attempted to burn him to death. I look at Joni Erickson Tada and do not envy her athletic ability. I don't know what happened to "the boy" but if I try to look at Joni with eyes like God's I see a heart that honors Him. Hopefully "the boy" has a heart for God.
If I look in the mirror and complain about my grayness, my saggy and bagginess, I am complaining about the gifts that God gave to me. I am his work of art. I do my best (well maybe not my BEST) to take care of what he has given to me. I try to function in the realm of socially acceptable without being obsessed with my outward appearance. I do dress according to social norms - abayas are not currently "in" in the USA.
Stressing the point: I am God's child made by his hand. He designed me to fit His purpose. In this I find great honor. Why should I compare myself to the rest of the world?
Monday, January 17, 2005
Watching God Work
As usual, this morning I got up to go muck stalls and feed my horses at six. The temperature in the low 20's was a bit nippy for this area. I dressed appropriately with several layers. By the time I got to the kitchen I realized there was a small stone in my sock.
The way I saw it, I had two choices.
One, I could use valuable time and stress my sore back by sitting down unlayering and removing my sock and then the stone, and then putting my sock back on...which is out of routine and difficult at best.
Or
Two, I could shuffle the little stone between my toes and go on. The stone might shift and occasionally cause some pain, but for the most part, I could probably shift it around and keep it from hurting me.
Although it was six in the morning, the analogy was potent.
The stone was a "little" thing I owned but was trying to ignore.
Not really a big threat to my whole life.
It could cause pain if not "kept under control".
It was easier to shuffle it away than to get rid of it.
When I had the time and it was easier, I could get rid of it with no stress to myself.
Hmmmmm.....
Okay, so I sat down, took off the sock and got rid of the little stone. Yes, it took concentration, time and some back pain, but once I was rid of the little sucker, I was free.
Moral of the story:
It was not the stone that was hurting me. It was me not taking the time to rid myself of it.
Hanging on to "little" sins just is not worth it. Free yourself by taking the time to:
Change an attitude
Change a habit
The time spent working on purging will be worth it on the other side.
When I first put the sock on, I did not know their was a stone in it. It took several steps to realize that I was hurting.
A word of advice:
Sometimes we do not even know that what we are doing is about to hurt ourselves and therefore others. Take time to make good choices. Do not choose to hurt.
The way I saw it, I had two choices.
One, I could use valuable time and stress my sore back by sitting down unlayering and removing my sock and then the stone, and then putting my sock back on...which is out of routine and difficult at best.
Or
Two, I could shuffle the little stone between my toes and go on. The stone might shift and occasionally cause some pain, but for the most part, I could probably shift it around and keep it from hurting me.
Although it was six in the morning, the analogy was potent.
The stone was a "little" thing I owned but was trying to ignore.
Not really a big threat to my whole life.
It could cause pain if not "kept under control".
It was easier to shuffle it away than to get rid of it.
When I had the time and it was easier, I could get rid of it with no stress to myself.
Hmmmmm.....
Okay, so I sat down, took off the sock and got rid of the little stone. Yes, it took concentration, time and some back pain, but once I was rid of the little sucker, I was free.
Moral of the story:
It was not the stone that was hurting me. It was me not taking the time to rid myself of it.
Hanging on to "little" sins just is not worth it. Free yourself by taking the time to:
Change an attitude
Change a habit
The time spent working on purging will be worth it on the other side.
When I first put the sock on, I did not know their was a stone in it. It took several steps to realize that I was hurting.
A word of advice:
Sometimes we do not even know that what we are doing is about to hurt ourselves and therefore others. Take time to make good choices. Do not choose to hurt.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Off track: Atheism
Okay, so this is not part two. While looking for a drawing of Granville Woods's 50,000 egg incubator, my search somehow led me to a university web site that glorified atheism. Hmmm.
I could not let go the opportunity to respond. The site was old and I wonder about its niche in cyber space. I wondered how on earth I ended up there. It wasn't eggactly what I was looking for....Sorry, I know that was lame.
The site for all of its narrowness was full of truths including the failures and stupidity of Christians that the author insinuated were reasons to not believe in God. I certainly hope that I am not the reason someone believes or does not believe in God. The very thought that a person's belief in God would hinge on the mediocrity of humans misses the nature of God altogether. However, it does greatly reveal the nature of man.
The site was also loaded with quotes from famous and "learned" atheists. All of them focused on the importance of humans....I already addressed my thoughts on this in Part One. I find it so sad that people who think they can think cannot think beyond the box of being human.
One thought proves that humans cannot comprehend it all. Try to comprehend time as something non-linear (soft) then explain when the abstract of when non-linear time began. Explain what there was when there wasn't time. I understand singularity and string theories. I understand attempts to try to explain that the infinite and the finite are basically one and the same. However, no mater how convoluted a theory is, no one can explain when time began or what was beyond the beginning.
Give it up. People are just fancy animals. We do have knowledge that the other movable organics cannot claim but we are not gods, not even close.
Take a look at the complexity of one cell and all the computer hardware in the world seems simplistic. If someone took enough time to teach me, I could understand computer stuff well enough to replicate one from scratch. Converesly, I cannot understand the simplest living cell well enough to replicate one from scratch. Interestingly, my body can do it all by itself....without a thought.
My point is disbelief is not a logical conclusion to incomprehension. Just because you do not understand God, does not mean He does not exist.
I could not let go the opportunity to respond. The site was old and I wonder about its niche in cyber space. I wondered how on earth I ended up there. It wasn't eggactly what I was looking for....Sorry, I know that was lame.
The site for all of its narrowness was full of truths including the failures and stupidity of Christians that the author insinuated were reasons to not believe in God. I certainly hope that I am not the reason someone believes or does not believe in God. The very thought that a person's belief in God would hinge on the mediocrity of humans misses the nature of God altogether. However, it does greatly reveal the nature of man.
The site was also loaded with quotes from famous and "learned" atheists. All of them focused on the importance of humans....I already addressed my thoughts on this in Part One. I find it so sad that people who think they can think cannot think beyond the box of being human.
One thought proves that humans cannot comprehend it all. Try to comprehend time as something non-linear (soft) then explain when the abstract of when non-linear time began. Explain what there was when there wasn't time. I understand singularity and string theories. I understand attempts to try to explain that the infinite and the finite are basically one and the same. However, no mater how convoluted a theory is, no one can explain when time began or what was beyond the beginning.
Give it up. People are just fancy animals. We do have knowledge that the other movable organics cannot claim but we are not gods, not even close.
Take a look at the complexity of one cell and all the computer hardware in the world seems simplistic. If someone took enough time to teach me, I could understand computer stuff well enough to replicate one from scratch. Converesly, I cannot understand the simplest living cell well enough to replicate one from scratch. Interestingly, my body can do it all by itself....without a thought.
My point is disbelief is not a logical conclusion to incomprehension. Just because you do not understand God, does not mean He does not exist.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Restructuring Contentment: happiness is a heart of love
Part One: Restructuring Your Perspective
Intelligence, happiness, money, fame...what is really important to make your heart whole?
Intelligence is a highly held value in our American Society. Often it is mistakenly one of the most respected qualities of our humanhood. Intelligence needs to be put in perspective far away from the top of the list of important qualities. Intelligence is obviously not a vehicle toward happiness as high IQ people are often miserable. Unless being miserable is one's goal, then it stands to reason that intelligence is not a quality sufficient to bring "success". I offer as an example, the Unibomber, obviously a failed miserable genius.
For the moment, forget about intelligence. Maybe another avenue is more important. Maybe being a happy person is most important. Human nature yearns for happiness. We crave satisfaction and happiness as elements of our survival. We strive to be happy and often mistakenly believe that somehow blistful happiness is attainable.
The truth is that this world does not have a job opening for "The Happiest Person". The entire world is full of sorrow no matter where you are personally. How can a person totally happy when people and animals all over the world are suffering? No one can be totally happy.
Conversely, we should strive to be content. Today I offer one step toward contentment.
Realize that you are no more important than anyone else in the world. That your personal self satisfaction is NOT the most important objective to your or everyone else's life. It is pitifully insignificant in the grand scheme of the material universe. Put yourself in perspective. Visualize yourself from the persepctive of Alpha Centauri (if it were living) and you will see that you are no more or less important to Alpha Centauri than George Bush, John Kerry, the pope or the scientist on the verge of discovering a cure for all cancers. This is a fact.
Polluter, murderer, adulterer, healer, janitor, president you are absolutely insignificant to the nature of the universe.
So from where does your value come? Your value comes from being a product of God. In only this fact can you rest assured that you have a valuable purpose here on earth and as a bonus, a purpose for all eternity.
If you are truly an open minded person, then open your mind to the thought that God exists. If this seems absurd, at least it is not harmful. Believing in God could only be harmful if God really does exist and you construe that your believing such will somehow change you in a detrimental way. If God does exist, His plan is better than yours. If God does not exist, then there is no harm done. Secondly, I encourage you to ask God to let you know of His presence. Listen for Him.
Plug for my website Agapehands.com
Intelligence, happiness, money, fame...what is really important to make your heart whole?
Intelligence is a highly held value in our American Society. Often it is mistakenly one of the most respected qualities of our humanhood. Intelligence needs to be put in perspective far away from the top of the list of important qualities. Intelligence is obviously not a vehicle toward happiness as high IQ people are often miserable. Unless being miserable is one's goal, then it stands to reason that intelligence is not a quality sufficient to bring "success". I offer as an example, the Unibomber, obviously a failed miserable genius.
For the moment, forget about intelligence. Maybe another avenue is more important. Maybe being a happy person is most important. Human nature yearns for happiness. We crave satisfaction and happiness as elements of our survival. We strive to be happy and often mistakenly believe that somehow blistful happiness is attainable.
The truth is that this world does not have a job opening for "The Happiest Person". The entire world is full of sorrow no matter where you are personally. How can a person totally happy when people and animals all over the world are suffering? No one can be totally happy.
Conversely, we should strive to be content. Today I offer one step toward contentment.
Realize that you are no more important than anyone else in the world. That your personal self satisfaction is NOT the most important objective to your or everyone else's life. It is pitifully insignificant in the grand scheme of the material universe. Put yourself in perspective. Visualize yourself from the persepctive of Alpha Centauri (if it were living) and you will see that you are no more or less important to Alpha Centauri than George Bush, John Kerry, the pope or the scientist on the verge of discovering a cure for all cancers. This is a fact.
Polluter, murderer, adulterer, healer, janitor, president you are absolutely insignificant to the nature of the universe.
So from where does your value come? Your value comes from being a product of God. In only this fact can you rest assured that you have a valuable purpose here on earth and as a bonus, a purpose for all eternity.
If you are truly an open minded person, then open your mind to the thought that God exists. If this seems absurd, at least it is not harmful. Believing in God could only be harmful if God really does exist and you construe that your believing such will somehow change you in a detrimental way. If God does exist, His plan is better than yours. If God does not exist, then there is no harm done. Secondly, I encourage you to ask God to let you know of His presence. Listen for Him.
Plug for my website Agapehands.com
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