What Happened?

I went to a wedding this weekend. I stood in the foyer waiting to sign the guestbook when I realized I hadn't been in a church like this one for a long time. The walls (in the foyer and the sanctuary) were covered in long, dark wood strips reaching all the way to the high ceiling (probably about 80 feet at its highest point). Above the door were several stained glass windows. The sanctuary was long and tall and, at the front, had a big raised "skylight" of stained glass artwork. My husband who is a structural engineer made the observation that nobody would build anything like this anymore because of the cost. I agreed, pointing out as an example that our church is in the process of building a new facility that will be large and metal. But I kept thinking about this. It would be irresponsible, I reasoned, to spend twice as much money as necessary to build a church building just to make it ornate. But this thinking doesn't fit with what I read in the Bible...

Exodus 25:1-9
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. "This is the contribution which you are to raise from them: gold, silver and bronze, blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, rams' skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. "Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. "According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it. "

For the construction of the tabernacle, God asked the people to contribute, not just general building materials but their finest possessions to adorn the place. The next few chapters go into the details of all of it and it is to be a place full of, essentially, artwork and fine craftsmanship.

2 Chronicles 3: 5 - 7
He overlaid the main room with cypress wood and overlaid it with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains. Further, he adorned the house with precious stones; and the gold was gold from Parvaim. He also overlaid the house with gold--the beams, the thresholds and its walls and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

This passage refers to Solomon building the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Again, a more-than-functional, highly adorned place.

I imagine (though I don't have anything to prove this) that that temple was the probably the most beautiful building in Jerusalem. So why do the most impressive new buildings in my city house retail stores and movie theatres? What happened? Certainly there are many churches throughout the world that have become icons of architecture because of the beauty of their design. But have any been built recently?

I find myself using the reasoning some of Jesus' followers used in Mark 14 when a woman poured very expensive perfume on Jesus' head. "Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." Jesus, of course, defends the woman's actions and even promises that she will always be remembered for doing this.

So I'm left with these questions: Is it a waste to make a place of worship ornate for God's glory? If no, then is it wrong to spend as little as possible just to make it functional, freeing up the money that would have been spent on ornamentation to be used for other good purposes? What happened in the history of the church that has led us to value economy for God's glory over beauty for God's glory?

And the winner is...

April again! She's quick and she's right. Read April's blog 1015 ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. She and quite a few others knew the line was from U2's "With or Without You".

80's Mystery Song Lyric

It's time for everybody's favorite part of the week: Sara's 80's Song Lyric Contest!!! Name the title and/or artist of the song that contains this line...

Sleight of hand and twist of fate

Email your answer here. First one with the correct answer wins!

Lack of American Idol Commentary

I haven't said anything about American Idol here for several weeks now. I didn't get any complaints so I don't feel too bad. But I feel a little bit bad just because I was so consistent for so long and then just quit. But I haven't even watched it for the last several weeks for various reasons. I guess this last part isn't as fun for me as the earlier parts. I guess I just feel it doesn't make that much difference at this point. Once it was down to the top 6 or so, they were all very talented, and winning is only go to help them go so far if they can't hold their own without having the world watch them on TV twice a week. So, in my mind, it's as good as over until the next round: Come September, whose names are you still going to remember?

Re-post: New Blogs

Blogger has a weird thing where the date and time you start writing a post becomes associated with that post, even if you don't post it for a few days. This happened with my "New Blogs" post (see below). Anyway, since I figure many of you missed it since it was buried under earlier, but later-dated entries, I thought I would re-post it here...

I've been meaning to introduce you to some of the blogs I've been reading of late. As I mentioned in a previous post, friend and loyal reader April finally caved to the pressure and started a blog which she may or may not ever post to, but already has several times. Yea April!!! Read her blog 10:15 ON A SATURDAY NIGHT here.

You can also read de do do do, de da da da (which, incidentally, is quite difficult to type) by friend, reader, and April's husband: Hale.

Family Jules belongs to another friend and reader, Jules. She's currently got a very funny video you can check out over there. She also has a weekly movie line contest that I lose every Friday.

I've been reading Shlog by Shaun Groves. He is neither a personal friend nor a reader. At least not yet anyway! He's always got great thought-provoking stuff there.

While I'm sharing some blogs I've been reading, I thought it might be fun to find out what my readers read. So, what is one blog, other than mine or your own, that you read on a regular basis?

And the winner is...

April of 1015 ON A SATURDAY NIGHT! (That's right, for those of you regulars around here, April now has her own blog!!!) April (as well as quite of few others) knew that this line was from "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by Georgia Satellites. Thanks to NerdDad who sent this link to some misunderstood lyrics from the same song.

80's Mystery Song Lyric

Here's this week's lyric. For some reason, this has always been a favorite song of mine. Of course, that fact will probably not help you figure out the answer, even if you know me.

I got a little change in my pocket going jingle lingle ling

What song is it from? Who sang it? Send your answer to me and I will post the winner and a link to their blog late Friday.

New Blogs

I've been meaning to introduce you to some of the blogs I've been reading of late.

As I mentioned in a previous post, friend and loyal reader April finally caved to the pressure and started a blog which she may or may not ever post to, but already has several times. Yea April!!! Read her blog 10:15 ON A SATURDAY NIGHT here.

You can also read de do do do, de da da da (which, incidentally, is quite difficult to type) by friend, reader, and April's husband: Hale.

Family Jules belongs to another friend and reader, Jules. She's currently got a very funny video you can check out over there. She also has a weekly movie line contest that I lose every Friday.

I've been reading Shlog by Shaun Groves. He is neither a personal friend nor a reader. At least not yet anyway! He's always got great thought-provoking stuff there.

While I'm sharing some blogs I've been reading, I thought it might be fun to find out what my readers read. So, what is one blog, other than mine or your own, that you read on a regular basis?

I Had A Dream

I had a dream of a blog post. I would tell of how I went to the Central Coast for a few days and got to hang out with sis, bro-in-law, and nephew. And most of all, I would recount the excitement of the kayaking my sister and I did. I would include a picture or two of the shore taken from out on the water. I would tell of the interesting sea life I saw and I would tell you how much fun I had paddling along and how sore I was the next day. I would... but... they wouldn't rent us kayaks because it was too windy!!! Both of us were SO bummed--we were so looking forward to kayaking together. Well, we got to hang out together anyway. And we discovered a new drink with classic taste and rebellious temperature: 20-degree Below Hot Chocolate.

I also had a fun time just hanging out with my fam and seeing my baby girl play in the sand for the first time. (She thought it was tasty.)

You can see some more pics at The Barber Shop here and here.

And the winner is...

This week's honor goes to NerdMom of NerdFamily. Congratulations to all those who correctly answered "Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangles!

80's Mystery Song Lyric

You have until Sunday:

All the old paintings on the tombs
They do the sand dance don't you know

What and who? Mail your answer here.

Treasure Hunt

You know the classic question: "What would you do for a million dollars?" Last week I learned my answer to a variation on that question: "What would you dig through the trash for?"

Monday I realized that I thrown out UPC codes I needed for a free offer I was going to send in for. Not only had I thrown them in the wastebasket, but my husband had already emptied all the wastebaskets (including diapers) into one big bag and deposited that into the big canister outside, where many similar looking bags already resided. The offer was worth a net $22, and I decided digging through all that wasn't worth $22. (ThiswillworkMan AKA IcanfinditMan thought it was.)

Q - Would you dig through the outdoor garbage can to find $22?
A - No

On Wednesday, my stepdad was looking through my newspaper for a ($13 value) coupon he wanted. He didn't find it and I suggested that maybe it was in Tuesday's paper, but I didn't see it lying around. A few minutes later I opened the recycling can in the kitchen to toss something and saw Tuesday's paper buried under various cans, bottles, boxes, etc. I decided to grab a couple sections and search for the coupon which I quickly found.

Q - Would you dig through the indoor recycling can to find $13?
A - Yes

Now, would it have made a difference if in the first case it had been cash, instead? Maybe. I don't know. So what about you: What would you dig through the trash for?

And the winner is...

... no one. So sad. No one won this week. This one is from one of my all-time favorite songs, but obviously it is unmemorable to many: Asia's "Heat of the Moment". This next week's will be easy. I promise. Really.

80's Mystery Song Lyric

Here we go again. Another week, another lyric. Again I have tried to make this just the right level of difficulty. Here it is:

I never meant to be so bad to you
One thing I said that I would never do

What's it from and who's it by? Email me with your answer (or guess for that matter). Have fun and good luck!

Swim Lessons

For the past seven weeks, my 2-1/2 year old son and I have been taking Mom-and-me swim lessons. Every time he has had to put his head under water he has absolutely hated it and firmly declared that he is not doing it again. This last week, though, everything changed. He didn't resist. He didn't cry or complain. I think he may have even liked it. Needless to say, I was so proud of him! Way to go my boy!!!

Monday Blues?

Monday got you down? Check out HappyNews.com, a news site that only publishes happy news. Seriously. It's real news, just minus the stories that are at all depressing.

And the winner is...

NerdMom!!! Congratulations on your victory NerdMom! Visit her at NerdFamily, a blog I read quite regularly. This week's lyric (or verse, as the case may be) is from Peter Cetera's "Glory of Love". Tune in next week when I promise I will use a line everyone should get.

80's Lyric - Round 2

Apparently I managed to make this contest even MORE difficult. I apologize for stumping everyone. So, instead of giving the answer away, here is round 2: same song, same line, but the entire verse:

Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret
It breaks my heart to see you crying
I don’t wanna lose you
I could never make it alone

Email me your answer here.

80's Mystery Song Lyric

Thanks to all who gave me feedback on this feature and how to make it more fun. More is always welcome! The general idea I got was: Make them a little easier and non-searchable. I'm not certain, but I think this one fits the easier part. Still working on the non-searchable part.

This week's lyric:
Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret

First one(s) to email me the correct title and/or artist will be listed here later tonight. Good luck!

My Verse

I've heard a lot of Christians mention they have a "life verse": a particular Bible verse that is meaningful to them. A couple of years ago I got rather distressed over the idea that I should have one and I don't and is it because I just haven't found it yet or is it because I can't commit to one verse to cover my entire life. I gave up and forgot about it really. Until the other day. I read this verse that so resonated with me. It states one of my core life philosophies (something I didn't even know I had until I typed this sentence). I knew it was a "Christian" idea but didn't know it was really in the Bible. Deuteronomy 15:10 says:

Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

I've seen this to be true in so many people's actions and even in my own life. When you give or serve freely, God blesses you; not just what you have given, not just the aspect of life out of which you gave, but blesses you in all aspects of life. My philosophy has always been: If you see something that needs to be done, do it. If someone needs help with something, do it and have fun doing it. Is it going to mess up your schedule? Yes. Is it going to cost you money? Yes. Does it matter? Somehow no. Somehow, maybe not immediately, but at some time, you look back and realize you're in a good place and that you couldn't have arrived there without the giving and serving. And you don't miss what was lost. Reading this back it sounds cheesy and rather cliche, but I'm just saying I've found it to be true. So does that work for a "life verse"?

Goodbye Ace

Tonight's American Idol bottom three were a bit of a shock: Ace, Paris, and Chris. And Ace went home. As April commented on the last post: Kellie has a huge fan base for her to be in the upper four after such a poor performance. Very interesting. We'll see what happens next week!

American Idol

It's been a few weeks (well, two) since I've commented on American Idol. Overall, tonight's performances were really good, but boring to me. (Not my kind of music.)

My prediction for the three with lowest number votes:
Elliot
Kellie
Paris

Who I think will win:
Chris

And the winner is...

...Brad, AKA ThiswillworkMan! He correctly answered "Jump" by Van Halen. Based on rumors I hear, he may or may not have used the help of an internet search engine. And he may or may not have done so in order to impress his wife. Since that is not against any rules (there aren't any), especially when attempting to impress a spouse, I officially declare Brad this week's 80's mystery song lyric winner. Congratulations ThiswillworkMan! Unfortunately he doesn't have a blog so I can't provide a link for him. The sad trend (of blogless winners) continues.

On the subject of this weekly contest I would love some feedback: Have they been too hard? Too easy? What would make it more fun? Please leave a comment or, if you prefer, email me. Thanks for your input!

80's Mystery Song Lyric

I think I've got an easy one for you this week. When you've got it figured out email me here (title and/or artist). Now let's show April she's not the only one who knows 80's music. Here's the line:
I've got my back against the record machine

Some Assembly Required

I live in an abnormal household. Well, I suppose we are abnormal for many reasons but I will expose you to only one in this post. We recently bought some new furniture for our office: a computer desk and two bookcases. They came in pieces. You think that's a bad thing, but, see, this is where we're abnormal: We love this stuff. At times, my husband and I have actually argued over who was going to put something together. Other times I've assembled things before he's had a chance to in the name of being "helpful." I love to assemble things quickly. He loves to assemble things correctly. This difference only caused a few problems for us this time.
First of all, we were at about step 12 of 28 when I picked up a portion of the desk to get it into position and didn't give it the support it needed, ripping the particle board at the places it had been connected. Ouch. It looked bad. But not to worry, with his cordless drill and bottle of Gorilla glue attached to his duct tape belt, ThismightworkMan (my husband's new superhero name) arrived on the scene! In no time he had the sub-assembly back in order. The next problem we encountered was a shortage of screws. This desk literally had 15 different types and sizes of screws and bolts. I sorted and organized them so they would be easy to find at each step. But we were missing two of one type. No problem-- not for ThismightworkMan who found a spare screw with smaller head and a washer to work for one replacement. For the other missing screw he used his favorite special power (air compressor + cutoff wheel) to shorten a spare screw that was the right size but too long. Finally we had all the pieces assembled! We slid the file-sized drawer into its opening. Why wouldn't it close? It was stuck on something. Something on the sides of the drawer weren't allowing it to close properly. The screws holding the slides on the drawer were getting caught because...you guessed it: They were the missing screws! But would ThismightworkMan be thrown by such a discovery? Of course not! With some smaller spare screws and a few drops of Gorilla Glue he had the entire desk together and working as if his silly wife had never touched it. If you're out there ThismightworkMan... Thank You!!!

The Mobius Bench

I've always been intrigued by the Mobius strip--you know, where you take strip of paper and make it a loop, first giving it a half twist? According to Ivars Peterson: "Ever since its discovery in 1858 in a purely mathematical context, the Möbius band has played a role not only in mathematics but also in science, engineering, literature, art, music, dance, crafts, playthings, puzzles, and magic tricks." The latest discovery: You can sit on them, too. Actually, the bench pictured here has been at the Shops on Lake Avenue in Pasadena, California since 2003. Read more about it here. See more pictures here and here.

Peeps A-Plenty

Check out NerdMom's post on everyone's favorite Easter-time treat: Peeps!

And the winner is...

...April again! Congrats April on your awesome 80's song knowledge! You rock!

The line was from Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker", which was actually released in 1979, (though it was played plenty in the 80's). I will try to only use songs released in the 1980's--this exception was a mistake on my part! Sorry!

I also apologize for the delay in posting the answer. I spent many of the last 24 hours fighting with my computer while trying to uninstall/install software. I was replacing Norton Internet Security, which, much like a hawk, was holding on with all its might, its claws dug firmly into every application I have. It wasn't until this morning, after some sleep, that I was able to pry the last talon away. And I'm still cleaning up feathers.

80's Mystery Song Lyric

Your love is like a tidal wave, spinnin' over my head

Sound familiar? Tell me what and who it's from here. The answer and winner will be posted late Friday.

Bruchko

I have finished my first book of the year. (Yes, I know it's April.) My bro-in-law Gabe gave me Bruchko by Bruce Olson for Christmas this last year. The note on the package said it was "off the hook" and, being as un-hip as I am, I thought it was some sort of clue as to what was inside (like a phone or a new-fangled fishing pole), not that he was just saying it was cool. Well, Gabe was right: This book is off the hook. It's about a guy who goes and lives with this Indian tribe in South America to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a really amazing story and one of those books you don't want to put down. Near the end the story gets kind of choppy, like he got 80% through and just wanted to finish the darned thing. (Somepost I'll tell you why I relate so well to that.) Anyway, I highly recommend the book.

Unbelievably Mandisa

All three American Idol contestants in the bottom three tonight had never been in the bottom three before: Mandisa, Elliot Yamin, and Paris Bennett, Mandisa having received the lowest number of votes. This is so hard to believe (even though I did mention her in my previous post)! Regardless, I expect she's going to have a lot of opportunities when her contract with Idol is up. So, next week Bucky's got to go. Speaking of next week, did Ryan Seacrest really say they're doing music by Queen?

American Idol

Who's going home tonight? Country week should have been Bucky's time to make himself look like he belongs in this group, but he didn't take the opportunity. His performance last night was okay but he's just missing that star quality. I missed Taylor's performance last night, but I'm wondering if people are getting a little bored with him. And Mandisa has been a little off the last two weeks, even though I think she's definitely final four quality. Well, it will be interesting to see which way it goes.

Happy Birthday Blog!

Tomorrow, April 1, is my blog's first birthday! As this day has approached, I've thought that With Reckless Abandon should start acting like the grown-up blog that it is. I've been posting more frequently, have a weekly feature, and have even seen some international traffic (although I'm pretty sure my Italian visitor was here by mistake). I'm eventually going to post a picture, too. Thank you to the handful of readers that have been reading from the start and the many more that have, for some reason or another, decided that reading my blog is worth a minute of your day! If you're new here, and like what see enough to check back occasionally, drop me a note and let me know you're here! And if you're from Italy and you're not here by mistake, please accept my apologies. I would say something nice in Italian here but I don't know any Italian words, only food.

And the winner is...

...that 80's girl April!!! She correctly recognized this week's mystery line as Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer". Way to go April!

80's Mystery Song Lyric

Gina works the diner all day

What's it from? Who's it by? Tell me here.

Scout Songs

When I was very young, my older brother was a Boy Scout and my dad was a Scout leader of some sort (I think even after my brother was no longer a scout). I would often go to the meetings with my dad, so he has always joked that I was an honorary Boy Scout. Since I spent some of my formative years attending Boy Scout events, I was quite excited when I happened across scoutsongs.com, a virtual songbook. I looked up my favorites and they're all there! I grew up singing Pink Pajamas. In fact, even though I knew the tune was from a better-known song, for the longest time I seriously thought the chorus to the Battle Hymn Republic went:
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
Glory, glory, what's it to ya'?
Another longtime favorite of mine is Johnny Verbeck. If you grew up with Scouts too, enjoy!

Get a Blog

If you have read the comments on the previous post, you noticed that every winner of the Friday lyric contest is blogless, I repeat, blogless. And since they have no blogs to which I can link, they are requesting Starbuck's prizes. Well, I have a few words for these "winners"... Kick your Starbuck's habit and start a blog! (I say this to them because I know them personally. If you're new here, don't worry, I don't treat all my readers this way.) But maybe you can help me out: If you want to give away Starbuck's gift cards (say you own a Starbuck's; or maybe you can't stand the stuff but people keep you giving gift cards; or perhaps you're the president of the Corporation for American Coffee Addiction) and you want to donate Starbuck's prizes for 80's lyrics winners, I will gladly accept the donation and distribute the prizes. Yes, April, even retroactively.

And the winner is...

...loyal blog reader Maya!!! Congratulations Maya!

The line was from "Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes.

I was asked by one reader if the prize for this weekly contest could include some link love. The answer is absolutely. Just make sure you include a link to your blog when you email your answer.

Congratulations to all of you who got the right answers!

Speaking of song lyrics...

If you're like me, you've often wondered what in the world Yankee Doodle has to do with macaroni. You know:

Yankee Doodle went to town, riding on a pony;
Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.

I always thought it was one of those things that got changed over the years through a series of misunderstandings. I was wrong. "Macaroni" is Merriam-Webster.com's word of the day today. Read on.

macaroni \mak-uh-ROH-nee\ noun
1 : pasta made from semolina and shaped in the form of slender tubes 2 *a : a member of a class of traveled young Englishmen of the late 18th and early 19th centuries who affected foreign ways b : an affected young man : fop

Example sentence: "If he...talks about London and Lord March, and White's, and Almack's, with the air of a macaroni, I don't think we need like him much the less." (William Makepeace Thackeray, The Virginians)

Did you know? As you may have suspected, the "macaroni" in the song "Yankee Doodle" is not the familiar food. The feather in Yankee Doodle's cap apparently makes him a macaroni in the now rare "fop" or "dandy" sense. The sense appears to have originated with a club established in London by a group of young, well-traveled Englishmen in the 1760s. The founders prided themselves on their appearance, sense of style, and manners, and they chose the name Macaroni Club to indicate their worldliness. Because macaroni was, at the time, a new and rather exotic food in England, the name was meant to demonstrate how stylish the club's members were. The members were themselves called "macaronis," and eventually "macaroni" became synonymous with "dandy" and "fop."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Now I'll be able to rest easier--one more of my life's mysteries solved.

80's Mystery Song Lyric

I'm going to have to start posting my Friday feature on Thursday nights since I'm not able to get to the computer until 9:30 AM (Pacific). Well, to make up for the late posting of the question, I will not post the answer and winner(s) until Monday. (Okay, maybe that has more to do with the fact that I will be away from the Internet until then.) So here it is:

As shadows fall, I pass a small cafe where we would dance at night

What and/or who is it? First with each answer gets all the fame and fortune associated with having your name posted on my blog! Email answers here.

My Idol Picks

And now for my latest top-4 American Idol selections:
Mandisa
Chris Daughtry
Kellie Pickler
Katharine McPhee

Mandisa and Chris are my favorites. They both were amazing tonight. My guess for who's going home tomorrow: Lisa Tucker.

Locals Only

For those of you in the Fresno area: If you haven't tried Mother Mary's Wood Flavored Pizza yet, you've got to try their garlic knots. If you have, you know what I mean. They're covered in garlic butter and parmesan cheese and you get a dozen of them for five bucks! Don't let Mother Mary scare you off with her wooden spoon.

Getting Sucked In

I'm on the countdown for the upcoming women's retreat I'm attending: 4 more days to go! I'm counting down partly because I'm looking forward to it but partly because I'm co-leading a craft project at the retreat. Saturday I was cutting paper. I've been busy punching holes in paper bags today. Tomorrow I will tackle ribbon cutting. We are making these very cute scrapbooks out of paper bags. (Did you even know you could do that?) Hopefully the prep work we're putting in will make it fun and easy for the ladies who participate this weekend.

I love doing crafty stuff. I love making all kinds of things really. I like to cook. I like to sew. I like to write songs, blog entries, and code. But I decided a long time ago: I WILL NOT GET SUCKED INTO SCRAPBOOKING!!! Every time I talked to a scrapbooker the first thing out of their mouths was always "I'm so behind." I have enough things I'm behind on--I don't need to add another. A friend used to tease me that she was going to drag me into it. Her husband said it was repayment for getting her started drinking coffee. (I really still don't know what I had to do with that Jeremy.) I resisted for years (literally). But I give. In the words of Mr. Sparkle "Join me or die. Can you do any less?"

Baby Got Book

I just watched this video at Two Blonde Boys. Watch it. It's hilarious!

And the winner is...

Congratulations April (totally an 80's girl) for correctly answering this week's 80's lyric...
Everybody Have Fun Tonight
Wang Chung

New Friday Feature!!!

Let's try something new! Every Friday I will post a line from an 80's song. You email me with title and/or artist. I'll post the winner(s) (first with correct title, first with correct artist) later that day or on Saturday. I'll try not to make them too easy or too hard. Here's today's mystery song lyric:

I'll drive a million miles to be with you tonight

So if you're feeling low turn up your radio.

Email your answer here.

38below 6feetunder

One of my regular reads has been 38below, an Accuweather.com blog. It was originally a mechanism for getting feedback on their website redesign efforts which were completed about the time I started reading, maybe six months or so ago. The blog has been discontinued due to mysterious corporate reasons left unstated by blog author Carl Schaad. (My guess is it has something to do with the website redesign being complete.) But Carl has started his own personal blog that you can read here. Take a read. He's a funny guy.

My Idol-less Week

It's a sad thing, but I didn't get to watch American Idol this week. I didn't even record it to watch later. Instead I was trying to get my 2-1/2 year old to go to bed. (And yes, I missed the entire two hour episode that way.) I watched the results show last night, though. Even without seeing the performances, I was shocked to see Ace and Lisa in the bottom three.

Say Goodbye to Gedeon's Smile

That's right. Gedeon McKinney didn't make it to the top 12. Neither did Will Makar, Kinnik Sky, or Ayla Brown. The only surprise in all this was that Kevin Covais IS in the top 12. Whether that has anything to do with VoteForTheWorst.com's support for him is questionable.

My Idol Picks

I agree with Maya's recent comment on my previous American Idol post: Chris Daughtry rocked last night! Unfortunately, he was really the only one. In fact, he's the only male in my picks for the Top 4. (It's not too early for picking the top 4, is it?) Here it is, the next in what has become a series of weekly Thursday posts...

Sara's Picks:

Paris Bennett

Kellie Pickler

Mandisa

Chris Daughtry

Lazy Quantum Computer

It's kind of like me in high school: not doing the assigned reading but still getting a decent score on the pop quiz. From "Easy Answers: Quantum computer gives results without running" at Science News Online:

Physicists have long known that quantum computers have the potential to race
through calculations trillions of times as fast as ordinary computers do. Now,
it seems that those machines may not have to calculate at all to deliver
answers.
That seemingly absurd possibility, which was advanced as a theory
several years ago, has now received experimental verification. What's more,
although previous calculations indicated that such an approach would work only
half the time at best, the new study suggests that it could become completely
reliable.

Apparently we may not even have to run computers in the future-- They will just have to exist. And maybe we can do away with that, too. Seriously, though, this sort of experiment challenges what seems like common sense (that is, that it would have to run to give a correct answer). It makes you (well, me, at least) wonder if it can really be true. Maybe I'm just too simple. Any thoughts? (Nerd Family, I'm calling you out on this one--You can't be silent on a topic as nerdy as quantum physics.)

Read entire article, if you dare, here.

I Am Lisa

Take The Simpsons Personality Test and find out which Simpsons character you are...

I Am Lisa Simpson

A total child prodigy and super genius, you have the mind for world domination. But you prefer world peace, Buddhism, and tofu dogs. You will be remembered for: all your academic accomplishments Your life philosophy: "I refuse to believe that everybody refuses to believe the truth"

I think this was pretty accurate although I'm sure I was one question away from being Marge. ("Don't look at me. Just because I'm holding a pair of scissors....Scissors which I need to, uh, to... gussy up these curtains.")

First Cuts

In case you missed the American Idol results show--and you care--and you read my blog (does that leave anybody???): We said goodbye to Becky O'Donohue, Stevie Scott, Bobby Bennett and Patrick Hall tonight. I don't think any of them will be missed too terribly.

One irritating thing Ryan Seacrest kept saying during the show: "That just goes to show that no one's safe." Of course no one's safe--they're all going to be eliminated, save one. That's the whole point. I know, I know: I'm not supposed to actually listen to the words coming out of his mouth, they're just there to fill space.

That's a Wrap

I've been motivated to post to my blog today because at church this morning I learned that a blog is a "frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts." I was convicted about the "frequent" part. This is my 64th post to this blog in its 10 month lifetime. I don't know if you'd consider that frequent. So anyway that's what I learned at church today. Seriously, we just started a sermon series called "blog: Big Lessons on God". You can download the service as a podcast at the NewCov site. (Or you should be able to within the next day or so.)

After church, my husband finished up a project he's been working on for me: This very cool wrapping paper rack (pictured here), with storage for ribbons, bows, etc. and gift bags too! We designed it together, he built it, and he just installed it this afternoon. (Sorry ladies, he's taken.) So, I spent some time transferring colorful paper products from a big plastic bin into this new rack and I made a very interesting discovery: I have a WHOLE LOT of gift bags. Multitudinously more than I thought I had. (There are more than what is in this picture.) This led me to ponder the reason for this. (Why can't I just leave it at I have a lot of gift bags?!) I keep and reuse bags from gifts I receive. (I hope that's not bad etiquette or something.) I rarely buy gift bags, so most of the ones I own once contained gifts for me or someone in my family, but probably me. I like gifts. Feel free to send me one. But not in a gift bag please. But to get back to my pondering: Based on all these facts, I came to the conclusion that I have received multitudinously more gifts than I have given. So I think I'm going to start giving more gifts. I'm not going to invent holidays or anything like that. But I think there are probably times when a gift would be appropriate yet not expected, and I'm going to start erring on the side of giving. Not just to deplete my gift bag supply, of course, but because I really do like giving gifts. And I don't want my new rack to break under the stress of holding all those bags!

My Idol Picks

The final 24 have been chosen. (Of course I'm talking American Idol.) Here are my picks:

Who I like:
Kellie Pickler
Taylor Hicks
Chris Daughtry
Will Makar
Stevie Scott

Who I think will win:
Paris Bennett

And Another Thing

A few weeks ago I volunteered to lead worship for my Thursday morning women's Bible study. It's something I had thought about doing, but didn't think I could commit to at this time for various reasons. But in a matter of about an hour a few weeks ago, each one of my reasons became invalid. So last week was my first week. Every little mistake I made (and there were about a hundred in the three songs), I just cringed internally, and kept smiling and singing. At one point, I looked out and noticed that the women were singing, some of them looking like they were really worshiping. That was a very cool moment. Immediately afterward all I could think to myself was "I'm never doing this again. I'm never doing this again." over and over. I kept telling myself not to say this aloud because I knew I would feel differently by the next day. And I did. All I can say is that God is VERY big. I feel so incapable of doing this. (Much more incapable than I thought I was!) It is refreshingly humbling. There's something about laying it all out before God and saying: This is all I've got. It's yours if you want it.

Twelve hours left until showtime. At least Simon Cowell won't be there!

I'm Back

... Not that I went anywhere. I was here. At the computer. On the internet. Everyday. It's terrible really. It's as if I was driving by your house on a pleasant day, and you were there in the front yard watering your lawn, and I didn't even bother to pull over and say "Hey, don't you have sprinklers?" And there have actually been things to blog about (about which to blog?) and I just thought it would be easier on me to not blog. But no. Blogging provides some sort of release. My problems become yours. I walk away relieved and you walk away laughing. We both win. And I don't even have to pay you.

So here's my bloggable story from two weeks ago. After Bible study, I went out to lunch with some friends. (At DiCicco's on Nees for those wondering now and those who will wonder after reading this.) There were about 12 of us: half adults, half kids. The place was full (and rather small). We were talking and laughing and eating. This man got up from his table in the middle of the restaurant, came toward our table, looked right at me and angrily said something like "It's really inconsiderate of you to let you kid make so much noise in here" and he motioned to my two-year-old son. I was shocked. Certainly my son was making noise. So were the other kids (and adults) in the restaurant. But enough noise to warrant this rebuke? When the man started talking, I seriously thought I must know him from somewhere, that he was joking. When I couldn't place his face and he kept talking I realized he was serious. It was like in a movie: Everybody in the restaurant stopped eating and talking and was just watching. I tried to control the simultaneous rage and tears that were welling up inside of me. "Do you have any suggestions?" I asked, wondering if he could come up with something short of duct tape. "Yes I have children," he blurted. "I didn't ask if you had children. I asked if you had any suggestions." My question caught him off guard and he stammered a little. "I'm not a parent. I... I mean, I'm not the parent. I just think you're being inconsiderate." He turned around and went back to his seat. I turned back to my friends and tried not to totally lose it. (I didn't want the guy to have the satisfaction of knowing he disturbed me so deeply.) Everyone else in the restaurant was apparently afraid of getting yelled at, so conversations started back up very quietly. The hostess at the restaurant told one of my friends that this man eats there regularly and has yelled at other customers before. That made me feel a little better. This was such a surreal experience. I kept replaying it in my mind for the next three days. I hate doing that. But it really was an awful experience.

I Am The Next American Idol

Okay, so, I'm not. But someone will be. The 2006 season started this week and I caught most of the Chicago and Denver audition shows. I enjoy watching people make fools of themselves as much as the next guy, but it would have been nice to see more than three or four of the people that were actually good. One thing I've learned from watching the not-so-great auditioners is that I want to be humble--if for no other reason than pride makes you look so stupid. Whether it is flaunted in an I-don't-care-what-you-think attitude or disguised with false humility (and I've tried both) you end up looking like such a fool. I'm sure that's a verse in Proverbs..."The proud man looks like a fool" or something.

Poor Tin, The Lowliest of Metals

From Merriam-Webster...

The Word of the Day for January 6 is:
tin-pot • \TIN-POT\ • adjective : two-bit, small-time
Example sentence: Petty despots and tin-pot dictators often pay lip service to democratic ideals to give their regimes an aura of legitimacy.
Did you know?Tin has never commanded as much respect as some other metals. As a reflection of this, its name has long been used in terms denoting the tawdry or petty. "Tin-pot" has been used for minor or insignificant things or people since the early 1800s. "Tinhorn" has named fakes or frauds (especially gamblers) since the 1880s, and "tin lizzie" has been a nickname for an inexpensive car since Ford introduced the Model T. Another example is "tin pan" (as in "Tin Pan Alley"), which referred to the tinny sound of pianos pounded furiously by musicians plugging tunes to producers.

Apparently You Can't Plow Rain

Got this one from 38below:

Milesburg, PA - Although area man Sam Johnson, known as "Buzz" to his friends, doesn't miss the sub-freezing temperatures, he's completely disgusted with the recent lack of snow.
"I ain't complaining 'bout the temperatures, no sir," Johnson said Thursday by phone, "but there ain't been no snow, and that's no good."
Johnson explained that he runs a snow removal service for Milesburg and the surrounding area, and the lack of snow has been a drain on his business.
"It just ain't snowin'. Ya know I can't plow the rain. No one wants rain removal. Rain is for the summer, see?"
Johnson said the last two storms were okay but nothing to write home about - or take to the bank.
"That last one was what, 7"? Them weather people are crazy. I got up in the morning and there weren't nothin' but an inch of sleet. Weighed the whole thing down. By time I made the rounds some folks had done it themselves. Didn't pay real good."
Johnson isn't taking any solace in the near term forecast either.
"I been checkin' it and checkin' it and it just says rain! I can't plow rain, you best write that down. I need snow, lots of snow. Heavy snow, so folks won't try to tackle it themselves. I don't see none in the forecast though."
When asked what else he might do, Johnson was uncertain.
"Well, I got a truck and a plow. I'm thinkin' of hauling wood for folks, plowin' stuff. If anyone needs anythin' plowed I can do that." Under his breath he added, "Can't plow no rain though."
The forecast for Milesburg, PA doesn't look good in the near term; the first possibility of snow is on January 14, and that's only expected to be a few inches. Johnson didn't want to hear it.
"You know why they call me Buzz?" he asked. "I'll tell you why; cause I got short hair. That's why! I'm gonna move to Syracuse if this keeps up."

Sara's Library

I am quite proud of myself for reading as much as I did during the past year. (I think I read only 3 books the previous year.) So I thought I would share my accomplishment with you by listing the books I read in 2005 and books I hope to read in 2006. Maybe you'll find something to add to your reading list for this year!

Read in 2005:
Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins
Love Your God With All Your Mind by J. P. Moreland
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
The Game Makers by Philip E. Orbanes
The Case for Easter by Lee Strobel


Hope to read in 2006:
Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
A Mom After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George
Bruchko by Bruce Olson
Birthright: Christian Do You Know Who You Are by David C. Needham
The Chronicles of Narnia (7 books) by C. S. Lewis

30 days until Groundhog Day

Did you ever wonder what Punxsutawney Phil does during the rest of the year? Well, thanks to Carl at 38below, I found out here.

Christmas

Pat at Two Blonde Boys asked for responses to this quote from Charles Spurgeon from a sermon given December 24, 1871:

We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas. First, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be sung in Latin or in English. Secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. 'Superstition' has fixed most positively the day of our Savior's birth, although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred. ... It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the Church celebrated the nativity of our Lord; and it was not till very long after the Western Church had set the example, that the Eastern adopted it. ... Probably the fact is that the "holy" days were arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals. We venture to assert, that if there be any day in the year, of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Savior was born, it is the 25th of December. ... Regarding not the day, let us, nevertheless, give God thanks for the gift of His dear Son.

Last year, I read a book titled "Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas". It was really amazing to learn that the idea of Christmas (a relatively new holiday) was opposed by many church leaders when it was established. Apparently the holiday celebration started to combine with the pagan winter solstice celebrations which involved a lot of activity the church didn't want to be associated with. But the people who chose December 25 as Christmas Day did so to give Christians an alternative to these celebrations (kind of like today's Harvest Parties on Halloween). I agree with Spurgeon's comments that special "holy" days aren't important to our spirituality and that December 25 is not really when Jesus was born. But I don’t think of Christmas as either of those things. It’s a time to celebrate with family and friends and a time to reflect on the incarnation, regardless of what day of the year it really occurred. I appreciate that Spurgeon was able to "give God thanks for the gift of His dear Son" despite his total disapproval of Christmas.

Angel's Invitation

I know it's been a long time, but I'm still here. I thought I should post my Christmas song before Christmas is over. I was going to get you an mp3 so you could hear it too (voice only), but I've had some technical trouble so I'm giving up. (Anyone want to host my file so I can link to it here?) But here are the words. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!!

UPDATE: Thanks to nerdmom for the offer to host my mp3. I actually was able to do it myself on a subsequent attempt. So here it is. (Sorry it's nothing more than me singing into the PC mike--I figured that's better than nothin'!)

Angel's Invitation

Caught off guard
An angel speaks.
God's mighty power is released.
Baby's born,
God's own son.
This great adventure has begun.

By an angel's invitation
I'm here tonight.
In this dark and dreary stable
Shines God's hope-filled light.
And though I'd never dreamed I'd be here
In all my imagination
How could I refuse
An angel's invitation?

What appeared
As betrayed love
Was salvation from above.
Now months have passed
And here I stand.
How will I raise God's given lamb?

By an angel's invitation
I'm here tonight.
In this dark and dreary stable
Shines God's hope-filled light.
And though I'd never dreamed I'd be here
In all my imagination
How could I refuse
An angel's invitation?

An average night:
Restless sleep,
Keeping watch and counting sheep.
Angels come.
They shout and sing.
Who am I to greet this King?

By an angel's invitation
I'm here tonight.
In this dark and dreary stable
Shines God's hope-filled light.
And though I'd never dreamed I'd be here
In all my imagination
How could I refuse,
Tell me how could I refuse
An angel's invitation?

My Thanksgiving Story

For Thanksgiving, my family drove to Porterville (about an hour away from Fresno) to celebrate with my husband Brad's side of the family: Thanksgiving on Thursday and Brad's and his mom's birthdays on Friday. Thursday morning was a little crazy getting everyone up and going, plus packing for everyone for our overnight trip. (For anyone who hasn't traveled with a baby: Babies require lots of stuff. It doesn't seem like they should need so much, but once you get everything together that they might need, it somehow easily fills a mid-sized SUV.) So around 9:30 we're walking out the door a little rushed and frazzled and I say to Brad, "Well, if we forgot anything, we can buy it when we get there... Well, tomorrow since everything's closed today." "Yeah, right. The busiest shopping day of the year," Brad reminds me. "Well, then we'll just do without," I say, confident we have everything. Little did I realize at that moment, that the bag with Brad's and my clothes and toiletries was sitting on our bed, packed and ready to go nowhere. We didn't realize this until about 7:30 that night. I was filled with disbelief, blame, panic, and laughter in that order. Brad drove around Porterville and found one gas station mini-mart open. He found one of the four items on our list of necessities that my mother-in-law didn't have to offer us. It wasn't deoderant. Then we changed into funny, borrowed clothes and washed our own. (This was pretty necessary since I had been spit-up on several times that day.) The next morning we showered, put on our clean clothes, and found a Long's Drugs that wasn't filled with Christmas shoppers and bought deoderant (Happy Birthday Brad). I wish I could say that somehow through all this I learned to be thankful, but it just isn't that kind of story. It is funny, though. Now.

Bumbershoot

That's a word you'll need as the weather turns wetter, a fun alternative to the not-so-boring word "umbrella". It's Merriam-Webster Online's word of the day today. Click here to read more about "bumbershoot".

Update: Help Curb the Litter Problem

How cool is this? I got a letter from William Skinner, the Interim Assistant Director of the Fresno Department of Public Utilities. Not a form letter but a real, personally written letter. He says he spoke with the "city refuse collection vehicle" drivers in my area about the problem. He also claims he has visited my neighborhood the last three weeks after the garbage pickup to make sure the areas were clean. And I have noticed a difference in the neatness of the neighborhood as well. I am quite impressed. I did not expect such feedback, but am pleased with it, of course. (He also noted that it is important to not overfill the "refuse carts" as that might cause material to fall out upon dumping.)

Out Of Excuses

This morning I was in a parking lot and a young guy approached me asking for money for gas for him and his mom. I thought for a second and then told him a half-truth (i.e. a lie) that I didn't have any cash. He thanked me and went on. About five seconds later I remembered that I had a new plan for handling those types of situations (meet him at the gas station and purchase some gas for him there) but, of course, by then it was too late. I was always taught not to give anything out to people who ask for anything. They're just going to spend the money on alcohol or drugs. They might be dangerous. They're probably high right now and will pull out a knife and stab you if you make eye contact. That sort of thing. At some point I started to feel convicted, though. That I should be feeding the hungry, you know? But, I reasoned, they are probably lying about their needs, so that frees me from any obligation to help them. Jesus didn't say to feed the liars, right? But I've come to the point where I can hardly keep lying to myself anymore. I know I can buy someone what they need instead of giving money. I know I can request to meet them in a safer place to offer help. And who ever said that doing the right thing is risk-free, anyway? I've also come to realize that I could be in that person's place. I mean, I used to believe that to the extent that I'm a person and they're a person, so okay, yeah. But I really believe that now. Had I made slightly different decisions in my life, I could be asking you for some money, too. Depending on what happens tomorrow, I could be asking you for help next week. I could be asking you for gas money because I need more gas. Or I could be asking you for gas money because I need more liquor. My pride makes me not want to believe it, but pride won't save me from calamity or consequences. So how can I treat someone whose distress could be mine, someone created by God in His image, with such total disrespect and fear? I have no more excuses.

Losing

I was wrong to count on Brett Favre. The guy only got me .28 point (yes, that's .28, not 28) out of my losing total of 46.83. I believe this is the worst score I've had all season. (Gabe scored 80.15 points.) Not everyone's scores are final yet since there's still a game tonight, but it looks like I may slip from 7th to 9th. Ouch!

Fantasy Football Fun

My brother-in-law, Gabe, started a fantasy football league for my family this year. I had never participated in one before and I'm always up for any sort of competition, so I signed up and put together my team. It's nothing like real football: I beat my husband and lost to my mother. But it's a lot of fun. We (well about half of the ten of us) do a lot of smack talking against whoever we're playing the next week. This week I'm up against Gabe, the king of smack talk, so there has been some fun and friendly banter between us that I thought you might enjoy reading. My team is UnnecessaryRoughness and his team is the Killer Chameleons. (And this is all in good fun.)

From: UnnecessaryRoughness
Title: Dearest Gabe...
Message: What is that old saying? Pride comes before what? Ah yes: Pride comes before a fall. One good score and it all goes to your head. Please don't fool yourself into forgetting the previous seven weeks, brother-in-law. I'd hate for you to make a fool of yourself and you're newly named team. Your team reminds me a bit of Brett Favre's performance: He feels the pressure, plays a good game and then gets overconfident and throws a few interceptions. But what am I doing comparing your piecemeal team with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time? Oh yeah, and Favre should be feeling the pressure this week and put up a pretty good score. Maybe I should just play him alone to give you a good chance of winning.

From: Killer Chameleons
Title: sara, sara, sara...
Message: i don't want you to get confused and think that just because my team has a bunch of people you've never heard of, that they aren't still powerful. clearly you are a bit confused, however, if you think that favre is going to get you any more wins this year. if you think throwing five interceptions in one game is good, then please, by all means, start him this week and let's see what happens. let's just say that i have a feeling this is the week where i finally climb out of the 'Starbucks Card' hole...i've kept the spot warm for you, though, so i hope you enjoy 9th place!
Your respectful bro-in-law,
gabe

From: UnnecessaryRoughness
Title: To Gabe
Message: Gabe, you may have just had a birthday but it is evident that you are still so young. To say that I don't know any of your players is inaccurate. In fact, I know a couple of them well enough that I dumped them off of my team to get rid of dead weight. But if they are the players you deem best, well, then, I certainly won't stop you from playing them. On another note, it saddens me so to see the league commissioner struggling just to get out of ninth place while the rest of us are trying to win the jackpot. Such pity brings to my mind thoughts of throwing this match so that you can keep your dignity. But I'm sure you wouldn't accept such charity. So, if by some chance you do win this week, you can be sure that it was by your own good luck.

From: Killer Chameleons
Title: let me tell you a thing or two about luck...
Message: Luck is drafting Tomlinson in an autodraft and coasting on his back through the fantasy football season, thinking that somehow that makes you good at this game (yes curtis, i have dragged you back into this). It takes a lot more than luck to sort through leftovers on the waiverwire and piece together a team that is good enough to not only replace injuries to your #1 wr and rb, but also to put together a 100-point performance with those same players - the players who other managers mistook for worthless. Yes, Sara, it takes a lot more than luck to see potential in someone who others think is dead weight'. And it takes more than luck to realize that Brett Favre is past his prime and probably shouldn't be drafted in the first round. And finally, it takes a lot more than luck to smack-talk everyone you play when you have arguably the worst team in the league (I may be bad, but I will not be silent!)... No, Sara, it takes what we call skill to do all of these things, and this weekend you will get an up-close experience with some of the mad skills that I am talking about... Enjoy the lesson!
Your teacher,
Gabe

From: UnnecessaryRoughness
Title: Pick a game and play it
Message: If you are trying to win the smack talk game (for which there are no monetary or Starbuck's prizes) then you are definitely a frontrunner, Gabe. But if you are going to take such pride in your smack performances you can at least grant us all the privilege of hearing some new material instead of a rehash of previous weeks' talk. Of course, I understand if you just can't think of anything bad to say against my team and that's why you have to go back to smacking Curtis. Not that it makes a difference in the game the rest of us are playing: I expect Curtis's and my teams will both score more than yours this week.

Superdome Rumors Denied

I found this article (Echo Chamber in the Superdome: A Louisiana National Guardsman explains how he dealt with false rumors being piped into Ground Zero of Hurricane Katrina) through Ethos the other day and I found it quite interesting. It was written over three weeks ago so it's not quite "news".

The Count of Monte Cristo

I accidentally started reading The Count of Monte Cristo the other day. I'd read the book many years ago but my stepdad had taken it off the shelf and was reading it while he was visiting the other day. So instead of putting it away I started reading the first page and I was hooked. Seriously, on the first page. I had to read on. So now I'm about 150 pages into it, just by reading a little now and then. I'm not a big reader. I'm more like a wannabe reader. I love books and own bunches of them. I love book stores and libraries. I just don't like reading so much. It's always seemed like work. But more recently I've been able to make my way through several books very quickly. Part of the reason it often seems like work is because I normally choose non-fiction. But reading fiction is definitely more fun. The funny thing is, it's still challenging. In this book in particular, the story takes place in another century, in another country (and was also written in another century, country, and language) so I am having to infer a lot about history and geography based on the details mentioned. I have a pretty good-sized vocabulary and yet there are words I'm not familiar with, or sometimes usages that I'm not familiar with, so I'm learning all sorts of stuff as I read. And it doesn't feel like work. I haven't read a book like this in so long. The quality of writing is so much higher than what you get in a magazine, newspaper, or blog. (I've paused here for several minutes trying to figure out how to describe the writing.) It's poetic. It gets inside of me. It inspires me. The author has me wrapped around his finger and I will follow him wherever he takes me, no matter how grotesque a scene or suspenseful a moment. If you haven't read some good classic literature for a while, I highly recommend it. I think I am going to have to make sure I read a good classic like this every once in a while.

Just as a note: I am reading the abridged version. The reviews I read at amazon.com all recommended the full version despite its length.

Word Verification

Just a note that I am now using word verification for comments. You'll just have to type in the letters you see before you leave your comment. This prevents comment spam. (I got an automated comment within 60 seconds of posting my last post!)

New Song

It's kind of funny. One of my reasons for starting this blog was to post songs I write as I write them. I started out posting a few I had already written to give myself a headstart. And then... And then I didn't write anymore. So now I have one I'm working on and I want to finish but I keep dragging my feet. So I am posting the chorus now as a down payment. I am committing to finishing this song! And it better be before Christmas since it is Christmas themed. Here is my the chorus to "Angel's Invitation":

By an angel's invitation
I'm here tonight.
In this dark and dreary stable
Shines God's hope-filled light.
And though I'd never dreamed I'd be here
In all my imagination,
How could I refuse
An angel's invitation?

Help Curb the Litter Problem

Thursday I sat down to pay my bills. Inside my bill from the City of Fresno Utilities Department was a little flier stating "Join Mayor Alan Autry in curbing the litter problem in Fresno." It went on to explain why and how you shouldn't litter. I'm not sure that a notice like this is going to prevent a litterbug (Is that a word you're only supposed to use as a kid? I don't know.) from littering. (Litterbug's unlikely thoughts: That was a delicious hamburger. Well, I'll just throw the wrapper down here... Wait a minute! Mayor Autry said to put stuff like this into a garbage can. I'll put this into one of those conveniently located trash containers!) But that's not really my point here. What I was thinking as I read this notice was how just the day before I was taking a walk in my neighborhood and there was garbage all over the streets and sidewalks. I live in a neighborhood that is normally very clean. So why all the trash? Because it was trash day. You know, the day when the city sends their trucks to pick up each can sitting at the curb and turn it upside down emptying most of its contents into the truck. Every house has litter in front of it by noon on Wednesdays. And the people I pay to do this for me are asking me to keep the place clean! I was a little irked by this (as you might be able to tell) so I wrote a letter to the mayor (and cc'd the Solid Waste Division) asking for his help to "curb the litter problem in Fresno."

Did the Japanese Mafia Cause Katrina?

I had to share this. It gave me a good laugh and then left me wondering if it could be true. Scott Stevens, a real meteorologist, believes that the Japanese mafia has a weather machine created by Russia during the Cold War and that they have used this machine to create Hurricane Katrina as well as many other weather phenomena. He left his day job yesterday to pursue research on his weather theories full-time. Read more here and here.

The Night

The night used to hold such mystery. I remember getting out of bed one night after I’d been tucked in and finding my older sister eating a green Popsicle (the best flavor, as everyone knows, yet apparently the toughest to make since they would only put one or two in a box). I had always guessed that I was missing out on good things by going to bed and this just confirmed my belief. I can also remember nights I would wake up after everyone in the house was in bed and asleep. It was so silent. I would lie in bed and wonder if every house was this silent or if there were people up and about at this hour. In college, I stayed up many nights with friends, sometimes late enough to watch the sun rise. We had the whole Fresno State campus to ourselves. We would walk around, play games, and just generally waste the night away. I would go back to my dorm and everyone would be just waking up for another dull day. Finally I was on the other side! They had missed out on fun all night and I hadn’t! I had finally captured some of what I knew the night had to offer! But my grades suffered and I returned, more or less, to the discipline of sleeping at night. And I still felt I was missing out. Now, many years later, I often find myself up late at night or in the very early hours of the morn. But there are no games, no friends, no Popsicles. My nights now are for sleeping when I can and taking care of little ones’ needs when I must. I no longer wonder about, fear, nor desire the night. It’s really a lot like the day, only darker and quieter. The night used to hold such mystery.

Taking Aim

As I promised a few weeks ago, I have thought about how I would like to live the next ten years of my life. I had a lot of thoughts go through my mind and was finally able to organize them. I believe that God created each one of us with both general and specific purposes. I believe that true fulfillment for each person comes through worshiping and serving God but how we carry those out will differ greatly from person to person and, I guess, from time to time. So this is for me, for now:

Worship -

I want to see and savor the beauty in life. God reveals his glory in so many ways and I think I miss it most of the time. I hope to see more by keeping my eye open for beauty: beauty in nature, beauty in people, beauty in circumstances.

I want to worship God through songs I write. Ever since I decided to make a concerted effort to write songs, I have spent less and less time doing it. I want to make songwriting a more regular part of my life.

Serve -

I want to get over myself. I've realized that there are two things that keep me from doing things I should do... and they're both me. 1) I get so concerned about what other people will think of me that sometimes I don't do what God wants me to. 2) I think that if I take a step of faith, I might not have what it takes to take the second or third steps. But the thing is: It's not about me. Who cares if someone dislikes me along the way because I'm doing God's work. It's not really my problem, but God's. And I won't have what it takes to move forward--God provides that, not me. Again, God's problem, not mine. I've got to get this into my brain so that I can serve Him better. And I know the best way to do it is to just jump in!

I want to live each day with fervor. I don't want to "give up" in life. I refuse to settle for a life of mediocrity, but instead choose to passionately pursue a life of meaning.

I want to encourage thought and study among Christians. I recently read a book I've mentioned here before called Love Your God With All Your Mind. It made me see how important it is for those in the church to be developing our minds. I want to actively be developing my mind and encouraging others to do the same. I also want to read more during this decade of my life than in the previous three combined.

So there you have it. My goals for the next ten years. Some of the details may change over time, but it's good to have a place to start and something to strive for. This has been a good exercise and I challenge you to do the same for your next five or ten or twenty years. And I'd love to hear what you come up with!

Spoiled or Blessed?

I spent a good portion of the previous week celebrating my 30th birthday. Several weeks back, my sister had asked what I wanted to do to celebrate. I told her some things I had thought of but realized that having recently had a baby 1) I don't feel like planning some sort of get together like I normally would and 2) I think everyone must be getting tired of giving me all the attention. Well, I had four separate birthday celebrations, two of them surprises, and I had a great time! The last one was the biggest surprise: The first three were all with family and I had really wanted to do something fun with my friends. By Sunday, I had decided that that wasn't going to happen and then SURPRISE!, it did!

See, in my life things happen in one of three ways:
1) Sara wants something. Sara gets it. (95% of the time)
2) Sara wants something. Sara doesn't get it right away, is disappointed, but accepts it. Sara gets what she wanted anyway. (4.5%)
3) Sara wants something. Sara doesn't get it, is disappointed, but accepts it. Sara realizes it's better that she doesn't have what she wanted. (.5%)

I call that "spoiled". My husband suggested "blessed". I think the difference is how it's received. Certainly I take many things for granted, but in the last week I have been reminded that I have the best friends and family a girl could ask for. At the (100%) risk of sounding cliche (and I've always thought this sounded so insincere, though I mean it): That's the best birthday gift of all.

Wretched man that I am!

"For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."
Romans 7:14-25 (NASB)

Today I identified with Paul's struggle. I went to the grocery store for only the second time alone with both kids. Shopping with an infant and a toddler is made much easier by these neat carts some of the grocery stores have. Our store has these carts where one or two children can sit inside the "car" and then another can sit in the normal grocery cart seat. This worked great for me the first shopping trip. Well, today I arrived at the store, baby car seat/carrier in one hand, toddler's hand in the other, only to search the front of the store, ask for assistance and find that all two of these carts were currently in use. (Have you ever been in a situation and you get to a point where you realize things are not going to turn out well no matter what you do from here on out, and you have the choice to keep going anyway or bail? I had just reached that point. I decided to keep on.) So my son, who's not quite two, walked with me. Now, you expect that's where the problem was, right? No, he did great. Did my baby cry the whole time? No, she slept like, well, like a baby. It was me. I was the problem. I was so upset the store would only have two carts capable of holding more than one child. Oh, and then, as I shopped, when I would see the shoppers using the car carts--I kept looking at them like it was their fault. Everytime I passed a store employee and they cheerfully greeted me, I would say "Hi" with a tone and facial expression to convey how miserable I was and all because of them. But all along, I kept telling myself, "Everything's going fine. Just get over it and enjoy the shopping trip. Be happy. You're just making yourself miserable." But I wouldn't listen to myself! "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" Today's experience is rather silly, but the struggle is so real! "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."

I Mean It...

...I'm not abandoning my blog!

Things have been so hectic. I have found myself holding my baby about 12 to 14 hours a day. There aren't many things one can do while holding a baby so that leaves 10 to 12 hours a day for everything else: sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom.... Needless to say, blogging is down the list a way. Well, one day I will be able to return to more regular posts, but when you don't hear from me for a while, now you know why.

On another topic, I'm turning 30 in a couple weeks. It's kind of funny: I don't have any expectations about my thirties. Since I was young, I looked forward to certain ages: 12, 17, 21, 25.... But that's where it ended. I don't have anything I dreamed of doing in my thirties or even thoughts of what life would be like. That makes it kind of exciting. I'm looking forward to this decade of my life. It's like starting with a blank canvas. I look forward to seeing what God will paint on this canvas. I wonder what sort of trials I will face and what kinds of victories I will celebrate. I wonder what my family will look like ten years from now. Hmm... I wonder what I will look like ten years from now. Maybe I shouldn't go there. :) But, seriously, I have no idea. I don't have plans.

I just had an idea! I will make myself a goal for the next decade: A "live life to the fullest" sort of goal. And you can help! What sort of primer would you put on a blank canvas like this? Do you have any advice for someone entering her thirties? (Whether you've been there yet or not!) Post your comments here and I will compose and post a "goal" for my thirties with your help over the next couple weeks! I'll put a lot of thought into it--Now, that's something I can do while I hold my baby!

Quick Post

Just a quick post to say I'm not abandoning my blog! I'm actually preparing an entry on some deep thoughts I've had recently. In the mean time, check out this personality test I found over at Two Blonde Boys.

Funny Commercial

I found the recent Fruit of the Loom commercial quite entertaining. It's a country music video by "The Fruit Guys". I especially love the way the singer looks right at the camera with such seriousness. It's classic. View it here.

Random facts about me

I received an email from a friend with all these questions answered by her and a request to answer them myself and pass it on to all my friends. I thought it sounded like a fun way to let you, my loyal readers, learn more about me. So here goes...

1. What is your occupation?
Mom

2. What are you listening to right now?
Nothing but the sound of the air conditioner

3. What was the last thing you ate?
A frozen burrito and corn with cheddar and bacon sauce, which wasn't really as good as it sounds

4. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Midnight blue

5. How is the weather right now?
Sunny and hot

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
I'm currently speaking with Jackie!

7. How old are you today?
29

8. Favorite drink?
Pepsi

9. Favorite sport to watch?
Basketball

10. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Highlights only and that only recently

11. Do you wear contacts?
Nope

12. Favorite month?
May or September

13. Favorite food?
Cheetos Puffs, chicken tacos, anything with gravy, most anything chocolate

14. What was the last movie you watched?
On TV: Notting Hill, On DVD: Toy Story 2, In the theater: Coach Carter

15. Favorite day of the year?
August 25 (my birthday!)

16. What do you do to vent anger?
Make my husband listen to every detail about what angered me

17. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Probably my walkie-talkies (which looks really weird spelled out)

18. Fall or Spring?
Spring

19. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs

20. Cherry or Blueberry?
Cherry (I can't stand blueberry!)

21. Do you want your friends to email you back?
With their answers to these questions? Yes.

22. Who is most likely to respond?
I'm really not sure.

23. Who is least likely to respond?
Again, I'm really not sure. I guess I don't know my friends too well!

24. When was the last time you cried?
Sometime in the last two weeks since my daughter was born.

25. What is on the floor of your closet?
More shoes than you probably think I own.

26. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
Tracie

27. What did you do last night?
Tried (rather successfully) to sleep while my newborn daughter was fussing and crying in the bassinet two feet away from me.

28. Favorite smell?
A freshly hosed-off patio in the summer

29. What inspires you?
Visual snapshots of nature or my family when I mentally take a step back and just observe

30. What are you afraid of?
Fire

31. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Spicy

32. Favorite car?
My college vehicle: 1981 Ford Bronco

33. Favorite dog breed?
Not big into dogs

34. Number of keys on your key ring?
6

35. How many years at your current job?
Almost two years

36. What is your favorite day of the week?
Thursday (it's like Friday's Friday)

37. How many states have you lived in?
Just this one

38. How many cities have you lived in?
Two

Weather Fun With Crickets

Just for fun, I thought I'd let all you recreational meteorologists in on a little weather secret: How can you determine the outdoor temperature if you don't have a thermometer, but there are crickets nearby and they are chirping (meaning it is probably nighttime)? If you need to know the temperature and you happen to find yourself in these conditions, you are in luck! Just count the number of cricket chirps (from one isolated cricket, of course) in 14 seconds. Add 40 to that number and, voila, you now know the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit! Of course, keep in mind, with the weather we've had in Fresno lately, even the nighttime temperatures may require you to count 40 chirps in 14 seconds! (I got this particular formula at http://www.almanac.com/outdoors/crickets.php) Have fun!

...And We're Back

Annalise Kay and I are home from the hospital! She was born Monday morning at 8:06. She weighed in at 9 pounds, 3 ounces (the doctor was right about her size!) and is 21 inches long. She was also born with a full head of dark brown hair! She is beautiful and healthy. I am doing well recovering from my surgery. I was off of prescription pain killers before leaving the hospital and I'm getting around fairly well.

Having a baby is such a strange thing in many ways. Just a few days ago, I ate pizza with my husband and my son. I went to the hospital, gave birth to a baby, and my world changed. I came home, and though it seemed to me everything had changed in the last few days, there was the leftover pizza in the fridge. And it was still good--I ate it for lunch. I still can't get a grasp of the whole thing: I feel like everything should be new and different, but it's not. I'm not sure whether that's disappointing or comforting. Maybe a little of both.

Well, that's enough reflection for now. Unfortunately, at this point my reflections are fueled by large shifts in my hormones and sleep deprivation, so I'm not sure they'll be very productive, but perhaps they'll be entertaining!

A large thanks to all of you who prayed for me through this last week and are celebrating with me now! You are true friends!

Baby Watch

God is merciful! My C-section has been rescheduled for 7:30 in the morning on Monday!!! I am very pleased with that. That meant I had to go in for a last-minute pre-op appointment this morning and I'll have to rethink my childcare strategy for Monday, but those inconveniences are worth not having to go without food and water for a day! And not having to be nervous all day leading up to the big event! Keep me and my little girl in your prayers!

Baby Watch

My C-section is now scheduled for Monday at 5PM. While I am not terribly enthused about having the surgery to begin with, what is most frustrating to me is that I am not to eat or drink anything, including water, after 7AM that day. It is supposed to be 98 degrees on Monday and I am to have no water all day. That sounds ridiculous to me. I understand the reasons I just think it is impractical to the point that maybe C-sections shouldn't be scheduled at 5PM. Well, I'll stop ranting now. I am just going to try to drink as much water as I can on Sunday and every time I wake up that night. (I don't expect to sleep too terribly well anyway.) So, that's the plan. Of course, now I'm hoping I DON'T go into labor between now and then!

Baby Watch

I went to the doctor this morning. I am still not dilated. And the doctor feels the baby is significantly larger than my son was at birth. So.... we are scheduling a C-section for one of the next few days. This is not the way I had hoped it would go, but at the same time I have to see that this may be God's way of protecting the baby and/or me. When deciding to do a VBAC, my husband and I both agreed that if I ended up having a C-section, there may be a reason for it, a reason we may never know. Knowing that doesn't take away my disappointment or dissolve my fears, but it does give me confidence that this is the best thing to do. I'll post another update when I know when the delivery will be.

Baby Watch

STILL no baby! Not even an hour and a half of fireworks motivated this baby to come out! I'll keep you updated!

Baby Watch

So I went to the doctor yesterday. Twice. Shortly after I arrived in the waiting room (the first time) the doctor was called out on emergency. (This is the first time this has ever happened during one of my appointments, believe it or not.) So I went home and waited to be called back in. At 4:45 the doctor's office calls and wants to reschedule me for Wednesday. Yes, practically a whole week away, and I'm supposed to be going in once a week! I started to complain and she asked how quickly I could get there. So, thankfully, they waited around for me so I was able to see the doctor yesterday.

The appointment was rather disappointing: I'm still not dilated at all. The doctor doesn't believe this baby is significantly larger than my son was at birth. I will see the doctor again on Wednesday (if not sooner) and we might do an ultrasound at that point to get another idea of how big the baby is. Well, we'll keep waiting!

Oh, today (July 1) is the day my family and I decided would be a convenient day to have the baby. (Friday before a long weekend.) There are still 17 hours left in the day, but I don't think our plan is going to work this time.

Baby Watch

I just wanted to add that I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon. I'm hoping he predicts I have the baby soon. My concern is this: I am planning to do a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) delivery. The only thing is, if this baby is going to be bigger than the last one (7 lbs., 4 oz. at 4 wks early), the doctor doesn't want to even attempt it--we'll just do a C-section. This baby is getting bigger and bigger everyday she's not born and I really don't want a C-section! He thinks she'll be 7 1/2 to 8 lbs. at term. If that is true, she should be between 6 and 7 lbs. now. So at tomorrow's appointment I'll get a labor prediction (soon, not soon) and a current size prediction (too big, not too big). Based on the combination of answers, I suppose we might plan for a C-section or we might wait. I'll post an update sometime after my doctor's visit!

Baby Watch

I had some contractions this morning but they stopped. Still no baby.

Baby Watch

On a suggestion from NerdMom, I am starting a "Baby Watch" segment here on my blog. I think it's a good idea--I know you all are as anxious as I am to have this baby. Okay, so you're not as anxious as I am. But you're interested, right? I've hesitated even doing this because I keep thinking, "Why put this on my blog when I'm going to have this baby any day? I'll mention it once and then the baby will be here." Well, many days have passed since I've been saying that and still no baby. And I'm still 16 days away from my due date. There is no indication that I am going to have this baby very soon. (Well, unless you count my occasional feeling that I might burst open.) I've had a few minor contractions over the last few days but that's it. Well, I'll try to keep up on this as the days go on. And I'll try to keep it interesting.

Numbers

I know it's been a long time, but I'm back. Well, for now. No telling what life will be like once the baby comes!

I read an interesting (to me) article at sciencenews.org today. If numbers and patterns intrigue you, you may find it of interest as well. Now, if you're the kind of person who gets frustrated by theory/proofs without application, then don't read it. It's a "dramatic tale" of partition numbers, prime numbers, and the beauty of numbers. (Yes, I said the beauty of numbers.)

Protection

Yesterday my son was playing outside with a small watering can while my husband and I were cleaning up our patio. He went up to my husband who had the hose asking for him to fill up the can. My husband looked down and saw a black widow in the watering can and grabbed it away from our son. As far as we could tell, the spider had not touched him, let alone bit him. Reflecting on this experience a little later I thought, "There is nothing more we could have done to protect him and, yet, we have no control over that spider--it could have crawled up on his hand and bit him." (We had even washed out the can several times before letting him play with it.) Then I recalled a simple prayer I pray most mornings: "God, please keep us healthy and safe." I had no control over that spider's actions but God did. Could it be that my little prayer is what kept my toddler safe? In fact, I hadn't even prayed that this particular morning. Did my prayer from the previous day cover this day as well? Sometimes I feel trite praying something so simple time and time again. And in my mind, I am asking for protection for that day, not the next. But God knows better. He knows we need his protection everyday. And He hears my prayer each time I pray it. But, regardless of whether God would have protected my son with or without my prayer, I must give the credit to Him. It was not my doing. "He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples {and spiders} under me." Psalm 144:2 NIV (braced phrase added by me)