Peer Pressure

I was going to try to come up with something substantial to write tonight. Instead, I've given in to peer pressure and decided to update to the new version of blogger. So I'm going to be testing that out. Sometimes peer pressue is not a good thing. Sometimes it is.
One new thing I've already discovered is I can add tags that categorize my posts. That could come in handy. Anyway, you might see some changes around here in the coming weeks, so be sure to let me know what you think!

Striving

I’ve been studying loss and mourning lately and I discovered something interesting. Of course, we encounter loss in circumstances other than the death of a loved one. Even marriage carries the loss of singleness with it. But it surprised me to see success on the list of things associated with loss. Success means you’ve reached your goals. You, by definition, have what you’ve been working towards. So what is there to mourn?
The loss of striving. Striving is a motivating force behind many of the things we work to achieve. We all seek challenge to some degree. It’s healthy. In fact, I might have to say that there is a very, very small- I mean tiny- part of me that is a little sad that we’ve only had one major snowfall this year. Snow is something I love to hate. Yes, it is challenging to haul out my crutches and other “mountain climbing” gear just to make it across the street. But that small, tiny part of me likes the tenacity it takes for that kind of striving.
But if you tell anyone I said that, I will deny, deny, deny.

A Top Ten List

In an attempt to look on the bright side, here’s my list of potential good things about getting sick.

Cold viruses seem to be a natural appetite suppressant
But I get to eat things like popsicles and other comfort food
Naptime
Coughing fits are a surprisingly good abdominal workout
I think I’ve lost 5 lbs in “congestion” alone.
Nyquil
People stop asking me questions so I don’t inflict my raspy voice on them
Sick days
I’ve been in my PJ’s, watching TV, guilt-free, for 2 days
Investing in Kleenex stock is probably a safe bet

Noticing a Trend...

I must have something I need to learn about irony. I was supposed to take a half a vacation day today. I've been having some trouble scheduling time off from work, so this was a big deal for me. And what happens?
I got sick, that's what happened. So I came home and slept for my entire long awaited afternoon off. Sleep is a grand thing, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind here. So I'm sorry this post isn't more exciting, but I'm perplexed by this whole irony thing. And I have a head cold.

By the way, for those of you keeping track, in the State of the Union Adress last night, President Bush made reference to the bible verse about how much will be asked of those who have been given much. That makes 3 times I've heard that verse in a very short period of time. I'll be going back under my bed to hide now.

Irony, Pt. 2

The other day I was out with a friend who isn’t a Christian. As we walked across a parking lot, I noticed a bumper sticker that said “Believe in God, or go to hell.”
At first glance, if you’re “on the inside”, and you have a warped sense of humor, maybe this is worth a little chuckle. But it made me cringe and shake my head in sadness.
What if, like several of my friends, you are on the outside looking in? This is not the impression I want my friends to have about what it means to be a Christian. This is not the impression I want them to have of me as a person. I’d be embarrassed to be labeled as a member of a group of people who treat their faith like an elitist club with initiation rights, dues, and secret handshakes.
Last week one of my clients told me she stopped going to church because she doesn’t have nice enough clothes to belong there. That, as they say, is just wrong.
I’m going to spend some time this week thinking about what I can do to make these things right.

Defining Irony

I've been on this new diet for the last six months or so. It's called the "I Bought A Condo" diet. (No, I'm not starving, Mom & Dad). I just don't spend money on junk food because I can't afford to. Every time I want some ice cream I remind myself I bought I condo.
The good news is that I'm halfway to my goal weight. Wonderful, right?
The bad news is that my clothes are getting too big on me to be passable anymore.
So to sum up, the essential feature of this diet's success is that I simply cannot afford to buy more than my daily allowance of food. It has been so successful that I now need a new wardrobe that I can't afford any more than I can afford the ice cream. And to tell the truth, some days I'm not sure which I want more.
Go ahead and laugh.

You can stop laughing now.

Current read: The Glorious Appearing, LaHaye & Jenkins
Current music: History, Matthew West

Feedback

I usually post on Sundays and I did not do so yesterday. I could blame it on the Bears game (it was an incredible game). But really, I've been having some trouble coming up with things to say recently and even more trouble sitting down to say those things. Life just goes through those phases sometimes, I guess.
So I'm opening up the floor. I'm making comments available to everyone. You'll still need to do the word verification thing, but even if you don't have a Blogger account, you can now post comments on my blog. Feel free to even go back & post on previous entries. I'd lve to hear what you have to say. I'll keep it this way for a while and see how it works out.

Finish Your Plate

So I’m back at the computer. I’m trying to figure out why, as my list of things to do grows, my interest in doing those things decreases. I think it’s like going to dinner at one of those buffet places. I like to get a plate with a little bit of a lot of things because that’s one of the primary benefits of a buffet. But after even just a few bites, I remember that there are other options. I don’t want to get filled up on my first plate, so I go back for more. I neglect Mom’s advice to finish what’s on my plate first.
Oddly enough, I don’t end up overeating in these cases. I’ve may eat only a few bites of many things, maybe not even a whole meal’s worth because I’m overly concerned about what else I could be missing.
It’s kind of the same thing in the rest of my life. I started out the year, the month, the week, the day, with a certain number of things to do. Some of them didn’t get done. Yet this doesn’t stop other things from being added to the list. Naturally, I want to make some progress on some of the newer things. Newer things are more relevant, more timely, more hopeful somehow. So how come I’m stuck?
I get stuck because I haven’t finished what’s on my plate. When I try to move on to newer, more interesting things, I end up not finishing much of anything. The little voice in my head tells me I’m getting ahead of myself. So it’s time to take a step back and assess what’s on my backlist of things to do.

I'm Not Here Right Now...

The trouble with a really good night’s sleep is that I sleep so soundly I don’t move, which means I end up with a stiff neck. Yes, it was worth it. But there’s nothing like a stiff neck to make you disinterested in sitting at the computer. So here are a few things I recommend you do away from the computer while I’m also away from the computer.
Go watch Rocky Balboa
Go listen to U218
Go read Charlotte’s Web-again (before you see the movie).
Go take (another) nap
Go journal something

Current music: U218
Current read: Heaven, by Randy Alcorn

Well, Bless My Heart

Lately, I’ve been going around telling people just how darned fortunate I am. I mean, just bless the socks right off me why don’t you kind of fortunate. I’ll give you one example, about my favorite Christmas gift this year, and one of my favorites ever. You’re just going to have to trust me that my life is full of countless examples of this kind of thing.
A few weeks ago, I was coping with some sad realizations, and I shared this with my “sisters.” Despite all living several states apart, our group of fellow writers has become quite close over the years. So I knew they’d be there to back me up when I told them about the early morning crying jag I’d indulged myself in. What I didn’t expect was the Christmas care package one of them sent in the mail. Among other things, she sent me Kleenex. I was sad. I cried. And from halfway across the country, I got Kleenex. I don’t think empathy gets any more empathic than that. I am so blessed it is absurd.
Now comes the scary part. I tend to believe that when you hear a reference to something 3 times in a relatively short period of time, you ought to pay attention. When a fairly obscure book title comes up in conversation several times in a week, as a general rule, I check out that book at the library. So last night I read a reference to a Bible verse in a business related email. Not five minutes later, Oprah was quoting the same verse on the news.
"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be demanded; and to whom much has been entrusted, of him they will ask much more. " (Luke 12:48)
So that’s twice in I row I heard that verse.
Yeah.
If you don’t hear from me in a few days, I’ll be hiding under my bed.