The Librarian said that many blogs are carelessly kept. This is truth, and there is much evidence of it.
The garden metaphor has been widely used and can be connected to most anything such as the state of the soul, and life in general. It can also be an analogy for the weblog. If a blog is unkept and in disarray, naturally weeds will spring up. Posts will be written in anger and haste, words biting the unsuspecting (or perhaps they asked for it and suspect it is coming) victim, and, just as in real life, friendships are broken. "Peace, peace!" is the heralded cry of the onloookers, but there is no peace. Not in a tangle of weeds.
Some people think a blog is a sponge to absorb all their hard days, bad feelings, angsty outbursts, and rebellious natures. It is a sponge in a way, it is rich soil to absorb and strengthen seeds. But, like all good things, the blog can be twisted and perverted to nourish a black heart, soul, and mind. The tilled soil of the garden is no place for morning glories and thistles. The only place for such choking things like thistles and black thoughts is on the Cross.
A blog is a garden. Is the garden choked with weeds? Pull 'em! And by the roots, too.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Lake Pend O'reille Ho!
Camping is something I love, because of memories of past camping trips with my wonderful family, because of getting out beyond the highways and stripmalls, getting into a lake that is calm, surrounded by firm pine trees.
Out in those campgrounds I usually do a lot of thinking. Unless some yahoo blasts his dumb radio late into the night (it's happened before, but this year I know how to use a gun). The glory of getting up with the sun, and doing whatever you want all day, then going to bed when it is dark. That's when I think of how it used to be. I think of Almanzo Wilder and Laura Ingalls as kids. I think of when they rarely stayed up till 10 at night, unless they have a surprise visit from Mr. Edwards on Christmas Day.
I remember being taught about plants; flowers and trees. In the water, we would snorkle and see what little there was to see, following tiny minnows, diving for shiny rocks and objects. My Dad taught me to snorkle, to not fear trusting a plastic tube to breathe through while my head is under water. We would also take short walks around the perimeter of the water, climb over big rocks going uphill, and stand to take in the view. We were taught to keep our eyes and ears open, and our mouths shut.
I certainly don't think little of our heated, warm, lighted home. But I do love to get out of it, to try to live without all that just for fun. And when I get back, I can appreciate it all the more.
Out in those campgrounds I usually do a lot of thinking. Unless some yahoo blasts his dumb radio late into the night (it's happened before, but this year I know how to use a gun). The glory of getting up with the sun, and doing whatever you want all day, then going to bed when it is dark. That's when I think of how it used to be. I think of Almanzo Wilder and Laura Ingalls as kids. I think of when they rarely stayed up till 10 at night, unless they have a surprise visit from Mr. Edwards on Christmas Day.
I remember being taught about plants; flowers and trees. In the water, we would snorkle and see what little there was to see, following tiny minnows, diving for shiny rocks and objects. My Dad taught me to snorkle, to not fear trusting a plastic tube to breathe through while my head is under water. We would also take short walks around the perimeter of the water, climb over big rocks going uphill, and stand to take in the view. We were taught to keep our eyes and ears open, and our mouths shut.
I certainly don't think little of our heated, warm, lighted home. But I do love to get out of it, to try to live without all that just for fun. And when I get back, I can appreciate it all the more.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
God's Voice Thunders in Marvelous Ways
Last night I got home late and a cool breeze was drifting around me. The sky was full of thick clouds, but I couldn't tell how dark they were, since it was already pitch black outside.
A little later I was talking with my mother, when lightening flashed really bright through the windows and less than a second later a deafening clap of thunder reached our ears. I jumped, and listened as it continued slowly, extremely loud at first, then turning to a rumble.
"It's right over us!"
I dashed outside, and stood watching the dark clouds. Soon, after a few flashes, I figured out the general area of the storm. It was to the North, and the wind was blowing from the South.
Another blinding shocked my eyes, as the lightening leapt from cloud to cloud in a zig-zag. Another ear-deafening boom, sounding like an orchestra entirely made up of timpani. The outside light turned on right above me, and I turned to the three heads of my sisters. "Turn off that light! How are you supposed to see the lightening with the light on?" They laughed at me and turned it off, running out beside me onto the patio. "It's right above our house, right out there." I pointed North.
We heard a weird, eerie snap. Lightening again flashed, but it was so close and so bright I could barely see the skinny outline of it, and could only tell the shape of it by the sparkling gold colors my eyes registered. Immediately the clap of the air back together brought a thunderous sound, and we all questioned each other, "Did you hear that snap right before the lightening?"
Our Dad came outside, and we all watched smaller lightening flash from farther away. We told him about the snap. It was dark, cool, and a tension in the air excited us. At least, it excited me; I love thunderstorms.
A loud snap crackled just above our heads, lightening streaked the clouds directly above our house at the same time, and a second later the booming crash of thunder was heard, so loud that I gasped and covered my ears, but then grabbed Kate's arm excitedly. That was the loudest and the closest lightening and thunderstorm we've had in a long time. The snap was the most interesting, it came before each lightening split the sky, as if the electric tension in the air couldn't take it anymore and the air would 'snap', allowing the lightening to rush through.
Other lightening and thunder continued, but not as close or as loud. I still ran out onto the wet grass (Faith failed to tell me that was the spot where she had the sprinkler running all afternoon) and danced around, happy at the thought that I saw and heard the most amazing things in a long time. And it's not anything completely different either, but thunderstorms grab my attention and my curiosity, and the power displayed by God in them is wonderful to behold.
The South wind grew stronger, and pushed the clouds further North. The moon began to poke her head out from a long, straight cloud. Emily quoted Job, and I was looking it up today, and found this (which seemed to apply exactly to us who were sweltering under a south wind, watching a storm come from the north) from Job 37:2-5,15-24:
2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.
4 After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.
5 God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. .....
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?
17 You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze?
19 "Tell us what we should say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak? Would any man ask to be swallowed up?
21 Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.
22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
24 Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?
A little later I was talking with my mother, when lightening flashed really bright through the windows and less than a second later a deafening clap of thunder reached our ears. I jumped, and listened as it continued slowly, extremely loud at first, then turning to a rumble.
"It's right over us!"
I dashed outside, and stood watching the dark clouds. Soon, after a few flashes, I figured out the general area of the storm. It was to the North, and the wind was blowing from the South.
Another blinding shocked my eyes, as the lightening leapt from cloud to cloud in a zig-zag. Another ear-deafening boom, sounding like an orchestra entirely made up of timpani. The outside light turned on right above me, and I turned to the three heads of my sisters. "Turn off that light! How are you supposed to see the lightening with the light on?" They laughed at me and turned it off, running out beside me onto the patio. "It's right above our house, right out there." I pointed North.
We heard a weird, eerie snap. Lightening again flashed, but it was so close and so bright I could barely see the skinny outline of it, and could only tell the shape of it by the sparkling gold colors my eyes registered. Immediately the clap of the air back together brought a thunderous sound, and we all questioned each other, "Did you hear that snap right before the lightening?"
Our Dad came outside, and we all watched smaller lightening flash from farther away. We told him about the snap. It was dark, cool, and a tension in the air excited us. At least, it excited me; I love thunderstorms.
A loud snap crackled just above our heads, lightening streaked the clouds directly above our house at the same time, and a second later the booming crash of thunder was heard, so loud that I gasped and covered my ears, but then grabbed Kate's arm excitedly. That was the loudest and the closest lightening and thunderstorm we've had in a long time. The snap was the most interesting, it came before each lightening split the sky, as if the electric tension in the air couldn't take it anymore and the air would 'snap', allowing the lightening to rush through.
Other lightening and thunder continued, but not as close or as loud. I still ran out onto the wet grass (Faith failed to tell me that was the spot where she had the sprinkler running all afternoon) and danced around, happy at the thought that I saw and heard the most amazing things in a long time. And it's not anything completely different either, but thunderstorms grab my attention and my curiosity, and the power displayed by God in them is wonderful to behold.
The South wind grew stronger, and pushed the clouds further North. The moon began to poke her head out from a long, straight cloud. Emily quoted Job, and I was looking it up today, and found this (which seemed to apply exactly to us who were sweltering under a south wind, watching a storm come from the north) from Job 37:2-5,15-24:
2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.
4 After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice. When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.
5 God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. .....
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?
17 You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze?
19 "Tell us what we should say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak? Would any man ask to be swallowed up?
21 Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.
22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
24 Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Hypnosis Solutions
(click on the title)
I stumbled over (seriously) this link as I was surfing for something abstract: tense clamping jaw, teeth grinding during sleep.
Apparently this website claims that the solution to everything. Hypnosis! Yes, Ladies and Gentlemints, buy a package set of our easy hypnosis emails, and within a week you will be receiving emails every day full of hypnosis secrets! Buy two packages today and you will receive a 3 foot oak cuckoo clock!
I stumbled over (seriously) this link as I was surfing for something abstract: tense clamping jaw, teeth grinding during sleep.
Apparently this website claims that the solution to everything. Hypnosis! Yes, Ladies and Gentlemints, buy a package set of our easy hypnosis emails, and within a week you will be receiving emails every day full of hypnosis secrets! Buy two packages today and you will receive a 3 foot oak cuckoo clock!
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