Posts
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
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
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
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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.
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.
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