Hail came to So. Texas

The sky is falling, in small white chunks. We stood on the porch and watched the whole storm. Herbie sustained many imaginary concussions when he wandered out in the yard alone.

the sound of four paws, clapping silently

The revelation of Herbie the Dog. Applause, please.

partners in party

This was NewYear's at midnight.

a little sidewise

With my new, bad skills at posting photos, I introduce Kermit to you!

to quote a master mind

I've just begun a walk with Paul Johnson through his book Modern Times, which conversative stroll should take us quite until Christmas. My ears are perpetually flabby yet thin, like an elephant's; I can listen to Mr Johnson for nine paragraphs at a stretch, then we find the shade to sit and rest the inner drums.

At the poolside today, I heard him say something brilliant (as a tiny diamond of sun-sparkle that dropt in my hand from an overhanging palm leaf): "It is a commonplace that men are excessively ruthless and cruel not as a rule out of avowed malice but from outraged righteousness" (14). He is speaking of European nations going to war in WWI, but it applies equally to all men of any time; Tim Keller says all religion leads to war, we seek to force our righteous agenda on another person, and we war with God ultimately, to show him what a good thing we are for him; our Sunday School teacher says that we must repent not only of sin but of our good deeds.

Pen names

Have you got one? They are most diverting. In some worlds, one's life as an author may depend upon it, considering George Eliot and the sisters Bell.

Graduation days

Thursday, 18 May. The time has come to say goodby. All the seniors of Pan Am are running about the main hall, tossing yellow tasselled ropes to one another, family members trail in from far away Mexico cities, toppers on vans to stay the night. It's a messy melee of hyperactive waiting.

it's cool at 95

After a great and tumultuous storm that brought hail and rain to south Texas, particularly Kingsville, we've enjoyed a week of "very fine weather:" low humidity and light breezes. The cattle are happy and the children can play without consuming dust. Herbie is happiest, who hates to get his paws wet in early dew, while his ears nearly fly off their hinges in the normal gale of wind.

e.g. of gender inequality

Here's an article that gives an example of what the church is dealing with when it comes to "equality" between men and women (thanks, Liz, for the link!) http://michaelfbird.blogspot.com/2006/04/together-for-gospel-not-quite.html

My new favourite site

Based on our last reading project, I have been researching Biblical equality and complementarianism and found the CBE website to be very helpful with lots of articles on both sides of the issue. While monitoring tests, while keeping one eye on my computer room class, while in a coffee shop on the weekends, I read these articles, taking copious notes, all of which will go in some notebook on my shelf, like a sword stowed for later battle. My latest discovery today is the CBE blogsite:http://blog.cbeinternational.org/

do you know about Yew?

http://www.geocities.com/ancientyew2003/

The Never Ending Story

I grew up believing that once you became a Christian the world took on a rosy hew. I thought I understood that the sun shone brighter, you smiled more, and that the common ailments of our culture could no longer get us down. How wrong I was.

Common Biblical teaching suggests that if we just "act" more Christian, do what Jesus did, and abide by the Golden Rule all will be well with us. How wrong I have found that to be.

God has taken me to a place in my life where all is broken. Nothing makes sense, my life is out of my own control, and no amount of smiling or relying upon the religiousness of my Christianity is going to make me feel better. In fact, I am realizing that once God calls us unto His own the only marked change is within us...not external to us. The external comes after years of sanctification and after He has called us to be home with Him.

One might argue that there is no God; if I accepted Him and experienced no outward change, how real can He be. Well, there is no denying the change that occured within me. Additionally, there is no denying the groanings, the desires, the yearnings of my heart as it changes and grows in to the heart it was created to be.

The very hard part is getting past myself. Allowing the change to take place in my heart. How can I possibly allow my heart and spirit to soften when I am required to operate in an environment that requires me to harden my heart. The answer of course lies in the fact that it is the God of creation that is softening my heart. If He is indeed God of creation, does that not also make him God over the environment that requires me to harden my heart. Of course it does, and therein is the hope.

I understand that the process is a long one. My prayer is that I can hold fast to the Word, study it, work through it, and as I do so, let it work in me.

Format Problems

Well, I was able to change the background of our blog, but I can not figure out how to put our profile and links section back up at the top. If anybody out there knows how, please share. Until then, in order to link to other blogs, you have to scroll to the bottom.

so have you read...

Girl Meets God? It's a personal story written by Lauren Winner who went to Old Miss. Some of you might personally know her. I took the book with me into the base police station yesterday to get a new I.D., and the lady behind the counter asked incredulously, "So, did she meet Him?"

what babies like

According to this report, diets of infants around the world are a cornucopia of goodness, except for the Danes, Swedes and Israelis. They refuse to use greens and eat too much ice cream and white pastry! Born with a fetish for ketchup, I must have been imported from Sweden. http://lifestyle.msn.com/FamilyandParenting/RaisingKids/ArticleBHG.aspx?cp-documentid=436024&GT1=8175

Boycott-Take Two

Kelly and I had a good discussion about the half hearted, disinterested march that took place at the small boarding school she teaches at. A disruption it certainly was, as most of the children walked back in to class before half the period was out. When Kelly asked why they were back in so soon; their reply was, "it is hot out Miss." Poor Kids.

The fact is, a majority of these high schoolers are here because they can not get a decent education in the socialistic country they call home. They have no desire to stay here, no desire to become United States citizens, all they want is to get back home to Mexico City. "It is too hot up here!" They constantly whine.

Kel and I also had the opportunity to discuss the mis-interpreted truth in this mess. There is no problem with Immigrants. Here in the United States, unless you are a Native American Indian, you are in fact the descendent of an immigrant. The point is legality. The laughable point is that illegals have no rights, except the rights to be deported or jailed.

And so Kel left to go back for her afternoon classes with my suggestion to encourage the kids to stand up for what they believed. However, I also encouraged her to inform them that they better understand what they are standing up for and be able to pay the piper when it came to failing their afternoon assignments, quizzes, and tests.

boycott

We need to have them more often. The immigrant day of May 1st causes ripples of discontent in even the smallest of towns. My little boarding school got caught in the disruption, with students half-heartedly wandering about the grounds in a slow march, a few teachers out and being substituted, and those attempting to teach keeping order in the midst of the external chaos. It is good to be provoked to stand for something true, but who knows what the truth of the matter is anymore?