Kansas Bob did it this time. What a great meditation by Rev. Diane Hendricks he posted.
update: KB sez: "Thanks for the link ... I love the way the meditation ends. Maybe the Longest Night (12/21) could be one where we all in Bloggerville remember in prayer those who are hurting, sad and downcast."
Great idea....blogbuddies, let's remember to do this....those prayers would probably cover just about.... everyone? ;-)
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
milly did it!
I'm too lazy to hyperlink, but you can click on my links...Milly Time
The rules are:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that “cool” or “intellectual” book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest!
After surveying the two groups, James came away surprisingly impressed with the morbid-minded. He fully understood the appeal of the optimists; they discounted or denied evil, sickness, and death. But their faith did not account for all the facts, he concluded. At least the evangelicals described a world that actually existed, one riddled with sin and suffering.~~Phillip Yancey, Rumors of Another World
Hmmm, a tad heavy, but a fun exercise!
The rules are:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that “cool” or “intellectual” book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest!
After surveying the two groups, James came away surprisingly impressed with the morbid-minded. He fully understood the appeal of the optimists; they discounted or denied evil, sickness, and death. But their faith did not account for all the facts, he concluded. At least the evangelicals described a world that actually existed, one riddled with sin and suffering.~~Phillip Yancey, Rumors of Another World
Hmmm, a tad heavy, but a fun exercise!
my muse is on vacation...
I recently finished two art jobs...
posting a couple of pics here. One is a backdrop in a retail spot for a company that does iron work. It's supposed to be big sheets of "falling" paper. The idea was to put up warm colors that enhance the iron work. Lots of what they do is functional iron furniture.
The other pictures are a trade show set for the same company, this set gets carted around the company. Lots of their furniture is "fantasy" oriented..very arty and organic, so the set is to compliment that idea. Two very different settings. I think I got burned out on these, creatively. I designed and completed them in 2 months. They look blank, but imagine tons of iron stuff in there.
Now, I'm sitting here, for the last week, my muse is cowering in a corner, and I'm trying to write 3 brochures for 3 companies t
hat have the DRIEST products. The words are not coming....
posting a couple of pics here. One is a backdrop in a retail spot for a company that does iron work. It's supposed to be big sheets of "falling" paper. The idea was to put up warm colors that enhance the iron work. Lots of what they do is functional iron furniture.
The other pictures are a trade show set for the same company, this set gets carted around the company. Lots of their furniture is "fantasy" oriented..very arty and organic, so the set is to compliment that idea. Two very different settings. I think I got burned out on these, creatively. I designed and completed them in 2 months. They look blank, but imagine tons of iron stuff in there.
Now, I'm sitting here, for the last week, my muse is cowering in a corner, and I'm trying to write 3 brochures for 3 companies t
hat have the DRIEST products. The words are not coming....
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Ho, ho, hack...
Bruce echoes some of my feelings about Christmas music and such in his latest posting. Yeah, I tagged ya, Bruce, so you'd post something. Bruce always has good stuff to share.
I also tagged folks in the hopes of getting some kind of Christmas spirit for myself. I just don't have it, and rarely do. It's particularly hard these last couple of years with our men and women overseas. We're running around hoping to get that piece of jewelry. They just wanna come home alive.
Christmas is a pagan holiday. It just is. It has very little to do with Jesus, and as far as pagan holidays go, I prefer Halloween. Legalists out there will recoil in horror at that, I'm sure. I think Halloween is funny. It's a laugh in the face of evil, and it's creative. It is what it is, and, ironically, doesn't masquerade as something else. Plus, there's the instant sugar rush.
How many moms out there have had to make pterodactyl costumes? It ain't easy, let me tell you. That beak is a patience-killer. One of my guys went as an IRS man one year. He'd have had all doors shut in his face if he hadn't had the younger one in tow.
We try and will continue to try to maintain a spirit of the holidays that are about Jesus. It's hard in a world where the most important thing is getting that Lexus in your driveway with the red bow on top. Now, that just SCREAMS the birth of the King, doesn't it?
I'll try to refrain from any further cranky posts!
I'm not trying to steal your Christmas, but I guess I am the Grinch.
I also tagged folks in the hopes of getting some kind of Christmas spirit for myself. I just don't have it, and rarely do. It's particularly hard these last couple of years with our men and women overseas. We're running around hoping to get that piece of jewelry. They just wanna come home alive.
Christmas is a pagan holiday. It just is. It has very little to do with Jesus, and as far as pagan holidays go, I prefer Halloween. Legalists out there will recoil in horror at that, I'm sure. I think Halloween is funny. It's a laugh in the face of evil, and it's creative. It is what it is, and, ironically, doesn't masquerade as something else. Plus, there's the instant sugar rush.
How many moms out there have had to make pterodactyl costumes? It ain't easy, let me tell you. That beak is a patience-killer. One of my guys went as an IRS man one year. He'd have had all doors shut in his face if he hadn't had the younger one in tow.
We try and will continue to try to maintain a spirit of the holidays that are about Jesus. It's hard in a world where the most important thing is getting that Lexus in your driveway with the red bow on top. Now, that just SCREAMS the birth of the King, doesn't it?
I'll try to refrain from any further cranky posts!
I'm not trying to steal your Christmas, but I guess I am the Grinch.
Friday, December 01, 2006
What are we doing?
Lately, I've felt a tad "other world" as far as relating to this realm. Everything seems so stupid, so insipid. I hate to rain on anyone's parade. This happens every holiday season for me. January 1st brings me relief. Everyone runs around like crazy people, shopping, wanting. Decorations go up before the Thanksgiving turkey is even digested. Neighbors compete for effect. How much extra energy does that new hotel near us suck up in their light display? How much energy do we waste each and every day?
Why do 2 people need 3,000 or more sq ft of living space...rooms that are rarely used?
We're at war. What have we sacrificed here? We're not even feeling the pain, the strain of our men and women over there.
Many views on global warning..pointing to climatic disasters...more hurricanes, potential new little ice age. Do we care?
The media is getting more and more sensational, entitled, and opinionated. Why do we tolerate this and listen?
Television is getting more and more ridiculous, frivolous, and self-serving. Why do we watch?
Christmas is reduced to materialism and secularism. Why do we support this?
People point out that the war is fueled by greed for oil. So what are we willing to give up to change that? Our cars? Our big houses? Our comforts?
Our Christmas is pretty tiny compared to others. It wasn't always "tiny" but we've downsized. We put up 3 little trees with a nativity under them. It all sits on an old radio cabinet in the corner. The boys' favorite part of Christmas season is our decorating night...we have hot snacks and soda, Christmas music and decorate as a family. Christmas dinner is lasagna. They are 19 and 15. I ask them every year what they want for Christmas, and every year they say "to decorate, listen to Christmas music, and have pizza rolls." This tradition sprung from budget restrictions. We're not grand and noble people. But from somewhere in the budget stuff, we discovered something more important than craziness around the holidays. We found rest, family time, perspective, and mostly, Jesus. We drive around and donate food to the food pantry, clean out unneeded stuff and donate to charity, and give pet food to the animal shelter. Each of these exercises reminds us that this time--this LIFE-- is not about us.
This probably sounds like a righteous, cranky post. I'm sorry if it does. I just pray that this season, maybe, just maybe...we'll all get a grip on what's happening in our world, stop worrying about appearances and wants, and start living a life that He would be proud of.
Why do 2 people need 3,000 or more sq ft of living space...rooms that are rarely used?
We're at war. What have we sacrificed here? We're not even feeling the pain, the strain of our men and women over there.
Many views on global warning..pointing to climatic disasters...more hurricanes, potential new little ice age. Do we care?
The media is getting more and more sensational, entitled, and opinionated. Why do we tolerate this and listen?
Television is getting more and more ridiculous, frivolous, and self-serving. Why do we watch?
Christmas is reduced to materialism and secularism. Why do we support this?
People point out that the war is fueled by greed for oil. So what are we willing to give up to change that? Our cars? Our big houses? Our comforts?
Our Christmas is pretty tiny compared to others. It wasn't always "tiny" but we've downsized. We put up 3 little trees with a nativity under them. It all sits on an old radio cabinet in the corner. The boys' favorite part of Christmas season is our decorating night...we have hot snacks and soda, Christmas music and decorate as a family. Christmas dinner is lasagna. They are 19 and 15. I ask them every year what they want for Christmas, and every year they say "to decorate, listen to Christmas music, and have pizza rolls." This tradition sprung from budget restrictions. We're not grand and noble people. But from somewhere in the budget stuff, we discovered something more important than craziness around the holidays. We found rest, family time, perspective, and mostly, Jesus. We drive around and donate food to the food pantry, clean out unneeded stuff and donate to charity, and give pet food to the animal shelter. Each of these exercises reminds us that this time--this LIFE-- is not about us.
This probably sounds like a righteous, cranky post. I'm sorry if it does. I just pray that this season, maybe, just maybe...we'll all get a grip on what's happening in our world, stop worrying about appearances and wants, and start living a life that He would be proud of.
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