Ok, first off, the week was wonderful. Even with the Blackberry fiasco.
I don't know that I learned or did anything terribly profound. It's just really relaxing to be at the cabin and I did A LOT of that. Napping, reading ... wandering around. Napping, reading ... wandering around. But, then there were trips to Des Moines to try to deal with the telephone and those tended to take time and thought processes.
The one thing that I know happened to me on this trip was that it simply renewed the incredible desire within me to spend more time in this wonderful place.
Not only is it beautiful, but my family's memories are wrapped up in Bell's Dell.
Dad had only been married for 5 years and had been in the ministry for just under that and had his third child on the way when he knew without a doubt that he needed something a little more permanent for his family. A Methodist preacher lived in church provided parsonages at the time and until they retired never owned a home. Most pastors were fairly itinerant and never settled down into one location. Consequently, their families never had a 'family home' or a location that they could call that ... home.
We made our home wherever we landed. Mom would encourage the unpacking to happen as quickly as possible so that we could settle in immediately and begin feeling as if we were in a home, not a house. I think one year I had everything of mine unpacked within a few hours and the rest of the house was fully unpacked and ready to go within 3 days. We just couldn't afford to wait.
Bell's Dell allowed us to have a permanent family location. Every summer we spent several weeks there and as often as possible, Dad would take a few days off so that we could be at the cabin. We were up there in the fall, winter and spring to take advantage of the beauty and the solitude.
Because Dad's job as a pastor required such a huge investment of himself in the people of the church, he was emotionally exhausted much of the time. Getting out of town to head to the cabin was a miserable experience for all of us. He wanted to ensure that we forgot nothing and would spend weeks planning his trips. After barking at his family and terrorizing us, we would finally pile in the van and head out. His temperament relaxed as each mile melted away. Within 20-30 miles, he was laughing and enjoying the trip.
Each summer we tried to spend two full weeks at the cabin. The first Sunday, the family would have our own church service. We'd all walk to the top of the hill, at the top of our land. There was a small clearing there. Dad would bring stumps out for us to sit on and have a guitar and a bible. We'd sing a few songs, read a Bible passage or two and then do some sharing. The next Sunday we would head into Webster City to worship in the Methodist Church. I loved sitting in the balcony, except when Dad would sing. His great, big, bass voice would ring out over that congregation and invariable, everyone turned around to see who the new guy was.
The good news? Now, I'm the one with the big voice and just like he never cared whether his singing embarrassed me (and oh, it did) I don't care about anything except singing when I'm in worship.
The three of us kids roamed the entire 17 acres, making it a playground for our imaginations. There was a hill with gold clay. We called it the 'gold hill' (duh), but to us, it was real gold. We had a lot of adventures with that 'gold.' The ditch off the road was filled with pure, white sand and we were never sure what we would find under the wet leaves in the deep ravines. I loved walking among the trees picking up acorns.
At Christmastime, Mom always insisted that Dad dig up the Christmas trees we had in the house rather than chopping them down. Two of those were later planted at Bell's Dell, but were two of the most malformed pine trees you ever saw. I think they were both finally taken down. They'd died miserable deaths.
A neighbor kept his cattle on the land, but would pull them out while we spent long periods of time there. This ensured that the brush and grass was cleared out of the hillside wooded area and that there were cattle paths to follow through the hills. Dad poured a concrete cattle trough in the meadow and after scrubbing it out, it became a wonderful place for the three of us children to play in the water on hot days when mom or dad couldn't monitor us in the river.
We fished that river, swam in that river, found parts of an old mill race and worried when it overflowed its banks in the spring.
Bell's Dell is not only absolutely beautiful, but is filled with my family's memories and is filling up again with memories as our extended families find joy there as well.
Over the years we have had numerous youth, family and prayer retreats at the cabin. I doubt that anyone who has ever been there walks away without being inspired in some way. God filled that valley with beauty and I'm just so thankful to be a guardian for a time.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Things I've Discovered
Things I’ve noticed while traveling through Iowa.
* The speed of my driving is in direct proportion to my level of frustration. As I drove to Des Moines to try to deal with my Blackberry Breakdown, I discovered myself driving across Highway 175 at nearly 70 mph. I generally try to stay within 5 miles of the speed limit, yet I ouldn’t bring myself to slow down. I was fortunate that the roads were clear. By the time I got to I-35, I simply set the cruise control at 74 mph and forced myself to calm down.
* A “Prairie Area” in Iowa is not a rest area, even though the signs are similar. The sign said, “Rest Area – 2 miles.” I was focused on other things (broken Blackberry – yes it was predominantly on my mind) and took off at the next exit wih a blue directional sign. What? No bathrooms? No telephone? No wireless internet? Umm .. I don’t really want a walking trail – what the heck? Ok, now Iowa has designated “Prairie Areas.” This has to be something new. And while it is cool, it was a little startling. And the rest area was up in another mile or so.
* Iowa is seriously spending money on road work. WOW! Orangecones everywhere. There arecompanies that make these things that will not go out of business soon. And if you want a good job, I’m betting you can find one there. Interstates are under construction, state highways are under construction. I also have to say that there are very interesting people working on the construction crews in Iowa. If you’re one of them and take exception to my comment, then I need to escort you to Highway 175 and allow you to spend time with some of the strange men and women I encountered while being the only driver waiting for the Pilot Car to escort me through the construction zone.
* Wind Turbines. Theseare going up so quickly you can hardly breathe! Every single time I have been on the Insterstate, I have seen the arms for these turbines traveling throughout the state. Whilemany may question the need for these, I find them incredibly fascinating and cant imagine that they aren’t good for what is going on in our world today. This comment does not require a discussion …
* Casey’s is everywhere. I remember when these first started popping up in the 70s. I think it’s pretty cool that the company is still around and has continued to invest in the communities in Iowa. It’s nice to know that I can drive into a small town, find a clean bathroom and get a bottle of water to go. Unless, the bathroom has an Out of Order sign on the door. Then, I am simply frustrated.
* I love watching the different products crossing the state on semis. I love seeing the different branded trucks as they haul products from place to place. Sometimes I get a little frustrated when I am the only passenger vehicle in a long line of vehicles … they are all bigger than me and it’s a bit intimidating. But, for the most part, it’s good to see the rigs on the road.
* I love this state. I love the small towns, I love the beauty of the fields and the rolling hills. I love driving on highways and having everyone offer the “Iowa-wave.” Whatever hand is at the top of our steering wheel, lifts in a small wave to acknowledge that both of you are in the same place at the same time.
* I love being away from the city, leaving the crime and the crazy busyness of that life behind. I thought for years that I was made to live in the city, I had forgotten what my life was before I got there. I was made for small-town Iowa and I will find my way back there one day.
* The speed of my driving is in direct proportion to my level of frustration. As I drove to Des Moines to try to deal with my Blackberry Breakdown, I discovered myself driving across Highway 175 at nearly 70 mph. I generally try to stay within 5 miles of the speed limit, yet I ouldn’t bring myself to slow down. I was fortunate that the roads were clear. By the time I got to I-35, I simply set the cruise control at 74 mph and forced myself to calm down.
* A “Prairie Area” in Iowa is not a rest area, even though the signs are similar. The sign said, “Rest Area – 2 miles.” I was focused on other things (broken Blackberry – yes it was predominantly on my mind) and took off at the next exit wih a blue directional sign. What? No bathrooms? No telephone? No wireless internet? Umm .. I don’t really want a walking trail – what the heck? Ok, now Iowa has designated “Prairie Areas.” This has to be something new. And while it is cool, it was a little startling. And the rest area was up in another mile or so.
* Iowa is seriously spending money on road work. WOW! Orangecones everywhere. There arecompanies that make these things that will not go out of business soon. And if you want a good job, I’m betting you can find one there. Interstates are under construction, state highways are under construction. I also have to say that there are very interesting people working on the construction crews in Iowa. If you’re one of them and take exception to my comment, then I need to escort you to Highway 175 and allow you to spend time with some of the strange men and women I encountered while being the only driver waiting for the Pilot Car to escort me through the construction zone.
* Wind Turbines. Theseare going up so quickly you can hardly breathe! Every single time I have been on the Insterstate, I have seen the arms for these turbines traveling throughout the state. Whilemany may question the need for these, I find them incredibly fascinating and cant imagine that they aren’t good for what is going on in our world today. This comment does not require a discussion …
* Casey’s is everywhere. I remember when these first started popping up in the 70s. I think it’s pretty cool that the company is still around and has continued to invest in the communities in Iowa. It’s nice to know that I can drive into a small town, find a clean bathroom and get a bottle of water to go. Unless, the bathroom has an Out of Order sign on the door. Then, I am simply frustrated.
* I love watching the different products crossing the state on semis. I love seeing the different branded trucks as they haul products from place to place. Sometimes I get a little frustrated when I am the only passenger vehicle in a long line of vehicles … they are all bigger than me and it’s a bit intimidating. But, for the most part, it’s good to see the rigs on the road.
* I love this state. I love the small towns, I love the beauty of the fields and the rolling hills. I love driving on highways and having everyone offer the “Iowa-wave.” Whatever hand is at the top of our steering wheel, lifts in a small wave to acknowledge that both of you are in the same place at the same time.
* I love being away from the city, leaving the crime and the crazy busyness of that life behind. I thought for years that I was made to live in the city, I had forgotten what my life was before I got there. I was made for small-town Iowa and I will find my way back there one day.
Diane, Where Are You?
I’d like to say that I’ve been incredibly holy and attuned to God while spending these last few days at the cabin, but I’d be lying to you.
Let me just describe SOME of the insanity in which I’ve managed to place myself.
I left the house on Tuesday morning filled with anticipation for a glorious week spent in peace and solitude. I would occasionally get to a Wi-Fi network and upload my blog posts, and I would be able to maintain a minimal level of connectedness with my friends through my Blackberry which showed hopes of retrieving a signal in the valley that the cabin resides. It was going to be beautiful! The weather showed promise, the place is always stunningly gorgeous and I would be alone.
Alone – really alone. No one needing me for anything, not even my dog! I would be able to simply sit by myself and enjoy the peace of this eautiful place. Could anyone imagine anything better?
Oh, I was filled with anticipation on the drive up.
I unlocked the main gate, drove in and chained it closed behind me so that no one would bother me while I was here. I drove down to the cabin and began unpacking the stuff I brought with me. I tossed everything from the front seat of the Jeep into my purse and headed in. I opened up the laptop and reached into my purse to begin relieving it of its contents.
Uh oh. Why are things damp … ummm … nope … WET! I quickly began pulling everything out. Things didn’t look too bad, the Kindle was dry, my wallet and moleskins were dry. Everything except my Blackberry. Oh … what happened? Yes, the cap was on the Diet Mt. Dew bottle that I had tossed in, but I hadn’t manaed to seal it tightly. Which is weird, because I do that all the time due to concerns over spilling pop on electronics.
Argh. I pulled everything apart on the Blackberry and began a slight panic. But, maybe not. It didn’t look too terribly wet and maybe, just maybe it would be fine. Within ½ hour,I realized it wasn’t going to be fine and I needed to deal with this. I hadn’t told anyone I was here yet and since I tend to be the one that demands I be told when my friends arrive at their destinations safely, I wasn’t about to not make people aware.
What in the world was I going to do?
I was going to drive to Des Moines. Surely, there would be an Alltel store in Des Moines. I packed enough stuff up to make the trip down and headed out. I got there, pulled into a Panera, got a bagel and hit the internet. Alltel directed me to Verizon for Des Moines. Ok, I think I know where there’s a Verizon store. And off I went. I just KNEW they would rescue me.
I was wrong. Alltel and Verizon merged in January, but the transfer of all of the accounts hasn’t actually happened yet. Alltel-Omaha and Verizon-Des Moines don’t play together yet. He couldn’t help me. And, he knew I was really annoyed. Verizon took over all of Alltel in Des Moines, but can’t actually help out of town Alltel customers. Awesome.
Now I was just ticked. Oh, I know this is my fault, but are you kidding me? Back to Panera to spend some time online letting people know that I was safe. I wrote my Pour Out a Blessing post and got it uploaded. Then, I managed to get myself to a Walgreens and voila! There is a T-Mobile Prepaid telephone. Wow … at last I can have access to the outside world. $19.99. It’s mine.
The machinations of getting that thing activated are an entirely different story and not terribly interesting, but suffice it to say, it didn’t happen until the next morning and then I have absolutely no signal on that thing in the valley at the cabin. But, at least I do have access to the world.
Well, back to the cabin. Quiet night.
Wednesday morning I left again to get some internet access and finish activating the phone. All of that happened. As I was driving back to the cabin, I talked to my brother and he told me that the plumber had actually been here while I was gone on Tuesday (didn’t notice) and was there right now. What? Grand.
I got to the cabin and sure enough, there was a man here working on the plumbing so that we can install a shower and new toilet. While this is fabulous, the guy had pulled everything of mine that was out on the porch into the cabin so that it wouldn’t get wet. Really? Leave my stuff alone. I was gone for a few hours … and rain would have to drive really hard to get into the porch here. I just laughed and laughed. You all know how I love being managed by people without any input.
He was a great guy, did his thing and charged us next to nothing. And after he finally left, I had som solitude while knowing that I could get connected to the world just by driving a few miles. Whew!
But, could I concentrate on anything? Not really. My brain was pretty much done. So, I read and I wrote my blog post, practiced my talk for Sunday and another night passed.
Now, here’s the worst part of that stupid Blackberry. It works. Except for the keys. If I power it on, it taunts me with email, texts and voice mail. But, I can’t get to it and read it. I press the keys and it laughs at me. In fact, this afternoon, I powered it on, and for a few moments it worked wonderfully! I was very excited. Then, all of a sudden, it was as if the machine remembered that I was the one that had tortured it, so it just stopped working again. Sigh …
I will be at the Alltel store on Friday before I even get home. This is just unacceptable!
Things are much better today. Maybe I’ll actually write something!
Let me just describe SOME of the insanity in which I’ve managed to place myself.
I left the house on Tuesday morning filled with anticipation for a glorious week spent in peace and solitude. I would occasionally get to a Wi-Fi network and upload my blog posts, and I would be able to maintain a minimal level of connectedness with my friends through my Blackberry which showed hopes of retrieving a signal in the valley that the cabin resides. It was going to be beautiful! The weather showed promise, the place is always stunningly gorgeous and I would be alone.
Alone – really alone. No one needing me for anything, not even my dog! I would be able to simply sit by myself and enjoy the peace of this eautiful place. Could anyone imagine anything better?
Oh, I was filled with anticipation on the drive up.
I unlocked the main gate, drove in and chained it closed behind me so that no one would bother me while I was here. I drove down to the cabin and began unpacking the stuff I brought with me. I tossed everything from the front seat of the Jeep into my purse and headed in. I opened up the laptop and reached into my purse to begin relieving it of its contents.
Uh oh. Why are things damp … ummm … nope … WET! I quickly began pulling everything out. Things didn’t look too bad, the Kindle was dry, my wallet and moleskins were dry. Everything except my Blackberry. Oh … what happened? Yes, the cap was on the Diet Mt. Dew bottle that I had tossed in, but I hadn’t manaed to seal it tightly. Which is weird, because I do that all the time due to concerns over spilling pop on electronics.
Argh. I pulled everything apart on the Blackberry and began a slight panic. But, maybe not. It didn’t look too terribly wet and maybe, just maybe it would be fine. Within ½ hour,I realized it wasn’t going to be fine and I needed to deal with this. I hadn’t told anyone I was here yet and since I tend to be the one that demands I be told when my friends arrive at their destinations safely, I wasn’t about to not make people aware.
What in the world was I going to do?
I was going to drive to Des Moines. Surely, there would be an Alltel store in Des Moines. I packed enough stuff up to make the trip down and headed out. I got there, pulled into a Panera, got a bagel and hit the internet. Alltel directed me to Verizon for Des Moines. Ok, I think I know where there’s a Verizon store. And off I went. I just KNEW they would rescue me.
I was wrong. Alltel and Verizon merged in January, but the transfer of all of the accounts hasn’t actually happened yet. Alltel-Omaha and Verizon-Des Moines don’t play together yet. He couldn’t help me. And, he knew I was really annoyed. Verizon took over all of Alltel in Des Moines, but can’t actually help out of town Alltel customers. Awesome.
Now I was just ticked. Oh, I know this is my fault, but are you kidding me? Back to Panera to spend some time online letting people know that I was safe. I wrote my Pour Out a Blessing post and got it uploaded. Then, I managed to get myself to a Walgreens and voila! There is a T-Mobile Prepaid telephone. Wow … at last I can have access to the outside world. $19.99. It’s mine.
The machinations of getting that thing activated are an entirely different story and not terribly interesting, but suffice it to say, it didn’t happen until the next morning and then I have absolutely no signal on that thing in the valley at the cabin. But, at least I do have access to the world.
Well, back to the cabin. Quiet night.
Wednesday morning I left again to get some internet access and finish activating the phone. All of that happened. As I was driving back to the cabin, I talked to my brother and he told me that the plumber had actually been here while I was gone on Tuesday (didn’t notice) and was there right now. What? Grand.
I got to the cabin and sure enough, there was a man here working on the plumbing so that we can install a shower and new toilet. While this is fabulous, the guy had pulled everything of mine that was out on the porch into the cabin so that it wouldn’t get wet. Really? Leave my stuff alone. I was gone for a few hours … and rain would have to drive really hard to get into the porch here. I just laughed and laughed. You all know how I love being managed by people without any input.
He was a great guy, did his thing and charged us next to nothing. And after he finally left, I had som solitude while knowing that I could get connected to the world just by driving a few miles. Whew!
But, could I concentrate on anything? Not really. My brain was pretty much done. So, I read and I wrote my blog post, practiced my talk for Sunday and another night passed.
Now, here’s the worst part of that stupid Blackberry. It works. Except for the keys. If I power it on, it taunts me with email, texts and voice mail. But, I can’t get to it and read it. I press the keys and it laughs at me. In fact, this afternoon, I powered it on, and for a few moments it worked wonderfully! I was very excited. Then, all of a sudden, it was as if the machine remembered that I was the one that had tortured it, so it just stopped working again. Sigh …
I will be at the Alltel store on Friday before I even get home. This is just unacceptable!
Things are much better today. Maybe I’ll actually write something!
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Peace and Contentment
Things are quiet here right now. I don't even hear cars driving past on the busy street in front of the house. The trees are filled with birds chirping and singing, the fans in the house are blowing, but it's peaceful.
I spent some time at Bell's Dell this week ... the incredible peace of that place overwhelms me. Right now it is at its most beautiful, deep greens of the trees are accented by the richness of the grass and the colors of the flora. I'm going back.
In fact, I'm going back on Tuesday for several days. Leaving everything and everyone here. I want to lose myself in the beauty of God's creation and see if I can find myself in the stillness. I want to see if I can hear Him speak to me through the peace and quiet of the day with no one around and no distractions to affect me. I yearn for this.
I hope to spend a lot of time up there this summer, and much as I'd love to share it with all of you, I'm going to just go by myself. Take my laptop, my Bible and my Kindle and see if there is anything there for me to discover.
I had thought about waiting for everything to be complete, the shower and new kitchen to be installed, internet and a new electrical box and a decision about continuing to use well water or city water, but I don't want to wait. I can make do with what is there and as we add things over the summer, it will only get better. I need to be ... there.
It's amazing to me how easy it is for me to be distracted by the world. Even the things that I love and adore: my family, spending time with my friends, leading worship, my animals ... all of that. But, as I re-enter the world, I also add time away from the quietness that I need to surround myself with so that I can pray and read and write. Everything distracts me from time spent alone with God.
One of the nicest things about Bell's Dell has always been the incredible lack of distraction. No one can get to you without a lot of effort - and I will be closing the gate on random neighbors popping in, there has never been a phone up there and cell reception is horrendous in the valley. While there is a television, you can only watch movies, absolutely no television reception there. The most comfortable place to sit is out on the screened in porch.
If I do any writing, I'll get into town in the evenings to find some Wifi so I can upload what I've done. If I don't get any done this week, I'm fine with that ... I just want to wait on God and see what it is that He would like to say to me without anything interrupting us.
By the way, this means I will return on Friday either completely bat-crazy from being by myself, or pretty quiet and contented. We'll see what happens! If it's the whole quiet thing ... I will be returning there as often as possible this summer. I love my home!
I spent some time at Bell's Dell this week ... the incredible peace of that place overwhelms me. Right now it is at its most beautiful, deep greens of the trees are accented by the richness of the grass and the colors of the flora. I'm going back.
In fact, I'm going back on Tuesday for several days. Leaving everything and everyone here. I want to lose myself in the beauty of God's creation and see if I can find myself in the stillness. I want to see if I can hear Him speak to me through the peace and quiet of the day with no one around and no distractions to affect me. I yearn for this.
I hope to spend a lot of time up there this summer, and much as I'd love to share it with all of you, I'm going to just go by myself. Take my laptop, my Bible and my Kindle and see if there is anything there for me to discover.
I had thought about waiting for everything to be complete, the shower and new kitchen to be installed, internet and a new electrical box and a decision about continuing to use well water or city water, but I don't want to wait. I can make do with what is there and as we add things over the summer, it will only get better. I need to be ... there.
It's amazing to me how easy it is for me to be distracted by the world. Even the things that I love and adore: my family, spending time with my friends, leading worship, my animals ... all of that. But, as I re-enter the world, I also add time away from the quietness that I need to surround myself with so that I can pray and read and write. Everything distracts me from time spent alone with God.
One of the nicest things about Bell's Dell has always been the incredible lack of distraction. No one can get to you without a lot of effort - and I will be closing the gate on random neighbors popping in, there has never been a phone up there and cell reception is horrendous in the valley. While there is a television, you can only watch movies, absolutely no television reception there. The most comfortable place to sit is out on the screened in porch.
If I do any writing, I'll get into town in the evenings to find some Wifi so I can upload what I've done. If I don't get any done this week, I'm fine with that ... I just want to wait on God and see what it is that He would like to say to me without anything interrupting us.
By the way, this means I will return on Friday either completely bat-crazy from being by myself, or pretty quiet and contented. We'll see what happens! If it's the whole quiet thing ... I will be returning there as often as possible this summer. I love my home!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Tuesday morning ramblings
Yikes.
I could stop there and it would effectively tell you what I'm feeling. But, you know me. I have more words than that!
Cleaning and purging are the order of the day (week, month, life ... whatever) here. I just tore into a space that I haven't seen for awhile. Hauling out trash, taking stuff downstairs that will be delivered elsewhere (most to Goodwill). It's all good. I have the music cranked up so that I can hear it throughout the house. A little rock 'n roll to work by.
I am returning order to this life of mine. You know that law of entropy? Well, that pretty much defines my life. It's going to take a massive amount of energy to restore order to a house that I didn't pay enough attention to for a very long time. It's a wonderful feeling to purge stuff out. The thing is, you're probably going to hear about it for a long time ... I have several lifetimes of junk to get rid of.
The other day I was talking to my nephew, Jacob. I told him that I was cleaning the stuff out of my house because Carol has informed me over and over that she doesn't want to have to deal with this if I die suddenly. His comment? "And we thank you for this." Ummm ... yup!
~~~
We got a second car last night. Not a big deal car, but a big deal for me. Max was in Michigan for a week and a half and took a rental car. For that entire time I tasted freedom again! Now, it isn't as if I want to do a million things during the day, but wow, to be able to just leave and take care of something if I want to is an amazing freedom.
I had also forgotten how much I loved driving. I could get in my Jeep and go for a very long time before needing to stop for anything. Turn up the music and roll down the windows (and/or sun roof) and I am happy just driving. In the last 20 years, the two people in my life (Carol and Max) seem to like driving more than I (or have control issues - hehe), so I tended to just be in the passenger seat. There is much freedom and joy being returned to me with one cheap car for Max to drive to work.
~~~
Here's an interesting article about twittering from church. One of my favorite bloggers is mentioned in the article. He's got a book coming out soon and is a fun Christian humorist. But, the article intrigued me. I wonder how many of us are offended by technology and the changes it makes in things we are very familiar with. The gal who was kicked out for twittering the pastor's sermon ... because of copyright ... by the ushers. Uh huh.
Technology will continue to change. Heck, I remember hearing people freak out about electric guitars (gasp) in service and there were some churches where sound systems were frowned upon. All of that technology would distract people from what they were supposed to be doing. Heck, I used to have a little Franklin Bible that I carried in my purse. I actually had people accuse me of using it to email during worship. Really? You aren't paying attention to the service, but to me? And you have no idea what I'm really doing. Walk away from me, idiot.
~~~
Carol has been moving into her new house. She's one happy girl. I asked if it was starting to feel like her own home. Her comment was, "Diane, when I first saw the house, I wondered what in the heck someone else's furniture was doing here." Ok ... that's wonderful! The nice thing is that it's not terribly far me and so I can get up there a lot. She has a great fenced in back yard, so it's easy to take Leica up and let her loose. Pretty soon she'll recognize the trip and get excited before I even get there.
~~~
Have I told you that I am singing again ... leading worship with my friend, Jen. If you ever need somewhere to go for a great worship experience, join us at Gretna UMC - 10:45 Sunday mornings (see, you can even sleep late). Best music ever and great preaching. (I'm a little biased on the whole music thing, but I have pretty good judgment : ) )
I could stop there and it would effectively tell you what I'm feeling. But, you know me. I have more words than that!
Cleaning and purging are the order of the day (week, month, life ... whatever) here. I just tore into a space that I haven't seen for awhile. Hauling out trash, taking stuff downstairs that will be delivered elsewhere (most to Goodwill). It's all good. I have the music cranked up so that I can hear it throughout the house. A little rock 'n roll to work by.
I am returning order to this life of mine. You know that law of entropy? Well, that pretty much defines my life. It's going to take a massive amount of energy to restore order to a house that I didn't pay enough attention to for a very long time. It's a wonderful feeling to purge stuff out. The thing is, you're probably going to hear about it for a long time ... I have several lifetimes of junk to get rid of.
The other day I was talking to my nephew, Jacob. I told him that I was cleaning the stuff out of my house because Carol has informed me over and over that she doesn't want to have to deal with this if I die suddenly. His comment? "And we thank you for this." Ummm ... yup!
~~~
We got a second car last night. Not a big deal car, but a big deal for me. Max was in Michigan for a week and a half and took a rental car. For that entire time I tasted freedom again! Now, it isn't as if I want to do a million things during the day, but wow, to be able to just leave and take care of something if I want to is an amazing freedom.
I had also forgotten how much I loved driving. I could get in my Jeep and go for a very long time before needing to stop for anything. Turn up the music and roll down the windows (and/or sun roof) and I am happy just driving. In the last 20 years, the two people in my life (Carol and Max) seem to like driving more than I (or have control issues - hehe), so I tended to just be in the passenger seat. There is much freedom and joy being returned to me with one cheap car for Max to drive to work.
~~~
Here's an interesting article about twittering from church. One of my favorite bloggers is mentioned in the article. He's got a book coming out soon and is a fun Christian humorist. But, the article intrigued me. I wonder how many of us are offended by technology and the changes it makes in things we are very familiar with. The gal who was kicked out for twittering the pastor's sermon ... because of copyright ... by the ushers. Uh huh.
Technology will continue to change. Heck, I remember hearing people freak out about electric guitars (gasp) in service and there were some churches where sound systems were frowned upon. All of that technology would distract people from what they were supposed to be doing. Heck, I used to have a little Franklin Bible that I carried in my purse. I actually had people accuse me of using it to email during worship. Really? You aren't paying attention to the service, but to me? And you have no idea what I'm really doing. Walk away from me, idiot.
~~~
Carol has been moving into her new house. She's one happy girl. I asked if it was starting to feel like her own home. Her comment was, "Diane, when I first saw the house, I wondered what in the heck someone else's furniture was doing here." Ok ... that's wonderful! The nice thing is that it's not terribly far me and so I can get up there a lot. She has a great fenced in back yard, so it's easy to take Leica up and let her loose. Pretty soon she'll recognize the trip and get excited before I even get there.
~~~
Have I told you that I am singing again ... leading worship with my friend, Jen. If you ever need somewhere to go for a great worship experience, join us at Gretna UMC - 10:45 Sunday mornings (see, you can even sleep late). Best music ever and great preaching. (I'm a little biased on the whole music thing, but I have pretty good judgment : ) )
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Good day
Well, today ended up being a little different than I had planned. I actually planned for a quiet, lazy day. Not that I haven't had plenty of those this last week, but didn't think too much would happen today.
Until this evening when I got fed up with the amount of stuff hanging out in my study. When we moved the computers in here last fall, I didn't really finish what I wanted to do. There was a metal bookshelf filled with books that have long since been unnecessary and I really wanted to bring my beautiful hickory bookshelf up to hold the few research books that I want to keep. But, wow, was this going to take an incredible amount of work!
I finally gave into the overwhelming desire to just finish the task this afternoon. I brought the boxes up that I've been saving for the task and began filling them and hauling them downstairs. As soon as the Jeep comes back into my possession, it will be loaded and driven to Goodwill. I hauled the metal bookshelf down, brought the hickory shelf up and moved all of Max's books into a bookshelf in the bedroom. He told me that I could NOT get rid of his photo portfolio books. I didn't think that was a big deal until I realized how many of those we actually own. Whoa!
Now, how does a young, broke girl build easy/quick bookshelves? Bricks, 1x8s and 1x10s and a few concrete blocks, plus a gallon of black paint. Yup ... these still exist in my house. But, now they are no longer in the form of bookshelves, they're just annoying parts hanging out where they shouldn't be hanging out. I hauled concrete blocks out the back door for a future trip to the cabin and after about 20 trips up and down the stairs, I finally have the study approaching something closer to my hope.
Poor Leica had to hide, she was concerned about all of the trips up and down the stairs, especially when it involved banging a metal bookshelf around a little bit.
When I was much younger, some of the greatest joys I had were when I rearranged furniture and made the old look fresh and new. I kind of got myself in a funk here with so much furniture and so much stuff, there was really only one way to place things. It's nice to continually rid myself of this excess stuff (I have years of ridding myself of excess ahead of me - trust me, it's been a long 15 years of accumulation). But, the process just keeps happening and little by little everything will finally go away.
I asked a long time ago - do you know anyone who wants a really nice set of Department 56 Christmas Village pieces? Really ... anyone?
Until this evening when I got fed up with the amount of stuff hanging out in my study. When we moved the computers in here last fall, I didn't really finish what I wanted to do. There was a metal bookshelf filled with books that have long since been unnecessary and I really wanted to bring my beautiful hickory bookshelf up to hold the few research books that I want to keep. But, wow, was this going to take an incredible amount of work!
I finally gave into the overwhelming desire to just finish the task this afternoon. I brought the boxes up that I've been saving for the task and began filling them and hauling them downstairs. As soon as the Jeep comes back into my possession, it will be loaded and driven to Goodwill. I hauled the metal bookshelf down, brought the hickory shelf up and moved all of Max's books into a bookshelf in the bedroom. He told me that I could NOT get rid of his photo portfolio books. I didn't think that was a big deal until I realized how many of those we actually own. Whoa!
Now, how does a young, broke girl build easy/quick bookshelves? Bricks, 1x8s and 1x10s and a few concrete blocks, plus a gallon of black paint. Yup ... these still exist in my house. But, now they are no longer in the form of bookshelves, they're just annoying parts hanging out where they shouldn't be hanging out. I hauled concrete blocks out the back door for a future trip to the cabin and after about 20 trips up and down the stairs, I finally have the study approaching something closer to my hope.
Poor Leica had to hide, she was concerned about all of the trips up and down the stairs, especially when it involved banging a metal bookshelf around a little bit.
When I was much younger, some of the greatest joys I had were when I rearranged furniture and made the old look fresh and new. I kind of got myself in a funk here with so much furniture and so much stuff, there was really only one way to place things. It's nice to continually rid myself of this excess stuff (I have years of ridding myself of excess ahead of me - trust me, it's been a long 15 years of accumulation). But, the process just keeps happening and little by little everything will finally go away.
I asked a long time ago - do you know anyone who wants a really nice set of Department 56 Christmas Village pieces? Really ... anyone?
Friday, May 29, 2009
Fun at the Laundromat?
Alright, Max generally goes to the laundromat for us. With his extended vacation this week, I either went or ran out of clothes and since I have to be in church on Sunday, running out of clothes is really not an option. I haven't spent much time there since Max's ankle surgery in 2007. Funny. I ran into the same man that I ran into the last time I was there.
So, I unloaded my clothes into a couple of washing machines and headed back out to the car to sit with the dog and read a book on my Kindle. The machines are right in front of the window and I was able to watch their progress. This should be easy. Uh huh.
All of a sudden I saw a beater old car drive up and a man got out carrying a very small kitchen trash bag barely filled with clothes. He had another bag or two in his hands. He walked into the laundromat and wandered for a few minutes and I realized that I recognized him. This poor man actually had to run an empty cycle through the machines the last time I was there. His OCD is terrible. He wore plastic gloves to transfer the clothing into the machine and threw everything away that had come with him.
He set everything down on an empty machine next to the machine in which my clothing was being tossed and washed. And stood there. All I could think was "Oh no! I'm using this poor guy's machine and he doesn't know what to do?" Fortunately, I could tell that the cycle was nearly finished. I walked back in and he stood there staring at me.
Hmmm ... I'm not terribly comfortable with pulling out my 'necessities' with him staring, so I gave him a gentle, intimidating stare, hopefully telling him to 'Move on, there's nothing to see here.' He didn't. Alright. Fine. You wanna stare, I'll live with it. I gathered up all of the wet clothing, found a dryer, tossed it in and went back to the car.
Now remember, I can watch those machines. He used my two machines, but didn't actually run an empty load through. He did, however, bring in wipes to clean out the machines. He ran the wipes over them several times, laying them on the machine on which he had placed his 'tools' for the day. Over and over he wiped them out, and then, into one machine placed 3 shirts and 2 t-shirts and in the other machine a couple of pairs of khaki shorts and some socks. I watched as he actually ran the washing machines twice to clean those clothes. Everything that had come into the laundromat with him went into the trash. All of the wipes, his gloves, the bag he brought the clothes in ... everything. I feel so badly for him!
However, that doesn't lessen the fact that he was creeping me out. I went back in to begin pulling clothes out of the dryer and get them folded and he began hovering around me. He walked back and forth and kept ending up close to me. Mind you, I'm nowhere near his laundry. I'm clear on the other side of the laundromat. I tried to smile and I said, "hello," thinking that if he needed to engage me in conversation, I'd give it my best shot. Finally he asked how many days were in the month of May.
That one startled me. "31," I responded. He was concerned because he needed to get new plates for his car and it was going to rain on Monday. "Ok," I smiled and turned back to my dryer, hoping beyond all hope that he was going to walk away and not watch me fold all of my clothes.
I've often wondered at my compassion, yet lack of willingness to engage with someone who so desperately needs human interaction. I feel terrible that he has to face this life day in and day out and that he has no idea how to move beyond himself and into the normal world. I know that I'm not alone in this regard. People who are outside of our sense of normal generally force us to rethink things and we avoid that at all cost.
We prefer a homogenous society where everything is the same. We like to be able to walk into a Walgreen's anywhere in the country and be assured that we will find what we need or into a McDonald's and know that a Big Mac is going to taste the same in Dalton, Georgia as it does in Omaha, Nebraska.
Unique, different, odd. Words that describe how God created us, but those same words cause us to be uncomfortable with each other.
So, I unloaded my clothes into a couple of washing machines and headed back out to the car to sit with the dog and read a book on my Kindle. The machines are right in front of the window and I was able to watch their progress. This should be easy. Uh huh.
All of a sudden I saw a beater old car drive up and a man got out carrying a very small kitchen trash bag barely filled with clothes. He had another bag or two in his hands. He walked into the laundromat and wandered for a few minutes and I realized that I recognized him. This poor man actually had to run an empty cycle through the machines the last time I was there. His OCD is terrible. He wore plastic gloves to transfer the clothing into the machine and threw everything away that had come with him.
He set everything down on an empty machine next to the machine in which my clothing was being tossed and washed. And stood there. All I could think was "Oh no! I'm using this poor guy's machine and he doesn't know what to do?" Fortunately, I could tell that the cycle was nearly finished. I walked back in and he stood there staring at me.
Hmmm ... I'm not terribly comfortable with pulling out my 'necessities' with him staring, so I gave him a gentle, intimidating stare, hopefully telling him to 'Move on, there's nothing to see here.' He didn't. Alright. Fine. You wanna stare, I'll live with it. I gathered up all of the wet clothing, found a dryer, tossed it in and went back to the car.
Now remember, I can watch those machines. He used my two machines, but didn't actually run an empty load through. He did, however, bring in wipes to clean out the machines. He ran the wipes over them several times, laying them on the machine on which he had placed his 'tools' for the day. Over and over he wiped them out, and then, into one machine placed 3 shirts and 2 t-shirts and in the other machine a couple of pairs of khaki shorts and some socks. I watched as he actually ran the washing machines twice to clean those clothes. Everything that had come into the laundromat with him went into the trash. All of the wipes, his gloves, the bag he brought the clothes in ... everything. I feel so badly for him!
However, that doesn't lessen the fact that he was creeping me out. I went back in to begin pulling clothes out of the dryer and get them folded and he began hovering around me. He walked back and forth and kept ending up close to me. Mind you, I'm nowhere near his laundry. I'm clear on the other side of the laundromat. I tried to smile and I said, "hello," thinking that if he needed to engage me in conversation, I'd give it my best shot. Finally he asked how many days were in the month of May.
That one startled me. "31," I responded. He was concerned because he needed to get new plates for his car and it was going to rain on Monday. "Ok," I smiled and turned back to my dryer, hoping beyond all hope that he was going to walk away and not watch me fold all of my clothes.
I've often wondered at my compassion, yet lack of willingness to engage with someone who so desperately needs human interaction. I feel terrible that he has to face this life day in and day out and that he has no idea how to move beyond himself and into the normal world. I know that I'm not alone in this regard. People who are outside of our sense of normal generally force us to rethink things and we avoid that at all cost.
We prefer a homogenous society where everything is the same. We like to be able to walk into a Walgreen's anywhere in the country and be assured that we will find what we need or into a McDonald's and know that a Big Mac is going to taste the same in Dalton, Georgia as it does in Omaha, Nebraska.
Unique, different, odd. Words that describe how God created us, but those same words cause us to be uncomfortable with each other.
Extroverted Hermit?
I was up early this morning, feeling as if there is much I need to accomplish today. I'm not sure if any of it will be done by the end of the day, but one can only hope!
It's been an interesting week. Max left last Thursday to spend a few days with his sister and brother (and sister-in-law) at his brother's house in Michigan. He was supposed to be back yesterday, but torrential rains didn't allow him to do much photography and when I talked to him on Tuesday he was pretty disappointed with the whole thing. So, a few changes to reservations and he had the freedom to stay a little longer.
While I thoroughly enjoy the peace and quiet of the house, last weekend was difficult. It is always difficult for me to readjust to having no one around. Last weekend nearly killed me! My sister was out of town, my brother and his family were out of town, several friends were out of town. Talk about feeling alone! But, I lived through it and after a few days, readjusted to the new patterns and rediscovered how much I appreciate the peace and quietness of being alone.
I was talking to a friend about personalities and, though he is always around people, tests as an introvert. I have always tested as an extrovert, yet there is an innate desire in me to be alone. Part of that need and desire is the way that I apply my creativity. When I have too much input from the outside, I am easily distracted and focus on that over my own thought processes. It's difficult to think creatively when I am on the go and doing a million things.
But, I like to be around people ... I like hanging out with my friends and I tend to choose to do those things rather than read/research or write. This last year has been amazing as I've actually had time to rediscover the joy that comes with quiet. At the same time, though, I've found it easy to distract myself with conversations and time with friends.
Who ever heard of an extroverted hermit? Well ... I guess that's me. Go ahead, ask me to go to lunch, I'll probably say yes. At some point, I'll panic and realize that I have a lot of things to get taken care of. Then, I'll simply hole up for awhile and hide again.
It's been an interesting week. Max left last Thursday to spend a few days with his sister and brother (and sister-in-law) at his brother's house in Michigan. He was supposed to be back yesterday, but torrential rains didn't allow him to do much photography and when I talked to him on Tuesday he was pretty disappointed with the whole thing. So, a few changes to reservations and he had the freedom to stay a little longer.
While I thoroughly enjoy the peace and quiet of the house, last weekend was difficult. It is always difficult for me to readjust to having no one around. Last weekend nearly killed me! My sister was out of town, my brother and his family were out of town, several friends were out of town. Talk about feeling alone! But, I lived through it and after a few days, readjusted to the new patterns and rediscovered how much I appreciate the peace and quietness of being alone.
I was talking to a friend about personalities and, though he is always around people, tests as an introvert. I have always tested as an extrovert, yet there is an innate desire in me to be alone. Part of that need and desire is the way that I apply my creativity. When I have too much input from the outside, I am easily distracted and focus on that over my own thought processes. It's difficult to think creatively when I am on the go and doing a million things.
But, I like to be around people ... I like hanging out with my friends and I tend to choose to do those things rather than read/research or write. This last year has been amazing as I've actually had time to rediscover the joy that comes with quiet. At the same time, though, I've found it easy to distract myself with conversations and time with friends.
Who ever heard of an extroverted hermit? Well ... I guess that's me. Go ahead, ask me to go to lunch, I'll probably say yes. At some point, I'll panic and realize that I have a lot of things to get taken care of. Then, I'll simply hole up for awhile and hide again.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
June Pour Out a Blessing Study
I posted this over on the Pour Out a Blessing blog this evening. If you are interested in joining me, please do!
May is coming to a close and so is the study on 1 & 2 Timothy that Rebecca Bauman has been pouring herself into with me. This has been fun for both of us and I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading her insights along with me. If you have enjoyed this, please let her know ... leave a note as a response or email me and I will forward it to her.
Authors of blogs sometimes feel as if we are alone in the world - tossing our words out, wondering if anyone ever reads them, much less understands them.
She is moving back to Florida in June and we are talking about doing another collaboration this fall on something new and different. I look forward to it since I really love her insight!
Next month, though, I will take us down a new path. I am going to delve into four of the minor prophets. Joel, Zephaniah, Zechariah and Malachi. These four prophets talked quite a bit about "The Day of the Lord." We'll see locusts and destruction, judgment and hope. God's Word never ceases to amaze me.
The Word of God is my passion. Teaching it is a way for me to share the passion that I have for it with others and to encourage as many people as possible to actually read their Bibles. Every day I find something incredible in a passage that I read and more often than not I am moved to tears by the power with which God reveals Himself to us through His Word.
If you know of someone who would like to spend time learning, encourage them to follow this blog. If they need a daily reminder to read, have them email me at nammynools (@) cox (.) net and I will get their name on my contact list.
May is coming to a close and so is the study on 1 & 2 Timothy that Rebecca Bauman has been pouring herself into with me. This has been fun for both of us and I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading her insights along with me. If you have enjoyed this, please let her know ... leave a note as a response or email me and I will forward it to her.
Authors of blogs sometimes feel as if we are alone in the world - tossing our words out, wondering if anyone ever reads them, much less understands them.
She is moving back to Florida in June and we are talking about doing another collaboration this fall on something new and different. I look forward to it since I really love her insight!
Next month, though, I will take us down a new path. I am going to delve into four of the minor prophets. Joel, Zephaniah, Zechariah and Malachi. These four prophets talked quite a bit about "The Day of the Lord." We'll see locusts and destruction, judgment and hope. God's Word never ceases to amaze me.
The Word of God is my passion. Teaching it is a way for me to share the passion that I have for it with others and to encourage as many people as possible to actually read their Bibles. Every day I find something incredible in a passage that I read and more often than not I am moved to tears by the power with which God reveals Himself to us through His Word.
If you know of someone who would like to spend time learning, encourage them to follow this blog. If they need a daily reminder to read, have them email me at nammynools (@) cox (.) net and I will get their name on my contact list.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Vampires and the Women Who Love Them
Ok ... you know that I don't keep too many personal secrets close to the chest. You all are going to find out about me without too much prodding. So, here's another one. I absolutely LOVE vampire smut. There is this entire genre of books that are about vampires and the women they love.
The basic plot. A long-lived vampire falls for a beautiful human woman. He is stronger than anyone can imagine, but lonely and the loneliness sometimes drives him to despair. The woman is nearly always a very strong female, but when she discovers that this incredible man desires her, she is willing to learn to live in his world. She always brings something to the relationship that draws out the humanity in the vampire and for him, her safety and happiness is paramount.
The funny thing is, the vampires are always drop-dead gorgeous, powerful men and the women generally have some type of hangup about their physical appearance, but this man in their life sees only the incredible beauty of the woman they love.
Can you see why a girl might enjoy these books?
Now, I also finally have taken the time to begin watching "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer." It was always on a church night when it began airing in the late 90s and I just never got around to starting from the beginning so I could enjoy the show. I love this show! But, one of the things that I enjoy the most is the fearless attitude and strength of will that the female characters have. They don't diminish any of the men around them and each person has their foibles and weaknesses.
This is a concept that is so alien in so many ways, yet one in which I have struggled for a long time. The patriarchal society has always been in charge, rarely do we see anything other than that setup. In my Greek textbook, I read about the society that women were treated as minors for the entire lives. They couldn't own property, had no place in public life and could only have power in their homes. Do you know that the word "Economics" comes from the word "Oikonomikos" which means 'management of the oikos - or the home.' Women weren't allowed to speak with strangers and if they ever encountered them along the road, they fled to the protection of their homes. It was a disgrace for women to stand around with young men.
We encounter this all throughout the Old and New Testaments as different societies tried to deal with women. During the time of Paul, more and more freedoms were being taken by women and sometimes they refused to take them without destroying the men around them, so conflict arose and the apostle seemed to always be dealing with that.
As cultures ebb and flow, as societies transition from one to the other, women's roles change and transform. Popular culture in the US seems to give more credence to the independence of women and the acknowledgement of their personal power. It's not like that in other parts of the world today. And in many homes even in the United States, women are stripped of their humanity and any vestige of personal empowerment. I watch this happen with family and close friends and can't believe what I see sometimes.
I like the idea of strong women ... in popular television, in books and in life. If you hang around me very much, you will find that I encourage you to be everything you want to be. If you don't hang around me? Find someone that does encourage you to reach for your dreams. Wow ... you can be amazing ... you are a treasure in God's kingdom! Never forget that.
The basic plot. A long-lived vampire falls for a beautiful human woman. He is stronger than anyone can imagine, but lonely and the loneliness sometimes drives him to despair. The woman is nearly always a very strong female, but when she discovers that this incredible man desires her, she is willing to learn to live in his world. She always brings something to the relationship that draws out the humanity in the vampire and for him, her safety and happiness is paramount.
The funny thing is, the vampires are always drop-dead gorgeous, powerful men and the women generally have some type of hangup about their physical appearance, but this man in their life sees only the incredible beauty of the woman they love.
Can you see why a girl might enjoy these books?
Now, I also finally have taken the time to begin watching "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer." It was always on a church night when it began airing in the late 90s and I just never got around to starting from the beginning so I could enjoy the show. I love this show! But, one of the things that I enjoy the most is the fearless attitude and strength of will that the female characters have. They don't diminish any of the men around them and each person has their foibles and weaknesses.
This is a concept that is so alien in so many ways, yet one in which I have struggled for a long time. The patriarchal society has always been in charge, rarely do we see anything other than that setup. In my Greek textbook, I read about the society that women were treated as minors for the entire lives. They couldn't own property, had no place in public life and could only have power in their homes. Do you know that the word "Economics" comes from the word "Oikonomikos" which means 'management of the oikos - or the home.' Women weren't allowed to speak with strangers and if they ever encountered them along the road, they fled to the protection of their homes. It was a disgrace for women to stand around with young men.
We encounter this all throughout the Old and New Testaments as different societies tried to deal with women. During the time of Paul, more and more freedoms were being taken by women and sometimes they refused to take them without destroying the men around them, so conflict arose and the apostle seemed to always be dealing with that.
As cultures ebb and flow, as societies transition from one to the other, women's roles change and transform. Popular culture in the US seems to give more credence to the independence of women and the acknowledgement of their personal power. It's not like that in other parts of the world today. And in many homes even in the United States, women are stripped of their humanity and any vestige of personal empowerment. I watch this happen with family and close friends and can't believe what I see sometimes.
I like the idea of strong women ... in popular television, in books and in life. If you hang around me very much, you will find that I encourage you to be everything you want to be. If you don't hang around me? Find someone that does encourage you to reach for your dreams. Wow ... you can be amazing ... you are a treasure in God's kingdom! Never forget that.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Startling Tears
Wow. I was quietly working away on the Pour Out a Blessing blog and began reading/researching a passage in 2 Timothy when all of a sudden, I began sobbing! Whoa! This stuff just wipes me out sometimes.
If you read my other blog, you will see this passage happen on May 30, but tonight, I am touched by how God's Spirit moves through scripture.
2 Timothy 4:6 says, "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure."
Paul is at the end of his life and he knows it. He has given Timothy much information and instruction on how to carry through his ministry and his final words to Timothy are beautiful. But, what I love most about this verse is the implied history that we might miss if we don't spend time going deeper.
The drink offering is found in Numbers 28:4-7. It was an offering that accompanied the sacrifice of a lamb. Everything that Paul has done, everything that he is, is because of his relationship to Jesus Christ. Jesus fills his thoughts, his prayers, his words, his actions. He suffered persecution ... both verbal and physical pain, he was chased out of churches, he saw people do heinous things to each other and yet the thing that he knows as he prepares to face the end is that he is the drink offering poured out to accompany the sacrifice of the Lamb!
John, in his gospel and the Revelation, is the one that always spoke of Jesus as the Lamb of God, yet in this verse, Paul reminds us that the sacrifice Jesus made is the final sacrifice necessary for our redemption and salvation.
He was being poured out as a drink offering which accompanies the sacrifice of the lamb.
Yup, that destroyed me this evening and I'm so thankful for the Word of God which has the power to change our lives and touch my heart.
If you read my other blog, you will see this passage happen on May 30, but tonight, I am touched by how God's Spirit moves through scripture.
2 Timothy 4:6 says, "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure."
Paul is at the end of his life and he knows it. He has given Timothy much information and instruction on how to carry through his ministry and his final words to Timothy are beautiful. But, what I love most about this verse is the implied history that we might miss if we don't spend time going deeper.
The drink offering is found in Numbers 28:4-7. It was an offering that accompanied the sacrifice of a lamb. Everything that Paul has done, everything that he is, is because of his relationship to Jesus Christ. Jesus fills his thoughts, his prayers, his words, his actions. He suffered persecution ... both verbal and physical pain, he was chased out of churches, he saw people do heinous things to each other and yet the thing that he knows as he prepares to face the end is that he is the drink offering poured out to accompany the sacrifice of the Lamb!
John, in his gospel and the Revelation, is the one that always spoke of Jesus as the Lamb of God, yet in this verse, Paul reminds us that the sacrifice Jesus made is the final sacrifice necessary for our redemption and salvation.
He was being poured out as a drink offering which accompanies the sacrifice of the lamb.
Yup, that destroyed me this evening and I'm so thankful for the Word of God which has the power to change our lives and touch my heart.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Let the Words of My Mouth
The words from Psalm 19 were used every Sunday prior to Dad's sermon as a response. He would begin with, "Let the words of my mouth," the congregation would respond with, "and the meditations of my heart," then both would say, "be acceptable in thy sight oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
By the time I was in high school, I was bored with that response, but it wasn't long after that I learned to love those verses. I think I moved past just saying them to really hearing them in my heart.
James tells us that "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men ... out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers this should not be." (James 3:9-10)
The psalmist in Psalm 45:2 praises the bridegroom (more than likely Solomon) for the grace with which he speaks.
I was describing to a friend the other day how I made a choice when I entered junior high to use foul language. I had just moved into a new community and no one at that school knew me. I had come from an elementary school in a very small town where the girls had ostracized me because Dad was the pastor. I was the goody-two-shoes and therefore not welcome in their clique. Well, by the time I got to Sigourney, I knew that I wanted to rid myself of that persona and create one that might fit in with the kids in my class. Little did I know that I would be stuck with that choice for the rest of my life and that it would become a horrendous habit that seems impossible to break.
But, what other types of things remove grace from our lips?
Carol moved into her new house yesterday. It's a cute little house in a wonderful neighborhood. A couple from across the street came over to welcome her and brought a cake. On top of the cake was a card with their name, address and phone number so that she could call on them for anything she might need. An act filled with grace, yet their words belied their intentions as they began giving Carol the gossip on the people in the neighborhood. Grace?
Snarky comments spoken in moments of joy and peace made simply to draw attention away from good things occurring, busy-body comments that make others uncomfortable, bossy attitudes, negative responses, arrogant lectures, all designed to reduce the listener to something manageable by the speaker.
It breaks my heart to hear someone say in response to a positive comment I've given them, "I've never had anyone say that to me before." Wow. Really? Why not? It also breaks my heart when I speak badly of someone to another person and realize that I am once again caught up in a pattern of hurtful behavior.
James wonders how praising and cursing can come from the same mouth? How can they come from the same heart? The psalmist lifts up the king who speaks with grace. We pray that our words are acceptable to the Lord.
David says in Psalm 39:1, "I said, 'I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth..."
I am pretty sure that he didn't succeed in muzzling his tongue all the time. I am absolutely certain that I will fail at that over and over. I think the only way for me to ever allow grace to be the dominant feature of my words is to pray that prayer I learned a long time ago.
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)
By the time I was in high school, I was bored with that response, but it wasn't long after that I learned to love those verses. I think I moved past just saying them to really hearing them in my heart.
James tells us that "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men ... out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers this should not be." (James 3:9-10)
The psalmist in Psalm 45:2 praises the bridegroom (more than likely Solomon) for the grace with which he speaks.
I was describing to a friend the other day how I made a choice when I entered junior high to use foul language. I had just moved into a new community and no one at that school knew me. I had come from an elementary school in a very small town where the girls had ostracized me because Dad was the pastor. I was the goody-two-shoes and therefore not welcome in their clique. Well, by the time I got to Sigourney, I knew that I wanted to rid myself of that persona and create one that might fit in with the kids in my class. Little did I know that I would be stuck with that choice for the rest of my life and that it would become a horrendous habit that seems impossible to break.
But, what other types of things remove grace from our lips?
Carol moved into her new house yesterday. It's a cute little house in a wonderful neighborhood. A couple from across the street came over to welcome her and brought a cake. On top of the cake was a card with their name, address and phone number so that she could call on them for anything she might need. An act filled with grace, yet their words belied their intentions as they began giving Carol the gossip on the people in the neighborhood. Grace?
Snarky comments spoken in moments of joy and peace made simply to draw attention away from good things occurring, busy-body comments that make others uncomfortable, bossy attitudes, negative responses, arrogant lectures, all designed to reduce the listener to something manageable by the speaker.
It breaks my heart to hear someone say in response to a positive comment I've given them, "I've never had anyone say that to me before." Wow. Really? Why not? It also breaks my heart when I speak badly of someone to another person and realize that I am once again caught up in a pattern of hurtful behavior.
James wonders how praising and cursing can come from the same mouth? How can they come from the same heart? The psalmist lifts up the king who speaks with grace. We pray that our words are acceptable to the Lord.
David says in Psalm 39:1, "I said, 'I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth..."
I am pretty sure that he didn't succeed in muzzling his tongue all the time. I am absolutely certain that I will fail at that over and over. I think the only way for me to ever allow grace to be the dominant feature of my words is to pray that prayer I learned a long time ago.
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
You Are Unique
When I was a child, I had a few tough years. We lived in a little tiny town. There were 23 kids in my class and I really didn't fit in with any of those girls. There was one 'clique' of girls that weren't terribly friendly with a few stragglers around the edges. There were a couple of other girls that just didn't fit in anywhere and there was me. I got along great with the boys, they didn't expect me to live by some strange 'girl' code and allowed me to just play games on the playground whenever I chose to do so. They competed with me academically without any jealousy and we had great fun together. Except ... that made the girls jealous as well. Oh, and then there was the whole 'your father is a preacher and you won't be in town that long anyway' thing going on. And by the way, your hair is curly and you don't fit in ... oh, and you're getting attention because you nearly died from a heart condition. Those were rough years for me. More often than not, I went home from school upset because they'd ganged up and made fun of me.
But, every time I encountered that garbage from those girls, I had a mother that would sit down with me and tell me how unique I was. She would remind me of the many talents that I had and that she and Dad were proud of me. She never allowed me to dumb myself down to fit in with them, but encouraged me to stay above the fray.
Her encouragement continued through the rest of her life. She always managed to tell me that I was unique, I was special, I was more than what the world thought of me.
I think many of us have either never had that person in our life or have managed to forget the words that were spoken to us like that. I know I that I managed to forget a lot of that after mom died.
The world has a tendency to beat us down, to tell us that we are nothing special, to remind us that we are common. We are constantly told that we can't do things and that information is reinforced when we make errors in judgment or make poor decisions regarding life decisions. We come to believe that we have gotten ourselves to a point in our lives where we can no longer lift our head out of the mire.
I heard from a friend this morning that, after waiting 15 years for a major breakthrough in his career, may be facing the most incredible period of his life. He'll be 59 this fall. He was done. He believed that he was just going to have to get a commonplace job so that he could afford to take his family into retirement. His unique qualifications and outlook in his field are finally going to be recognized and he has the potential to change the lives of millions of people in countries around the world. But, he was through believing all of that. He no longer heard someone tell him how special and incredibly brilliant he is. He no longer believed it.
While your talents and unique characteristics may not affect the world on such a profound basis, do you know how amazing you are? Do you have someone in your life that tells you over and over that you are special and talented, that you are unique and there is no one like you?
Or have you let the world tell you that you are common and boring, that you are destined to live a life of quiet desperation?
Throw those things off!
God did not call you to be bland, boring and lifeless. He has endowed each of us with His gifts and His life. To be anything less than His desire for our lives is to reject the gift of creation.
So, not only does God tell you every morning that you are special and unique to Him, I'm telling you ... you have a gift that you are to give this world. You are here because God needs you here. You are here because your life is incredible.
But, every time I encountered that garbage from those girls, I had a mother that would sit down with me and tell me how unique I was. She would remind me of the many talents that I had and that she and Dad were proud of me. She never allowed me to dumb myself down to fit in with them, but encouraged me to stay above the fray.
Her encouragement continued through the rest of her life. She always managed to tell me that I was unique, I was special, I was more than what the world thought of me.
I think many of us have either never had that person in our life or have managed to forget the words that were spoken to us like that. I know I that I managed to forget a lot of that after mom died.
The world has a tendency to beat us down, to tell us that we are nothing special, to remind us that we are common. We are constantly told that we can't do things and that information is reinforced when we make errors in judgment or make poor decisions regarding life decisions. We come to believe that we have gotten ourselves to a point in our lives where we can no longer lift our head out of the mire.
I heard from a friend this morning that, after waiting 15 years for a major breakthrough in his career, may be facing the most incredible period of his life. He'll be 59 this fall. He was done. He believed that he was just going to have to get a commonplace job so that he could afford to take his family into retirement. His unique qualifications and outlook in his field are finally going to be recognized and he has the potential to change the lives of millions of people in countries around the world. But, he was through believing all of that. He no longer heard someone tell him how special and incredibly brilliant he is. He no longer believed it.
While your talents and unique characteristics may not affect the world on such a profound basis, do you know how amazing you are? Do you have someone in your life that tells you over and over that you are special and talented, that you are unique and there is no one like you?
Or have you let the world tell you that you are common and boring, that you are destined to live a life of quiet desperation?
Throw those things off!
God did not call you to be bland, boring and lifeless. He has endowed each of us with His gifts and His life. To be anything less than His desire for our lives is to reject the gift of creation.
So, not only does God tell you every morning that you are special and unique to Him, I'm telling you ... you have a gift that you are to give this world. You are here because God needs you here. You are here because your life is incredible.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Mobile community
Last Sunday, I posted a blog "Dead in a Ditch" after I couldn't reach Max when I thought he was supposed to be home.
His cell phone was in the process of giving up the ghost and it was time for both of us to deal with an upgrade. Off I went to the online Alltel store to see what was available.
Oh ... yearn ... Blackberrys. Oh ... YEARN!
Max and I had talked a lot about upgrading to something with a data plan, but we didn't think it was necessary. And it looked to be significantly more money each month.
Here we were, though, wondering about it. Hmmm ... maybe?
Alltel's website sucks. You can't be logged in to the site and actually place an order for phones. If you try to order a phone online, you get stopped at the point that they require you to order a data plan. Well, if you already have a plan in place due to existing contracts and simply want to upgrade the plan ... that isn't an option. Which means that most web users would try to use the link to log in again, which kills the order page and you start over. The insane circle of web baloney sent me to bed Sunday night with no clear option in front of me.
Not to be undone, though, I got up early Monday and called customer service. While Alltel's website sucks, their customer service was awesome. Within 30 minutes, I had purchased two Blackberrys (to be delivered by Wednesday) and upgraded the plan. Whew!
Wednesday ... UPS drives into the alley behind the house. Before he is out of his truck, I have flown down the stairs and am standing outside the back door. They're here!
Let's just say that Max and I are having a blast! Why didn't we do this earlier? I have no idea. But, I've done it now and I never have to be disconnected from my friends online ever again! Text me, call me, message me, email me, twitter me, facebook me ... I can find you no matter where I am.
You know ... community happens in the weirdest places. When I am physically far away from people, I certainly like being able to communicate with them anyway.
His cell phone was in the process of giving up the ghost and it was time for both of us to deal with an upgrade. Off I went to the online Alltel store to see what was available.
Oh ... yearn ... Blackberrys. Oh ... YEARN!
Max and I had talked a lot about upgrading to something with a data plan, but we didn't think it was necessary. And it looked to be significantly more money each month.
Here we were, though, wondering about it. Hmmm ... maybe?
Alltel's website sucks. You can't be logged in to the site and actually place an order for phones. If you try to order a phone online, you get stopped at the point that they require you to order a data plan. Well, if you already have a plan in place due to existing contracts and simply want to upgrade the plan ... that isn't an option. Which means that most web users would try to use the link to log in again, which kills the order page and you start over. The insane circle of web baloney sent me to bed Sunday night with no clear option in front of me.
Not to be undone, though, I got up early Monday and called customer service. While Alltel's website sucks, their customer service was awesome. Within 30 minutes, I had purchased two Blackberrys (to be delivered by Wednesday) and upgraded the plan. Whew!
Wednesday ... UPS drives into the alley behind the house. Before he is out of his truck, I have flown down the stairs and am standing outside the back door. They're here!
Let's just say that Max and I are having a blast! Why didn't we do this earlier? I have no idea. But, I've done it now and I never have to be disconnected from my friends online ever again! Text me, call me, message me, email me, twitter me, facebook me ... I can find you no matter where I am.
You know ... community happens in the weirdest places. When I am physically far away from people, I certainly like being able to communicate with them anyway.
A Good Influence
When I was young, my parents rarely restricted my choice of friends. They believed that I was strong enough so that I could influence my friends rather than be influenced by them. That's a lot of trust to give to a girl and I did all I could to honor it.
As I look back, I find that I stood on either side of that fence. Sometimes negative input from friends crept into my life and I became something I didn't appreciate. Other times, I exerted a positive influence so as to encourage my friends in their own growth.
Over the last few weeks, I've really been trying to put the importance of that relationship between friends and family into words. Sometimes we are completely unaware of how our words and actions impact those around us.
My mother taught me to weigh my words carefully. It is so easy for a mis-spoken word to wound, so I do my best to choose words that will encourage listeners, sometimes to the extent that I actually don't win position in the conversation. If I lose position, though ... I generally win confidence.
My primary love language is "Words of Affirmation." If you know me at all, this seems like a 'duh' perspective. So, what does this mean for me? It means that I react fully and completely to words that are spoken to me. If I receive negative, or even worse, blase input from those who love me, I shut down. If I receive positive input, I tend to light up and become more complete. While we each have varying love languages, I suspect that we all react well to positive input. Not only do I need positive words of affirmation, but I tend to speak those to the people I associate with and there is no one I've met that doesn't react to a positive influence in their lives.
Cynics and those with negative personalities have difficulty speaking positive words to others and many times have difficulty hearing positive words that are spoken to them. They reject it as unbelievable so the speaker is perceived to be lying or maybe even just ill-informed. These people wear me out! It's hard to be around them because they drain me, both in my own self-awareness and in my effort to encourage them past their negative blocks.
So, how do you interact with your friends and family? Do you expect a lot of positive influence from them, but withhold speaking words of affirmation? Is it easy for you to honestly offer a good word, a word of encouragement?
What would you do to those around you if you actually paid attention to them instead of your own needs and made an effort to encourage the small, little things that they do. What if you became the support for everyone around you instead of a drain on their emotions. What if this world was no longer about you, but about those that are closest to you?
Yesterday, I quoted from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a as I closed a blog on Love. Those same words apply today. Sacrificing our overwhelming sense of self so that others can be lifted up is what love is all about. Think of the amount of time you would have to encourage others today if you stopped spending so much time thinking about what the world could or should be doing for you!
And just in case anyone out there thinks I am specifically speaking to them, know that these blogs are generally an introspective study in how I treat the world around me ... not how it treats me. I may be an old lady (I know - I know - I'm trying to reject that label), but I know that I am nowhere near complete in learning how to interact with the people I love.
As I look back, I find that I stood on either side of that fence. Sometimes negative input from friends crept into my life and I became something I didn't appreciate. Other times, I exerted a positive influence so as to encourage my friends in their own growth.
Over the last few weeks, I've really been trying to put the importance of that relationship between friends and family into words. Sometimes we are completely unaware of how our words and actions impact those around us.
My mother taught me to weigh my words carefully. It is so easy for a mis-spoken word to wound, so I do my best to choose words that will encourage listeners, sometimes to the extent that I actually don't win position in the conversation. If I lose position, though ... I generally win confidence.
My primary love language is "Words of Affirmation." If you know me at all, this seems like a 'duh' perspective. So, what does this mean for me? It means that I react fully and completely to words that are spoken to me. If I receive negative, or even worse, blase input from those who love me, I shut down. If I receive positive input, I tend to light up and become more complete. While we each have varying love languages, I suspect that we all react well to positive input. Not only do I need positive words of affirmation, but I tend to speak those to the people I associate with and there is no one I've met that doesn't react to a positive influence in their lives.
Cynics and those with negative personalities have difficulty speaking positive words to others and many times have difficulty hearing positive words that are spoken to them. They reject it as unbelievable so the speaker is perceived to be lying or maybe even just ill-informed. These people wear me out! It's hard to be around them because they drain me, both in my own self-awareness and in my effort to encourage them past their negative blocks.
So, how do you interact with your friends and family? Do you expect a lot of positive influence from them, but withhold speaking words of affirmation? Is it easy for you to honestly offer a good word, a word of encouragement?
What would you do to those around you if you actually paid attention to them instead of your own needs and made an effort to encourage the small, little things that they do. What if you became the support for everyone around you instead of a drain on their emotions. What if this world was no longer about you, but about those that are closest to you?
Yesterday, I quoted from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a as I closed a blog on Love. Those same words apply today. Sacrificing our overwhelming sense of self so that others can be lifted up is what love is all about. Think of the amount of time you would have to encourage others today if you stopped spending so much time thinking about what the world could or should be doing for you!
And just in case anyone out there thinks I am specifically speaking to them, know that these blogs are generally an introspective study in how I treat the world around me ... not how it treats me. I may be an old lady (I know - I know - I'm trying to reject that label), but I know that I am nowhere near complete in learning how to interact with the people I love.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
What the World Needs Now ...
When I was a child, my Grandma Greenwood had a fairly profound impact on my life. She was the epitome of 'Grandma.' She dressed like a grandma, had her very long hair, tied into a bun on the back of her head like a grandma, baked like a grandma, loved like a grandma. She had 23 grandkids and there wasn't a one of them that she loved more than any other.
Grandma left school to take care of her invalid mother, but when Grandpa was in seminary, she learned Greek so that she could help him study. The woman was brilliant and raised her kids to believe that they could do or be anything.
But, Grandma had a few peculiarities. We loved her and ignored them. She wouldn't allow any book in her home if it had any swear words in it. Well, even in the 60s and 70s, that cut a lot of books out. I have memories of a LOT of Reader's Digest Condensed books. If any of us ever found even a 'damn' in a book, we just kept quiet about it, or the book would be gone the next time we showed up.
She was the ultimate pacifist. One day I was messing around on her organ and pulled out the hymnal. As I flipped through the hymns, playing different ones, I landed on "Onward Christian Soldiers." Grandma quietly walked out of the kitchen and told me that she didn't believe in war of any kind and could I please find another song to play. I was shocked, but I did as she asked. How could I not?
The other thing that Grandma didn't like to hear out of our mouths was, "I love this shirt!" or "I love Pepsi!" or "I love this television show." She constantly reminded us that we could only love people, we couldn't love inanimate objects.
I understood exactly what she was trying to say to me, but I've never been able to stop myself from expressing how I feel, even to the point of love, about things. My problem is that sometimes my passion gets in front of me and I have to let it out.
Grandma's point, though, was not one to be missed. Sometimes it is easier for us to love our house, our yard, our card, our stuff more than we love the people who surround us. They're tough to get along with and will nearly always drive us crazy. Because we are in close relationship, sometimes we find that we know just enough to wound each other in powerful ways.
My mom believed that her kids should know love when they were in the home. That was the one place to be safe from the pain of relationships. But, even that failed. You could hear the foulest things coming out of our mouths at each other, when just before we had been with friends expressing genuine care for them. I was always shocked at the way that our behavior turned ugly when we got into the house and shut the doors. Oh, I was as bad as the rest.
You might tell me that it was because I was safe in those relationships. My family was required to love me. Maybe it is because the house was the one place where we could let down our guard. To be honest, I don't think any of that matters. I believe our family deserves more than anyone else when it comes to respect and love. Those who know us the best deserve first right of refusal on major and minor decisions. They deserve an assumption of innocence in the midst of an argument and immediate forgiveness when trouble abounds.
I have difficulty with a lot of this sometimes. Again, my passions get out ahead of my brain and sometimes I lose control of my anger - especially with my family. In my head, I hear a lot of you giving me reasons why you are justified in anger, bad behavior toward your family and withdrawal of love, even if just for a short time. I get it. But, I also know this:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)
How would your family be different if you added unconditional love into the mix?
Grandma left school to take care of her invalid mother, but when Grandpa was in seminary, she learned Greek so that she could help him study. The woman was brilliant and raised her kids to believe that they could do or be anything.
But, Grandma had a few peculiarities. We loved her and ignored them. She wouldn't allow any book in her home if it had any swear words in it. Well, even in the 60s and 70s, that cut a lot of books out. I have memories of a LOT of Reader's Digest Condensed books. If any of us ever found even a 'damn' in a book, we just kept quiet about it, or the book would be gone the next time we showed up.
She was the ultimate pacifist. One day I was messing around on her organ and pulled out the hymnal. As I flipped through the hymns, playing different ones, I landed on "Onward Christian Soldiers." Grandma quietly walked out of the kitchen and told me that she didn't believe in war of any kind and could I please find another song to play. I was shocked, but I did as she asked. How could I not?
The other thing that Grandma didn't like to hear out of our mouths was, "I love this shirt!" or "I love Pepsi!" or "I love this television show." She constantly reminded us that we could only love people, we couldn't love inanimate objects.
I understood exactly what she was trying to say to me, but I've never been able to stop myself from expressing how I feel, even to the point of love, about things. My problem is that sometimes my passion gets in front of me and I have to let it out.
Grandma's point, though, was not one to be missed. Sometimes it is easier for us to love our house, our yard, our card, our stuff more than we love the people who surround us. They're tough to get along with and will nearly always drive us crazy. Because we are in close relationship, sometimes we find that we know just enough to wound each other in powerful ways.
My mom believed that her kids should know love when they were in the home. That was the one place to be safe from the pain of relationships. But, even that failed. You could hear the foulest things coming out of our mouths at each other, when just before we had been with friends expressing genuine care for them. I was always shocked at the way that our behavior turned ugly when we got into the house and shut the doors. Oh, I was as bad as the rest.
You might tell me that it was because I was safe in those relationships. My family was required to love me. Maybe it is because the house was the one place where we could let down our guard. To be honest, I don't think any of that matters. I believe our family deserves more than anyone else when it comes to respect and love. Those who know us the best deserve first right of refusal on major and minor decisions. They deserve an assumption of innocence in the midst of an argument and immediate forgiveness when trouble abounds.
I have difficulty with a lot of this sometimes. Again, my passions get out ahead of my brain and sometimes I lose control of my anger - especially with my family. In my head, I hear a lot of you giving me reasons why you are justified in anger, bad behavior toward your family and withdrawal of love, even if just for a short time. I get it. But, I also know this:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)
How would your family be different if you added unconditional love into the mix?
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Mother's Day
I usually ignore Mother's Day. I don't hate the day ... there are a lot of moms that are my good friends and I'm happy that they get a chance to be honored. I think they should be honored. But, it's a day that no longer holds a ton of meaning for me. Mom died in 1987 and since I was never a mom, I just let the day be another Sunday in the year.
Since mom died in March, we had our first holiday right away without her. Now, we were handling things pretty well by that point. The ladies in the church had their eyes set on Dad. What a great catch he would be and there were a lot of widows and single older women that wanted a shot at a man with a solid career. It was a riot.
But, there had been a pact among them to wait at least one year after mom died before they set their sites on him. However, there was one woman who was pretty bright about the whole thing. She invited us over for dinner on Mother's Day since we wouldn't have anything to do and we might be missing mom. It was adorable. Carol and I just giggled as she puttered around her little home trying to ensure that Dad was comfortable.
By the next Mother's Day, Dad was married to Priscilla. There wasn't a single woman in that church who didn't bemoan that fact. They were a little crushed that Dad hadn't waited the year that they were giving him before they began to put the moves on him. He wasn't stupid. He knew it was coming and planned to avert it as quickly as possible.
Twenty-two years later, I still remember that first year after mom died. There was a lot of pain, a lot of grief, a lot of laughter, a lot of memories. There were changes and new lives to be started.
Mother's Day was the first realization for me of those changes to come. It's not a bad memory, it's kind of a funny memory. I still think about her a lot and miss her regularly.
Love your mothers this year. Tell them over and over how important they are to you and remember with them the wonderful things you have experienced together. If all of the things you have aren't wonderful, remember the few that are. Trust me, it's better to love and forgive if you can. Memories last a lifetime.
Since mom died in March, we had our first holiday right away without her. Now, we were handling things pretty well by that point. The ladies in the church had their eyes set on Dad. What a great catch he would be and there were a lot of widows and single older women that wanted a shot at a man with a solid career. It was a riot.
But, there had been a pact among them to wait at least one year after mom died before they set their sites on him. However, there was one woman who was pretty bright about the whole thing. She invited us over for dinner on Mother's Day since we wouldn't have anything to do and we might be missing mom. It was adorable. Carol and I just giggled as she puttered around her little home trying to ensure that Dad was comfortable.
By the next Mother's Day, Dad was married to Priscilla. There wasn't a single woman in that church who didn't bemoan that fact. They were a little crushed that Dad hadn't waited the year that they were giving him before they began to put the moves on him. He wasn't stupid. He knew it was coming and planned to avert it as quickly as possible.
Twenty-two years later, I still remember that first year after mom died. There was a lot of pain, a lot of grief, a lot of laughter, a lot of memories. There were changes and new lives to be started.
Mother's Day was the first realization for me of those changes to come. It's not a bad memory, it's kind of a funny memory. I still think about her a lot and miss her regularly.
Love your mothers this year. Tell them over and over how important they are to you and remember with them the wonderful things you have experienced together. If all of the things you have aren't wonderful, remember the few that are. Trust me, it's better to love and forgive if you can. Memories last a lifetime.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Dead in a Ditch
When I was growing up, these were words I often heard out of mom's mouth. "Call me when you get there so I know you aren't dead in a ditch somewhere."
It was so much easier to just let mom know where I was than to face her fury and wrath upon arriving at home after a fun night out with friends. It was weird though, I seemed to be the only one that headed for a telephone when we got to friends' houses. But, as long as she knew where I was and who I was with, I didn't really have to worry too much about unreasonable curfews.
The first time I drove into a ditch (flat ditch, NW Iowa, ice on the road), her words were the first thing that entered my mind. Fortunately a station wagon filled with husky football players pulled up and lifted my little car out of the snow and back onto the road. I wasn't dead in that ditch.
Yesterday, I lay down to take a nap after church and knew that Leica would wake me up when Max got home from church and lunch with his buddy. At 3:00 I jolted awake, panic rushed through me. Max wasn't home! I had expected him at 1:30 - 2:00 at the latest. I flew up and out of bed, trying desperately to force my head to shake off the cobwebs so that I could remember what he had told me.
I tried calling his cell phone. No response. I texted him. No response. Oh no!! What could have happened? I was still fuzzy enough I couldn't remember his friend's last name. I ensured that he actually had his cell phone with him and yes, but the work cell was still there. Whew, maybe there were phone numbers in there I could get.
I finally got through to his buddy. As soon as I identified myself, he said, "Just a sec," and handed the phone to Max. Pure relief. I decided that 'mad' wasn't necessary at that point. And Max's phone is falling apart. It's a problem we'll fix this week.
Moral of the story? No matter how old you are ... call. Then, we don't worry.
It was so much easier to just let mom know where I was than to face her fury and wrath upon arriving at home after a fun night out with friends. It was weird though, I seemed to be the only one that headed for a telephone when we got to friends' houses. But, as long as she knew where I was and who I was with, I didn't really have to worry too much about unreasonable curfews.
The first time I drove into a ditch (flat ditch, NW Iowa, ice on the road), her words were the first thing that entered my mind. Fortunately a station wagon filled with husky football players pulled up and lifted my little car out of the snow and back onto the road. I wasn't dead in that ditch.
Yesterday, I lay down to take a nap after church and knew that Leica would wake me up when Max got home from church and lunch with his buddy. At 3:00 I jolted awake, panic rushed through me. Max wasn't home! I had expected him at 1:30 - 2:00 at the latest. I flew up and out of bed, trying desperately to force my head to shake off the cobwebs so that I could remember what he had told me.
I tried calling his cell phone. No response. I texted him. No response. Oh no!! What could have happened? I was still fuzzy enough I couldn't remember his friend's last name. I ensured that he actually had his cell phone with him and yes, but the work cell was still there. Whew, maybe there were phone numbers in there I could get.
I finally got through to his buddy. As soon as I identified myself, he said, "Just a sec," and handed the phone to Max. Pure relief. I decided that 'mad' wasn't necessary at that point. And Max's phone is falling apart. It's a problem we'll fix this week.
Moral of the story? No matter how old you are ... call. Then, we don't worry.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Office Supply Love
I get happy about the weirdest things. If I haven't waxed long and poetic before about office supplies, I'd be very surprised. I actually salivate when I'm looking at pens and paper.
The one thing that I miss about Insty-Prints is the immediate fulfillment of all paper needs and desires. When Max and I had to actually purchase a ream of paper the first time, neither of us quite knew what to do with ourselves!
I haven't given into the addiction in nearly a year. Yes, for nearly a year I stayed out of Office Depot. That is some kind of hellish control going on. But, I needed envelopes in a bad way. I've gotten tired of sending payments to people in invitation size envelopes. It was embarrassing.
So, off I went, with a little spring in my step and happy in my heart.
Hmmm ... I need some perforated business card stock so that I can create flashcards for Greek. Whee! Oh, and I really miss having actual card stock in the house. Yup, there's a package of that. Now, hurry back to the pens aisle because I can hardly wait!!! Ahhh ... yes, that's better. Oh look at those shiny mechanical pencils. I want that. I wonder what kind of container I can get for 3x5 cards. I love 3x5 cards. White ones, colored ones, cards in folios, any kind of 3x5 cards. And look how cool that is! I can slip cards in there and a piece of elastic wraps around and contains them. And it's pretty burgundy. Thank you very much. Now, let's look at lined paper. There is never enough lined paper in my world. Hmmm ... I wonder why mom never let me just buy composition books. We always had to have loose paper or coil bound notebooks. Oh, a composition book is making me smile! Yea!!!
Let's see, now why did I come in here? Oh, yah! Envelopes. Wow. Look at all the envelopes. I do not need 250. I really don't even need 100. Wow, would you look at the invitation sized envelopes and the ... no, stop. You just need some business envelopes. No, you don't need the peel and seal and you don't need security lining. There. 40 envelopes just for you. Good girl.
See the checkout counter? It's time to go. Hurry before you get distracted again.
Success. I love paper and pencils. Almost as much as I do anything else. I know you are smiling to yourself as you read this because you recognize the same love in your own heart for these little tools of creativity.
The one thing that I miss about Insty-Prints is the immediate fulfillment of all paper needs and desires. When Max and I had to actually purchase a ream of paper the first time, neither of us quite knew what to do with ourselves!
I haven't given into the addiction in nearly a year. Yes, for nearly a year I stayed out of Office Depot. That is some kind of hellish control going on. But, I needed envelopes in a bad way. I've gotten tired of sending payments to people in invitation size envelopes. It was embarrassing.
So, off I went, with a little spring in my step and happy in my heart.
Hmmm ... I need some perforated business card stock so that I can create flashcards for Greek. Whee! Oh, and I really miss having actual card stock in the house. Yup, there's a package of that. Now, hurry back to the pens aisle because I can hardly wait!!! Ahhh ... yes, that's better. Oh look at those shiny mechanical pencils. I want that. I wonder what kind of container I can get for 3x5 cards. I love 3x5 cards. White ones, colored ones, cards in folios, any kind of 3x5 cards. And look how cool that is! I can slip cards in there and a piece of elastic wraps around and contains them. And it's pretty burgundy. Thank you very much. Now, let's look at lined paper. There is never enough lined paper in my world. Hmmm ... I wonder why mom never let me just buy composition books. We always had to have loose paper or coil bound notebooks. Oh, a composition book is making me smile! Yea!!!
Let's see, now why did I come in here? Oh, yah! Envelopes. Wow. Look at all the envelopes. I do not need 250. I really don't even need 100. Wow, would you look at the invitation sized envelopes and the ... no, stop. You just need some business envelopes. No, you don't need the peel and seal and you don't need security lining. There. 40 envelopes just for you. Good girl.
See the checkout counter? It's time to go. Hurry before you get distracted again.
Success. I love paper and pencils. Almost as much as I do anything else. I know you are smiling to yourself as you read this because you recognize the same love in your own heart for these little tools of creativity.
Friday, May 01, 2009
When they just don't get it
Today was an interesting day. I got up bright and early this morning so that I could travel to Lincoln with my friend, Alison for a day of lectures on the research a group has done regarding why people own Bibles but never read them. The company is concerned with Biblical illiteracy and offered to teach us how to transform that.
I expected and anticipated an amazing day, filled with research results and data, dreams and plans for re-engaging our culture in Biblical perspectives and passion for the Bible.
What I got was so much less and I was so disappointed. By the time I had been there for less than 1/2 hour, I knew that this was a total bust. They just didn't get it. The hall was filled with men, 80% of whom were over 65 years old. Alison and I lowered the average age in the room and were two of a handful of women outside of the staff of the company. The lectures were about how things used to be and laments for the fact that we no longer had prayer in the schools and Bibles weren't allowed into our public schools.
When the main speaker came on board (a renowned author and Biblical apologist), I again anticipated something revelatory, but what I got was a dry lecture on why the Bible is inerrant. Powerpoint slides with too much information on them and absolutely no graphics, college lecture-style delivery (and boring at that), and no passion for the topic at hand.
By the time we got to the morning break, I looked at Alison and we began plotting our escape. We'd leave at lunch and not return for the afternoon sessions. And then, we realized that things weren't going to get better, we needed to leave soon.
The third speaker got up and rambled about his involvement in the research end of things, which led to the director of this entire research who rambled for over an hour about why research is important, telling us things that were inane and old information, using powerpoint slides that made no sense, and waiting the entire hour before beginning to come to the point of his lecture, which turned into a chance for him to preach about why the Bible was important to our lives today. But, it was a very negative talk about how our sin would be alleviated if we read the Bible. There was little talk of hope, just Pharisaical belief in the Bible.
Now, that all comes out sounding a little weird, because more than anything I believe in the power of the Word of God. I am passionate about teaching people about the Bible so that they engage with God's Word on a regular basis, because I know that it has the power to transform lives.
I NEVER heard anything like that today.
But, as I looked around the room, I realized I had been foolish to expect to hear anything like that. The day was a sales pitch for the donors and cronies that had supported the expansion of this research facility, it was not a real search for change. They fully expect that people will look to their old-style attitudes and accept them, rather than searching for ways to interact with a world that is rapidly changing.
It occurs to me that if they are really concerned that people younger than the age of 60 are not reading their Bibles and are really getting information from research to show why this is happening, the next step would be to engage those same people to find out what it is that they need or desire to find their way back into the Bible.
I learned a lot today, but not what I expected. I am beginning to refine the focus of my outlook.
Wasted day? Nope. I had a wonderful time with Alison, renewing our friendship, catching up on the exciting and terrifying things in our worlds. We had a fabulous lunch (Ryan's Bistro in Omaha - oh my goodness!) and I got home early enough so that poor Leica didn't have to spend an entire day waiting for someone to let her out.
So, do you read your Bible and if not ... why not? No, I really mean it, I'd like to know!
I expected and anticipated an amazing day, filled with research results and data, dreams and plans for re-engaging our culture in Biblical perspectives and passion for the Bible.
What I got was so much less and I was so disappointed. By the time I had been there for less than 1/2 hour, I knew that this was a total bust. They just didn't get it. The hall was filled with men, 80% of whom were over 65 years old. Alison and I lowered the average age in the room and were two of a handful of women outside of the staff of the company. The lectures were about how things used to be and laments for the fact that we no longer had prayer in the schools and Bibles weren't allowed into our public schools.
When the main speaker came on board (a renowned author and Biblical apologist), I again anticipated something revelatory, but what I got was a dry lecture on why the Bible is inerrant. Powerpoint slides with too much information on them and absolutely no graphics, college lecture-style delivery (and boring at that), and no passion for the topic at hand.
By the time we got to the morning break, I looked at Alison and we began plotting our escape. We'd leave at lunch and not return for the afternoon sessions. And then, we realized that things weren't going to get better, we needed to leave soon.
The third speaker got up and rambled about his involvement in the research end of things, which led to the director of this entire research who rambled for over an hour about why research is important, telling us things that were inane and old information, using powerpoint slides that made no sense, and waiting the entire hour before beginning to come to the point of his lecture, which turned into a chance for him to preach about why the Bible was important to our lives today. But, it was a very negative talk about how our sin would be alleviated if we read the Bible. There was little talk of hope, just Pharisaical belief in the Bible.
Now, that all comes out sounding a little weird, because more than anything I believe in the power of the Word of God. I am passionate about teaching people about the Bible so that they engage with God's Word on a regular basis, because I know that it has the power to transform lives.
I NEVER heard anything like that today.
But, as I looked around the room, I realized I had been foolish to expect to hear anything like that. The day was a sales pitch for the donors and cronies that had supported the expansion of this research facility, it was not a real search for change. They fully expect that people will look to their old-style attitudes and accept them, rather than searching for ways to interact with a world that is rapidly changing.
It occurs to me that if they are really concerned that people younger than the age of 60 are not reading their Bibles and are really getting information from research to show why this is happening, the next step would be to engage those same people to find out what it is that they need or desire to find their way back into the Bible.
I learned a lot today, but not what I expected. I am beginning to refine the focus of my outlook.
Wasted day? Nope. I had a wonderful time with Alison, renewing our friendship, catching up on the exciting and terrifying things in our worlds. We had a fabulous lunch (Ryan's Bistro in Omaha - oh my goodness!) and I got home early enough so that poor Leica didn't have to spend an entire day waiting for someone to let her out.
So, do you read your Bible and if not ... why not? No, I really mean it, I'd like to know!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Dreams
I've been thinking a lot about dreams of the future.
This was panning out to be a very tough year for me. I will turn 50 in September and let me tell you, that has drained the energy right out of me. There's no way that I'm ready to hit the half-century mark. I have friends that tell me it's just a number. Other friends tell me that I don't act 50, I shouldn't be worried about it. Well ... horse-patootie. It scared me to death.
When I was 17 years old, I faced life knowing that there was nothing I couldn't learn, nothing I couldn't accomplish, nothing I couldn't do. It might take some hard work and effort, but I was fearless. When I made errors in judgment, I didn't worry about it, I had plenty of time to fix it and change the pace of my life.
I graduated from college and soon became aware that those 4 years of education really weren't going to be the focus of my career. Jobs in the music education field in 1981 were not really available. I began considering a career in Christian Education ... at least something in the church. So, I spent two years working in that type of position. I enjoyed it, but knew I needed more. No problem, let's go back to school and get a master's degree. I applied to the seminary I wanted to attend and was accepted.
Mom called. "Diane, would you consider helping me out in starting a business? It won't be for very long, just until we get some things established. Then, your dad is coming on board and you'll be free to go on."
Great. Sure. I could use the experience and mom needed me. Three years later, she had died and I was saddled with a business that required an incredible amount of my time and effort. I began to set my dreams aside so that I could keep this business going.
Nearly 20 years after that, the business closed and I was free. By this time I was married, living with way too much stuff and had responsibilities to friends and family. I was an established middle-aged woman with absolutely no memory of the dreams I had as a youth. I found a great job, one I thought would be a dream job. I was working in a church as a Communication Director. I loved my family, my friends. It should all be amazing, right?
Except there was that part of me that wondered what had happened to the dream? What had happened to the girl who believed that she could accomplish anything? Why was I limiting myself to the life that I was living? At what point did I accept the mundane world as MY world?
This is part of the baggage I was carrying into my 50th birthday.
Through extraordinary events in the last month or so, I have been reminded of the 17 year old girl that had big dreams and no fears. I had her tucked away so deeply that I'd forgotten she even existed. But, I found her again and she is just begging to be released. Imagine what I can do with the maturity of a 50 year old and the fearlessness of a 17 year old.
The thing is, I can see how God has been setting things into place and preparing me for this journey. When I thought that my existence would remain the same for the rest of my life, He knew better.
The first scripture passage that I chose to memorize in 2009 says, "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." (Isaiah 25:1)
I need to step back into His faithfulness. He and I had a lot of plans and dreams that were set into place. I walked away from them, sometimes by design, sometimes because of circumstance. The reminder that came to me is that there is absolutely no reason I can't return to those plans and dreams. And you know what? All it's going to take is a little bit of hard work and effort.
This was panning out to be a very tough year for me. I will turn 50 in September and let me tell you, that has drained the energy right out of me. There's no way that I'm ready to hit the half-century mark. I have friends that tell me it's just a number. Other friends tell me that I don't act 50, I shouldn't be worried about it. Well ... horse-patootie. It scared me to death.
When I was 17 years old, I faced life knowing that there was nothing I couldn't learn, nothing I couldn't accomplish, nothing I couldn't do. It might take some hard work and effort, but I was fearless. When I made errors in judgment, I didn't worry about it, I had plenty of time to fix it and change the pace of my life.
I graduated from college and soon became aware that those 4 years of education really weren't going to be the focus of my career. Jobs in the music education field in 1981 were not really available. I began considering a career in Christian Education ... at least something in the church. So, I spent two years working in that type of position. I enjoyed it, but knew I needed more. No problem, let's go back to school and get a master's degree. I applied to the seminary I wanted to attend and was accepted.
Mom called. "Diane, would you consider helping me out in starting a business? It won't be for very long, just until we get some things established. Then, your dad is coming on board and you'll be free to go on."
Great. Sure. I could use the experience and mom needed me. Three years later, she had died and I was saddled with a business that required an incredible amount of my time and effort. I began to set my dreams aside so that I could keep this business going.
Nearly 20 years after that, the business closed and I was free. By this time I was married, living with way too much stuff and had responsibilities to friends and family. I was an established middle-aged woman with absolutely no memory of the dreams I had as a youth. I found a great job, one I thought would be a dream job. I was working in a church as a Communication Director. I loved my family, my friends. It should all be amazing, right?
Except there was that part of me that wondered what had happened to the dream? What had happened to the girl who believed that she could accomplish anything? Why was I limiting myself to the life that I was living? At what point did I accept the mundane world as MY world?
This is part of the baggage I was carrying into my 50th birthday.
Through extraordinary events in the last month or so, I have been reminded of the 17 year old girl that had big dreams and no fears. I had her tucked away so deeply that I'd forgotten she even existed. But, I found her again and she is just begging to be released. Imagine what I can do with the maturity of a 50 year old and the fearlessness of a 17 year old.
The thing is, I can see how God has been setting things into place and preparing me for this journey. When I thought that my existence would remain the same for the rest of my life, He knew better.
The first scripture passage that I chose to memorize in 2009 says, "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." (Isaiah 25:1)
I need to step back into His faithfulness. He and I had a lot of plans and dreams that were set into place. I walked away from them, sometimes by design, sometimes because of circumstance. The reminder that came to me is that there is absolutely no reason I can't return to those plans and dreams. And you know what? All it's going to take is a little bit of hard work and effort.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
May Pour Out a Blessing Blogs
Over on my other blog, Pour Out a Blessing, I am excited to introduce you to a friend of mine, Rebecca Bauman. I met her several years ago on Myspace when I ran across her blog. We have been corresponding since then and in her I discovered a kindred spirit with a very different way to look at her walk with Jesus and her interaction with Scripture. You can read her personal blog at punkerdoos.blogspot.com.
She tells a great story and loves to tell parables to describe her relationship with God. Her writing is over-the-top creative and her insight is not only witty but compelling.
We will be writing together throughout the month of May. I will introduce the passage and then let her take off and pour her heart out to you.
While many of you read this blog through the email I send, I encourage you to click to the online blog every once in a while and send a note of encouragement or feel free to ask questions. A lot of heart and soul gets poured into these things and its sometimes really nice to know someone is reading.
We will go through First & Second Timothy and see what Paul has to say to us as he instructs Timothy on how to deal with the church and as he approaches the end of his own life on earth.
Please invite friends to join us by following this blog or subscribing via an RSS blog reader or they can receive daily emails from me by requesting it at nammynools (@) cox (.) net.
She tells a great story and loves to tell parables to describe her relationship with God. Her writing is over-the-top creative and her insight is not only witty but compelling.
We will be writing together throughout the month of May. I will introduce the passage and then let her take off and pour her heart out to you.
While many of you read this blog through the email I send, I encourage you to click to the online blog every once in a while and send a note of encouragement or feel free to ask questions. A lot of heart and soul gets poured into these things and its sometimes really nice to know someone is reading.
We will go through First & Second Timothy and see what Paul has to say to us as he instructs Timothy on how to deal with the church and as he approaches the end of his own life on earth.
Please invite friends to join us by following this blog or subscribing via an RSS blog reader or they can receive daily emails from me by requesting it at nammynools (@) cox (.) net.
Friday, April 24, 2009
To really know someone ...
What is the most important BIG thing going on in your life right now? Stop and think about it a minute. Identify it. No really ... I'm not going to write any more until you do. Stop reading.
Do you have it in mind? Good, now you can keep reading.
What is the most important BIG thing going on in your best friend's life right now (spouse, significant other, friend, boyfriend/girlfriend, sibling, parent)? Name 5 little things that they are worried about or thinking about. Name 5 things that they are excited about right now.
Now while some of you are quite empathic and might know these things about 1 or 2 people in your life, you have extended friends and family that you actually don't spend a lot of time finding out about because you are too wrapped up in your own small world. You can't actually answer those questions about most of your friends and extended family. You may not even be able to answer those questions about the one person who is closest to you.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately and the way that I respond and react to the many people who weave in and out of my life as well as the way that they respond and react to me.
How many people do you actually trust with the inner depths of your soul - even the ugliness and things that you have buried so far down because you don't want to acknowledge that they exist in your past? What about your fears? Or your dreams?
It is usually one or two people and then we manage to interact with the rest of the world on a very surface level.
We are conditioned to not trust each other. We have to 'earn' trust, it isn't something that is easily given and rarely something that is given unconditionally. If we break trust, then it is removed from the relationship, sometimes with little hope of renewal. Many times great punishment comes and destruction happens.
We also create our relationships based on our past history. We project our own reactions to behavior onto those around us, so expect them to handle our tender soul as we might handle theirs. If you know that you lie to others, that you reveal secrets easily, that you are callous and cruel ... you fully expect the world to treat you with that same behavior, even though people come in and out of your life that have never treated anyone like that. We project our own bad behavior on everyone around us and they have to prove to us over and over that they won't behave in that manner.
I expose a lot of myself in this blog and people who know me on any kind of a personal level know that I expose most of my 'self' to them through many different venues. But, what if I were to share everything inside me ... my greatest fears and the things I am most ashamed of ... my dreams and desires. The things that only 1 or 2 people might know about me.
You see, I wonder if you'd really care (no, I'm not going for teenage angst here - I want you to really think about this). Do you actually care to know that much depth about the people you are close to? Do you want the responsibility for knowing their shame? Do you want the responsibility for helping them to achieve their dreams?
This is for more than the one or two people you are the closest to.
I wonder what life would be like ...
Do you have it in mind? Good, now you can keep reading.
What is the most important BIG thing going on in your best friend's life right now (spouse, significant other, friend, boyfriend/girlfriend, sibling, parent)? Name 5 little things that they are worried about or thinking about. Name 5 things that they are excited about right now.
Now while some of you are quite empathic and might know these things about 1 or 2 people in your life, you have extended friends and family that you actually don't spend a lot of time finding out about because you are too wrapped up in your own small world. You can't actually answer those questions about most of your friends and extended family. You may not even be able to answer those questions about the one person who is closest to you.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately and the way that I respond and react to the many people who weave in and out of my life as well as the way that they respond and react to me.
How many people do you actually trust with the inner depths of your soul - even the ugliness and things that you have buried so far down because you don't want to acknowledge that they exist in your past? What about your fears? Or your dreams?
It is usually one or two people and then we manage to interact with the rest of the world on a very surface level.
We are conditioned to not trust each other. We have to 'earn' trust, it isn't something that is easily given and rarely something that is given unconditionally. If we break trust, then it is removed from the relationship, sometimes with little hope of renewal. Many times great punishment comes and destruction happens.
We also create our relationships based on our past history. We project our own reactions to behavior onto those around us, so expect them to handle our tender soul as we might handle theirs. If you know that you lie to others, that you reveal secrets easily, that you are callous and cruel ... you fully expect the world to treat you with that same behavior, even though people come in and out of your life that have never treated anyone like that. We project our own bad behavior on everyone around us and they have to prove to us over and over that they won't behave in that manner.
I expose a lot of myself in this blog and people who know me on any kind of a personal level know that I expose most of my 'self' to them through many different venues. But, what if I were to share everything inside me ... my greatest fears and the things I am most ashamed of ... my dreams and desires. The things that only 1 or 2 people might know about me.
You see, I wonder if you'd really care (no, I'm not going for teenage angst here - I want you to really think about this). Do you actually care to know that much depth about the people you are close to? Do you want the responsibility for knowing their shame? Do you want the responsibility for helping them to achieve their dreams?
This is for more than the one or two people you are the closest to.
I wonder what life would be like ...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Passion
What are you passionate about?
I don't think I mean to be asking about your political leanings, favorite causes, or even a soulmate, but what is it in your life that completely undoes you.
My friend, Matt Hill, is absolutely passionate about music. He loves to create music, he loves to help others create music. His passion sometimes overloads him and he can barely function because he wants to achieve such a high level of excellence and finds that things hold him back. It is a huge joy to work with him, but at the same time because of the depth of his passion, sometimes it gets a little freaky. Very few can match that depth and he so desperately wants everyone to be there with him.
His wife, Jen is over the top passionate about worship. Her desire to bring others into the presence of God has caused her enormous pain in the past, but that hasn't deterred her. Amy is passionate about her kids and family. She has consciously made choices to be the very best mom and wife that she can be. Cody has a passion for bringing people into the church and taking the church to people. You can tell by the way that he is setting his career forward. Carol is passionate about encouraging growth in young kids and has focused on building that career for a long time.
One of the things that I have treasured in my life is the amount of passion that I can find within myself for so many different things. Long ago, I learned that I wanted to know a lot about a lot of things, but not necessarily everything about one thing.
I can't imagine living a life of 'quiet desperation,' being unable to express yourself with everything available. Those who work in stressful jobs and find that they are living one day to the next with no end in sight haven't found their passion.
I've been thinking a lot lately about where we look for that, how we find it and how we bring it out. Huh. I think the first thing we have to do is release the idea that we have to be able to make money by implementing our passion. If that is a side effect of it, then we win, but it can't be a driving goal or we lose sight of the passion and begin focusing on the end goal.
There are so many things I am passionate about ... Scripture, teaching, writing (notice how easily these can all fall together), people, telling people about the Love of Christ and what He did for them, encouraging people,. These are the things I want to invest my time in and bring to the forefront of my life ... what about you?
I don't think I mean to be asking about your political leanings, favorite causes, or even a soulmate, but what is it in your life that completely undoes you.
My friend, Matt Hill, is absolutely passionate about music. He loves to create music, he loves to help others create music. His passion sometimes overloads him and he can barely function because he wants to achieve such a high level of excellence and finds that things hold him back. It is a huge joy to work with him, but at the same time because of the depth of his passion, sometimes it gets a little freaky. Very few can match that depth and he so desperately wants everyone to be there with him.
His wife, Jen is over the top passionate about worship. Her desire to bring others into the presence of God has caused her enormous pain in the past, but that hasn't deterred her. Amy is passionate about her kids and family. She has consciously made choices to be the very best mom and wife that she can be. Cody has a passion for bringing people into the church and taking the church to people. You can tell by the way that he is setting his career forward. Carol is passionate about encouraging growth in young kids and has focused on building that career for a long time.
One of the things that I have treasured in my life is the amount of passion that I can find within myself for so many different things. Long ago, I learned that I wanted to know a lot about a lot of things, but not necessarily everything about one thing.
I can't imagine living a life of 'quiet desperation,' being unable to express yourself with everything available. Those who work in stressful jobs and find that they are living one day to the next with no end in sight haven't found their passion.
I've been thinking a lot lately about where we look for that, how we find it and how we bring it out. Huh. I think the first thing we have to do is release the idea that we have to be able to make money by implementing our passion. If that is a side effect of it, then we win, but it can't be a driving goal or we lose sight of the passion and begin focusing on the end goal.
There are so many things I am passionate about ... Scripture, teaching, writing (notice how easily these can all fall together), people, telling people about the Love of Christ and what He did for them, encouraging people,. These are the things I want to invest my time in and bring to the forefront of my life ... what about you?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Happy Birthday, Jim
Today is my brother's birthday. We'll see if he comes up with something witty to say on his own blog. He tells me that he has the day off. Good for him! It brings him great joy to remind me that I am 5 years older ... yes, he's right. I am.
Today is also a day that we celebrate Mom and Dad's purchase of our haven ... Bell's Dell. Located in north central Iowa on the Boone River, this is the home of our family's best memories. When mom was still in the hospital, just after giving birth to Jim, Dad was finishing the purchase.
Seventeen acres of gorgeous land ... meadows, forest, river. This was a little piece of heaven on earth. Our family grew up there, Jim's family is falling in love with it now as we share it with the next generation and begin to make changes in the structures so that we can continue to enjoy it for many more years. We've hosted youth group retreats and family retreats there, friends have joined us for long weekends ... it's a place to hide, it's a place to share.
1969 - Dad laid concrete and we built a small cabin on 1/4 of the foundation. The rest would come in a few years. But, this was a fun place for us kids.
1971 - Dad found that a church bell was available from a little country church that was being torn down. He got that thing up a hill and it still tolls to remind us when dinner is on the table. You can hear it throughout the valley.
1971 - Mom cooking on an outdoor fire.
The final iteration of the cabin ... Dad added the front screen porch after he retired.
The Boone River ... can you see why we love this place? It's gorgeous!
Today is also a day that we celebrate Mom and Dad's purchase of our haven ... Bell's Dell. Located in north central Iowa on the Boone River, this is the home of our family's best memories. When mom was still in the hospital, just after giving birth to Jim, Dad was finishing the purchase.
Seventeen acres of gorgeous land ... meadows, forest, river. This was a little piece of heaven on earth. Our family grew up there, Jim's family is falling in love with it now as we share it with the next generation and begin to make changes in the structures so that we can continue to enjoy it for many more years. We've hosted youth group retreats and family retreats there, friends have joined us for long weekends ... it's a place to hide, it's a place to share.
1969 - Dad laid concrete and we built a small cabin on 1/4 of the foundation. The rest would come in a few years. But, this was a fun place for us kids.
1971 - Dad found that a church bell was available from a little country church that was being torn down. He got that thing up a hill and it still tolls to remind us when dinner is on the table. You can hear it throughout the valley.
1971 - Mom cooking on an outdoor fire.
The final iteration of the cabin ... Dad added the front screen porch after he retired.
The Boone River ... can you see why we love this place? It's gorgeous!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Humility
I don't suppose that I meant to, but I've felt less than whole for the last week and just couldn't come up with any interesting words to put on a page! Here's hoping that turns around quickly!
Last night was the final SingOmaha concert for the season and it was pretty amazing. We performed some terrific literature. If you haven't been to a concert, you need to make an effort. This choir rocks! And you will hear gorgeous choral music performed with very high standards. We'll be back in the fall and just remember, if you aren't coming to these concerts, you're missing something special.
I managed to totally embarrass myself, though. This cold that has wiped me out for the last 6 days? Well ... it got me. I had been dosing on Dayquil to get through the concerts without coughing. Because from my high school years, I have had trouble with this cold. This one settles into my chest and I get terrible coughing spasms. Knowing this, I tried my best to prepare for and avert this. I failed.
I felt terrific - we had gotten to the final piece on the concert - a 5 movement work and we were in the middle of the last movement when I felt the tickle in my throat. I was totally stuck at the piano and there was absolutely nothing I can do to fix it. I had a bottle of water sitting there, so managed to get the top of the water and grab it to soothe the throat. I even looked up to heaven and said, "Really God! I've only got 5 more pages, can you help me here?" Obviously He didn't think that was going to happen. I was coughing and spluttering ... yes, it was gross, spurting tears out of my eyes and snot out of my nose while trying to suppress the cough. Sucking down water ... all the time playing, turning pages, and I freakin' managed to not lose a beat and got all of the notes played.
We made it to the end. I knew that the audience had been watching me ... worrying ... and I knew that I was done - I needed to explode with coughing. I acknowledged the director and the audience and bolted out of there. I wanted to die! Somehow I managed to take the attention away from this beautiful piece of music. All I could think was that if I had been behind the choir, no one would have seen me and I could have just suffered by myself ...
Oh well ... sigh. I simply know that humility is mine to be had at the most inopportune times.
Humility. You know ... I've discovered that is the best thing to keep a person's head on straight. The ability to laugh at oneself and acknowledge that we are less than perfect. As soon as we do that, we discover that the earth continues to revolve, people still love us, and God is still God. It's good to come to that place in the world.
Last night was the final SingOmaha concert for the season and it was pretty amazing. We performed some terrific literature. If you haven't been to a concert, you need to make an effort. This choir rocks! And you will hear gorgeous choral music performed with very high standards. We'll be back in the fall and just remember, if you aren't coming to these concerts, you're missing something special.
I managed to totally embarrass myself, though. This cold that has wiped me out for the last 6 days? Well ... it got me. I had been dosing on Dayquil to get through the concerts without coughing. Because from my high school years, I have had trouble with this cold. This one settles into my chest and I get terrible coughing spasms. Knowing this, I tried my best to prepare for and avert this. I failed.
I felt terrific - we had gotten to the final piece on the concert - a 5 movement work and we were in the middle of the last movement when I felt the tickle in my throat. I was totally stuck at the piano and there was absolutely nothing I can do to fix it. I had a bottle of water sitting there, so managed to get the top of the water and grab it to soothe the throat. I even looked up to heaven and said, "Really God! I've only got 5 more pages, can you help me here?" Obviously He didn't think that was going to happen. I was coughing and spluttering ... yes, it was gross, spurting tears out of my eyes and snot out of my nose while trying to suppress the cough. Sucking down water ... all the time playing, turning pages, and I freakin' managed to not lose a beat and got all of the notes played.
We made it to the end. I knew that the audience had been watching me ... worrying ... and I knew that I was done - I needed to explode with coughing. I acknowledged the director and the audience and bolted out of there. I wanted to die! Somehow I managed to take the attention away from this beautiful piece of music. All I could think was that if I had been behind the choir, no one would have seen me and I could have just suffered by myself ...
Oh well ... sigh. I simply know that humility is mine to be had at the most inopportune times.
Humility. You know ... I've discovered that is the best thing to keep a person's head on straight. The ability to laugh at oneself and acknowledge that we are less than perfect. As soon as we do that, we discover that the earth continues to revolve, people still love us, and God is still God. It's good to come to that place in the world.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Strengths
I've been talking to a couple of friends about the Strengths Finder results and in doing so, looked at mine again. This is really an amazing test that managed to offer up some information about me that I had never actually articulated. I kind of wish I had known this when I was much younger, it definitely would have changed my career path. I've always thought that research was something I should have pursued, but it just never happened. As I read through these strengths, I realize I should have gone after this with a vengeance!
Check this out - there's a lot of information and I'm going to highlight some of it so you don't have to read it all. Make your own assumptions about how absolutely correct this is about me. Maybe it will help you understand me better. If you'd like to take this test yourself, here is a link for getting the book (from Gallup Corporation) from Amazon. There's a code in there that will get you to the Strengths Finder website. Oh, and by the way ... I REALLY want to know if you've taken this and what your strengths are!
Ideation
You are fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? An idea is a concept, the best explanation of the most events. You are delighted when you discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection. Yours is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and so you are intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure connection. An idea is a new perspective on familiar challenges. You revel in taking the world we all know and turning it around so we can view it from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. You love all these ideas because they are profound, because they are novel, because they are clarifying, because they are contrary, because they are bizarre. For all these reasons you derive a jolt of energy whenever a new idea occurs to you. Others may label you creative or original or conceptual or even smart. Perhaps you are all of these. Who can be sure? What you are sure of is that ideas are thrilling. And on most days this is enough.
Input
You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books, and quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.
Intellection
You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life.
Learner
You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”
Relator
Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people—in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends—but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk—you might be taken advantage of—but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk together. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly.
Check this out - there's a lot of information and I'm going to highlight some of it so you don't have to read it all. Make your own assumptions about how absolutely correct this is about me. Maybe it will help you understand me better. If you'd like to take this test yourself, here is a link for getting the book (from Gallup Corporation) from Amazon. There's a code in there that will get you to the Strengths Finder website. Oh, and by the way ... I REALLY want to know if you've taken this and what your strengths are!
Ideation
You are fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? An idea is a concept, the best explanation of the most events. You are delighted when you discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection. Yours is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and so you are intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure connection. An idea is a new perspective on familiar challenges. You revel in taking the world we all know and turning it around so we can view it from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. You love all these ideas because they are profound, because they are novel, because they are clarifying, because they are contrary, because they are bizarre. For all these reasons you derive a jolt of energy whenever a new idea occurs to you. Others may label you creative or original or conceptual or even smart. Perhaps you are all of these. Who can be sure? What you are sure of is that ideas are thrilling. And on most days this is enough.
Input
You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books, and quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.
Intellection
You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life.
Learner
You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”
Relator
Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people—in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends—but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk—you might be taken advantage of—but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk together. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Glory Days
There are many things that I love to do, but a couple of them happened this weekend and wow ... it reminds me how much God has blessed me.
Spending time with family and spending time at our cabin. Combine them and it's glorious. It didn't hurt at all that today was a beautiful day!
Deconstruction is happening at the cabin in a major way. Dad (and friends) built this 30-40 years ago (depending on which part). He was a wanna-be carpenter, electrician, plumber ... builder. He scavenged cupboards and windows and other things when they tore down the parsonage in Sigourney. Mom painted them and he put them on the wall. Jim discovered, as he ripped things off these walls, just how minimal Dad's talents were. He did the job and used lots of nails and 2x4s to ensure solidity.
After 30+ years, needs are changing and it really was time to update the look of that place. Since it was one of those things that mom and dad shared, I don't think Dad was willing to make the changes necessary to keep updating the place. He wanted to keep his memories.
Out came the cabinets, out came the kitchen sink, last fall the bathroom was deconstructed, leaving a toilet with a shower curtain and sheets hanging for privacy (trust me, that's not enough).
Jim has already totally transformed the look of the place on the inside by putting knotty pine paneling on the walls. At least in one part of the cabin, we no longer have to look at raw structure and insulation. At some point, this place is going to be amazing!
Max and I pulled in last night after the rest of the family had already been there for a day and a half. I suspect they were a little worried at my reaction to the massive deconstruction. Wow ... it's going to be cool when it's done. We had brought dinner so they were also starving. After a fun evening, we came over to the hotel and fell asleep. Got up this morning and on the way out of here, discovered that Jim's family was returning home early ... I was going to miss seeing them. Max and I started our day with a photo-shoot in Stanford, Iowa ... just a few miles from the cabin.
We had planned to traipse along the backroads of the neighborhood up here, but with no decision needed, changed our plan and headed back out to the cabin. He napped, then spent hours in the woods with his camera. I can't wait to see what he's got ... he'll work on those photos when we get back home. Watch his site. I did some reading and chatted with Carol. She and a friend of hers spent time picking up sticks from the windstorms so that they can mow more easily later this spring.
I didn't get any writing done. But, I did enjoy a beautiful day in a beautiful place. Spring is just beginning to shake off the greys of winter. I can't wait to see it explode in all of its glory!
Happy Easter today ... He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Spending time with family and spending time at our cabin. Combine them and it's glorious. It didn't hurt at all that today was a beautiful day!
Deconstruction is happening at the cabin in a major way. Dad (and friends) built this 30-40 years ago (depending on which part). He was a wanna-be carpenter, electrician, plumber ... builder. He scavenged cupboards and windows and other things when they tore down the parsonage in Sigourney. Mom painted them and he put them on the wall. Jim discovered, as he ripped things off these walls, just how minimal Dad's talents were. He did the job and used lots of nails and 2x4s to ensure solidity.
After 30+ years, needs are changing and it really was time to update the look of that place. Since it was one of those things that mom and dad shared, I don't think Dad was willing to make the changes necessary to keep updating the place. He wanted to keep his memories.
Out came the cabinets, out came the kitchen sink, last fall the bathroom was deconstructed, leaving a toilet with a shower curtain and sheets hanging for privacy (trust me, that's not enough).
Jim has already totally transformed the look of the place on the inside by putting knotty pine paneling on the walls. At least in one part of the cabin, we no longer have to look at raw structure and insulation. At some point, this place is going to be amazing!
Max and I pulled in last night after the rest of the family had already been there for a day and a half. I suspect they were a little worried at my reaction to the massive deconstruction. Wow ... it's going to be cool when it's done. We had brought dinner so they were also starving. After a fun evening, we came over to the hotel and fell asleep. Got up this morning and on the way out of here, discovered that Jim's family was returning home early ... I was going to miss seeing them. Max and I started our day with a photo-shoot in Stanford, Iowa ... just a few miles from the cabin.
We had planned to traipse along the backroads of the neighborhood up here, but with no decision needed, changed our plan and headed back out to the cabin. He napped, then spent hours in the woods with his camera. I can't wait to see what he's got ... he'll work on those photos when we get back home. Watch his site. I did some reading and chatted with Carol. She and a friend of hers spent time picking up sticks from the windstorms so that they can mow more easily later this spring.
I didn't get any writing done. But, I did enjoy a beautiful day in a beautiful place. Spring is just beginning to shake off the greys of winter. I can't wait to see it explode in all of its glory!
Happy Easter today ... He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
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