Boo at the Zoo

Saturday, I took Angel and her little brother to Boo at the Zoo (trick-or-treating at the zoo). Gasp…this would be 2 trips in one year for me. Angel was a spider witch and her brother was Spiderman. . I wore an old dance team sweatshirt from college, so when Angel asked me what I was, I said I was a Dancing Blue. She bought it. :) They each received a ton of candy and had fun looking at the poor, caged animals. We even finally spotted the sloth! A special thanks to my friend from work, who was volunteering that day, for showing us around and fielding all of Angel’s questions. Your patience was muchly appreciated.

Now, of course, many religious folks do not celebrate this “pagan” holiday. My childhood Halloween thoughts: I get to wear whatever crazy outfit I want…spray paint my hair…wear makeup…walk around the town after dark with my friends…and get enough free candy for a continuous three-week stomach ache. Never once did I associate this day with any evil or satanistic thoughts or activities. Maybe it is okay to let kids be kids, to free their innocent creativity and dreams to be someone else for a day, and let them enjoy interacting with neighbors and eating too much sugar and chocolate. We should take every opportunity to infuse the darkness with light anyhow. Let’s at least wait until they are in their teens to inject them with our grown up bitterness and legalism.

Walk the Walk

A large part of being a Christian is lip service. I say I believe in the Bible and that sinning is wrong. But do I live what I believe? Does every aspect of my life ooze righteousness, or do I just talk a good game, like the Chief’s defensive line?

As time and again I have felt let down by my closest friends and family members for not living up to their promises, I have decided to take a close look at myself. Sadly, no, I have not always lived up to my own expectations, maybe even lowering my standards at some points in my life. I’m sure everyone can attest to the same. But from now on, instead of judging anyone else’s poor decisions, I need to spend time making sure I am walking uprightly and keeping my mouth shut.

Let Freedom Ring

Lately, a few of my non-Christian friends have made comments saying that to become a follower of Jesus, you have to give up all the fun things of the world. That there is a strict set of rules we must follow and that we are never allowed to sin again. (Darn Pharisees still bugging us!)

The truth is that Jesus sets us free. Free from the bondage of sin. We are no longer under the constraints of evil and actually have the necessary power to be victors. Jesus wants us exactly as we are right now, issues and all. His time on earth was spent with "thieves, sluts, and liars," not the religious, upright, or uptight. Jesus’ blood set us free from the old rules. It becomes all about love and a relationship with the only person who truly understands us anyhow. We are still human and everyday we walk this earth we will make mistakes and have our vices to deal with. But now, we no longer walk alone, and are covered by the undeserved grace and mercy of our Lord.

Yes, we are held to a higher standard than the rest of the world. Every day we will be tempted and we will be shaped and molded into a better person, how we were created, more like our Jesus.

I'm a forgetful person. Actually, I'm very good at memorization, but when it comes to the details of life, I struggle remembering the date. My mind rarely shuts down and prefers to run at mach 800, like my brain is the narrator of my life. I come up with funny or brilliant dialogue that I wish my friends would say so we could engage in witty banter or I focus on a weird characteristic of a person and try to think of way to incorporate it in my writings. The only way such things as dropping off library books or loading the dishwasher gets done is if I have it on my list. I make daily, weekly, and long term lists to aid in my endeavor to live a normally productive life.

But one thing, I have neglected to put on my list was to use gift cards. They are always a popular gift, and one I enjoy receiving. But if it isn't to a bookstore, then it gets meticulously placed in my wallet, probably behind the expired coupons I've been meaning to use for over a month. Needless to say, when I cleaned out my wallet last week, I found a vast assortment of gift cards, which for the most part were still valid. The total amount was way more exciting than the random twenty I found in my coat pocket last year.

Well, I better run. I have to make it to dinner at Cracker Barrel before my card expires. :)

Trapped...

Today, I feel trapped in the four walls of my office. It’s a nice office with plenty of room for at least two people, with even a couple of pictures hanging that allude to a “Quiet Walk” in the forest or an icy drive along a snow ridden country road. But with those and even a large window hinting at what lies beyond, I still feel as though life is passing me by, while I idly slave away in my dungeon. That by sitting in front of my computer for another four hours will rob me of the chance to enjoy not only one of the first cold days of the season, but of the experience of encountering God.

It’s not that God isn’t with me right now, but I can feel His presence when I am most vulnerable to the elements -- in the cleansing power of the wind, the bold colors and contrasts of sky, the tangible feel of the earth beneath my feet, and especially around the dangerous crashing of the waves in the endless ocean. There is nothing that compares to the experience of worshipping God and Him loving back on you. Nothing.

And it’s what I need. Now. Always.

Do as You Say Not as You Want

I was going to regale you with a thrilling story about riding a motorcycle way too fast this past weekend. With the wind blowing through my long, luscious locks of chocolate brown hair, while cruising past grazing horses and green fields, I basked under a clear blue sky and felt like I should be on the cover of a risky romance novel. Perhaps Fabio should replace my dad in the driver’s seat, however. Oh, and remove that helmet, it really cramps the whole hair blowing scenario.

But since this is my blog, I have decided to vent for a moment. People, if you aren’t willing to follow through on obligations, DON’T commit. We all have to do things we don’t like or enjoy, but if you are just going to end up bailing at the last second and leave someone else in a bind, don’t say “yes” in the first place. It’s disrespectful and rude. And I am referring to both big and little commitments. Don’t tell me you are going to call and then don’t. Or don’t agree to help with a project and not follow through. At least give me the courtesy of giving an honest “no” up front. I’ll respect you for it and we’ll get along just fine.

Now go ride a motorcycle and delight in God’s creations. It’s freeing and fabulous. And it’ll make you forget all the annoying stuff in your life, if only for a few minutes.

Long Time No Write

The last few months have been a crazy ride, and I’m still trying to adjust to my new hectic schedule. I started two new jobs, a church group, a different church, and the process of getting my first book out on the shelves. Hopefully blogging will once again make the priority list. Right after trying to remember everyone’s names that I have recently met. :)

In regards to my book, I received my first batch of edits yesterday. They came earlier than anticipated, and despite being excited about the prospect of improving my book, nervousness impaled my innards during the five (loooong) seconds it took my computer to open the word document. Minor adjustments, people. Minor?!? Surprised, delighted, disappointed, delighted, confused, delighted. I wish I could say I ended with being delighted, but my mixed feelings preferred to cause turmoil and wreak havoc on their host.

But I digress. The point of this blog was just to let you all know that…I’M BACK! Inevitably, with more randomness than necessary.