Exciting Times

My big brother is home for the week. He brought his fiancee, Sarah, and her sister, Hannah, with him.

I have to say, they're pretty amazing people. I'm so thrilled to have a new sister, (almost) and an extended family.

Sarah is gorgeously pretty, but I don't have a picture here, because my computer won't let me put one up. She is from Mississippi. They met three years ago when my brother was doing job training there.

Hannah is funny. She and Dad especially have hit it off. (Secretly, I'm very jealous of her wit.)

I can totally see that the two families are going to fit in amazingly.

In other news, I'm getting a new computer. It should be arriving this week. It is a much needed upgrade from my ten-plus-year-old Dell with graphics, memory and a million other problems. (Including not letting me post pictures of the amazing Sarah. I think I mentioned that already.)

My mother has wonderful taste. I just thought I'd mention that.

For Christmas, I received, among other things, a very blown-up, full-size canvas of my favorite picture of myself. It's very cool. I also got a cameo. I've never had a cameo. It's really pretty.

New Year's is just around the corner. There are so many exciting plans already for the 2012. I'm going to a wedding in Mississippi (Not sure who's...just kidding) I also get to nanny for a little bit in Feb. for some amazing friends, and I'm crossing my fingers in the hopes of returning to the speech and debate arena temporarily; only this time, as a judge, instead of a competitor.

Just as a warning however, if you too have many plans for the new year, be sure to get them done before next Dec. because the scientists say the world will end. :D

The Reason Why

I don't like the term: "Jesus is the Reason for the Season."

It's not that it's not true. It's rather that it doesn't say enough; it seems flippant; and, it's too limited.

Yes, Jesus is the reason. But why?
Because He was born? Yes, that's what we celebrate at this time of year, but, it doesn't go far enough.

Why was He Born? That's the real question.

He was born to die, to rise again, to save us.

Save us from what?

From our sin. That is why we celebrate His birth.  It's the beginning of the story. It's the beginning of our own second birth. And it ought not to be a season. We should celebrate and rejoice all the time in the knowledge of His wonderful salvation.

Nothing in Particular

I'm excited.

I read Isaiah 55 today. It's one of my favorite chapters.

I'm going to see Handel's Messiah this week.

I'm also getting ready for my amazing brother's visit next week!

I'm sitting here writing this when I could be cleaning the laundry room.

There are banging noises upstairs. Yes, we're getting our counter top fixed.

I love all my cool friends.

I watched an amazingly funny and sad video clip just now. It was funny. And Sad. But it had a happy ending.

I decided that extremes in real life aren't very fun, but extremes in books are hilarious. Yeah. Go read the Arabian Nights. It has lots of extremes.

I like reading fairy tales. They're full of fluffy, nonsensical, amusement.

I'm excited about Christmas.

Our dog ate some of the garlands we had up. He looked so guilty.

I'm tired of the holes and otherwise marred-looking wall that I am sitting in front of.

I'm considering getting a much-needed laptop at the end of the month. Of course, that will set my car fund a little behind. Can't have it all I guess.

My day tomorrow is ultra busy.

Cookies are amazing.

I remembered to put the spices in the gingerbread this year. It really does taste much better.

I feel like experimenting with something. But, it's too much work. I'm lazy.

I lost the package of hamburger we bought. At least, it didn't make it home somehow. It was going to feed 9 people for three meals different meals. *pause in a moment of shame*

I want to go to the library.

My cool and amazingly talented friend made me a mouse-y doll.

If you don't know who the Spinoza's are, I will be mortified.

I named my mouse doll, after Mrs. Spinoza. Mrs. Rosa Spinoza.

I should be quiet now.

Goodbye.

An Analogy

I sorting through some strings of lights this week. I plugged one string in to see if it would work. One light was flickering, as if it wasn't screwed in all the way. I wiggled it a little, and as old lights are apt to do, there was a pop and the light went out. I removed it, only to discover that the socket was smoking. Furthermore, the whole string of lights had also gone out.

James 2:10 says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

We might be a perfectly good string of lights, but if we blow up in just one little area, our whole capability for giving light will also go out.

"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." ~Matthew 5:15

Choose Wisely

One of my few attempts at poetry. But, it didn't sound right in prose.

You can't un-ring a bell, that's already been rung
You can't un-clap your hands
You can't un-cut the string
You can't catch back a word that's been let loose

You can say it once
You can make amends twice
But always they will wonder if
You really meant what came out first

And in some sense
They'll be right to wonder
For does not the mouth speak
What the heart believes? (Luke 6:45)

So choose wisely
It's the only chance you'll have.
Isn't it better not to have to
Clear the air between you?

A string that's been cut
Will never be whole and strong
A friend that's been hurt
Has lost a little trust forever

Choose wisely
It's the only chance you'll have.

Conclusion: Letters of Gratitude. Your Gift to Me.

Before I continue, I'd like to thank a few more people.

The late Pastor Dale V.: For his passion and love for God and God's people.

Mrs. Nancy A: For her persistent interest in me/my life/what I've been doing/what I want to do.

The Chris C. Family: For showing their love to me and my family. For being an encouragement to us. For being loyal friends, despite the distance.
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It's probably been a year now that I've been really thinking about all you wonderful adults in my life. Over and over in my mind I've thanked God for you and pondered the individual ways in which you have shown yours, and God's love for me. If you know me at all, you know it takes a very long time for me to be able to draw lessons from the events in my life. In fact, it wasn't until I was halfway into writing these letters to you that God showed me the great, ultimate gift you gave.

You see, you've helped to give me a vision. All my life, ever since the verse "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." jumped out at me, it has been my constant prayer to have a vision.

As I've mulled over all the different ways you have influenced my life, I noticed a theme throughout.

1st: Love and care for me.
2nd: Love and care for my family.
3rd: Love and passion for God and others.

Now, it might seem as though that's in exactly the wrong order. But, it's in exact proportion to my own spiritual growth. What I noticed first, is listed first.

I'm at the very beginning of my life as a legal adult. As I have thought about the love you have shown for me, and my very great appreciation for it, I have realized one thing.

I want to be to other kids what you have been to me. I want to be the kind of adult who will have a positive influence in the lives of the youngsters around me. To treat them as someone who matters. To love them. To care for them. And to show it.

And so, one last time, I want to thank you. Thank you for giving me the beginning of a vision.

Letter of Gratitude

I've known Mr. ___a for only a few years. But, I've had the opportunity to spend some time with him and his family. What I most appreciate is his unfailing, passionate, humble service towards God and his Christian brothers. I can see it in everything he does and says. From his basketball playing to his stories of his own struggles. I am so grateful for his example as a Christian brother.

Dear Mr. ___a,

Thank you so much for everything! You have been such an encouragement to me and my family. I am so grateful for your willingness to share what God has been teaching you. You may not think so, but you have often shared words of great wisdom! I love that you don't stop at sharing your spiritual triumphs, but also your 'failures.'

Your cheerful service to others has also been meaningful to me. You see what needs to be done, and you do it, without being asked and with such a smile on your face that I can tell you really love to do it.

Your example as a faithful, loving friend to others and husband to your lovely wife is also very beautiful to see. In play and work, you are always kind and considerate of others.

I can honestly say that I've learned many different things from you. Thank you for your example of what true Christian behavior is like in practice, not merely in words. Keep up the good work!

In Christ,
Abigail D.

Letter of Gratitude

I've no idea or clue in the remotest of the exact date or moment when I met Brenda. But I remember that from my earliest childhood she has always inspired me. She's one of those amazing people that one can't help wanting to please. I'm terribly afraid that in my younger days I may have idolized her a little. I know I still have a stuffed animal somewhere that bears her name. But, what I love about her the most is her never-ceasing cheerfulness and thoughtfulness of others. She's still one of my favorite people.

Dear Brenda,

I want to thank you for being an example. While you seemed very old to me when I was little, (that perspective has changed, I assure you!) you were one of the those adults in my life that always had a smile and a kind word, and especially a listening ear!

You stand out to me as someone who is always cheerful. I remember reading a fairy tale once. It was about a lady who never stopped smiling, even when she was sleeping and things. I remember thinking at the time how absolutely impossible that was. But, I've changed my mind. You are that lady!

I love that you are always attentive. You never interrupt when someone is talking, and you always give your full and complete attention. It communicates that you love and care about the other person.

I will always be grateful to you for this wonderful example of a true Christian. Thank you!

In Christ,
Abigail D.

Letter of Gratitude

I met Mr. R. nearly five years ago. He's one of my favorite people. I consider him to be an epitome of a gentle, humble, and meek man. One who loves the Lord and loves the Lord's people.

Dear Mr. R.

I want to thank you for being such a wonderful example of a godly, Christian man. I love your example of love for the Lord, your wife, and others. It has been very meaningful to me. I appreciate so much your humble acknowledgement that you don't know everything. I can really tell that you hunger to learn more of Christ and His ways. While sometimes slow to speak, I love hearing you tell of what God has been teaching you.

I am grateful for the love you have shown to me as well. You always seek me out. You're a gentleman too! Almost always, even if you're sitting, you stand up to give me a hug. You're patient. You call me 'Missy,' and you tell thousands of wonderful stories that warm the cockles of my historian heart. I often consider myself to be one of your adoptive grandchildren.

Thank you so much. You're a wonderful guy!

In Christ,
Abigail D.

P.S. I think your wife is pretty amazing too. She has a such a sweet, loving demeanor, and is so very long-suffering. I only wish I could see her more often!

Letter of Gratitude

I met Mrs. Laurette S. during my time as a speech competitor. I was watching a debate round which happened to have her sons involved. Mrs. S. sat down next to me, and we introduced ourselves. But, contrary to my previous experiences in such circumstances, she kept going! I really appreciate it when grown ups actually take the time to talk to me and express interest in me. Which she did!

Dear Mrs. S.

I know I've told you this before, but I just have to say thank you again! Thank you for being friendly and interested in a random stranger and kid. I am so grateful for you! I keep the little email you wrote me towards the beginning of our interactions at the top of my inbox where I can see it. And I often re-read it. You have such a sweet personality and manner, even towards a youngster like me.

I love your passion and your smile. You have made a definite positive impact in my life. Thank you for showing that you care!

In Christ,
Abigail D.

Letter of Gratitude

First a little note. I understand many people are having trouble commenting. Here's how to fix it. After you click comment and write your comment, click Preview comment. It might take a couple of times, but it should take you to your gmail or whatever log-in screen. Before you log-in. Un-click the 'stay-signed-in' button. Then, it should take you back to the blog, and you can then hit 'Publish comment.'

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I've known the Edwin B. family forever. Well, as long as I can remember anyway. Our families have always been on excellent terms, but there is one particular instance that sets them apart in my mind. It was just after our family had moved to Oregon and I was desperately homesick for my home state. As in, desperately. My mother decided to attend a conference back home, and she took me with her, but not to the conference. The Edwin B. family most graciously offered to put me up for a few days. It was one of the best times of my life. (And I did get over my homesickness because of that trip. Sometimes you just have to go home once, and then you have the courage to go away again.)

Dear Edwin B. Family,

Thank you so much for taking me into your home that year. While I was a bit young and naive at the time, I realize now that I probably inconvenienced you, or at least flouted your preferences for foods and dress. And yet, what really sticks out to me is how much you went out of your way to make me feel at home. I remember many details of that visit that would be a case in point. Like the bean soup you made one evening because I happened to mention we had it a lot at home, but that I discovered later was not your idea of a fabulous meal. I remember several other meals or things you did for me under similar circumstances.

 Even the very slight mis-communication at the beginning of the visit points to how much you all cared about making a guest fell welcome. It was about the fiddle music you had playing. I remember you asked if I liked fiddle music, and I answered that it depended on my mood. You interpreted that to mean that I didn't like it, (although I did, hence the mis-communication. :D ) But based on that interpretation, you turned it off. See, even at the cost of personal preferences, you went out of your way to show that you cared.

It was one of the most memorable times in my life. I remember the hike up the road, with the grand kids/nieces/nephews in the wagon. And the sunflowers. The beautiful sunflowers. And the Purple Cows!

I just want to say, Thank You! Thank you for everything! For showing that you cared about a homesick little girl. Thank you.

In Christ,
Abigail D.

Letter of Gratitude

I met Mr. and Mrs. L. through speech and debate. Mrs. L was my speech coach. It is my humble opinion that they have blessed me very very very much through their willingness to listen, share expertise, and for their personal interest in me.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. L.

Thank you so very much for absolutely everything. You make me feel special. It's not often that I'm willing to share what God's been doing with me with other people, but I must admit Mr. L, that your good-naturedness, jokes, and true desire to listen has won its way. (Even if some of the jokes do shock me a little!) It means a lot to have someone who listens. Really!

Mrs. L, you listen too. But what I especially appreciate about you is your willingness to work one on one and to explain things until I understand them. It shows that you care not just about getting a speech to sound good, but also about the student personally.

You will both always have a special place in my heart. Thank you!

With love in Christ,
Abigail D.

Letters of Gratitude

It's almost Thanksgiving. Ok, maybe not quite, but, almost! And since it's so close, I thought I'd do something a little different in the next few weeks leading up to it. It's kind of been on my mind for a while.

I'd like to honor the older people in my life who have made an impact or influenced me in a special way. Now, since I have to limit this list a bit, I'm not including my family because, well, they should know already how special and awesome they are to me! And, if you're not included, it's not because I don't love you. Really! I do! This list includes both single and married people who are all, I think, over 25. When I was little, most of these people were already adults, or at least my young perspective perceived them as such. (As I've gotten older, some of them have seemed to get a bit younger. Or something.) Oh, and you'll probably be seeing a theme. And I'll tell you by Thanksgiving or so the one particular manner in which all of these people have influenced me.

Anyway, today I'd like to write a letter of gratitude to one of my oldest and most treasured friends. Not that she's the oldest friend, just one of the friends I've had the longest. In fact, I usually count her as my first real friend.

Dear Laura Hdn.,

I love you so much! I often pray that God will bless you for blessing me. I know I was just a little kid when we first knew each other; and you were an adult already! I know under the circumstances that many would not have taken any notice of me. After all, you had your own friends. But you did reach out to me in such a special way and at a time when I really needed someone to care. You probably don't know that I had gone nearly 8 years or so without a friend.

I am so grateful an thankful for you, Laura! Our traditional very hard bear hug has stood me well. (Although if you're wondering why I haven't done it so well lately, it's because I accidentally cracked someone's rib once and I didn't want it to happen to you!) Over the years, you have always been there to give me one of those hugs whenever I need one. And now, although distance separates us, I can still imagine getting one from you and that cheers me up when I'm discouraged.

Laura, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for caring, for being there, for being a lasting friend. Thank you!

With sincere love and high regard in Christ,
A.A.D

Bed Bugs: A True Story

Contrary to what you may think, this story has absolutely nothing to do with bed bugs. Only with a bed that bugs. You know. Something that annoys you.

Dark and early this morning. (Why do they say 'bright and early?' Everyone knows early mornings are always dark. Morning starts at midnight. Seriously!)

So, dark and early this morning, I awakened. No, not with a start. I awakened gradually. About the time I was half awake, I realized that something was terribly out of place. (There's a pun there, but you won't get it until I tell you the rest.) Since it was early, I didn't exactly want to be awake. But, since I didn't know exactly what was wrong, I woke up all the way so I could figure it out. That wasn't too hard. All I had to do was turn over to realize that my sheets, instead of being nicely stretched out over the entirety of my bed, were piled up at my face. (See! I told you something was out of place!)

I thrash a lot, so this is relatively normal. However, I usually don't wake up all the way unless I'm cold. Since certain people had turned the heater up to 70, this was not a problem. I sadly turned over once again with the realization that it had not been necessary to wake up since I wasn't going to get up and fix it right then since I wasn't cold.  (Long sentence) As an aside, every time I wash my sheets I attempt to make my bed in a new way in a hopeless attempt to make sure my sheets remain tucked in properly. It never works.

Anyway, you may think that's the end of the story. But there's more.

You see, this evening, I finally got around to doing the inevitable job of completely remaking my bed. Why didn't I do it earlier? I was hoping I could wash them. Unfortunately, there wasn't time since Tuesday is laundry day. So, not only did I have the sad task of fixing my bed from scratch, I didn't even get any benefits out of it. In fact, there were only more disappointments.

What disappointments? I like my bed to be neat, but because my room is a disaster at the moment, I was unable to access my bed from the correct angle necessary to make my bed neat. (Another long sentence.) In order to access my bed in such a manner, I would have had to move at least four different piles of *things.*

What did I do? I made a lazy choice that I'm quite sure I'll be sorry for tomorrow morning. Instead of moving the piles and tucking in the sheets properly, I didn't move the piles and therefore did not tuck in my sheets. My bed is sloppy right now. And I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow morning I woke up to the same exact problem.

Moral of the story:  1: Don't thrash in bed and your sheets will remain tucked in. (On the other hand, they last longer since you're never in the same place twice) and 2: If you do thrash, keep your room clean (it wasn't my stuff) so that you can have direct access to every angle of your bed.

Homeless or Hopeless?

I must say, my attitude towards those I see on street corners begging is probably not the best. They often seem like hypocrites. After all, who doesn't know that many of them are not really trying to get a real job. Begging is their job. I've actually witnessed some of them walking briskly towards their particular corner, looking like normal people. They hide their fancy backpack under or behind a bush, walk to the middle of the corner and as they do so, their smile fades and they shrink into themselves and put on a sad, hurt face and posture. They carry a sign saying, 'homeless, please help, God bless,' while they wear designer jeans and smoke a cigarette down the street during their 'lunch break.'

Now, what really drives me nuts is the fact that these people detract from people who may really need help. It can be difficult to discern between them. And you don't really feel like giving money to what may be a hypocrite, so you decide not to help anyone.

But, on the other hand, whether they're hypocrites or really in need, I can't help but thinking that they are all in need of a Savior. Some of them may not really be homeless, but they are real people and as such they are people we should share Jesus with. They are people with no hope.

This is why I appreciate the ministry begun by some slim, by-sight, acquaintances. I sort of met one of them while I was doing speech and debate. Miss LsR and Miss LR are sisters who saw this need at an early age. (I believe they were not quite teenagers) On their own initiative, they began carrying bags around to give to panhandlers. They have dealt very discerningly with the issue of hypocrites by not giving money.

The bag is filled with non-perishable food, a water bottle, socks, a hand wipe, Kleenex, and a Gospel Tract. Their ministry has grown in a very few short years. Now they have people all over the East and West coast who carry bags in their cars to hand out. They also have people in the Philippines. While I have yet to try it, I love how tangible and practical this is. To find out more, go to www.h2obags.com/.

A Time to Remember

Ecclesiastes 3 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." ~Ecc. 3:1-11 (KJV).

While the phrase, 'a time to remember' is not included in this particular passage, there are many instances in Scripture which talk about remembering.

10 years ago on Sunday, the world as I knew it changed dramatically, permanently, tragically. Several airplanes were hijacked by terrorists and were flown into the World Trade Center. A third plane crashed in the Pentagon and a fourth was intended to be crashed at the White House. All four places were and are places of national significance.

I was young, but I still remember the hush, the tension, the uncertainty. No planes overhead, few cars on the road. I remember watching on TV as they played over and over the replay of the World Trade Center. I remember Dad saying more than once: "Life is going to be very different from now on. This world has changed forever." It did.

Because I remember, I am saddened as I realize that many people don't remember. They were either too young, or they have forgotten. Yes, it was ten years ago. But ten years is not that long. Surely we could have remembered the sacrifices that people made. It is time to remember.

I am saddened by the lack of remembrance. I still tear up a little as I think about this event. It was a huge turning point in history. It is equal to any number of other turning points. The Great Awakening, the American Revolution, the Civil War, the World Wars, the Exodus. We remember those thousands of years later. Why have we forgotten this less than ten years later? Yes, it does cross our minds this year. After all, Ten Years is special. Like an anniversary. But it's not an anniversary. It's a memorial. We ought to remember, we ought to teach our children to remember. Think of all the ways it has effected us. Tighter and more objectionable airport security is only one poignant example.

(My apologies, this just posted before I finished.)

Think of the sacrifices others made. Like the fourth airplane. Why didn't it hit it's target. Because the passengers on that plane sacrificed their lives instead. Most notably a man named Todd Beamer. These people have names. They were real. Let's remember. (A book review on Let's Roll by Lisa Beamer will be on the Bookworm's Resource page shortly)

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born and a time to die..." A Time to Remember, and a time to forget.

Schemes

Here's a list of things that I think would be fun to do sometime:

• Have a Bible-read-aloud party. It only takes 77 hours...=) Well, maybe a New Testament read-aloud for a start. That only takes 15 hours. You could totally do it from 9-6 for two days with room for lunch and breaks. Or three afternoons...
• Go Christmas caroling. Share the gospel in-between two songs.
• Go on a short-term and long term mission trip to somewhere
• Have a party and invite people off the streets. A real party, with hats and cake and noise makers. Like the parable of the wedding feast in the Bible. Maybe invite a few additional Christian friends to balance it out. Make it a party as if they were your best friends instead of people you don't know or instead of a free meal for homeless or something.

Company Behavior

I have a question for you. What do you do when a special friend you haven't seen in a while calls to say they're coming over and are only 15 minutes away? You lounge around waiting for them right? Yeah, right. If you're anything like me, you probably rush around the house picking up things, taking out the trash, stuffing things in closets, maybe change out of your work clothes into something nicer, start some coffee, throw some cookies on a plate, tell the kids to behave extra well...And THEN, you lounge around waiting, right? Probably not. You've probably used all your time. As they walk up to the door, you put on your best smile and your mind races as you think of the dirty laundry you forgot to pick up in the living room, the crumb you notice on the entry floor, the dirt mark on the carpet that you didn't have time to vacuum, and the toy under the couch that you didn't quite shove back far enough.

This last week, I was reading the Gospels. I was reading two different versions, so I basically read them all twice. Anyway, I happened to notice the words, (about 8 different times or more) "Watch and pray, prepare your house, for you do not know when the Lord will return, and it will be like a thief in the night." (Paraphrase) And then, on top of it all, I had a discussion loosely based off of these words and the topic of company behavior with Mr. O. (A good friend from church)

And, I got to thinking.

Ok, now for a rabbit trail. Am I allowed to say I was thinking? I took a personality test, (very fun and accurate, the link is http://www.personalitypage.com/high-level.html and you can read the descriptions of your personality here: http://www.personalitypage.com/high-level.html) Anyway, my type was a something something "T." T stands for how much I relying on Thinking vs. Intuition (N) I got a T, but, apparently, I only Think 1% of the time. Or maybe it's supposed to mean that during my life I will have only Thought for 1% of it. So the question is, if I say was Thinking, am I using up my 1%? Um, yeah, that was a rabbit trail. A big one.

Anyway, I was using 1% of my brain, and I connected the two.

So, here are the facts.
1: Jesus WILL return.
2: It'll be like a thief in the night.
3: If you know the thief is going to come, you get ready for him. You set up a barricade, hide the silver...etc.

Logical Conclusion:

We know He's coming, so we prepare for Him. But since we don't know WHEN He's coming, we have to be prepared all the time! I know, we've all heard that before. But hey, Scripture talks a lot about how we need to remind ourselves/our children of these things.

So, Unlike our scenario at the beginning where we rush around fixing things at the last minute and not having time to do it all, we should KEEP our house in order all the time. Yeah, right! I can hear humphing in the background. Like anyone can do that. I've got 10 kids...or, a job...No one can keep their house clean all the time. Yes, I know, I can't do it either. But you can try. Because, Like our story at the beginning, He IS an unexpected guest. A special one. One who will see the toy under the couch, the un-vacuumed floor. And he'll say: I told you I was coming, why didn't you make ready.

But if you TRY...Sure, maybe it won't be possible to get all the way into that corner over there. He'll see it, but He'll know you tried and He'll say: Well done, good and faithful servant.

What would the world be like if we were on Company Behavior all the time? If we always wore our best smile, if we always behaved extra well...?

An Everlasting Impact

Warning: This Might be a Long Post! But it's worth it, so keep reading! =)

I am a slim acquaintance with several cool people down in Oregon. Actually, I really only know most of them by sight and reputation. I might have passed the time of day with a few of them. But, they're pretty nice people anyway. I 'met' them through various channels, mostly speech and debate, but also Christian Home school Network and Christian Heritage. (The middle one is the one that hosts the Home school Day at the Capital) I'll refer to them as: Mr. QC, Misses SB, RA, and LM. Also, one of their friends, whom I don't claim acquaintanceship, Miss EG. All that to say...

I learned a few weeks ago that Mr. QC had lost one of his best friends in a water accident. Jimmy Brazell was only 18 or 19 years old. Not that much older than myself. I was privileged and impacted by the eulogies which my acquaintances wrote. I didn't know Jimmy. I hardly know his friends. But, bear with me as I share some of the excerpts.

QC:
"Jimmy had a way about living life that was contagious to all who were around him. He set a high standard. He lived with a passionate love of God. He loved people and wanted to see them found by the Savior. Jimmy cared...
Jimmy was one of those few people you'll meet in life who will truly inspire you to live differently. Jimmy had such a passion for living a life for God. He loved God's people, and He loved the lost. Jimmy was blessed to be a shining light for our Savior in a dark and dying world. ...but now he's gone. Jimmy had a huge impact on my life, and I know that he affected hundreds and thousands of others.

Every breath I breathe is a gift. Jimmy filled every breath that God gave Him, speaking truth, grace, and love. Jimmy is going to be so, so incredibly missed. The last day of July will always have a new special significance to those who loved Him. I want to see Jimmy again. ...and I will. He's in heaven singing and making music, worshiping at the feet of Jesus, in God's loving care. I'm so happy for you, my friend. So happy. I miss you so much, and someday I'll be able to come see you. I love you, and I can honestly say that when I grow up I want to be like you.

When I grow up, I want to be like Jimmy."

SB:

"Jimmy was an indescribable person. But... I'll try to describe him anyway with some key words. Please read each one slowly, they are each such an beautiful part of who he was.

Love. Passion. Smiles. Understanding. On fire. Worship. Genuine. Excitement. Adventurous. Eternal perspective. Encouraging. Faith. Musical. Peace. Funny. Depth. Laughter. Wisdom. Pure in heart.

I only knew him for one week, but his impact has already been astounding. Here are a few of the most important things that Jimmy has taught me:...Jesus is Everything...Life is a Gift...Live with Joy...Worship is Constant...Be Ready...Look Forward...Jimmy has impacted me in so many ways. And I pray that whether you knew him or not, you won't forget the things he showed us in his life. Remember that Jesus is worth everything. Remember that your days are a gift, so live them full of the joy of our salvation. Remember to constantly worship our God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And be ready each day for what we should treasure and look forward to the most: living eternally with the Lover and Savior of our souls."

RA:

"There are some people who you meet once and know you will never forget. Jimmy Brazell was one of those people. They are the kind of people you learn something from...Jimmy taught me what it means to live each days as if it were your last. After two near-death experiences, Jimmy understood, to a level most of us don't, the frailty of life. He knew none of us are assured tomorrow. And his life demonstrated a passion to make the most of every moment.

Jimmy taught me that even the smallest, most mundane tasks, could be exciting, if you were willing to see the potential in it. He knew God worked in the small things.

He taught me that loving people is always worth it.

He taught me that you make the biggest impact on someones life not by showing them how much you know, but by letting them know how much you care about them.

He taught me what it means to leave everything out on the field. Never hold back. Never keep some in reserve. Give everything you've got.

Jimmy taught me that joy is a choice.

He taught me that there is no fear in death.

He taught me that strangers and pilgrims on the earth have no regrets when leaving to their final homeland.

He taught me that even the most painful experience can also have joy, if we have lived for Christ.

He taught me that someone who shines Christ leaves a legacy that continues after our time on earth is over.

He taught me what it means to live in light of heaven."

LM:

"I only knew you for one short week, but one week was enough for Christ to shine into my life through you. I remember the time I spent around you, and I see Jesus...While I am incredibly sad that you're gone, the legacy you've left is one that inspires others to focus on loving Christ, and that is truly beautiful. Moreover, where you are now is infinitely more wonderful and glorious. Now you're home. Really home. And I can't wait to see you there.

Jimmy, I met you and I saw Jesus. I love you, friend. See you soon."

EG:

"From the very start Jimmy had a true and genuine love for people. When he would talk to you, he cared so much about what it was you would say. He gave such words of encouragement that could not be compared. Then the day he shared his testimony with me was when I saw how committed he was to his relationship with Jesus. He lived every day as if it was to be his last. I remember talking with him as he would share of his greatest joy and desire which was to share the Gospel. There was a light in his eye when he would talk about his life and how God had impacted how he lived. The things he said stuck with me and I can honestly say the kind of friend, encourager, and sibling in Christ is the kind of person that I want to be. He had so many things in his life that he could have taken for bad, but he turned it into joy and faith in Jesus."

I don't know about you, but I was almost moved to tears by these tributes to a guy I never knew. Remember, this guy was young, as young as I. Here's my open-ended question that I've been asking myself ever since I read these. "Am I the kind of person, even now, who would leave this kind of everlasting legacy behind me?" Are you? What are people going to say about you when you die? Are they going to talk about meaningless things such as how you like to make birdhouses? Or are they going to talk about what really matters; your relationship with God and others. Your fire for God. Your love for others.

Water Worries

One doesn't often realize how much one takes for granted most of the time. A simple gutter for instance. One assumes that when one purchases a home, the gutter system, and everything else for that matter, will be in working order. The idiosyncrasies of a home however, are usually not found until a date long past the purchase date.

In this particular home of ours, purchased in late summer, the gutters appeared to work just great. Whatever rains occurred over the next year or so were mild. On the surface, it was the perfect house. Then, we decided to put in risers, (whatever that is) for our septic system. That winter during every rain, two things happened: the septic alarm went off, and the side yard flooded. The second occurrence, for my brother and I, was lovely. We no longer had to go way into the woods to the storm pond to float boats made of sticks. We had our own pond right outside the garage door.

After that, every year, we dug up the yard. Every summer we dug it up, and every winter it flooded. We discovered somewhere along the line that when the risers had been put in, the septic tank had been cracked. After numerous patches which were, at best, merely patches, we put in a new tank. Correct me if I'm wrong, but, as I recall, this new tank was also cracked. I don't think we missed a single year digging up that yard.

We also discovered however, that the gutters on the house were a major part of the problem. You see, when you build a house, the gutters are supposed to be directed away from the house. These gutters however, merely went into the ground and stopped.

So, one summer, we dug up the yard. Again. We made all sorts of ditches and things crisscross all the way to the road. One would think we were having another Trench War or something like they had in the World Wars. Boy, it was a mess! We became adepts at shoveling HEAVY gobs of wet mud. It was clay too! The worst!

As a youngster slightly too young to help much with such work, one of my main jobs was to water the sod.  The sod was piled high off to the side. You had to use two hoses to get to it. The hoses stretched a long way across the lawn, across the ditches. Must have been a mile. (Hey, poetic license! Besides, I was young. My perspective was different.)

One day, we had some friends over helping. It was almost lunch time, so the ditch-diggers were taking a break. I had stretched out the hose and was watering the sod. All of a sudden, the steady stream of water from my house disappeared. Departed. Vanished. I suspected trickery. After all, I was young, but I was not naive.  I looked over at my at my resting, innocent, sister and friends. They were sitting close to the hose by the ditch.

I yelled at them. You know, like: HEY! DID YOU KINK THE HOSE!?

I got innocent stares. You know, like: "Who me?"

Says my wonderful sister: "Maybe it's plugged. Try looking down the hose and see if you can see anything."

Did I say I wasn't naive? I looked down the hose. Voila! The stream of water magically reappeared and I got it in the face. I looked up and saw both my sister and one of the friends with the hose in their hands. Caught red-handed!

I was pretty mad at the time. But looking back. It's pretty funny. It's a wonderful lesson in appearances. Next time, I'll pay attention when my mom says "appearances are deceiving."

The Life of a Weed

Ok, so maybe the theology is a little off, but hey! Here's a short story I wrote a few years ago. Enjoy! See if you can guess what I didn't want to do at the time.

The Life of a Weed by Source of Joy

Have you ever thought about how the weed feels when you pull him from the ground?  You probably haven’t.  If you really knew how the weed feels about it, then you probably would not pull them.

A seed once fell into a piece of ground. Using plenty of sunshine and rain, it grew to a large height and began bearing its own seeds. Unfortunately this plant had several things against it. First of all, it was a dandelion; secondly, it was growing in someone’s nice, neat garden.

This particular weed had had a blessed life so far, (The Gardener was on vacation) it didn’t even know that there was evil in the earth, that is, not until the Gardener came back.

 At this point, the weed began to feel a trembling in his roots. The ground shook, the earth broke and crumbled, and then…he was grabbed hold of and choked tightly, his beautiful leaves were torn off, it was as if he had lost a limb. He felt his roots being strained, and then they came out, one by one. His heart was broken and his last thought came as he felt himself thrown through the air and then began to burn.

Do you not think that this is a sad thing for the poor weeds to go through? To have their limbs torn off, to be choked, to be torn from your home, tossed through the air like a sack of potatoes, and then burnt? Alas, this is but one example of a million sad tales. Will no one do anything for the poor endangered weeds?

Brought to you by Homes for weeds.com; Caution: The Gardener of our lives is Never on vacation!

The weeds of the world, (or, the tares among the wheat) are going to be pulled someday. What are you going to do to save them?

We Solved the Problem

How? We initiated a government take-over.

Well, not really. Only in theory actually.

We, that is, some friends of mine and my brothers, sometimes talk about the government's problems. This last week, we were talking about the debt problem. (Surprised?)

Now, I'm not a politician, businessman, economist, or anything else and neither is anybody else except one, and he's not any of those three named. But, we all understand some basic principles of economics and business. And, we all know our Bibles pretty well.

So, what's our solution? How do we solve the government debt problem. (Actually, we solved the international debt problem too.)

We write off all the international debts and start over! Simple right? Logical? Some might not think so, but it must be good, after all, it's in the Bible. Do you remember in Leviticus, (or one of those first five books) about the year of Jubilee? Basically, everything that was borrowed and not returned before the year of Jubilee was written off at the year of Jubilee. (Every 50 years).

That's the Biblical basis. Here's the business basis. My sister has worked for people, (doctors, insurance etc). It's a basic general business practice to write off debts after it's been a long time. (Unless you're really stingy, but, even then, you hardly ever get payed anyway.)

So, if everybody in the world writes off all their international debts, and cuts spending, only internal debts will be left. A reasonable tax should cover that. So, then you can lower the rest of the taxes so that it is reasonable plus a reasonable profit and voila!

We may not always make the best decisions, but, it can't be worse than it is now. Let's hear it for our government take-over !(Just kidding)

The Take-Away

Normally, I don't really like that term 'take-away.' I don't really know why. It's cheesy or something. But, for lack of a better term. Here is the take away from two awesome books I just finished. There will be a real review for these books on the Bookworm's Library Resources page. (One this week, and one next week) You'll probably be hearing a lot about books for a while. I'm in the middle of a very-little-fiction stage.

So, first. I just finished The Federalist Papers by James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton. At the end of the book, in the appendices, I also read, The Declaration of Independence, The Articles of the Confederation, The United States Constitution, and the Constitutional Amendments up to Amendment 27. I must say, it was one of the best things I ever did. I 'took away' from it a renewed vision for patriotism. I absolutely LOVE my country. I am so proud to be an American. It was really neat to see how well the Constitution has worked over the years. We have not necessarily done everything, made every decision in keeping with the Constitution, but the Constitution has done what it was intended to do. These founding pillars of American policies and history, Hamilton, Jay, Madison, and the writers of the Constitution, had so much foresight.
The other 'take-away' from this book was a possible new-found love of political science. The book was fascinating. And if you knew me, that's saying a lot. Because while I believe in being a good citizen etc. I've never ever been one who enjoyed politics, current events, debate, law. At least, not very much anyway. But, it was just so interesting to see the explanation and reasons behind each part of the Constitution via The Federalist Papers. A review of this book will be posted this week.

The other book I just finished was UnPlanned, by Abby Johnson. Abby Johnson was the former director of a Planned Parenthood facility in Texas. She is now a prominent Pro-life leader. The thing I 'took-away' from this book was the way in which we can be misled. You can have all the right motivations, and still make the wrong decisions. It was a message that is always good to be re-enforced. The story of Abby Johnson is a clear example of what God can do with our wrong decisions. This book will be reviewed more fully next week. (Now, I'm in the middle of Joyfully at Home, by Jasmine Baucham. So, you might be hearing about that later on too.) Endure and enjoy with me!

Sir Percy

We got a dog.

His name is Sir Percy, named for Sir Percy in The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orzy. Unfortunately, computer is still being lame and won't let me upload pictures. He's a male, sable, collie. 10 weeks old. We got him from a very cool family up in Bellingham.

He is...adorable. He's got a distinctively mellow personality. We've had him since yesterday. At the moment, he's sleeping. In fact, he's been doing that for the last many many moments. Hours. He's got a floppy ear, a very wet nose, and a propensity for following people around. (When he's awake.)

If you want to see pictures, ask me via email. If you want to see him, come on over!

Here a Little, There a Little

Because I just love random facts and I heard/saw/read a few really cool/interesting ones this week.

Boston, Massachusetts had trouble because of molasses twice. The first time, England set a Molasses Tariff. It contributed towards beginning the American Revolution. It isn't often that tragedy centers around food, but Molasses had it twice. In 1919, a storage tank of molasses located in Boston and holding over 2 million gallons broke. A 30 foot tidal wave of molasses, traveling at 35 mph descended on the town. Known as the Great Molasses Flood, 21 people were killed and massive amounts of property was destroyed. Just imagine trying to clean your house after that!

Alright, here's the other interesting thing.

I love all the old guys in our church. One of the fun things about them is their stories/anecdotes/experiences. Few Sunday's go past without at least one.

Mr. R__ was telling us this week about the time he was stationed in the Florida Keys. One of his jobs was to keep a lookout for waterspouts. A waterspout, Mr. R__ says, is one of God's most amazing creations, albeit pretty dangerous.

Watch this video, or some of it, and then I'll tell you the amazing fact Mr. R__ revealed!

Are you ready for the fascinating fact? Here it is.

When Mr. R__ sighted a waterspout coming towards the shore, he would contact the correct people. A submarine would be sent out in between the waterspout and the land. The submarine's job was to bump the bottom of the waterspout. Doing this would turn the waterspout's direction!!!!!! Don't you think that is one of the most cool things ever!?

The Family Signature

Or maybe it's just my signature. But I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

So, I cook dinner 5 nights a week. And, not to boast, I'm pretty good. But gradually there has crept in a new family joke. The Family Signature. It happens often enough to have merited a title.

Here's an example:

Dad sits down at the table: "What's for dinner?"

Me: "Um, "

(Dad: "We don't start every sentence with Um.")

Me: "Um...oops, didn't say that. We're having Ham and Noodle Cassorole, only we didn't have noodles so I used rice, and we didn't have ham so I used chicken. But the spices are the same!"

And then there's the time I made Baked Burritos, (A family recipe) The only problem was, I didn't bake them.

You see, the oven had been on earlier in the day. When I made dinner, the oven was still warm. That made me think it was on. But, it wasn't.

So, we sat down to eat, and...it was cold!

Or, there's the time I made up a recipe. (I'm getting better at those.) But when mom took a bite, she got a funny look on her face.

Mom: "What spices did you put in this?"

Me: "Oh, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano...and a little cardamom.

Mom: "Cardamom!!!"

Me: Well, I figured I've never used it before, so I might as well try it.

The dish wasn't bad. It just had a slightly...unusual flavor.

In fact, very few of the Family Signatures have tasted bad. So, if you come over to our house for dinner sometime, and are told you're having a signature, don't worry that it will taste bad, just keep in mind that it might have a few substitutions, omissions, or additions and won't taste anything at all like the recipe.

My Father

In the words of that time-honored song:

"My father is the best, my father is the best, best in the whole wide world my father's best!"

I love my dad so much. I really do think that he is the best. Best in the whole universe! (Beat that!)

When I was thinking about what I should say, I could only think how fitting it would be to talk about what is probably the top reason for which I admire my dad. (It was hard to pick though, there are so many things I for which I admire him)

Here we go then:

I honor my father because of his righteousness. 'Righteousness,' as he often says, 'is knowing the right thing to do, and choosing to do it, with the right attitude.' And here, I take the liberty of adding to that quote. Righteous is all that PLUS doing the right thing no matter what the personal consequences.

I have seen this evidenced in Dad's life many times over the years, both in his personal life, and his job.  I remember one time when there was a big decision to be made. It effected both his livelihood, and his personal life. If he chose to give in to the pressures of his job and conform to what was being asked of him, his family and job would have been blessed with 'security.' Artificial, but, 'security' nonetheless. On the other hand, if he quit his job, he would no longer have an income, no longer have a place to live, and we would have no immediate place to go to.

Dad chose the latter option. Now, to some, that would have seemed dumb. But, I am so proud of dad for doing that. I love my dad so much for choosing not to compromise on his principles. For being consistent. For 'walking the talk.' I've seen him do such similar things all my life. Thank you Dad! It means a lot!

A Quick Note

So, not knowing much about the Follower Button, and not knowing what it actually tells you, I'll tell you here.

If I post on the Home Page, it is more than likely that I have posted something new on one or all of the other three pages. (Most likely the Bookworm's Library Resource Page however)

That said, I'm have completed the three-part series stating my views on what a book review will be based/rated on. I will henceforth be writing reviews. Please take the time to read these three posts. (They're long-ish, but they're important) Please read them before reading any reviews.

Also, one last thing, keep in mind that the most recent post is at the bottom of the page on those other pages.

Thanks!

Father's Day post coming soon!

Fountain of Thoughts: Degrees of Sin? Part 3

We say there is no such thing as a little white lie, but do we live it? Do we think of that little lie we told as something about which to be horrified? I'm certainly not anywhere close to perfect in this area. Are you? we say getting a little mad sometimes is good to clear the system. If we say this, though, that means we're only murdering our brother an equally small amount, which must be equally good for clearing the system, right? To quote my brother, "Really, people? Really?"(See Matthew 5: 21-25)
I said this all the way in Part 1, which you can find here. And again in Part 2, found here.

Here goes for the long-promised Part 3; the last of the Fountain of Thoughts series (as such) and the last of the consistently long posts.

I think we would all agree that sin is sin. It cannot be dismissed or excused as something less than it is. So are there degrees of sin? You might be surprised to find that my answer is No, and then Yes.

First No, because I believe all sins are sins. Also, I think specific sins, such as Murder, is not a greater sin than a Lie.

But I answer Yes for the following reasons:

All throughout Scripture, and in many governments, a distinction appears to be made in the Punishment of Murder vs. the Punishment of a Lie or Stealing.

Exodus 21-23 is a great example. Exodus 22:1 says: (Paraphrase) If someone steals an ox, sheep, or other possession, and kills, sells, or breaks it, he must restore five oxen, or four sheep, or in other words, replace with interest.
Vs. 4 (Paraphrase) However, if the stolen item is found in the thief's hand alive and unharmed, he only has to restore double.

Here we see that stealing is a sin that ought to be punished. But we also see that the punishment is different in the above cases. Can we then conclude that there are degrees of sin? I think yes, sort of. It really might be better called: Degrees of Consequence. The sin is not any the worse or better depending on whether the stolen item is broken or not, but the punishment can be more or less.

I think this has everything to do with God's justice and mercy. In both the Old and New Testament, there are allowances for sinning through ignorance or sinning on purpose. Those who sin on purpose are punished more. (generally) Those who sin through ignorance have still sinned, but God through His mercy, gives them a lesser punishment, (usually).

So, since I love to read and interrelate my books with my posts, I have to use Martin Luther. I recently read a biography of Martin Luther "Here I Stand: A life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton" Martin Luther, as you may know, was a monk for a while. His purpose for being a monk was to achieve perfection by separating from the world. He soon discovered however, that in spite of being separate from the world and all by himself, that he still could not achieve perfection because he still sinned, although, as he said "I often couldn't even think of what I had done, but I had done it."

First Corinthians 4:4 explains it best: "For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord" (NASB) Martin Luther discovered that although he knew of no sin that he had committed, he could still not obtain salvation because God knew that he had sinned, though perhaps in ignorance.

Was that a rabbit trail. Perhaps a little.

What I'm trying to say is, that though we sin through ignorance, or sin through purpose, it's still a sin, but God makes allowances when He deals out his justice. Since God is perfect, and perfectly just, He must punish all sin whether through ignorance or not. But in His perfect mercy, He gives grace.

Furthermore, there are often I believe, degrees of Responsibility. If I'm left in charge while my parents are gone, and I say my little brother can throw rocks at the house, my brother would be in trouble for throwing the rocks, but I would be in more trouble for giving him permission. Why? Because I'm older, and I know better. I have the greater responsibility for the sin.

This is dealt with by Jesus himself in John 19: 10: 11. "So Pilate said to Him, 'You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?' Jesus answered, 'You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.' (NASB)

Now, I'm not a Theologian, so this is just my thought. I think that the words "the greater sin" are really dealing with the greater responsibility. All the Pharisees etc. and ultimately all sinners, have the greater responsibility for the sin of crucifying our Lord Jesus Christ. Pilate still sinned, but his responsibility was less because his authority, his role, had been given to him from above. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway I hope I've been clear here. This was all triggered by reading The Legacy of Cain by Wilkie Collins, The Life and Battles of Lt.-General Stonewall Jackson by R.L. Dabney, and Here I Stand: a Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton. Some of these books may be going onto the Bookworms Library Page, but not until I have time to review them.

My apologies to those who got an email saying that I had posted a new post. My computer randomly decided to post this while I was in the middle of writing it.

What's Up With That!?

Hey! I've actually been busy lately! Really busy. Which is why you're not seeing the promised deeply inspirational post about Degree's of Sin. (That better not be any "Hooray's" I'm hearing!)

We've been painting the upstairs interior of our house; cramming to finish before our company came. We did get it presentable. And then our company came. They are such a cool family. I love them. They inspire me to be more...more betterer.

And then, they left. So now we're finishing the painting. You know, a little of this, a little of that. We're trying to finish it before my belated graduation party which is in conjunction with my cool brother's party. The same cool brother who helped with this blog.

Also, we're getting pictures. I love mom's pictures. Maybe I'll post some sometime when my computer decides to let me.

All that, plus getting ready for the party, doesn't leave me much time for reading my thousand page book, (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne...well, maybe it's only half a thousand pages) or for writing an in-depth blog post. In fact, I'm seeing a definite trend in this post towards non-in-depthness. Is that a bad thing? Maybe my brain is beginning to fade or something. And I also haven't had much time to update my cool book pages. Maybe Tuesday. Or something. Although, I did find some time to work a little on the next post for the other blog, http://www.partly-true.blogspot.com/ Is this too much advertising? Especially when a new post isn't even up yet!? But I promise you, this next one really is going to be partly true! It involves a humorous event in my childhood.

Oh, and did I say that I'm getting a new dress via my sweet sister? It's coming from India. I'm looking forward to it!

The New and Improved Blog

Welcoming the Rejuvenated Sparkling Joy Blog

Many, many thanks to all who have contributed to making this as beautiful as it is. Thanks to my brother, Usta who has helped immeasurably with the technical side of things. (You have him to thank for the beautiful picture on the side!)

First, please comment to say whether the font color and size is easy to read. I can still change it.

Now then, how about a little tour.

Above, just underneath the header picture, we have a Bible verse. It will change each week. I encourage you to memorize it. They will be in the KJV since that is what I am most familiar with.

At the top right we have a new picture of yours truly. At least, I think it's there. I'm having a little trouble with it. It's from last year. I'm hoping to have a lovely one from this year soon! So keep watching. Also, I've changed the About Me section just a little.

On the right, just below the brand-spanking new picture, we have a list of Pages. We have the Prayer page! Go ahead and take a look. I won't bite! We also have the Bookworm's Library. Pretty self-explanatory. If you like to read, you'll find some good books to read on this page. Then, we have the Bookworm's Library Resource page. This lovely page is a place to go if you are looking for book reviews and explanations for my rating system and so much more!

Below this list of pages, you can see the normal, boring, but important archive of previous posts.

Finally, just below the archives, you'll find the much-asked for Follower button. I may be having a little trouble with this. If you cannot see any followers, and you are already a follower, please consider re-following. If you are not a follower, just click the button and follow the directions!

So much for the tour. There are just a couple more things.

First, I'll continue to post approximately once a week.

Second, I'll be keeping the following series: Snippets, and Tidbits. However, I won't be posting in these as often. Only as I find interesting little things. As for the Fountain of Thoughts, A Day in the Life Of:__ and Stories of My Life, these will not exactly be going away. I'll be posting along those lines; just not as a series. It'll be more randomized. As a parting shot, I'll be making one final post in the Fountain of Thoughts series. It'll be the last part of the discussion about Scandalous Sin, Legal Vs. Biblical Rights and Wrongs. It's the one I promised on Degrees of Sin.

Third, and MOST EXCITING!!! My brother Usta and I have begun another blog! It's a blog dedicated to fiction! We enjoy writing such things together and thought it'd be fun to share our amateur, (and otherwise) attempts with the WHOLE, WIDE, WORLD!!!  You can find it at http://www.partly-true.blogspot.com/ You know, it's fiction, but they say there's truth in fiction. Go take a look. The first story should be up!

Thank you all!

A Day in the Life of: My Mother

My mother is the best. Best in the whole, wide world! I love my mom!

My mom is smart. But that doesn't really mean much when a better word like 'wise' can be used. I love how my mom is always able to see the probable effects of a decision, before the decision is made! I love how she gives us advice regarding decisions, but leaves us to make the decision ourselves. (And she's always right about the effects!)

I love how my mom utilizes the resources at hand, whether they're the conventional tools for the project or not! Like the time she raked the leaves off the lawn with a broom. Or duct taped the holey, woolly, feather-stuffed blanket. And all the other numerous times when her children cried out in pure admiration, "Wow mom, you're so clever!"

I love my mom's sense of humor, particularly when she's helping us see where we made a mistake. It's never fun to get yelled at. Mom doesn't do that. She lovely guides us to a point where we can see for ourselves that we made a mistake, and usually, she has us laughing all along the way.

I love my mom's wonderful insight into Scripture and the walk of life. Most of the time, when she points something out, I have to say, 'huh! I never saw that before!" I love how she is a living example of her insights. One of her favorite verses is Proverbs 31:26, "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness." Truly, as it says in verse 28, "Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

(This has been: A Day in the Life of: My Mother. Look in next time to read something else!)

A One Year Anniversary and a Plea

Dear Readers,

The one year anniversary of my blog coincides with May. Why am I saying this now instead of at the actual event? I am doing so for the following reasons.

1st, this is my 40th post. I considered writing many posts to make it my 50th, but, perhaps not. Maybe that will come around in time to help celebrate the actual anniversary, but I doubt it.

The 2nd, and real reason is this: My blog needs help. Renovations, updates, modernization, renewal. In celebration of this prestigious anniversary, this blog will be going under construction throughout the entire month of May; sooner if it happens sooner, but no later than the 31st of May it will be back up and running!

So, why am I telling you this? Other than being courteous to my readers, I want you to help! I would love your input on how to make this blog site easier to read and easier to use for you. So, please comment with your suggestions! It would be greatly appreciated. I'm aiming to make this the most convenient, easy-to-use, fun, and informative blog out there, but I can't do it without you. (Hey, have I made my point or what!)

Here are a few things I'm already considering adding or changing. You can vote on them. Just comment! And if I don't have something you think would be good, just say so!

1: A page dedicated to Prayer. If I do it, it would include my thoughts on prayer. It would also include people, things, cities, and countries to pray for, and more. I would also gladly take prayer requests.

2: Branch out on my current themes. Here's a question: Do you prefer my style of having set themes to talk about, with an occasional random post thrown in, or would you prefer completely random posts with occasional organization thrown in? Or maybe just more of the one, and less of the other, or vice verse'?

If I stuck with the themes, here are some examples of what I might consider branching out on.

A) Other cities and provinces outside of the U.S. Or at least other countries.
B) Scientific facts or archeology. Perhaps I might have guest authors do some of these considering the fact that science is not exactly my subject. However, I do occasionally run across some things I enjoy, and I do like archeology.
C)Book Reviews. This ought to be self explanatory.

3: A page with a running book-list. I've received many requests from people for good books to read. I could put the possible book reviews series on this page instead of the main page.

4: A page with stories I've written/am/will write. Not that I have too many, but you never know. (And yes, this is bolded and a different color because I added it later. I want you to see it, right?)

So, here are a few more questions for you.

1st: What are your favorite posts? Why?
2nd: What is your favorite series? Why?
3rd: What type of posts and series would you like to see more of? Why?
4th: What type of posts and series would you like to see less of? Why?
5th: Are there special features you've seen elsewhere that would make this blog more convienent? What are they?
6th: What would make you read this blog more often?

7th: What would you like the About Me section to look like? And would it be nice if I managed to get a recent picture of myself? instead of one from nearly five years ago?

8th: What would make you recommend this blog to others? And anyway what's stopping you from recommending this blog to others whether I make changes or not? =)

Here are some things to keep in mind. I will not be compromising the general atmosphere of simplicity. I like it. =) So please keep your recommendations within those perimeters.

Also, I will try to post regularly, despite the construction. Just don't pay any attention to the odd things you may or may not see, unless I ask you to of course.
In a nutshell then, please...
Comment with your input.
Share this blog with others. This blog is on probation, still.
Once it's been revised, comment again with your revised input!

Thanks!
Sincerely Yours,
Source of Joy

Christ's Death and Resurrection

So, maybe it's a little cliche to blog about Jesus' death and resurrection around Resurrection Sunday. After all, just about every blog I've viewed this week is talking about it. But then again, it needs to be talked about sometime right? Which is really the only problem with the whole thing. The death and resurrection is the Gospel and we should not be talking about it sometime, but rather all the time. Not that I am anywhere near being perfect here. No way. In fact, it's been my frequent prayer that God would show me at least some of the deeper significance of these two events because I have this unreasonable idea that I don't know enough about it in order to accurately and adequately describe it to some one else.

Now, I know that's probably pretty silly, and you know that it is silly. After all, I understand enough to get saved myself right? Right! So...that ought to be enough to share it with some one else right? Wrong. At least, for me it's wrong. I'm not really sure how to explain this odd idea, so I don't think I'll try. Suffice it to say that God is at the very least removing, slowly, all vestiges of this errant philosophy in direct answer to my aforesaid prayer. Am I making sense here? I don't think so. Alas, my currently fizzled brains do not have the energy to make it any clearer. Bear with them please. I know somehow you will all muddle through.

But really, God has been showing me bit by bit some of the deeper personal significance of the cross and resurrection.

For instance, a few weeks ago, I was staring out the kitchen window....Ahem, washing the dishes I mean, when a random thought triggered by who-knows-what crossed my mind. I remembered something I'd heard from my parents quite often as a child. The basic idea was that whenever I was sick or in pain, my parents would say something like: "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. You know, if I could I'd have...(fill in the blank) gotten that ear infection instead of you." Or else it might be something like: "I really want to spare you from this pain if I possibly could." Now of course, it's really not physically possible for our parents, in most cases, to spare us from say, a cold. Once I've got the germs, I've got them, and my parents can't really do anything about it except give me a cough drop and hope I get better soon. But it's the thought that counts right? Right!

However, as these remembrances filled my then-un-fizzled brain. (Yes, I am suffering from a cold right now!), I also thought this: My parents can't exactly always spare me from pain and suffering, but there is Someone who can! "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should have Everlasting life." Guess what!? Our sin is painful. Our sin causes us suffering. And that's nothing compared to the pain and suffering of our well-deserved punishment. But guess what else!?!? Our God is a wonderful Parent who not only desires to spare us from pain and suffering, but is also One who is in a position to do so! Wow. That's awesome! So, "even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." In doing so, He gave us the option to accept His substitution. The substitution He made to spare us from pain and suffering.

But wait! There's more!

While reading Matthew 27 last night. I came across two interesting, little noticed verses. In one of them was one key word: "After." It's so easy to miss, but it can't possibly be a word that was merely translated differently in one version. It's in every single English version on BibleGateway.com. Matthew 27:50-53 reads: "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. (died) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves AFTER his resurrection, and went into the holy city, (Jerusalem) and appeared unto many."

I included verses 50 and 51 for context. As far as I can tell, the context for verse 52, when the graves were opened, is verse 50. The graves were opened when Jesus died. Scripture says Jesus was in the grave for three days. And THEN, the resurrected saints came out of the graves. Those people were alive three days before they came out. The only conclusion I can see from this is a powerful confirmation that Jesus' death, while powerful, was not complete. Jesus not only had to die, but He also had to conquer death itself. And He did! Hallelujah! He is Risen!Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Snippets of: Metz, Michigan

Metz is an itsy-bitsy little town on the North part of the Southern Michigan Peninsula. I discovered Metz while researching for my previous post about Michigan. As I mentioned in that post, I was impressed with the culture of character that the Michiganders seemed to have. The story of Metz is a clear-cut picture of that character. They are, or were, a people who care about other people by their actions even more than by their words. Unfortunately, heroes only seem to be heroes when there is disaster, tragedy, or trouble. On the morning October 15, 1908 a fire broke out near Metz. No one knows what began it, and no one really thought much about it at the time. Those living in Michigan were used to seeing smoke. Local farmers and logging companies set fires to clear brush almost daily. Perhaps they ought to have paid attention though. Historically, it seemed to be a month of fires in the entire region. On October 8th, 1871 a huge fire had erupted in Wisconsin, their neighboring state on the left. It had destroyed 2.5 million acres. On the same date was the Great Chicago Fire. Since then, few efforts had been made to restrict fires. The conditions in October 1908 were prime for fires with steady winds and hot weather. In 1908, the town of Metz had only been a town for 30 years. The population of the entire county was only about six hundred, mostly of German and Polish ancestry. One family, the Hardies, had a small farm. Railroad tracks crossed one corner of the farm. The Hardies had 8 children ranging from ages 16 to 11 months. Henry Hardie was 10 in 1908. At school that day, Henry noticed the fire. The smoke, which had earlier been a normal amount, was now rising up in huge billowing columns. Henry described them as 'great big pillars.' The steady winds drove the smoke in closer. By noon, the smoke covered the entire town, although the actual fire was still miles away. Still, no one really paid attention. It was just the wind blowing the smoke from a brush fire. Then, about an hour later, a sudden sense of gloom seemed to grasp the parents and they rushed to school to collect their children. By two, all the children had been released. At about the same time, the station master called Detroit to send an evacuee train to the rescue. What no one knew at the time was that a wall of fire literally surrounded the town. Families returned home to collect their possessions and then they went to the train station to wait. The Hardie family put their family heirlooms in a trunk and buried it on the property. When the train arrived, departure was delayed as the forty to fifty families loaded up. Most families rode in an open-top steel car. It was thought that the steel would resist the fire. One car contained hemlock bark. As the train left, they could begin to see the fire. It spread on both sides of the track. It became very dark. Only a mile out of town, the train was confronted by what is called a 'crown fire.' A crown fire is a fire that is in the tops of the trees. The train engineer had no choice but to drive straight through. As they went through the fire, its sparks set flame to everything flammable in the refugees possessions. For a quarter of a mile, hair and clothing was continually catching fire. Only a few seconds later, the train went through another fire. The car containing the load of hemlock bark was flooded in flames. Two refugees, the Nowickis, had asked to be let off at their homes further down the track. As the train began to slow however, it was seen to be an impossibility. Farther ahead, more trouble waited. The smoke hid the problem from sight. Incredible heat had warped the train tracks. Newspapers called the fire 'the hottest fire and densest smoke ever seen by mortals.' When the train hit the warped part, it went off the tracks. In panic, most jumped off the train. Henry, his father, and his brothers did too, but they became separated. Mrs. Hardie and the four daughters stayed on until Mr. Hardie had a chance to check on conditions. Two of the daughters however, bailed out by holding on to the coattails of a man about to jump down. Henry, his brother, and his cousin, grabbed a blanket and threw it over their heads to help them breathe. On the ground, Mr. Hardie found his two daughters. Mr. Hardie determined to return to the train to help his wife. He first placed his daughters in an open field covered in burning tree stumps. They were found by the Zimmerman family. When Mr. Hardie returned to the train car, a burst of flame rendered him temporarily blinded. The heat of the steel car made the task impossible. Meanwhile, the three boys with the blanket ran through thirty feet of flame, using the blanket as a shield, until they broke through to the field where they found their sisters and other refugees. Later, in the ashes, Mr. Hardie found one thing. His wife's wedding ring. He told his boys something that Henry never forgot: 'Now we have no Mama, and no sisters.' Mr. Hardie later married another survivor of the disaster. The Zimmerman family survived for one reason. John Zimmerman refused to place his family on the rescue train. Instead they stayed home. After attempting to save the house by soaking it in water, Mr. Zimmerman wrapped wet quilts around his children and sent them to an open, newly plowed field. They also buried cans of food and loaves of bread. The horses and cows were removed to the field. Then, Mr. Zimmerman remained at the house and continued to try to keep the house from catching fire. When at last it was useless, he started towards the field. He almost didn't make it. The smoke and flames had been too much and he stumbled and fell. His children dragged him the rest of the way. The Zimmermans built a small shelter in their field. They were able to help the refugees from the train, including the Hardies. Each family helped someone else. The other refugees and donors from around the country pooled together and gave one new mother a baby carriage, clothing, and blankets. The town of Metz was completely destroyed. Only the schoolhouse remained standing. In nearby Bolton, only the church was left. The Metz fire directly influenced law makers to restrict fires in Michigan. About fifteen people died on the train. Most were very young children. About twenty others died in other areas of the fire. In spite of the fact, the people of Metz returned. Today Metz itself has about 300 people living there. The Hardies, reunited, rebuilt their house and farm. They also dug up their family heirlooms. The trunk stayed in the family for generations as a double reminder of the tragedy, and the pioneering strength of the Hardies and other families who returned, in spite of it all. So, maybe not everyone survived, and maybe some heroics were thwarted, I'd still say that those people were heroes, not because they saved lives, but rather because they helped each other in the face of their own need, and because they didn't let it get them down. I'd say that it's not the buildings that make a town, but rather the people who live there. (This has been, Snippets of Metz. Look in next time to read: Stories of My Life:__)

A Day in the Life of: Dave Dravecky

I try to intersperse my mini-bios with people from the past and people from the present. Although Dave Dravecky's moment of fame was in the past, he still lives, so I'm counting him as from the present. Older baseball fans might even remember him. I came to admire Mr. Dravecky after reading his book, Comeback. I've never been a big sports fan. I enjoy some sports such as volleyball, Frisbee, basketball, and I'm beginning to like soccor. But I'm not a serious player and I'm not a fan-atic; you know, one of those people who idolize the sports figures. I just like to play, hope I do a good job, and have fun. If I'm watching a game, I like to watch, have fun, and not-too-seriously hope that the Mariners or the Sea Hawks win; or whatever team my friends are on. (Not that I've ever watched the Sea Hawks play. Wait. I did. I watched the final play of a supposedly famous game last year on TV. (No clue why it was famous.) It was very exciting. They hunched over in the middle of the field, some sort of a whistle thing blew. The commentator said something about their being enough time for one more play. The players dispersed and huddled up around their coach guy things, and then they went and hunched over in the middle of the field again, and then there was a little running (no sign of the football) and then the game was over ! whoo-hoo! Sea Hawks win!) Of the major games, baseball is my favorite because at the very least I understand a bit of how it's played. But, I've never played myself; only watched others. So, that ought to explain why I don't necessarily admire Dave Dravecky as a great baseball player, (although he was a good one) but rather as a person who is living, and has lived a rich Christian life. I admire his obedience to God, his courage and strength to overcome more than his screaming pitches and fast balls. (Actually, Dravecky was a control pitcher. He really didn't throw fast balls. He was better-known for throwing the ball exactly where he wanted it.) Dave Dravecky's dream was to make it to the big leagues. In spite of that, almost everyone thought that he was only good enough for the minor leagues. They told him he wouldn't make it. It only inspired him to try harder. The Padres called him up from the minor leagues in 1982. Actually, let me back up a little. Two major things happened while Dave was in the minor leagues. First, the Pirates offered to send Dave to play in Colombia. (the country, not the district.) He went with his wife Janice and experienced exactly the opposite of what he was expecting. He expected tropical beaches and exotic Latin sights, instead, they experienced misery in the shape of sickness, (due to bad food and water), guys with automatic guns on all the corners, and extreme poverty. For both his wife and himself, the experience changed their perspectives in two different ways. For his wife, who had been brought up to believe that God was just a kind old grandfather figure who watched over the world, the trip destroyed that image. She couldn't understand that 'a good God would allow bad things like poverty to happen.' She drew away from God temporarily. In the end, it turned out that she needed that image destroyed in order to make way for the correct image. For Dave, a Catholic who believed himself to be saved, the trip made him begin to rethink things. It made him realize, or at least become open to, the possibility that he needed God. He began to draw closer to God. The second thing that happened while Dave was in the minor leagues was that he, and his wife, became saved. A year or so after the trip to Columbia, (Dave actually took two trips, the second without his wife. So we're talking shortly after Dave came back from his equally bad second trip) the Pirates sent Dave to Texas. There, Dave's roommate was a devout Christian. After watching his roommate 'like a hawk,' Dave decided that he wanted to make a commitment for Christ. His wife came to Texas a few weeks later. They made the commitment together a few months later. In light of later events, both realized that their salvation was the important thing, not the limelights. Dave was traded by the Padres to the Giants, where he spent the rest of his baseball career. Dave was a good pitcher and he loved the game. What I like about his story, is how God reached thousands of people through him in an unlikely, unprecedented way. Dave noticed the lump in his pitching arm late in 1987. He thought nothing of it. It wasn't for another year that it made its presence really known. Laid up with a sore arm for a few days, he happened to mention the lump to his fitness rehab manager guy. The man recommended that it get looked at by a doctor, so that's what Dave did. In 1988, Dave heard the word 'tumor' for the first time. It was found to be malignant, but not a particularly life-threatening type right then. In the end, the doctors took out fifty percent of Dave's deltoid muscle. (Whatever that is.) In essence, they took away 95 percent of the muscle's ability to function. Dave was told several things. First, he would never be able to pitch again, he might not even be able to throw anything again. Second, he was told he probably would not be able to lift his arm over his head for a very long time or take his wallet out of his back pocket. Third, because of the way the surgery was done, the bone would be very brittle and likely to break for a while. (Because it was a relatively new procedure, the doctors were unsure as to how long the bone would be brittle. Their estimate turned out to be wrong.) Dave was able to both lift his arm over his head and remove his wallet in a matter of weeks. Doctors told his wife, 'short of a miracle, Dave will never pitch again.' The day Dave was able to remove his wallet from his pocket Dave was also able to demonstrate his pitching motion. I like this quote from the book that Dave told his doctor: "If I never play again, Doc, I'll know that God has someplace else he wants me. But I'll tell you something else. I believe in a God who can do miracles. If you remove half my deltoid muscle, that doesn't mean I'll never pitch again. If you remove all of my muscle, it doesn't mean I'll never pitch again. If God wants me to pitch, I'll be out there." Dave was able to pitch again. Not only that, he was able to pitch in the major leagues. It was a game to be remembered in baseball history. It was a time when fans came, not to see a game, but to see the guy in it who was living proof that you can overcome tough things. As the day approached, new dimensions were added. A pledge challenge was begun for 6-year-old Alex Vlahos. Alex was a cancer patient who needed a bone marrow transplant. Dave had become friends with Alex. As the big game approached, fans pledged x amount of dollars per pitch. Alex was able to get his treatment. (The challenge was not begun by Dave, but Dave fully supported it.) Dave pitched one of his best games ever. And then another dimension was added. Because of his amazing, miraculous comeback, Dave had the incredible opportunity to share his faith to the millions on TV via the reporters. Dave said "that doesn't happen often." On his next game, yet another dimension happened. Through it, God reached more people. Dave's arm broke exactly like the doctors had warned might happen. When Dave made his comeback, he was able to tell reporters that God had made it possible. When Dave broke his arm, he was able to tell reporters that the big picture was not what had just happened, but rather that it had begun with his salvation in Texas. In Dave's words, he couldn't just tell these people that the God who had just worked a miracle, was now doing an un-miracle. It was merely a new step towards reaching more people with the message that the God who can do such miracles is the God who gave Dave his God-glorifying perspective on the perceived un-miracle. (whew, that was a long sentence. Go ahead, read it a couple more times!) Really, that's what I like about his book, Comeback. It shows the big picture. I like the word vicissitude. It means 'the ups and downs of life.' In reality, as Dave saw it, each up and each down are a small part of life that set the stage for the next part. Particularly, each down sets the stage for the even bigger up. It's a good perspective to have. Dave hoped to make a second comeback. However, his cancer returned shortly after the breakage. The rest of the muscle and part of the triceps were removed. While the particular cancer was not an immediate killer, it was a type which is the most likely to return no matter what. Dave now has a ministry of speaking; of telling his story to those around. His cancer returned several times and his arm, parts of his collarbone, and his shoulder blade were amputated as the cancer began to take on a more life-threatening aspect. Dave operates his ministry from Colorado and speaks about both his famous story, and the less famous story of what it has meant to to grow in the Lord through his story. He has also written several more books including: When you can't Comeback, and The Worth of a Man. Unfortunately, I have yet to read these. Comeback however, I definitely recommend. (This has been: A Day in the Life of: Dave Dravecky. Look in next time to read: Snippets of:__)

My Thoughts on April Fool's Day

I can just hear you all gasping in the background. "Oh no! She's departed from her normal pattern! What shall we do!?" Let's just say that sometimes it's good to break out somewhere new. I enjoy reading and hearing about April Fool's Day pranks. Like the time Burger King advertised burgers with everything rotated 90 degrees to the left~for left-handed people. Or the time when the Prime Minister of New Zealand announced that cell-phones were banned. And we mustn't forget the time that the leaning tower of Pisa fell over. And my personal favorite-the one that happened to my mom-one of her friends crookedly taped her window with masking tape and left a note saying 'Sorry I broke your window. Will be back later to replace.' The window was not broken. In spite of enjoying all these however, there has always lingered doubt in the back of my mind. It has kept me from playing one myself. Here's my question: Does April Fool's Day promote good, or bad? I have been forced to admit that it is nothing good. All AFD jokes that I have ever heard of find their basis in deceit and lying. Playing pranks that are specifically intended to fool somebody into believing an un-truth makes the victim look like a fool. And, since most of the time, the pranks are just foolish anyway, it really makes the prankster look like a fool as well. The day is well-named. The really sad thing is that such a day is so widely spread that even prime-ministers and respectable companies and people condone and join in this promotion of deceit; even Christians. Someday, if I ever think of a prank that isn't any of these, you might find me playing it. But until then, don't expect it. In my opinion, it's just plain foolish. Here's a little history beginning with something that is just as sad as that other sad thing I mentioned. You see, the first recorded association with April 1st and foolishness is as early as 1392, in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Here's something that's not quite so sad. In fact, it's a little funny. The Royal Airforce, (U.K.) was founded on April 1st, 1918. And yes, the U.K. does celebrate April Fool's Day on that day.