The Blind Leading the Blind

Someone who holds back the truth causes trouble, but one who openly criticizes works for peace. 10:10

We had a bunch of ladies from church over for lunch today. One of them is blind so she and Gary had lots to talk about, in particular Gary's book port.
Overheard:

Candy is a treat. Please consume in moderation -- inside wrapper of a Hershey's bar.

I'm Such a Dork

To be wise you must first have reverence for the Lord. 9:10

Today I dropped my cell phone and the battery fell out. I put it back in, but it appeared to be dead. Next I tried a battery from a different phone and still no sign of life. Then Rachel reminded me it might work better if I turned it on.

The swimming pool will be used Sunday morning, June 11, by the Montagnard Church for a baptism from 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM. All other swimmers will need to leave the pool during that time. Thank you for your cooperation.

25 Years Ago Today

Keep my teaching with you all the time; write it on your heart. 7:3.

...I was giving birth to baby Rachel at Kilu'ufi hospital in Auki, Malaita, Solomon Islands. The recovery room contained 10 newborns with their mothers and grandmothers. We were given half a loaf of bread and a tin cup of sweet tea the next morning. We gave Rachel a middle name from the language we were living in, Fiito'ona, but we anglicized it to Fitona. It means 'faith'.

A week ago today we were ceremoniously shutting the door between our side of the house and hers, so now she has been living in her "own" place for a week. So far, she seems to enjoy it (except for not having a dishwasher), especially now that she has a new kitty to keep her company. She also potted a plant for her new home. Women need living things to care for.

Overheard:

I've lost my car--again.

50 Years, 90% Sure

A man who commits adultery hasn't any sense. 6:32

Last night we attended a 50th anniversary celebration for missionary friends. These two both have a terrific sense of humor, so that made their party a fun one. Their kids had organized a photo tribute that covered the two New Testaments they produced in Papua New Guinea, and we saw a video of the dedication of the most recent one. Their daughter seems to have inherited her parents' sense of humor--inside the lovely arch, decorated with tulle and golden wedding bells, were two wheel chairs.

Today the husband of this couple was at coffee break with us and he talked about the fun evening. Then he mentioned a phone call he had had with his daughter when she was dating her now husband:

"Dad, I like him, but I'm just not completely sure. I'd say I'm about 90% sure."
"Karol, I've been married to your mom for over 40 years now, and I'm still only about 90% sure!"

We all got a laugh out of that, but he said on that advice Karol realized that she had a good thing and that she should proceed, even if she still had a few doubts.

In other news, Rachel got a call today to interview for another Christian school as a Kindergarten teacher. And she got a call today for a date. I have no idea how either of these things will turn out, but it is always nice to be asked!

Andrew called me via Skype tonight--it worked really well and was free.

Overheard:

I've lost my keys--again.

Urban Camping

Love wisdom, and she will make you great. 4:8

When the kids were little, we used to camp out quite a bit. But somewhere along the line either the kids got too big or the tent got too small. Then one day, while drying out the tent, the wind carried it off to a barbed wire fence and that was the end of that. So we gave up on camping.

Last week Gary and I decided to try urban camping. We drove a total of 4.5 miles to Cedar Hill State Park, located on Joe Pool Lake. To get in we bought an annual pass to all Texas State Parks, then drove past all 350+ campsites to see if there was one we liked. Since it was a Thursday, the park was pretty empty, and we found a great spot right on the water.

Next problem, we had to go buy a tent. Lucky for us, Wal-mart is only 3 miles away from the entrance to the State park. Gary wanted to buy a little tent, but I insisted on one you could at least stand up in. Notice, it is intended for urban camping.We then went back home to pack for camping. We knew we could, but we resisted bringing a microwave or TV, but did bring an electric kettle so we could have a cup of tea (that didn't taste like smoke).

We drove to a place to go for a hike (this is a big park and you have to drive everywhere, just like the rest of Texas) and noticed they had strict instructions for the urban snakes.On day two of our trip, we got too hot and drove home to relax in the a/c during the middle of the afternoon. Good time to upload one's photos and check the email. Back to the park in time drive a couple miles to the other side of the park for an outdoor lecture on coyotes, complete with powerpoint slide show projected with a video projector.Lest you think I'm joking about the urban camping thing, here's the sign at the entrance of the state park:For another account of our vacation, look here.

Overheard:

My cat loves me!

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.