I find that it is so much easier living in ignorant bliss. You hear of things that are on the periphery of knowledge from the organic foodie movement to the ugliness of human trafficking. For a while, it is understandable to avoid the knowledge by avoiding the interaction. As conversations at the park move to food choices, I choose to push my child on the swing. Just as soon as someone begins to speak of documentaries, I begin to pack up our lunches. I envision bubbles of information that float around my head and I conveniently duck and move to avoid it breaking open on me.
But soon enough, those same bubbles keep showing up wherever you are and it becomes hard to deny that a message is trying to be sent through these channels.
So you let a bubble pop open on you. And you are never the same.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Using All Things For Good
It's Good Friday and we hadn't a service to go to. Weird. I feel so strange to not have a sermon or a message to chew on on such an important day as this. Makes me a little lonely for a some holy.
So what did I do? I took the big kids to see the movie"Soul Surfer". Not necessarily the heavy, "He died for you" kind of spiritual message, but Jesus was there and glory was definitely given to Him through Bethany Hamilton's story. Seriously.
We all knew that there was going to be a shark scene - sorry for the spoiler alert and all - but if you know the story at all, you know that a shark has a cameo at least. The problem about knowing is the anticipation. We spent the first ten minutes in deep anticipation of an attack.
Bethany at her first contest (is this where it happens?).
Bethany sneaks out to go night surfing (oh this is FOR SURE where it happens...).
Bethany paddling out (huh, is this is when it happens?)
Bethany hanging out on her board with ONE ARM IN THE WATER (insert scary Jaws music here).
Oh yes, it happened, and I'm sure it was just like it did in real life. I was so stinking stressed out from it, it took me a little while to notice the sobbing that was coming from the seat to my left.
My sweet girl, was sobbing, gut-wrenching painful sobs that started when the shark attacked. And I'm not kidding, they haven't stopped since.
I'm certain that in the beginning it was the stress and shock of the shark attack that induced the tears. What seemed like horrific injustice at the time, just was unfathomable to her. That God would allow something like this to happen - it made her question her own mortality and purpose. The fact that something like that could even possibly happen to a "good girl" rattled her to her core. Her heart just cried literal tears at Bethany's pain turned strength during every moment that followed her surviving the attack.
My arm ached from holding her and soothing her tears. When the movie ended, her tears continued on and off, usually with her head in my chest or her in my arms. She would recall a moment or scene and the tears would start fresh.
We had some little-big moments. Realizing how BIG God really is. Words like "perspective" and "strength" were explored. Great moments for Jesus to be seen.
She patted the side of her bed and beckoned me to sit. Her questions that followed were HEAVY.
"Why did God LET the shark bite her arm off?"
"How do you know if God is real? "
"Who wrote the Bible?"
"How do you know the Bible is real?"
Whoa.
There were some incredible things that happened in the darkness of the movie theater. There was some light that was shining through that movie.
Her heart is being molded by the potter himself.
Thank you for this amazing and memorable Good Friday. You, once again, have shown me that you aren't in a church. You are everywhere. And moving into Lucy's heart for good.
http://bethanyhamilton.com/
So what did I do? I took the big kids to see the movie"Soul Surfer". Not necessarily the heavy, "He died for you" kind of spiritual message, but Jesus was there and glory was definitely given to Him through Bethany Hamilton's story. Seriously.
We all knew that there was going to be a shark scene - sorry for the spoiler alert and all - but if you know the story at all, you know that a shark has a cameo at least. The problem about knowing is the anticipation. We spent the first ten minutes in deep anticipation of an attack.
Bethany at her first contest (is this where it happens?).
Bethany sneaks out to go night surfing (oh this is FOR SURE where it happens...).
Bethany paddling out (huh, is this is when it happens?)
Bethany hanging out on her board with ONE ARM IN THE WATER (insert scary Jaws music here).
Oh yes, it happened, and I'm sure it was just like it did in real life. I was so stinking stressed out from it, it took me a little while to notice the sobbing that was coming from the seat to my left.
My sweet girl, was sobbing, gut-wrenching painful sobs that started when the shark attacked. And I'm not kidding, they haven't stopped since.
I'm certain that in the beginning it was the stress and shock of the shark attack that induced the tears. What seemed like horrific injustice at the time, just was unfathomable to her. That God would allow something like this to happen - it made her question her own mortality and purpose. The fact that something like that could even possibly happen to a "good girl" rattled her to her core. Her heart just cried literal tears at Bethany's pain turned strength during every moment that followed her surviving the attack.
My arm ached from holding her and soothing her tears. When the movie ended, her tears continued on and off, usually with her head in my chest or her in my arms. She would recall a moment or scene and the tears would start fresh.
We had some little-big moments. Realizing how BIG God really is. Words like "perspective" and "strength" were explored. Great moments for Jesus to be seen.
She patted the side of her bed and beckoned me to sit. Her questions that followed were HEAVY.
"Why did God LET the shark bite her arm off?"
"How do you know if God is real? "
"Who wrote the Bible?"
"How do you know the Bible is real?"
Whoa.
There were some incredible things that happened in the darkness of the movie theater. There was some light that was shining through that movie.
Her heart is being molded by the potter himself.
Thank you for this amazing and memorable Good Friday. You, once again, have shown me that you aren't in a church. You are everywhere. And moving into Lucy's heart for good.
http://bethanyhamilton.com/
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
So Instead of Dreaming about Blogging...
I'll bite the bullet and just write. It sounds so incredibly simple. Write. But as my blogg experience moves from voyeur (hellllooooo: Rage Against The Minivan and but now to live the life) and occasional commenter to actual opinionated participant, I can't help but relate this feeling of anxiety to walking up a high dive ladder and stepping onto the platform.
It seems like there are two groups of people. Do'ers and those that wish they did'ers. I long to be part of the do'ers in a confident and real way. Right now, it feels exposed and fairly narsarscitic.
The problem is, I have so many things that travel through my mind in one sitting that I can't focus enough to pinpoint what it is that I want to write about.
Parenting?
Frustrations?
Social Issues?
Faith Issues?
Human Trafficking?
My issues with iCarly?
I suppose I'll figure it out as I go along. I'll just bring along band-aids for the bumps and bruises along the way. I've had some practice writing thanks to Patch.com letting me learn along the way. Writing opinion pieces for them has been a growing experience - if not a blast of ice cold reality at the same time. I've had to use a few of those band-aids on my ego as constructive criticisms and rejections came my way. All good stuff, albeit humbling at the same time.
For now, I'll post what's current in our lives and the things that move through it. So for right now, it's Spring Break 2011, it's cloudy and we're cozy inside. I love my kids and having them near. And I never make this realization until the cozy days are over (i.e. sleeping in past 6:20am). My kids may wake up earlier than normal in order to garner the most of the their days off (hence the couch nappers). But that doesn't mean mama has to. Blessings in the smallest places.
Life as I know it. Living in the divide.
It seems like there are two groups of people. Do'ers and those that wish they did'ers. I long to be part of the do'ers in a confident and real way. Right now, it feels exposed and fairly narsarscitic.
The problem is, I have so many things that travel through my mind in one sitting that I can't focus enough to pinpoint what it is that I want to write about.
Parenting?
Frustrations?
Social Issues?
Faith Issues?
Human Trafficking?
My issues with iCarly?
I suppose I'll figure it out as I go along. I'll just bring along band-aids for the bumps and bruises along the way. I've had some practice writing thanks to Patch.com letting me learn along the way. Writing opinion pieces for them has been a growing experience - if not a blast of ice cold reality at the same time. I've had to use a few of those band-aids on my ego as constructive criticisms and rejections came my way. All good stuff, albeit humbling at the same time.
Life as I know it. Living in the divide.
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