Will the real Jesus please stand up?

Yesterday, when the kids and I went to pick up Chris, Hannah saw a man with a beard and shoulder-length hair at his work. She piped up, "It's Jesus!" Needless to say, we all had a good laugh!

Until the next blog,
-S

7 children playing, 6 activity stations, 5 cups of Gatorade (a piece)!, 4 pounds lost, 3 potty breaks, 2 points, hooray! and a fly that

I swallowed last night!
Just a short update on VBS: IT'S GREAT!!! The kids seem to really be having a great time, the volunteers are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
incredibly wonderful- as well as a group of people with hidden talents, and it hasn't rained (don't boo- I know we need it, but how about next week)? Oh, and I really did swallow a fly last night- go ahead and sing the song... There was an old lady who swallowed a fly... (but please change old to at least middle age).
Thank you LORD for helping us all have such a terrific time! Amen!
Until the next blog,
-S

talking

So, I found a verse for all of us (myself included) talkers: In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he that restrains his lips is wise- Proverbs 10:19

Sin is not lacking... oh how true that is! When I get nervous, I babble, especially when I am trying to confront someone about something. I mean, I don't want to hurt their feelings. But have you ever noticed that the more someone talks, the worse it gets? Jesus said to let your yes be yes and your no no, because after that sin comes.
So, how do we gregarious people watch ourselves on this one?
That's where the Holy Spirit steps in. He's really good to say to me, "Hush, SHawna. That's enough. Or don't go there, Shawna." Once, when a good friend of mine proposed to me, the Holy Spirit literally shut my mouth; I mean I couldn't say one word! As I said before, I get nervous during confrontation, so maybe I would have ended up saying yes and messing up everything if i had had access to talking that night. WHo knows?
Well, I'd better go. And if you're a talker like me, meditate on this verse. Hopefully it will help dampen all those fires that our tongues try to stir up.
Until the next blog,
-S

Noise in a pool

Okay, I just have to have a response on this one. Parents were taken to court b/c kids were playing too loud in the pool they have in their backyard. Go to yahoo.com and click on Pool Noise Goes to Court to read the story/watch the video; then comment. I'd really like to know what you all think.
Until the next blog,
-S

Nickel and Dimed...

Good book- very thought-provoking. Profanity is pretty raw but not great in quantity; still, I'd be careful if you can't handle that kind of stuff. Found out author is an atheist. One night she attends a tent meeting at a church and this is how she ends... "But Jesus makes his appearance here only as a corpse; the living man, the wine-guzzling vagrant and precocious socialist, is never once mentioned, nor anything he ever had to say. Christ crucified rules, and it may be that the true business of modern Christianity is to crucify him again and again so that he could never get a word out of his mouth... I get up to leave...and walk out to search for my car, half expecting to find Jesus out there in the dark, gagged and tethered to a tent pole." (Ehrenreich 68-69)
Oh boy does that make you think.
In another part of the book she says the following: " The worst for some reason (she was a waitress), are the Visible Christians- like the ten person table, all jolly and sanctified after Sunday night service, who run me mercilessly and then leave me $1 on a $92 bill." (Ehrenreich 36) Hmm...
How often do we spout our Christianity instead of demonstrate it- Christ's love- to others?
I have a friend who will never go out to eat unless he can leave a larger than normal tip. That is not because he wants to appear better than anyone; it's because he believes that as Christians we should go above and beyond what others give- give abundantly. I agree with him.
Feel free to comment about either passage.
Until the next blog,
-S

random thoughts

• Thanks Debbie for the comment! I agree wholeheartedly. One thing that really bothers me as an educator is that on a lot of the Disney sitcoms, most of the teachers are portrayed as complete idiots (the one exception I've found is Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World). I think this is ironic since Disney rewards educators for all their hard work and exceptional teaching practices. Come to think of it, most grownups are portayed that way- as buffoons- and yes, as the ones who are wrong all the time. Do you think this is anarchy in the making?
• I just got a new book. It is not the type I usually read, but it just really jumped out at me. The book, Nickel and Dimed...On (Not) Getting By in America, (by Barbara Ehrenreich) is about a journalist who went undercover to see how the working poor in America really survives. So far it is very interesting. I'll keep you all informed.
• I just saw "The Nativity Story." In my opinion, it was very good. I especially loved the slight humor of the wisemen and the sweetness of Joseph. You know, it's funny. As a young adult I never thought about the ramifications of Mary's conception. I never thought of her being shunned by others for her apparent lack of self-control. Or what Joseph must have gone through knowing that the child was not his but choosing to accept Him as his own. Makes you think twice about judging others because how do we know what is going on in someone's life. And like I am learning a lot about- not everything is as it appears. The movie is well done and very enchanting to watch- a good family film- even in late June!
• God is moving in the COTN Patch!! I have two key people who now want to get really involved with the Patch! I am so excited! God is answering mine and other's prayers. Thank you LORD for this blessing of help!
• Please be praying for VBS. Kristin and I are really wanting to see God bless through this major event. We would love to see kids come to know Jesus during this week. Please pray for all hindrances and distractions that satan would throw out would be thwarted. Also pray for Kristin, her team, myself, and my team that we would hear what God is saying to do/pray for and be united to help show the love of Christ with parents and children alike. Thank you!
• I am sooooo proud of my husband for sharing his heart today. I knew he was going to speak, but I did not know about what. For Chris to talk about his anger problem is a huge deal. You have to know my husband; this is way out of his comfort zone. I know that God is working on him and drawing him to a closer relationship with Him. Please pray for him often; it is not easy to change.

Well, that is all for now.

Until the next blog,

-S

A biased media

I was watching a snippet of Kyle XY the other night and noticed a few things. First, the young man wanted to go to church in the first place because he met a new girl who went there. Then the mother told the father (or vice versa -I can't really remember) not to smile because church was not meant to be fun. Finally when Kyle got there, he pointed out all the incongruities and hypocricies in the church (i.e. unfaithfulness...) Now I did not watch much b/c I was just flipping through, but I noticed that Kyle did not mention anything about the good stuff he noticed, nor did he even seem to notice good stuff. He was respectful of the quiet atmosphere, but really all in all it was all negative, and this got me thinking.
To be unbiased you need to have both view points. Well, television does not! Christians are portrayed as legalists or fruit cakes or both! What is with that?? Is the media that scared of the truth? And don't you dare mention the name of Jesus! Wow! I mean people go off on you.
So what is the media afraid of? Are they afraid of being called out if they show both sides? What happened to freedom of religion? Why are other religions shown as great and wonderful, but Christians are portrayed as boneheads? What is the deal with this?
These are questions I am pondering- would love your input.
Until the next blog,
-S

Thoughts for the morning

• So I was thinking and this is what God dropped into my thoughts-

Many times we see God as a prism- minus the light. We see Him (God) in only one way: i.e. - all holiness- we then create all these rules and regulations-and live according to that one view of God- a clear crystal- a one-sided God
But God is not a clear crystal nor one-sided and as we get to know Him we see how He truly is: a beautiful, multi-colored God, not a clear, plain one!

• Parenthood is teaching me a lot about my relationship with God- This morning Jeremiah wanted a banana, so I got one out and started to put it in the snack section of his bouncy seat. Then I noticed how dirty the snack holders were, so I carried the banana back to the kitchen so I could get a wet paper towel. Well, when Jeremiah saw me leaving with the banana, he went nuts! He screamed and screamed all while I was wetting the paper towel. I tried to tell him I'd be back, butI have to admit after a short while, I no longer felt like giving him the banana- after all, I was only trying to make the eating experience better by cleaning up the mess and germs. But he would not stop screaming until I came back with the banana- then he was fine. Hmm?? Makes me think. Does God many times want to give us something good, but first He has to clean some other things up so we will enjoy our blessing(s) better? How do we react? Do we scream and yell probably causing Him to rethink the blessing, or do we wait patiently and trust Him. Something to chew on, hmm?

• School is getting closer and closer. If you haven't figured out by now, I love (phileo, not agape mind you) school. I love to learn new things! I love school supplies! Went to Office Max to get some binders, paper... and I felt giddy as soon as I walked in the door. THe smells, the textures, the colors- ahhh, my senses went wild! Textbooks came last week, and I admit, I have been pouring over them (yes, I was the child who loved to get her books on the first day of school so she could look at all the stuff she was going to learn that year) and I am learning a lot already. Can't wait to meet all my classmates and professors!

• Hannah is finally potty trained- yeah! yesterday, however, she had an accident in the living room. I looked at her and I sighed. Before I could say anything else, Hannah said, "It was an accident Mommy." She said it with such authority- but not disrespectful- that I had to smile. So, we sprinkled baking soda, washed legs, and went back to life. Hmm? What would happen if we gave that kind of grace to others.

Okay, have to go. COming next blog, the biased media.

Until the next blog,

-S

in a box

After highschool I dated a guy who told me I lived in a box. I wonder if that's how Jesus felt when He came to Earth? Did He see His people as living in a box? Do you live in one? Think about it.

Quick post

Haven't forgotten about everyone. Spending a lot of time preparing for school and VBS. Reading ahead in text books- wondering a lot about what all I am reading. Love you all!
Until the next blog,
-S

EEC

For many students at Emmanuel those initials caused heart palpitations. Not her; anybody but her! If you don't know, I am referring to Dr. Edna Earl Christmas, professor and terrorizer of Emmanuel students pursuing an education degree. Her tests were unbelievable, and her papers were even worse.
I ended up with Edna Earl three times during my undergraduate studies; First time I had her for Human Growth and Development, and I got my first "C" in college. The following year I had her for Ed Psych. I remember a time I spent four hours in Dr. Christmas' office revising a paper she had returned to me for this class. Four hours, and I ended up with a B, I think. A "B"! And I worked my heart out! For the course I ended up with a "B" also. Finally, during my student teaching, I had her for Behavior Management. Along with a 50 page paper, I had to attend lectures on student behavior, etcetera. For that class, I made an "A". I also scored really high on my Praxis II test because of her attention to detail (we had to read the entire book pretty much, and know everything about it!).
So why am I bringing up Edna Earl? Because she pushed me harder than very few ever had. She made me question my values, beliefs, and educational philosophy. She made me so uncomfortable, that at times I wanted to scream! She did not accept excuses, but neither did she lack compassion. She was very logical and analytical. She examined all pieces of evidence very objectively, and did not play favorites...and I loved her for it.
Dr. CHristmas and I got really close over the three years I studied under her (for my 25th birthday,she and the rest of my behavior management group, even threw me a party), and I will always have fond memories of her of her because she took a little girl and made her question the world. Hats off to you Dr. Christmas! And thanks!

Glory in a cloud

Short blog today- Last night saw a huge cloud coming home from church. Suddenly there was a burst of orange light from behind it- I'm guessing heat lightning. But when I saw it, my heart started pounding and I started watching that cloud more and more. What if this were the day? I got so excited thinking: what if the rapture occurs right now? I felt so elated and my ears were straining; listening for a trumpet. Hallelujah! He is coming! Didn't happen last night, but it is going to happen.
Until the next blog,
-S

Life in a gold fish bowl (random thoughts)

Aren't goldfish cute to look at? I know kids really like them. But I wonder how the goldfish feel? What if they knew that they were destined to be a lot bigger and have large ponds to swim in instead of a tiny bowl?
Stay with me here:
I was just looking at my potted plants on the front porch, and I noticed that they are overflowing- seeking more space. And I thought, they would actually be okay if I left them there, but they wouldn't grow anymore really. And what kind of life would that be for them?? Now, I know that neither the goldfish, nor the plants probably notice any difference, but what about us? how often do we find ourselves swimming in a little bowl, afraid to move to the pond- or overflowing our pots, but afraid to move to a roomier one. God knows, however, just when we need to move.
I thought about my kids also while looking at the plants, and I thought- how easy it is to keep them in a small bowl- safe, where I can watch over there every move- close to me- but then they wouldn't grow like God intends for them to do would they? Yes, they would be cute to look at, but they wouldn't grow to be all they could be. And this really made me think about life in a goldfish bowl. God said in John 10:10 that He (Christ) came to give us life and life more abundantly." Doesn't sound like a fishbowl does it? Yet, how many times do we "freak out" the minute God tries to move us to a larger area of our walk with Him? (Ever see a fish out of water?)
We don't trust- God, ourselves, whatever, -we can't see a bigger tank being prepared for us; we just see a small bowl we are put in while He is preparing our new home.
What if the next time He moves us, we just swim around peacefully, knowing that He is a good God and that HE will work everything together for our good, and wait expectantly for our bigger tank? Exciting thought, hmm?
Would love any thoughts/comments you have on this.
Until the next blog,
-S