Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Theology, Kid Style

I got this in an email from one of my Aunts.
I had to share it with everyone... :)

1. Dear God,Please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now. Amanda
2. Dear God,Thank you for the baby brother but what I asked for was a puppy. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up. Joyce
3. Dear Mr. God,I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come apart. I had to have 3 stitches and a shot. Janet
4. God,I read the bible. What does beget mean? Nobody will tell me. Love, Alison
5. Dear God,How did you know you were God? Who told you? Charlene
6. Dear God, Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his golf words in the house? Anita
7. Dear God, I bet it's very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I cannever do it. Nancy
8. Dear God, I like the story about Noah the best of all of them.
You really made up some good ones. I like walking on water, too. Glenn
9. Dear God, My Grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy.How far back do you go?Love, Dennis
10. Dear God, Do you draw the lines around the countries?If you don't, who does? Nathan
11. Dear God, Did you mean for giraffes to look like that or was it an accident? Norma
12. Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they each had their own rooms. It works out OK with me and my brother. Larry
13. Dear God, If you watch in Church on Sunday I will show you my new shoes. Barbara
14. Dear God, Is Reverend Coe a friend of yours, or do you just know him through the business?Donny
15. Dear God, It is great the way you always get the stars in the right place. Why can't you do that with the moon? Jeff
16. Dear God, I am doing the best I can. Really. Frank
17. Dear God, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday night. That was really cool. Thomas

Monday, April 18, 2005

Chili

Tonight, I made chili from scratch... and it was yummy!

I am so proud of myself! :)

Friday, April 15, 2005

Book Club

Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them by John Ortberg

Ok, I've been reading this book since last summer. Considering it is only 234 pages, you might wonder why it's taken me SO long to finish it (especially those of you who know how quickly I devour books).
Here's the reason why-- this book has SO much for you to think about, you really need to take the time to read it slowly and process the information that Ortberg is giving you to think about. Personally, I think this would be a great book to do with small groups because the whole book is about Community. However, even reading it on your own (like I did) you learn a TON and you can pass it on to others in word and action.
Ortberg is addressing the issue of community in a fantastic way. Basically he's saying, God created us to live in community, but in our broken human state, we can't achieve the closeness we desire. Ortberg calls it the porcupine dilemma: "We need each other, but how do we get close without getting hurt? How do we get past all those quills and grow together in Christ?"

It I highly recommend this book to everyone. Ortberg presents his material through biblical and life stories. Seriously, everyone needs to read this book! It's a key to unlocking the barriers between yourself and the rest of humanity (because they really are there, even if you don't want to acknowldege them).

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

State of the World

So, I'm at the gym, working out on the Elyptical machine... and I'm watching the news (it was either that or sports--the choice was obvious). On both CNN and the local news, at the same time, they were reporting on woman being attacked by men... locally and nationally.
And I was thinking to myself... it really sucks being a woman sometimes.

I couldn't help but think of Christina Aguilera's song, "Can't Hold Us Down"

This is for my girls all around the world... Who've come across a man who don't respect your worth... Thinking all women should be seen, not heard...So what do we do girls? Shout louder! Letting them know we're gonna stand our ground... Lift your hands high and wave them proud... Take a deep breath and say it loud... Never can, never will, can't hold us down

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Ah, Life

Life keeps one so busy! :) But it can afford some highlights!
Yesterday my Dad took my on a ride on his motorcycle. It was so much fun. We are planning a trip to Florida in June and we are going to rent bikes and go riding with my Uncle and his wife. It will be so much fun. My Dad and brother both have their mototcycle license. I am looking forward to it.
Now that I'm thinking of it, it's not really life that keeps me so busy, but my own self. Such is my life! However, I cannot seem to function any other way.
At least I have things to look forward to ... in particular, an upcoming trip to Portland to visit Cassi and Sean! I am so very excited. Yeah for good friends!

Book Club Update

Life can keep you so busy! I've been reading, but I've gotten behind with posting what I've read! So sorry! :) Here's what I've read as of late:

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Shannon, my dear BFF, gave me this book to read. It is VERY interesting and not like anything else I've read before.
The book is about a traveling circus whose owners devise to save it by bearing children who can be their own shows. They accomplish this by having the mother ingest insecticides, drugs, arsenic-- anything to make the child more "special." The results are intriguing. One of the commentaries on this book says that "it is a fantastic story, thre product of an imagination totally unfettered by literary convention."
That truly is the best way to describe this book. My favorite characters were Electra and Iphigenia (also known as Elly and Iphy). They were Siamese twins with perfect upper bodies joined at the waist and sharing one set of hips and legs. The best part was that they played the piano... gotta love that! :)
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys an intriguing story.

A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
Another book given to me by Shannon. A beautiful story of love between a man and woman. A line I particularly loved was "Those who see love as only sex or mainly sex do not, quite simply, know what love is." Isn't that the truth. Something the younger generation needs to be slapped in the face with -- with all love and compassion, of course.
Also, there is a great deal of discussions of faith which is particularly inspired by a friendship with C.S. Lewis.

Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott
A novel by Miss Lamott. Another birthday present from my dear roommie Jamie.
This is a story of a woman going through a divorce who moves back to her childhood home with her two children. There are some similarities to her non-fiction book, Traveling Mercies--experiences that her main character goes through that she experienced in her own life. In that respect, I would have to say that I preferred reading Traveling Mercies to this book.
This novel was an ok read. Having only read two of Miss Lamott's books, I can't say indefinitely, but so far, I have preferred reading her non-fiction insights instead of reading them through characters in a novel.

That's all for now.... More books to come! :)