Napping

Sundays are wonderful days to take a nap.

And today, a nap was especially needed as my body adjusts to

Usually it takes about a week for my body to adjust to the time change.

Someone told me today that the changing of the time is really not good for our bodies.

It makes sense to me.

But, after about a week, I'll adjust, and my rhythms will be put right again.

That doesn't mean I won't look forward to my next Sunday afternoon nap.

Another reason I like naps are the dreams.  I always tend to have vivid, weird dreams when I nap.

And I can usually remember them, too.

Well, off to bed, to see if I can get to sleep since I did nap today.

Oh, I know sleep will take over eventually.

How Is Your Book Coming Along?

I often run into people throughout the week who ask me this question.

How is your book coming?

That is because I made a rather public display when I left my job as a reporter at our local newspaper by writing in my farewell column that I was leaving my job to work on writing a book.

So I spent the next year researching and working on writing the first of three historical fiction books about the Silver Valley.

I gathered some people together and met with them on a monthly basis, and I would read to them what I had written.

I also had a friend who let me use her "Sparrow's Nest" house up Burke Canyon outside of Wallace, Idaho as my writing space.

I got a lot done that year.

I worked on and off on my book.  One summer I even spent a weekend in author Frank Peretti's loft above his garage to continue working on my book.  That was the summer of 2008.

Then things stopped.  I started writing, directing and acting in productions at our local community theater.  My attention was diverted to other creative projects.

But I wanted 2014 to be different, and I wanted to be reunited with the characters from my book, and the story, and start working on it again.

And this is happening with the help of my three Aprils.

Yes, I have three wonderful friends named April, and I spent some time with each of them today.

Most of my day today was spent at April #1's house with some of my wonderful high school friends.  We have started a monthly group called "Creative Masterminds".  We have assignments each month and write and explore ourselves and our creativity and share these with one another.  We spent five hours today enjoying each other's company, enjoying the wonderful food everyone brought, and sharing very personal things to a group of women who we have known the majority of our lives, and who are safe and are willing to take time to come and listen and share with one another.  This group has also kindled my passion for writing again through self-reflection writings, and writing these daily blog posts.  And I know the time spent with these women with help encourage me to get back to writing my book once again.

Last night, I ran into April #2.  She asked me if I would stop by her house this afternoon to let her dog out, because she was going to Spokane with a friend, and would be gone most of the day.  Later her and her dog showed up at my house with a nice bouquet of flowers to say thank you.  April #2 was part of my "Canyon Creek Creatives" group when we met up Burke Canyon, and she would encourage me in the writing of my book.  We would often meet for breakfast or lunch, and she would share with me her book ideas, and her sketches.  April #2 is a dreamer.  She is a one of a kind friend, and reconnecting with her today felt very serendipitous. 

This evening I spent over an hour talking on the phone with April #3.  We briefly saw one another last weekend when I traveled but didn't have a chance to really visit with one another.  So we made a "date" to talk to one another on the phone tonight.  It was great catching up.  April #3 started writing a book around the time I started writing mine.  But she has actually submitted material to publishers.  Again, talking to her sparks my creativity and desire to get back to working on my book.  And it made me realize we need to spend more time talking about our various projects on a more regular basis.  We have already started looking for a date in the not to distant future to spend a weekend together.

Today reminds me of a song I used to sing in youth group at church when I was young...
It only takes a spark, to get a fire going, and soon all those around, can warm up in its' glowing...

That is what happened to me today.  Spending time with my "Aprils" and my other friends created a glow from all the sparks I encountered.  And instead of moving on with other projects, other busyness, other things, I need to fan this creative flame, and center my energy on writing my book.

Thank you to my three wonderful Aprils (plus all the other women that were with us at April #1's house today!!)

T.V.

The first T.V. I remembered in our home was a small black and white one.

Then we went to color.

Most of the T.V. watching I remember growing up was in color.

Many of my fondest memories have to do with television shows I watched growing up.

Here are some of my memories:

1.  Saturday Night Live--I remember watching the original season that began in the fall of 1975.  I was 12 years old, and a 7th grader at Kellogg Junior High School.  It is amazing that next year, in 2015, that SNL will have been on for 40 years.

2.  Sesame Street began in 1969, and I remember watching it almost from the beginning, with Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch and Mr. Hooper.  I loved watching Sesame Street, and loved watching it again once I had children.

3.  Happy Days was a fun show that took you back to the "50's"......and made The Fonz a household name.

4.  M*A*S*H* was such a great show.  I had no idea what the Korean Conflict was all about, but it didn't matter, because the characters in this show and the writing were so well done.  It started in 1972, and I still remember watching the final episode in the "Smoker" (or T.V. Room) at the Tri-Delt house at the University of Idaho, with many of us unable to hold the tears back.

5.  With the passing of "The Professor" recently, I remember Gilligan's Island and all the funny things that happened to them on that desert isle.

6.  The Brady Bunch....the blended family that lived in the modern suburban home with their housekeeper Alice.  I loved that show.

7.  Who can turn the world on with her smile?.....Mary Tyler Moore, of course.  I think it was on either Friday or Saturday night, because I watched it almost every week.  And I enjoyed the spin-offs as well, "Rhoda" and "Phyllis".

8.  The Carol Burnett Show....probably one of the reasons I enjoy acting on stage to this day.  So funny...so clever.  I loved that is was live, and that sometimes things just got so funny they couldn't stop laughing.  And who can ever forget..."Went With The Wind"?

9.  Welcome Back, Kotter....Gabe Kaplan played such a great teacher in the inner city of New York with the Sweathogs, and our first real look at John Travolta, as Vinnie Barbarino.

10.  All in the Family.....This was quite a cutting edge show, and I lived with Archie Bunker....my dad was Archie Bunker.  Dad sat in a white tshirt, had a beer, and had his own chair.  Dad called my boyfriend in high school "Meathead".  What a great show....as well as the spin offs, "The Jeffersons" and "Maude".

11.  Columbo....one of my favorite detective shows.  I still remember him finding a small feather on the floor, and it helped him solve the crime!!

12.  Good Night John Boy....Good Night Sue Ellen....Oh I loved "The Waltons".  It was a show that made you feel good.

13.  Dallas....the burning questions my senior year in high school was...."Who shot J.R.?"

14.  Bewitched....who didn't want to crinkle their nose and have wonderful things happen?  Or bring your arms together and bob your head, and be like Jeannie in "I Dream of Jeannie"?

15.  I remember coming home from Sunnyside School in first or second grade, and getting home in time to watch "Dark Shadow".  No wonder I had nightmares and was scared of the dark as a child.  I still remember the floating hand.

16.  The Love Boat......such a fun show that brought famous televisions stars together in funny situations.   Later, we got to visit "Fantasy Island" in much the same way.

17.  The Bob Newhart Show.....like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, I watched this sitcom every week.  Great characters!

18.  "Charlie's Angels".  What junior high girl didn't want to be an "Angel"?  You of course, always had to pick one.  I never wanted to be Farah....I like Jacqueline Smith the best.

19.  "Laverne and Shirley"....again a show that took us back to the 50's.  Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams were perfect in those roles.

20.  "The Odd Couple".  Again, another show I watched weekly.  One of the highlights of the summer of 1974 when Expo was in Spokane, was seeing the play "The Odd Couple" with Jack Klugman and Tony Randal playing the roles of Oscar and Felix.  We saw the performance in the newly built "Opera House", which is now knows at the IMB Performing Arts Center.

21.  Starsky and Hutch.....So cute...but I think I liked Paul Michael Glaser the most!!

22.  The Muppet Show....a variety show with Muppets.  How could you go wrong?  A very clever show and well written.  A highlight of my junior high and high schools years.

23.   The Partridge Family....who wouldn't want to go on the road with your singing family in a multi-colored bus...especially if David Cassidy was coming along?  I own many Partridge Family albums, and various other Partridge Family memorabilia.  And I can probably sing you almost every song of there by heart.

24.  The Six Million Dollar Man...followed by The Bionic Woman.  Who didn't want to be The Bionic Woman, Jamie Somers?

25.  Baretta.  I wanted to marry Robert Blake and help him solve crimes with his fun Cockatoo, Fred.

Bring back any memories??

Cancer

Tonight Paul and I went to see the play "W;t" at the Lake City Playhouse in Coeur d'Alene with our friends Linda and Wyatt. 

W;t is a one act play written by Margaret Edson, and it won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  The action of the play takes place during the final hours of Dr. Vivian Bearing, a university professor of English, dying of ovarian cancer. She recalls the initial diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic ovarian cancer from her oncologist, Dr. Harvey Kelekian. Dr. Kelekian then proposes an experimental chemotherapeutic treatment regimen consisting of eight rounds at full dosage. Vivian agrees to the treatment.

It is rare I get the chance to see a drama on stage, and like when I can take advantage of this type of play.  Tonight did not disappoint.  It was well written, and the actress who played the part of Dr. Bearing was excellent.  If at some point in a production tears run down my face, I know I have been touches by what is happening on stage.

As I was watching the action on the stage, I was also transported back to 1996, the year my father was diagnosed with cancer. Dad was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of May of that year, and they told him he had about a month to live.  A month later he died.

I was living in Meridian at the time, so I drove up to Kellogg with the three girls, who were 5, 22 months and 8 months at the time.  We took over the top floor at Mom and Dad's house.  My last two weeks with my dad were spent going up the river to a favorite bar, watching his friends come and visit, Mary McKenzie making delicious spaghetti and garlic bread with real cloves of garlic on the bread, and watching Dad change as soon as they started giving him morphine. 

And besides Dad being in his last days, Paul's grandpa, Paul Taylor, who also lived in Kellogg, was also in his final days.  It was a hard time so say the least.  After we laid Grandpa Taylor to rest in the middle of May, the girls and I drove back to Meridian.  And I waited to get the call to tell me that my dad had died.

Even though I was expecting the call, when my sister called with news, it was still very hard.  But with the cancer taking over his body, it was a blessing that Dad gave in that night that he died, as he let the angels carry him home.

It is not pleasant to see cancer take over someone's life.  So many of my friends have either dealt with their parents having cancer, their parent dying from cancer, or their parent is battling cancer right now.  We are changed by this ravenous force that takes over the ones we love.

Often our loved ones live through being touched by cancer.  Mom is an example.  My mom had breast cancer in 2000, and has been cancer free ever since.  But that doesn't lessen the impact on her life, and the life of our family.  Our wounds were still a bit raw after losing Dad in 1996, then all of a sudden Mom has cancer four years later.  But we all survived.

The thing that moved me the most in this play tonight was when this woman's former professor came and visited her in the hospital, and held her, and read a child's book to her, and showed her comfort.  Because this brilliant professor had no one in her life that ever visited her in the hospital.  Her parents were both dead, she had no siblings, and no friends came to visit.  She was alone.

And if Dad's death showed me one thing, it was the importance of having the people you love around you at your time of death.  Dad had his family. His friends came regularly to visit.  People brought food.  They sent cards.  That is important.  As we near the end, it is not a time to push people away, but to embrace them, and let them comfort us, and bring to us all their love.

A Native Idahoan

My Idaho roots go way back.

My grandparents on my mother's side were born in Idaho.

My dad was born in Idaho.

I was born in Idaho.

Noah Kellogg discovered the Bunker Hill Mining Company in the 1885.  My dad was born in the shadow of the Bunker Hill Mining Company in 1930....only 45 years after Noah made the discovery.  Kellogg/Wardner/Wallace/Osburn etc.,....this was a young area.

My mom was born in Idaho. 

I was born in Idaho in 1963.

I love my Idaho heritage.  I love that Idaho is one of the "youngest" states in the country, and that the Silver Valley, where I live, was one of the last areas of Idaho to be "discovered".

I'm glad I am a native Idahoan.

Computer Coding

I was having the KHS ninth graders do some computer coding in class last week, and it got me to thinking about my experience with computers.

(By the way, if you are interested in playing with Computer Coding, go to www.scratch.mit.edu)

My first exposure to computers was in high school.  The really smart guys who took Mr. Austin got to play around on the computers, which consisted of a TV monitor and a cassette tape.

During my senior year in high school, my mom started the gifted and talented program in the Kellogg School District.  The summer after my senior year, she brought home a TV Monitor, a book and a cassette tape.  She had a computer system, such as it was, that she wanted me to play around on to see how it worked.

I remember programming the computer to make a line, and maybe making the line hit something (think pong).  It was quite a tedious process.

As I started college at the University of Idaho, one of the graduation requirements I had to fulfill was take a computer course.  Nothing like taking a Basic computer programming class that had no application whatsoever to my life.  (By my senior year, they actually had PC labs that taught things like Word Processing and Spreadsheet).

My senior year of college, one girl in my sorority had a personal computer that she used in the house.

Also my senior year, Paul, his sister Laurie and I had a class called Professional Presentation Techniques.  We had to pick a company and do several presentations based on this company.  We chose Hewlett-Packard, and one of the presentations was on a new computer they had designed that was so light, you could carry it in your briefcase.  This was in 1985.  HP designed one of the first laptop computers.

When I started my first job as the Director of Admissions at Dawson Community College in 1985, the computer system we were using was not programmed to do some of the things we wanted it to do for admissions.  So I had to learn how to program the computer system to perform some of the tasks in the Admission's Office.  There was a lot of trial and error, but we eventually got it to do some things, especially when it came to mailings.

I purchased my first computer in 1986.  It was a IMB PS-20.  It looked something like this:

(I actually still have this computer.  I just haven't been able to part with it.)

Into the 90's, our computers started having a dial up modem where we could connect to something news called the Internet.  What a change that was in our lives. 

They we went "wireless".  We didn't have to plug in our computers anymore.

And now I have a small Smart Phone that fits in my pocket, and I can check my email, Facebook and Twitter, all with the touch of a button.  And take a photo while doing it!!

Technology had taken us a long ways since my college days.  I enjoy the advances in technology, and wonder when it is going to end, or what the next big change will be.

What Is Wrong With Me?

February has been an interesting month.

There were some very strange things that happened, that makes myself ask the question, "What is wrong with me?"

Some of the incidents have had to do with forgetting things...major things.

I mean, one time, yes, I can handle that.  Two times even....but in a 2-3 week period, I forgot some major things.

And I made a big mistake at work that I think is going to turn out okay, but it was totally out of character for me to do something like this.

It is kind of scary.  I kind of joke about the fact that maybe this is what happens when you turn 50.

But I don't think that is it.

I find myself writing down things....double checking....making sure I haven't forgotten anything.

My stomach has been churning.  I don't like my stomach to churn.  It is not a fun feeling.

I have lost sleep over some of this.  I have dreamed about it.

I need to let it go.  I need to realize sometimes we make mistakes.  I need to carry on, and realize that screw ups are inevitable in life, and how we handle them is what counts.

Okay.  Breathe in.....breathe out.   Breathe in....breathe out.

Change.  Adapt.  Write more lists.  Check the calendar.  Double check the calendar.  These aren't that hard to do, if that is what I need. 

But when people count on you to do certain things...you don't want to forget.

Preparing Your Heart

There are times when I feel changes are coming in my life, so I need to take time and prepare my heart.

This time of preparedness for me means more praying, more writing, more reading the Bible, and more listening to what I believe God is telling me.  And hearing from God can come from a lot of different things.

I feel like Paul and I are moving into a transition time in our lives....but I have no idea right now what that means.

Yes, things are changing.  Our youngest daughter is graduating from high school, and will be going off to college in the fall.

Our middle daughter is at college.

Our oldest daughter works and attends college.  And even though she is still at home, her circumstances may change where she finds she needs to move closer to her college campus in order to take her college classes.  Who knows?

But despite being possible "empty nesters" sometime soon, we are both being stirred up in our spirit.  Some of this is also asking questions like, "What should we be doing?"  "Are we doing what you want Lord?" 

We want our lives to be meaningful.  We want our lives to have purpose. 

We want to serve God and serve others the best way we can.

And so the questions arise...are we doing this?  Are we where we should be?  Are we loving and serving as we should where we are now?

To hopefully get the answers to these questions, I plan to take time and prepare my heart. 

'Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."  Matthew 6:33

Family Togetherness

It has been a while since we have been together with my husband's family.

Tonight we gathered to celebrate Paul's sister's 50th birthday.

Besides the birthday girl, all four brothers were there, with their wives.

Each of the first cousins were in attendance but one....that means there were seven in attendance.  The eighth was unable to be here.

There were three great-grandsons in attendance as well, and one of them is only 22 days old.  (Welcome Nash!!)

The birthday girl's mother and father were there.

Plus two sets of aunts and uncles, and a multitude of her first cousins with their family members.

We had a whole houseful of family!!

And it was wonderful.

Since we live up in Northern Idaho, and the majority of Paul's family lives in the Meridian area, we don't often get to gather with all the family at one time.

But tonight was different.  It was an evening of celebrating, not only a birthday, but a family.

We celebrated men who are wonderful husbands and fathers.

We celebrated women who are wonderful wives and mothers.

We celebrated five women who are sister-in-laws that all truly love one another, and enjoy spending time together.

We celebrated cousins who are as close as siblings.

We celebrated our faith in God, and the many blessings He has given us.

I know many people who dread family togetherness.  They do it out of duty, or a sense of obligation.

Tonight we did not attend this birthday party out of any sense of duty or obligation.

We attended because of our love of family and our desire to be a part of this large gathering of people who love one another.

Family togetherness tonight left me with a warm glow.

Meridian

I am visiting Meridian, Idaho.

As we were driving into town today, it seems like a life time ago that my home was Meridian, Idaho.

Paul and I moved her in 1991, with our baby Molly.  We took a leap of faith.  We were living in Montana at the time, but felt God moving us on, away from Glendive.  So we had a few options, but we went with Meridian.  When we arrived, Paul didn't have steady employment, we had no place to live, and we had a 9 month old baby and two cats.

We lived with family for a while...very generous family.  But it was hard not having a place of our own.

Soon we found an apartment (that would take both children and cats), and Paul got a job helping a relative build houses.

By fall, Paul had been hired to teach in the Meridian School District. 

My time in Meridian was one of the hardest times in my life, but I also grew up and grew in my faith by leaps and bounds during that time.

We weren't unlike many first married couples.  Our budget was tight, and we didn't have a lot, but God provided.

We navigated our way through many things during those years.  Our younger two daughters were born while living in Meridian.

I made friendships during that time that are priceless.

I worked with kids at the church in Youth Group and Sunday School that I still think about and pray for often.

Our girls had the opportunity to be surrounded by many grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins.

Charles Dickens begins his novel "A Tale of Two Cities" like this:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

In many ways, this is how I look back on my time living in Meridian.  A dichotomy.  High times.  Low times.  But this time in my life shaped me and my family and made us what we are today.

I'm thankful for my time living in Meridian, Idaho.

Mother Teresa

I admire Mother Teresa.

I heard a story about her from a man who tried to have her come and speak at a Christian conference he was helping organize.

Apparently, Mother Teresa was a little hard to schedule.

When this man talked to the nun that was her "scheduler" this nun kept explaining to this man that Mother Teresa really doesn't live by a schedule.  Because she responds to what the Holy Spirit tells her to do, and sometimes that slows her up.

For example, if she was on her way to an appointment, but saw a homeless person on the sidewalk, and she was prompted by the Holy Spirit to go and minster to this person, she would stop and take the time to minister to this person.

I long to live this way.  I know I shouldn't let my lifestyle be a hindrance to serving God, but it  in a way.  When you have a job, you have to be places at certain times.  "Life" gets it does get in the way.  But I want the opportunity to not have life get in the way.  I want to put myself in a situation, even if it was for a week, to just respond to the Holy Spirit, and be directed every moment of the day.

Last summer when we went to Harlem, I got a little taste of this, but we still had things scheduled for us. Which was actually the part I loved.  But I would love to go back and just be led by God to help people. To me, that would be a wonderful adventure.  To be available to love those who many find unlovable.

I hope to get that opportunity sometime soon.

Red Letter Christians

About 20 years ago Paul and I attended a conference in Boise, Idaho and one of the speakers was a man named Tony Compolo.  At the time, Compolo was known for a sermon and book he gave called, "It's Friday, But Sunday's Coming", about Jesus being crucified on the cross, then rising on Sunday.

About 6 or 7 years ago, I purchased a book called "Red Letter Christians: A Citizen's Guide To Faith and Politics".  This was my first exposure to Red Letter Christians.

After I read the book, and agreed with almost 100 percent what it said, I started to explore more about Red Letter Christians.  This is what is says about them on their website:

The goal of Red Letter Christians is simple: To take Jesus seriously by endeavoring to live out His radical, counter-cultural teachings as set forth in Scripture, and especially embracing the lifestyle prescribed in the Sermon on the Mount.

Two years ago, Compolo and a man named Shane Clairborne wrote another book called: "Red Letter Revolution:  What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said?"

Here is a description of what the book is about:

For all the Christians facing conflict between Jesus’ words and their own lives, for all the non-Christians who feel they rarely see Jesus’ commands reflected in the choices of his followers, Red Letter Revolution is a blueprint for a new kind of Christianity, one consciously centered on the words of Jesus, the Bible’s “red letters.”

Framed as a captivating dialogue between Shane Claiborne, a progressive young evangelical, and Tony Campolo, a seasoned pastor and professor of sociology, Red Letter Revolution is a life-altering manifesto for skeptics and Christians alike. It is a call to a lifestyle that considers first and foremost Jesus’ explicit, liberating message of sacrificial love.

Shane and Tony candidly bring the words of Jesus to bear on contemporary issues of violence, community, Islam, hell, sexuality, civil disobedience, and twenty other critical topics for people of faith and conscience today. The resulting conversations reveal the striking truth that Christians guided unequivocally by the words of Jesus will frequently reach conclusions utterly contrary to those of mainstream evangelical Christianity.

If the Jesus who speaks to you through the Gospels is at odds with the Christian culture you know, if you have ever wanted to stand up and say, “I love Jesus, but that’s not me,” Red Letter Revolution will prove that you are not alone—you may have been a Red Letter Christian all along.

This last November, Paul and I attended a "Simply Jesus" gathering in Denver and Compolo was one of the speakers.  I was again reminded why I like what he says and writes about, and how I was challenged by his books, and the "red letters" in the Bible.  

And living the words Jesus spoke are not easy.  Sometimes I ask myself, how can this be done?  But I don't do it alone.  Jesus' words in the Bible point me in the right directions, and His spirit gives me the ability to step out and live the words He spoke.  Oh, but it is hard!!  But the results of living the life Jesus spoke of is what I am suppose to be doing.

If you want to be challenged in your faith, I recommend these two books.  See what you think.  See if these books challenge you to live as a "Red Letter Christian".

Wine

I like to have a glass of wine every now and then.

And it usually tastes very good. 

Except when it doesn't.

Have you ever had a bottle of wine go bad?

It happened to me tonight.

I had received a gift of a bottle of wine for Christmas.  It was kind of a joke, because it had a dog on the label, and I was campaigning for a pug.  The wine was called "Vicious Petit Syrah".

Tonight it opened it, and when I smelled it I knew.  It had gone sour.

It was bitter.

It was kind of vinegary.

Yuck!

I have only had this happen a couple of times in my life. 

It is much better when the glass of wine tastes nice. 

Yes....much better when it tastes nice.

Yoga

I've been experiencing some new things in my life these past two months in regards to exercise.

Here are some clues:

Deep Breath In.....Deep Breath Out.

Plank

Chaturanga.

Upward Facing Dog.

Downward Facing Dog.

Split Down Dog.

Tree Pose

Warrior One....Warrior Two....Warrior Three....Reverse Warrior.

Triangle.

Chair Pose.

Yes, part of the DVD series I am doing, Be Fit in 90, has a Yoga section that I really enjoy.  I can't believe in just two months how much better my balance is, how much more flexible I have become, and how I feel stronger.

My plan is to continue having Yoga as part of my exercise regime because it is so good for the body.

It is amazing to me how much Yoga makes you sweat.

Namaste.

The Essential Commandment

Last year my husband and I led a Bible Study in our home based called “The Essential Commandment”.  For about a year, we studied these verses:

Matthew 22: 34-40

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[b] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When it takes almost a year to study a few lines of scriptures, you really think about this a lot, and study it from a lot of different angles.

We studied what the heart is, and how to love God with all your heart.

We studied what the soul is, and how to love God with all your soul.

We studied what it means to love God with all your mind.

And we studied about loving our neighbor as yourself. 

And we answered the questions, “Who is my neighbor?”

Most are familiar with the story of “The Good Samaritan”, even if a Bible has ever been picked up.  If you are not familiar with this story, here it is from Luke 10:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[e]and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

 If you look up neighbor in the Greek, the word is πλησίον, which is plésion.  This is the definition:

according to the teaching of Christ, any other man irrespective of race or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet (which idea is clearly brought out in the parable Luke 10:25-37).

It seems pretty clear to me that all are our neighbors, and that we are to show mercy toward our neighbors, and love them as yourself.

So, now that we have this big set up, and understand, as far as I can tell, what Jesus was referring to when He said neighbor, I want to talk about one particular neighbor that Christian’s get a bad reputation for not including in the “love the neighbor as yourself” part.  Homosexuals.

Yesterday Shane Jordan posted an article on his blog called The Great Christian and Homosexual Divide.  A lot of what he shared rang true with me.

I think, on a whole, the reputation American Christians as a collective body in this country has is that they want to distance themselves from homosexuals at any cost, and not support their lifestyle because it is a sin.

Now, I have been a part of the Christian church my whole life, and still am.  And I have had enough conversations with Christians of different denominations to realize that all Christians do not fit into this box.  And don’t want to be painted as part of this wide brush of discrimination.

But that does not change the fact that the overall reputation is still there.  Jordan writes this in his article:

I'm quite familiar with the Christian mentality, as I have spent much of my life in Christian circles. I don't agree with many of the traditional viewpoints that are often taught there, particularly when it comes to the issue of homosexuality. I do understand, however, how the typical Christian thinks, which is why I DON'T understand why so many of them shun homosexuals. Not only do they snub gays in their daily lives, but also within the confines of their church communities.

Most people, Christian and secular alike, would agree that the point of Christianity is, to a great extent, to be Christ-like. For anyone who doesn't know or who hasn't cracked open the Bible or history book for that matter, Jesus Christ was not a hater. In fact, he was by definition of character, the epitome of love. He loved the so-called "unlovely." He hung out with prostitutes, fishermen, tax collectors, thieves. He hung out with people the religious leaders wouldn't.

But that is not the case with many modern Christians. As we all know, Christians hang out in cute little cliques. Good Christians, with Bibles in hand, go to coffee shops together. Sinners go to bars. Christians go to church on Sundays. Homosexuals go to church... on Sundays... whhhhhhaaaa????? At least they used to and they'd like to, but some church-goers don't like that idea too much. Churches are for heterosexual Christians, not sinners and certainly not homosexuals. Amen?

And this is in response to the legislation popping up all over the country, including my state of Idaho, allowing business owners to refuse service to any customer they want to based on their own personal religious belief. If serving a particular customer would violate their religious beliefs, they will be allowed under the law, to refuse service.

So, as a follower of Jesus, I look at what He says about how we treat our neighbor and this doesn’t seem to add up.

And, I look at what He says about the religious leaders of the day, and they are who He got a bit ticked off at, as you can see if you read Matthew 23, where he gives seven woes to the teachers of the law, and the Pharisees.  Not the side I want to be on.

When I look back on my life, and how I responded to the discrimination of people, I hope my actions and attitudes are one of love.  Yes, I mess up.  I won’t always respond in love.  But I hope as I follow Jesus that I respond more and more as He did….sitting and eating with the people others reject…..not shunning them and removing them from my life.

Here is another link I would like to share about a boy who had to write this article anonymously because he attends a Christian Conservative college.  What he writes breaks my heart right here.

 My hope in writing this is to make you think.  If you are a Christian, I want you to think about your response to homosexuality.  If you are not a Christian, I want you to realize that all Christians are not how the media presents us. 

If we all just realize that we are all neighbors, and that our response should be love, that might make a bit of a difference in our world.

Controlling the Walls Inside

I feel like I am pretty good at controlling the walls inside.

What I mean by this, is that I show you who I want you to see. 

Which can be rather stifling at times.

My friend April shared on her blog this week about The Integration of Self.

Part of what she shared was this:

we all have our collection of masks that we carry around with us.
some we are unaware of, like when something unexpected catches us by surprise.
others we spend time perfecting, like when we put on a “brave face.”
is what’s beneath your visage a consolidated self that you recognize?
or are you a divided personality,
struggling to make sense of your surroundings and your place in them?

I feel like I control a lot of the faces people see in my life.

If I am comfortable, I have the relaxed face.  When I am relaxed, I can drop my guard a little more, and people who I feel relaxed around may see more of me than others.

When I am unsure of myself and my surrounding, that is when I really need to control the walls.  I don't want to mess up.  I don't want to take a misstep.  But, I'm probably very boring and uninteresting while in this state.  Not many people really know me when I get really controlling.

If I need to be the one in control of the situation, I try and make people feel comfortable.  I laugh, I tell jokes, and I try and see if people want to hear something funny, or a more serious tone is needed in the room at the time.

I have many masks I wear in my life.  I realize that it is hard for me at times to quit controlling the situation, and just let life happen.  But I have trained myself to control.  And this training can be detrimental. 

I want to be more spontaneous.  I want to get rid of the script at times. 

Maybe I want my life to me more of an improv show, than a carefully scripted drama.

But I've never felt like I was that good at improvisation.

But give me a well written script, and I'll put everything I've got into bringing that character to life.

I was talking to a friend today about turning 50, and how there can be negative things about this milestone in our live.

But there are also some really great positives, such as having friends you have known for over 40 years who love you and accept you for who you are, and you don't have to keep the masks on for them, or build up the walls.  You can revert back to that 10-year-old who was just starting to build the walls and wear the masks.  Having friends like this is very freeing.

Another part of turning 50 is allowing even more freedom to people I am around every day.  By this time, I have figured some things out about who I am, what I believe, and what is important to me.  So why try and hide who I am.  I don't need to please everyone.  I don't need to make everyone happy.  I have my friends who will not go away.  I don't need to try and be someone else.  That is what the stage is for.....to act out the characters.  But in real life, I need to be the real me.

Turning 50 has somehow given me permission to be my real self.

So I am ready to start tearing down the walls, even when I'm in an uncomfortable situation.

I am ready to limit the use of the masks in my life. 

Oh, the walls won't totally go away.  The masks will always be close by to grab onto if needed.

But I hope I will be less and less reliant on them as I move forward into the next 50 years of my life.

Baking

Baking

I grab a cookbook off the shelf.

I choose a recipe.

I gather the ingredients.

I choose a bowl, and in goes the flour, sugar, spices, and leavening ingredients.

Then add the liquid.

Mix, mix, mix.  Stir, stir, stir.

Pour into the pan.  Put into the hot oven.

Watch the magic. 

The ingredients combine to make something wonderful and delicious.

A baked treat.

It could be a pie.  It could be cookies.  I could be a cake.

The first cake I ever made from scratch was a pineapple upside-down cake.

Thank goodness for mothers who allow their daughters to be adventurous in the kitchen.

I often wonder who the first person was who thought, "Wow, if I combine some flour, oil, eggs, baking powder and some sugar, something really delicious is going to come of this."

And it does. 

Baked goods provide comfort.

Baked goods make the house smell good.

Baked goods send a message.

"You are special".

Baking is a really special treat.

Oh Canada!

I'm not exactly sure when my love of Canada happened, but there are many things about the Canadian culture that I love.

Some of it goes back to when my brother gave my the show "Slings and Arrows" on DVD.  This is a Canadian show based on a Shakespearean Theater, starring a Canadian Actor names Paul Gross.  There were three seasons of this show, and it is absolutely brilliant!

After enjoying Paul Gross in this show, I started looking for other shows he was in.  "Due South" was a show from the 90's that was about a Canadian Mountie, played by Paul Gross, who travels to Chicago to find the man who murdered his father.  It was also a cleverly written show.

One of my favorite sitcoms (and this is from someone who doesn't really enjoy sitcoms all that much), is a Canadian show called "Corner Gas".  Deriving its name from the roadside gas station in the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan, Corner Gas is the only gas station for 60 kilometres (37 mi) in any direction. Brent Leroy is the proprietor of the station and Wanda Dollard works at the station's convenience store as a retail assistant. An adjoining, The Ruby, is owned by Lacey Burrows, who inherited it from her Aunt Ruby.  I really enjoy Canadian humor.

The Kellogg High School band has a exchange program with a band from Invermere, British Columbia.  Every other year, either Kellogg visit Invermere, or the Invermere band comes to Kellogg.  About four years ago, we hosted a group of girls from this band at our home, and we instantly hit it off.  I still am in contact with a few of them, and I always refer to them as my "favorite Canadian girls!!"

Two years ago, I chaperoned a trip to Invermere, and enjoyed the beautiful country of British Columbia.  One highlight was trying our hand at curling.  That was quite an experience!!

Last summer my brother, sister and I traveled to Nelson, British Columbia for a sibling trip.  I enjoyed the architecture of this town, and the food was really good, too.  Two years ago, my brother Bill and I did a quick one day trip into Canada, and stopped at a pub for lunch, and I had a Okanogan Hard Apple Cider to drink with lunch.  It was the best hard apple cider I have ever tasted, but could not find this particular brand, in a bottle, on our last trip to Canada.  The search still continues.

My sister and her husband traveled to Canada a few days ago, and I asked her to buy me a box of Red Rose Orange Pekoe Tea.  To me, the Canadian version of this tea tastes better than the American version.

I hope to do more traveling in Canada in the future. One place I definitely want to visit is Victoria, British Columbia.  Vancouver sounds like a nice big city to visit as well. 

If you enjoy Shakespeare, watch "Slings and Arrows".  Now, there is some language in this show that, I have to admit, turned me off when I first started watching it.  But then once I realized the language was authentic to the characters that are being portrayed, and used in context, then it didn't bother me as much.

For a funny, quirky sit com, watch "Corner Gas". 

"Due South" is another well written show that you may want to try.

Oh, and another favorite I discovered on my last trip to Canada...the Café Canadiano....a shot of espresso in a cup of brewed coffee.  Yum!

We are fortunate to have such a great country north of our border.  If you haven't had a chance, take some time to enjoy our Canadian neighbors and their culture.

Stay At Home Mom

Yesterday when I was in class with the 8th graders, one of them made a comment about how being a stay at home mom is not a career.  Mostly I think he was saying this to bother the girl next to him, but it got me thinking about my days as a stay at home mom.

I was a stay at home mom for about 10 years when the girls were growing up.  When we moved to Meridian in the spring of 1991, I made the choice to stay at home with Molly.  We made it work.  We lived mostly on Paul's income.  I did do a little daycare in my home that brought in a little extra money.  But we figured it out.

These years were the most rewarding and the most frustrating years of my life.

During that time I experienced many changes in my life.  Some of these changes were major.  I moved. I was pregnant four times.  I had two babies.  I had two miscarriages.  The first time I lost a baby I was about six weeks along.  The second time I was about three months along. My dad died during this time of my life.  I was dealing with depression, but didn't realize it.  I was trying to figure out who I was, and where I fit in. 

When I first started this new life as a stay at home mom, it was not easy as a young mother in a new place in a small apartment. I slept a lot during the day, when the baby slept. It was hard, because I didn’t know how to be a mom. I had decided to be a stay at home mom, and I didn’t know how to do that, either. And I put tremendous pressure upon myself to do it right, but I feel like I screwed up at every turn.

I was tired. I didn’t want to clean the apartment. I was lonely. I had to learn how to get along with a new group of people, many of them I had known for years, but hadn’t ever been close to over a long period of time. I was discouraged. What was my place in this new world?

When I look back on that time in my life, many things happened that made me the person I am today, and I grew a lot.  But I also screwed up a lot...made a lot of mistakes. 

But I survived.  Sometimes I thought I was at the end of my rope.  Sometimes when I had three young kids at home, and a husband who went from work, to teaching drivers ed after school, then to helping his brother coach a basketball team, I wasn't sure I would make it. But I did.

And I never regret being a stay at home mom.  I look at my three girls, and it reminds me of the song Julie Andrews sang in The Sound of Music...."I Must Have Done Something Good", because they are pretty amazing young women.

Being a young mother with young children is tough.  But you get through it.  I was fortunate to have a loving husband, supportive family and friends to get me through, even though I felt many times that I was all alone.  But I wasn't.  And I had God to give me strength at the times I needed it most. 

Love, Faith, Family, Friends.  That is what go me through....and those are the most precious things in my world.

Being Nice

Yes, I try to be nice.

But is that what I am suppose to do?

All situations don't call for us to "be nice". 

And when I really look at my motivation of being nice, I'm not sure it is really for the other person....I think it is a self motivation.  I want peace....I don't want conflict. 

But sometimes we need conflict.  Sometimes we need to call people out on things.  But we still need to do it in love.

Oh, but for me that is so hard.

I appreciated an article I read recently titled, "Jesus Didn't Call Us To Be Nice".  In this article, Eric Hoke shared a story about how Jesus responded when Lazarus died.

Yet by examining the life of Jesus, the Son of God, we see that sometimes Jesus did things that were not “nice” yet fulfilled God’s purpose, a much higher calling than people pleasing will ever be.

In the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, we see three components of Jesus’ character that can challenge us to live as He lived: Jesus said no. Jesus is honest. Jesus shows emotions besides happiness.

In the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, even after hearing the news of his sickness, He waited two days to go visit. His disciples urged him to stay, as a while ago, the Jews tried to stone Jesus in Judea. Yet Jesus said no, not giving into the pressure of others, but keeping pace on accomplishing what God put in His heart to accomplish.

Martha and Mary were both deeply displeased with Jesus waiting so long to arrive, insisting that if Jesus were there, surely their brother would still be alive. But His purpose was not to keep Lazarus alive but to raise Him from the dead, thus showing the power of God. Jesus did not make up a story about getting lost when confronted by Martha but spoke honestly to her that her brother would live again—His purpose for coming.

Finally, when Jesus was in the midst of the family and friends grieving the loss of Lazarus, Jesus did not give a pious or proud rebuke. He did not spiritualize their pain with the phrase “It’s God Will.” He did not put His arm around them and say “everything is going to be OK.” No, as a result of His own troubled spirit in that moment, Jesus wept with those that were weeping, demonstrating his love for Lazarus to all that were gathered.

Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/jesus-didnt-call-us-be-nice#DeJd7L04pwT82PIr.99

I need my motivation to be doing the godly, right thing, not the nice thing.  I need my motivation to be about others, not about me.  Here are some final remarks in Hoke's article.

Allowing Jesus to live through you will not necessarily produce “nice” but will undoubtedly produce “godly.” It will not be as pleasant, efficient or even safe, but it will be right and it will create a better follower of Jesus.