Moving Day

And... it's a wrap. Importing nearly 3 years of blogging into the new address is just too much work, so this is now the Reflections Archive from 6/2004 through 3/2007.

[FOR THOSE STILL COMING IN FROM MATT SLICK'S "MISREPRESENTATION" POST, THREE YEARS AFTER THE FACT, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS RIGHT HERE. THIS WAS MY RESPONSE TO HIS POST, WRITTEN IN DECEMBER OF 2005.]

The new site url is easy to find, it's nearly identical to this one: carlarolfe.blogspot.com

I'd be most delighted if you'd update your bloglines, blogrolls, and all that good stuff. I'm pretty much done fiddling with the layout & add-ons, so what you'll now see is pretty much it.

I look forward to seeing you all over at the new place.

Cha-cha-cha-cha-changes...

UPDATED BELOW

Okay now Rebecca's gone and done it too! Every time I turn around, someone else is either moving their blog or redesigning the layout. I wish I had time to redesign mine, I'm tired of the way it looks and want something cleaner. Grrr.

I may just have to find the time. Somewhere.

Okay, I had a few minutes to mess around with some things. Go here, and tell me what you think. Be kind, I cry easily these days. (You can leave a comment there or leave your comment here, or email me, send smoke signals, whatever.

Just Like Mom Used To Make more or less

These are pretty easy to make, and I assure you, there will be no leftovers to clog up the fridge. Perfect for Sunday dinner, or even a holiday - like Easter! :-)

Sunday Scalloped Potatoes

½ c. chopped, sweet onions
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
2 ½ c. milk
salt & pepper
8 potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Fry the onion in the butter until soft, then stir in flour & whisk for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the milk and cook until thick and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Layer half the potatoes in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt & pepper, and half of the creamed onion sauce. Place the remaining potatoes on top of that, season with salt & pepper and the remaining sauce.

Cover and bake for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Convenient do-aheads & add-ins:

1. Peel & slice the potatoes when you have a few free minutes. Rinse them in cold water then cover with water & stick in the fridge. When you're ready to create your masterpiece, the taters are ready to go!

2. chop your onions ahead of time & drop into a ziplock sandwich bag.

3. For a cheesy version, mix 2 c. grated cheddar into the sauce before you pour it over the taters. mmm... cheese!

ENJOY!

LETS GIVE 'EM SOMETHIN' TO TALK ABOUT!

Friday BlogFodder will return next Friday. Until then, I hope someone finds this useful, in it's place:

Internet language, text messaging shorthand, 'net lingo, etc. so on and so forth. No two ways about it, the Internet has in fact changed the way we communicate. For some it's been a huge change, and for others not so significant, but if you've been online longer than a day, no doubt you've seen some pretty strange looking language and you have no idea what it all means.

Many of us who have been online for a while (and especially in chat & forum communities) tend to take it for granted that everyone knows what we mean when say "bbiaf" or "ttyl". Well, there are still some folks out there that might not know what it means, and don't particularly want to feel like a baby-geek for asking. I have a baby-geek friend and they suggested posting such a cheat sheet like this might be a good idea, so this is for all the baby-geeks out there. :-)

There's a HUGE (and I do mean huge) list of this lingo here, and you can go take a peek at it if you like. Standard language disclaimers & all that apply.

I thought it might be helpful to list here, just the ones I use (although some I use less often than others, and some are pretty obvious, this is my own list, all the same):

^5 - High Five
AFK - Away From Keyboard
BBFN - Bye Bye For Now
BBIAB - Be Back In A Bit
BBIAF - Be Back In A Few
BBL - Be Back Later
BBS - Be Back Soon
BRB - Be Right Back
BTW - By The Way
DL or D/L - Download
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
FWIW - For What It's Worth
FYI - For Your Information
GMTA - Great Minds Think Alike
IIRC - If I Remember Correctly
IM - Instant Message
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
IOW - In Other Words
IRC - Internet Relay Chat
ISP - Internet Service Provider
J/K - Just Kidding
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
LTNS - Long Time No See
NM - Never Mind
NP - No Problem
OIC - Oh, I see
OTOH - On The Other Hand
PC - Politically Correct
PM - Private Message
REHI - Hello Again
ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing
ROTF - Rolling On The Floor
ROTFL - Rolling On The Floor Laughing
ROTFLOL - Rolling on the floor laughing out loud
TTFN - Ta Ta For Now
TTYL - Talk To You Later
TTYS - Talk To You Soon
TX - Thanks
TYVM - Thank You Very Much
WB - Welcome Back
WTG - Way To Go!
YVW - You're Very Welcome
YW - You're Welcome

In addition, in situations where you're communicating with someone and they need one, there's the common (((( hug )))) where you generally insert that person's name. Mine usually look like this {{{{you}}}}.

One I made up years ago that I've seen from time to time used by others is:

ASMCOMN - Almost Shot My Coffee Out My Nose (for those times you've read something at your screen that was so funny, you almost... well, you get the idea).

There's also UGH, PFFT, ACK & GACK. They all mean the same thing, more or less. Expressions of dislike, disappointment and/or surprised frustration. (Some of us even say these things in real life, believe it or not!)

I was a little surprised to go through that list at the link above, and copy all the shorties I really do use. I didn't realize I was so modern, relevant and all that sort of dopey stuff. Oh well, there you have it, I hope this helps someone figure out what in the world I'm talking about, when I tend to slip into lingo-mode.

:-)

Humble Pie

"If I believed 10% of what I can read about myself on the Internet, I would have nothing to do with me!" - James White

I read that the other day and couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement. If you're someone who regularly speaks out against something wrong, you're going to be under fire by those who are willing to defend the wrong. It's just the way it is.

Case in point: "You favor detached information.The emergents favor personal encounter.You are boring and your boring movement of Greco-Roman ideology is going extinct.The Emerging Church is much more biblical, as it is a much more Hebrew approach and the Bible was written by Hebrews to be experience by Hebrews. Greek it up all you want, but you are unbiblical in doing so. - signed "disinterested bystander" - a comment left at ENo in response to this post.

This is quite tame in comparison to other things that have been said about me in critique, yet according to disinterested bystander (who clearly isn't, or the comment would have never been posted) I'm boring, going extinct and Greeking it up (whatever that means) rendering me unbiblical. Honestly, I had to laugh about the boring and going extinct part, although I'm sure it wasn't intended to induce a humorous response.

I wanted to take a pause and look at what happens sometimes when we're under fire, either from a fair & honest point of view or from a false accusation point of view. In many ways, it doesn't matter which kind of fire it is, the result can be the same. How we handle ourselves in these situations is important, not only for our own peace of mind but if our goal is to glorify the Lord in all that we say and do, then we'll want to give such responses plenty of room for prayer for guidance and wisdom.

Self Exam & Second Guessing

Where one is certainly a biblical practice we should be busy with anyway, the other is nothing but an anxiety inducing rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions that can cause an unbalanced amount of self-focus. As believers we should be seeking the Lord daily for direction and clarity in all sorts of matters. When we're under fire for something we've stood for, it's even more important to walk carefully and remain teachable through the process.

It might be more common among women, since we're wired to be prone to emotional reaction, but a very real result of being accused or critiqued about something, is that we find ourselves second guessing almost everything. Our choices, our words, our friends and our alliances - nothing is really off limits because when you're deeply shaken up, you're sometimes not so sure about much of anything anymore. Part of that is letting our imagination get away from us, and another part of that is reacting with emotion rather than reason. It can be very easy sometimes to lose focus and react this way but the warning is there for us that we need to remain focused on the bigger picture and not give in to this kind of second guessing & doubt. When our minds are so busy second guessing all sorts of things we're not really focused on remaining teachable, we're focused on self-suspicion, often brought on by harsh words from another. It's a tricky place to be in, to be sure.

Taking Criticism

I've written about this before on this blog but because it's such an important part of remaining teachable, I'm going to repeat myself. Some years back I was in one of those sticky, tricky, difficult situations where the criticism and accusation was flying fast & loose. While my first inclination was to respond in anger (always a bad plan!) I knew that wasn't right and I wanted some good advice. I spoke with a pastor friend about it and what he said to me was the best advice I've ever heard on the subject. Essentially his advice was to really listen carefully to every word of critique, and own what's true, and dismiss the rest.

In dismissing what's not true, and I mean literally not giving it any room for thought whatsoever, we free oursleves up for learning from critique that we may not like to hear, but is something we needed to hear all the same. We don't really like to do that, as we'd much rather focus on the part that wasn't true and make ourselves feel better by defending ourselves against a false charge. It's a handy little dodge & weave thing that we're all guilty of at times, but all it really does is delay the inevitable. Sooner or later you're going to have to deal with the accuracy of the critique and it's better to humble your heart and do it sooner, rather than later.

That's not an easy thing to do, since we all battle pride and want to think we've arrived & need no further instruction. Horsefeathers, I say. None of us have arrived and each of us have something to learn about responding in a Godly way to an accusation or criticism.

By owning what is true in critique or accusation, it's then a matter of confessing to ourselves that "yes, that's true of me" and then making it a matter of diligent prayer that the Lord might be pleased to give you wisdom and strength to grow in that area. Sometimes that even involves a verbal acknowledgment to someone that you were indeed wrong, and that you're truly sorry. That can be even harder to do, especially if that person is someone you don't get along with too well. This also is part of our ongoing sanctification - humbling ourselves and confessing an apology when we're wrong. The flesh cries out against doing this, but you know it's the right thing to do.

Finding the Balance

For me personally, it has been and will continue to be I'm sure, a difficult thing to find the balance between owning what's true and dismissing the rest. Sometimes I can do it successfully on the first try, but other times I'm so prone to dismissing the whole thing and find myself desperately wanting to expend time and energy defending myself against what was false. I want to react with emotion, I want to defend my name, and I want to always be right & never be wrong about anything. Ever! Does that sound familiar in any way? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels like this.

Being truly humble is not a natural desire for fallen men. Some people may possess a meek or mild personality, but as for spiritual matters, our natural desire is to look out for #1 and let the chips fall where they may. Our natural inclination is to speak out loud and clear to make sure we know everyone knows just how right we are! While there are certainly times that responding and correcting the false charge or critique is the wise thing to do (if done in a gracious and factual manner), there are also times where the old saying "I will not dignify that with a response" is the best option.

How do you know when to do that, and when to respond? That's not always easy either, but Biblical guidance shines much light on this in that there is wisdom in a multitude of counsellors. Find Godly, mature, gracious believers that you know and trust, and appeal to them for advice. Go to your husband or wife, go to your pastor and elders, go to your friends. Sometimes we can't see the answer when we're so close to the situation, but it's often much easier for a third party to see it clearly, give you perspective that you hadn't thought of, and give you wise counsel. If you've gone to 3 or 4 Godly people that you trust and they all say the same thing, listen to them. Do not disregard what they have to say, especially if they've all said the same thing! The reason you went to them in the first place was for guidance, so take it and learn from it. You'll be better for it.

By writing this today I hope that no one assumes I think myself any kind of expert in this subject. While I certainly do have a lot of experience in it, I'm still growing and learning myself, and very recently found myself in the very situation I described of going to mature believers for Godly advice. I knew how I wanted to respond but I wasn't convinced that my idea was the best way. I wanted input, and I wanted to learn from those who know what they're talking about. I cannot express just how glad I am, that I did that. It made all the difference in the world. For the record, my first inclination in my own situation in how to respond, was not the collective advice on how to respond, from the folks I went to. Be assured I still have a lot to learn, myself.

Someone might be reading this and think to themselves how uncanny it is to define a situation in their own life that might be going on right this very moment. Please know that it's not at all uncanny, it happens to every one of us in a variety of ways over a wide variety of issues. I quoted James White at the top of the post, then gave an example of my own criticism. Right this moment I know at least 5 or 6 people that are going through very similar situations and feel that they have been wronged somehow, and want very much to defend their name & reputation. It's a condition that is common to man because it's a heart issue that is common to man. The circumstances might vary from person to person, but the core issue is always the same. Learning how to Biblically deal with it is something we all need.

If this does address a situation you're currently dealing with, I hope it's helped in some way. In addition, if you've noticed something I've missed that you find would be an additional help, please feel welcome to post it in the comments - as I'm sure it would go a long in way in blessing someone.

Stop the presses, blogger goes beserko!

Well here we go. Conservative blogger gets on the last nerve of some guy with propriety (and other, apparently) issues and he pays her back by being a creep. Gee, there's a shocker: bad internet conduct. You can read the full article here if you really want to get the meat behind this one.

I read this last night as I was about to shut down for the night and thought to myself, "1994, anyone?"

The more things change (online communication) the more things stay the same. Back in '94 when Senator Exon got the idea to draft the Communications Decency Act and put laws into place to give law enforcement the teeth of the law they needed to nail 'net perverts & lunatics for the crimes they were committing, I'll give you ONE guess who the loudest voices were that opposed the legislation.

Give up? Okay, it was the perverts and lunatics that had themselves in a perfect tizzy over the idea of such laws. How DARE the US government put laws into place to restrict perverted, demented, depraved and sociopathic conduct online!!

Fast forward to 2007. Some folks are now bantering around the idea to regulate blogging, or put in place some kind of a code of conduct for bloggers. My question is, why re-invent the wheel? In case no one noticed, thanks to the initial efforts of Senator Exon in 1994 (and numerous others) we do now have laws in place to address numerous kinds of criminal conduct online, and it does apply to bloggers as well. You probably didn't know that, did you?

Sure there are loopholes that the creepiest of the creeps will find the backdoor for, but that applies in every situation with law & order, doesn't it?

As a Christian blogger, I can't help but wonder how (if, and a big if) someone were to draft legislation how this might affect what we say and how we say it. I can't help but wonder also if the Holy Spirit actively working in our lives is so easily ignored that we don't already have blogging guidelines in place? I'm not even sure that question made sense, but I knew what I meant, lol.

I wonder...

If anyone really sits around and thinks about how online communication in 2007 has drastically changed the way we communicate globally for the cause of Christ, and how THAT should really be our primary focus as Christian bloggers.

I'm going to guess yes, they do. I'm also going to guess that for those that do this, the idea of regulating or legislating blogging wouldn't negatively impact most of us anyway. It might for some, who routinely take on such things as Islam, but truly... cannot God make a way when their seems to be no way? Can He not thoroughly equip those He has called, to do the very thing He's called them to do? Indeed He can, and does.

I guess I'm idealistic, but I really don't see an issue here. I might though, if I was a pervert, lunatic or some other kind of whacko that felt restricted by laws that forced me into being responsible and a good internet neighbor.

Funny thing that, I don't feel forced to conduct myself that way at all. I prefer it.

I AM NOT CANADIAN!

You know, I have some seriously smart alec friends & aquaintances. No really, I do. There are a few of them that know I'm not Canadian, but think they're very clever and drop it in our conversations from time to time, just to get a rise out of me. The thing is, it works every time! I'm such a predictable American.

One such friend did this to me tonight and it made me think. It's sorta strange, but the whole Canadian/American tension-thing has been going on, online, for as long as I've been online. I'm not sure what it is about Americans bashing Canadians & vice versa, but it seems to be worthy of Olympic sport, sometimes. What I'm referring to however, is not the malicious type of stuff that goes on but the poking fun, all in fun, between Canoodles & Yankees.

So in that spirit, I'd like to offer up just a little bit of proof, on why I couldn't possibly be a Canadian.

1. I hate hockey. Okay hate is a strong word, I'll give you that. Let me be more accurate and simply say hockey is just dumb and boring to me. Maybe it's because I can't ice skate, and maybe it's because I like teeth? Either way, I don't like hockey and don't care about who's playing or why, or where. Hockey Night in Canada? Please, give me a large break. Saturday night is for getting the laundry done & making sure everyone's church clothes are ironed. Or, walking your Moose, or something like that.

2. I can't ice skate. It's a rule that if you're Canadian you can ice skate, even if you never actually do it. This is true I checked with Stats Canada (or, made it up, I can't remember which).

3. I can't speak French. Okay that's only partly true. I can fake it, but I have no idea what I'm saying, for the most part. I can also speak French in a simply delightful Jeff Foxworthy redneck accent that would truly annoy every French-Canadian alive. I do it often, it's a hoot.

4. I don't like poutine. This is an evil dish of some type of simulated, liquid-cheese product mixed with nasty gravy and poured over limp, luke-cold french fries. I think I read once it was invented by a mad scientist hired by the Canadian military to feed to enemies in an effort to overtake them while they slept it off. Judging by historical stats of Canadian led military battles, you can see how well it worked. Ahem. "I'm just sayin..." (*snort)

5. I love baseball and I don't care that basketball was invented by a Canadian. Baseball is it for me and a New Yorker named Cartwright invented the baseball diamond and fellow New Yorker named Adams wrote the first official rules for the All American game of Baseball in 1845. My logic says therefore, I'm a New Yorker... er... American. Besides, Cartwright was the family name of the folks on Bonanza. Did they look Canadian to you? Do you ever recall Little Joe asking Hoss "fetch me that saddle, eh"??? I didn't think so. Wild American West.

6. I like wearing my birks ALL year round, even in the rain. You cannot do that in Canada, unless you're insane and like hypothermia and black toes.

7. I do not live for the next trip to Tim Hortons. Sure, they make a great mocha and sure, the honey cruellers are the best, but come ON already. Besides, I rolled up the rim to win and it said (in French) ("you're a loser and a sucker, please try again"). In French it looks even worse to be told what a goon you really are for thinking you're actually going to win something better than a free donut.

8. You cannot buy Jiffy Corn Muffin mix or Malt-o-meal in Canada. I grew up on Jiffy, and Malt-o-meal is the best hot cereal in the universe. For a real shocker (get ready, this is REALLY bad)... Captain Crunch in Canada does NOT come with Crunchberries. I know, it's unthinkable. Canadians don't even know what a Crunchberry is. No wonder they eat poutine.

9. I didn't know what a Newfie or a Butter Tart were until I moved here. If were a real Canadian, I would have been eating butter tarts in the cradle, and as soon as I could speak, I'd be mocking the Newfie accent. It's what Canadians do. That's also at Stats Canada, I think.

10. I still don't know the socially acceptable protocol for observing Boxing Day. Where I come from (America!) it's just called "the day after Christmas" and that's the day you lay around in your baggy pants & eat fudge, cookies and cold turkey sandwiches. Some people go shopping but most people opt for the baggy pant look, on the couch with leftovers.

So there you have it, the first 10 reasons I could think of that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I cannot possibly be Canadian. If any Canadians respond and say stuff like "well, I am Canadian and I don't like hockey either" please just ignore them, it's all a grand conspiracy to confuse everyone. They're probably typing that while they tape up their sticks or whatever it is that you do with hockey tape, and getting ready to ice skate through the Tim Horton's drive through to order a Double Double for their pet Moose.

Store Stuff

Redesign on the SuperKid Ts for boys AND girls.

Do you hear what I hear?

Reading the comments at Frank's post at TeamPyro, one of the things Adrian said really stood out to me:

"I have to say I am looking for more than a mere acknowledgement of the theory that the Spirit interprets scripture to us. I want to EXPERIENCE personally the Spirit doing this much more frequently in a way that is as thrilling as the way in which Piper describes it. "

Rather than take an hour giving the background of this statement, I'm going to just assume you've read Frank's post and know why Adrian has responded this way.

The reason it stood out to me was due to my own background in a charismatic church, many years ago. While it was never formally taught (that I am aware of and/or that I ever recall hearing) the basic view of that church was that knowing what the Bible said (and believing it) wasn't really the central focus. The focus of that church (and everything taught and discussed) was the personal experience of the Holy Spirit in your life.

How this manifested itself was in members focusing on visions, a word of knowledge, speaking in tongues, highly charged emotional/spiritual experiences that were almost always attributed to the Holy Spirit and a persistant focus on whether or not the Holy Spirit was actively working in your life, and how He was doing that.

In other words, it was all about the frequency and the thrilling experiences, just like Adrian referred to in his comment.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like Adrian. We've had a few really nice chats on google talk and he's got some decent stuff at his blog. Obviously I don't agree with everything Adrian posts or links to, but this is not about me tearing down Adrian. I just thought it best to offer up that disclaimer right away. (Just in case someone gets a wild idea that I'm picking on him or something).

When I read Adrian's comment I think I understood what he meant. With a show of hands, how many Christians genuinely do not want to experience the humbling, deeply moving, overwhelmingly blessed experience of knowing the Holy Spirit revealed something in God's word to us - and did it personally (the way John Piper recently wrote about)? I can't say I know a single Christian that wouldn't joyfully welcome that kind of experience with our Heavenly Father.

The problem is, however (and you knew this was coming), what I think we overlook, when this is our focus, or what's driving us, what we yearn for or feel like we're missing out on:

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:26-29)

Have you ever wondered where the saying "seeing is believing" came from? Have you ever thought to yourself that you'd really like to be a Doubting Thomas? Thomas had a hard time believing that Jesus was raised from the dead. In fact Thomas said in verse 25 of this passage, unless he were able to see for himself, he would not believe it.

It's not as though Thomas hadn't heard, and it's not as if Thomas was ignorant of the teachings of Jesus. Thomas was a disciple - he was in one of the most interesting positions of the first men ever to hear the teachings of our Lord. Still, Thomas heard Jesus had raised from the dead and he responded with "unless I see it for myself, I will not believe". While that may sound somewhat self-centered, I'm going to assume we all understand a bit of what Thomas was saying there. Sometimes it's hard to just believe without something that we can process and experience with one of the five senses like Thomas felt he needed to do (see and touch). This is potentially dangerous ground when we make our own experiences the final arbiter of what is true and what isn't, especially when it comes to matters of faith.

How did Jesus respond to Thomas, once he was able to determine by sight and touch that Jesus was in fact standing there in front of him?

"Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (emphasis mine)

I can't help but think of the lesson there in that passage for all of us Christians when it comes to seeking these larger than life personal experiences, like John Piper wrote about, that Adrian wrote about, that Frank wrote about (you'll have to follow that rabbit trail on your own).

While it is certainly a wonderful thing to have such experiences in our Christian life, and while I'll assume most all of us have had one or two (or a few) that definitely stand out to us over the years of serving Him, this should never (ever!) be our focus or what we yearn for. We shouldn't be a people seeking after a personal experience when we already have this to instruct us:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2Tim. 3:16-17)

I do not know a single Christian that would denies this passage (but it's generally used to defend the suffiency of Scripture anyway, and the rest of it seems to be often ignored), but I know several who don't seem to think it's enough, for a joyful, fruitful and God-honoring Christian life. Much like Thomas, some people want to see it, touch it and/or have a personal experience to re-tell before they will let it settle in their hearts that it's true. Yet, the very passage itself clearly tells us that inspired Scripture is enough for our doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness that we might be 100% equipped to live a life that is pleasing to God.

I know some who have been taught (and believe) that if they do not have such profound and emotional spiritual experiences, that they're somehow "missing" the voice of God in their lives. (I was one of those people in the beginning of my Christian life). Then I know others who simply cross the line and put such credence into their own subjective experiences that even when these experiences contradict Scripture, they are fiercely defended even to the point that you might be written off from further fellowship with that person.

This is only part of why I say that it's potential dangerous ground to seek after or focus on these kinds of experiences.

Another reason I say that is because Proverbs is filled with warnings about putting too much stock into our own personal experiences - we can be foolish at times and prone to melodrama, making more of a thing than it really was, or digging our heels in with such an attitude of defense, that we only end up blinding ourselves or deceiving ourselves due to our "experiences". The more profound and emotional the experience might have been, the more we're prone to do that very thing.

It should be a wake up call to any Christian that while the message of the world is "trust in your own heart" or "follow your heart" - the Bible actually tells us that the man who does this, is a fool. (Proverbs 28:26). Why? Because our hearts (feelings, emotions) are corrupt, and can often lead us down a path far away from truth, and straight into serious error. When we lean on our own wisdom, our own understanding and our own interpretations (especially when it pertains to something emotionally charged) we effectively remove God's wisdom and guidance from leading us. Experience and emotion is a powerful thing, and when we let it lead us, we've departed from sound teaching.

Indeed there is a balance here. While our emotions are given to us by God, part the very nature of how we were created in His image, we have to be very careful with them. While experiences are also at times very wonderful things, again we have to be careful to be a Berean and genuinely and honestly set that experience to the test of the written word. Asking ourselves the hard questions such as "does it line up?" "did I make that out to be more than it really was?" and even "is the written word really enough for me, or am I thrill-seeking?". These aren't easy questions to ask, but if we're serious about regular self-examining like the Bible tells us we need to be, these are questions we'll be open to.

Finally, I want to ask a few serious questions of those who do seek after such experiences. I wonder if hearing your child say he's sorry (and really mean it) to his sibling when he's wronged him, doesn't flood your heart the same way? I wonder if when you're humbled and shown from the word a correction in your thinking, that isn't something to rejoice over? I wonder if the honor of praying for people who are in desperate need, doesn't bring you great joy?

I could easily go on with questions like these. Aspects of our Christian life that come out in any given situation. When you're cut off in traffic and you don't respond in anger (or you do, and then are immediately convicted of it). When you're in a situation where once jealousy would have reared it's ugly head but is now no longer a part of your life. If you're in a position to share wisdom from His word with someone who is confused, and they understand what you're saying.

There are so many instances like this that happen in our private lives every single day, that indeed qualify for the miraculous and astounding grace filled "experiences" of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, and yet we don't get all excited about them. Shouldn't we? Are they not cause for much rejoicing and gratitude to the Lord?

God forbid that we should miss the forest for the trees, because we're a people looking for the fireworks, the BIG stuff, and the emotional highs that we hear about other people having.

Just some things to think about.

Summer Breeze in March

Dateline Summer, 1973:

At a ripe old age of 9, this was the summer of a lifetime. Vivid memories such as walking barefoot the to Dairy Queen for a pineapple milkshake, putting up the tire swing in the pear tree and my best friend moving away.

The other day as I drove into town to run errands, I turned on the radio and hit scan. All the way through the FM dial, the radio looked for stations that had a clear signal. There are several stations we get here that have what's called "classic rock" and I almost always stop the scan on those stations. I'm not sure what it is about that era of music, but it takes me back to a time of wide-eyed innocence and naive hope. I guess it's just fun to go back and recall songs like this one:

See the curtains hangin' in the window, in the evenin' on a Friday night.
A little light a-shinin' through the window, lets me know everything is alright.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.

When I was a little girl, this song said to me: "this is what it will be like when you're all grown up". Now that I'm all grown up, this song says to me: "remember this?"

Sometimes, life is exactly like this song. Most of the time it's nothing like this song.

I have 2 girls that are the same age right now that I was when this Seals & Crofts song was a huge hit. I wonder what song they'll remember from this slice of their life, when they're all grown up? I also wonder what it is about that era of music that had my 16 year old in the kitchen the other day singing along with Roy Orbison and then Lynyrd Skynyrd. She would have made a great hippie (minus all the immoral junk - I'm referring to fashion sense & musical taste).

Can you tell I'm suffering from cabin fever? I think I'll go track down my Birks today. It never hurts to be prepared, right?

Snakes and snails and... basketballs?

Inspired and approved by Samuel, age 6

Allstar Player in various sizes & colors for little basketball stars in training.

Get yours here.

The Nativity Story - a review

For a lot of people this might be a few months late, but since we're one of those families that simply cannot afford a movie theater, we wait until a movie comes out on dvd before we see it. For that reason, I almost never read theatrical release reviews from fellow bloggers. Not only do I not want to be exposed to surprise plots & endings, but I don't want to be swayed by strong personal opinion (usually, that's a toss up at times).

We did see a few previews of this movie at the beginning of other dvds we'd rented last fall, and we immediately agreed this was one of those movies we had to see, when the dvd release came out. So that's what we did this past weekend.

A couple of things that took me by surprise and generated conversation after the movie:

1. The Wise men's interaction with each other.

Even though artistic liberty was taken here (said only because the Bible does not record any kind of conversations these men had with one another in this manner), sometimes that's not a bad thing, in and of itself. Now let me explain what I mean by that.

I think we have this tendency to forget that the people we read about in the Bible were in fact flesh and blood people like you and I. I think we might read of them and think of them in a one dimensional aspect and forget that they were in fact just like we are. There were clearly among them varying personality types from one extreme to the other - just like in our own families, churches and communities. Surely there were men and women among them that were funny, or quirky. People who were more serious than anything most of the time, and people who were given to melodramatic emotional reaction. No doubt at all that when they had interaction with one another about the things of God and the promise of the coming Messiah (and Scripture proves this to be true) they were quite serious and reverential, probably in the same way we are when we discuss the very same things. But were they like this all the time? Some folks were I'm sure, as some folks I know in my world are quite serious nearly all the time. In general sense though I can only suppose there were among the people a wide variety of personalities just like there are now. This is not to say that the wise men interacted with one another the way the movie portrayed, just a reminder that (in my opinion), in some contexts it's okay to take a little bit of liberty and speculate what the people were like in that culture, in that time frame.

2. Joseph's Expressions

I'm not really sure why, but until I watched this movie I never really gave Joseph the kind of thought I wish I would have. Of course I've considered Joseph and what he must have dealt with in that culture, being engaged to a pregnant woman. In our time it's no longer a cultural taboo (unfortunately) but in that day it was much different.

In much the same way the movie takes liberties with the wise men, it also takes liberties with speculative conversations between Joseph and Mary. Mary was about to become a mother to our King, and Joseph about to become a step-father. If you're in a step-family, you already know where I'm going and immediately understood. There are conversations that engaged and/or newly married couples have when there are children already there - that childless couples just don't have. Did Mary and Joseph have such conversations? Granting the obvious that they both knew who Mary was carrying, maybe they never needed to have those conversations, or just maybe they had conversations that no married couple ever had before, or will ever have again? It's impossible to know what kinds of things they really discussed with each other, considering their most unique position in all of human history. Which is enough to motivate some pretty interesting conversations, all by itself.

The one thing that truly struck me (and yes, made me cry) was the portrayal of Joseph's role during the moment Jesus was delivered. Many of you I'm sure have heard the song Mary Did You Know written by Mark Lowry and performed by just about everyone. Yes, Mary did know, and yes Joseph knew too - but did they really know it the way we look back and know it? Did Joseph hold God in the flesh and really understand this was his deliverer, his King, the Lord of Glory?

I'm a mother, and us mothers have one predominant thought the moment our babies are born and we look into their faces for the first time. Not it's not "whew, glad thats over!" although that one is a close second. That one thought is a sense of wonder and amazement at looking at that precious little person, that little miracle of life in such a tiny package. Instantly we shift into protector and provider mode. As the baby's mother, we know there is one person in the world that this baby will look to, to give it all it will need to be healthy, happy and provided for in every way. We don't even really think it through, it's just a sensation we have, a natural affection if you will, for that little person, and our role in their life. The fact that Mary did know who she delivered and what His role in our lives would be, simply boggles the mind as a mother to even consider what was going through her mind, at that moment right after He was born and she looked into His beautiful face for the first time. Did it even cross her mind at all that everything she would do to provide for Him, that He would one day give so much more, for her?

What of Joseph's thoughts though? He had gladly accepted the role as a step father to the Prince of Peace. Let that sink in for a few minutes. Joseph had never been a father before so this would be new to him to raise a child but even with that aside, what must have been going through his mind, as he saw our Lord for the first time? For you dads reading this, have you ever wondered what Joseph must have thought during the years he raised up Jesus as his son, knowing who He was? The movie portrayal of the expression on Joseph's face speaks volumes on how he might have felt. I watched and wept tears of joy, wondering if this might of been what it really felt like for both Mary and Joseph, the two most unique parents this world has ever known.

I'm not a movie reviewer nor do I play one on the web, but I am a mom and a Christian. For that reason I want to heartily recommend this movie to any other mom, or Christian, or anyone else for that matter.

These are the kinds of movies that for some of us (your results may vary), become family favorites. Kev and I have already decided we're buying this, and will make it a family tradition to watch it Christmas night, every year. It would make a wonderful Christmas gift for anyone, indeed. (Yes I know Christmas is 9 months from today, but early shoppers are smart shoppers).

Grab your copy here: The Nativity Story

Matching frequency? I don't think so!

Okay, it's Saturday, so I'm going to assume I can get away with a little venting. Ready? Good, here we go:

People who latch onto modern lingo and begin to use it so much you just want to grab them by the ears and shake them until they quit using the lingo. Okay, now that I got that out of my system I have a serious question about this, and about one of the most over-used (and in my ever so humble opinion) misused word going:

RESONATE

Mere words cannot paint the picture I'd like to paint, to display how much I can't stand how often I hear this word. However, if you have a box of crayons handy (doesn't everyone?) get out the black one, grab a piece of printer paper (you know you have that) and scribble all over the paper as hard as you can with the black crayon. Mash the crayon as hard as you can and scribble until it's all gone. There, that was very theraputic was it not? Now, look at your picture: that's how much I can't stand the over-use of the word resonate.

So here's my questions (and yes I'm serious): If you use this word, before you began to use this word (500 times a day, both orally and written), what word did you formerly use to express the same thing you're expressing now, with resonate? Secondly, what was so wrong about the word you previously used, and why do you no longer use it? Have you completely retired that word or do you bring it out only on special occaisions and/or with people that would look at you like you had 11 heads if you used the word resonate? And third, have you noticed that everyone else uses this word too, when previous to maybe just about a year ago, very (VERY) few people used this word, and even just 5 years ago there was NO ONE who used this word unless, they meant the literal definition of it?

Now I know someone's going to come along and get all defensive because they use this word and like this word, but I'm not trying to offend anyone here so don't get snarky okay? It IS an overused word and it's incredibly annoying. Sorta like when people started saying "sick" for good, and "phat" for attractive. It sounded ludicrous and still does. I have no issue with slang in general, and yes we all use it so don't go thinking I'm some kind of a hypocrite or anything, okay? The thing is, this is like a runaway train that just keeps plowing over people in every direction. It bugs me to no end!

Here's the most common example of how I see and hear this word used:

"I really like what you said, that resonates with me". Now here's the way I read that or hear it when I see people say it:

"I really like what you said, upon saying what you just said I magically transformed into an electronic or musical device and your words matched the same frequency as my own frequency, then I suddenly had the urge to respond with words like authentic and relational".

I'm sorry, I just can't help it. I wasn't even alive during the beatnick phase of the 50's but I know enough about the hep cats in the performance art cafes that used the same kind of flowery (no doubt hashish/opiate induced) language that made the entire generation of parents in that day wonder if their kid's brains had in fact been removed by alien pod people.

Am I overreacting? Probably. It's just one of those words I can't stand to hear. Like "liberry" for library, or "ax" for ask, or "aight" for allright. We've slaughtered the language and the pod people have arrived.

There oughta be a law...

(Now watch how many people go through this post and point out my own slaughter of proper English and grammar, lol. I know I'm guilty of it to in some ways, but if I ever use the word resonate to refer to anything other that electronic or audio tones, you may feel free to grab me by the ears and shake me until all the lame-lingo falls out of my head).

Whew... vent over. Boy do I ever feel better!

Good Kitty on Friday BlogFodder

WE INTERRUPT THE PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED BLOG POST TO MAKE THIS URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT:

First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kitty. You may be wondering why the expression on my face. I get that a lot. No, really I do. Well you see, at one time in my life I looked like every other cat. Until one day I started reading the Friday BlogFodder at this blog. Need I say more?

Look, Carla might be a nice lady and everything, but she's a bit of a slacker when it comes to keeping a schedule. She's missed too many Friday BlogFodders and I was at the end of my rope. She's off doing some trivial thing like laundry or cleaning up the mess I made in the dining room. Truly I don't know why she does that, I'm just going to do it again, and I'm probably going to do it while she's cooking supper. I think she likes it when I do that.

So allow me to pick up the slack here and bring you this week's installment of Friday BlogFodder:

• The coolest news of the week: Dr. James White, in no less than 16 days has finished his book From Toronto to Emmaus: the Empty Tomb and the Journey from Skepticism to Faith. You can get the book here, and get the Empty Tomb t-shirt right here. Way to go, Doc!!

• Darrin Brooker at The Old
Paths is bringing his blog to a screeching halt. Sure it's like telling you all about a great show after the show is over, but the good news is (at least for now) you can still get on over thereand read the archives. Excellent blog and Darrin's voice will be missed. (The added sound affects to his last post was a brilliant addition.)

• David Kjos at The Thirsty Theologian, is one clever guy. If you're not reading his blog, you're missing something good. Go there, add him to your bloglines. You'll be glad you did.

• For irc users, you'll get a kick out of this, at Taught and Stable.

• Everyone's favorite firestarter posts a 4 part series based on his seminar from the Shepherds Conference, on why he (and you too, whether you like it or not) is a Calvinist. You were predestined to read this. See, you're clicking the link right now. Told ya.

I would have posted more but the thing is, I'm a cat. As a rule, cats don't usually type, and when we do, it tires us out pretty good. I think now it's time for me to find a clean pile of laundry to sleep on. Click the links, you'll be better for it.

(Kitty gives a huge HT to Jen for making Carla laugh until coffee shot out of her nose. Kitty thinks it's very funny when humans do that.)

The Whatsoevers

Every year at this time of year, as Resurrection Day approaches, I can't help but recall the period in my life when my own conversion to Christ happened. It is because it took place not long after Resurrection Day, 1994. Probably about two weeks after my late husband was converted to Christ.

For long time readers here, you've read some things here about him before - but for the new folks I'll be brief but give you a little background so you know where I come from, a little bit.

When Ben was diagnosed (on our 5th anniversary), the news was terminal, and neither of us were saved. He was 29 and I was 26, and we had 4 little kids in the house. Our youngest was only 6 months old, and the oldest was 8. For the next 3 years and 2 months, we struggled through a hopeless cycle of every possible emotion you can imagine, as we faced all his surgeries, treatments, recovery times and monumental medical & pharmacuetical bills. I say hopeless because it was in fact hopeless. He was terminal and even though the original diagnosis only gave him 8 weeks maximum, the Lord clearly had a different time table than the doctor did. We clung tightly to every single positive lab report, and when he had a good day without any side affects or pain, it was like a Christmas, birthday and trip to Disneyland all rolled into one. When he had bad days it was indeed a black cloud over the house and family and we suffered through it with him through plenty of tears. Even thinking about it now so many years later it really does feel like I'm writing about someone else's life, instead of my own. The further time takes me away from that segment of my life, the more it feels like that. Odd how time does that.

Minus all the details, Ben was saved on Resurrection Day 1994, and I was saved 2 weeks later. His cancer wasn't gone, but the black cloud departed and never did return. Absolutely everything changed in April of 1994, and the most profound hope filled our hearts that it's almost (if not literally) impossible to explain just how different we both saw life, after that time.

Even though everything changed inwardly, that had a significant impact on the way we both handled things outwardly, some things obviously did not change, except to get worse. His cancer became more and more aggressive, and the various treatments (traditional and clinical trials), surgeries & medications weren't working anymore the way the doctors had hoped. Add to that, the levels of medications he was taking for pain control began to cause numerous severe side affects, both physical and psychological. One of those side affects that was extreme, was his sleep patterns. Some days he'd sleep all day & all night. Only waking up briefly & maybe going out in the back yard for a few minutes with a cup of coffee, or sitting in the dining room to chat for a few - then going right back to bed. Other days (and nights) he couldn't sleep at all, and had so much anxiety and energy that when my own insomnia started about that same time, and I'd be up at 2 am - I knew where he'd be. Same place, every time: sitting in the living room with just one lamp turned on, Kenny G playing on the stereo, with his Bible open and deep in study/prayer and thought.

I'd walk into the room and he'd often look up and say "did you know that in Matthew 5 it says...." and then go on to tell me what he'd just been reading. Or he'd ask if I knew where a verse was that addressed children, or being content, or some other subject. I didn't, because as a baby Christian I knew next to nothing about the Bible and where to find pretty much anything except John 3:16 and Genesis 1:1. Those were the easy ones. But on numerous occaisions I'd walk into the room and he'd be crying, in prayer. He was constantly overwhelmed with both God's grace and the depth of his own sinfulness, and this expressed itself in weeping and prayer. Those sleepless nights were the only time he ever had clarity of mind to focus on these issues and study his Bible, and pray - and he took advantage of them every time.

At this time, neither one of us had ever heard a word about Calvinism, the five points or anything relating to that. We were in a charismatic, free will church, and to the best of my recollection never once heard any kind of preaching on the sovereignty of God in all things - but somehow Ben knew it anyway. He would say things like "if I wasn't supposed to have cancer, I wouldn't have it" and "I'm glad I have this cancer because this is what God used to bring me to Christ". Neither of us ever believed in fate or coincidence but at the time were never able to explain why. We both knew that somehow, in a way that was far beyond our ability to articulate or even really understand, that this was all God's plan, or God's design for our lives. Those Word of Faithers we knew at the time became highly annoyed that we thought that way, but that's the way it was.

The reason all of this came to mind this morning was because of this passage:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

Yesterday while I was busy with chores I tried to recite this to myself from memory, and I couldn't do it. That bothered me in part, because it was one of the many passages that Ben was able to memorize, and sort of adopt as his own. It always (and still does) impressed me greatly that with all the things that were going through his mind as he battled cancer, faced his own death, and all that goes along with that -as a young husband and father - that he not only set aside time to memorize this passage but genuinely tried to live it out. He found great comfort in the Word of God and held onto it for dear life, literally.

We talked a lot about what his funeral was going to be like, what life was going to be like after he was gone, and all that sort of thing - and yes, it was and remains to this day the hardest conversations I've ever had in my life. Sometimes though we even laughed about things (like his stupid suggestion that I call everyone and say "great news! Ben's cancer is gone!!! by the way, so is he" - I told him he wasn't funny but he thought that would be a cool way to announce that the battle was over). He did have a most demented sense of humor.

One of the things he insisted on, was that for his memorial service that we use Philippians 4:8-9 for the (what are they called, those little announcement things you get at someone's funeral??). He was adamant that when people would be sad as anyone is when someone dies, he wanted them to find comfort in the things he found comfort in. His one focus was that people who were grieving would find solace in the promises of God.

To this day, this blesses my heart. Ben was a baby Christian in every sense of the word. He struggled big time with his temper, his addictions, his language and his cancer. He knew almost nothing of "sound doctrine" that we all discuss and never had the opportunity to get into the way so many of us do. What he did know in the limited time he was permitted to learn it, that no matter what we deal in life (and he knew this first hand) that there is great joy and comfort to be found in dwelling on the word of God and letting it dwell richly in our hearts.

Ben had a ton of faults that never got all worked out before he left to go meet the Lord. He knew that and I knew that, and that's just the way it was. But the one legacy he left with me was this example to remind me that no matter what, the hope, the joy, and the comfort found in the word of God is something we neglect only to our own detriment. In other words, if we let the circumstance we face become the focus and central point of our lives, we will drift toward the tendency to neglect the truths found in the word.

He wouldn't have said it that way. He would have said "only an idiot would ignore this". In some odd way, that gives new meaning to "from the mouths of babes".

To quote a phrase...

UPDATED BELOW

First day of spring my eye. How in the world was I supposed to work in my flower beds when the rake was frozen to the ground? Not that the rake was supposed to be outside in the first place, but that is not the point. It was supposed to warm up to nearly 50 today but that didn't happen until much later in the day so flower beds will be on hold until a warmer day.

One of the things I love so much about spring, summer and fall, is that it allows me to be outside, and often. I really don't know what it is about being outside for me, communing with nature and all that fluff-bag sounding stuff, but it's truly where I prefer to be. Whether it's working on a garden project, fixing a bike, mowing the lawn or just kicking back and enjoying the sound of birds chirping. I'm itching to grab my morning cup of coffee and camera (yes, it goes everywhere with me, I even take it to the fairy garden and put it on the bench while I'm mowing the lawn, in case a very cool hawk flies overhead. How obsessed can one person be, you ask? There are no ends to the depths of this...) and stroll out onto the deck, first thing in the morning. It's pretty amazing the bird and sunrise shots you can get from my deck. Not to mention the sound of early morning silence. Oh boy do I ever long for warmer weather!

One of the other reasons I love to be busy outside is that it affords me quality time to meditate on the things of God, while I work. I can think through issues and apply Biblical solutions - or I recall the last sermon my pastor preached and consider the message there. Sometimes I can sort of challenge myself to see if I can recall some of the Scripture memory verses we've gone through. It's just a good way to make time during the busy day, to dwell on His truths.

I received an email today from someone who shall remain nameless but who's first name starts with "M" and ends with "om", telling me I should reveal the source of the quote I posted the other day. I'm glad no one guessed it (and no one would have anyway) since I'd have to make good on my promise to eat my own keyboard and youtube it, if they did. Here's the quote again:

"Where it is true that you certainly cannot control what other men say about your character, what your character says about you speaks volumes over the voices of men."

The source? My overactive-sometimes-very-strange-imagination. No doubt it came from years and years of hearing my mom tell me not to put much stock into what other people say, since you can't control that anyway - and also from a dear friend who just recently made the comment that by His grace, a Godly man or woman's character can withstand whatever is thrown at them. It was interestingly enough when I was busy, and alone, and attempting to think through a difficult issue and apply a Biblical solution, when this just sort of popped into my head in that particular wording. It was so incredibly encouraging to me that I wrote it down the first opportunity that I had. See mom, I was too listening when I was a teenager! (Okay no I wasn't, but this is proof that your kids do hear you even when they aren't listening. This is something I remind myself of all the time. My own mom's advice comes back to me on a regular basis, and has for many many years).

Part of the reason it was so encouraging, is that in this life we are constantly bombarded with sinful things such a slander, or gossip. Sometimes we listen to such things (and shouldn't) and sometimes we even believe what we hear (and that's a shame).

I was having a conversation with my 16 year old tonight about this very topic and she shared with me some of things she deals with in her world, that pertain to this. One of the things she mentioned was that her immediate impulse is to want to clear her name by telling the truth when someone says something about her that isn't true. She's brand new to this aspect of "socializing", being homeschooled since the 3rd grade she's never really had any experience with such things until recently when she got involved a situation she's in, with a mixed group of saved and unsaved kids. She's learning how to to respond Biblically, and I assured her that while it's not always easy doing the right thing (and sometimes NOT responding to outrageous accusations or slander is the right thing), doing the right thing before the Lord, is the most important thing. It was a good talk and I'm glad we had it. It's the same talk I've had with her two older sisters, and Lord willing, the same talk I'll have with Jordan, Rachel, Samuel and Ruth. One of the beautiful things about truth, is that it's timeless and always relevant to the heart issues we all deal with.

When we strive to live to please the Lord first and foremost, people know that. They see it, and they know us for who we are. Of course that doesn't mean we don't all have weaknesses and struggles of our own, but the genuine servant of Christ is also honest about those and doesn't pretend they don't exist. We seek humility and accountability and we don't pretend we're already there. If you think about it for longer than 2 seconds, there are people you know that you thought of when you read that just now. That's what I mean when I say when we live this way, people know who we really are and what we're all about, no matter what other people may sometimes say.

Dealing with gossip isn't easy for many of us. Some of us even have a weak spot and like to entertain it and encourage it by listening to it. I wanted to be careful tonight when talking to my daughter and not say "well, that's how teenagers are" because that's how people of any age really are. I gave her a couple of real life, very recent examples of this that have happened to a couple of people she knows, that are well out of the teen years. I did that so that she would understand that this is a heart issue, and not an age issue. It's a sin issue that affects people no matter of age, social standing, or any other category. This is something we'll all have to deal with for the rest of our lives if we plan to be around other people for that long, so it's wise to learn to deal with it Biblically, and walk accordingly so that your Godly character defends your name, even when men may chose to defile it.

I was advising her, and at the same time advising myself. Funny how being a mom puts you in that situation, time and time again. Unlike me at 16, she really was listening and I'm quite pleased about that.

UPDATE:

In an almost uncanny coincidence (not that I believe in those anyway), this relatively unknown blogger here, put up a re-post today on this ever-relevant, ever-timely topic. I assure you there was no synchronizing of watches going on here, or even any discussion on posting about it, beforehand. I only wish I had that kind of influence on other bloggers. If I did, they'd all be nice all the time and only post great stuff that would bless our socks off every day.

Oh, and they'd all send me dark Belgian chocolate too.

TIWIARN - you've been warned

In case you were wondering if I had nothing more to post than ads for my work, the answer is yes, I have numerous things on my mind that I'd dearly love to write about. Such things like, "am I my brother's keeper?" in regards to how we raise our little boys to be men of God and how that manifests in how they treat Christian sisters and women in general when they grow up. Other topics like "suffering silently" for those who do suffer through all sorts of physical, emotional or spiritual pains & afflictions, the goodness of spring, who is reformed (and what makes them 'reformed'?), where did Sola Scriptura go, the astounding ability to put your foot in your mouth at the wrong moment (or the right moment?), people who do the right thing and make you cry tears of thankfulness, why is the resurrection of Jesus central to the gospel message, people who tell you what you need to hear as opposed to what they think you want to hear (and the discernment they possess to know the difference), people who say funny things and lighten your load... and people who do the wrong thing and make you cry tears of grief, and don't care. And bloggers you love to read, who decide to quit blogging. I don't like saying goodbye, it makes me cry & takes a little slice of goodness away.

Yep, all of that and more, has been on my mind the last few days or more. Problem is, lack of time and lack of clarity of thought on most of it to really take any of it on, and make it useful to anyone. A dear friend advised me today to set aside such things in my life that bring nothing but tension and stress and focus on those things which edify and exhort. It's brilliant advise, and while it's not always so easy to do that, it's advise we should all try our best to follow. Another friend was so funny today I just laughed and laughed at nearly ever comment he made. I love being around funny people and laughing. Another friend took time out of their very busy life to give me an hour of chit chat about everything from ice cream to Biblical apologetics.

And yet, my heart is heavy. Various reasons I suppose, but it's just the way it works from time to time. I call my blog Reflections of the times, and this is one of those. Some bloggers like to joke and poke fun at these kinds of entries and call them "this is where I am right now" posts that no one really cares about. Well, to those bloggers (and you know who you are, you goofballs) I express a hearty PFFFFT. These might not be the kinds of posts you like to read, but these are the posts that some of us girl bloggers like to get out, because it's useful to write it out and deal with "stuff" this way.

Good sleep has been elusive for weeks, and that might also be a contributing factor. We're also (all of us) just coming out of the worst winter for sicknesses that we've EVER had, and it's been very hard to get back into a normal routine. It hurt my heart tonight to tell the girls they'd have to miss their weekly girl's club at church tonight, because I wasn't prepared in time to get them ready, make dinner be out the door in time to get there. My energy level is hovering right around the place of a brick these days, so rushing off on a Tuesday night after dinner, to the church, wasn't something I felt like doing. I made blueberry muffins instead.

All sorts of other stuff going on lately that make me sort of feel like the juggler that someone keeps tripping. Struggling to keep the balls in the air and balance at the same time.

Some folks wonder "how you do it" when they hear of a mom with so many kids. Well, this is how you do it. Most of the time it's just routine & scheduling. Every once in a while though, it all piles up like that marathon laundry weekend where you have so much laundry to fold you're half tempted to throw it all away and hit the Goodwill. This is one of those pile ups. I don't consider the Goodwill an option though. A good night's sleep would sure be a blessing, however.

So... that's where I'm headed. Maybe tomorrow will be different. It's the first day of Spring, and though we have rain in the forecast, I'm so grateful that it IS rain, and not snow. I think cabin fever is part of all this as well.

It's the perfect time for a new season, in more ways than one.

Store Stuff

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And He said unto me
my grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect
in weakness
Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my infirmities
that the power of Christ
may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Available in dark Ts only - get yours here.

Who said this?

"Where it is true that you certainly cannot control what other men say about your character, what your character says about you speaks volumes over the voices of men."

This is sort of a trick question, since you'll never be able to guess who said this. And if you do, I'll eat my own keyboard and youtube it.

I am curious though, if you'd agree with that statement? Why, or why not?