The Sweet Life

Distractions Divide

2012-03-12T15:54:00.005-05:00

Distractions Divide

from: http://wisdomhunters.com/2012/03/11/distractions-divide/

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- March 11, 2012
“As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, ‘Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.’ Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. This is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.” I Samuel 23:26b-28

Distractions—good or bad—can get you off track. This is the nature of a distraction. It causes you to become double minded. You are unable to give full attention to the matter at hand, and thus you water down your effectiveness. It may be a personal or a professional distraction that currently has you preoccupied.

Personally, it may be a relationship that is sucking an inordinate amount of time and energy. Is it really worth it? The hours of “high maintenance” relational care may mean that it’s not meant to be. The attention to this individual has become laborious and highly intense. Without any relief in sight, it may be time to walk away for a season. Let it rest until there can be more normalcy to the relationship.

For example, a person’s drug, alcohol or sexual addiction needs professional attention. Your tolerance is only enabling their bad behavior. They are distracting you from being the parent or the spouse God intended you to be. Their destructive behavior requires tough love. Otherwise, you may lose everything in the process. Do not allow someone’s premeditated distraction to lead your family into destruction. It may be time for bold intervention.

On the other hand, you may be experiencing a professional distraction. The mission of your organization may be compromised because of your well-meaning activities outside the scope of your job description. Do an audit of your time and energy. Be honest with yourself. Either cease feeding your distractions by aligning your personal and professional missions, or choose to jeopardize the integrity and success of both initiatives.
Indeed, our worst outcome from distractions is the neglect of our time with our heavenly Father. He deserves our full attention and focus. If life has become too busy for God, then we are too busy. Nothing is important enough to distract us from having time with the Lord. It may even be that your service for God has become a distraction. Ironically, you cannot spend time with God, because you are serving God. This is a great deception.

Service for God, which substitutes activity for your time with God, is a distraction of the worst kind. You drift into a performance-based relationship with your heavenly Father, which is full of pressure and missed expectations. You are distracted by doing and have no margin for being. You are unable to know Him because you are too busy working for Him. It may be time to modify your doing so that you can take time for being.

Be loved by God. Be accepted by God. Be encouraged by God. Be led by God.

A distracted life is susceptible to imbalance. Remove those “good” distractions, and replace them with intimacy with God. He will make up for any lost time and accomplish even more in your absence. Distractions can divide us from our Maker. Therefore, defuse distractions before they arrive. Then you are in a position to be united with your Lord. By His grace, push back on distraction’s pull!

Love and War

2012-03-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

I've read a couple other books by John Eldredge (Captivating, The Sacred Romance, Wild at Heart), so I was curious about this book (Love and War), written by John and his wife, about marriage.

Here are some of the thoughts / notes I wrote down as I read. Maybe some of these thoughts will touch you where you're at personally and/or in your marriage?

The balancing act we parents attempt is convincing our children:

1. You are loved more than you can imagine

2. The world doesn’t revolve around you (and perhaps we need to convince ourselves that it doesn't revolve around us either).

Pray:

1. God, what do you have for us?

2. God, what are we involved in that we shouldn’t be?

a. People saddle us with their causes, family tends to insert their agenda, and soon we are buried in dramas that rob us of our time, energy, and passion for the things God does have for us.

Certainly, you have met the kind of people who over-dramatize everything – they hold grudges for petty offenses, get entirely caught up in all the little socio-dramas at the office, the library, the church, the PTA. We are created for adventure and it seems as though if we cannot find one, we start blowing things out of proportion so that it at least feels like we have one. Those type of people need to get a life! They need a life so that they get their noses out of others’ lives!

Sometimes, the line between loving wisely and manipulating is a shadowy one.

Without any ill intention, our hearts are separated from each other by the pace of life. Be intentional about scheduling time for each other.

Casting Crowns, “Slow Fade”:

It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray.

Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid.

Find a shared adventure!

Choose the pace of your life.

Choose to move toward your spouse with desire and intentionality.

God is using our marriage to forge my character.

You have got to own what is yours to own in the troubles of your marriage.

Most women hide in busyness and efficiency; every last one of us doubts we have a beauty to offer.

Offering your husband a safe harbor for his thoughts, concerns, or doubts, and not giving way to fear yourself is a beautiful expression of your love.

He can make his wife feel utterly abandoned by refusing to engage in her life.

She can emasculate her man through her controlling efficiency and her refusal to be vulnerable.

Student Led Conferences

2012-03-06T19:34:00.002-06:00

We attended a very special event at Justin's elementary school. The school had a day of student-led conferences, in which the students showed what they have been learning. Justin was able to show us his science notebook, his writing journal, and how well he could read. I hadn't heard of this type of conference before and was pretty impressed. It was obvious how proud the kids were to be leading the conference and to be able to show off all they've been learning!

Here is a video of Justin reading a book here at home.

Here is some of Justin's recent work and art work that is up at his school.

How the boys really feel..

2012-03-03T08:17:00.003-06:00

Justin: I'm glad I have you, Mom.
Me: Why is that, J?
Justin: Because if I didn't have you, I'd wish I had a mom.
Dylan: And a Dad! Dad is really nice because he brought us doughnuts, and if we didn't have a Dad, no doughnuts!

Dylan: I'm glad you retired from work so you could work at home, and I could go to my school (preschool). Otherwise, I wouldn't get to play with H.

And, here is a note that Dylan received from a little girl in his class. Here is what he said it says:
Dylan is a superhero.

..Ahh, these boys make me smile..

My workout buddies!

2012-03-02T19:42:00.002-06:00

Not Martin Scorsese, YET!

2012-03-02T09:15:00.000-06:00

The boys have been enjoying some time on iMovie lately! Here are a couple recent creations!

Another Day in the Life Of ...

2012-02-28T16:43:00.000-06:00

This is another post about the things we really do while Jeremy's at work.

1. We made White Hot Chocolate Cupcakes (recipe here). Yes, these cupcakes actually have roasted marshmallows on top of them. Boys vote two thumbs up. They may all be gone before Jeremy gets home to register his vote.

2. The house behind our house is in the process of being built. Today, Dylan and I ate our lunch in the guest room while we watched them pour concrete.

3. You may have heard about one of the supposedly great features of the newest iPhone, the personal assistant named Siri. I, personally, am not all that impressed with Siri, often receiving responses that she's really sorry about this, but can't assist at this time, etc. An exchange today with Dylan:

There is the sound of loudly crinkling paper.

Me: Dylan, what is that?

Dylan: I can't respond right now.

Me: What?

Dylan: My name is Siri. I can't respond right now.

Me, to myself: Touche, Dylan, touche!

Fresh and Flourishing from Our Daily Bread

2012-02-27T09:16:00.001-06:00

I thought this was an interesting read from Daily Bread as I've been thinking alot about peace, positive thinking, an outward (instead of inward/selfish) focus the past few months.

Fresh And Flourishing

February 24, 2012 — by David H. Roper

from: http://odb.org/2012/02/24/fresh-and-flourishing/

Read: Psalm 92

They shall be fresh and flourishing. —Psalm 92:14

In Psalm 92, the poet begins with a commendation of praise: “It is good to give thanks to the Lord.” Good for what? Good for you and me.

It does our soul a world of good to turn from anxious thoughts and fill our days with prayerful praise; good to greet each morning with songs of thanksgiving, for such praise makes us glad. It lifts us out of gloom and replaces our sadness with cheerful songs at the “works of [His] hands” (v.4). And what is that work? The work He is doing in us!

Here’s one of my most cherished metaphors: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (vv.12-14).

Palms are symbols of towering beauty and cedars of unbending strength. These are the characteristics of those who have been “planted in the house of the Lord” (v.13). Their roots go down into the soil of God’s unquenchable love.

Do you think your usefulness to God is over? Continue in God’s Word, rooted and grounded in Christ, drinking in His love and faithfulness. Then, no matter your age, you will bear fruit and be “fresh and flourishing.”

From your heart give God your praise For His blessings all your days; Lift your voice to God above— God of mercy, God of love. —Hess

Praise comes naturally when you count your blessings.

Life Giving Peace

2012-02-24T13:18:00.002-06:00

from: http://wisdomhunters.com/2012/01/21/life-giving-peace/

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
Peace produces life for a life surrendered to God. But it is in conflict with Christ that a life’s internal harmony is replaced with unrest. However, the fruit of peace is life: life giving energy in relationships, life giving words at work, life giving attitudes at home and life giving community with other Jesus followers. Spiritual peace gives physical life.
If peace is such an essential ingredient for life, why can it be so allusive? Guilt has a way of grinding away at the goodness of God that lies dormant in a heart unaffected by discipleship. Conversion to Christ does not guarantee that His peace will have preeminence, but it does position us for easy access to His grace. Like an orphan adopted by loving parents—acceptance of our heavenly Father’s love creates peaceful security.
“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” Psalm 85:10
What competes with your peace? Has your peace-less heart contributed to your unhealthy emotional and physical condition? Pride fights against peace, because it can’t rest until it proves itself to be right. Greed is an enemy of peace, because it cannot be content unless it has a little bit more. Fear tosses and turns us awake in bed because it forgets faith’s calm.
Fortunately, your heavenly Father is your peace provider. Your welfare is His primary care and concern. There is no circumstance, individual or spiritual enemy that has the power to rob you of the Lord’s long-standing serenity found in your savior Jesus. Indeed, use His peace as a shield against Satan’s schemes of discouragement and disappointment. You don’t have to look far for life giving peace; it is already yours in God’s son Jesus.
“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with Me. “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:31-33
How can I better apply the life giving peace of God that I already possess in Jesus?
Related Readings: Psalm 119:165; Isaiah 54:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 6:23
Post/Tweet this today: Peace produces life for a life surrendered to God. #peace

Why 'Darwin Day' Passed without Fanfare

2012-02-23T11:24:00.000-06:00

I thought this was an interesting article, found here: http://www.icr.org/article/6680/

Why 'Darwin Day' Passed without Fanfare

by Brian Thomas, M.S. *

Charles Darwin was born February 12, 1809, but not many people celebrated "Darwin Day" on February 12 this year. One Texas columnist lamented this lack of festivity, as well as polls showing that 40 percent of Americans believe in creationism and about a third of Texans believe that humans and dinosaurs co-existed.
In an opinion piece for the San Marcos Mercury, Lamar Hankins wrote:

I look to the consensus among experts to decide what is true…. Evolutionary biologists and those in related fields understand that the theory of evolution is indeed proven beyond any reasonable doubt. Since I am not a biologist, I think it is rational to accept the scientific consensus that evolution is true.¹

He added, "No one can test the belief that God created the earth and all of its inhabitants in six days 10,000 years ago. What we know is that the available empirical evidence establishes that organisms have existed on earth for 3.5 billion years."¹
But history has shown that the consensus of experts can be wrong. Plus, Hankins' statements ignore the fact that many researchers openly recognize the host of scientific problems that evolution has.²
If the belief that "organisms have existed on earth for 3.5 billion years" can be tested, then why not also "the belief that God created the earth" thousands of years ago, using the same techniques? Researchers would need a time machine to prove by repeated observation one theory over the other. But their associated scientific models can be tested indirectly, side by side, without a time machine. Many Americans, like the many researchers who signed A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism, have tested the evolutionary model and found it wanting.²
If evolutionists were to admit that the creation model can be tested, examined, or considered, then they relinquish the "upper hand" in the debate and risk losing their "aren't you ashamed of your ignorance?" tactic. Evolutionists choose to ridicule creation rather than investigate it, and based on the statistics Hankins cited, thoughtful Americans may recognize this fact. Perhaps more of these Americans would more readily believe evolutionary claims if sufficient evidence supported them.
But a stream of doubts rightly plagues the secular origins story. It posits that everything came from nothing for no reason, that stars and planets were organized from dust clouds with nobody there to organize them, and that living cells emerged from chemicals despite the fact that life never arises from chemicals in either natural or well-designed laboratory settings.
Why was Darwin Day not widely celebrated in America? It's not because of what Americans don't know about evolution. It's because of what they do know about it.

References

Hankins, L. W. Freethought San Marcos: A solution to the post-Super Bowl blahs. San Marcos Mercury. Posted on smmercury.com February 7, 2012, accessed February 13, 2012.
A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism. Discovery Institute. Posted on discovery.org, accessed February 13, 2012.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on February 23, 2012.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-13T20:09:00.001-06:00

Early Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T10:09:00.000-06:00

The boys made early Valentine's Day cards for me. These make me smile.

This first one is from Justin. It's a little difficult to read since he wrote with a regular pen on a black piece of paper. What it basically says is this:

Dear Mom,

I like u. You're the best. I lvov, lov, ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ you.

Justin

Dylan

Please share (the hershey kiss).

This one is from Dylan - and includes a glitter/pipe-cleaner lasso.

And here we are, on an early Valentine's Date night. This is the type of photo you get when you have your 5-6 year olds take it - not bad, right?! We went to the Grey Moss Inn and enjoyed a fabulous meal sans kiddos.

This picture sort of reminds me of a picture from our wedding, although I don't seem to have a digital copy of it that is easily locatable.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

2012-02-12T17:38:00.002-06:00

Recently, I read a book called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver.

A few thoughts I wrote down while I was reading this book:
Busyness breeds distraction; we're often afflicted with what Charles Hummel called 'the tyranny of the urgent'.

While the world applauds achievement, God desires companionship.

The Cross did more than pay for my sins; it set me free from the bondage of the 'shoulds' and 'if onlys' and 'what might have beens'.

Healthy Concern                 vs.                   Toxic Worry
legitimate threat                                           unfounded
specific                                                       generalized
addresses problem    obsessed re: problem
solves problem                                           creates more problems
looks to God for answer                             looks to self or other people for answer

Concern draws us to God. Worry pulls us from Him. The distinction is helpful for those who spiritualize worry, convincing themselves it is their duty to fret about the state of the world, their finances, their futures. Ask yourself: is your worrying a drain on others' energy / patience? Be content to let others take their own burdens - God will help us with our tasks. A former boss of mine used to characterize this in a similar way of not taking someone else's monkey (the monkey on your back - is it really yours or did you let someone give it to you?). Don't bear a burden we're not called to carry!

God asks us to bear one another's burdens - He hasn't asked us to step in and do what people aren't willing to do themselves. Remember - God hasn't asked us to meet EVERY need. While there are many things to be done, things I'm capable of doing, I am not always the one to do them. Service/work were never meant to be priority #1.

Those with an all or nothing temperament might be thrown off for weeks by one 'miss' - remember, consistency doesn't mean perfection.

God's will doesn't always proceed in a straight line - I won't always see the connection or understand the plan. God's love sometimes tarries for our good and His glory. Easier said than done, but never put a period where God puts a comma, and vice versa. It's hard to tell sometimes what is God's work and what is my work. However...

the Lord is my pacesetter, I shall not rush!

A typical week

2012-02-04T17:42:00.001-06:00

It's sort of been a week. Well, more like a couple weeks put in a row that have really been a week.

Justin and I had some theological discussions.

Justin: I really wish Adam & Eve hadn't eaten that fruit.

Me: Why is that, Justin?

Justin: Because then we could go to heaven without having to die.

Astute, yes..

Justin: Mama, can you explain what a 'soul' is?

Me: It's what's you that isn't your body.

Justin: So, I'll leave my body behind when I go to heaven, and then get a new body? Maybe I won't be so ticklish in heaven!

100th day of school!

Yes, that is correct...Justin has been in Kinder for over 100 school days now. He made a 100-sticker sticker collection, which I failed to get a picture of before it went off to school. He also had to dress like a 100 year old. I'm not sure how well we succeeded here, but ... we tried.. .originally he wanted me to cut his hair so he would have a balding pattern, right up until he remembered he has class pictures next week.

Jeremy came home to this in the kitchen sink:

What is this, you might ask? This..is a strainer full of almonds. Jeremy wondered, as you might, what could possibly have transpired to result in almonds being put in a strainer in the sink. Being the wise husband that he is, upon seeing the look on my face, he waited an entire day to ask me what happened. Dylan is asking to exercise his fifth amendment rights, but we would strongly suggest NOT eating these almonds.

Later on in the week, after an extremely long day, a discussion came up with the boys that was, well...the boys asked me for ways to help deal with some involuntary functions of their male bodies. Really? Well, why wouldn't they ask this? ...Sigh...

Dylan ended the week with a rodeo at his preschool - it is rodeo time here in SA, after all:

Dylan with his blue ribbon for showing his pig at the rodeo

And, lastly, the boys have finished their basketball season.

Here they are after their last game getting their trophies and with a few of their teammates.

Take a deep breath...tomorrow it the Super Bowl, and then we embark on a week of Valentine's preparations. Valentine's boxes for school, Valentine's heart projects for school, and, you know, the actual Valentine's cards to be prepared and delivered.

Little Grand Canyon

2012-01-31T17:26:00.000-06:00

http://vimeopro.com/icr/thats-a-fact/video/35065101

Sports are a BIG deal here!

2012-01-28T13:14:00.001-06:00

Dylan & I learning to shoot

A short preface: I grew up in Nebraska, where Huskers Football is a big deal, where Tom Osborne was probably more important than most senators or the governor. My dad still holds the school record for the 120 yard high hurdles for our county high school.
There he is, Gary Munger, right on the K-Club records case that still hangs in our high school.

credit and thanks to Chana (Bammerlin) Orton for this picture

And, yep, that's me, Amber Munger, one of the members of the girl's mile relay team. Don't get any ideas that I was great at track - my name is there as a result of the speed of the other members of the team. I just managed to not blow it for them!

I started playing volleyball and basketball in 5th grade, which was the earliest that team sports were offered in my small Nebraska hometown (other than the annual elementary school / county-wide trackmeet, which isn't quite the same). From that point through high school, I ran track, played basketball and played volleyball. In college, I played basketball at Northwestern College (St. Paul, MN) - you might even be able to see my name (maiden) if you google old NWC women's team basketball results and maybe a couple times on the NWC women's records. Yes, basketball was my sport - I loved the physical competition, the team camaraderie, the friendships made that are still a part of my life today, 13 years later! Of course, I'd read and seen Friday Night Lights so I was aware that high school football was bigger in Texas. Being a college and pro football fan, I have noticed the sheer number of high quality players that come from or have some link to the state of Texas. To sum up, sports have always and will continue to be a huge part of my life.

All that being said, I was still shocked at how big of a deal sports are in Texas. A neighbor mentioned enrolling their 3 year old in football. TACKLE football. Ok, so how would we approach youth sports for our two boys? A healthy balance is important for a busy family, right? Everything in moderation (including moderation!)! Although my husband was on the swim team in elementary school and on the ski team and lacrosse teams in high school, he would not necessarily claim to be athletic. His mindset is that if the boys want to play sports, that's great, but they don't have to. My mindset was, why in the world would they NOT want to play sports? That's just crazy talk!

We decided that it was time to get started on sports because there are so many positive benefits to sports (develop better socialization skills, increase confidence and self-esteem, build leadership skills, and contribute to better in-school performance). We also wanted to consider exposing the boys to sports that we didn't get the chance to play or become proficient in when we were kids (football for my husband and softball/baseball for me).

So, this fall, we signed the boys up for soccer with ACYSO. We thought it might be best to start with a sport that neither of us had really played competitively in order to help ourselves remember that the most important part is that the kids are being active and having fun while working hard. ACYSO was all around a very positive experience! We had practice one night a week and then usually one game on the weekend on Saturday. About halfway through the season, the game started to click for Dylan and he really embraced the mascot of his team, the Tigers (he especially liked the Tiger socks!).

Both boys really enjoyed their teammates and coaches. And, I learned that it may be much more difficult to be on the sidelines than in the game myself.

Having eased into youth sports by starting with soccer, the boys are now playing basketball through i9 Sports, currently with one week remaining in their first season. i9 Sports offers team sports for kids with a strong focus on sportsmanship, fun, and providing a positive experience for both kids and parents. Our experience has been extremely positive so far; the coaches are excellent, the fundamentals are being taught, and the kids are learning! It is amazing to be a part of teaching your kids about the sport I have loved most of my life. And, of course, the blessing of living in San Antonio is that we can practice and play in the backyard all winter long!

The day BOTH boys won the team medal AND the team got their first win!

Don't Carpe Diem - from Momastery

2012-01-14T16:57:00.001-06:00

I discovered a blog recently called Momastery, which is, as you might have suspected, is mainly applicable to moms, with a tagline of "Stepping Back, Slowing Down, and Focusing Up." I became aware of the blog through a share on Facebook of this post: 2011 Lesson #2 : Don’t Carpe Diem.

AMAZING Post.

I found myself nodding, yes, yes, EXACTLY! as I read. I've read several of Glennon's other posts since then - I've laughed (especially about the Yes, This Really Happened post), I've cried, I've read them aloud to Jeremy and he's laughed with me. The On Gifts and Talents was particularly applicable as we're adjusting to having 'school agers'.

It's true, as a mom, I can hardly go a day without somebody telling me 'how fast these days go', 'treasure every moment', etc. Justin came home with a prize from the treasure box that was a disguise kit from Chick Fil A. The kit actually included a "Parent Guide" with these words on the top "Inspiring You to Make Every Moment with Your Child Count". Yes, you even heart it from kid's meal toys. It can be tiring if you lose perspective!

My goal this year is to put less pressure on myself. Less pressure to do, be, give the appearance of. More fun with the boys, and most importantly, with my husband! Maybe it's time for a trip to the beach!

Does Jesus Hate Religion?

2012-01-14T15:49:00.001-06:00

Recently, the below video has been making the rounds on the web. I had seen several people share it on Facebook and became a little bit curious as to what it was about.

The first time I watched the video, it was as part of reading this blog post:

Does Jesus Hate Religion? Kinda, Sorta, Not Really

I thought there were many good points in the video, and some concerns about the video that were highlighted in the blog post, so this post is not to reiterate what has already been written on and commented on by many people. As the blog points out, which is something I've been observing frequently lately, definitions matter. We have to make sure we're talking about the same thing when we start making observations about this or that, what is or isn't. It's not enough for me to simply say 'Christianity is about a relationship, not a religion', even if I know exactly what I mean by that in my mind. Being Biblically accurate is important!

Another birthday at our house

2012-01-13T16:40:00.002-06:00

We were able to celebrate a birthday with Dylan this week. We had a good time putting his cake together and playing with the dry ice again :) I can't believe he is almost ready to be in kinder! Dylan says thank you so much for all the great gifts he received from near and far! Thank you, thank you, for helping us celebrate with Dylan!

Buzz Lightyear Rocket Dry Ice Cake

Birthday boy isn't too old to konk out for a nap from all the excitement!

If I was to get sentimental, I'd compare the nap picture to this picture way back in the day.

Mountain Dew' slogan: "It'll tickle yore innards"

2012-01-06T12:19:00.000-06:00

There was a recent article about a lawsuit filed against Pepsi regarding a mouse allegedly found in a can of Mountain Dew. The defense that Pepsi used to say the claim was false is that Mountain Dew would have dissolved the mouse in the 15 months between bottling and the day the plaintiff opened up the can.
Ugh. How disturbing. Mountain Dew was my go-to beverage during my college days. I tried to quit drinking soda while I was pregnant and then never really resumed, although I occasionally have Sprite or Mountain Dew. Of course, there are a multitude of studies about how bad soda is for you, and how Sprite & Mountain Dew especially are horrific for your teeth.

So, after reading this article, I promptly drank the last can of Mountain Dew in our pantry. Cheers!

Bob Marley is so wise

2012-01-04T19:03:00.001-06:00

Here's to you, Jeremy, the love of my life!

Source: Uploaded by user via Nicole on Pinterest

Starry Night

2012-01-04T12:58:00.003-06:00

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the stars and the moon in the night sky. One of my first answers to that age-old question of 'what do you want to be when you grow up' was that I wanted to be an astronomer or astronaut. Very quickly in high school physics with Mr. Carr (my only A- in high school; yes, I'm still bitter), I realized that while I enjoyed star gazing, I liked business classes quite a bit more than physics classes. Of course, I had the benefit of growing up in a very rural area of northern Nebraska where there was absolutely no light pollution and a level landscape, so the Milky Way would, in an amazing way, spread out over the heavens. Now, we have a bit more light pollution and horizon inhibitors in San Antonio, but we like to go out and look when the International Space Station can be seen or check out constellations (of course, there is an app for that!).

Enjoy this video - both the lyrics and the pictures - Starry Night by Chris August:

Oh, and to get my backyard astronomer moment in..I have read that the picture included in the video of the huge crescent moon pointing up/sunset is actually a drawing, not an actual photo - you can read about that here if you like!

Recently in San Antonio, however, we DID have a crescent moon point up away form the horizon instead of the more common sideways configuration, which is a rather unique (to me anyway) moon phase, looking similar to this photo. This is sometimes called a wet moon, a Cheshire moon, or a dry moon. This is caused when the crescent of the moon, during its orbit around the Earth, displays the result of that orbit as well as that of Earth's orbit around the Sun (or so Wikipedia says). Happy star and moon gazing!

What God wills vs. What God allows

2012-01-01T21:11:00.001-06:00

I found the following passage interesting; because sometimes 'it was his time to go' is just too pat of an answer to address the pain of the death of a 'young' person.

"Who can comprehend how those whom God takes so early are chosen? Does not the early death of some young Christians always appear to us as if God was plundering his own best instruments in a time when they are most needed? Yet the Lord makes no mistakes;..We should put an end to our human thoughts, which always wish to know more than they can, and cling to that which is certain. Whomever God calls home is someone God has loved...We know, of course, that God and the devil are engaged in battle in the world and that the devil also has a say in death. In the face of death we cannot simply speak in some fatalistic way, "God wills it"; but we must juxtapose it with the other reality, "God does not will it." Death reveals that the world is not as it should be but that it stands in need of redemption. Christ alone is the conquering of death. Here the sharp antithesis between "God wills it" and "God does not will it" comes to a head and also finds it's resolution. God accedes to that which God does not will, and from now on death itself must therefore serve God..."

pg. 383-384 from Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

The Difference

2012-01-01T20:57:00.000-06:00

As I recently posted, I read a biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. One of the main questions he thought about throughout his life was the question 'what is the church?'. His answer to that question (pg 63): was that the church is neither a historical entity nor an institution, but is "Christ existing as church-community."

Linked to that question in my mind are the questions 'what is a Christian?' and 'what is Christianity?'. The "Christian" label is applied to so many divergent things, people, ideas, concepts that it has lost a singular meaning (similar to 'liberal' or 'conservative'). I find it so interesting that Bonhoeffer had a doctorate in theology, was a curate, completed a teaching fellowship at an American seminary, preached many sermons, and lectured on theology at the University of Berlin, among other things, before he had become a Christian. Similar to Paul, Bonhoeffer had all the 'wordly' credentials, but not a personal relationship with Christ!

In his words (pgs 123-124) from 1936, 'something happened, something that has changed and transformed my life to the present day. For the first time I discovered the Bible..I had often preached. I had seen a great deal of the Church and talked and preached about it - but I had not yet become a Christian...Also, I had never prayed or prayed only a very little. The Bible and the Sermon on the Mount freed me...Since then everything has changed." He became a regular churchgoer for the first time - he had previously only loved the philosophical and academic give and take of theological ideas.

Bonhoeffer differentiated (pg 84) between Christianity as a religion like all the others - which attempt but fail to make an ethical way for man to climb to heaven of his own accord - and following Christ, who demands everything, including our very lives.

p 467 '...standard-issue 'religion' had made God small, having dominion only over those things we could not explain. That 'religious' God was merely the "God of the gaps," the God who concerned himself with our 'secret sins' and hidden thoughts. But Bonhoeffer rejected this abbreviated God. The God of the Bible was Lord over everything, over every scientific discovery. He was Lord over not just what we did not know, but over what we know and were discovering through science. Bonhoeffer was wondering if it wasn't time to bring God into the whole world and stop pretending He only wanted to live in those religious corners that we reserved for Him."

There is a difference between theological ideas and having a life-changing, intimate, personal relationship with Jesus based on our acceptance of Him as our Savior from our sins, making a conscious decision to seek the God of the Bible. Similarly, there is a difference in our society today between the blanket "Christian" label and a "Christ follower", between "church activities" and "Christ existing as church-community." What very crucial differences!

Women Prefer Black Attire at Work

2012-01-01T20:02:00.003-06:00

Check out this article:

http://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2011/12/13/women-prefer-black-attire-at-work/?mod=dist_smartbrief

By WSJ Staff

: Calvin Klein; A look from Calvin Klein’s pre-fall 2012 collection

The Juggle blog points to a CareerBuilder survey showing that 51% of female senior executives typically wear black clothes to work, compared to just 18% of men, who prefer blue.

The results also showed that 63% of senior executives typically wear business casual, while only 14% wear suits.

Even my work/stay at home wardrobe agrees. See:

It's like that phrase (perhaps from a Harley Davidson shirt or something?), I'm only wearing black until they make something darker.