Vacation

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 3:5

We've just returned from a mini vacation. Gary needed a couple days off work, and I wanted to have a couple days to transition to the latest instance of my empty nest. In a day or two I'll tell about our camping adventures, but in the meantime I just wanted to post a couple more of the nature photos I took while were were out.
Overheard:

The Mavs lost. Fortunately, you can only lose once per game.

More Photos

Still no time for blogging today, but since Cheryle like my recent nature photos, I'll add a few more from another couple of short hikes.

Flower and Bee

 
Not really much time for blogging today, but I did want to show off this cool photo I took this morning while hiking. 

Paranoia

There are four things that are never satisfied: the world of the dead; a woman without children; dry ground that needs rain; and a fire burning out of control. 30:16

Today I was asked, again, to amend a comment I put in someone's blog. I was asked ever so kindly and politely, and I simply gave the asker the directive to delete my comment. (And if this person is reading this post, please know that while your request got me thinking about paranoia, this post is not really aimed at you because I understand the reason for your request.)

This got me thinking about the nature of on-line communication. It made me think of why people use screen names instead of their own names, it made me think about why people have numerous screen names, or numerous blogs (I myself have two). It made me think about administrators tracking IP address so they know who is posting. It made me think about the online persona that I've seen put forth by people I know IRL, and wonder about the disconnect. It made me think about lurkers. It made me wonder about people who admit to paranoia and others who should.

In some ways online communication oozes with loneliness, people seeking social or emotional intimacy with someone--anyone, really. Or to quote the words of an anonymous friend of mine, "The blogosphere is largely composed of people seeking more human contact. We write to say something, or anything, that matters to someone, somewhere." Yet there persists a strong unwillingness to reveal truth about oneself. So often it seems we want to know, but not be known.

Overheard:

Just because you're not paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

Everybody's Getting Married

It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.

Late each spring I would hear this lament from my kids when they attended Christian colleges. It is late spring again and my kids have all graduated, but I'm still hearing it. And somehow it actually seemed true today when I was told by one of David's old girlfriends, whom I bumped into at the store while she was picking up stuff for her own wedding, that one of Rachel's old boyfriends was getting married next Saturday.

Overheard:

I'm ambidorkstrous--I fell off both sides of my motorbike.

Hidden Baby

Give to the poor and you will never be in need. 28:27a

I scarcely know who Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are, but, having myself given birth in a third world country, I ask why would someone rich and famous choose to go to Namibia to have their baby? Did they bring their own doctor, clean water, and blood supply along with them? Contrary to trying to "avoid photographers," I'd say this sounds like a publicity stunt.

Overheard:

4th grade was the hardest three years of my life.

Work and Play

The lazy man turns over in bed. He gets no farther than a door swinging on its hinges. 26:14

The Dallas Mavericks have won one and lost one in the NBA Western Conference finals. The games have not been on TV (well, they've been on cable, but we don't have cable) so we've listened on the radio. That radio station doesn't come in very well either, but we do have a couple digital radios that bring in the station pretty well. Rachel has become quite a fan.

While the game was on I kept working on things around the house. It is less than a week before we close the door between Rachel's end of the house and ours, so we're working hard to get everything ready for her to live on her own and do some things at our end of the house too. Today I installed a towel rack, a spice rack, a wax paper rack, hung two sets of cups and saucers for display, hung a medicine cabinet, and attached a folding ironing board to the wall. Tomorrow I need to put up valences in the newly painted guest room.

Overheard:

I'd be interested in cricket, but I don't have five free days.

Change Is Not Easy

An honest answer is a sign of true friendship. 24:26

From an email from my boss to our entire group:

4) One of our clever AA team members snooped out the Martin Van Buren reference letter. She discovered this link on urban legends. Apparently it has been used for purposes such as ours more than once! Seems that it doesn't float!
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/vanburen.htm

*takes bow*

Overheard:

I have to write it on the list so I can cross it off.

You Look Good In Red

Don't be envious of sinful people; let reverence for the Lord be the concern of your life. 23:17

If was nice of Jessica to come by with her bf today. I warned him that he was here so I could see if he passed inspection. Jessica reminded me of the post I made last Valentine's Day, so I explained to John that he must be a great guy to meet with Jessie's "list." And I believe I agree with her assessment. John, if you're reading this: you passed. :-)

Overheard:

Don't try to upload your photos in the early evening. That's when everbody and his blog is using the internet.

The Key to Everything

Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it. 22:9

Our boss came to work the other day, reached in his pocket and took out his keys, and unlocked the office door. The only thing strange about that was the key he used was to the back door of his house.

On a different note, I remembered something else the pastor said yesterday during his sermon: "Adam was made out of dirt, but Eve wasn't." Hmm...

I used to be on a forum where I used to have a signature where I used to put funny things that I used to hear. I may try that here:
Overheard:

Did you know the street price of the benzodiazepines is directly proportional to the rate at which they hyperpolarize neurons, thereby activating the dopaminergic system?

Proverbs

Do what is right and fair; that pleases the Lord more than bringing him sacrifices. 21:3

I've always liked the book of Proverbs, for several reasons, not the least of which is that it doesn't take a lot of brains to understand the proverbs. They work for people who have short attention spans. I can appreciate the direct and to-the-point style in which they are delivered, and I find them easy to apply to life in spite of the fact they were written millennia ago. It is convenient that the book of Proverbs has 31 chapters; I often read one each day of the month. I go there when I feel too stupid or cranky to understand other parts of Scripture. I've added a little template to my blog to give me a place to type in a proverb each time I post.

Church today was interesting. Our pastor is a good speaker, he's not hard to listen to, even for those of us whose minds easily wander. Today he wrapped up a series on stewardship in family life based on the familiar passage of Ephesians 5.

He had three funny little acronyms to help us remember how to treat family members.


HAT OFF -- Men should treat their wives:

• H - Honesty. Always tell the truth to your wife.
• A - Affection. Treat your wife with affection.
• T - Talk. Talk to your wife
• O - Opinion. Ask your wife her opinion about matters.
• F - Financial security. Consider it your responsibility to provide most of the funds for your family.
• F - Family commitment. Your wife needs you to love your kids.

HARP -- Wives should treat their husbands:

• H - Homemaking. Wives should take the lead.
• A - Admiration. Wives should express admiration however they can.
• R - Recreational companionship. Wives should find some fun things to do with their husbands.
• P - Physical affection. Well, we all know what this one means, so I won't elaborate. :-)

EAT OUT -- Kids should treat parents:

• E - Encourage your parents. They need it.
• A - Assist your parents when you can.
• T - Thank your parents for what they do for you.
• O - Obey your parents.
• U - Unconditionally love your parents.
• T - Trust. Behave in such a way as to deserve your parents' trust.
  

A Sport or Not A Sport?

Not. My proof: you have to get up at 6am on a Saturday to go watch it, and while you are there you have to whisper.

Shhh! Don't tell my in-laws who just took Gary there for the day that I said that.

Speaking of sports, the Mavs are really trying to drag this out, aren't they?

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

 
Scary, huh?

It is probably quite harmless, in spite of its looks. I know people like that too. 

Hibiscus

Sometimes things work like they are supposed to, and the result is beautiful.

Spiderwort

My still photo turned out to be an action photo.

In other news, Rachel found herself in an interesting situation today. She wants to apply for an open 2nd grade position at another Christian school, but to sign their Statement of Faith means stretching her interpretation of the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life. I think she signed it, but added a note stating her slightly different position. We'll see if that will cause them to not even consider her application.

Your prayers are appreciated for her to find a job.

I've Joined the 21st Century

Free minutes starting at 6pm Central and weekends. Call me.

(But you'll have to email me first to get my number :-)

Back To Square One

Sometimes it just feels like my faith is being tested. Of course, that is predicted and shouldn't surprise me, huh? The current test is another disappointment that Rachel is having to endure. She did nothing wrong to end up in this situation, but that is small comfort when her hopes are dashed to the ground. Please be in prayer for God to give her peace, faith, and courage. And while you're praying for her, ask God to give me peace, faith, and wisdom to know how much or how little I should be involved. Sigh.

Mother's Day

This probably wasn't the very best Mother's Day I've ever had in my life, but I did find joy in hearing the sweet voice of my child singing in church.

Another child handed me a check for car insurance--I guess that made me happy too!

And I did get an very nice unexpected card in the mail that warmed my heart. Thanks, Chris and Mandie! You made me smile.

Why Don't You Tell Me What You Really Feel?

I try to be an honest person. But sometimes I find myself in a quandary. Which is better?

1. being honest and saying and doing all the bad things that you feel, or
2. being dishonest and saying and doing all the good things you don't feel?

In other words, is it being hypocritical or is it just old fashioned self-control to do or say the right thing when you feel like doing or saying the wrong thing?

The Bible says, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Or to put it in a more modern translation, "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." If that is true, maybe my attempts to "do right even if I don't feel like it" aren't even possible. The evil in my heart will come out even if I try to stop it.

Obviously, the ideal situation is to have a perfect, sinless heart. Then one would always be assured that their words and their actions were good, right, and sinless.

Is that ever going to happen?

Is dot ex ex ex a Good Idea or Not?

If I were still posting over at Zeal For Truth, I'd start a topic in the Current Events section to discuss whether or not it is a good idea for the ICANN's (Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers) to set up a domain name especially for pornography. In some ways it sounds like setting aside a park in Amsterdam just for heroin addicts. In other ways, it might make it easier for people to avoid porn if they want to (or want their children to). The technically saavy--though not necessarily strictly conservative--believers there might have some insight into this topic.