tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69863452011-11-01T15:07:46.601-07:00exploring faith, family, community, art, nature, travel, simplicity... and whatever else comes to mind.Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.comBlogger841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-82377576240081029972011-10-22T13:24:00.000-07:002011-10-22T13:26:42.420-07:00

Speaking of home schooling......."I've been invited to try Time4Learning for a month in exchange for a candid review. Their online program can be used for homeschool, as an after school tutorial and for summer learning. My opinion will be my own, so come back and read about my experience. You can write your own curriculum review, too!"That's the official plug I'm supposed to publish. So there

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-39097665902619514432011-10-22T13:13:00.000-07:002011-10-22T13:23:36.270-07:00

Stealing the title of a Jason Grey song today. It fits pretty perfectly, though. In the three years or so since I've updated this blog I have:(1) Started homeschooling my kids. Kara's now in 3rd and Leah's in 1st. When I first created this blog Kara was a toddler and Leah was just a few months old. I can't believe it!! This is our third year homeschool and I'm starting to get the hang of

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-67637783156918344792008-11-07T06:36:00.001-08:002008-11-07T06:36:48.079-08:00

This is so funny! "He is like a mountie and he always gets his man. And he'll zap you anyway he can. ZAP!" Enjoy :)

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-24339664584118225102008-01-01T10:58:00.001-08:002008-01-01T10:58:40.788-08:00

Another video, too funny not to share. :-)

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-64555263357221206962007-10-11T19:56:00.000-07:002007-10-14T19:02:31.633-07:00

"He wears a $15 watch, flies economy class and does not own a house or car. For years. few guessed that Chuck Feeney was one of the world's biggest philanthropists, secretly giving away his billionaire fortune...Inspired by the great 19th century philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, Feeney helped fund schools, hospitals, universities, medical research and human rights from the United States and

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-14143958819424832392007-10-11T14:04:00.001-07:002007-10-11T14:04:39.448-07:00

Oh.my.gosh. This is so funny, I was literally laughing out loud. Even though My girls are still little, I've said most of these things to them! :)

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-119527892028647932007-09-11T13:28:00.000-07:002007-09-11T13:42:15.103-07:00

This Indian parable beautifully illustrates the concepts of witness and mission:A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation.The traveler

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-39452735485857598732007-08-10T11:24:00.001-07:002007-08-10T11:24:37.675-07:00

This video left me speechless. I hope it encourages you.

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-42481224758315947662007-06-15T07:57:00.001-07:002007-06-15T07:57:36.043-07:00

This video made me cry. Just beautiful. To all the dads out there... HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-88442665424406709392007-01-29T12:46:00.000-08:002007-01-29T12:51:00.335-08:00

I just stumbled across this beautiful song. This is what love looks like.Sissel - Eg Ser (I See)I see that you are tired, but I cannot walk your steps for you. You must walk yourself, but I can walk with you. I will walk with you. I see that you are in pain, but I cannot cry your tears for you. Your must cry yourself, but I can cry with you. I will cry with you. I see that you want to give up,

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1156362801952036432006-08-23T11:15:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:43.482-08:00

According to the national study, titled "Social Isolation in America," the number of Americans with no one to talk to has doubled. And the average number of close friends people have dropped from three in 1985 to two in 2004."Many more people talk to no one about matters they consider important to them in 2004 than was the case two decades ago," wrote the researchers.A full quarter of Americans,

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1156265416418382042006-08-22T09:40:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:43.287-08:00

Last month I asked for some movie recommendations and Graham suggested Whale Rider. I watched it this past weekend and was really moved. It's a great family film.From IMDB: "On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1155933016015814892006-08-18T13:25:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:43.187-08:00

Kara is the artist behind the lovely drawing displayed here.She drew it this morning. Our conversation went something like this:Kara: "Mommy come and see! Come and see!"Me: "Tell me about your picture!"Kara: "It's KARA!!!"(she continues adding to her picture....)Me: "Who are those other heads?"Kara: "That's mommy and daddy outside!"(I just showed her the photograph and asked again about the

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1155826316691997412006-08-17T07:46:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:43.092-08:00

Yesterday afternoon Kara called me into the living room. She said, "Look mommy, a rainbow!" She'd arranged a bunch of little round stickers in a swirl pattern on the t.v. By the end of the evening, with the help of her little sister, the tv was pretty much covered (check out the picture).I thought it was so funny - even though I spent 10 minutes peeling stickers off the tv screen after

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1155751215172197302006-08-16T09:22:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:43.008-08:00

I found my mp3 player the other day and have been living with earplugs on ever since. Here's some of the stuff I've been listening to... N.T. Wright and Anne Rice: Writing Our Way to GodI'm about halfway through this one. I was drawn in by the title and the unlikely (at least to me) pairing of Rice and Wright. I really resonate with aspects of Anne Rice's spiritual journey. A Woman's

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1155596085998109772006-08-14T15:49:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:42.932-08:00

A few days ago Erick got a bunch of shots of the girls hula dancing. I couldn't resist showing off this picture. My girls are just too cute!!Thanks for indulging me :)

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1155571860838633812006-08-14T08:55:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:42.854-08:00

"They live in a strict society, under tight control of their family and close-knit community. But when they turn 16, Amish teenagers are allowed the freedom to explore the customs of the outside "English" world -- including alcohol, drugs and sex -- before deciding whether to join the Amish church for life or leave the community altogether." (from NPR)The documentary, Devil's Playground,

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1155570774317290822006-08-14T08:52:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:42.770-08:00

Railroad life sucks.Yesterday, Erick left on a 3:45 p.m. train out of Fresno to Richmond, CA. Got to Richmond and settled into his hotel room at about 3:00 a.m. He's scheduled to take the 8:00 p.m. train back. I assume he'll be working and not just riding along. It'll take 10 hours - easy - to get the train back to the Fresno yard, since it's not a straight shot, they stop along the way. So,

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1155480045684125382006-08-13T07:26:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:42.468-08:00

Today's my birthday. I'm now 35. Last night Erick and I went out to dinner and a movie to celebrate (we saw Talladega Nights - VERY funny). This picture was taken yesterday right before we left. Today Erick starts his road training. I don't think I've ever really mentioned his job on this blog. He's in conductor training for BNSF Railways. The next three weeks he's going to be gone on up

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1155218820903179202006-08-10T07:06:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:42.222-08:00

This cracked me up. What will they think of next?I believe I'm quoting accurately here: "Let ye who hasn't been in that awkward position, when cometh around the collection basket -- or collection plate, depending on thou persuasion -- let ye cast the first coin, when thou's got no folding money." Or worse, thou's got nothing less than a fifty. A clergyman in England wants to save his

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1154981212969891692006-08-07T12:46:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:41.994-08:00

I'm on the hunt for good podcasts. On his blog, Stephen mentioned the new Mar's Hill podcast which I've downloaded, but have yet to listen to. I already listen to God Journey semi-regularly. I imagine there are tons of great podcasts out there. Can you help me? Which podcasts do you enjoy? Have you run across any you think I might like? Views that differ from my own are welcomed.Thanks in

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1154799513837579872006-08-05T10:25:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:41.859-08:00

I am a Fanny Crosby groupie, and I guess now's as good a time as ever to come out of the closet as a Lover of Hymns.I haven't heard All the Way My Savior Leads Me for years, but it's been stuck in my head since last night.And, I've got to tell you, despite the ebb and flow of stress and sadness this past month, I know this much is true:(feel free to sing along...)All the way my Savior leads me,

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1154448628710241772006-08-01T09:07:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:41.620-08:00

SANTA ANA, CA (July 25, 2006) - On July 7 in Colombia’s Meta Province, leftist rebels hired a gunman to kill a Christian mother of four after she refused to stop proclaiming Christ. The rebels were angered that many insurgents were defecting from their illegal armed group as a result of her leading them to faith in Christ... [Her] violent murder leaves four children, ages 14, 9, 3 and 5 months

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1154323948019505012006-07-30T22:23:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:41.476-08:00

"China Aid Association learned 4 well-known House Church Leaders in Sichuan were formally sentenced to 2 years “re-education through Labor” July 25, 2006. The PSB of Langzhong City delivered the sentence document to the official village offices where the four pastors reside. However, none of the pastors’ family members have received these papers yet. The four Pastors LI Ming, WANG Yuan, LI

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1154146615348202142006-07-28T21:02:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:41.336-08:00

I'm celebrating my birthday early this year. My actual birthday is on August 13. I'm going to be 35 (holy crap, how did THAT happen?)Anyway, Erick, let me open my gift early this year. It's a Canon Powershot A620 to replace my other non-functioning digital camera. My shiny, new toy has 7 mp, more features than I will ever use, and I'm totally thrilled with it... Erick did good :)Plus, I

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1154102139727069412006-07-28T08:37:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:41.209-08:00

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.- Jane HowardThis morning I told my mother-in-law about how afraid I am of our neighbors. Below is the email I sent, followed by her reply. (By the way, if you have any suggestions of your own, please feel free to leave a comment. I'm at a loss.)I wrote:The tension is

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1153669099703597032006-07-23T08:13:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:40.943-08:00

While we were at the Monterey Bay Aquarium yesterday, some selfish jerks broke into our house and stole our TV and DVD player. But they left our tivo, stereo receiver, and never ventured into the other rooms, so they didn't find our computers. The burglary was total amateur hour (thank goodness). They left fingerprints all over the door they pried open. Funny (?) thing is that the door they

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1153509449526324202006-07-21T11:54:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:40.862-08:00

Talked to my favorite cousin yesterday and found out that my maternal grandmother has nothing kind to say about me. In the immortal words of Puddle of Mudd...She fucking hates metrustshe fucking hates meloveI tried too hardand she tore my feelings like I had noneand ripped them awayI'm floored. The reason for her disgust with me that the last time she saw me, when I was 12, I was rude to her

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1153492829358680102006-07-21T06:49:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:40.785-08:00

The following excerpt from a post by internetmonk has sparked my thinking."If one believes the shepherd is more glorified to send the little ones to hell in order that the doctrine of total depravity be held consistently, I must say that I simply disagree. I cannot match you verse for verse or assertion for assertion, nor can I answer all the questions that might be raised. I cannot match these

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1153321200487906062006-07-19T07:31:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:40.564-08:00

I think I've died and gone to heaven. Looks like the latest big internet trend is lifecaching - a term coined by Trendwatching.com, which refers to "collecting, storing and displaying one's entire life, for private use, or for friends, family, even the entire world to peruse."Sites like Dandelife have taken this idea and run with it:Building on the notion that stories are best shared, Dandelife

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1153282251597022942006-07-18T20:39:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:40.471-08:00

I might need to go get me a life, because I am embarrasingly happy that NCIS started filming their new season today. And, even worse, I'm freaking BLOGGING about it. Oh my gosh. This is bad. The thing is... I just feel like talking about all the little, boring crap in my life. So, if you're not interested, go ahead and go play the delightfully addictive Text Twist or go window shopping at

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1153234690314863202006-07-18T06:36:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:40.371-08:00

My oldest daughter has two mothers.There's me, the mother of now.But there's another mother, her birthmother. Eighteen, on drugs, abuse survivor (you name it, she lived it), no money, no job skills and with a baby to raise. I believe she loved our daughter. I do. But, frankly, she didn't know what the hell she was doing. She was on drugs and couldn't cope.I'll never forget the day we met

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1153148431150008042006-07-17T07:25:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:40.269-08:00

I want to carve out time every day to be quiet before God. I've never done this. The closest I've come is when I was in Bible college, I felt like I should do this, and felt really guilty about not doing it. But I never followed through.I didn't lack time, space or ability. I lacked desire. The unspoken - and unacknowledged - truth was that I loved being a member of the Christian religion,

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152827364895481542006-07-13T14:45:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:40.064-08:00

After I finished sharing about my sister and was feeling all serious and intense, I walked into our living room and found out what the girls had been up to. Just take a look at the picture. That's about 4 lb. of sugar on Kara's lap. I didn't have the heart to get mad because it's just so stinking funny.Thanks God, I needed that. ;-)

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152809487121314472006-07-13T09:31:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:39.839-08:00

I really resonate with the ideas expressed below. Thanks so much to Charles Black for giving me permission to share his thoughts here."Western Protestantism is filled with a great many organizations and individuals who equate their own culturally-influenced worldview with theology and "Bible based culture". While there is certainly room for any cultural distinctives to flourish within the church

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152732824945285682006-07-12T12:30:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:39.721-08:00

We just signed up for Blockbuster Online and I'm trying to fill our movie queue. Any suggestions? What's on your all-time favorites list? Thanks for your help :)

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152635867798421062006-07-11T09:35:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:39.568-08:00

DALLAS (ABP) — For the first time, advocates of the house-church movement in America have solid facts to back up their enthusiasm — and those stats are shocking: Perhaps one in five American adults attends a house church at least once a month... Read More(thanks to House Church Unplugged for the link.)I wonder how denominational leaders will respond to this? Will they go into overdrive preserving

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152626476206764462006-07-11T06:42:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:39.342-08:00

What if Christian fellowship and communities exist on a spectrum, from highly structured organizations to completely unstructured, loose fellowship. What if the type of community that a person should participate in (structured, unstructured or something in between) depended upon that individual and God's specific plan for them?What if, in God's eyes, there is no one correct way for believers to

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152597561660219612006-07-10T22:55:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:39.257-08:00

. We have this tunnel-tent contraption thing in our backyard that Kara *loves*. This afternoon, she insisted on dragging out her blankie, a pillow and her big blanket so she could (pretend to) sleep in the tent. heheOK - now back to our regularly scheduled postings about my spiritual musings and church-angst. ;-)

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152597396268089662006-07-10T22:52:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:39.182-08:00

. Just felt like showing off my girls. Took this picture of Leah this afternoon in our backyard. Isn't she cute??? :)

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152545982318579562006-07-10T07:00:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:39.103-08:00

Maybe grief is a spiritual discipline. Maybe I can grieve in such a way that God is able to draw me a little closer to him and this loss becomes a gift. Maybe I can grieve my way all the way to the heart of the Father. This is my opportunity. I can choose to do this well.

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152291402532634102006-07-07T09:52:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:38.786-08:00

I stumbled across frappr a few weeks ago. Is this cool or what? Add yourself to my map.

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1152106929369954132006-07-05T06:32:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:38.589-08:00

The Transitions series is changing how I look at the cross and how God changes our hearts. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1151858706970614402006-07-02T09:36:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:38.506-08:00

I've changed the name on my profile and how I sign my posts. In the past I used "Rebecca." That's my name. I'm now signing things, "Shari." That's also my name.Rebecca is the beautiful name my mother gave me and the name I, in a fit of 13 year old rebellion, rejected in favor of "Shari." Technically, Shari is a permutation of my middle name, Charise. My mom refused to call me Shari. I refused to

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1151853290501001092006-07-02T06:59:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:38.423-08:00

I'm in the midst of a tough week, a week full of doing the right thing even when it hurts.A part of me wants so badly to be the Queen of Pain in all this. See how you hurt me? See how I bleed? There is nothing but darkness in my life. (insert sad violin music here...)But, then God reminds me of the Little Good Things. These are the pinpricks of light and wiggles of joy that crash my pity party

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1131729902123565152005-11-11T09:04:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:38.270-08:00

Kara is 2 now and is just about old enough to start grasping the most basic concepts of Christmas. That leaves me wondering, "How do I teach her about Christmas - the real Christmas? How do I explain Jesus in the manger and God coming to live with us?"Do I buy her a children's Bible and begin telling her the story of Mary and Joseph, of shepherds and angels and stars? How will she know it's true?

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1131728544141706092005-11-11T08:48:00.000-08:002007-06-19T18:33:46.053-07:00

I found a copy of this prayer today. It was in a church bulletin from forever ago - at least 10 years.A Prayer for Release from Resentmentby Peter MarshallLord Jesus, You know me completely. You know that I have steadily refused to forgive this one who has wronged me, yet have had the audacity often to seek Your forgiveness for my own wrongdoing.The acids of bitterness and a vengeful spirit

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1128749267737156222005-10-07T21:13:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:37.673-08:00

Sometimes I miss being a churchperson.I miss feeling like I belong among other Christians. There's a certain comfort in being able to point to an organization and say, "This is who I identify with. This is my community."On my good days I feel either nothing or just a quiet sadness. On my bad days I'm a jealous wretch. I pity myself, make ugly judgments and envy those for whom living in the

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1126638804742333022005-09-13T12:06:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:37.594-08:00

This is from a Roman Catholic-based site, but it reminds me a lot of the Protestant word-faith garbage I grew up around.When a person goes to a florist to buy a flower, he selects the most beautiful flower that he can find, one that emits a pleasant fragrance, one that is blooming, that is rich in colourful petals, that is free of defects, that is appealing to the eyes, etc... Symbolically

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1126627610590466982005-09-13T07:46:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:37.518-08:00

It takes a certain level of practiced selfishness to do what I'm doing. I'm attempting to sidestep any and all references to that large storm that's been in the news. You know the one that killed a bunch of people and destroyed a large portion of real estate in the south, leaving thousands upon thousands of people homeless? Yeah, that one. I don't want to think about it.I don't want to think

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1126109631875782312005-09-07T08:22:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:37.420-08:00

Please stop putting words in my mouth. You know who you are. You are the visitors who read one post and decide that I am "anti-church" or expecting perfection from people. I wish I could say that it's just one person who is erring in their judgment of my views, but it's not.I'm frustrated! So, I'm going to take a moment and make very clear what I believe - and don't believe - about church.I

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1126106542549795052005-09-07T08:16:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:37.323-08:00

After taking over a month off from blogging, I'm back! It's been an interesting few weeks. Yesterday, Erick started his new job that has rocketed us back into the middle-class income bracket (yay! Let's go shopping!). Kara will be 2 on Sept. 17 and continues to amaze me with how smart and creative she is. Leah is almost 9 months old and has been pulling herself up and walking (while holding

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1122358915018758832005-07-25T23:09:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:37.202-08:00

I've been thinking (obsessing) about death tonight. Truth be told, I'm terrified of it. Erick's going to hopefully be home by midnight, and my heart is so full of dread. I hate the thought of him driving this late at night, exhausted, with drunk drivers on the road. It scares the shit out of me. We - my girls and I - would be lost without him.And then I think of my own death. I imagine my last

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1122156903060193792005-07-23T14:48:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:37.088-08:00

We're 99% certain that Erick has a new job. There are good and bad aspects to it, but we keep reminding ourselves that it isn't forever.The good:Erick's income will double.He'll have use of a company truck, which means that I'll have use of our Blazer and will no longer be trapped in the house.The new job offers benefits (health insurance, paid vacation, etc.)The bad:He'll be working 6 days a

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1121465528187210122005-07-15T12:59:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:37.010-08:00

I took Beliefnet’s Gratitude Quiz. I scored a 36: “You're right smack in the middle--thankfully average with room for improvement.” Take the quiz and let me know how you score.In the meantime… in my life, there are a few people for whom I am deeply grateful.1. Erick, my husband - This is the man who serenades me with old Van Halen and Larry Norman songs on road trips, got me hooked on backpacking

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1121006156628513602005-07-10T06:28:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:36.923-08:00

Way back when, I read a book called Till We Have Faces and hated, hated, hated it. Well, mostly just the ending. Hated the ending. Because, in the end, it turns out that the protaganist had been so self-centered that she had been missing the bigger picture.Last night, I could not get that scene out of my head. Honestly, I felt like throwing up. I hate that book. The truth hurts.Then someone left

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1120939328791912042005-07-09T11:46:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:36.803-08:00

I am reading a book called Affluenza. Affluenza is the authors' tongue-in-cheek label for "a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more."This passage really resonated with me:[Dr. Richard Swenson] observed that many of his patients suffered from he now calls "possession overload," the problem of dealing with

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1120760026602112552005-07-07T11:11:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:36.665-08:00

I got a $75 gift certificate to Amazon.com. Now, I just need to figure out how to spend it! Anyone have any book recommendations for me?

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1120317678896134562005-07-02T07:32:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:36.547-08:00

Erick is applying for a new job (click the link for details). It's doing the same thing he's doing now (DirecTV satellite installation), but it's with a much larger company, pays significantly more and offers medical benefits. Please pray for him. I really want him to get this job. Thanks.

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1120009515338447162005-06-28T17:59:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:36.443-08:00

A friend of mine was talking about his money troubles the other day and he said something about his family being broke. Then he paused and, I assume, remembered that his income exceeds mine by about $65,000 a year, because the next words out of his mouth were, "Well, it's all relative, I guess."I don't begrudge him his need to talk about money. I hope he doesn't feel guilty about it or stop

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1119762673375322132005-06-25T21:51:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:36.353-08:00

Kara loves oranges. She calls them "balls" and tosses them like bocci balls across our lawn. She'll inevitably bite into one (peel and all!), then catch my eye, smile and exclaim, "Yummy!"I am blessed.

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1118501694264289992005-06-11T07:11:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:36.166-08:00

I adore quizzes. Really. On my third date with my husband, Erick, we were lounging around on a blanket in the park when I whipped out my trusty copy of "Please Understand Me" and subjected him to the Meyer's Briggs Personality Test. When he didn't run away screaming as I asked questions like, "In hard circumstances are you sometimes too sympathetic or too unsympathetic." I knew I'd found a winner

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1118243179313547232005-06-08T07:46:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:36.068-08:00

For awhile now I've felt uncomfortable with the mainstream approach to evangelism, but I haven't been able to really articulate why. I felt an uneasiness and a strong sense that standard issue evangelism techniques, while generally well-intentioned, tend to be manipulative and a bit dishonest, in my opinion. Anyway, when I read this post from Wayne Jacobsen at Lifestream it really resonated with

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1118033564701237242005-06-05T20:35:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:35.975-08:00

A few months ago, I was talking with a friend of mine and he said, "Well, I know you hate the church, but..." and, without thinking, I blurted out, "No. I don't hate the church." My statement surprised us both, but it's true. I don't hate the institutional church. How I feel about it is way more complex than love/hate.I don't hate the church, I just think that most of the time it's irrelevant and

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1117473677469169092005-05-30T09:48:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:35.673-08:00

I stay away from the institutional church for what are, I hope, well-thought out reasons. However, I first left the IC because I was profoundly disappointed. My spirit was broken.For years, I'd poured myself into serving churches. I'd taught Sunday school, graduated from Bible college, was a student ministry leader and went on three separate missions trips. But, most importantly, I believed the

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1117345459905773512005-05-28T22:11:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:35.588-08:00

I just got off the phone with Erick. He left home this morning at about 7:00 a.m. and he's finally on his way home. He's about an hour away and he just called to shoot the breeze and check in with me. We talked a lot about money. Came to the conclusion that there are some bills (credit cards), that simply are not going to get paid.A little over a year ago, he was making a nice living working as a

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1116947097849699392005-05-24T07:43:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:35.480-08:00

In the church circles I once played in, everybody talked about and prayed for revival. Visions of packed church buildings filled with lots of altar-call, tongues-speaking, spirit-dancing hoo-ha pervaded our minds. As I wrote that last sentence, Leah - my 5 month old - spit up all over my lap. That pretty much sums up how I feel about that particular concept of revival. It's shallow. It's impact

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1115908516307725602005-05-12T07:20:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:35.386-08:00

My mom and a good friend of mine believe in the institutional church. It is integral to their relationship with God and they can't imagine anyone having a positive, growing relationship with Christ outside of it. Naturally they have a bible verse to back up each of their opinions. That would impress me, except I know from personal experience that you can proof-text your way into just about any

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1114525403458912432005-04-26T07:14:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:35.299-08:00

OK, not really. But according to this Beliefs Selector Quiz, my beliefs line up most closely with Orthodox Quaker (100%). Second place (92%) is Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants. Third place (86%) is Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestants. And despite quoting Buddha in a previous post here, I don't share many Buddhist beliefs; I scored a paltry 32% for Buddhism.So, what does

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1114391753825113792005-04-24T17:53:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:35.178-08:00

I found this quote on one of the message boards I frequent and it really resonated with me:Believe nothing on the authority of your masters or priests. After examination believe that which you yourself have tested and found to be reasonable and conform your conduct thereto. - BuddhaThis pretty much sums up my attitude towards my faith now, as well as "masters and priests." I think people tend to

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1112767541665780762005-04-05T22:00:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:35.092-08:00

I hesitate to pray, and it scares the hell out of me to think deeply about it. But there's something specific that I think I should pray about. But I won't. I can't.I do pray a little. I pray for a friend of mine who's going through a hard time. For him I pray with optimism, because I know with all my heart that "this too shall pass."And, I thank God for my daughters. So, I do pray. I guess the

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1112064966073698052005-03-28T18:26:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:34.908-08:00

For the first time in my life, I didn't go to church on Easter Sunday. Sheesh... I'm not even a "Christmas-Easter" church attender. Anyway, this reminded me of a blog post I wrote a few weeks ago about churches and money (Explain to Me the Money Thing ). Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather when, a few days later, I saw his reply in my inbox.He answered my money question and then

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1110689875340331422005-03-12T20:42:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:34.806-08:00

I was doing a search on prayer yesterday and I found the Sacred Space website, produced by the Irish Jesuits. It really struck a chord with me, because I don't understand prayer. I barely know how to do it. I know, I know, I'm just supposed to talk to God. It's not that easy for me.I think I have trouble pushing back the word-faith filters that I grew up with so I can just focus on God and not

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1110605145959008702005-03-11T20:42:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:34.708-08:00

My friendship with God began after I left the church. I told God that if He would accept me as I was - with all my questions, all my baggage, everything - then I would follow. God was amenable to the plan.Just a few months later, he entrusted us with our daughters and life started spinning faster than I could keep up. I was exhausted and God lived somewhere on the sidelines. I took time to thank

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1110561857460539412005-03-11T09:19:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:34.593-08:00

Erick and I had a great conversation this morning. He said something that really stuck in my head: "What we think of as sin, isn't sin. It's the result of sin. Sin is a state of being, not an action." I'm going to be pondering that one today.

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1110301340737220112005-03-08T08:14:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:34.519-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about money and how more and more churches seem to be operating like businesses and charging for events (oops, I mean, charging "materials fees"). I want to understand the raionale behind this, but nobody in church leadership is willing to discuss this with me. I'm so frustrated!Here's a true story. I once went to a church when I was unemployed. I had about $50 to my name

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1110125507847263922005-03-06T08:01:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:34.434-08:00

Its Sunday. Leah and Erick are still asleep. Kara’s be-bopping around our living room. And I’m here, sitting at the laptop, having a rough morning.Honestly, it’s a bad time for me to be falling apart. Completely inconvenient. Erick is working 60+ hours a week at his new job. My friends are stressed to the max. I feel like I'm burdening people when I need to talk. Erick would vehemently disagree

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1110071588019600732005-03-05T17:03:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:34.349-08:00

This is an excerpt of an e-mail I sent to the sr. pastor of a church I attended. Never did get a reply, so I'm posing this question to whoever feels like reading it.What do you do when people want to participate inchurch activities but can't afford it? Yours isn't the only church thatcharges for things, but you're the only pastor I have an e-mail addressfor ([name deleted] makes a mental note to

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1110001832548901512005-03-04T21:24:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:34.270-08:00

Kara had trouble sleeping tonight. I put her to bed at 6:30 p.m. and an hour later she woke up screaming. She must have had a nightmare. So, we watched an episode of Play With Me, Sesame I'd Tivo'd for her. She was pretty happy just sitting in front of the tube, sucking her Pooh blankie watching TV.And then it hit me, for the thousandth time, how much I love her. How I love her so much it makes

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1109961555754248202005-03-04T10:01:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:33.980-08:00

When I was a churchgirl I became very adept at squashing my doubts into oblivion. I accepted what I was taught because it was rebellion (sin) to question. Evangelicalism -with a healthy injection of Pentecostal fervor- was right. Period. People who disagreed with us - or even just dared to ask the hard questions - were met with either ridicule, lots and lots of Bible verses or arguments

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1108784717459090352005-02-18T19:24:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:33.844-08:00

I've felt for awhile now that my husband and I were unusual in our rejection of the institutional church. However, come to find out that we're actually a part of a larger trend. Barna Research surveyed unchurched people -- "an adult (18 or older) who has not attended a Christian church service within the past six months, not including a holiday service (such as Easter or Christmas) or a special

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1108766333673773502005-02-18T14:27:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:33.759-08:00

Today I began re-reading, The God Who Won't Let Go by Peter van Breeman. This passage resonated with me:To pray always means to stand before God with an open heart and open hands.I like the image of the open hands. Over the years, we have all gathered a great deal in our hands--perhaps with great effort--and naturally we want to hold onto all of it. We hold modern conveniences that make our lives

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1108325634386261862005-02-13T12:05:00.000-08:002006-11-08T17:34:33.679-08:00

I rediscovered Wayne Jacobsen's Lifestream website yesterday. On it I found this paragraph tucked away on the bottom of a page:The free person in Christ and the rebellious will always look the same to those who labor under religious obligation, because both ignore the conventions that govern men and women. But there is a major difference between the two. The rebel does it to serve himself and his

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6986345.post-1091903565491634562004-08-07T11:29:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:34:33.490-08:00

The whole reason I started back into going to church several years ago was because my husband and I had no couple friends nearby. Our best friends were 45 minutes away and had lots of kids who kept them busy. So there we were. Married for a couple of years. Childless (not by choice). I was working at home and didn’t have a chance to have a lot of face to face contact with people other than my

Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246369674448079395noreply@blogger.com0