Nothing From Me

I have been sick the last week and curled up on my couch for the most part. It's also been a trying time for my family back in New Jersey, to put it mildly. Living so far away has left me feeling a bit helpless. As a result, blogging hasn't exactly been a top priority. So, until I bounce back (which should be soon), I thought I'd bite off the talent of my fellow bloggers. :)

Here are some posts that struck a chord with me. Enjoy! Discuss!

Julie Clawson over at Onehandclapping has a great series going on right now on the validity of intellectualism in the life of Christian faith. Some good stuff.

The basic flaw in the argument, in my opinion, is the assumption that people can’t worship or connect with God through books, discussion, and theology. Those things apparently teach one about God, but only prayer, contemplation, and worship can help one actually get to know God. This is an argument that I’ve heard many times before and one I strongly disagree with. I do connect to God through things like books and theology and I find things like singing and contemplation forced and hollow. I’ve been told my whole life that the only real way to connect with God is through those acts and that there must be something wrong with me if it wasn’t working for me. And when I did draw closer to God through intellectual pursuits I was informed that I wasn’t really engaged in worship or true relationship. It all served to make me feel rather inadequate as a Christian. But those assumptions just aren’t true. My experience and the experiences of others I know demonstrate that intellectual paths are just as meaningful and valid ways of relating to God as the more emotional and mystical.

Read the rest of the series here....

Life of the Mind Part 1

Life of the Mind Part 2

Life of the Mind Part 3

Wilsford over at TreeReach wrote up an excellent AND pithy piece on the subject of judgmental responses to sin and compassionate responses to sin.

To put away judgmentalism is to practice grace. It's the recognition that if you experienced your neighbor's situation as they experience it, that you, too, might sin as they sin. In terms of your religious practice, grace doesn't change the terms of sin. It does change, however, your response to sin. And isn't that what love is supposed to be about?

Read the rest here...

Judgmental

A Unique Tag!

I've been tagged by Terry. The premise of this tag is to reach for the book closest to you, flip to page 123, find the 5th sentence and post that sentence and the 3 following it. Kinda fun!

The book closest to me at the moment is The Return of The Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, by Henri Nouwen.

Page 123:

"Perhaps the most radical statement Jesus ever made is: 'Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.' God's compassion is described by Jesus not simply to show me how willing God is to feel for me, or to forive me my sins and offer me new life and happiness, but to invite me to become like God and show the same compassion to others as he is showing to me. If the only meaning of the story were that people sin but God forgives, I could easily begin to think of my sins as a fine occasion for God to show me his forgiveness; there would be no real challenge in such an interpretation. I would resign myself to my weakness and keep hoping that eventually God would close His eyes to them and let me come home, whatever I did. Such sentimental romanticism is not the message of the Gospels."

Ok, I cheated and included an extra sentence, deal with it!

Anyway, I love Henri Nouwen. He was a remarkable man with incredible insight, who fought the good fight. He finally received the homecoming he was looking for.

I tag Mike, Erich, Christy. Tonya, and Catrina.

Good Theology From Pamela Anderson?

For years, Pamela Anderson has always given money or bought meals for homeless people on the street. No matter what city she is in, or who she is with, or how much of a hurry she is in, she always gives to any homeless people she sees along the away. Recently, she was asked why she feels compelled to do this and has NEVER passed any homeless people by. She responded:

"If I refuse one of them, I'd be like, 'Oh my God, what if that was Jesus?'"

Truth found in odd places is truth nonetheless.

The Wonderful World of Books

"A book is always a dialogue with other readers and other books."
-- Tim O'Reilly

I've been tagged by Terry, a wonderfully witty, intelligent, spunky woman and writer, who is also at times my ideological arch-nemesis! :) This is a survey all about books, and I LOVE BOOKS.....so here we go. But I don't follow rules so well and can't just settle on one for each question, so deal with it. :)

1. One book that changed your life: Speaking My Mind by Tony Campolo and God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and The Left Doesn't Get it and Soul Survivors: How 13 unlikely mentors helped my faith survive the church by Philip Yancey. These books introduced me to another side of Christianity, expressing alternative methods of approaching faith, church, politics, poverty, and living out the Kingdom of God.

2. One book that you have read more than once: The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis. C.S. Lewis' fictional portray of Jesus helped me grasp the actual Jesus: one that is both Just and Merciful, awesome and terrible, knowable yet mysterious, and definitely not a tame lion. :)

3. One book you would want on a deserted island: The Bible and the Chronicles of Narnia.

4. One book that made you laugh: America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide To Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart.

5. One book that made you cry: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Rivers creates a beautiful, riveting work of fiction, demonstrating God's endless, redeeming love in the midst of complex human dysfunction. It is based on the book of Hosea found in the bible, where God commands the prophet to marry a prostitute. God goes to extraordinary lengths to redeem us, eh?

6. One book that I wish I had written: Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2 by Steve Stockman. If I had wrote this book, I mostly likely would have been able to meet Bono, so there ya go.

7. One book that you wish had never been written: OK, this is a book that I am actually glad was written, but disagree with its many of its conclusions: Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart Erhman. It's about textual criticisms and the process that took place of translating and transposing the New Testament. Erhman's findings are intriguing, but SOME of his conclusions are obviously not congruent with people of fatih, and other conclusions should be prayerfully considered. But even Christian scholars concede to the veracity of his work, but disagree with many of his conclusions. It's a book that more Christians should read, just for the challenge of digging deeper into their preconceived notions, beliefs and faith.

8. One book you are currently reading: They Like Jesus, But Not the Church by Dan Kimbal and Everything Must Change by Brain Mclaren. So far, I am fascinated by these books, so there will be more to come on each.

8.One book you have been meaning to read: The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri Nouwen (love him) and 10 Lies the Church Tells Women by J. Lee Grady (reading for part of the research I'm currently doing on the roles of women, so more to come on this subject too.). I'm just waiting forAmazon to ship 'em to me!

There you have it, just a small portion of the books that have resonated with me.

I am going to tag Makeesha over at Swinging From The Vine, Catrina over at It's Me, Tonya over at The Kissack Chronicles, Deann over at The Rollins Family, and Angela over at Our World.

Hope Vs. Optimism

I am in the middle of gathering books and other materials to continue researching various perspectives on bible interpretation, theological and spiritual matters, and expressions of the christian faith. I came across a book written by R. Kirby Godsey, former President of Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia, entitled, "When We Talk About God, Let's Be Honest." I read few excerpts, and found evidence of a promising read on humanity's relationship to God and each other. The vivid picture he paints of the many facets of hope and how hope translates into definite action deeply resonated with me.

Unlike naive optimism, hope faces the tragedy of all that is not right and fosters within us the courage and energy to work toward making things right. Hope rights the wrongs. Hope does not say, "Don't worry about it; God will take care of everything." Hope becomes the agent of God in making the world right. Hope searches for ways to overcome terrorism. Hope becomes a part of undoing the violence of abuse and abandonment that threatens us. Hope embraces the lonely. Hope carries coats to the elderly in winter. Hope takes the homeless home. Hope feeds the hungry and clothes the naked. Hope forgives the hurt. In very concrete, specific ways, hope is the eternity breaking into the time of our lives. God's presence changes the character of our time on earth. The Christian understanding of last things is not, then, chiefly about judgement day or heaven and hell. The Christian's last word is about hope. To be Christian means being present in time with the power of hope.

I'm looking forward to reading the book in its entirety! Thank God for the printing press, eh?

Postponed Thankfulness

I haven't been in a "bloggy" mood as of late. I've been dealing with some personal issues, finishing up term papers for school and picking up extra shifts at work in preparation for the holidays. But I did want to give thanks for the myriad of spectacular gifts in my life. So here is the abridged list of the people, things, and situations I am grateful for.

1. A God who is patient, kind, slow to anger, and who embraces doubtful honesty over pretend certainty.

2. My husband, without whom, I would be lying in a ditch somewhere. :) He is the love of my life, who was well worth the wait (13 friggin years!) and who is worth the time, energy, and *fight* it takes to be in a marriage that grows its members closer to each other and God. I love you now and forever!

3. My mother and grandmother. They are my heroes. They sacrificed SO much and did their best in very difficult situations.

4. Good friends.. (you know who you are) I've been really fortunate to form lifelong friendships with unique individuals that stand by me through thick and thin and challenge me to be better.

5. My puppums. They are an entirely different *breed* of companionship, without which, my life would be less fulfilled.

6. Good music. Nothing, and I mean nothing, has challenged me to THINK, QUESTION, and ACT, as well as inspired me to hope, love, understand, and create like the art and language of music. Music possesses the unique ability to stir the soul, exposing all that is there and all that is not.

7. I am thankful for the many mentors over the years that have challenged me to go "farther up and further in" (Chronicles of Narnia fans understand what that means): Uncle Mark, Dante, C.S. Lewis, Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis, Henri Nouwen, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., etc.

The list could go on forever of all, but since 7 is the number of completion, I'll stop there! And thanks to all the people who come by to visit my crazy blog!

Indifference Be Gone!

Indifference. The subtle strangler of passion and creativity. The novocaine that numbs crusades for moral revolution and the pursuit of social justice. The seductive adulterer that defiles our marriage with hope and compassion. Indifference and her sisters, cynicism and complacency, cloud our visions for change and idealism. We live in a world that worships at the altar of indifference. I've knelt before that altar from time to time. I've fallen asleep in the comforts of my freedom. I wrestle with indifference and I'm sure most people do, too, so I thought I'd post some famous quotes on the subject.

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
--Elie Wiesel

Now my friends, I am opposed to the system of society in which we live today, not because I lack the natural equipment to do for myself but because I am not satisfied to make myself comfortable knowing that there are thousands of my fellow men who suffer for the barest necessities of life. We were taught under the old ethic that man's business on this earth was to look out for himself. That was the ethic of the jungle; the ethic of the wild beast. Take care of yourself, no matter what may become of your fellow man. Thousands of years ago the question was asked; ''Am I my brother's keeper?'' That question has never yet been answered in a way that is satisfactory to civilized society.

Yes, I am my brother's keeper. I am under a moral obligation to him that is inspired, not by any maudlin sentimentality but by the higher duty I owe myself. What would you think me if I were capable of seating myself at a table and gorging myself with food and saw about me the children of my fellow beings starving to death.
--Eugene V. Debs:

Indifference is the strongest force in the universe. It makes everything it touches meaningless. Love and hate don't stand a chance against it.
--Joan Vinge

First they came for the Jews. I was silent. I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists. I was silent. I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists. I was silent. I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me. There was no one left to speak for me.
--Martin Niemöller

Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.
--Paulo Freire

The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.
--Robert M. Hutchins

“Love will find a way. Indifference will find an excuse.”
--unknown

“The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men”
--Plato

“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
--Haile Selassie

We Need Some Roomies!

Will and I have decided to rent out two bedrooms and share our home with some roommates, if we can find some!

Our only requirements are they:

1. Can't be a serial killer :)
2. Must like dogs
3. Must be able to pay rent on time

Rent is $350 per month and that includes all utilities. DSL and DirecTV are available in each room. We have two fully furnished living rooms, so there is plenty of space to hang out besides the rental rooms. :)

So if any of you know of anyone who would like to live in Northeast Georgia or would like to find out more info, please send them my way. They can e-mail me at BeauTIAful@aol.com

Ambiguously Gay Duo Gets A New Getup!

Sam and Scrappy got new outfits today. They look like little sailors/inmates. :)

And as you can see below...they love 'em!

And I just find this picture says it all.."I love ya man, but you're in my personal space."

Doggings!

I don't have children like most of my other blogging buddies and many of their posts are pictures of the fun things they do with their little darlings. My life is very different-instead of homeschooling, cooking, and chasing after kids, I work and go to school. Unfortunately, those activities don't make for cute pictures. But I do have dogs that I cherish. Some would say TOO many dogs, and they are probably right. But I completely love my dogs and enjoy the time I spend with them. Anyway, here are some recent photos of some funny moments with the pups.

The Ambiguously Gay DUO!
(SNL fans know what I mean...and it's a joke, so everyone just unclench)

Sam (white and red guy) and Scrappy (lil brown guy) are our two inside dogs and are the best of friends. They do EVERYTHING together...eat, sleep, wrestle, etc. etc.

Luna (black and white girl) and Caspian (tawny guy) are the dogs we've had since Will and I have been married. If you want to get technical, Caspian is a bastard, cause we had him out of wedlock! :) Aravis (the black girl) we got from a shelter when we moved down here.
Luna, as you can see, is OBSESSED with playing ball.

Above, are Roonwit (lil tawny guy) and Aravis (the black girl). They are, well, sort of "married." They are ALWAYS together...playing, running, wrestling, and well...ahem..you know. They are surprisingly monogamous for canines. It's kind of sweet and just one more reason why I am convinced that God gave dogs the ability to love. This is Cappuccino and Roonwit. Cappa is Roonwit a Aravis' lovechild :)

This Mocha. Roonwit and Aravis' other lovechild. He is one of the sweetest dogs. He used to be painfully shy and didn't really care about interacting with people. But one day he got caught up in our hammock, really bad. His back legs where tangled up SO TIGHTLY and he couldn't get out. He was yelping and Will heard him and saved the little guy. Ever since that day, Mocha became a "people dog," giving lots of hugs and nuzzles. Very CUTE!
This is Jewel (Luna's daughter) chilling with scrappy.

This is Susan (Jewel's sister). She is our smallest outside dog, yet she has the biggest mouth. :)But she is very sweet and playful.

So this is our canine clan. One of my favorite things to do is sit on my trampoline and watch the dogs play tag and run in circles around the full length of our fenced in yard. Giving such sweet creatures a safe place to reside where they can run and play as much as they want is so mysteriously satisfying. Sometimes I'm actually jealous of my dogs (and I say mine, cause they have good lives, while sadly so many others do not) They are so care-free, with no worries and without any concept of death or evil. But I digress.

Anyway this my little canine family. They're a huge part of my life, so I thought I'd share.

Favorite Quotes

You come of the Lord Adam and Lady Eve. That is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar and shame enough to bow the shoulders the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.”--Aslan

"God is with the vulnerable and the poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunities and lives. And God is with us, if we are with them."-Bono

“I do not believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”--Galileo

"The devil has two horns: the horn of pride that says there is nothing we ought to do, and the horn of despair that says there is nothing we can do."- unknown

"Christianity is not called to conservatism, but to change. Jesus came into the world, not to conserve the system that was, but to change the world into what it ought to be."-Tony Campolo

"He who fights monsters must take care lest he become a monster. When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

“Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil.”-Elie Wiesel

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.--Mother Teresa

“The test of our progress is not whether we add to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough to those who have little.”-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"A breaking heart in an empty room was the loudest sound I never heard."- The Submarines

"I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill."- Gandhi

"If I am honest I'm rebelling against my own indifference. I am rebelling against the idea that the world is the way the world is and there's not a damned thing I can do about it. So I'm trying to do some damned thing."-Bono

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."-C. S. Lewis

"Jesus in this song You wrote, the words are sticking in my throat, 'Peace on Earth, Peace on Earth."-Bono

"An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind."-Mahatma Gandhi

"Some men see things that are and ask 'why?' I dream things that never were and ask 'why not?'"

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."-Martin Luther King Jr.

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."-C. S. Lewis

"If you want to serve the age, betray it."- Brendan Kennelly

"Every age has its massive moral blind spots. We might not see them, but our children will. Slavery was one of them and the people who best served that age were the ones who called it as it was--which was ungodly and inhuman. Ben Franklin called it what it was when he became president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. Segregation. There was another one. America sees this now, but it took a civil rights movement to betray their age. And 50 years ago the U.S. Supreme Court betrayed the age May 17, 1954, Brown vs. Board of Education came down and put the lie to the idea that separate can ever really be equal. Amen to that. Fast forward 50 years. May 17, 2004. What are the ideas right now worth betraying? What are the lies we tell ourselves now? What are the blind spots of our age?"- Bono

"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."-Gandhi

"An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law."-MLK

"Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create." -Pope John Paul II

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."-Martin Luther King Jr.

"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty, and all forms of human life."- John F. Kennedy

"Jesus reserved his hardest words for the hidden sins of hypocrisy, pride, greed and legalism." --Philip Yancey

"It's not enough to rage against the lie.. you've got to replace it with the truth."-Bono

"Throughout the Bible, God shows a marked preference for "real" people over "good" people." Phillip Yancey

"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much" -Walter Lippmann

"The important thing is never to stop questioning."-Albert Einstein

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."-Mother Teresa

"It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."-Mahatma Gandhi

"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"-Abraham Lincoln

"Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."-Mahatma Gandhi

"Poverty is the worst form of violence."-Gandhi

"The problem is not somebody putting faith into action. The problem is when they name the faith and don't put it into action."-Jim Wallis

"A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing."-Oscar Wilde

“There was never a good war or a bad peace.”-Benjamin Franklin

“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.”-Eleanor Roosevelt

“It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness."-Eleanor Roosevelt

"Humanity should question itself, once more, about the absurd and always unfair phenomenon of war, on whose stage of death and pain only remain standing the negotiating table that could and should have prevented it."-Pope John Paul II

"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example."-Mark Twain

"Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again."-James R. Cook

"Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create."-Pope John Paul II

"At a certain point, God is not looking for alms, God is looking for action."-Bono

"It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma."-Bono

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."-Martin Luther King Jr.

"To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."-Martin Luther King Jr.

"Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our piety, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment."-Bono

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."-Abraham Lincoln

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."-Abraham Lincoln

TAGGED TWICE!

Angela and Tonya tagged me for two separate surveys, so I'll answer both in one post.

Tonya's: I have to say 4 things I've experienced in the last 4 years and 4 things I hope to do in the next 4 years....

1. A child I waited on at Red Lobster unwittingly changed the course of my life.
He ordered a hamburger and without thinking I asked: "Would you like fries with that?" As soon as the cliched phrase left my mouth, it became unescapably clear that if I did not decide to do something meaningful with my life soon, I'd be waiting tables for the rest of it. The next day I registered to get my high school diploma and made plans for college.

2. We moved to Georgia, for a few reasons. One: God made us ( I was opposed at first). Change was a big factor. We wanted to be away from everything we ever knew, so we could better learn how to cling to each other as husband and wife. The third reason was so I could make my dream of going to college come true (life is expensive in NJ and we couldn't afford school and afford to live).

3. Once I started Gainesville College, I had to face my fear of failure. I was always afraid to apply myself because I did not want to fail. After two years in college I've maintained a 3.9 GPA (although my upcoming math and science courses might alter that quite a bit) and I've gotten to be an editor and writer on the school newspaper. I have loved learning the art of expression in the form of writing, it's such powerful tool (as you can see since I've ruffled quite a few feather with just my blog entries, wait til my book is finished! hehe).

4. I discovered The One Campaign: To Make Poverty History, a movement of over 2 million Americans committed to the truth that "where you live should not determine whether you live." It is one of the most revolutionary justice-based movements defending the cause of the poor and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

In the next four years I hope to:

1. Graduate from College (hopefully UGA)
2. Journey with my husband on missions trip to Africa through The One Campaign or with a Tony Campolo organization.
3. Have a baby (Little Corin Mark or Keira Lorelai will arrive someday).
4. Work at a Christian magazine (the dream is Sojournors) and write columns that open the floor for diverse dialogue of faith and champion the cause of social justice.

Angela's Survey

Five Things I Was Doing Ten Years Ago:

1. Disparaging Geometry class
2.Shamelessly chasing after William and writing "Tia Lynn Lecorchick" on my notebooks
3. Starting the "Porch Ministry."
4. Watching Nick and Nite with my grandma
5. Hanging out with the Breakaway crew (youth group).

Five Snacks I Enjoy:
1. apples and peanut butter
2. Chips and salsa
3. Chicken salad with A1 (don't judge).
4. mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and balsamic
5. Those yummy flavored pretzel bits

Five Songs I Know The Lyrics To:
1. "I still haven't found what I'm looking for"- by U2 (and most of their other songs too)
2. Amazing Grace (most people only know 4 of the verses, but I went to Catholic school, so I learned all 8 of them)
3. Milkshake (only to torture Will with)
4. Up To The Mountain- By Patty Griffin ( a beautiful song about Martin Luther King Jr.)
5. Theme song to Fresh Prince of Belair :)




Five Things I'd Do If I Were A Millionaire:

1. pay off debt!
2. Pay off friend's and family's debts
3. Sponsor the efforts of The One Campaign: To Make Poverty History,
4. Start a dog farm for all the strays in Georgia and fix 'em.
5. Buy all my friends and family houses IN GEORGIA so they could live near me :)

Five Bad Habits:

1. nail biting
2. knuckle cracking
3. impatience
4. trying to pop Will's pimples in public-sorry honey! :)
5. sticking my floor in my mouth.

Five Things I'd Never Wear Again:

1. stripes
2. shoulder pads
3. overalls
4. Maura's crazy shirt that looks like a unicorn threw up on it--I tried it on once, NEVER AGAIN!
5. polka-dots

Five Things I Like To Do:

1. Read challenging/creative books
2. Play with my dogs
3. laugh/play/bicker with Will
4. watch American Idol (that's right, I love it).
5. Debate current issues (I know, you're shocked)

Five Favorite Toys (my list is from childhood)

1. Rainbow Brite doll and friends
2. My D.A.R.E. Bear (still have it)
3. Care Bear dolls
4. Thundercats, He-Man and Sheera action figures
5. Gameboy (oh the Tetris days)

Five People I'm Tagging:
1. Gordon
2. Marissa (so she'll be forced to start up her blog)
3. Erich Roneree
4. Laura Fodor
5. Deann Rollins

The Reoccurring Dream

The sun is peaking and its overpowering light stings my eyes. I am standing on a dock; an endless shimmering sea lies behind me and a rugged wooden cabin lies in front of me. I head toward the beckoning refuge of the shaded cabin and enter as if I'd always lived there, even though it is a strange and unfamiliar place. I rummage through dresser drawers until I find a hair brush. Standing before a full length mirror, I comb the curls out of my hair. I hum for a moment before singing one of my favorite songs:

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
"Let it be."
And in my hour of darkness
Standing right in front of me
There will come an answer
"Let it be."

As I approach the second verse, I hear a familiar voice singing. My eyes glance beyond my reflection to see my estranged father standing directly behind me. Unshaken, even indifferent, I continue to sing, as does he:

When all the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will come an answer
"Let it be."
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be no sorrow
"Let it be"
Let it be. Let It Be
There will come an answer
Let it be

Before arriving at the last verse, I turn to face him, and reach out for his hands. We continue to sing.

Though it may be cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on 'til tomorrow
Let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
There will come an answer
Let it be

The song ends along with the moment. As if snapping out of a trance, I relinquish my grasp of the cold limp hands and turn away from the unwavering complacent stare. I cannot find my voice to speak, though I'm unsure of what I would say. I run out the backdoor and down the dock. The day has grown old and the wind roams haphazardly about; the sun is sinking beneath the sapphire sea, transforming a pale blue sky into a canvas of pink, red, and orange streaks. I dive into water and swim toward the horizon. I look back to see my father standing on the edge of dock with his hands in his pockets, enjoying the sights of nature.

I disappear beneath the sea's surface and stare through the massive waters. Hundreds of illuminating golden poker chips plunge into the silent sea, slowly sinking toward the unforeseen bottom. Completely surrounded by the fleeing poker chips, I yearn to have one, but I am unable to reach any. I watch the last of the golden poker chips sink out of sight. Then I wake up.

I've had this dream sporadically over the last few months and it's always the same. The images in it stay with me for days and bring up all kinds of undefined emotions. Writing is therapeutic for me and I read that writing out reoccurring dreams can help them to cease. So, I decided to write out the dream in a descriptive narrative style to express it. Maybe it means something, maybe it means nothing-but it is a bitter-sweet dream that visits me from time to time.

This is the version of the song that is always sung in my dream:

Question About The Da Vinci Code

This might sound like a weird question, but I am curious, so I'll ask.

The DA Vinci Code, first a theory (or fable), then a novel, then a movie, stirred a huge commotion among Christians because of its assertion that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and she gave birth to His daughter after He was crucified.

I was watching a documentary about the DA Vinci Code on the History Channel, and it featured a few Evangelical leaders on the program. One of them said, "It is complete and utter blasphemy to even suggest Jesus was married," Another said, "Jesus being married is a lie created to take down the church."

Now, I do not believe for one second that Jesus was married. I don't believe there is any proof or reliable record of such a union. I don't think it served His purpose in coming to Earth, establishing the new covenant, and sacrificing Himself for the sins of the world.

That being said, why would it be blasphemy or take down the church, if it were somehow "proven" that Jesus was married? I can see if the premise was that Jesus was shacking up with Mary Magdalene. The assertion would be: Jesus sinned, thus exposing his divinity as a fraud, and negating his death on the cross. Now that would be blasphemy and threaten the legitimacy of the church.

But suppose for a moment that it could be "proven" that Jesus did marry Mary Magdalene. Would it really shake the foundations of Christianity? Or would it just be one more fact about Jesus' life in which He set an example of what a marriage should be like and another picture of the bride of Christ? If it had always been taught that Jesus was married, I don't think any of us would think it was weird. Again, I do not believe He was married at all. I just want to know if I am missing something. Why would it be so threatening if He was married? How would that negate His divinity? It wouldn't for me.

Any thoughts?

Tag! I'm it!

I’ve been tagged, so I have to share 8 random facts/stories about myself.

1. I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until I was twenty years old—pathetic, I know. Will had to teach me and I was the worse student in the world. My pride was hurting since I was a grown person and couldn’t master riding a bike. The whole experience culminated into me throwing a temper tantrum and boycotting the lesson by sitting on the side of the bike trail....OY!

2. I was basically an only child until I was sixteen, now I have six sisters and one brother!

3. Until I was ten, I thought babies where born through the belly button and not the Va-JAY-JAY.

4. I have an unnatural abhorrence of KETCHUP. I despise it. If I could wipe one substance off of the planet, I would choose ketchup.

5. The silent companionship of my dogs comforts me more than the best efforts of my dear friends.

6. One year at a family gathering when I was a kid, some people in my family were watching Ghost. There is an infamous “love scene” between Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore that begins with them molding a very phallic piece of pottery. My mom tried to get me out of the room, and being the stubborn child I was, I refused to go and promptly began throwing a fit. To avoid the scene, my mother told me that Patrick Swayze gets his toenail stuck in the pottery machine and it gets ripped off. Of course, I did not want to see that, so I left the room. My mother never told me that was a big fat lie, and thus I believed her until my JUNIOR YEAR in high school when a group of friends at lunch were all talking about Ghost and I said, “Oh, but how can you guys stand that part where Patrick Swayze gets his toenail ripped off in that pottery machine?!” Oh the humiliation of it all! :)

7. I love music from all genres and eras—50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90,s and now.

8. A few years ago, I felt like a spiritual misfit. When I was with evangelical Christians, I always felt like the most liberal person in the room and when I was with my non-Christian friends, I always felt like the most conservative person in the room. I couldn’t identify with the many facets of American Christianity—mainly its demands of image and narrowing agendas. I wondered if I’d ever find a place of belonging, movements to commit to, leaders whose vision and handle on Scripture resonated with me. I had almost given up completely until Bono’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast pinpointed my frustrations and my ultimate understanding of Scripture and the purpose of Christians. Shortly after, I discovered Tony Campolo, Phillip Yancey, and Jim Wallis. These great men of faith represent a voice for Christians, like me, who don’t quite fit the mold. I am truly grateful for them.