Hat tip to Valerie Jane at 2SecondsFaster for the video.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Call Me MRS. Moeshmossgepup: I Worked Hard for That Title
Okay. Obviously the video I chose for "Hooray for Saturday" has a political agenda. It's still funny.
![]()
Hat tip to Valerie Jane at 2SecondsFaster for the video.
Hat tip to Valerie Jane at 2SecondsFaster for the video.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Condemnation
I suppose the difference between conviction and condemnation is whether it draws us closer to God, or makes us push away from Him. Oversimplification? Perhaps. There are some wonderful posts on Bridget Chumbley's blog today. Many of their posts explain far better than I do.
I do have a habit of dwelling on what I have done wrong, or could have done better. God doesn't want that. After repentance and reconciliation, there is no need for it. Instead I need to think of better things.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Jesus did not come to bring us condemnation, but salvation. I love how this song brings that home for me.
I do have a habit of dwelling on what I have done wrong, or could have done better. God doesn't want that. After repentance and reconciliation, there is no need for it. Instead I need to think of better things.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Jesus did not come to bring us condemnation, but salvation. I love how this song brings that home for me.
HoseaGregory Norbert© 1972 The Benedictine Foundation of the State of VermontCome back to me with all your heart.Don't let fear keep us apart.Trees do bend, though straight and tallso must we, to other's call.Long have I waited for your coming,home to me and living, deeply our new lives.The wilderness will lead youto your heart where I will speak.Integrity and justice,With tenderness, you shall know.Long have I waited for your coming,home to me and living, deeply our new lives.You shall sleep secure with peace;faithfulness will be your joy.Long have I waited for your coming,home to me and living, deeply our new lives
Friday, October 15, 2010
He's Home
Reunited With Windows
home again
where there are lots of windows
to let in the daylight
and the warm light of God's presence in the our dark corners after dusk
rather than cold fluorescent bulbs.
Bob is home and taking medication. He seems as fine as ever, though we don't know for sure what started this. Thank you for your prayers.
My poetry leaves A LOT to be desired, but right now I have my heart's desire: my husband is well and at home.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
WIthout Windows
Without Windows
grey walls
white cabinets
blue curtains
the e.r. looks the same
whether 9 a.m.
or 9 p.m.
i like to know
when daylight arrives
Hubs is in the hospital with a rash, low blood pressure, and vomiting. I've come home to put on clothes. No, I wasn't nekkid. I accompanied him in my jammies (Okay, I was wearing a muumuu). There will be no update until visiting hours are over...
Sorry. No pleasantly disturbed post or linkage today.
grey walls
white cabinets
blue curtains
the e.r. looks the same
whether 9 a.m.
or 9 p.m.
i like to know
when daylight arrives
Hubs is in the hospital with a rash, low blood pressure, and vomiting. I've come home to put on clothes. No, I wasn't nekkid. I accompanied him in my jammies (Okay, I was wearing a muumuu). There will be no update until visiting hours are over...
Sorry. No pleasantly disturbed post or linkage today.
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Snow Day to Warm Your Heart
Remember when you were a child, and a snow day meant fun and discovery instead of a back ache from shoveling, or a face full of wet snow coming at you speedily from the snowblower? Can you call to mind being called indoors for a cup of hot chocolate and a change into clothes warmed from the heat of the radiator? Do you recall just hoping the day wouldn't end, and when it did, that another snow day would be coming around soon?
Well, Billy Coffey revives that sense of discovery, adventure, comfort, and warmth with his first book, Snow Day. (And lucky you, it is available today. Go ahead and order it. I'll wait here...)
His protagonist, Peter Boyd, is an easy to relate to likable man, who is both proud and humble at the same time. He sees the beauty in the people around him, and finds someone to learn from in every situation. I love how Billy Coffey interweaves the stories of various townspeople into the larger theme of Peter Boyd's search for and finding of purpose.
Snow Day is an excellent book to give away as a Christmas gift, and exceptional book to read any time of year. Allow Snow Day to melt your heart this year!
Well, Billy Coffey revives that sense of discovery, adventure, comfort, and warmth with his first book, Snow Day. (And lucky you, it is available today. Go ahead and order it. I'll wait here...)
His protagonist, Peter Boyd, is an easy to relate to likable man, who is both proud and humble at the same time. He sees the beauty in the people around him, and finds someone to learn from in every situation. I love how Billy Coffey interweaves the stories of various townspeople into the larger theme of Peter Boyd's search for and finding of purpose.
Snow Day is an excellent book to give away as a Christmas gift, and exceptional book to read any time of year. Allow Snow Day to melt your heart this year!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Niceness is ..... Nice: Pleasantly Disturbed Thursday
I am ticked off at some of the comments I have read on youtube lately. Last week a friend on Facebook recommended I check out a video of Queen singing "We Are the Champions". I found it very moving, not because it was their best performance, but for exactly the opposite reason. Freddie Mercury seemed to be struggling with some of the notes, and his band mate rescued him. I imagine that Mr. Mercury had already been sick at the time of the video, but he wanted to be there for his band mates who were in turn there for him. Maybe I'm guilty of romanticizing the situation, but I find it preferable to the attitude some of the commenters had. Why should anyone be writing hateful things about a man who has been dead for ten years whose talent gave us some awesome rock anthems? Okay. He liked men. I'm not comfortable with that. SO WHAT? He was a dang fine artist and his legacy should be the music he left behind, not how he got the disease he died from!!!
Yesterday I looked at the comments left by Youtubers at a video of Heart's "Magic Man". First of all you had people hating on Heart for not being as good a Pat Benatar. I find that to be a matter of opinion, but why leave a negative comment about a great song because you like Pat Benatar better? WEIRD!!!
But that is not all. Some lady who was widowed young left a comment on the same video about how her husband LOVED that song and how God blessed them with 34 years together (Yes, a fifty some year old widow is young) and she knows they were a match made in Heaven. Can you believe there were people hating on that comment? I'm appalled! I'm flabbergasted! I'm outraged! I'm revolted! One might even go so far as to say.... I'm miffed! (Couldn't resist a Daffy duck spin off, sorry. Start the video at the one minute mark to see what I'm talking about).
Why argue with a widow about the existence of God? Why try to steal someone's peace from them just because you think they believe in the equivalent of Candyland with an M & M river (no, the woman in question did not seem to be talking Candyland, I'm being sarcastic here) , Almond Joy falls everywhere and you believe in nothing?
What happened to people? Didn't their mamas ever teach them that if they can't leave nice comments, they shouldn't leave any (unless of course they are funny. My mama LOVED to laugh!)?
Sorry that today was Pleasantly Disturbed- Pleasant = Disturbedly
I'm so glad all of you are nice!
:-)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Depend on God : Chapter 6 of The Hole in Our Gospel
In Chapter 6, Mr. Stearns describes how he came to believe in God. It was not an easy road for him. He learned at a young age that he'd have to rely on himself and not his parents (nonpracticing Catholics). This made it difficult to believe in God, and for a long time, he didn't. He learned to depend on himself alone, which developed into a sort of Religion of self. Eventually a book given to him by a friend a few years before found its way out of a box and open onto his lap on a boring Saturday evening. That book awakened a curiosity in him and he asked for recommendations of other books and so on...
The study guide encouraged us to reflect on how our own childhoods affected our faith development. I long ago told you here how my daddy was a wonderful father whose example could help me see how God could be angry in the Old Testament and loving in the New Testament. My daddy would get scary angry if I did something stupid that could have had bad results (playing with knives, trying to leave the house on my own at age three to visit neighbors when mom was busy, standing on ledges, running with scissors, the usual stuff). A couple of times he spanked me, but mostly he'd get a look on his face that would have struck terror in a saber tooth tiger. Seriously.
I also had a mom prayed for me and who would try to guide me into being kind and forgiving even when I was hurt, like Jesus. Unfortunately my dear daddy was as protective of me being hurt by others as he was of me being hurt by myself, and discouraged me from forgiving. I remember being told by him that when I turned the left cheek, I should be pulling my arm into a right cross as well. English was my daddy's second language. That is the only explanation I really have for him telling me "Forgiving makes you weak." It dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that I couldn't believe a friend forgave me (and therefore forgive myself) because I wouldn't have forgiven her if the tables were turned. I was far more vulnerable from not forgiving than I would be if I was forgiving. Then it dawned on me: my daddy wasn't deriding me for being week. He was beseeching me not to allow myself to be vulnerable, but used the wrong word. He was always worried about me getting hurt, so of course he worried that by forgiving others, I would leave myself vulnerable to those who would only keep on hurting me. He was a great earthly daddy, but he wasn't God. He couldn't know that I would spend years unable to forgive myself for the smallest transgression because it was only fair that if I would not forgive others, I should not forgive myself either.
I, too, had my own part to play in this. I chose to depend on the wisdom of my earthly father (a good and wise man, btw) rather than that of my Heavenly Father. Mr. Stearns depended on himself instead of God in his early years, while I was blessed with a great dad whom I depended on, long after he was gone. I am grateful for his guidance and good example. It is my own fault that I depended on him rather than Him.
Other thoughts on this chapter are being shared on my friend Jason's blog. Go check it out.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Random Thoughts on Healing
Sometimes I think that God's definition of healing is different than my own. For instance, I want to be healed of the inability to conceive. I suspect He wants me to be healed of desiring something more than I do Him. Anyway, my thoughts on the words healing are going to be expressed in this post letter by letter.
ope in Him and His promises.
ncourage one another.
cceptance of His guidance and love.
oving Him and His people.
nsisting on faith instead of doubt inside our hearts.
ourish ourselves and each other with the power of His words.
iving Him all that we are.
This blog carnival on the word healing sponsored by Bridget Chumbley.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Twik or Tweet Week 1
First, a public service announcement. Neither Twik or Tweet, but a treat indeed. Billy Coffey, the soon to be famous author, has a facebook page up for his book, and you have the opportunity to "like" it. Go ahead and take a moment to do that . I'll wait.
Click here and like Billy, please.
There you go. Wasn't that fun?
Time for Twik or Tweet
Did these (in)famous twitter users really tweet this? You decide. Answers at the end!
- facebook, I have some free time!
Did I neglect to include you? Let me know if I have disappointed you, and I will try harder to include you next week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
