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I was home at lunch and had the television on, and there was this ad for these electric wheelchairs.
They had people ... all dressed alike ... driving their little wheelchairs in synchronized patterns to happy-happy joy-joy music.
It was ... odd. Really odd, in a strange, almost-mockable-but-not-quite kind of way.
Really ... go to YouTube and watch it. Ignore the middle, but be sure to jump to the end, so you can see the fancy synchronized-wheelchair moves again.
Trinka
Thursday, September 27, 2007
money is tight
Michigan hasn't been able to come up with a budget.
Our esteemed (liberal!) governor says that ... if one isn't approved soon, she will need to shut down essential services.
Those being:
the lottery
casinos
packaged liquor sales
Horrors ... where WILL our quality of life go?
And if we allow a break in the above three excellent institutions, and hence temporarily stop bleeding money off those who can least afford it, maybe they'll become accustomed to doing something like ... oh ... I don't know ... SAVING it, or some such nonsense, and THEN what would happen to the moral character of our fine state?
Our esteemed (liberal!) governor says that ... if one isn't approved soon, she will need to shut down essential services.
Those being:
the lottery
casinos
packaged liquor sales
Horrors ... where WILL our quality of life go?
And if we allow a break in the above three excellent institutions, and hence temporarily stop bleeding money off those who can least afford it, maybe they'll become accustomed to doing something like ... oh ... I don't know ... SAVING it, or some such nonsense, and THEN what would happen to the moral character of our fine state?
Saturday, September 22, 2007
what do you want to come home to
Earlier this week I was out for a walk, and passed a house that was notable for the shrieking coming from it. A man was sitting on a motorcycle in the driveway, and his wife was apparently screaming at him from just inside the garage door. She dialed it down when I walked past, so I didn't get the topic of the "discussion" ... just the tone.
Also this week, a friend had her court date, and her divorce will be final in two weeks.
Today I had lunch with another single friend about my age, and we were discussing how hard it would be to adjust to having another person in our lives ... what if we married someone who always had to have noise in the house, and the TV or radio was always on. What if it were someone who liked to spend money on useless luxuries. What if sports had to become a fixture of our weekends? What if ... what if ... what if ... What if God had allowed us to marry any of the men we were interested in when we were 20? Eeeek!
Then I was talking with a man at church who knew of a fellow who was marrying a woman he had known only a week and a half. The fellow was recently divorced and probably terrified of being alone.
Funny ... as I think about living alone for the past 20 years ... I don't find it at all fearful!
Thursday is my busiest day at work, and this past Thursday, I came home, tired, and stepped inside my condo, closed and locked the door, dropped my purse on the floor, and thought, "it feels so good to be alone."
I didn't have to talk. I didn't have to listen. I didn't have to drag myself back out to some social thing that night. I could just sit with my eyes closed and breathe, listening to the leaves outside my window blowing in the breeze.
Life is sweet.
Last night, I watched 20/20, (or started to ... I wanted to see a segment on a blind man who had gotten his sight back after 40 years ... but when they hadn't gotten to it after an hour, I gave up on them).
One of the segments I DID see while I was enduring the boring parts was on reparative therapy for gays. There are ministries out there (specifically Love in Action) which help those who don't want to live a homosexual life, or are struggling with other sexual addictions.
A good friend is a graduate of one of their programs, and it was a tremendous blessing to her, so I listened with interest as ABC maligned the program.
One of their points was that some of those who came from the program hadn't married ... as if the proof of their change was whether they were in a relationship. The world can't wrap their minds around the concept of celibacy. Sex is almost its own deity (as one who watched the commercials during this particular program might have gathered.)
The idea of writing a book has begun to percolate again. In fact, I'm thinking I'd like to write one jointly with the friend I mentioned above who was at Love in Action. There is a perspective that is not being shared, even in the Christian community, and needs to be.
And that is that singleness/celibacy is not simply a phase to be endured ... but rather an opportunity -- both for a closer fellowship with God, and for greater service to others.
God does not withhold something unless He has a greater gift to offer in its place.
People are missing that.
Please note that this post is in no way an endorsement of a celibate priesthood ... I think imposing something like that on an entire class of people is downright unbiblical. But if any Christian is single, we can say with certainty that ... right at that moment in time, he or she is called to be wholeheartedly seeking after God.
1 Corinthians 7:32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
That's what I'm after ... "undistracted devotion to the Lord."
Also this week, a friend had her court date, and her divorce will be final in two weeks.
Today I had lunch with another single friend about my age, and we were discussing how hard it would be to adjust to having another person in our lives ... what if we married someone who always had to have noise in the house, and the TV or radio was always on. What if it were someone who liked to spend money on useless luxuries. What if sports had to become a fixture of our weekends? What if ... what if ... what if ... What if God had allowed us to marry any of the men we were interested in when we were 20? Eeeek!
Then I was talking with a man at church who knew of a fellow who was marrying a woman he had known only a week and a half. The fellow was recently divorced and probably terrified of being alone.
Funny ... as I think about living alone for the past 20 years ... I don't find it at all fearful!
Thursday is my busiest day at work, and this past Thursday, I came home, tired, and stepped inside my condo, closed and locked the door, dropped my purse on the floor, and thought, "it feels so good to be alone."
I didn't have to talk. I didn't have to listen. I didn't have to drag myself back out to some social thing that night. I could just sit with my eyes closed and breathe, listening to the leaves outside my window blowing in the breeze.
Life is sweet.
Last night, I watched 20/20, (or started to ... I wanted to see a segment on a blind man who had gotten his sight back after 40 years ... but when they hadn't gotten to it after an hour, I gave up on them).
One of the segments I DID see while I was enduring the boring parts was on reparative therapy for gays. There are ministries out there (specifically Love in Action) which help those who don't want to live a homosexual life, or are struggling with other sexual addictions.
A good friend is a graduate of one of their programs, and it was a tremendous blessing to her, so I listened with interest as ABC maligned the program.
One of their points was that some of those who came from the program hadn't married ... as if the proof of their change was whether they were in a relationship. The world can't wrap their minds around the concept of celibacy. Sex is almost its own deity (as one who watched the commercials during this particular program might have gathered.)
The idea of writing a book has begun to percolate again. In fact, I'm thinking I'd like to write one jointly with the friend I mentioned above who was at Love in Action. There is a perspective that is not being shared, even in the Christian community, and needs to be.
And that is that singleness/celibacy is not simply a phase to be endured ... but rather an opportunity -- both for a closer fellowship with God, and for greater service to others.
God does not withhold something unless He has a greater gift to offer in its place.
People are missing that.
Please note that this post is in no way an endorsement of a celibate priesthood ... I think imposing something like that on an entire class of people is downright unbiblical. But if any Christian is single, we can say with certainty that ... right at that moment in time, he or she is called to be wholeheartedly seeking after God.
1 Corinthians 7:32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
That's what I'm after ... "undistracted devotion to the Lord."
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The tale of the smitten grandpa
This is my father.
You may notice he is carrying a bottle of Hershey's syrup.
You see, while I was visiting over Labor Day weekend, they ran out of syrup.
At dinner, dad happened to ask adorable-niece-number-two (A.N.#2) if she liked syrup on her ice cream.
A.N.#2 said, "yes."
So, in between dinner and dessert, my father (who, I seem to recall, would have told my brother and I to "suck it up" ... or something similar in a situation like this) ... drove to the store and bought Hershey's syrup for A.N.#2.
Yep.
He sure did.
Smitten. The poor man is smitten.
(And in A.N.#2's defense ...she did not wine, or cry, at the idea of no syrup. In fact, she didn't even eat it when it came. She simply expressed a preference.)
Methinks the poor man has gone most soft in the light of those little brown eyes!
Friday, September 14, 2007
the adorable nieces
Labor Day weekend, I spent at my dad & step-mom's house, along with my brother, sister-in-law, and their two girls.
It was a treat to have some relaxing time together ... particularly since we don't see much of each other. It amazes me how fast the girls are growing up ... looking less like toddlers, and more like school-agers.
Here they are, ready to leave for Sunday school, that morning.
Tomorrow ... the story of the smitten-grandpa ... (with photographic proof)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
September 11
Aren't we all remembering where we were, and what our life held, 6 years ago?
It was a normal day at the church, right up until I heard the report on the radio that a small plane had hit the WTC.
I mentioned it to the other staff members, and they popped in and out of my office, listening to the news, as the events unfolded. I remember our music director saying that the air traffic control system had gone haywire, and we had to get planes out of the air until it was fixed. That certainly sounded like a more reasonable cause for the situation than what we eventually discovered was accurate.
We had a consultant here visiting us, planning for our new building (currently under construction), and he wasn't able to get home. He had a son in the military, for whom he was justifiably concerned.
The office phones kept ringing, with people calling to find out if we'd heard what was happening. Gas (which was less than $2 that morning when I bought it on my way to work) immediately went up to $4/gallon.
It was also the day I found out that a friend had done something really, really stupid and gotten herself into trouble in Africa. So the horror at what was happening in the world at large was compounded by the knowledge she was in a mess, and I had no way to help her.
I think the thing that still shocks me about 9/11, is how quickly I heard people begin to speculate about why America is hated so ... that someone would do this to us. There comes a time when we need to grow up, and acknowledge that there IS evil in the world, and evil can not be reasoned with, or even understood. Evil does not act rationally, and does not even always care for self-preservation.
I'm pro-Iraq war. I'm pro-Afghanistan war. In fact, I'm pro-any-country-that-harbors-terrorists war. G.W. did NOT lie. Our soldiers are NOT dying in vain - they are protecting our country. They're even protecting the liberals and news media that don't give them credit for doing so.
Nancy Pelosi's flowery words yesterday don't change the fact that her party is trying to strike a great blow to our national security. And we need to remember that (and ignore the media) when elections come up again.
It was a normal day at the church, right up until I heard the report on the radio that a small plane had hit the WTC.
I mentioned it to the other staff members, and they popped in and out of my office, listening to the news, as the events unfolded. I remember our music director saying that the air traffic control system had gone haywire, and we had to get planes out of the air until it was fixed. That certainly sounded like a more reasonable cause for the situation than what we eventually discovered was accurate.
We had a consultant here visiting us, planning for our new building (currently under construction), and he wasn't able to get home. He had a son in the military, for whom he was justifiably concerned.
The office phones kept ringing, with people calling to find out if we'd heard what was happening. Gas (which was less than $2 that morning when I bought it on my way to work) immediately went up to $4/gallon.
It was also the day I found out that a friend had done something really, really stupid and gotten herself into trouble in Africa. So the horror at what was happening in the world at large was compounded by the knowledge she was in a mess, and I had no way to help her.
I think the thing that still shocks me about 9/11, is how quickly I heard people begin to speculate about why America is hated so ... that someone would do this to us. There comes a time when we need to grow up, and acknowledge that there IS evil in the world, and evil can not be reasoned with, or even understood. Evil does not act rationally, and does not even always care for self-preservation.
I'm pro-Iraq war. I'm pro-Afghanistan war. In fact, I'm pro-any-country-that-harbors-terrorists war. G.W. did NOT lie. Our soldiers are NOT dying in vain - they are protecting our country. They're even protecting the liberals and news media that don't give them credit for doing so.
Nancy Pelosi's flowery words yesterday don't change the fact that her party is trying to strike a great blow to our national security. And we need to remember that (and ignore the media) when elections come up again.
Monday, September 10, 2007
thoughts on traveling
I've just gotten back from a couple of trips. #1 was over Labor Day weekend, to Pennsylvania, to spend some time with my dad, step-mom, brother, sister-in-law, and the two adorable nieces.
#2 was just a brief jaunt down to Berrian Springs to pick up a friend who needed a ride home after dropping off a car.
What interested me was the comparison between the two trips.
#1 required a round-trip airplane ticket, with a stop in Cleveland both coming and going
#2 was a simple two-hour drive, staying for dinner, and a two-hour drive home again.
What I found interesting was that the level of preparation for the two was roughly the same.
Those of us alive on this world right now have become so accustomed to flying. It's so easy (except if you're my father ... plane-chaos seems to follow him). The routines are familiar, and even the snags are easily overcome.
I don't even think to PRAY about it -- I'm being hurled into the air, held aloft by scientific laws I don't fully understand, and dropped down again in a strange city, where I know nobody ... with only a piece of paper (which I printed myself, at home) guaranteeing me that I'll continue on to my final destination.
And I actually put more preparation into a Sunday afternoon drive (get gas, clean out the car, charge my mp3 player and phone, tell the GPS where I want to go, etc.)
It just struck me strange!
I have some sweet pictures from Labor Day with the nieces, and I hope to post a few, provided their parents give permission. (pssst ... parents .... ???)
#2 was just a brief jaunt down to Berrian Springs to pick up a friend who needed a ride home after dropping off a car.
What interested me was the comparison between the two trips.
#1 required a round-trip airplane ticket, with a stop in Cleveland both coming and going
#2 was a simple two-hour drive, staying for dinner, and a two-hour drive home again.
What I found interesting was that the level of preparation for the two was roughly the same.
Those of us alive on this world right now have become so accustomed to flying. It's so easy (except if you're my father ... plane-chaos seems to follow him). The routines are familiar, and even the snags are easily overcome.
I don't even think to PRAY about it -- I'm being hurled into the air, held aloft by scientific laws I don't fully understand, and dropped down again in a strange city, where I know nobody ... with only a piece of paper (which I printed myself, at home) guaranteeing me that I'll continue on to my final destination.
And I actually put more preparation into a Sunday afternoon drive (get gas, clean out the car, charge my mp3 player and phone, tell the GPS where I want to go, etc.)
It just struck me strange!
I have some sweet pictures from Labor Day with the nieces, and I hope to post a few, provided their parents give permission. (pssst ... parents .... ???)
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