First of all, I have to say that y'all's responses to my last post cracked me up! Who knew anyone but me would find my random thoughts entertaining? (By the way, as a Texas girl living in Georgia I have double rights to use "y'all".)
Second of all, I made a HUGE mistake in that post and I cannot believe no one has called me on it yet! Or maybe you noticed and were too kind to point it out. At any rate, I'm not 'fessing up as to what it was. You know you want to go look now.
Tell you what. (Wow, I'm really breaking out the Texan-ese today.) The first person who catches this particular mistake and leaves it in a comment on this post deserves something. I haven't quite decided what yet, but I'm thinking along the lines of chocolate since that clearly consumed most of my post. ;-)
So: Find my mistake. Leave a comment. If you're the first correct one I will reward you with something yummilicious.
I make a pretty mean chocolate chip cookie, if I do say so myself. Or maybe I should send those Thin Mints that caused me so much trouble in the first place. Oops - did I really type that last sentence? Temporary insanity. I mean, y'all are awesome and all, but really. Who gives away Thin Mints?
I digress.
Where was I? Oh, right. Mistake, comment, reward. Happy reading!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Oh, The Randomness
Well, here it is. Six a.m., everyone is still asleep and I actually have time to sit and write a post. There's only one problem: The coffee has not made it's way to my brain quite yet and I cannot think of a decent post topic to save my life!
It would be shameful to let this perfect writing environment slip away in vain. Nevermind the fact that I have nothing to write about. Beside the point.
So to be a good steward of an absolutely quiet house I now present to you my list of completely random thoughts. And they are, oh, so random.
Sometimes my husband will look at a quiet me and ask, "What are you thinking about?" After 10 years of marriage you think he would have learned by now. I let him in to my deeply analytical mind and spend the next 5 minutes explaining how I was contemplating, let's say, chocolate. That would not surprise most of you that know me.
But not just the yumminess of my favorite food (Yes, food. Not favorite dessert, but favorite food. If you know me, you get this.) Who in the world was this first person who looked at the cacao plant and thought, "Hmmm. I bet if I pick that bean, grind it up and add some stuff it would be incredibly delicious." Did they try this with other beans? Did we almost end up with black-eyed pea fudge or pinto bean cake?
Oh, yes. That is the tip of the iceberg. About a nanosecond into said conversation I'm pretty sure hubby is making a mental note not to ask me what I'm thinking. Ever.
So, although you didn't ask, this is my blog and I can ramble on, pretending that you are still reading and that you are still highly interested in my list of randomalities:
1. You've seen the Gerber commercials that proclaim, "A baby changes everything."? So true. I never thought I'd see the day when, after a major coffee disaster, I would lament the lost coffee more than the stain it caused on the floor.
2. Considering my apparent love of chocolate, you may find this next statement odd: I have given up sweets for a week. That is painful to write. Let's just say it had something to do with a eating a shameful amount of Thin Mints. And when you look forward to the children waking up at night so you have an excuse to sneak downstairs for more, well, there might just be a problem. I actually put all sweets into a bag and had my husband hide them while I wasn't home. It took exactly 2 hours for me to decide this was a stupid idea. Super. Only 166 hours to go.
3. However, this is nothing compared to my all-or-nothing hubby. He once gave up fried foods for a year (and you bet we headed to Jack in the Box at 12:01 a.m. for french fries when it was over). That man of mine has really topped himself this time. He has also given up sweets. For a YEAR. No birthday cakes, no Ben & Jerry's movie night, no Hot Tamales. This is the man who, when we were dating, literally ate a package of Skittles and a Slurpee every single day. He is awesome.
4. It now occurs to me that my first three randomalities were all about food. Yikes. Moving on . . .
5. I never thought I would like an e-reader. But I am now officially hooked on my Nook - love it, love it, love it. The only downside is that it is WAY too easy to buy new books on that thing. Very dangerous for an avid reader. "What honey? There was a $483.21 charge to Barnes & Noble? Um, hey, look over there! Is that a huge box of Skittles?!" Exit stage left.
6. Kids are hilarious. For the longest time our almost-five-year-old has said that Acts was her favorite book of the Bible. A friend of mine asked her why and she replied, "Because an ax is an old-time tool and I like to play with my tools so that's why I like Acts." Love that girl.
7. The same daughter usually loves to have everyone go around the table at dinner and tell about their day. One night she was in a mood and wouldn't talk. So I decided to pretend I was her and told all about her day in my best imitation of her. She cracked up and then decided to tell about MY day in her best mommy voice. Want a fresh perspective on your day? Ask a preschooler. What I got was, "I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, took care of sisters, cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, took care of sisters..."
8. Which is ironic because I really hate to clean. Company must have been coming.
9. I recently took up running again which I really do love. Except the last time I seriously ran consistently was when we lived in Texas. Where it is flat - like land should be - and I could go a decent distance before tuckering out. Georgia, um, not so flat. Hills make for gorgeous scenery but awful running!
10. Is anyone still actually reading this?? I'm impressed. Thanks, Mom.
This concludes my list of randomness. Not because I'm out of random thoughts. Oh, no, dear friends. That is impossible. But because my quiet, sleepy house is about to burst into action and I still have to do grown-up things like make breakfast and dress children.
Maybe my next post will have more coherent thoughts. Instead of just, well, thoughts. But no guarantees. Depends on how soon I get the coffee in my system and if I'm detoxed from the sweets yet. Hey, maybe the sugar is actually the secret to my writing. You know, kind of like Krypton to Superman. But opposite. Nevermind.
Did I mention there's no end to my random thoughts?? :-)
It would be shameful to let this perfect writing environment slip away in vain. Nevermind the fact that I have nothing to write about. Beside the point.
So to be a good steward of an absolutely quiet house I now present to you my list of completely random thoughts. And they are, oh, so random.
Sometimes my husband will look at a quiet me and ask, "What are you thinking about?" After 10 years of marriage you think he would have learned by now. I let him in to my deeply analytical mind and spend the next 5 minutes explaining how I was contemplating, let's say, chocolate. That would not surprise most of you that know me.
But not just the yumminess of my favorite food (Yes, food. Not favorite dessert, but favorite food. If you know me, you get this.) Who in the world was this first person who looked at the cacao plant and thought, "Hmmm. I bet if I pick that bean, grind it up and add some stuff it would be incredibly delicious." Did they try this with other beans? Did we almost end up with black-eyed pea fudge or pinto bean cake?
Oh, yes. That is the tip of the iceberg. About a nanosecond into said conversation I'm pretty sure hubby is making a mental note not to ask me what I'm thinking. Ever.
So, although you didn't ask, this is my blog and I can ramble on, pretending that you are still reading and that you are still highly interested in my list of randomalities:
1. You've seen the Gerber commercials that proclaim, "A baby changes everything."? So true. I never thought I'd see the day when, after a major coffee disaster, I would lament the lost coffee more than the stain it caused on the floor.
2. Considering my apparent love of chocolate, you may find this next statement odd: I have given up sweets for a week. That is painful to write. Let's just say it had something to do with a eating a shameful amount of Thin Mints. And when you look forward to the children waking up at night so you have an excuse to sneak downstairs for more, well, there might just be a problem. I actually put all sweets into a bag and had my husband hide them while I wasn't home. It took exactly 2 hours for me to decide this was a stupid idea. Super. Only 166 hours to go.
3. However, this is nothing compared to my all-or-nothing hubby. He once gave up fried foods for a year (and you bet we headed to Jack in the Box at 12:01 a.m. for french fries when it was over). That man of mine has really topped himself this time. He has also given up sweets. For a YEAR. No birthday cakes, no Ben & Jerry's movie night, no Hot Tamales. This is the man who, when we were dating, literally ate a package of Skittles and a Slurpee every single day. He is awesome.
4. It now occurs to me that my first three randomalities were all about food. Yikes. Moving on . . .
5. I never thought I would like an e-reader. But I am now officially hooked on my Nook - love it, love it, love it. The only downside is that it is WAY too easy to buy new books on that thing. Very dangerous for an avid reader. "What honey? There was a $483.21 charge to Barnes & Noble? Um, hey, look over there! Is that a huge box of Skittles?!" Exit stage left.
6. Kids are hilarious. For the longest time our almost-five-year-old has said that Acts was her favorite book of the Bible. A friend of mine asked her why and she replied, "Because an ax is an old-time tool and I like to play with my tools so that's why I like Acts." Love that girl.
7. The same daughter usually loves to have everyone go around the table at dinner and tell about their day. One night she was in a mood and wouldn't talk. So I decided to pretend I was her and told all about her day in my best imitation of her. She cracked up and then decided to tell about MY day in her best mommy voice. Want a fresh perspective on your day? Ask a preschooler. What I got was, "I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, took care of sisters, cleaned, cleaned, cleaned, took care of sisters..."
8. Which is ironic because I really hate to clean. Company must have been coming.
9. I recently took up running again which I really do love. Except the last time I seriously ran consistently was when we lived in Texas. Where it is flat - like land should be - and I could go a decent distance before tuckering out. Georgia, um, not so flat. Hills make for gorgeous scenery but awful running!
10. Is anyone still actually reading this?? I'm impressed. Thanks, Mom.
This concludes my list of randomness. Not because I'm out of random thoughts. Oh, no, dear friends. That is impossible. But because my quiet, sleepy house is about to burst into action and I still have to do grown-up things like make breakfast and dress children.
Maybe my next post will have more coherent thoughts. Instead of just, well, thoughts. But no guarantees. Depends on how soon I get the coffee in my system and if I'm detoxed from the sweets yet. Hey, maybe the sugar is actually the secret to my writing. You know, kind of like Krypton to Superman. But opposite. Nevermind.
Did I mention there's no end to my random thoughts?? :-)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Foundation Check
It's been some time since I've been able to post regularly. In fact, it's quite possible there was an audible creaking noise as the browser pulled up my site...
I happened to take a glance at one of the sidebars and noticed this fun little stat regarding the number of posts by year:
Um, is there a digit missing there or something??
That is so sad.
So here's my feeble attempt at trying to post more often, mostly because I really do enjoy writing and it's nice to have a hobby besides changing diapers.
With that said, this little post has been rattling around in my head for quite some time now. Actually, after the past 5ish weeks we've had around here the rattle became more like a jackhammer as God reminded me of a very important truth.
You see, I've had a bad case of Jobitis. Never heard of it? Symptoms include whining, crying and incessantly asking God to explain Himself. This often leads to a big ol' pity party and wondering why God is picking on you. (See the book of Job in the Bible for the case study.)
Compared to many problems around the world, like, um, having enough food or clean water, my problems are nothing. And I know that.
But in MY world it has been week upon week of challenging situations that have me literally pulling the covers up over my head every morning wondering if anyone would notice if I didn't crawl out of bed that day. I cannot count how many mornings I looked at my husband and said, "I can't do this today."
Of course, the Lord sustained me each and every day. But does anyone else just get tired of it being hard? I pray, read my Bible and love the Lord. We teach our children how to love God and try our best to serve others. And, still this barrage of difficulties day after day?
In other words: WHY ME?
Enter a little story Jesus told in Matthew 7:24-27 about a wise man and a foolish man who both built houses with very different foundations.
("Ohhhh, the rains came down and the floods came up..." If you spent any time in Sunday school this song is going to be in your head all day now. You're welcome.)
I've heard the story, sung the song and read the passage countless times. But something different stuck out to me recently. Look:
Notice anything about the situation of the wise man and the foolish man? Look again:
Not only did they both experience a storm, but the storms were exactly the same.
As a follower of Jesus I find myself unconsciously engaging God in an unspoken contract. You know, I follow You and You spare me situations that become too uncomfortable or too difficult. K? Thanks.
The tiny little problem with that is God doesn't make contracts and never promises anything of the sort. In fact, Jesus said quite the opposite:
We live in a fallen world and the storms of life come -and come hard - whether you are a believer or not. So what's a person to do?
Check your foundation.
In the story of the wise and foolish man both built houses, both underwent the exact same great storm. But only one house stood because its foundation was on the rock.
Or rather, on the Rock.
And what happened to the foolish man's house? It didn't just fall, it fell with a "great crash". Been there, done that. The last thing anyone needs after a great storm is a great crash.
So if the storms of life come no matter what, the only thing we can do is to make sure our foundation is strong. My prayer this morning changed from "Lord, please change _____" to "Lord, whatever happens today, please be my foundation."
Just because I'm a believer does not mean I'm exempt from the storms of life (as much as I wish that I were). So unless I want my "house" to go "splat", I need to put the Word into practice and daily build my life on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Which sounds suspiciously like a little Sunday school song I used to sing.
(It's still in your head isn't it? Muah-ha-ha!)
I happened to take a glance at one of the sidebars and noticed this fun little stat regarding the number of posts by year:
2009 - 123
2010 - 12
Um, is there a digit missing there or something??
That is so sad.
So here's my feeble attempt at trying to post more often, mostly because I really do enjoy writing and it's nice to have a hobby besides changing diapers.
With that said, this little post has been rattling around in my head for quite some time now. Actually, after the past 5ish weeks we've had around here the rattle became more like a jackhammer as God reminded me of a very important truth.
You see, I've had a bad case of Jobitis. Never heard of it? Symptoms include whining, crying and incessantly asking God to explain Himself. This often leads to a big ol' pity party and wondering why God is picking on you. (See the book of Job in the Bible for the case study.)
Compared to many problems around the world, like, um, having enough food or clean water, my problems are nothing. And I know that.
But in MY world it has been week upon week of challenging situations that have me literally pulling the covers up over my head every morning wondering if anyone would notice if I didn't crawl out of bed that day. I cannot count how many mornings I looked at my husband and said, "I can't do this today."
Of course, the Lord sustained me each and every day. But does anyone else just get tired of it being hard? I pray, read my Bible and love the Lord. We teach our children how to love God and try our best to serve others. And, still this barrage of difficulties day after day?
In other words: WHY ME?
Enter a little story Jesus told in Matthew 7:24-27 about a wise man and a foolish man who both built houses with very different foundations.
("Ohhhh, the rains came down and the floods came up..." If you spent any time in Sunday school this song is going to be in your head all day now. You're welcome.)
I've heard the story, sung the song and read the passage countless times. But something different stuck out to me recently. Look:
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Notice anything about the situation of the wise man and the foolish man? Look again:
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (emphasis mine)
Not only did they both experience a storm, but the storms were exactly the same.
As a follower of Jesus I find myself unconsciously engaging God in an unspoken contract. You know, I follow You and You spare me situations that become too uncomfortable or too difficult. K? Thanks.
The tiny little problem with that is God doesn't make contracts and never promises anything of the sort. In fact, Jesus said quite the opposite:
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33b
We live in a fallen world and the storms of life come -and come hard - whether you are a believer or not. So what's a person to do?
Check your foundation.
In the story of the wise and foolish man both built houses, both underwent the exact same great storm. But only one house stood because its foundation was on the rock.
Or rather, on the Rock.
And what happened to the foolish man's house? It didn't just fall, it fell with a "great crash". Been there, done that. The last thing anyone needs after a great storm is a great crash.
So if the storms of life come no matter what, the only thing we can do is to make sure our foundation is strong. My prayer this morning changed from "Lord, please change _____" to "Lord, whatever happens today, please be my foundation."
Just because I'm a believer does not mean I'm exempt from the storms of life (as much as I wish that I were). So unless I want my "house" to go "splat", I need to put the Word into practice and daily build my life on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Which sounds suspiciously like a little Sunday school song I used to sing.
(It's still in your head isn't it? Muah-ha-ha!)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Still
The other night, my husband took our two older girls to meet with our small group from church. Our newborn daughter was not quite ready to make her debut (or it's quite possible I didn't feel like putting on anything besides a t-shirt and stretchy pants . . .)which left me with an unusually quiet home for a few hours.
Music is almost constantly in the background at our house. Usually some kind of praise and worship because goodness knows I need to "set my heart on things above" when "earthly things" include running interference between a grumpy preschooler, a tired toddler and a wailing newborn. (And why, oh why, do those always occur at the very same time??)
Anyway.
With the ever-present music in the background that night, the little one snuggled up in my arms and drifted off to sleep. Looking at her sweet, peaceful face I was suddenly reminded of how I used to play lullabies to our oldest and dance her around the room when she was that age.
I whispered to our sweet one how I missed doing that with the other two (time does fly by so quickly) and so seized the opportunity. Carly Simon poured "Julie Through the Glass" through the speakers and we swirled and swayed through the kitchen.
Whether it was the song (it wrecks me every time but it's so beautiful) or the moment , I couldn't stop the tears down my face as I realized how still and content my daughter was in my arms. No one had to convince her to settle down, she didn't protest or busy herself with other things. All she knew was she was in mommy's arms and all was well.
What really wrecked me was realizing how much more our Heavenly Father must long for us, His children, to be that still in His own arms. To not have to be convinced being still is good, to not protest or busy ourselves. But to just be still and know we our in our Father's arms and all is well.
And, suddenly, I longed to be that infant in His arms. To feel that kind of peace and security. Not coincidentally, a few verses sprang to mind . . .
"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
And one of my favorites:
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 (italics mine)
Just as I soaked up every moment singing over the very picture of peace and contentment in my arms that night, God, too, longs for us to be still in His arms as He sings over us.
Snuggle up in His arms, little one. God's lullaby is calling you. Shhhhh . . .
Music is almost constantly in the background at our house. Usually some kind of praise and worship because goodness knows I need to "set my heart on things above" when "earthly things" include running interference between a grumpy preschooler, a tired toddler and a wailing newborn. (And why, oh why, do those always occur at the very same time??)
Anyway.
With the ever-present music in the background that night, the little one snuggled up in my arms and drifted off to sleep. Looking at her sweet, peaceful face I was suddenly reminded of how I used to play lullabies to our oldest and dance her around the room when she was that age.
I whispered to our sweet one how I missed doing that with the other two (time does fly by so quickly) and so seized the opportunity. Carly Simon poured "Julie Through the Glass" through the speakers and we swirled and swayed through the kitchen.
Whether it was the song (it wrecks me every time but it's so beautiful) or the moment , I couldn't stop the tears down my face as I realized how still and content my daughter was in my arms. No one had to convince her to settle down, she didn't protest or busy herself with other things. All she knew was she was in mommy's arms and all was well.
What really wrecked me was realizing how much more our Heavenly Father must long for us, His children, to be that still in His own arms. To not have to be convinced being still is good, to not protest or busy ourselves. But to just be still and know we our in our Father's arms and all is well.
And, suddenly, I longed to be that infant in His arms. To feel that kind of peace and security. Not coincidentally, a few verses sprang to mind . . .
"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
And one of my favorites:
"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 (italics mine)
Just as I soaked up every moment singing over the very picture of peace and contentment in my arms that night, God, too, longs for us to be still in His arms as He sings over us.
Snuggle up in His arms, little one. God's lullaby is calling you. Shhhhh . . .
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Crazy Love
I've currently got my nose in a little book titled "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. Let me tell you, it certainly packs some big ideas into a small number of pages. I love, love, love to read. Once a book grabs me, I find it nearly impossible to put down and fly through it in no time.
But "Crazy Love" is a bit different. It's a book about the unrelenting love of God and what our lives might look like if we truly lived like we loved Him. Really loved Him. Head-over-heels-can't-stop-thinking-about-you-this-changes-everything kind of loved Him.
This book completely captivates me but I can only read about a chapter at a time. The thoughts presented by Mr. Chan are so convicting and thought-provoking that I have to put the book down and digest my latest reading for a few days.
One of the recent prevailing themes I've been chewing on is really how wealthy we are in the United States. We throw around terms like "broke" when over half of the world's population lives on less than $2 a day. We are so used to the luxury we live in that it skews our perspective.
Even today, as I was making yet another pb&j sandwich for lunch I caught myself mentally grumbling:
"We eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost every day!"
The thought had just barely escaped my brain before the great Editor of attitudes did some proofreading and marked some of His corrections. According to Him, this is really how that sentence should have gone:
"We eat. Every day."
Which should have been followed by a prayer of gratitude and praise, for that is not the case for many people.
This is not purposed to induce guilt, but rather to open our eyes to how much we really have. And how much of that do we really need?
Mr. Chan's point in "Crazy Love" is what if we changed the way we lived - sacrificing so that others may have even the basic necessities. Not giving when there's extra, but sacrificing. (He walks the walk, by the way. One of the changes he, his wife and four children made was moving from a spacious home into a trailer park in order to free up more money/resources to give. Um, yeah...)
Squirming yet?
Me, too.
Just some food for thought today, so to speak. And I highly recommend taking the plunge into "Crazy Love". Just find yourself a nice, cozy reading spot to settle in with it for a while. (But make sure there's enough room to squirm. You'll need it.)
But "Crazy Love" is a bit different. It's a book about the unrelenting love of God and what our lives might look like if we truly lived like we loved Him. Really loved Him. Head-over-heels-can't-stop-thinking-about-you-this-changes-everything kind of loved Him.
This book completely captivates me but I can only read about a chapter at a time. The thoughts presented by Mr. Chan are so convicting and thought-provoking that I have to put the book down and digest my latest reading for a few days.
One of the recent prevailing themes I've been chewing on is really how wealthy we are in the United States. We throw around terms like "broke" when over half of the world's population lives on less than $2 a day. We are so used to the luxury we live in that it skews our perspective.
Even today, as I was making yet another pb&j sandwich for lunch I caught myself mentally grumbling:
"We eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost every day!"
The thought had just barely escaped my brain before the great Editor of attitudes did some proofreading and marked some of His corrections. According to Him, this is really how that sentence should have gone:
"We eat. Every day."
Which should have been followed by a prayer of gratitude and praise, for that is not the case for many people.
This is not purposed to induce guilt, but rather to open our eyes to how much we really have. And how much of that do we really need?
Mr. Chan's point in "Crazy Love" is what if we changed the way we lived - sacrificing so that others may have even the basic necessities. Not giving when there's extra, but sacrificing. (He walks the walk, by the way. One of the changes he, his wife and four children made was moving from a spacious home into a trailer park in order to free up more money/resources to give. Um, yeah...)
Squirming yet?
Me, too.
Just some food for thought today, so to speak. And I highly recommend taking the plunge into "Crazy Love". Just find yourself a nice, cozy reading spot to settle in with it for a while. (But make sure there's enough room to squirm. You'll need it.)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Run On
Whether it was the shoes, the amount of time I was there, the sweet baby girl due to appear in a few months - or all of the above - my feet and back were telling me all about my trip to Target on the way home and into the night. They were not happy.
My husband jokingly suggested I should shop barefoot next time, which prompted a discussion about a increasingly popular trend in the running world to hit the pavement barefoot. (Yes, we have odd discussions like this quite a bit. I do love that man of mine!) Hubby is a great runner, not only because of his physical capabilities, but he is so knowledgeable about the science and mechanics of it.
Marathon Man pointed out that there are certain populations that have a culture of running - always done barefoot - and they can go for crazy long distances (think 40+ miles).
It's in their blood.
I personally could not get over the distance people are apparently capable of achieving. Husband noted that we are the only creation with that ability - many wild animals obviously have speed and agility on us but none could outrun us distance-wise. Their bodies do not have the sweating/cooling capability that humans do and they will overheat and die. (Ever seen anyone running a marathon with their doggie? Um, not so much.)
The spiritual parallel sprang into my ever-analytical mind.
Of all the beautiful creatures God has made, of all His magnificent creation, we are the only ones made to spiritually endure this life. To run the race He has marked out for us. To go the distance until greeted with "Well done, good and faithful servant" at that beautiful finish line (which is really another beginning).
Lions have might, but not perseverance. Bears have power, but not endurance. When an animal dies, it has reached the end. God did not create them to inherit His eternal kingdom. That honor belongs solely to the Lord's most magnificent creation of all - us.
When steep inclines intrude on our nice little jog through life, the temptation comes to throw in the towel. But keep going. Persevere. God made you to.
It's in your blood.
And one day, you will fulfill the same hope that Paul communicates to the Philippians:
My husband jokingly suggested I should shop barefoot next time, which prompted a discussion about a increasingly popular trend in the running world to hit the pavement barefoot. (Yes, we have odd discussions like this quite a bit. I do love that man of mine!) Hubby is a great runner, not only because of his physical capabilities, but he is so knowledgeable about the science and mechanics of it.
Marathon Man pointed out that there are certain populations that have a culture of running - always done barefoot - and they can go for crazy long distances (think 40+ miles).
It's in their blood.
I personally could not get over the distance people are apparently capable of achieving. Husband noted that we are the only creation with that ability - many wild animals obviously have speed and agility on us but none could outrun us distance-wise. Their bodies do not have the sweating/cooling capability that humans do and they will overheat and die. (Ever seen anyone running a marathon with their doggie? Um, not so much.)
The spiritual parallel sprang into my ever-analytical mind.
Of all the beautiful creatures God has made, of all His magnificent creation, we are the only ones made to spiritually endure this life. To run the race He has marked out for us. To go the distance until greeted with "Well done, good and faithful servant" at that beautiful finish line (which is really another beginning).
Lions have might, but not perseverance. Bears have power, but not endurance. When an animal dies, it has reached the end. God did not create them to inherit His eternal kingdom. That honor belongs solely to the Lord's most magnificent creation of all - us.
When steep inclines intrude on our nice little jog through life, the temptation comes to throw in the towel. But keep going. Persevere. God made you to.
It's in your blood.
And one day, you will fulfill the same hope that Paul communicates to the Philippians:
"...that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing."
Philippians 2:16
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
We really don't watch the news much around here. Not that we don't want to be informed, but having dumped cable and using *gasp* just an antenna leaves us with mostly local news.
Boring. Depressing. Ick.
I don't miss cable bills or endless channel surfing. But I DO miss the news channels. I used to love cable news - Brad and I would settle down in front of O'Reilly and then spend the rest of the evening going back and forth over the talking points.
These days our news stories come more from radio, Internet, word of mouth, and - admittedly - Facebook. Not the same, but it still boils down to the same effect: Delivering the verdict that, yes, this world is still a heap of a mess today.
I met some girlfriends at a pizza place tonight and couldn't help glancing up at CNN every now and then. Even though I couldn't hear it, the visuals were more than enough to remind me how much yuck is in the world right now.
After much pizza, laughter and chatter I started the drive home, the mess of news stories that I had caught in glimpses still in the back of my mind.
But then as I drove, I noticed the fog hovering over the river against an indigo blue sky. I realized the little flashes of light I kept seeing to the side of the road were the lightning bugs making their nightly debut. My spirit immediately calmed as I stepped out of my car into the dusky silence of our driveway, noticing the blur between the tips of the pine trees and the skyline was fading as night descended.
Deep breath. Smile. Some things are still very right in this world.
Boring. Depressing. Ick.
I don't miss cable bills or endless channel surfing. But I DO miss the news channels. I used to love cable news - Brad and I would settle down in front of O'Reilly and then spend the rest of the evening going back and forth over the talking points.
These days our news stories come more from radio, Internet, word of mouth, and - admittedly - Facebook. Not the same, but it still boils down to the same effect: Delivering the verdict that, yes, this world is still a heap of a mess today.
I met some girlfriends at a pizza place tonight and couldn't help glancing up at CNN every now and then. Even though I couldn't hear it, the visuals were more than enough to remind me how much yuck is in the world right now.
After much pizza, laughter and chatter I started the drive home, the mess of news stories that I had caught in glimpses still in the back of my mind.
But then as I drove, I noticed the fog hovering over the river against an indigo blue sky. I realized the little flashes of light I kept seeing to the side of the road were the lightning bugs making their nightly debut. My spirit immediately calmed as I stepped out of my car into the dusky silence of our driveway, noticing the blur between the tips of the pine trees and the skyline was fading as night descended.
Deep breath. Smile. Some things are still very right in this world.
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