Color Me...Unsure?

I ran across this color analysis yesterday and thought it was kind of interesting. Supposedly, your color preferences can indicate certain things about your personality and your strengths. Since the Q & A was short and free, I decided to give it a whirl. I show a high preference for looking at cooler colors like blues and purples. Following is the free portion of my analysis. You'll notice each one stops mid-sentence, followed by ellipses (...). That's because I'd have to pay to read the rest. And if ya know me, ya know that ain't happenin'. :-)

You're a Problem Solver. You are constantly considering what else each person or situation requires. You want to know what is missing. During this period of mulling things over, others might view you as passive or quiet... (Me? Passive and quiet? Actually, yeah, a lot of the time, though I'm sure some of you would disagree. ;-)

Hue are You?
You're a Problem Solver! You are constantly considering what else each person or situation requires of you... (Me? A problem-solver? I'm much too passive for that. But I do like to know up front what people or situations require of me! That's totally true!)

Empowerment
Logical and practical, you easily find new ways of achieving your goals. But because you keep your emotions tightly... (Okay, this is the one that almost tempted me to buy the rest because I AM fueled entirely too much by emotion. And I really wanted to read the rest of that part because it sounded like it was going in the opposite direction!)

Relationships
You encourage people to be the best that they can be. Being concerned for them inspires you and... (This one was kind of cool because it confirms where I am in my writing right now.)

Career
You are a wonderful strategist, able to plan future designs with a clear, sharp, and imaginative style. You love... (Me? A strategist? Somehow that doesn't quite compute. When things get too complicated, I develop some sort of coping mechanism--usually, "Who cares?) ;-)

Taking On the World
Sometimes you have so much self-confidence you feel you can save the world. You love initiating new... (I would really like to read the rest of this too because I DO love initiating new things. The problem comes with the follow-through. The Lord's been working with me on this one.)

A different day and mood might yield different results--who knows? (It didn't reflect the fact I'm tight, though, did it?!) But I just thought it was kind of fun. If you'd like to give it a shot, click here and let me know if it pegged you or not by posting a comment.

Brought to My Senses

All this reading of C. S. Lewis and Genesis that some of us have been doing has a certain song going through my head. On Sting's 1996 CD, Mercury Falling, there's a beautiful song called "Brought to My Senses". It's so vivivdly captivating that I used to use it in my freshman English classes to illustrate such literary techniques as personification and imagery, and we even practiced a bit of critical analysis on it. Back then, I adored the song for the way it captured my love for my husband and set it into an achingly beautiful and powerful natural analogy. And it still moves me that way.

But it also moves me in a new way, just as many other love songs from the past now do. If you shift your perspective from one of love between a man and a woman, to one of love between Creator and created, you'll see something even more magnificent. Take a listen and just see if "every signpost in nature says" Who you belong to. Lyrics are also below.

Brought to My Senses--Sting

(This first part isn't on the video, but it's almost acapella and very haunting--just my little analysis here, but kind of like us before Jesus, alone with storms brewing)

Alone with my thoughts this evening I walked on the banks of Tyne
I wondered how I could win you Or if I could make you mine
Or if I could make you mine
The wind it was so insistent With tales of a stormy south
But when I spied two birds in a sycamore tree
There came a dryness in my mouth Came a dryness in my mouth
For then without rhyme or reason The two birds did rise up to fly
And where the two birds were flying
I swear I saw you and I, I swear I saw you and I


(Now the music changes and this is where the video picks up.)

I walked out this morning
It was like a veil had been removed from before my eyes
For the first time I saw the work of heaven
In the line where the hills had been married to the sky
And all around me every blade of singing grass
Was calling out your name and that our love would always last
And inside every turning leaf Is the pattern of an older tree
The shape of our future The shape of all our history
And out of the confusion Where the river meets the sea
Came things I'd never seen Things I'd never seen

I was brought to my senses
I was blind but now that I can see
Every signpost in nature Said you belong to me

I know it's true
It's written in a sky as blue
As blue as your eyes, as blue as your eyes
If nature's red in tooth and claw
Like winter's freeze and summer's thaw
The wounds she gave me Were the wounds that would heal me
And we'd be like the moon and sun
And when our courtly dance had run Its course across the sky
Then together we would lie
And out of the confusion
Where the river meets the sea
Something new would arrive Something better would arrive

I was brought to my senses
I was blind but now that I can see
Every signpost in nature Said you belong to me

Thinking of Dorothy

When we went to Orlando in June, we visited Disney World, Sea World, and Faith World. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of the first two, but maybe not the third one—and it was my favorite.

Faith World is the name of Clint Brown’s church. If you know my family at all, you know we loves us summa dat Clint Brown, both his preachin’ and his awesome praise and worship music.

So we figured while in town, we’d go worship with a ministry that has blessed us tremendously.

We were late arriving for the second service (it was ALL the way across town from our resort and we underestimated the time it would take to get there), but still managed to slip into a pew during praise and worship. The pew we slipped into was only occupied by one other person.

Now if you’ve listened to Pastor Clint at all, you know he does a lot of “Look at your neighbor and say…” or “Touch your neighbor and say, ‘Neighbor,…’” during his songs, so it came as no real surprise when he directed us to do that while praising.

The neighbor on my right was the sole occupant of the pew other than me and my family. She was an African American lady who had the biggest, happiest smile I’d ever seen. Pastor Clint had directed us to tell our neighbors something and when I turned to do it, I saw tears along with that winning smile. Then as the worship continued, I noticed her crying harder and wiping her face with tissues while offering up requests for the Lord’s touch along with phrases of gratitude and love to Him.

As we both worshiped, I would alternately drape my arm around her shoulders to squeeze her or pat and rub her back in circles to let her know she is loved. (She was receptive or I wouldn’t have continued!) I held her hand during a corporate prayer. And of course I had tears streaming down my face to match the ones that were streaming down hers.

I was doing this with a complete stranger, y’all! I can only attribute that to the Holy Spirit because I barely do that with people I know—at least for that long! And yet the unity of spirit I felt with this “stranger” immediately rendered her a dear sister in Christ. I didn’t need to know anything about her other than that to know that I loved her.

After a powerful sermon and a closing song, the service wrapped up and I finally got to meet this lovely lady who had captured my heart. Her name was Dorothy. She shared that she had just had heart surgery and that she was so grateful to God for giving her a second chance. I introduced her to my family and she said how sweet we all are (another bonus to worshiping with strangers! LOL!). I told her we were only there on vacation, down from Illinois. She asked us to keep her in our prayers and she said she’d keep us in hers. When we parted ways, I praised God in my head for seating me next to Dorothy--what a blessing!

Later, my heart melted as I heard my kids remember Dorothy in their meal-time prayers. I still think and pray about her often and occasionally they do too.

Dorothy, if you’re out there (why, oh why didn’t I get her last name? her email? give her my blog address?) we love you and we pray God’s continued blessing in your precious life.

Oh Happy Day!

Shane and I have been waiting TEN summers for this...

WOO HOO!!!

Country Convert

Go ahead and hang your hat on the nail and kick off your boots—this is a long ‘un. (grin)

I detested country music when I was growing up, which is probably odd considering I was a farm girl. Instead I was a rock-n-roller, boogying to 45’s in my pink shag-carpeted room. Disco was cool in the late 70’s and my favorite album in 1980 that I bought with my very own money was Donna Summer’s The Wanderer. Then the second British invasion hit and “cool” to me was wrapped up in the unique sounds of Duran Duran and The Police.

Country? Not for this country girl. I’d rather have a tooth pulled.

My aversion followed me into adulthood. When I’d drive in and out of various listening areas, pausing on a country station never occurred to me. If it did happen, it was because a commercial was on and as soon as the first song hit, I was on the knob immediately.

In the early ‘90’s Garth Brooks almost lured me over to the “other side”—a side where dark denim Wrangler’s, plaid button-down Ely shirts, ropers, and big hats somehow didn’t look altogether bad. I loved his song “The Thunder Rolls” and of course, “Friends in Low Places” was a great sing along at weddings, parties, and even with my future hubby, who in the right hat, looked a little like Mr. Brooks his own bad self. (Don’t believe me? Come over and let me show you footage of our wedding reception!)

But Garth still couldn’t hold a candle to the heart-pumpin’ beats of club mixes, the wanna-be vibe of rap (Hello?! Ice Ice Baby anyone?), or the insightful and humanitarian depths of Sting (who ironically, has been incorporating country sounds into some of his music for years). After Garthamania subsided, so did any interest whatsoever in the world of country music.

When I began chasing Jesus harder, I swapped my listening habits from secular to Christian. God has spoken to me countless times through the lyrics he’s inspired in these artists. And when kids entered my life, I was glad to have a “family-friendly” music track in the background of their growing up.

But now, my twins are 10 ½. Peer influences are gaining a stronger foothold than ever before, though thankfully right now, my girls still seem to care what Dad and I think. This is a crucial time: I can either be a dictator and say “You will listen ONLY to Christian music” and risk a complete backlash when they’re older; or I can say, “Oh, you want to listen to country? Okay, but I’m listening with you.”

Guess which route we took? In fact, Shane loves country and when he first enthusiastically cranked up “Today’s Hot Country” on an hour-and-a half long car trip, I wanted to thump him. But instead, I shut up and listened.

Know what I learned? Kenny Chesney “never wanted nothin’ more” when he got down on his knees and accepted the Lord. Carrie Underwood begged Jesus to “take the wheel” when her life was out of control. George Straight “saw God today” in the things around him.

WHAT?! I thought country music was about cryin’ in your beer, gettin’ in brawls, and getting’ revenge on that cheatin’ no-good man! What was up with all this?! It was a turning point. And I loved the heart I was hearing.

Not all the songs are as “good” as the ones mentioned above, but what I’ve found is that even the ones that aren’t can lead to some good discussion about bad results from sin. For example, take Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” I’ve talked to the girls about it under Christ's authority (I Cor. 10:31, "whatever you do, do it for the glory of God"). I've told my daughters, "Man, I love the music and vocals on that song, but did you catch the words?! Whew! Just goes to show you that alcohol and crazy behavior can ruin your life..." and then we'll talk about excess vs. moderation or something like that. (I haven’t quite figured out how to deal yet with “She’s a Hottie” other than turning the station. Any ideas? ;-) )

I’m hoping that by allowing my kids to listen to some (not all) music of their choosing, I’m helping them to be in the world but not OF the world. And oddly enough, country music is helping me do through the life lessons it offers.

Yeehaw! Slow down the hay-wagon, I’m gettin’ on board! :-)

A Little Catch Up

Since I've been such a major slacker on keeping this blog updated, I've got like, months of pictures (only representative samples, mind you) that will hopefully bridge the gap a little.

From April we have...

the basement finishing project. This is looking into the family room. (I need to get a "finished" picture in the near future.)

The kids are laying out the floor to the workout room. It was like a giant puzzle!

Lexi's much-anticipated finished room!


From May we have...
soccer! This is the team picture from the last game.

Maise, Lexi, and soccer bud, Dana.

Also from May we have the front end of the turtle escape...

as well as the back end!

We ended up letting her go in our woods, but this turtle was the rockin'-est turtle I'd ever been around. She (and the kids can tell you how they know it was a "she"--something about her tail and markings) wasn't shy at all and would even come towards us like she wanted to play!

Here's Skylar showing some of his rad Taekwondo moves. He has since decided to focus on basketball, but doesn't he look smashing in his...uh, his...uniform?! (I forget what it's called!)

From June we have a few shots from our trip.

Here's Disney's Magic Kindgom!

This is my favorite shot from Sea World. Talk about a ham bone!!!

And from July...could it really be?!

My boy turned SEVEN!!!

Little Entrepreneurs

I wish y'all could see what I'm seeing right now from my porch. At the end of our driveway is a tea stand, the money-making brain-child of our three kids. They agreed to do everything from set-up to clean-up, and their enthusiasm was impossible to deny: consequently, a business was born.

The organization appears to be flourishing as three cars have already stopped and made purchases. On staff: Lexi and Skylar--advertising; Maisie--customer service; all three--accounting (are there trust issues among personnel?); Penny-Poo (master barker and hackle-raiser)--security. I stopped by the enterprise to get some pictures but the camera needed one more battery than I actually had. So I'll try to describe the scene...

They hear a car coming down the road. There's a brief flurry of activity as bodies are positioned strategically and signs are lifted high into the air. The car slows (there's a dog and kids by the road, after all!). Then shoulders slump as the car goes on by. Time between cars is spent singing Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift songs. And my oh my can those voices carry!

However, on occasion a thirsty or just plain nice prospective customer will happen along and patronize the stand. There are three sizes of tea to choose from, which are introduced with a smile along with the prices. Ten cents will get you a Dixie cup-sized drink, 25 cents will get you a small coffee-cup size, and 50 cents will get a large coffee cup size. Ice goes in first, then the peach-tea is poured. Customers are sent away with a cold drink on a hot day and a big "Thank You!"

Ooh! More customers! Two guys on a four-wheeler stopped by for some liquid refreshment and hospitality! (This is just too stinkin' cute! Blast those darn camera batteries for running out of juice! Too bad it's not tea-powered.)

Free enterprise at its finest! :-)

Braggin' Rights Continued...

The first installment of “Braggin’ Rights” was posted, like almost two months ago. Sorry for the lapse, but I'm picking it up again now. This installment will focus on the twinship of Lexi and Maisie, and then I'll devote a separate post later to each of them. I’ve tried really hard to not lump them together all the time, but I wanted to include a little something “twinny” because that’s an aspect of their uniqueness too.

When my girls were born, people couldn’t understand why Shane and I didn’t name them immediately. We had the names picked out, after all. But I needed to see both babies at once to know who would be named what! Because they came five weeks early, Lex had to be hooked up to a monitor for a day or so due to a few breathing irregularities. So on the day of their big debut I was able to see and hold Maisie, but Lexi was in the nursery.

Mais definitely “looked” like a Maisie Madolyn; she had light reddish blonde hair and full lips that suggested a beautiful smile would reside on them often. Her deep blue eyes set against her hair reminded me of sunshine and blue sky. The name Maisie means “pearl”—an apt description of her smooth, creamy skin, but I also associate it with a golden color for some reason (maybe because of “maize” meaning corn?). So a sunshiny, pearlescent name for this little “towhead” seemed absolutely perfect.

But I hadn’t really gotten a good look at “Baby B” before she was whisked away--would she look like an Alexandra Anne? When I was finally able to hold her and gaze upon that petite little dark-haired beauty, I knew—she was my Alexandra. Her little red lips were pursed into a perfect bow and when paired with her high forehead, gave her an aristocratic look. Yep, “Alexandra Anne” would be a perfect fit, though that was a big name for such a little squirt. “Lexi” for short worked perfectly. These days, she goes more by “Sassy” though. When Skylar was little, he couldn’t pronounce Lexi’s name—what he said sounded like Sassy, and because this girl definitely is sassy, it has stuck.

Having come in a pair, these two have always had a built-in playmate. Some of the time they can get on each others’ nerves just like any sibling can. But most of the time it's been a huge blessing. For instance, on a recent safari in the woods behind our house, the dynamic duo managed to find AND capture mating frogs--see below and yes, the small one is on the big one's back--AND furnish them with an appropriate enough environment that they'd continue to procreate!!! When the frogs finished after a few days (FINALLY--WOW!) I made the girls release them because we had enough eggs to supply frogs for the whole county.





Here are both remarkable pairs--frogs AND girls!

Don't these gals make a great team? They've been such distinct little ladies from the womb, but they're also compatible and enjoy many of the same things. God is SO good.

Just a quick follow up to my last post...
Lysa Terkeurst does an amazing job of reasoning through some of the major points of Oprah/Tolle's rhetoric. Given that she was actually on the Oprah show last year I was really interested to see how she might deal with all of this. As usual, her logic, writing, and most importantly, her heart for Jesus impressed me. If you check it out, she has spread the content out over several postings so you might want to begin with the Mon. April 21st post...Enjoy!

http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/

Jesus Still Loves Oprah

A lot of email forwarding and blogging has already been devoted to Oprah and her “new mega-church” controversy. Here’s the YouTube footage that’s making the rounds just in case you haven’t seen it...



There. Now we’re all on the same page as far as what she’s promoting. Though I’m not completely on board with the sensationalism of this video (the "scary" music, etc.), I agree that its content is a matter of huge concern to Christ followers given the enormous influence Oprah has.

So what does a Christian brutha or sista to do with all this? Actually, let’s start with what NOT to do…

1) Don’t condemn. Sure, she’s wrong, but isn’t one of our Christian precepts to hate the sin and love the sinner? We’re sure not gonna win this war by pointing fingers, calling names, and being hypocrites. If we preach Jesus and Jesus says the greatest commandment is love…well…think it through… YES! Show love, Honey. ;-) Does there come a time to fight for our beliefs? Yep, and this IS one of them. But how we fight will either accrue casualties for the kingdom, or it will attract precious souls. Don't be like the Pharisees who brought the adulteress woman before Jesus to condemn her (and Him!). As He said, “Let he who is without sin throw the first stone.” Anyone? Anyone? Didn’t think so. Me
either. ;-)

2) In the same vein, don’t forward the video along with a self-righteous rant. Your credibility is instantly shot as far as fence-riders are concerned and it wins our side nothing. I agree that awareness is important, but if you decide to forward or post the video, PLEASE emphasize love (see #1). Jesus loves Oprah just as much as anyone and He hurts just as much when she doesn’t acknowledge Him as He does when we don’t (even though we may not have a global reach or a following of millions)! He would welcome her with open arms if she turns back to Him, just as He would any of us.

What CAN we do?

1) Pray! And I mean specifically. Pray that Jesus makes Himself as visible to her as He did to Saul on the way to Damascus. And that it has similar results. If those following her every move now are one day told by her, “You all, I met my Jesus face to face. I’ve been wrong…” can you imagine the fruit?! Prayer warriors, Armor up! ALL things are possible with God and He can work even this for His good.

2) Listen. At the office, club meetings, school functions, and the grocery store you may hear of people who are enjoying Oprah’s plan. If the relationship you have with this person is such that you can be frank (though sensitive), seek the Spirit’s guidance as to how you should share your concerns and follow those promptings. If you don’t know the person well or at all, lift him or her up in prayer and ask God to open a door to develop a relationship.

3) Stay grounded in the Truth. Guard your heart wisely and get your daily Bread. Wisdom comes to those who seek it if they seek it in the right place.

4) Seize this opportunity! One great thing about this whole deal is that it gets people talking about their faith. If done according to Biblical principles, this can be a great chance for you to show WHY you’re a believer and share what Jesus has done for you. For example, one of the most notable points would be the whole "empowerment" source. I see it as self-power vs. resurrection power. If I'm watching a loved one die of cancer, would I find enough power and strength in myself, or would being plugged into the same power that rose Jesus from the dead be a more reliable source? Be real, not pious. Be transparent, not arrogant. Go be the “real” light to others. And above all, pray for and hold on to the hope that God will work this for the good of His kingdom.

(An aside to Missy—I ALMOST referred to Oprah as "Okra" in keeping with the influential women/vegetable name thing! God has me thinking about her nearly all the time, just as He had you thinking about Celery. I have not yet dreamed about her and Steadmon yet, though. LOL!) ;-)

10, 20, 30 Years Ago...

My friend J. Wo (who you can access from my sidebar -->) had this meme (as if I really know what that means!) on her blog and I really enjoyed reading it, so I tagged myself and will share! Let me know if you decide to do the same...

TEN years ago...Shane and I were getting ready to move into our new house! Our actual moving date was May 5 (Cinco de Mayo!), but we had already started to organize things for packing. (What's funny about that is here we are now, ten years later, and we're just now in the process of finishing our basement! LOL!) Our awesome twin baby girls were four months old, which marked the beginning of a magical season with them. They were finally through the colic stage (PTL!) and were now vocalizing and smiling in heart-melting ways. I remember holding Lexi up and singing "Laaaaa" to her and she'd throw back her head with this gummy grin and sing it back to me. And then while her mouth was wide open she'd swoop in and try to gum my chin. Baby attack! It was so precious! When I did it to Maisie she'd just cackle at her goofy mom and then shove her fist into her mouth. (I'm thinking four months must be the period Freud referred to as the oral stage? Hmm...)

TWENTY years ago...Let's see, 1988. I was just about to finish up my freshman year of college! My man was living in Tyler, Texas at the time, so I was no doubt devising a plan for spending my summer with him there. It must've worked because I ended up doing that! Still, I remember really enjoying my freshman year of college. I was no longer intimidated by the whole "academics" thing and found out I was really pretty good at "doing college"--If there's a job that entails just taking classes and getting paid a nice salary, SIGN ME UP! I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career, but I remember taking an Intro. to Social Work class to see if I'd like that. I didn't. The 40 hours of volunteer work I did revealed that I was far too emotional to be of much help to people who needed not pity, but practical, assertive help. Fashion staples in my closet twenty years ago included really long, straight skirts worn with a big belt, granny boots, and tops or jackets with really wide shoulder pads. We also pegged our jeans (and hush!--you KNOW you did it too!). The baggier our high-waisted acid-washed jeans were at the top and the tighter they were at or above the ankle, the better! I had the same long spiral perm with big bangs that everyone else had. Bobby Brown, Young MC, Sting, Prince, and Bon Jovi played on my cassette tapes!

THIRTY years ago...I was nine years old. That makes me younger than my girls are now, so I'm thinking I was in third grade? If that's the case, I was sitting in Mr. Oller's 3rd grade room probably being nervous about learning long division and fractions. I remember trading posters with friends--I gave away anything that would score me a Leif Garrett or Andy Gibb poster. Shaun Cassidy hung in there for awhile but faded out after the Hardy Boys stopped airing. I remember Ponch from CHiPs being a hot item too, and at recess my friends and I played "Charlie's Angels." I always got "stuck" playing Sabrina. :-)

Happy Easter, Everyone!