iPhone Insights
Some things just make me happy. It can be a good day, a bad day, an average day, whatever, and if I see or do one of those “favorites,” the day always gets better. You know the feeling? As of this week, I have a new favorite photo to add to my “happy things” list.
I think everyone should have happy things. They don’t have to be extravagant or elaborate. In fact, the more simple they are, the better. But what a pleasant surprise it is to stumble upon those happy things – when you least expect them. In doing the “mundane,” sometimes God creates a moment…When I was sorting through my iPhone photos, looking for one in particular, I found this one. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my daughter had been playing with my phone one night after dinner, and she caught this moment.
In the case of my newest photo, it makes me happy because it speaks volumes to me without “saying” anything. It’s like a snapshot into my life but in a little random iPhone photo. Lots of life’s most telling moments, those profound moments, happen by accident like that. The trick is to keep your heart open to them.
Not to be trite, but “Maria” in Sound of Music was on to something. Our favorite things can also be our happy things…I hope you have a few of your own…
“…if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
Titles for My Next Book
I was writing a new blog yesterday, and when I went to save my file, I was reminded of the other blogs that I’ve written and not posted. Yes, I’ve written quite a few blogs that were more about the writing process, the putting to paper of my thoughts, than the process of sharing those thoughts. Sometimes they’re just not meant to be shared.
That led me to think about the book title that I would write next, and I have to admit, I got a little silly. The titles that ran through my mind ranged from the sarcastic to the serious, the funny to the not-so-funny. One thing I know to be true though, if you write a book, you’ll likely be challenged in the ”life area” of your topic. For instance, write a book about saving money, and you’ll probably have to spend money shortly after. Write a book about auto safety, and you’ll probably have to replace your car tires. You get the idea…
So, in random order, here are some of my working titles for books that I’d like to write (or have already started) and a little bit about them, for the ones that I can share with you, of course. Depending on the challenges I’m up to, though (or not), I may never finish any of them!
1. Manna, Mission, and Ministry – Why 3M Is a Tape Company Bearing No Resemblance to Real Life – This one is about the call to doing ministry – any ministry. Go ahead and take the vow of poverty if this happens to you. Nothing will “stick” to you, especially money (manna), and you’ll probably question your mission repeatedly – rightly so.
2. Yes, Honey, I’d Totally Love to Drop Everything I Was Already Doing and Pay Attention To Your Needs Right Now – Okay, so I cleaned that one up a bit, but can you tell it’s about marriage? This is one of the secrets to my successful 26+ years of marriage.
3. Thank You, My Kids ARE Normal – This is about homeschooling, its effects, and the standard response, “Thank you, yes, they are pretty normal. Does that surprise you?”
4. Notes to Self – Short notes about ways I can creatively mess things up again and again, and reminders of ways to avoid those mistakes…Note to self…I probably won’t remember to avoid them.
5. I’ll Raise You One – For Pastor’s Wives and People Who Know Them – This one is focused on the emotional state of pastor’s wives. No matter what the needs are for them, someone else will always have a more pressing need or bigger crisis, and that presents some challenges. It’s a statistical thing – there are more of them than there are of us. (Very limited readership.)
6. This Is the Day – Finding joy in the day, every day, no matter what…I’m so relieved that I don’t feel compelled to call it “This is the Week” – sometimes even a si
ngle day is really pushing it!
7. I’ll Never Say Never – Try telling God “never.” G’on, I want to see what happens next….We all need the laugh…
8. When All Else Fails, Take Up Skydiving – This one is focused on that jump. Getting out of the plane is sometimes the very best thing to do. Ignore reason. Yield to risk. Change your altitude….Don’t forget the chute, though.
……Now, can you guess which 4 of those I’ve already started?
“Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.” (Psalm 51:8-10, The Message)
Playing Commander Keen
A friend me told today that I was fearless. It was an innocent remark, but it couldn’t have been more untrue. I am definitely not fearless. I do a lot of second-guessing, a lot of the time. However, I learned a life-changing lesson a few years ago, and maybe that’s why I occasionally come across as not-so-afraid on the outside.
There’s a lot to be said for trying.
Sometimes you’ll do it well, and sometimes you won’t, but there’s a lot to be learned in the midst of the process. In a sense, that was also the subject of the message in church today. Yes, there’s a cost for following Christ, but the rewards outweigh the cost.
Recently, my daughter found a way to resurrect an old computer game from the 1990′s. It was one that I loved, and I rarely play computer games, so that’s quite an endorsement. It was called Commander Keen, and I would play it for hours. My favorite part of it was the hidden passageways. The trick to most of the levels was doing the “non-sensical” running into walls, jumping into pits, etc. in order to unlock a new portal. Behind that new path was a “fortune” in jewels, life-giving raindrops, and candy gum-balls; sometimes, there would even be a key to a new level, which would never have been found without that risk, and you never knew what feat you were going to have to attempt to find the entrance. A theme in my life right now?
There’s much to be gained from trying.
So am I fearless? No. But, I’m looking for that next level, and I’m sure of the fact that the rewards are going to be really cool! In fact, there are already rewards all along the way. Sometimes I fall in the pit, and sometimes I learn a new route. Sometimes the slimy worm gets me, and sometimes I get him. In the end though, I learn something new every round, and I get stronger along the way. As long as I’m willing to try, again and again, there’s much to be gained from trying.
“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:36)
Forced Smiling?
There will be no frowning, no grumpiness, no whining, etc. in my home tomorrow. That’s a rule. I have it on good authority that it’s actually against the rules tomorrow not to smile. Know why? Tomorrow is “World Smile Day,” that’s why.
You know the familiar yellow smiley face that people use all the time? Did you know that someone actually “invented” it? Who knew! There was a commercial artist named Harvey Ball. He designed that memorable yellow icon in 1963, and it’s been with us ever since. Long story made short, tomorrow is the day that celebrates acts of kindness as hosted by (are you ready for this?) the “Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation.” Yep. There’s a foundation for this.
I’m not saying this is a bad idea, you understand, but I have to wonder about what the foundation spends its money on. Maybe nothing. You can get the free “Smiley Face Song” to help brighten your day, or you can send a free e-Certificate that says, “You’ve Been Smiled” to anyone you want to. You can like their page on Facebook, also free, along with the other 1,900+ people. I guess these are all good things.
But do we really need a foundation for this? I would love to see their tax returns. This is where the cynical side of me gets a little more so. Wait, did I mention that if you hurry, you can attend the “Harvey Ball” tonight for only $125 a ticket?
Okay. I’ll stop. Maybe, as the foundation suggests, we can all just “do an act of kindness” tomorrow to help someone else smile. Seems like we might want to do that more regularly than once a year, though…I’m just saying…
Another Top 10 List
I left you hanging, right? My last blog talked about my 30-year high school reunion, the first and only reunion I’ve ever attended, and now that it’s come and gone, I’ve been silent. Shame on me, but honestly, it took me a few days to “process” all that the event brought to the surface in my thoughts. I’ve decided the best way to recap the event is to put it into a Top 10 List.
We’ll call this one the “Top 10 Reasons to Attend a High School Reunion.”
10. You can lose some weight. Laughter is good medicine. The Bible says so in Proverbs 17, and laughing burns up 20 percent more calories than not laughing, so go ahead. Go to that reunion and get skinny. I guarantee you will laugh a lot.
9. You can buy a new dress (or suit jacket, or shoes, or whatever works for you). Do I really have to elaborate on this one? I think not. It’s a good excuse. Go for it.
8. You can grow your Facebook Friends list (or join Facebook). High school reunions are getting lots of use out of Facebook. Your alerts from group messages and updates will start the ball rolling and get you in touch with a lot of people before the event, and you won’t have trouble remembering everyone when you get there…unless of course over the years you’ve killed too many brain cells before the reunion. In that case, go anyway, and wear a big button that says, “I can’t remember your name either.” (As seen on Facebook!)
7. You can taunt your kids. In the days and weeks leading up to the event, and of course the days after the reunion, you’ll be able to tell stories of far-off lands, strangers in distant realities, monsters turned good, and perilous decisions with last-minute rescues. When your kids realize you’re talking about your own past and escapades, the look on their faces will be worth the price of admission. They will finally be forced to at least consider the possibility that you were once an interesting person – at least to someone else.
6. You can practice your high-pitched shriek. Everyone needs one of these, and you see them in the movies all the time. Who knows when you’ll be called upon to serve as an extra in the next Hollywood blockbuster? At high school reunions, particularly among the women, there’s a lot of this practicing going on. It generally lo
oks like this…Someone enters room, eyes get large, and arms go out and up for the approaching hug while simultaneously the mouth opens. High-pitched shriek is heard with words like, “OH MY GOSH, I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT’S REALLY YOU…” Or something like that. The more seasoned shriekers can complete the shriek before the hug so as not to hurt the ears of the hug-ee.
5. You can experience time travel. Who doesn’t want to do that, right? Reunions let you magically transport yourself back and forth between the present and the past and back again. You’re standing in one place but it’s like another time, and then suddenly it’s not. It’s a little surreal at first, but you quickly get used to it. No extra wrinkles are added in the process, and only the memory is a bit challenged, but it sure is fun to see how people and things have changed – or not changed. You’re the master of your own time ship, though. Past, present, whatever – stay wherever you like.
4. You can practice your elevator pitch. You know, the 30-second description of what you’re doing now, how highly relevant it is to the modern era, and all that? You’ll start off giving lots of description at the beginning of the event, but by the end of the reunion, you’ll have your elevator pitch down cold! Just the facts, Jack.
3. You can redeem your reputation. High school a bit rough for you? Middle School lock you into one kind of behavior? No worries. Chances are, no one will remember everything about you – memory failure has set in by the 30-year event. Start over. Be someone new. If you’re really feeling daring, wear someone else’s nametag and see if anyone notices! Who knew memory loss could be so fun?
2. You can stump your coworkers and non-reunion friends. A few days after the reunion, you’ll inevitably be doing whatever it is that you do and out of nowhere, a smile will creep across your face. You’ll have some memory from the event, a conversation, or a long-lost friend’s surprise appearance on your mind. Don’t tell anyone what you’re thinking about; just answer, “Oh nothing,” when they ask you what you’re smirking about. That’s a definite plus, and everyone loves a mystery, right?
1. You can regain hope. Things change. Relationships change. Time heals – if we let it. Some of those “issues” that divided you once don’t really matter anymore, and that’s a good lesson for the future. Hope for that. Learn from that. Look for the best in others, and forgive the past. Everyone does idiotic things now and again. They don’t mean to – you don’t mean you – I don’t mean to – but sometimes, we all act like dingbats and we make bad decisions. If a particular moment in time has affected your life, and I speak from experience here, a reunion has a funny way of making you look at yourself and say, “Really? I believed that for all these years? What an idiot!”
Or maybe that’s just me…
A Complicated Tale
For the record, the purpose of this blog is to explain myself for a Facebook post, and in case you ever stumble upon the photo or the post, I want you to know what you are seeing, because it won’t be there long!
This is my high school graduation photo. In the spirit of participation, I am attending a 30-year high school reunion this weekend, and everyone is changing their Facebook profile pictures to a picture of what they looked like at the time. However, just like the rest of the story of my life, my tale is complicated, and I’ve been known to feel like I need to explain things from time to time, so here goes.
- I am attending a 30-year reunion for Clear Creek High School where I will be reunited with many old friends. Not old as in age, you understand, but friends whom I haven’t seen in many years.
- I did not graduate from Clear Creek, but yes, I was invited to the reunion anyway.
- This is the first reunion I’ve ever attended.
- I attended Clear Creek High School my freshman year, as well as attending grade school and Jr. High with many of the same friends who like me, all attended the feeder schools that served Clear Creek High School.
- I attended these feeder schools all of my elementary and Jr. High years, so this was my “home,” and I had many friends from this area over those years.
- I moved my sophomore year, but only to my sister’s house. She lived in the “rival” school’s region, Clear Lake High School.
- (My parents thought they were going to sell the house and retire any minute, so keeping me in one school for that year, rather than uprooting me mid-year, seemed like a better idea to them at the time.)
- I did not make a lot of friends that year, as I was “the enemy” and I had my first job, so I worked a lot and studied a lot. I was a bit shy, and it was easier that way. I had a few casual friends whom I’ve lost touch with totally.
- My folks sold their house in the spring of that year, so we moved entirely out of the area that summer, landing me in my third high school in three years, Smithson Valley High School, near New Braunfels, TX.
- I had a few good friends there, but haven’t been able to find any of them through social media. (Sad face.)
- My senior year, a friend and I decided we would like to attend a private school about half an hour from my home and somehow we convinced our parents that this was a good idea. Who knows what everyone was thinking at the time, but for my senior year, I attended San Marcos Baptist Academy – four high schools in four years.
- I had a few friends here, but I kept to myself a lot and since I was not a boarding student at this, a boarding school, it was a bit harder to make close friends.
- I do have some good memories and I learned a lot, so it was a good experience even if I seemed like more of a loner than I really was.
- This group is very active on social media, and I have corresponded with quite a few after reconnecting, but I won’t be able to attend their reunion.
- So, that’s that. That’s why I’m attending a high school reunion for a school that I didn’t graduate from.
Am I sorry that I went to four high schools four years? Not really; I learned a lot about myself over those years. But, I am sad that I lost touch with other friends who were important to me. I’ve changed so much. So have they, I bet.
And I think that’s why I’m so excited about this weekend. In many ways, it’s like going home. And yet, it’s like walking into a new school for the first time, all over again. These friends have so many stories that I know nothing about…events that I won’t be able to laugh about with them…and teachers to talk about that I never learned from. But I’m counting on two things – a) that we will all have 30 years of stories that not everyone knows about so the playing field will be somewhat level, and b) that their memories will be as spotty as mine, and we’ll all be similarly struggling to remind ourselves of who we were (thus the photos), and who we are now.
Not necessarily a profound blog today, but an interesting reflection, at least for me!
Have any reunion advice for me?
Living On the Wild Side!
If you read my blog often, you won’t be surprised by the “tone” change here, but if you are new to my site, just go with it. Sometimes I blog about serious things, and sometimes, well…I don’t know, maybe they’re serious to some folks. You can be the judge. (And gentlemen, sorry for the topic today – maybe men do this too, but I have a hunch, women are going to “get it” before you do on this topic…)
So I was getting dressed this morning, and I was in a funk. That always translates into one of two things. Dress it up, or wear a favorite. A favorite can be a variety of things, but for me, I sometimes just “know” which one it is. I go to my closet without any thought – ready to pull out the outfit that I’ve already “seen” in my head. I did that this morning, and was half-way dressed when I remembered a problem. White jeans may not cut it right now. It’s after Labor Day. It’s also before Labor Day, next year’s, that is, so I rationalized it that way, but I decided I’d better check to see if that really mattered to anyone anymore. Pulling out the trusty iPad, I quickly Googled “Wearing white after Labor Day,” and found quite a few recent articles posted on the subject. The bottom line is this. Some people still care and others don’t. There is no longer a rule, and honestly, no one knows why there ever was in the first place. (There’s probably a blog idea in that statement somewhere…)
However, continuing on with my story, I am having lunch with a group of business professionals today, so I had to give this dilemma some careful thought. I looked over a couple of articles, quickly, and found one that actually made me laugh out loud, and I figure, if it was this clever, I should share it – just in case any of you are looking for some moral support like I was. So, in support of the author of that other blog, and because I’m a little bit of a rebel on occasion anyway, I am proudly going to my business luncheon in white jeans, and if they served pancakes, I might even live a little on the wild side! So there!
The Root of All Violence
I read an interesting comment in a book excerpt the other day. It implied that religion was to blame for all violence. All. There were a lot of other remarks to defend their position, but suffice it to say, the primary argument was that no matter how you sliced it, religious people were of the “us vs. them” mindset, and that leads to violence, no matter who the “us” is. It might be violence of the heart, or violence in action, but the argument went on to say that violence was always the result of religion, and religion always ended in violence.
I know, this isn’t my usual type of blog. But you’re still here, right? I know. I couldn’t get this one out of my head. Like me, you probably find that statement initially too much of a generalization. Then, you might think of some of the zealots who’ve made this statement more true than false. But those are the exceptions to the rule, right?
What about Christians who preach, and try to practice, love? Love isn’t about violence. Surely Christians would be the exception to this violence statement? But even Christians look at the world from the perspective of the lost and the saved. Us vs. them.
And that’s where the author of the comment was focused. Us vs. them. Can all violence be traced back to that, though? I don’t think so. I think it boils down to “me.” Violence, whether of the heart or in actions, comes from one person forcing their will/desire over another. It’s a selfish response to the issues of the moment, don’t you think? Even non-religious people can focus too much on “me.” Non-religious people can be violent. I suppose, though, a book on selfishness as the root of all evil wouldn’t sell as well as a book about religion being the cause. Or, would it?
What do you think?
New Inspirations aka BlogShare Contest!
Not too long ago, I participated in a collective blog sharing project that was a lot of fun. I’m modifying that same idea a bit here, but this is for my fellow bloggers. You know who you are! I’d like to showcase some other bloggers for a change, catch up on some fresh perspectives, and hopefully, meet some new bloggers, too. To make it fun, I’ll even throw in a prize. Here’s how it’ll work:
- I’m going to give a topic, and then any blogger out there can write a blog on that topic on their own blog page.
- Put the first three sentences of your blog here as a comment, and then add “Read More” with a hyperlink to your own original blog article, on your site.
- I’ll update the blog with a running list of “entries,” and I’ll also do my social media thing, promoting this contest. You should too!
- The winner will be based on the “click-throughs” according to my site analytics.
- The blogger with the highest average number of click-throughs per day wins the prize as long as the easy-breezy rules below are followed.
Easy enough, right?
A few rules, though:
- No profanity, please, and keep your content appropriate to a wide viewing audience.
- Limit your blogs to no more than 750 words.
- Include a link to this blog in yours so that others can find the contest and see your fellow bloggers, too.
That’s it!
The contest runs from the time of this post through Labor Day, and click-throughs cease to be counted as of midnight, September 5th. I’ll announce the winner on Tuesday, September 6, 9:00 am (CST).
Oh yeah, the prize….Well, suffice it to say that it will be a box of goodies for which I will need a mailing address, and it will be geographically relevant to wherever the winner lives as well. Curious? Guess you’ll have to play along.
Drum roll, please…..The topic is… “Things I Never Thought I Would Do/Say And Why I Changed My Mind.”
Have fun – Blog away – and I can hardly wait to see what you have to say!
The Entries – In Submission Order:
(Remember, the first 3 sentences of each submisstion blog appear as comments below so you can preview the blog opening!)
1. “Never Say Never” - Amanda, Blog Title: Meet the Joiners
2. “To Kill An Eagle” – Nat, Blog Title: behind these asian eyes
3. “It Changes Everything” – Erika, Blog Title: something beautiful
4. “I Never Thought I’d…” - Frankie, Blog Title: Frankie Rodriquez
Marriage Numbers
26 years ago today, I married my husband. When you try to summarize that many years, sometimes you have to focus on the facts alone to give the years some perspective and depth. So, here are the facts of my 26 years of shared life with Frankie Rodriquez, as best as I can account for them.
- 37 surviving coffee mugs, memorializing something
- 23 photo albums, before we went digital
- 20+ different dogs, cats, snakes, hamsters, birds, and fish
- 19 different jobs, some of them simultaneously
- 14 different cars in shades of red, beige, blue, gray, green, black, white, and silver
- 11 homes in 8 cities
- 7 pregnancies, 2 miscarriages, and 1 child’s funeral to precede our own – resulting in 4 children together and 1 other in whose life I am privileged to be included
- 5 washer/dryer sets
- 4 parents who rejected our marriage in the beginning and said it would never last
- 4 parents who came to love one of us after all
- 3 hammers, 2 ladders, and 1 toolkit
- 2 vacations we’ve taken alone (other than a few weekend getaways)
- 2 sets of silverware
- 2 coffee tables
- 1 decision – to love one another, no matter what, and even if everyone else abandoned us
- 1 God who saw us through it all, even when we didn’t see Him.
Perspective is a funny thing, and facts don’t tell the whole story. Clearly, there’s a lot missing from the years if we only look at the facts, but some things are certain. If you think you’ve “made it,” you’re wrong, and if you think you can ever coast through a marriage, you’re wrong. Once married, change begins. In between the facts, there’s a lot of work and effort, a lot of change and adapting, some tears, some silly moments, laughter and pain, quite a few difficult experiences, and plenty of opportunities to choose zero – the number of new chances you’ll give.
The place where you start and the place where you end will most assuredly be different. Choose “your 1’s” well. The 1 you will focus on, the 1 thing that unites you in marriage, and the 1 thing you know to be true.
…Frankie, I love you more now than when we married, and like that sunny afternoon before the wedding, when we sat down with two letters from families who could not love us at that point, I am decided to love you for the rest of my life. Unlike that day though, I understand the implications of that decision, and I joyfully give thanks to God for the honor of making that decision again. By the grace of God, and through the One that He is, you are my 1.
