You know it when you're out of whack. Everything is out of order from your laundry to your spine. It's not obvious to others, but you see the lack of whack literally in every part of your life. Right?! No? .....I keep forgetting that I am the only whacked species of my kind. I have to remind myself that everyone else on this planets' lives and homes look like magazine covers.
I could be on the cover of Disorder Weekly or Fashionably Disarrayed. But there are no such magazines, are there? "Why is that?", I ask...I answer myself..."Because no one wants to see my chaos". If I were a hoarder, somebody would want to see that, but I'm not a hoarder, or a piler, or a stacker, or a collector of stuff. I'm actually a minimalist. Less is quite more, to me.
So what's all this talk about a disheveled life? It's my perception. It's how I view my surroundings. Here is the best comparison I can use: it's like the anorexic saying they are fat and obviously they are not. So it is with me, no one can convince me that the contents of my house is not growing in shape and size exponentially right now even as I blog.
Okay! I put a lot of emphasis on neatness. But if you looked closely you would not see neatness AT ALL. There are unpainted shutters and unpainted toenails. There are unassigned items that need an assignment. There are socks without their mates, drawers with useless doodads. Videos not put on DVD's, undeveloped disposable cameras waiting at least 4 years to be developed because we've had our digital camera for 4 years. I agonize because I am not organized!!
Who told me I needed to agonize? Well...um...hmmm...me? Right Jeanna, ME! Me told me that I needed to agonize over my lack of whack. Eureka! I've discovered something very crucial. I listen to me way to much. I put a lot of undue pressure on me. Unnecessary laws...this has to be this way...I need this done by...I don't feel I've accomplished a lot today...the garage needs an intervention.
My goal for 2011 is simple and minimal, like me. Find the whack, lure it to my house and put it to work. By the end of this year you just might see me on the cover of In Whack...And Loving It!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
It's All In The Shoes
It's Nutcracker season! I have on my Alabama Ballet Nutcracker sweatshirt as I sit and write. I have seen a bazillion performances of all kinds of the Nutcracker. I've even have had some of my own students in professional company performances. Makes mama proud!
Each dance company has their own take on the story of Clara and her night of Christmas magic, but the same theme is repeated no matter how the story is told. Clara is given a special gift (the Nutcracker) and there is an enemy (the Mouse King and his cohort) that tries to take it from her.
The problem is solved very early in the ballet, in fact it is solved even before intermission and Clara goes on to experience a wonderfully, beautiful time of fantasy and the dance. Do you remember how she stops her menacing enemy that threatens to take away her prized possession? She threw her shoes at her enemy. Off goes the problem from wince he came.
I had a similar situation happen to me about 15 years ago. Hold on to your religious shoes. I had been going through a time of really pressing in to go further with my relationship with God. I had gotten very desperate for more of Him. I had some "prized possessions" that I knew God had given me and I needed to move from where I was to where I needed to be in order to use them.
So, I'm at a revival. I had been attending it all week long. It was the last night of the revival and I felt I had not gotten what I wanted. My enemy, whom I am terribly ignorant of at times, was tussling with me not to go beyond where I was. It was during the altar call, I was standing up front near the side of the church. I knew what God wanted me to do but the voice of fear had me scared to obey God, that should of been a good indication to make me push on through, BUT...me and my mind mumbled, and muttered, and spit, and sputtered, and rocked and reeled. It was odd what God had told me to do.
My mind said, "This is so dumb", "You'll look ridiculous, "No one has ever done anything like this before...in a church", "You'll be escorted out", "What has this got to do with getting closer with God", I asked. Here's what happened. I felt impressed to slip my shoes off and place them on the floor next to my feet, yes...in church. I told you it was odd. The second I got my first shoe in my hand God said, "Throw it." My brain had a meltdown, you could see it coming out of my ears. I knew in that very instant that if I didn't do it right then that I was going to put myself in the very center of my enemy's perfect place for me and THAT was not an option. So....I reared back and with stupid all over me, I threw my shoe clean to the back of the church and the second one followed shortly afterwards. I have not been the same since that day.
All I can say is the veil that had kept He and I separate was torn in two that night. My enemy scampered off and I fell deeply in love with my God and His Word. Does God always ask you to do such dramatic things, no, no He doesn't. Drastic times take drastic measures. Everyone has their own "story". This just happens to be mine. This is the way mine is told. You have yours. The common story line is this: you can have your enemy out of the picture way before intermission and you can go on and have a wonderfully, beautiful, unabandoned, unfettered relationship with your God. It just may be the shoes holding you back.
Each dance company has their own take on the story of Clara and her night of Christmas magic, but the same theme is repeated no matter how the story is told. Clara is given a special gift (the Nutcracker) and there is an enemy (the Mouse King and his cohort) that tries to take it from her.
The problem is solved very early in the ballet, in fact it is solved even before intermission and Clara goes on to experience a wonderfully, beautiful time of fantasy and the dance. Do you remember how she stops her menacing enemy that threatens to take away her prized possession? She threw her shoes at her enemy. Off goes the problem from wince he came.
I had a similar situation happen to me about 15 years ago. Hold on to your religious shoes. I had been going through a time of really pressing in to go further with my relationship with God. I had gotten very desperate for more of Him. I had some "prized possessions" that I knew God had given me and I needed to move from where I was to where I needed to be in order to use them.
So, I'm at a revival. I had been attending it all week long. It was the last night of the revival and I felt I had not gotten what I wanted. My enemy, whom I am terribly ignorant of at times, was tussling with me not to go beyond where I was. It was during the altar call, I was standing up front near the side of the church. I knew what God wanted me to do but the voice of fear had me scared to obey God, that should of been a good indication to make me push on through, BUT...me and my mind mumbled, and muttered, and spit, and sputtered, and rocked and reeled. It was odd what God had told me to do.
My mind said, "This is so dumb", "You'll look ridiculous, "No one has ever done anything like this before...in a church", "You'll be escorted out", "What has this got to do with getting closer with God", I asked. Here's what happened. I felt impressed to slip my shoes off and place them on the floor next to my feet, yes...in church. I told you it was odd. The second I got my first shoe in my hand God said, "Throw it." My brain had a meltdown, you could see it coming out of my ears. I knew in that very instant that if I didn't do it right then that I was going to put myself in the very center of my enemy's perfect place for me and THAT was not an option. So....I reared back and with stupid all over me, I threw my shoe clean to the back of the church and the second one followed shortly afterwards. I have not been the same since that day.
All I can say is the veil that had kept He and I separate was torn in two that night. My enemy scampered off and I fell deeply in love with my God and His Word. Does God always ask you to do such dramatic things, no, no He doesn't. Drastic times take drastic measures. Everyone has their own "story". This just happens to be mine. This is the way mine is told. You have yours. The common story line is this: you can have your enemy out of the picture way before intermission and you can go on and have a wonderfully, beautiful, unabandoned, unfettered relationship with your God. It just may be the shoes holding you back.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Razzle Dazzle 'Em
I just saw an article in a well-known and vastly-read magazine. It suggested that I needed to dazzle my family for the holidays. Being a dancer/performer I've always thought of the Thanksgiving through New Year's season as a part of a performance, just on a smaller stage.
The moment Halloween is over, my days, for decades has consisted of rehearsals, costumes, Christmas parades, Christmas shows, Christmas scenery, field trips with students to see 'The Nutcracker', going to see my own students in 'The Nutcracker', decorating studios and home, week long parties at the studio, parties at my house, Christmas pageants at my church, all written, directed, and choreographed by me. In between all of that, family trips to Gatlinburg, Christmas shopping, hosting both sides of the family in my home for feast and festivities, all the while attending my own children's school programs and extra curricular activities. Dazzle is what I do.
Everything I have ever done, or put my hand to was to bring joy and pleasure to anyone and everyone. My concept was to not ask anyone to do anything but to show up. I wanted the experience to be where you walked in to the theater, my home, the church, or the parade and you just sit down and experience the whole holiday magic without any effort or work. I felt as if I was presenting you with a gift.
A labor of love is what I call it, insanity is what my husband calls it. Do you know how many 50' floats we have made scenery for, larger than life scenery, I might add. In the rain, in the freezing, in the wind, and the children just show up and step onto it and they are the stars and they go home? Or the full productions of lights, music, dance, and song. They perform and thrill and get their rewards of hand claps and flowers and go home with their admiring families. We clean up and go on to the next dazzle.
My theme song has been: "Give 'em the old razzle dazzle, razzle dazzle 'em. Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it and the reaction will be passionate" - from Chicago. I'm in a place now where I'm ready for someone else to dazzle me. A very dear friend bought tickets for us to see the 'Rockettes Christmas Spectacular' for my birthday and then she took me out to eat. It all felt very strange for I have not always had the occasion to be the recipient of the dazzle. But, I did gobble it all up, dinner and show.
No one has to tell me I'm performance driven, um duh. God and I are working on that. The area He has me working on during this season of my life is the, 'Let-Someone-Else-Dazzle-'Em-For-A-While' exercise. I have squirmed. He has let me. The dazzle has been dimming. I have mourned. He has let me. My identity is being tampered with. He's guiding me through the transition. I'm afraid of what will be or not be left of me when the exercise is over. He knows it's for the best.
Do I need to dazzle my family this Christmas season or anyone else for that matter? No, I don't. Do I want to dazzle them? Yes, I do. Will I be allowed to? Yes, of course, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything" I Corinthians 6:12. Hard lessons for a performer to learn.
So, this season, I have laid performing down. I have agreed to lose myself, so I can become me. I'm turning off the spotlight, packing away the glitz, not attempting to put on the ritz. I'm going to enjoy this season with one thing in mind, Jesus. Not to perform a reenactment of His birth with dancing angels, but to just enjoy Him. If it weren't for His arrival, there would be no pageantry performances all across the world. Off the stage...I'm gonna let God do what He does so well, I'm gonna let Him 'razzle dazzle 'em'. How brilliant is that? Yes, He is.
The moment Halloween is over, my days, for decades has consisted of rehearsals, costumes, Christmas parades, Christmas shows, Christmas scenery, field trips with students to see 'The Nutcracker', going to see my own students in 'The Nutcracker', decorating studios and home, week long parties at the studio, parties at my house, Christmas pageants at my church, all written, directed, and choreographed by me. In between all of that, family trips to Gatlinburg, Christmas shopping, hosting both sides of the family in my home for feast and festivities, all the while attending my own children's school programs and extra curricular activities. Dazzle is what I do.
Everything I have ever done, or put my hand to was to bring joy and pleasure to anyone and everyone. My concept was to not ask anyone to do anything but to show up. I wanted the experience to be where you walked in to the theater, my home, the church, or the parade and you just sit down and experience the whole holiday magic without any effort or work. I felt as if I was presenting you with a gift.
A labor of love is what I call it, insanity is what my husband calls it. Do you know how many 50' floats we have made scenery for, larger than life scenery, I might add. In the rain, in the freezing, in the wind, and the children just show up and step onto it and they are the stars and they go home? Or the full productions of lights, music, dance, and song. They perform and thrill and get their rewards of hand claps and flowers and go home with their admiring families. We clean up and go on to the next dazzle.
My theme song has been: "Give 'em the old razzle dazzle, razzle dazzle 'em. Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it and the reaction will be passionate" - from Chicago. I'm in a place now where I'm ready for someone else to dazzle me. A very dear friend bought tickets for us to see the 'Rockettes Christmas Spectacular' for my birthday and then she took me out to eat. It all felt very strange for I have not always had the occasion to be the recipient of the dazzle. But, I did gobble it all up, dinner and show.
No one has to tell me I'm performance driven, um duh. God and I are working on that. The area He has me working on during this season of my life is the, 'Let-Someone-Else-Dazzle-'Em-For-A-While' exercise. I have squirmed. He has let me. The dazzle has been dimming. I have mourned. He has let me. My identity is being tampered with. He's guiding me through the transition. I'm afraid of what will be or not be left of me when the exercise is over. He knows it's for the best.
Do I need to dazzle my family this Christmas season or anyone else for that matter? No, I don't. Do I want to dazzle them? Yes, I do. Will I be allowed to? Yes, of course, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything" I Corinthians 6:12. Hard lessons for a performer to learn.
So, this season, I have laid performing down. I have agreed to lose myself, so I can become me. I'm turning off the spotlight, packing away the glitz, not attempting to put on the ritz. I'm going to enjoy this season with one thing in mind, Jesus. Not to perform a reenactment of His birth with dancing angels, but to just enjoy Him. If it weren't for His arrival, there would be no pageantry performances all across the world. Off the stage...I'm gonna let God do what He does so well, I'm gonna let Him 'razzle dazzle 'em'. How brilliant is that? Yes, He is.
Friday, September 24, 2010
How Was I Supposed to Know That You Didn't Want to Go Mattress Gliding?
For the Realtor it's LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! For me it's COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION! I live on the I-V drip of communication. I would not have done well in primitive days of cave drawing and grunting. I need words. I need to think about them, prepare them, and then speak them. I don't just spurt out words. No, they are carefully selected like when I shop for a gift for you. I walk in and around the aisles imagining you receiving the gift, opening it and then your reaction to the gift. I like to give great gifts that are totally practical or totally frivolous. What matters is: did it do something for you? Same for me with words. So needless to say I have a black hole in my marriage in this area. I am married to the cliche' "tall, dark, and handsome" AND "the strong, silent type". That is the description of my husband.
Words are cumbersome to my Cuban man. In some way, he thinks I should hear him think and know his precise thoughts. Sadly, after being married to him for so long, I do. But I need words like a shopaholic needs retail therapy. After reading The Five Love Languages I confirm that my love language is 'words of affirmation' and do you know what my mate of 35 years is? Words? No...'touch'. His is touch. So guess what we end up giving each other. I give him words, he gives me touch. Black hole.
I really have to work on giving him the touch, especially when, to me, words are so befitting for every situation, like flowers, not so with touch. My husband and I are DIYers. We build, make, and do everything ourselves. In fact a running joke for a while was that the Sumners children needed braces and Dane and Jeanna were going to make them themselves. Boy, do we have some stories about non-communicating to tell you. We have on *n u m e r o u s* occasions gone into situations with me equipped to receive words, such as instructions to how something is to be done or carried out, but have gotten caught up in the situation and don't get any. Such as it was this particular day a few years back in our earlier years of guessing what was in my hubands head...
We purchase a king size mattress and box springs. We go to get it ourselves, no delivery trucks and fees for us! My man loads the newly purchased mattress and box springs on the bed of our 4-door dually and we get in the truck to drive home. So, there we are, riding down Highway 280 and we begin to notice that the mattress is catching some air and lifting a bit off the box springs, this would be because we didn't take rope to secure the m&bs, I'll call it. Being young and invincible, my husband decides that I should drive and he'd lie on top of the m&bs, in the back of the truck, to keep them from catching air. That was the last communication I received from him on the matter. I winged the rest.
Considering it was summer, I have the windows rolled up and the A/C blowing and the radio going pretty loud and I'm traveling at the maximum of the speed limit. As I was, I began to see the top of Dane's hair coming in view of the rear-view mirror. But then it went down. But it came up again, and this time it had forehead with it. But it went down again. It happened again but with eyes added to it, and may I say they were huge, bugged-out kind of eyes. I had thoughts that there might be a problem 'arising' but the reality of it did not strike until the eyes went down and came back up with a huge, opened wide, and screaming mouth to match the eyes! My lightning fast mind realized that he was catching air on the mattress and was gliding in mid-air in the back of the truck, going down Highway 280 and at a pretty aggressive speed.
I pull over on the shoulder of the road because of the non-verbal communication his face was giving me. When I got out of the truck, I got some communication. First, he shrieked. Then he asked me a lot of questions in a shrill voice like, "What was I thinking?" and, "Could I not see he was airborne?" and then I got the instructions I needed all along, in a drill instructor's tone he barked, "Roll down the blame windows, turn off the radio, go slower, and listen for me if I need to tell you something." I got back in the truck thinking that he should of said what he wanted in the first place.
On that day, we actually by accident invented the extreme sport of mattress gliding. Though it has never really 'taken off'. (Pun intended.) My thoughts on the matter...next time I'll betcha you'll give me some kind of communicated instructions. No, this did not happen. We repeatedly have done this type of thing over and over again...until the day came I stopped the madness. Who knows if it was the day, I pulled him with a chain across town in our cars, with no instruction on whose brakes you use to stop or if it was the time we lifted a 300 pound air conditioner over our heads to put in a window, with no instructions or maybe it was the day he placed a giant air gun in my hands and asked me to un-rivet the screws holding the doors on his prized '66 Chevy II (with no instructions). I say..."You get what you get, and don't complain a bit!"
This is but a small glimpse of what's it was like living in my silent world of guessing how my husband wants something done. But, I did take the reins and now when asked to do He-man type of things, we have a meeting of communication and words of instruction. Even if it is while I am in the middle of holding his feet as he leans off our 2 story commercial building roof, waist and head hanging over the street below as he paints the wall. It's better than no words at all.
Words are cumbersome to my Cuban man. In some way, he thinks I should hear him think and know his precise thoughts. Sadly, after being married to him for so long, I do. But I need words like a shopaholic needs retail therapy. After reading The Five Love Languages I confirm that my love language is 'words of affirmation' and do you know what my mate of 35 years is? Words? No...'touch'. His is touch. So guess what we end up giving each other. I give him words, he gives me touch. Black hole.
I really have to work on giving him the touch, especially when, to me, words are so befitting for every situation, like flowers, not so with touch. My husband and I are DIYers. We build, make, and do everything ourselves. In fact a running joke for a while was that the Sumners children needed braces and Dane and Jeanna were going to make them themselves. Boy, do we have some stories about non-communicating to tell you. We have on *n u m e r o u s* occasions gone into situations with me equipped to receive words, such as instructions to how something is to be done or carried out, but have gotten caught up in the situation and don't get any. Such as it was this particular day a few years back in our earlier years of guessing what was in my hubands head...
We purchase a king size mattress and box springs. We go to get it ourselves, no delivery trucks and fees for us! My man loads the newly purchased mattress and box springs on the bed of our 4-door dually and we get in the truck to drive home. So, there we are, riding down Highway 280 and we begin to notice that the mattress is catching some air and lifting a bit off the box springs, this would be because we didn't take rope to secure the m&bs, I'll call it. Being young and invincible, my husband decides that I should drive and he'd lie on top of the m&bs, in the back of the truck, to keep them from catching air. That was the last communication I received from him on the matter. I winged the rest.
Considering it was summer, I have the windows rolled up and the A/C blowing and the radio going pretty loud and I'm traveling at the maximum of the speed limit. As I was, I began to see the top of Dane's hair coming in view of the rear-view mirror. But then it went down. But it came up again, and this time it had forehead with it. But it went down again. It happened again but with eyes added to it, and may I say they were huge, bugged-out kind of eyes. I had thoughts that there might be a problem 'arising' but the reality of it did not strike until the eyes went down and came back up with a huge, opened wide, and screaming mouth to match the eyes! My lightning fast mind realized that he was catching air on the mattress and was gliding in mid-air in the back of the truck, going down Highway 280 and at a pretty aggressive speed.
I pull over on the shoulder of the road because of the non-verbal communication his face was giving me. When I got out of the truck, I got some communication. First, he shrieked. Then he asked me a lot of questions in a shrill voice like, "What was I thinking?" and, "Could I not see he was airborne?" and then I got the instructions I needed all along, in a drill instructor's tone he barked, "Roll down the blame windows, turn off the radio, go slower, and listen for me if I need to tell you something." I got back in the truck thinking that he should of said what he wanted in the first place.
On that day, we actually by accident invented the extreme sport of mattress gliding. Though it has never really 'taken off'. (Pun intended.) My thoughts on the matter...next time I'll betcha you'll give me some kind of communicated instructions. No, this did not happen. We repeatedly have done this type of thing over and over again...until the day came I stopped the madness. Who knows if it was the day, I pulled him with a chain across town in our cars, with no instruction on whose brakes you use to stop or if it was the time we lifted a 300 pound air conditioner over our heads to put in a window, with no instructions or maybe it was the day he placed a giant air gun in my hands and asked me to un-rivet the screws holding the doors on his prized '66 Chevy II (with no instructions). I say..."You get what you get, and don't complain a bit!"
This is but a small glimpse of what's it was like living in my silent world of guessing how my husband wants something done. But, I did take the reins and now when asked to do He-man type of things, we have a meeting of communication and words of instruction. Even if it is while I am in the middle of holding his feet as he leans off our 2 story commercial building roof, waist and head hanging over the street below as he paints the wall. It's better than no words at all.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
W.W.J.B. - What Would Jesus Blog?
If Jesus were a blogger what type of blogs would He write? What would He post to His followers? Considering that there are only a few basic types of blogging, I really don't see Him writing about travel or journaling about fashion. But, I could see Him making Himself heard along the subjects of culture and lifestyles. He really would get into the 'how-to' tutorial type blogs even maybe do a few collaborative blogs here and there with other fellow publishers. But the type of blogs I could really see Him doing would be the personal blog. Yeah...don't you think?
The word blog came from the word web log which is a diary of sorts typed out and sent into the blogosphere by various bloggers all with the intent of getting our voices and ideals out to our followers and gaining momentum day by day as new followers catch the passion with which we non-formal authors all try to exude and urge them to join in on our web of interconnecting as only the internet can do. What did I just say?! I think it was: we write about what we are passionate about and try to get others passionate about it too. Yep, that's what I said.
There are bloggers that write about nothing but the color turquoise, or their kids, or their journey to lose weight, or about trends, or self-help information like where to get coupons and discounts or about the hobby of scrapbooking. It's all out there. I really look at myself as an encourager blogger. In everything I write I desire to be a bellow that blows dying flames or help pull someone out of their mudhole or give directions when someone keeps going around the same dumb mountain and wants to take another route. I'm willing to be the one that will say, "stop, danger ahead!" and "there's a better way" and "you and God need to talk".
In essence, Jesus is blogging every time anyone blogs in His name, using His principles, the Kingdom principles. Matthew 4 says that Jesus "picked up where John the Baptist left off" saying: "Change your life. God's Kingdom is here." He went all over and used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's Kingdom was His theme. The theme explained is this: beginning right now (as soon as you get into the kingdom) you are under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the areas and people brought anybody with any ailments, whether mental, emotional, or physical and Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering followers, day by day. Much like the concept behind blogging.
So I suppose that that is exactly what Jesus would blog. The truth. The kingdom. The truth concerning the kingdom, and all the intricacies that are intertwined with telling the truth about the kingdom and the way He runs it. His blog would probably be named something like..."If The Truth Be Told" or "Truth or Consequences" or "From Here to Kingdom Come". What ever its name, He would be radical and outspoken, current and edgy, honest and informative, but most of all forgiving and loving as He directed us in the ways of 'living the life befitting a follower'. Why? Because He is passionate about people and life. He loves to instruct and encourage, reveal and uplift.
Bloggers want to know that what they are writing is providing what their reader needs or if what they are sharing is beneficial, that is why there are comment sections at the bottom of each post.They also want to know who is following the post, so there is a place to join with the other followers on each blog page. We all know that the number of followers signed up are not always the amount of people that actually read our blogs. There are numerous amounts that read this one, they just have chosen not to become a follower. Just like there are a whole lot of people that have read the Bible but never became a follower.
I think even that some of the ones that have signed up to be a follower, don't on a steady occasion follow. Some are very devoted, others are more sporadic. If the fancy strikes. Much like the trends of Christiandom.
I'm not looking for a following for me. If I was, I would journal about repurposing household items, or maybe horses, I love horses. I used to show Quarter horses. Or I would write about raising grandchildren or stepchildren, or homeschooling. Something like that, but, I feel that the words I have to speak into cyberspace need to have a focus, a power, that will change the very lives that read them. That's why I blog.
So, now I have another question to ask you...W. W. J. T. - What Would Jesus Tweet?
The word blog came from the word web log which is a diary of sorts typed out and sent into the blogosphere by various bloggers all with the intent of getting our voices and ideals out to our followers and gaining momentum day by day as new followers catch the passion with which we non-formal authors all try to exude and urge them to join in on our web of interconnecting as only the internet can do. What did I just say?! I think it was: we write about what we are passionate about and try to get others passionate about it too. Yep, that's what I said.
There are bloggers that write about nothing but the color turquoise, or their kids, or their journey to lose weight, or about trends, or self-help information like where to get coupons and discounts or about the hobby of scrapbooking. It's all out there. I really look at myself as an encourager blogger. In everything I write I desire to be a bellow that blows dying flames or help pull someone out of their mudhole or give directions when someone keeps going around the same dumb mountain and wants to take another route. I'm willing to be the one that will say, "stop, danger ahead!" and "there's a better way" and "you and God need to talk".
In essence, Jesus is blogging every time anyone blogs in His name, using His principles, the Kingdom principles. Matthew 4 says that Jesus "picked up where John the Baptist left off" saying: "Change your life. God's Kingdom is here." He went all over and used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's Kingdom was His theme. The theme explained is this: beginning right now (as soon as you get into the kingdom) you are under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the areas and people brought anybody with any ailments, whether mental, emotional, or physical and Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering followers, day by day. Much like the concept behind blogging.
So I suppose that that is exactly what Jesus would blog. The truth. The kingdom. The truth concerning the kingdom, and all the intricacies that are intertwined with telling the truth about the kingdom and the way He runs it. His blog would probably be named something like..."If The Truth Be Told" or "Truth or Consequences" or "From Here to Kingdom Come". What ever its name, He would be radical and outspoken, current and edgy, honest and informative, but most of all forgiving and loving as He directed us in the ways of 'living the life befitting a follower'. Why? Because He is passionate about people and life. He loves to instruct and encourage, reveal and uplift.
Bloggers want to know that what they are writing is providing what their reader needs or if what they are sharing is beneficial, that is why there are comment sections at the bottom of each post.They also want to know who is following the post, so there is a place to join with the other followers on each blog page. We all know that the number of followers signed up are not always the amount of people that actually read our blogs. There are numerous amounts that read this one, they just have chosen not to become a follower. Just like there are a whole lot of people that have read the Bible but never became a follower.
I think even that some of the ones that have signed up to be a follower, don't on a steady occasion follow. Some are very devoted, others are more sporadic. If the fancy strikes. Much like the trends of Christiandom.
I'm not looking for a following for me. If I was, I would journal about repurposing household items, or maybe horses, I love horses. I used to show Quarter horses. Or I would write about raising grandchildren or stepchildren, or homeschooling. Something like that, but, I feel that the words I have to speak into cyberspace need to have a focus, a power, that will change the very lives that read them. That's why I blog.
So, now I have another question to ask you...W. W. J. T. - What Would Jesus Tweet?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Bonehead Cometh
When I say these words tell me what you think of first. Pink Cadillacs...Mary Kay Cosmetics...yes. A pole with 2 snakes wrapped on it...universal symbol of medicine...yes. Three green arrows following each other in a circle...recycling...yes. The Rx symbol...a pharmacy...yes. A yellow smiley face...well, I'm from the 70's so I say it means 'have a happy day', for the rest of you, you might say Wal Mart. Okay, last one, ...skulls...
Primitive cultures might argue that skulls were symbols of protection and well-being against evil. Cultures of today might say that they are simply a fashion trend. Since our culture likes this saying, 'It is what it is', I'm gonna say 'what it is'. Death. That's right it's a symbol of death. I don't wear skulls for that very reason, why do I want my t-shirt to shout death at everyone who looks at it? Or my beach towel, or my purse, or my jewelry? I'm not about death, so I don't wear death anything. I'm not afraid of death, I just don't find any association with it. Why? Because I've already died. If you're blood bought, then you've died as well. Why do I need to don myself with tribal skull tattoos with smoking guns or bloody knives. What is the purpose for bearing this on my belongings or person? Without a word, what does it say?
Ever since my granddaughter was about two she has, on her own, called skulls, boneheads. Which I think describes the situation very precisely. It's really more of the concept of us bearing symbols that represent ideas and truths for all to see what you think on the inside. Doves with olive branches in their mouth...peace. The dollar sign...money. The rainbow...it's a promise to my faith which has been stolen by another group that uses it to represent their liberal beliefs and celebrate their diversity. Surely, the effects of the bonehead cometh.
Maybe it's because I'm such a representative person. I live large and loud with what I believe. I believe in representing. So, if you got your cross on around your neck, please leave it in the car while you buy your liquor. Do what you gotta do, just don't confuse others watching you. On your Facebook page pick one or the other, either post a scripture to your status OR join the group 'If you're talking behind my back you're in a good position to kiss my ___', but not both. Same thing for everyone that wants to know if children can have ice cream trucks then where is the frozen margarita truck for the adults. It's not representing who I thought we Christians were representing. I'm amazed, shocked really, at ones that have their names imprinted in the Lambs Book of Life that will cheer someone on that feels they need a cocktail to cope with life's crappy situations.
Have I lost touch with reality? Am I reading way too much into what God said about living holy? Have I taken sanctification way too seriously? Did I misunderstand the part about being an ambassador for Christ? Am I supposed to mix the boneheads with my everyday life? Does it even matter if I do or if I don't?
Here is a quote from the book 'A More Excellent Way' by Henry W. Wright, "The Church is incredibly ignorant about its enemy." We Christians have an enemy, read John 10:10. Our enemy wants us to flop here, on earth, he wants you to cause others to flop, he doesn't care about after you're gone, just here. He wants to rub it in God's face, see what I've got your kids doing? When we don't represent the kingdom we pursue the bonehead cause.
Matthew 7:20 says that Jesus said, "...by your fruits you will be known". Fruits are your lifestyle. That's how everyone around us will know who we represent is because of our lifestyle. I understand that we can blow it from time to time. Grace covers your boo boos. But when you deliberately set a time and day to meet with your friends to sip with and toast one another, grace gets put on the spot. One more representative for the God cause has hit the dust and one more onlooker doesn't trust our faith. We Christians are so mocked because of our inability to reject the practice of boneheadism.
I want to interject here that I am not judging, I'm just describing the obvious effects that bonehead-denseness produces. I'm judging when I grab a gavel and make a decree of punishment because of the obvious fruit spoilage. No, that's not my place. But if I stand up and call 'it is what it is' it's only because I can't be silent when it comes to representing. Jesus would walk straight up to people and addressed their bonehead situation without holding back. Why would He do that? Because it was death to them. It was poison. It was decay. It was rot. He told many that thought they were doing the God thing the right way that they were "white washed tombs full of dead man bones". Tombs + Bones = Death. You get the picture?
I'm speaking to the Christian culture. We were originally designed to be a counterculture, like the early church, instead of a sub-culture. A sub-culture shifts its convictions and viewpoints about right and wrong, good and evil, acceptable and unacceptable as society's culture shifts. A counterculture does not. It remains fixed and firm with its beliefs even through the changing of the times. The things we Christians will stand back and yawn at, 60 years ago would have caused people to have heart attacks right where they stood. Let me ask you, the things we allow through the airwaves and into our homes through our TV's, would you honestly let the very same thing take place, live, in your living room? The language? The nude-i-ness? The hate? The gore? Would you let someone reenact this in your living room? Live? With your family sitting right there? We've slipped into a bonehead coma!!!
John Bevere says this in his book 'A Heart Ablaze', "Holiness transcends legalism as rules for dress, or hair, or what to eat. If you are living a holy lifestyle, you will automatically want to do things that bring God glory". So I want to ask you to do this, while you're in the middle of doing an activity, ask yourself, does this represent the God-glory? When you think of a fig leaf, what does it represent? Sin? The reason Adam and Eve covered themselves was because the God-glory had left them. Nothing but sin and bones!
If I see someone entertaining a bonehead, I quickly maneuver into prayer position in front of my keyboard or car, I don't care, and claim the law of representation to go into effect. I don't have to say anything to anyone. I just pray the Ephesians 1:18 prayer..."the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling...go ahead read to verse 23, it's good!
Rise and represent you followers of the cause! Remember whose you are. Remember the name of the Christian game, Fruit Bearers. Remember our motto: Death To The Bonehead! Live To Represent! Remember our goal is not to confuse potential Christians with numb-skull choices. Remember to represent, all Jesus, all the time. Choose you this day life or death, blessing or cursing. Choose to represent. It is a LIFE or DEATH situation.
Primitive cultures might argue that skulls were symbols of protection and well-being against evil. Cultures of today might say that they are simply a fashion trend. Since our culture likes this saying, 'It is what it is', I'm gonna say 'what it is'. Death. That's right it's a symbol of death. I don't wear skulls for that very reason, why do I want my t-shirt to shout death at everyone who looks at it? Or my beach towel, or my purse, or my jewelry? I'm not about death, so I don't wear death anything. I'm not afraid of death, I just don't find any association with it. Why? Because I've already died. If you're blood bought, then you've died as well. Why do I need to don myself with tribal skull tattoos with smoking guns or bloody knives. What is the purpose for bearing this on my belongings or person? Without a word, what does it say?
Ever since my granddaughter was about two she has, on her own, called skulls, boneheads. Which I think describes the situation very precisely. It's really more of the concept of us bearing symbols that represent ideas and truths for all to see what you think on the inside. Doves with olive branches in their mouth...peace. The dollar sign...money. The rainbow...it's a promise to my faith which has been stolen by another group that uses it to represent their liberal beliefs and celebrate their diversity. Surely, the effects of the bonehead cometh.
Maybe it's because I'm such a representative person. I live large and loud with what I believe. I believe in representing. So, if you got your cross on around your neck, please leave it in the car while you buy your liquor. Do what you gotta do, just don't confuse others watching you. On your Facebook page pick one or the other, either post a scripture to your status OR join the group 'If you're talking behind my back you're in a good position to kiss my ___', but not both. Same thing for everyone that wants to know if children can have ice cream trucks then where is the frozen margarita truck for the adults. It's not representing who I thought we Christians were representing. I'm amazed, shocked really, at ones that have their names imprinted in the Lambs Book of Life that will cheer someone on that feels they need a cocktail to cope with life's crappy situations.
Have I lost touch with reality? Am I reading way too much into what God said about living holy? Have I taken sanctification way too seriously? Did I misunderstand the part about being an ambassador for Christ? Am I supposed to mix the boneheads with my everyday life? Does it even matter if I do or if I don't?
Here is a quote from the book 'A More Excellent Way' by Henry W. Wright, "The Church is incredibly ignorant about its enemy." We Christians have an enemy, read John 10:10. Our enemy wants us to flop here, on earth, he wants you to cause others to flop, he doesn't care about after you're gone, just here. He wants to rub it in God's face, see what I've got your kids doing? When we don't represent the kingdom we pursue the bonehead cause.
Matthew 7:20 says that Jesus said, "...by your fruits you will be known". Fruits are your lifestyle. That's how everyone around us will know who we represent is because of our lifestyle. I understand that we can blow it from time to time. Grace covers your boo boos. But when you deliberately set a time and day to meet with your friends to sip with and toast one another, grace gets put on the spot. One more representative for the God cause has hit the dust and one more onlooker doesn't trust our faith. We Christians are so mocked because of our inability to reject the practice of boneheadism.
I want to interject here that I am not judging, I'm just describing the obvious effects that bonehead-denseness produces. I'm judging when I grab a gavel and make a decree of punishment because of the obvious fruit spoilage. No, that's not my place. But if I stand up and call 'it is what it is' it's only because I can't be silent when it comes to representing. Jesus would walk straight up to people and addressed their bonehead situation without holding back. Why would He do that? Because it was death to them. It was poison. It was decay. It was rot. He told many that thought they were doing the God thing the right way that they were "white washed tombs full of dead man bones". Tombs + Bones = Death. You get the picture?
I'm speaking to the Christian culture. We were originally designed to be a counterculture, like the early church, instead of a sub-culture. A sub-culture shifts its convictions and viewpoints about right and wrong, good and evil, acceptable and unacceptable as society's culture shifts. A counterculture does not. It remains fixed and firm with its beliefs even through the changing of the times. The things we Christians will stand back and yawn at, 60 years ago would have caused people to have heart attacks right where they stood. Let me ask you, the things we allow through the airwaves and into our homes through our TV's, would you honestly let the very same thing take place, live, in your living room? The language? The nude-i-ness? The hate? The gore? Would you let someone reenact this in your living room? Live? With your family sitting right there? We've slipped into a bonehead coma!!!
John Bevere says this in his book 'A Heart Ablaze', "Holiness transcends legalism as rules for dress, or hair, or what to eat. If you are living a holy lifestyle, you will automatically want to do things that bring God glory". So I want to ask you to do this, while you're in the middle of doing an activity, ask yourself, does this represent the God-glory? When you think of a fig leaf, what does it represent? Sin? The reason Adam and Eve covered themselves was because the God-glory had left them. Nothing but sin and bones!
If I see someone entertaining a bonehead, I quickly maneuver into prayer position in front of my keyboard or car, I don't care, and claim the law of representation to go into effect. I don't have to say anything to anyone. I just pray the Ephesians 1:18 prayer..."the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling...go ahead read to verse 23, it's good!
Rise and represent you followers of the cause! Remember whose you are. Remember the name of the Christian game, Fruit Bearers. Remember our motto: Death To The Bonehead! Live To Represent! Remember our goal is not to confuse potential Christians with numb-skull choices. Remember to represent, all Jesus, all the time. Choose you this day life or death, blessing or cursing. Choose to represent. It is a LIFE or DEATH situation.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Eden Atmosphere
If you have ever read Gary Chapman's book 'The Five Love Languages', you already know what your love language is. Mine, of course, is words of affirmation. I get great satisfaction from the usage of words, given and received. When I speak, I like to go into my mental garden and 'pick' the perfect words that will fit the occasion and conversation that I am engaged in. Like going into a flower garden and picking a variety of colors and textures of flora that I can bunch together and make a pleasing bouquet for me, and I hope for others, to enjoy.
I think of myself as a collector of words, of sorts. I did not know this about myself until recently, when I really 'looked' at my office. If you come into my office, you will find on the shelves, six, very large dictionaries. One of which, weighs about 5 pounds. I have concordances, 7 or 8 translations of the Bible, and teaching books on various topics. But, if you look around closer, you'll discover notebooks and notebooks of various sizes and thicknesses of thoughts, ideas, concerns, and dreams, some are one-liners and some are very long and detailed. If you look in one particular drawer, in my office, you will uncover stacks of letters, thank you cards, birthday cards, newspaper clippings, and the like, from students, friends, and those I love from over the years. They are words of flowers that have made me happy and made me smile. I save it all.
If you look at where my chair is in the living room and the 'chair' in the bathroom, I have magazines, books, and all sorts of reading material. I rather enjoy verbiage. I get great pleasure from surrounding myself with words and using them on a regular basis. I really never got in trouble in school because of talking, I was quiet in school, but, boy was I an observer. And as and observer, I was collecting thoughts and opinions on every topic that my eyes and ears came into contact with. I always excelled in English, vocabulary, and spelling. In fact, when I was in school, my counselor brought me to her office and showed me some tests scores from the 9th grade from those subjects and I was in college level, like second year, 5th month! I chose to dance instead.
Philosophers have found words as objects of fascination since at least the 5th Century BC, I am fascinated by them as well, not so much the history of them, but the way they make me feel. The right words soothe me, bathe me, heal me, encourage me, and make me feel loved. So, of course you know what the wrong words do to me. Whether it's written words or spoken words, I love them all.
I'm a giver of words, also. Thus, the blogging. I know everyone is not into words like I am, like everyone is not into gardening where the beautiful bouquets of varieties of words come from. But have you ever stopped to realize how much God is into words and gardening? The account recorded in Genesis is: first, He brooded, second, He spoke. God is a Speaking Spirit and because we are made after His likeness, He made us the same way. We are speaking spirits, animals are not. God likes words so much that he put together a collection of His words that has withstood thousands of years, the Bible. He loves the written and spoken word, just like me ;-).
He also loves gardens, with His words He planted a garden and gave man his first occupation. Gardeners. The 'First Couple of Humanity' would converse with their Originator in the garden that was planted with words. Whenever God shows up there has to be an atmosphere present for Him to be in. There's not a single time in the Bible that He came on the scene that an atmosphere was not first produced. There's an atmosphere that was in Eden, it was the atmosphere God made so His presence could come and talk with man. It was His spoken design. God's original concept was for man and woman to spread and expand Eden (the atmosphere, Eden means 'presence of God') until it covered the entire earth. But because of the disruption of the atmosphere during the fall of man, He had to seal off the physical Eden and go into a second plan.
That second plan was the arrival of the second Adam. The atmosphere was a stable where millions of reenactments have been portrayed by churches across the world as well as the departure of the second Adam, Jesus on the cross and then His resurrection. All for what? Yes, so we can become born again and reunite with the One that got all of this going in the first place. Again, atmosphere was the prelude to the presence. But what was different this time was the atmosphere was set up INSIDE of humans. II Corinthians 6:16 states, "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people".
God did not intend for Eden to remain in the Mesopotamia region. He wanted it to take over the earth. So it is with the new Eden inside of us. We are to spread the atmosphere, the garden, the fragrance, the beauty, the God-colors, the presence of God Himself, all over this world. If the atmosphere that you are presenting, as a Christian, is a small enclosed one, listen to Paul's words, "The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!". Then he goes into us being the temple of the Holy Spirit, an atmosphere. So if you've been eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...the atmosphere for God to visit is non-existent.
If you feel deserted, dry, excommunicated, jilted, left for dead, alone, and any other word you can think of, ask yourself if and when have you set up the atmosphere for you two Spirits to speak with one another, lately. Is your inside Eden overgrown with weeds and pests because of negligence? Have you given up on gardening altogether? Is the atmosphere you're living in, right now, too messed up for Him to come in? Have you sewn leaves together and are hiding from His presence? Mixing the knowledge of good and evil always ends with this results.
As long as you have a pulse, something can be done about that, but it takes your participation. The Eden atmosphere is dominated by you, set up by you. You dictate its expansion, its growth. Clean up your garden, ask for help and the grace to stop combining the sacred with the secular because..."How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? Does Christ stroll with the devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands?", questioned Paul. I encourage you with everything I got...get your words collected, send a formal invitation and request the pleasure of your God's presence to your garden...the Eden atmosphere.
I think of myself as a collector of words, of sorts. I did not know this about myself until recently, when I really 'looked' at my office. If you come into my office, you will find on the shelves, six, very large dictionaries. One of which, weighs about 5 pounds. I have concordances, 7 or 8 translations of the Bible, and teaching books on various topics. But, if you look around closer, you'll discover notebooks and notebooks of various sizes and thicknesses of thoughts, ideas, concerns, and dreams, some are one-liners and some are very long and detailed. If you look in one particular drawer, in my office, you will uncover stacks of letters, thank you cards, birthday cards, newspaper clippings, and the like, from students, friends, and those I love from over the years. They are words of flowers that have made me happy and made me smile. I save it all.
If you look at where my chair is in the living room and the 'chair' in the bathroom, I have magazines, books, and all sorts of reading material. I rather enjoy verbiage. I get great pleasure from surrounding myself with words and using them on a regular basis. I really never got in trouble in school because of talking, I was quiet in school, but, boy was I an observer. And as and observer, I was collecting thoughts and opinions on every topic that my eyes and ears came into contact with. I always excelled in English, vocabulary, and spelling. In fact, when I was in school, my counselor brought me to her office and showed me some tests scores from the 9th grade from those subjects and I was in college level, like second year, 5th month! I chose to dance instead.
Philosophers have found words as objects of fascination since at least the 5th Century BC, I am fascinated by them as well, not so much the history of them, but the way they make me feel. The right words soothe me, bathe me, heal me, encourage me, and make me feel loved. So, of course you know what the wrong words do to me. Whether it's written words or spoken words, I love them all.
I'm a giver of words, also. Thus, the blogging. I know everyone is not into words like I am, like everyone is not into gardening where the beautiful bouquets of varieties of words come from. But have you ever stopped to realize how much God is into words and gardening? The account recorded in Genesis is: first, He brooded, second, He spoke. God is a Speaking Spirit and because we are made after His likeness, He made us the same way. We are speaking spirits, animals are not. God likes words so much that he put together a collection of His words that has withstood thousands of years, the Bible. He loves the written and spoken word, just like me ;-).
He also loves gardens, with His words He planted a garden and gave man his first occupation. Gardeners. The 'First Couple of Humanity' would converse with their Originator in the garden that was planted with words. Whenever God shows up there has to be an atmosphere present for Him to be in. There's not a single time in the Bible that He came on the scene that an atmosphere was not first produced. There's an atmosphere that was in Eden, it was the atmosphere God made so His presence could come and talk with man. It was His spoken design. God's original concept was for man and woman to spread and expand Eden (the atmosphere, Eden means 'presence of God') until it covered the entire earth. But because of the disruption of the atmosphere during the fall of man, He had to seal off the physical Eden and go into a second plan.
That second plan was the arrival of the second Adam. The atmosphere was a stable where millions of reenactments have been portrayed by churches across the world as well as the departure of the second Adam, Jesus on the cross and then His resurrection. All for what? Yes, so we can become born again and reunite with the One that got all of this going in the first place. Again, atmosphere was the prelude to the presence. But what was different this time was the atmosphere was set up INSIDE of humans. II Corinthians 6:16 states, "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people".
God did not intend for Eden to remain in the Mesopotamia region. He wanted it to take over the earth. So it is with the new Eden inside of us. We are to spread the atmosphere, the garden, the fragrance, the beauty, the God-colors, the presence of God Himself, all over this world. If the atmosphere that you are presenting, as a Christian, is a small enclosed one, listen to Paul's words, "The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!". Then he goes into us being the temple of the Holy Spirit, an atmosphere. So if you've been eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil...the atmosphere for God to visit is non-existent.
If you feel deserted, dry, excommunicated, jilted, left for dead, alone, and any other word you can think of, ask yourself if and when have you set up the atmosphere for you two Spirits to speak with one another, lately. Is your inside Eden overgrown with weeds and pests because of negligence? Have you given up on gardening altogether? Is the atmosphere you're living in, right now, too messed up for Him to come in? Have you sewn leaves together and are hiding from His presence? Mixing the knowledge of good and evil always ends with this results.
As long as you have a pulse, something can be done about that, but it takes your participation. The Eden atmosphere is dominated by you, set up by you. You dictate its expansion, its growth. Clean up your garden, ask for help and the grace to stop combining the sacred with the secular because..."How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? Does Christ stroll with the devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands?", questioned Paul. I encourage you with everything I got...get your words collected, send a formal invitation and request the pleasure of your God's presence to your garden...the Eden atmosphere.
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