25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.



I actually like this verse. Love it, actually.

So many times we are so concerned with our clothes and how we look that we forget to wear virtue as well. It's not that being concerned with clothes is so bad, but if it's all we are concerned about...we are not fully dressed. Try to stay with me through all the cheesy metaphors.

I also like that the two words are strength and dignity. Strength is not necessarily a word that is usually reserved for women. Sure, we may not have as much upper body strength...and we might not have as much muscle mass (this is right, isn't it?), but we can endure a lot. Physical strength goes beyond being able to lift and move heavy objects. Not that bearing children is all that women do, but it is a great example of physical endurance -- both carrying the child for 9 months, and delivering it as well. And strength is not limited to physical strength. A person can be emotionally strong, spiritually strong, and mentally strong as well.

And dignity. So many women have lost their dignity so many times, that they don't have it at all anymore. How sad. How important it is to have your dignity. And to know that you are the one who usually has control over it. In case you need reminding: dignity is the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed. It is also a human right.

"She laughs without fear of the future." She laughs. She is joyful. She is fun to be around. She is able to laugh because she is not afraid of what will happen in the future. She is not stupid or ignorant. She has a realistic idea of what's possible, but she also knows Who is in control. She is able to laugh because she knows that God is taking care of her, and she has nothing to worry about.

24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.

24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.

23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.

23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.




This is a stretch, but Steve is a resident director, and he is well known around the dorm (city gates), where he often talks with his resident assistants (other civic leaders).

Please go down a couple of posts and read the confession about me finishing off these Proverbs 31 posts.

22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.

22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.

1. Someday, when I'm living in the United States...preferably in the Midwest, but that's beside the point, I will attending a quilting retreat at Camp and learn how to make a quilt. I would really like to do this.

2. I don't mind wearing linen....in the summer. I don't own any purple gowns that I know of. I don't think that this part of the verse is to be taken that literally. I think it is referring to dressing nicely in general, and presenting yourself well.

1,5. I stumbled upon a website that talked about "Quilt Camp at Sea." Apparently you can get on a cruise ship and travel somewhere, and all the way along the journey, you are at a quilt retreat. I think Camp could pull this off, but instead of "at sea" it would be Cedar Lake, and instead of a cruise ship, it would be a pontoon. This would make room for more quilters for sure. Especially if those who quilted on the pontoon also slept on the pontoon.

21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.

21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.

Well, first of all, I'm not afraid of winter. But then I again, I have the luxury of living in a heated building, and I own warm clothing.

I wonder if the Proverbs 31 woman made all of the warm clothes for her household? Because that I could not do. But it would be a great skill to have.




Confession:
As much as I like to always have a topic to post about, and as much as I like Proverbs 31...I will be relieved when I'm done posting about it. It feels like the obligatory christmas gift that you get for someone. You don't know what to get, but you feel so inclined to get a gift so you get the first thing you find, and you don't even think about it. I don't like to give thoughtless gifts (although I've done it)...and I don't like to feel like I'm writing thoughtless posts. Sometimes I don't have a lot to say about the verse, but I feel obliged to finish what I've started, so I say the first thing that comes to my mind, just to move things along and to get to the last verse. Sorry.

I see now why Baking Soda is also a cleaning product

Alternate Title: It will be awhile before I eat tomato soup.

We make a lot of things from scratch here. It's a fun learning process, but sometimes the lessons come difficultly. Yesterday evening, we decided that we wanted grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Easy, right? Typical ingredients: one can tomato soup, milk, bread, butter, cheese.

Not when you don't have cans of tomato soup just lying around the grocery store. So as usual when this type of thing occurs, I looked up the recipe to make homemade tomato soup from scratch. I found a recipe that looked fairly possible, and figured out that we had most of the ingredients at home already; just needed a few more from the store. While Steve was at the store getting the needed ingredients, I double-checked the recipe and read a lot of the comments of people who had tried the recipe (a lot of times this will be the indicator of if you should make the recipe, and if you should change anything in the recipe. A lot of people suggested using more tomatoes than the recipe called for, for example, so I took their advice).

One weird (I thought) thing that the recipe called for was baking soda. The person writing the recipe said it would prevent the milk from curdling, and that you can't taste it -- promise! No one said anything about it either way in the comments that I read, so I figured it must be ok. The only really confusing thing is that in the list of ingredients, it said "a pinch" of baking soda, and in the list of directions, it said, "spoon in the baking soda." So I'm thinking, somewhere between a pinch and a spoonful. I'm also thinking, I don't want the milk to curdle, but how much is too much? Couldn't the recipe writer just write 1/8 teaspoon, or something like that?

Long story short, I put too much in. The soup was uneatable. To me it smelled just like I could clean the countertop with it (but it looked exactly like tomato soup, so I didn't). We ended up just making and eating grilled cheese sandwiches. I was really disappointed because:
a) I love tomato soup with my grilled cheese sandwich
b) It's been months since I've eaten tomato soup
c) The recipe said it was a good way to contribute to your 5 servings a day of fruits/vegetables, something I am in dire need of.
d) I hate when I spend a lot of time, money, and resources, only to dump them down the drain (literally). I sincerely believe that the drain is cleaner because of it (one of the many uses of baking soda).

20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.

20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.


I think this includes but is not limited to:
the monetarily poor
the physically needy
the spiritually poor
the emotionally needy

I think it is also about taking care of those in your own home, in your neighborhood, in your church, in your community, in your nation, in your world, etc. Working from closest to farthest, but not limited to a single one.

I also like the words "helping hand" and "opens her arms." For me it indicates action, and giving of yourself...monetarily, physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc.

It's a great challenge, but imagine how the world could be if we were up to it.

Commercial Break

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I could listen to The Shins all day long. And I typically do.

19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.

19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.

Reminds me of my mom, with yarn. She makes beautiful blankets and afghans using only some knitting/crocheting needles and yarn.

18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.

18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.


Again with the business savvy. I like.

It sounds like the Proverbs 31 woman never sleeps. She stays up late and wakes up early. Unless night starts at 4pm (when it is dark, and therefore necessitating a lamp). Then she could go to bed at 9pm, and her lamp will have still burned for 5 hours, while she makes sure her dealings are profitable.

To Do

1. Stay Warm
2. Write all the emails I need to write...from home
3. Eat soup
4. Make food for later
5. Get November's to do list done. AH!

Side by side

Watching....

...as day turns into night.

17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.

17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.

Something I'd like one of my references to be able to say when I'm looking to get the job.

I'll have to work on the energetic and strong part in order to make it true.

On business and church.

I could've sworn that I've posted about this before. If I have, I gave it a very sneaky title that I don't recognize...or I gave it this exact title and just missed it while I was looking. I wanted to post some thoughts about it, but I wanted to use myself as a reference to see if I've changed in my thinking, or to see if I had some really good insights before that I could use now to supplement my thoughts. But alas, I'll have to only rely on the thoughts in my head (and so will you).



Seriously. I'm experiencing deja vu. I know I've posted this before.



Anyway.



I would rather attend a small church than attend a big one. Both have their pros and cons, but when it comes down to it: I like the pros of a small church better than I like the cons of a big church. Or rather, the pros of the big church don't win over the cons of a small church.



Seriously. I think it was called "On coffeeshops and megachurches." Or something like that.



Oh well. I'll search again after I hit "publish post."



Pros of a big church:

--always something to be involved in to help you to grow spiritually

--always several other people your age (no matter what your age)

--you can come and go unnoticed -- blend in with the crowd

--if you want to work at a big church, they can probably pay you.

(I took a break from this for a few days. It is now December 14th. I wonder what day it will say I posted it?)

Cons of a big church:
--unless you work there, or unless you started attending the church when it was small, the pastor probably doesn't know who you are

--no one recognizes that you're new...and on the same token, no one recognizes if you've been attending for a year

--less personal

Pros of a small church:
--People recognize you if you're new

--If you miss a Sunday, people wonder how you are, or how your vacation went

--It's possible to know everyone in the congregation

--The pastor not only knows who you are, but you've probably been invited over for dinner


Cons of a small church:
--If you want to work there, they won't pay you. Not only that, but they need you to work every chance you have.

--If you skip a week, everyone knows about it.

--Either there is not a lot of diversity in age, or there is so much that there are few people that are the same age as you (no matter what your age)


These are just some of the pros and cons that I could think of off the top of my head. I'm sure you can think of some more.

I feel a similarity when it comes to businesses -- both being a customer at the business and working at it.

I've worked for both big and small businesses. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of working for a big business:

--lots of perks in addition to a paycheck: health care, free and discounted items, etc

--Lots of employees means there is always someone to work

--lots of customers

--the business could be located in several different places...and you get a discount at all of them

--people have heard of your business

Disadvantages:

--you probably don't know everyone else who works there

--you're easily replaced

--you probably have to work on most major holidays

--you have to decorate in the same way all of the other locations decorate

Advantages of working for a small business:

--you not only know all of your co-workers, you also know all the customers as well

--a lot of room for growth that comes with more responsibility

--you know the owner of the business

--more likely to be closed on holidays

Disadvantages:

--few perks outside of your paycheck

--there aren't as many people to do every job, so you most likely have responsibilities that weren't in the job description

--smaller customer base













Now, I could go through and compare big churches with big businesses...and small churches with small businesses...but I think you could do that on your own.

Oh Laura, for shame. A shallow confession.

Whenever I am shocked* to find out that someone has, well how do I put it...fat legs**...I think two things before I come to my senses and think the final thought.

1. I wonder if that person used to be fat.

2. If not, then, I wonder if they have weight gain in their future.

Then my heart kicks in and says to my brain:

3. Or maybe they just have fat legs and neither 1 or 2 is true. Or matters.














*Shocked meaning it was not evident to me before that they would even have fat legs. The rest of their body is relatively small and they've been wearing long pants a lot. I'm never shocked to find out that a person who has to be wheeled out and weighed at a truck stop has fat legs.

**Fat legs. I'm mostly referring to legs that are disproportionally large compared to the rest of the person (and not necessarily full of fat). It could be the result of big bones or muscles. Or cankles. Please refer to the title of this post and forgive me.

16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.

16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.



Entrepreneurial Skills and Business Savvy.

I like. I wish.

I think I've always had this desire to figure out what my "product" is and start a business with it. I don't think it is fields or vineyards. I don't know what it is. And I've never taken business classes. But in order to satisfy this desire, and to become a Proverbs 31 woman, I will keep trying to figure it out.

15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls.

15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls.

First things first:

-Gets up before dawn: The best example of this is my mom. My mom doesn't even need an alarm to get up before the dawn. Before the dawn is the quietest time of the day and it's when she reads her Bible, gets some dishes done, and gets ready for work.
Here in Lithuania it is both easy and difficult to get up before the dawn. Easy because the dawn is not that early, and difficult because mornings have never been my favorite time of the day. I wish they were, though. I have always been a night person, but have always admired morning people. They seem to get so much accomplished by noon.
One thing I will never be is a mid-afternoon person.

To prepare breakfast for her household: If I were a morning person, I could get into this. Of course as of right now, the household consists of me and Steve, so I should be able to pull it off. My excuse right now is that I am too busy. But as we all know, if we wait for perfect conditions, nothing ever gets done (Ecclesiastes 11:4, I think).

Plan the day's work for her servant girls: I don't envision myself ever having servant girls (my motto, if you can afford a nanny, you can afford to stay home to take care of your children and your house). Does this mean that I can't be a Proverbs 31 woman? I don't know. I hope not. Perhaps it could be also planning out your own day, as well as those who work under you?

I think a Proverbs 31 woman needs to have good managerial skills. For sure.

One thing that goes against my intuition is to plan the day's work that day. I like to plan in advance. Maybe for some things I should not?

Language

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to invent a language that was the same as english in it's written form, but each letter was pronounced differently. So two people, one speaking english, and the other speaking the new language, could read the same book but not understand each other when speaking. I'm not talking about american english and british english. I'm suggesting that things would be pronounced vastly different.
Even simply,
if A was pronounced like B
and B like C
and so on,
My name would still look like Laura,
but it would be pronouced: Mbvsb
This blog would be pronounced: Uxp Uijsuz Ojof Uijoht.

J offe b wbdbujpo. Cbemz.

14 She is like a merchant's ship, bringing her food from afar.

14 She is like a merchant's ship, bringing her food from afar.

My favorite foods/ingredients from afar:
-brown sugar
-peanut butter
-baking powder

Is this verse about feeding those who are far away (like sponsering a starving child)?
Or, could it be about sharing of what you have, even if you are far away from home?
Or is it about leaving your home to bring someone else a meal?
Or something else?

13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.

13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.

The Lithuanian word for the 10th month (October) is Spalis. It means white dust from flax. It is named this because it's the time of the year that linen clothing was made, and the flax would make a white dust.

So clearly, the Lithuanian women of old were Proverbs 31 women.

How does this verse look for me, someone who doesn't find wool and flax and busily spin it? Should I start?

I don't know if I would go that far, but I would like to learn to work with different cloths and fabrics. I don't think I will get a sewing machine while in Lithuania. I'll have to wait awhile for that. But maybe this summer I'll have my mom reteach me how to crochet and knit. When I was little I wanted to learn, but all my knots were always so tight that my hands would cramp up, whatever I was making would be all twisted up, and pretty soon the loops were wrapped so tightly around the needles that I would decide to take a break. When I would come back, I would completely have forgotten how to do it and give up.

That, or I'll just hold out for a sewing machine. If I get addicted to that in the same way I'm addicted to blogging, just think of how productive I could be!

12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.


A good thing to ask myself from time to time, "Will this bring Steve good or harm?"

11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.

11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.




Her husband can trust her because she is virtuous, and she will greatly enrich his life with her capability. (if you read verse 10 with verse 11, this is what could be implied)

Good advice for everyone, I think. For men: seek a virtuous and capable woman, and she will enrich your life (also, be the type of man that a virtuous and capable woman is interested in). For women: be virtuous and capable, you will enrich your husband's life.

10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.

10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.

Finally, the part I've been waiting for.

Let's get some definitions straight.

Virtuous: adjective 1. conforming to moral and ethical principles; morally excellent; upright: Lead a virtuous life.
2. chaste: a virtuous young person.

Chaste: adjective 1. refraining from sexual intercourse that is regarded as contrary to morality or religion; virtuous.
2. virgin.
3. not engaging in sexual relations; celibate.
4. free from obscenity; decent: chaste conversation.
5. undefiled or stainless: chaste, white snow.
6. pure in style; not excessively ornamented; simple.
7. Obsolete. unmarried.

Capable: adjective 1. having power and ability; efficient; competent: a capable instructor.

Wife: noun 1. a woman joined in marriage to a man; a woman considered in relation to her husband; spouse.

Woman: –noun 1. the female human being (distinguished from man).
2. an adult female person.
3. a female attendant to a lady of rank.
4. a wife.
5. the nature, characteristics, or feelings often attributed to women; womanliness.
6. a sweetheart or paramour; mistress.
7. a female employee or representative: A woman from the real estate agency called.
8. a female person who cleans house, cooks, etc.; housekeeper: The woman will be in to clean today.
9. women collectively: Woman is no longer subordinate to man.

Marriage:–noun 1. the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.

Man (I only took the first 17 definitions on this one): noun 1. an adult male person, as distinguished from a boy or a woman.
2. a member of the species Homo sapiens or all the members of this species collectively, without regard to sex: prehistoric man.
3. the human individual as representing the species, without reference to sex; the human race; humankind: Man hopes for peace, but prepares for war.
4. a human being; person: to give a man a chance; When the audience smelled the smoke, it was every man for himself.
5. a husband.
6. a male lover or sweetheart.
7. a male follower or subordinate: the king's men. He's the boss's number one man.
8. a male employee or representative, esp. of a company or agency: a Secret Service man; a man from the phone company.
9. a male having qualities considered typical of men or appropriately masculine: Be a man. The army will make a man of you.
10. a male servant.
11. a valet.
12. enlisted man.
13. an enthusiast or devotee: I like jazz, but I'm essentially a classics man.
14. Slang. male friend; ally: You're my main man.
15. a term of familiar address to a man; fellow: Now, now, my good man, please calm down.
16. Slang. a term of familiar address to a man or a woman: Hey, man, take it easy.
17. one of the pieces used in playing certain games, as chess or checkers.

Agenda: –noun, formally a plural of. agendum, but usually used as a singular with plural. -das or -da.
a list, plan, outline, or the like, of things to be done, matters to be acted or voted upon, etc.: The chairman says we have a lengthy agenda this afternoon.

Precious: –adjective 1. of high price or great value; very valuable or costly: precious metals.
2. highly esteemed for some spiritual, nonmaterial, or moral quality: precious memories.
3. dear; beloved: a precious child.
4. affectedly or excessively delicate, refined, or nice: precious manners.

Ruby: –noun 1. a red variety of corundum, used as a gem.

Corundum: –noun
a common mineral, aluminum oxide, Al2O3, notable for its hardness: transparent varieties, as sapphire and ruby, are used as gems, other varieties as abrasives: often made synthetically.

I looked it up, and rubies are valuable. Moreso than diamonds. Holy smokes. Of course, it must be noted that genuine rubies are far more valuable than synthetic rubies.

Indeed, I think it can be concluded that a virtuous and capable wife is more precious than rubies. But then again, I wasn't setting out to prove the truth of the verse. I was setting out to know what it means.

Repeat the sounding joy

I can't get the lyric out of my head: "Repeat the sounding joy."

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Words: Isaac Watts, 1719
Music: Lowell Mason, 1848
Originally named "Antioch," Mason's original score said "from George Frederick Handel."The tune is named after the city of Antioch, Syria, where believers were first called "Christians";(Acts 11:26).

9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Again, as with the last verse, ask yourself who is poor and helpless. How can you see that they get justice?

I hope I don't forget about this

What is the cause of poverty; of starvation? How can local people help those in need?

8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.

8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.

To whom is this refering? Anyone specific? Are those who cannot speak for themselves also the ones being crushed, or are these two separate commands?

For whom do we advocate?

Physically and Mentally Disabled?
The unborn?
The newly born?
Children?
Animals?
Plants?
The spiritually immature?
A friend or family member in need?

Who is being crushed?

7 Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more.

7 Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more.

On the one hand, it's so poetic. On the other, I'm picturing a bum.

Also, if poverty is so bad that King Lemuel's mom suggests drinking their worries away, shouldn't we all the more want to help those who have nothing (or next to it?)? Over half the world lives on less than 2 dollars a day (this is off the top of my head, but I think it's accurate). You can't even buy a gallon of gas or milk for that. You could buy a cup of coffee...but it would have to last you the whole day. You wouldn't be able to pay bills, you wouldn't be able to buy necessities like food, water, clothing, etc.

Something that is troubling to me is, if Jesus told us to look at the lilies of the field and the birds in the air, and see how wonderfully God takes care of them, how much more does he take care of those he loves (end of Matthew 6)...what does this say about all those who live on less than 2 dollars a day?
It could imply that (please bear with me, it could imply that):
a) God doesn't love them
b) 2 dollars a day is enough. We just aren't used to it because we think we're poor and we have way more than 2 dollars a day
c) God wants those with more to give to those with less
d) God blesses those without monetary riches with spiritual riches beyond our comprehension (have you experienced the joy of those who don't have much?)

I don't know where I'm going with this. I feel like I should do some sort of challenge or something.

How long could you only spend only 2 dollars a day on yourself? 0 days, do you think?

I think I could do it for a couple of days. Food would be the biggest deal. Of course that's why I could get by for a couple of days. I'm lucky enough to have some food in the fridge and in the cupboard that I could get by with (creatively) for a little while. I'm lucky enough to not have a car (don't have any of those related expenses), even though I would have to give up riding the bus (unless I wanted to dip into my 2 dollar food budget so I would not have to walk in the high wind and snow). I'm lucky enough that my housing and related costs are provided for because of Steve's job. I'm lucky that I have enought clothes to sustain me for a while before I would have to buy anymore. I would have to forget about buying some small candies to eat each day of advent. I would have to drink less water a day, or worse yet, drink out of the faucet (perfectly ok to do in this area). I would forget about eating out. No one would get any kind of birthday or christmas present from me, unless it was homemade or regifted.

That's all I got. Sorry I deviated so far from the verse.

6 Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress.

6 Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress.

Is alcohol only for the dying? And is wine only for those in bitter distress?

What is the definition of dying (since we all like to change definitions when we can't change laws)? Aren't we all technically dying?

What are we to make of wine being for those in bitter distress? What about those who are celebrating something, or relaxing after a hectic day, or sitting home alone at 10 o'clock in the morning?

On the other hand, I do know that alcohol can cause dying, and wine could cause bitter distress.

It's ironic to me that people drink a depressant to feel happy or to celebrate.

Of course there is a distinction that needs to be made between drinking to get drunk versus drinking to have a drink. There is a difference between having a cup of wine with a meal and drinking a bottle of it by yourself.

I have seen the effects of drinking too much. I don't think it's worth it. It is selfish and can negatively impact not only the person drinking too much, but those around them as well. But here I am preaching either to the choir, or to a brick wall. So that's all I will say about this verse.

Words to eat...I mean, food for thought

I was reading through 1 Timothy, and these were the two passages that stuck out the most to me. Do I keep a close watch on how I live, and on my teaching? Do I stay true to what is right? Am I content (I had better be, I have food and clothing)? Sometimes it's good to evaluate these things.

1 Timothy 4:16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

5 For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed.

5 For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed.


"They" being kings/rulers; drinking (or guzzling, in the verse prior) alcohol impairs judgement. Part of a king's job is to know the law and give justice to the oppressed, something that requires good judgement. Plus it is really not very professional to drink while on the job. And when you are a king, you are king all the time, I think. A good king has good judgement.

Plum Jelly

I made 2 liters of plum jelly today. The jars are still cooling, and then the jelly has to set for 24 hours. I hope it sets. If it doesn't set, then it won't be jelly. It will either be more work, or plum sauce. I really hope it works, because I loooooove plum jelly. And if I found out that I could make it on my own, it would be the greatest discovery. However, I need to find a place that sells inexpensive jars -- otherwise it's not worth the money.

Also, we didn't have hardly any of the proper equipment, so we had to improvise quite a bit. Instead of cheesecloth, we used metal strainers and then finally our magic bullet. We didn't have a special kettle for canning, so we used the tallest regular kind we could find.

And being it is the Thanksgiving season (NOT Christmas yet! Shame on all of you who have Christmas decorations up already!), here is what I am thankful for as it relates to plum jelly making:

1. Steve's help
2. The magic bullet's help
3. The fact that the grocery store down the street was selling Slyvos (plums).

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol.

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol.

Good to know.

3 do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings.

3 do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings.

This sentence is continued from the previous verse. The mother is telling her son to not waste his strength on women, on those who ruin kings.

I don't think the mother is telling him to not waste his strength on any woman. She is not saying that all women will ruin kings. She doesn't want him to waste his strength on the type of woman who ruin kings.

I think this for a couple of reasons:
1...She herself is a woman. I don't think that she would give out advice that goes against who she is.
2...A chunk of this chapter is all about what kind of woman to be/go for. So there has to be possibilities other than "all women ruin kings."

I think the mother is preluding to, OK, so don't go after women who will ruin you, here's the type of woman you should pursue instead.

Fruit Intentions

You'd have to be a fool to think that eating fruit is unhealthy. What is a little more tricky is staying healthy without eating any fruit at all. I don't really care all that much for eating fruit. Especially berries. Never have. I'm more of a pastas and vegetables type of person.

I wish I liked fruit. I keep trying it, just in case I will start liking it. My life would be easier if I liked fruit -- especially berries. It would be easier just in the fact that it would save me the agony of explaining to someone's unbelieving face that I truly don't enjoy that many fruits -- especially berries.

Here are the fruits I do like:
bananas
tomatos
apples
watermelon
honey dew
pineapple (only on pizza)

Juices I will drink (pulp free):
Orange
Pineapple
Lemonade

Jelly that I like (NOT jam or preservatives):
Plum
Grape
sometimes cherry

That's it.

So now it's going to be my goal to at least have some fruit that I like every day. To have a more balanced diet. It will be D I F F I C U L T. I will have to be really intentional about trying to think about not only buying fruit, but then eating it before it expires.

Think of how healthy I will be (that might be what I have to keep telling myself).

Lifelong Learning

Every time I learn a new thing, I realize 10 other things I never knew.

Throwing pearls to pigs.

This may be a disjointed post.

First of all, I'm not saying that anyone who has a different view than I do is a pig. And second of all, I'm not saying that everything (or anything) I have to say is a pearl.

What I would like to say is that it's pointless to argue with someone who defines things differently than you do. They are throwing all of their best pearls at you, and you are throwing all of your best pearls at them....but neither one of you want the other person's pearls. Neither one of you wants to even consider the other person's pearls. If you threw a pearl at a pig, it would not know what to do with it. Pigs don't want pearls. Pigs want food.

I'm sorry if you're already lost. I told you this would be disjointed.

I was reading over a thread on a facebook group. There were two sides. One was against abortion. One was for choice.

But the argument was exhausting and pointless. You will never convince someone that abortion is murder, if they don't define a fetus as a human being. You will never convince someone that abortion is not murder, if they define a fetus as a human being. It's like trying to add apples and oranges. One apple plus one orange to some equals 2 fruit. To others it equals one apple and one orange.

I don't think the key to preventing abortions is to make laws. Most every sane person, no matter what their beliefs will agree that murder is wrong. No one wants to make it a law that murder is ok. The people who want abortion to be ok don't believe that abortion is murder.

I do think there needs to be more effort at educating women and men about sex, methods of birth control, child care, etc. There are plenty of women out there who don't have an abortion who treat their children horribly...or don't treat them at all. Why isn't there more petitioning and arguing for these children and mothers?

There are plenty of capable, trustworthy, responsible people out there (well, maybe not plenty, but a few) who would love to take care of those kids.

But even more than that, if these women who want to get abortions want control over their body, then why don't they take better care of themselves before pregnancy occurs? Why don't they stop pregnancy before it starts?

Sorry. I didn't mean to step so high on my soapbox. I really intended for this post to be about not arguing with foolish people (because it's hard to distinguish who is the fool), and about not throwing your pearls to pigs.

---

2 O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,

2 O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,



O my son -- I get it.
O son of my womb -- I get it.
O son of my vows....does this mean O son of my husband?

The Sayings of King Lemuel 1 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.

The Sayings of King Lemuel
1 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.

Already with the first verse, we see the importance (for better or for worse) that a mother's influence can have on a person's life -- even a king.

A saying that my mom still says to this day often echoes in my head, "Kids who play with fire wet the bed."

Thank God for my Mom.

Typical

I thought I might explore Proverbs 31, only the part that talks about being a woman. I even had some questions that I wanted to think about, and I wrote them by hand while I waited for the slow computer to load the page. Like:
-What does it mean to become a woman like the one described in Proverbs 31?
-How does it look in the present time?
-How does it differ between women in the United States vs. women in another country?
-Or does it differ?
-Is it possible?

Then I decided that I was just continuing to write;
1. Because I liked the pen (it's a nice pen)
2. Because the computer is slow. Try to stay with me.

I knew I was just writing to write, especially now when I look at the paper and everything is written in cursive. It's easy and natural to write in cursive when you have such a nice pen. Plus, I think that is how a Proverbs 31 woman writes.

Anyway, then the page with Proverbs 31 finally opened, and I read the whole thing. And I decided to explore thoughts on the whole thing. Not just 10-31.

But not the whole thing right now. Verse by verse. Day by...nearly every day.

Here it is as a whole.

Perhaps tomorrow I will share some thoughts on verse one.

Proverbs 31
The Sayings of King Lemuel
1 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.
2 O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,
3 do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol.
5 For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed.
6 Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress.
7 Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more.
8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.
9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.
A Wife of Noble Character
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant's ship, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.
22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:
29 "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!"
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Since we like making laws to regulate how people live...

What if it was against the law to not recycle?

What if there was a law that if the distance is less than 10 miles, you have to walk or ride the bus?

What if it was a law that people had to exercise 30 minutes a day, for 6 days of the week?

What if fast food was outlawed, unless you had a license or permission from your doctor?

What if each citizen had to donate certain portions of "their" time each week to volunteer, to pick up litter, to help someone without expecting anything in return?

What if there was a spending law, and you could only buy what you needed, and any extra spending had to be approved?

What if straight people had to get married (but first had to take a class on relationships/marriage)?

Top 3 Things I'm Going To Complete By The End Of November...Starting Monday

#4 Apply for seminary
#192 Send Christmas cards
#197 Devise a list of verses to read every day for advent

Dallas Willard quote of the day #4

"Interestingly, "growing up" is largely a matter of learning to hide our spirit behind our face, eyes, and language so that we can evade and manage others to achieve what we want and avoid what we fear. By contrast, the child's face is a constant epiphany because it doesn't yet know how to do this. It cannot manage its face. This is also true of adults in moments of great feeling -- which is one reason why feeling is both greatly treasured and greatly feared.
Those who have attained considerable spiritual stature are frequently noted for their "childlikeness." What this really means is that they do not use their face and body to hide their spiritual reality. In their body they are genuinely present to those around them. That is a great spiritual attainment or gift." (Willard 76)

26 Years Ago

With my Dad. I looked at this picture for a long time and can't get over how much of my brother I can see in my dad's face.

Anyway, once upon a time I was a baby. And then in a blink of an eye I'm too old to be having quarter life crises (is this how you spell the plural of crisis?). And, in the blink of an eye, I'm spending my first birthday out of the country, and it has been wonderful. I've been sung to several times -- including getting sent this. I've been given flowers, cakes (some with candles, even), notes, and lots of well wishes. Birthday's are a big deal here, I'm finding out. But I'm also glad for all the greetings and wishes from back home -- it's been a great day so far. It's 10:04pm here, so 2:04pm in Minnesota. I'm a nerd, so I of course know that I was born at 2:04pm in Minnesota (during an ice storm, ask my mom). Even though I've been celebrating all day (and let's be honest, quite a bit yesterday), officially now is my birthday, and I'm ready to go to bed.

Saturday's To Do List

(The first 4 are in order, because I've already done them. The rest can be completed in any order -- some of them even at the same time)

Sleep until I wake up
No Shower
No Make-up
(Wash face/brush teeth -- I do have standards)
Laundry
Bake Cookies, and possibly banana bread (we'll see if I have the needed ingredients...and if the oven works)
Clean Bathroom
Make soup
Dishes
Sweep floor
Clean windows (we only have 2)
Declutter
Make/Drink Coffee
Listen to music
Read
Write
Post
Make paper chain

Dallas Willard quote of the day #3

"Until our thoughts of God have found every visible thing and event glorious with his presence, the word of Jesus has not yet fully seized us." (Willard 62)

Dallas Willard quote of the day #2

"So when Jesus directs us to pray, "Thy kingdom come," he does not mean we should pray for it to come into existence. Rather, we pray for it to take over at all points in the personal, social, and political order where it is now excluded: "On earth as it is in heaven." (Willard 26)

For Ashley

Motion Picture.

In My Mind (and in my head, lately...all the time)

I like to listen to music. Period. When I'm not listening to music, and even when I am, I have a song in my head. Now, I'm not particularly fond of it when I am trying to read a blog and someone else's music is playing over mine. I am talking about blogs that have their own music playlist playing in the background for their readers. I won't stop reading those particular blogs just for that reason. Usually as soon as the player opens I quickly hit "stop" so that I can continue listening to what I'm listening to. That all being said, if I were to have music playing in the background of my blog (and I wouldn't), I would pick the song that is playing right now, both in my head and from the speakers of the computer. Still following this?

Anyway. If you must listen to the song is currently in my head. Visit http://www.romanticamusic.com/music.html
Go to +It's your weakness that I want
Listen to the top song "On my mind"
Then listen to the rest of the songs.
Get hooked.

That is all.

Shorts

I feel like in an attempt to get enough posts in to complete my opus, I'm losing length and quality (separate things sometimes when it comes to posting).

Sorry.

Last night I read Hebrews 6, and it was really thought provoking.

You should read it too, and tell me what you think.

Maybe someday when I have time to collect my thoughts, I will say what I think about it -- starting with how much I think churches need to read this. And mature christians need to take it to heart.

'lection

When do we find out who won this bad boy? I was going to do some searching, and then I remembered that it's only almost 10am in Minnesota. Some people are still trying to figure out who to vote for. Whereas here it's almost 6pm, and we sent in our absentee ballots weeks ago.
Maybe I'll check back late tomorrow. Or Thursday.

P.S. Don't forget to exercise your right to vote for whoever you want to.

Passion vs. Excellence

Even when you're wired for excellence, it's exhausting* to be consistently excellent in an area where you have no passion or expertise.

Lord, equip me.





*exhausting, but possible

MLA

My works cited is MLA format because that's what was pounded into my head in hike school.

I have nothing against APA. I have used it as needed. But when working from memory, you have to do what you know.

PS

The heat was indeed on when we returned home.

Rules

Cooking and fashion are similar in that:
If you know the rules, you may break them and still come up with something fabulous.
If you don't know the rules and you break them, the results probably will be disasterous.

Dallas Willard Quote of the Day #1

"When we see Jesus as he is, we must turn away or else shamelessly adore him. That must be kept in mind for any authentic understanding of the power of Christian faith." (Willard 19)

Works Cited

Unless otherwise noted, all of my Dallas Willard quotes of the day are from The Divine Conspiracy.

Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy; Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God. HarperCollins Publishers. New York, NY. 1998.

In Turkey

Here I am ın Turkey, the last full day in Izmir. Tomorrow we will fly to Istanbul, stay the night, and then fly to Riga Sunday morning. We will have a good 5-6 hours to kill before our bus leaves there, and by the time we get home it will be around midight. It has been a good break, much needed. I will not type much, because the Turkish keyboard has some different keys (I cannot find the apostrophe, for example), and it takes me a long time to type simple words.

Let us review the list of things I was looking forward to and see what has been accomplished:

1. Being away. (Yes)
2. Being somewhere that I have never been before. (Yes)
3. Meeting a new family. (Yes, love them)
4. Rereading books. (Been working my way through The Divine Conspiracy, should be done by midnight on Sunday)
5. Sleep. (Yes and yes)
6. Highs in the mid 70's (Fahrenheit). (More like low 70s...but today is 80 degrees, so it evens out)
7. Sleep. (Yes. Sleeping in, taking naps, and going to bed by midnight or earlier)
8. Computer-free. (Almost. Mostly)
9. New Testament Locations. (Ephesus, Baby!)
10.Daylight Saving Time (a week earlier here than in the states) (Slept through it)
11.Rejuvenation (ask me Monday)
12.Thanksgiving (I mean, it is Turkey, right?) (Nope, but today is Halloween)
13.Kodak moments (Dozens)
14.Rest (A lot)
15.Time with God (Yes)
16.Time with Steve (Yes)
17.Travel (Yes)
18.Newness (Yes, combined with the familiar. They have Ikea here, for example).

I have not lost 30 pounds or had to eat a cigarette. But I probably gained about 30 pounds from all the good food and inactivity. I have breathed in some second hand smoke, though.

The 30 pounds will come in handy, winter is approaching. The city decides when to turn the heat on ın Klaipeda. The temperature has to be below a certain number for 3 days in a row in order for them to turn it on (so if it is cold for 2 days, but warmer for the third, no heat). I have secretly hoped that it was cold while we were away so when we get back the heat will be on. We shall see.

Here are the things I can type with the Turkish keyboard with no effort: é€ÜİışŞçÇÖö

Off to Turkey

Top 18 Things That I am looking forward to in Turkey (In the order that I wrote them):

1. Being away.
2. Being somewhere that I have never been before.
3. Meeting a new family.
4. Rereading books.
5. Sleep.
6. Highs in the mid 70's (Fahrenheit).
7. Sleep.
8. Computer-free.
9. New Testament Locations.
10.Daylight Saving Time (a week earlier here than in the states)
11.Rejuvenation
12.Thanksgiving (I mean, it is Turkey, right?)
13.Kodak moments
14.Rest
15.Time with God
16.Time with Steve
17.Travel
18.Newness

Which came first, the old lady or the scarf?

Today on the bus there were at least 3-4 babushkas (Russian word for grandma).

How to recognize a babushka:

old.

lady.

practical shoes.

thick ankles.

long winter coat (at least 54 years old. the coat).

and of course, a scarf on the head.

Some call a scarf worn on the head a babushka.

So here's the question:

Which came first?

Do they call the old lady "babushka" because she wears the scarf on her head?

Or do they call the scarf "babushka" because all babushkas wear them?

It's like the chicken and the egg question.

Although, if you know anything, you know the chicken came first.

In case I didn't paint a good enough picture for you: (as found in a google image search)

The Secret Message of Jesus, by Brian McLaren

I'm not finished with this yet, but will be by Wednesday morning. We're going to Turkey for Fall Break, and I want to bring a new book along, so I have to finish this one before we go. Always good to have goals. I won't give a complete review, but I will say this:

A plus: I have been thinking more frequently about God's Kingdom because of this book.

A minus: I think it says the words (in any order) "secret" and "message" at least once on each page.

Some quotes: "What if the real difference is made in the world not by us preachers but by those who quietly live out the secret message of the kingdom of God in their daily, workday lives in the laboratory, classroom, office, cockpit, parliament, kitchen, market, factory, and neighborhood?" (page 82, top)

and

"As we've seen, when Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, his language was charged with urgent political, religious, and cultural electricity. But today, if we speak of the kingdom of God, the original electricity is largely gone, and in its place we too often find a kind of tired familiarity that inspires not hope and excitement but rather anxiety or boredom." (page 138, second paragraph)

For the break I will either bring The Hiding Place by my favorite Corrie Ten Boom, or The Divine Conspiracy by my favorite Dallas Willard. Both of whom cause me to highlight and write notes and think like crazy.

Longing to Blossom

A while ago I posted this.
As of late, it has been in my heart that I want to dig deep roots. I want to be in a place longer than 2 years. Which is difficult, for a couple reasons:
1. I feel like we've only been called to this specific place for 2 years. So there's at least that much more longer to wait to go somewhere and dig deep roots.
2. For the past 2 months I've been studying Acts, and the main character Paul hardly ever stays anywhere for very long. And look how good his ministry was.

I have been encouraged by some Scripture.

Psalm 139:9-10: If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

God is here, even in Lithuania.

Acts 20:24: But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

I wonder what great work the Lord Jesus will assign me?

Matthew 8:19-20: Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head."

And in Luke 9:57-62: As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head." He said to another person, "Come, follow me." The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God." Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family." But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."

There has to be something for settling down, though, and digging deep roots. Otherwise why would pastors of churches stick around for so long? Why would so many Christians live in the same house for 80 years? Or am I just trying to find something about it that's biblical so that I too, can someday have a place to rest my head for a time that exceeds 2 years?

Here are some words from Hebrews 13; a word about home, and a wonderful benediction (I love benedictions).

Hebrews 13:14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

and

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

And Amen.

On voting.

We got our absentee ballots via email, and must send them by mail ASAP to ensure that they get counted by November 4th.

I still don't know who to vote for.

If you must give me any recommendations, I will only accept those that are positive.
For example: "You should vote for so-and-so because they are good, they plan to do this and that, and that's why I like them."

I will not except mudslinging or empty encouragements.
For example: "You should vote for such-and-such because so-and-so did drugs in high school, litters, and cheats on his taxes."
and
"Just go out and vote! It's your right!" (because, why do you want me to vote so badly? What if I don't vote for the same person you do?)

Would you rather...

...only ever eat pretzels dipped in Nutella

or

...only ever eat tortilla chips dipped in guacamole

In order of when I took them.

Riga

Just call me grandma

I think I am going to try to start making jams and jellies, starting with my favorite, Plum Jelly. YUM!
I've already figured out that I like to make things that go in jars (pizza sauce, being that), and want to see how making other things that could be sealed for a long time suit me.
I'll let you know how it goes.
First I need to acquire some tools and supplies, and more importantly, the time.

A nice little quote amidst a bunch of other stuff (not meant to alude to the Prayer of Jabez)

I can't shut my mind off.
My to do list is as never ending as the pile accumulating on my desk (one of the things on the list is "clean desk.").
I have a copy of the student handbook, which has a handy dandy planner in it (the bulk of it IS a planner).
It helps me to keep my plans. So I don't have to think of them so much.
Not really shutting my mind off, but taking some of the load.
From the time I started this post to this moment, I have recieved and sent about a dozen emails. AAHHH!
Here is the main point of this post. While writing in my planner, I came across this quote (written on the bottom of each week) for next week.
"Stay" is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary. - Louisa May Alcott
I like it. It was a nice distraction from all the events of this month and the next.
Now I must go. I have a date with my husband, something that we had to plan in advance, of course.

The Implications

If, starting tomorrow (that's when all the best things start), I post once a day every day -- until february 3, I will reach my 239th post.

Implications:
-I will have 239 posts, and will complete "239 things"
-it will be 2/3/9 (the date...in the united states, if I wanted, I could also complete this project March 2, 2009...in other parts of the world)
-It would be an opus, if you will (and I think you will)
-I am a nerd for evening thinking to figure this out.

This won't happen, because I can think of several days between here and February 3rd that I won't even be near the computer, much less on the internet posting worth while things.

3 interesting pictures for 2008

Theme(s): color, non-nature
Order: Saved my fave for last

red


green


blue

Sleeping with no alarm

is sleeping in freedom.



PS....I do believe, that if I posted one time a day, every day, starting on Tuesday...that on February 3rd, I would reach my 239th post.

Think of the implications. (I can think of a lot)

Retooling -- a smattering of thoughts.

A week ago in chapel, Psalm 90 was the topic of choice. The verse that stuck out to me was 12, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
I think it stuck out to me for a couple of reasons:
1. I am always seeking wisdom.
2. As of late I have been playing out in my head what my 5-year plan looks like. Or what I think it might look like.

I always make plans, always, and sometimes, when those plans are also God's plans, those plans happen. I don't think that I shouldn't make plans. I like to think ahead. However I've learned that I can't be too disappointed when something doesn't go as planned, because it just means God has something better in mind that I can't see yet. Usually in the middle or end of the plan, or even after the plan, I see why it is better.

Anyway, I've been thinking about a five year plan, because in five years, I will be 30 (actually, just over 4 years, but I don't want to feel rushed). There are things that I want to have accomplished, or at least started to accomplish by the time I was 30.

I don't think that verse 12 is exactly talking about doing everything you wanted to do by the time you reach a certain age. I think it's more about realizing that we aren't going to be around (not in this life) forever, life is frail, God is eternal, we are a vapor, etc etc etc. But in realizing that I won't be around forever, in fact I don't know how long I will be around (I've always assumed lower 100's, but I could be wrong), I also realize that there's only a short time here on earth to accomplish all the goals we have before we kick the bucket (no, I have not yet seen the Bucket List).

In thinking of this five year plan, I began to realize that somethings in life could not take turns. For instance, we have committed to being in Lithuania until spring of 2010. If I wait until Fall of 2010 to start seminary, then I won't finish until spring of 2012. If we wait until Fall of 2012 to start a family, then I will already be 30, and I always thought I'd've already started a family by the time I was 27-28. We've already decided that we probably won't start a family in Lithuania, unless God is thinking differently (ie, within the next two years, or if God wants us to stay longer). I've already have more on my plate than I can eat (all good foods in and of themselves, just foods I never dreamed of eating), so being in seminary right now would not be something I could fit in. It's like the dessert. I'm thinking about it all through the meal, but when I'm not looking, something else gets put on my plate, and I can't move on to desert without cleaning my plate. Except it's not like dessert at all. It's the meat and potatoes. I want it to be meat and potatoes.

Which brings me to my next thought, also having to do with Psalm 90. Last Sunday in church, the topic of choice was also Psalm 90 (only a semi-coincidence). This time the focus was verse 17, "May the favor of the Lord rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us -- yes, establish the work of our hands."

We were given 4 questions to answer. The first three should've been easier to answer than the fourth. But (and I'm not really surprised), I answered the fourth quickly, and struggled through the first three.

I'll list the questions here:

1. What are the tools currently in your hands that give you your identity? Or...what are the physical means through which you might leave your legacy? (specific personality traits, physical characteristics, tools of your trade, etc)

2. Describe how God might answer the prayer "Establish the work of our hands" in your life. What legacy or meaningful mark do you, individually want to leave behind?

3. The language of Psalm 90 is communal -- everything is written in plural. Thinking of verse 17 in a communal context, what might your goals be for the larger group to which you belong? What work would you like to see God establish there?

4. If God asked you to release the tools of your identity (specific personality traits, physical characteristics, tools of your trade, etc) in order to be "re-tooled" or "re-shaped" by Him, what might this process look like in your life?

The reason why it was so easy to answer 4 is because I think I'm in it. God must be retooling me for something. Because the food on my plate, while I'm able to eat it, I just can't stop thinking about the food that could currently be on my plate. The food I dream about. The food that, if I were eating it right now, would enable me to more thouroughly answer questions 1-3. I was able to answer those first three, but not as completely as I would like.

How is the five year plan looking? Have I (tentatively) moved anything around? I am seriously considering applying to seminary for the Fall of 2009, and studying long-long-distance. This should not come as a surprise, it is on my list of things to do for 2008, a list I made months ago.

This post was longer than I thought it would be. Hence the title with the word "smattering" in it (when I wrote the title, I thought it would a short post).
Thanks to the 2 people who read all the way to the end. Pray for me.

I hope I don't do too much damage.

Following.

Well, safe to say, I'm jumping all over this "following" blogs thing. But anonymously. Not because it seems more creepy, but because I don't like the fact that if you "follow" publicly, they put a list of who you "follow" on your profile for all to see. There's something about that I don't like. But I think it's apparent whose blogs I follow based on whose blogs I comment on.

That is all.

Part 2, On Cereal and Legalism.

42 years ago, I wrote a post about cereal and legalism. You can read it here. I intended to write the second part like a week later, but alas, it has been longer than that, and no part 2.

I will attempt to write a second part, but can make no promises of how well it will turn out, because it's not like I spent the past million days dwelling on this post. Although I did think about the concept a few times.

The cereal bowl represents our lives, and how we try to look good on the outside, but really what matters is on the inside. This is absolutely not a post about inner beauty or outer beauty, or whatever.
When I talk about looking good, I'm referring to the show we put on to others to make them believe that we are alright, that we have it all together.
I'm talking about legalism, and how we try to fix our lives by first following a bunch of rules that mean nothing to us, but we don't do anything to change the condition of our heart. We may throw away all of our books with dirty words (see the last post), or religiously buckle our seatbelt and follow the speed limit. We may look down on those who smoke or drink too much.
We may think that we are doing good -- and we want to do good and more importantly, to look like we're doing good, but if all we're doing is fixing things that are external, we're working backwards. Fruit does not make a tree (I know, I know, the seeds within the fruit could eventually make a tree, but that's not what I'm talking about). A tree is known by the fruit it bears.
Likewise, a cereal bowl that is only clean on the outside is no good to someone who wants breakfast/an evening snack. It may look all shiny and new in the cupboard (assuming the cupboard is high enough up so that you can only see the side of the bowl), but when you pull it out and see what is inside, you may reconsider the cleanliness of the bowl.
I did not come up with this analogy.
In Matthew 23, Jesus chews out the religious leaders for being all show but on the inside full of crap. I would recommend reading the whole chapter, but here are the verses that talk about the cereal bowls.
25-26 "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too."
Did you read it carefully? There's some hope in there. This post is not saying that it is bad to to good things. In fact, I'm saying that you should do good things. But in the proper order. You should not do good things in order to be clean or saved or to look good. But if you work on your heart (or rather, let God do it), good things will automatically flow out of you. Goodness is one of the fruits of the Spirit. So not only will the bowl be clean on the inside, it will be clean on the outside as well. In that order.
In the past few years, the places we have called home rarely have a dish washer. So I often think of this concept every time I wash the inside of a bowl and see that the outside is clean as a result.
Funny, the way God can teach you lessons.
I'll leave the dropping the bowl on the floor up for interpretation.

Shame on you, Anne Lamott

And shame on me, for reading that garbage for as long as I did.

I found the book Rosie by Anne Lamott in the lost and found and thought, lucky me! I loved Bird by Bird, also by Anne Lamott.

This book is crap. It's mediocre at best, with no real likeable characters. It took about 100 pages to get started, and then it was crap. I couldn't even force myself to finish it.

Save yourself the agony and skip this one.

You won't be able to borrow it from me, because I put it where it belongs.

If you want to read something worth your while, I still would recommend Bird by Bird.

A quick evaluation. There's still some more of 2008 left.

The Bolded ones are the completed ones.

1. Go to Boston
2. Get new glasses
3. Visit a dentist
4. Apply for seminary
5. Go to Washington DC
6. Write a children’s book
7. Buy a Digital SLR Camera
8. Give all the clothes you don’t wear anymore to Salvation Army
9. Go to Niagara Falls
10. Illustrate the children’s book you plan to write
11. Save a little bit of money each week
12. Write a letter or note to someone and send it in the mail once a week
13. Go Colonial Williamsburg
14. Call your Mom once a week (Sucked at this one, but got to see her every week this summer, and have called her a few times since leaving the country)
15. Enter a photography contest
16. Go one day without lip balm
17. Go to a Boston Red Sox Game
18. Learn something about each presidential candidate (I will have to do this soon)
19. Get promoted
20. Go for a walk three times a week
21. Go to The Poconos
22. Organize your recipes
23. See the Statue of Liberty
24. Go to New Hampshire
25. Grow your hair ridiculously long (did it, and already cut it)
26. Call a friend once a week
27. Go to Vermont
28. Shave a little bit of your legs with every shower
29. Dress up for church
30. Learn more about investing
31. Go to Connecticut
32. Be able to do one pull-up/chin-up
33. Get an I-pod
34. Get more dress clothes
35. Go to Maryland
36. Learn some new words in another language
37. Learn some new English words
38. Put some towels away for later
39. Go to Delaware
40. Clean the oven
41. Go camping in a tent
42. Cook a meal over a campfire (I want to say I did. I know I did some sitting around a campfire. I know I cooked a snack over the campfire)
43. Go to New Jersey
44. Eat more fruits (somewhat)
45. Develop a taste for berries (I tried a strawberry on the 4th of July. I didn't develop a taste for them yet)
46. Leave the continent
47. Invent a new recipe
48-97. Read 50 books you’ve never read before
98-122. Reread 25 books you have read before
123. Reread the Bible (this will be counted separately from the 25 other books).
124. Go to North Dakota
125. Drink at least 3 glasses of water a day
126-177. Take 52 interesting photos (I'm sure I have/will)
178. Encounter some Rough Giraffes
179. Go to Canada
180. Try fish again (you don’t have to like it)
181. Plant a tree
182. Floss daily (have tried to)
183. Finish a Friday crossword
184. Plant some flowers
185. Watch 24
186. Print photos and put them in an album
187. Move out of Western Pennsylvania
88. Paint a picture
189. Finish off the lotion you have before buying more (I'm marking this as completed, because I haven't bought anymore. I haven't bought anymore because I haven't finished what I have)
190. Go on a date weekly (Haven't succeeded in this. But trying. Still date regularly, and spend quality time together. Which is my love language, by the way)
191. Watch The Office (rented it and watched a few episodes)
192. Send Christmas cards
193. Write to your Compassion Child once a month
194. Pray for him daily
195. Get rid of two pairs of shoes for every new pair you buy
196. Find a Bible study outside of Western Pennsylvania
197. Devise a list of verses to read every day for advent
198. Visit a lake
199. Go swimming at least once
200. Go sledding
201. Watch a James Bond movie without falling asleep
202. Go golfing
203. Wear earrings for a day
204. Get one more belt
205. Learn some guitar chords
206. Write a song
207. Maintain your eyebrows (sometimes)
208. Spit in a new ocean
209. Go to a Minnesota Twins game
210. Organize and update your quote calendar
211. Let bygones be bygones
212. Get rid of all the extra bags
213. Wear sunscreen (still got burned)
214. Acquire a frame for the map of the world
215. Learn how to make plum jelly (I will soon. There are a lot of plums here, and my mom is mailing sure gel)
216. Burn a candle until it is gone
217-226. Develop 10 new characters
227. Create your own coffee shop (I work on it in my head daily. I haven't written anything down yet)
228. Sing in front of an audience
229. Grow your own peas (Tried to. In an experiment to see if they would grow in coffee grounds. They did not. Although, I dumped it all out into a garden, so maybe eventually they will grow. I probably won't know about it)
230. Care more about people than their grammar
231. Get a manicure
232. Get a pedicure
233. Get a massage (Not a professional one, at least)
234. Research the possibility and personal practicality of owning a bicycle
235. Write a short story
236. Write a long story
237. Write an essay
238. Write a letter to an editor
239. Finish this list

The Way

For a very long time I thought: If the shortcut is so great, then why don’t they call it “the way?’

After living in a country where taking a shortcut to get from point A to point B is the norm, I now can see why a shortcut is not called “the way.”

A shortcut is "a way." It may be the shortest distance, or take the shortest amount of time. But it is not always convenient or easy. It is not convenient every time, and it is not easy for everyone.

"The way" is a way that can be taken most of the time by most of the people. It may not be the fastest or the shortest distance, but will get you to where you want to be.

Brochure Day for Klaipeda

I would rather...

accidentally wash my hair twice, than not at all.

Being a Baby Sucks, but the future looks good

I certainly am not the first person to write on this topic, in fact it's probably not the first time I've written about it.
It's easy to look at babies and think, "Now that's the life." Sure, you're cute and everyone instantly loves you. You can sleep all day, not having a care in the world. You don't have to do anything for yourself, in fact, you can't do anything for yourself. People don't care if you drool in public. People might care if you cry, but they certainly don't blame you. People expect you to eat, poop, have a good cry, sleep, and to be cute. Yes, this is the life.

I would have to politely disagree. Babies are constantly growing. Their body weight could triple in their first year. Ouch! They have teeth that are pushing through gums, and if they poop their pants, they have to wait until someone thinks to check, or until someone smells it. They can't eat anything solid. They cry a lot. They are totally helpless. They drool. They get rashes.

The point of being a baby is that you eventually grow up. People expect babies to grow up. Now for the obvious application. Grown ups can be babies at things. Even though they are done growing up physically, there is a lot of growing that can be done spiritually, personally, academically, careerwise, etc. And growing hurts. And you may cry. You may need to rely on others to take care of you. But the point of being a baby is that you eventually grow up.

A word of encouragement (that I need to hear as well), is that even though the baby stages of certain areas of life seem painful and difficult (and at the same time, new and exciting), there is hope that you will grow. In fact, if it hurts, you're probably growing. Growth hurts. It's not a new idea, like I said.