intricate details

I knew that trees had rings inside their trunks. But today I discovered a certain root also has rings inside it.

Who would have thought that carrots contained rings inside? And if a baby carrot has this many rings, how many rings does a large carrot have?

expressions of jubilation

This morning our church was blessed with "preaching through music". Our music man, Dave Mincy shared with us not only songs he has written and recorded on his new CD, but also a few that he's written since the CD's compilation. One of the songs, titled God's Plan (I think that's the name of it!) ended with lines about what we'll sing in heaven. I couldn't help but think about those we love who've already gone before, and I must admit, it was a bit funny trying to put their actions as I knew them on earth with a celebration scene in heaven. I have no problem picturing Rea-Rea (my grandmother) throwing up her arms and shouting or whooping or dancing. Whereas when I think of my father-in-law rejoicing, I see him with a contented smile, closed eyes, and then him grinning real big and saying, "Hm, pretty good, ain't it?" Grandma White will be nodding her head and saying, "That's just the purtiest thing!" with joyful tears swelling up. Both of my grandfathers will be nodding their heads and saying, "Thank You, Thank You", though it would not surprise me in the least for Papa Guyton to throw up us hands. And Mrs. Richardson from the Cordova church will be throwing up her arms and pinching everybody's cheeks while exclaiming, "Isn't this just blessed?!" I wonder sometimes what it will be like when we get there. I can't wait to see everyone again, and am curious to see our new bodies and what jobs or chores our Father has awaiting us, as well as how different everyone will look and act in the new and unblemished bodies.
If your view of heaven is from tv (you know, those stupid cream cheese commercials), then I suggest you read Revelation chapters 5, 7, and 19-22. You can also go to www.biblegateway.com and type in the word Heaven and study all the verses it pulls up. It's not only neat, but gives a new perspective on planet earth and how things could have been had sin not entered our world.
I do know that until the time comes when I see those who've already gone on, I'm thankful that God did have a plan in place to cover all the selfishness and pride and other sins that so easily snares us. It's humbling and comforting to know that our Creator loves us so much that He put an emergency plan in place for when we botch things. And that itself is worth singing about.

the birth of morality

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports...let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
~ George Washington, in what became known as his farewell address, as recorded by Noah Webster

It's the simple truths that continuously astound me. Lying is a sin, and according to Revelation 21, liars go to hell. And yet, we live in a nation where lying is commonplace. No one is surprised that the Obama administration has already reneged on a few of its campaign promises because we don't expect politicians to tell the whole truth. High school girls quickly learn that when a boy says "I'll call you." he doesn't really mean it. A handshake and a firm word no longer mean anything. Hence, we have extensive legal contracts, notarized statements, and lawsuits. And if someone gets caught in a lie, people rant and rave and the accused merely shrugs and says, "Yeah, well..." We have a "refined education" and yet without our adherence to Biblical principles, we have no honesty.

And the same can be said for drunkenness, profanity, adultery, etc and so on. Sometimes I'm still totally appalled and shocked by the things I see. A former classmate of mine recently posted some pics on his Facebook page that made me gasp in horror. And yet when I stop and think, a small part of me understands. His devotion to his gods is based on what meets his needs at any given moment, or what recent family member died and who his main god was. And he has the main family god, and he shuffles them all in accordance with what happens in his life and who other Buddhists favor. In essence, there is no one Supreme Father to guide His steps or light his path. So why should I be surprised to see him succumb to the depths of immorality or perversion?

Since reading David Aikman's biography of George Bush "A Man of Faith", I've really thought a lot about the importance of religion in America. I want America to be a land of the free where people can freely worship whatever way they want. But I also recognize that as more people turn their back on the one true God and the directives he has set forth for us to follow, the more depraved and enslaved our nation will become. The very freedom we value will also be the very freedom that will ultimately do us in. I find it interesting that so many people, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Bush, for starters, rejected the notion that every single word of the Bible is true, and yet all of them recognized its importance and necessity for our nation. I pray that our current calamities will drive us back to our roots, to the wilderness if you will, to the God who lovingly dictates commands for our own good.

my chinny chin chin

Observation is not my strong point, or so I've been told. The first three years of my college career, I paid my college bills by working in the school cafeteria, babysitting, and cleaning house. (I think it goes without saying that I had very little social life.) The cooks in the cafeteria were older women of African-American descent, and one of them had, for lack of a better word, curly chin whiskers. I had never, ever seen this before, and was never sure whether I was simply befuddled by them or repulsed. Fast forward ten years, and the church I was attending had an older lady who had LONG hairs sticking out of her chin. Not only were they long, but they really stood out against her pale skin. I was appalled. It wasn't that there was so many of them, but they were just so prominent. I decided then and there that if it should ever happen to me I would either pluck them or cut them. Not long after that I ran across several magazine articles about women who had taken hormone treatments for medical reasons and then had problems with beards. At the time I was writing quite a bit, and in one of my stories where I was attempting to illustrate something being out of place, I wrote "It stood out like the hairs on a woman's chin." When that was read in my critique group, every woman in the room gasped and rubbed their chins, and all the men died laughing. I was a bit surprised. Four months later I discovered not only was this normal, but that I too was victim to this strange phenomenon. Hence, I can't help but wonder: Were the three little pigs actually sows?

my best ideas

In response to Sara M's blog, here's my crazy answers:

My best writing/drawing ideas come to me when:

• I'm in church
• I'm in the shower
• I'm supposed to be working on something else that has a deadline
• I'm asleep

and if I don't forget and have time, I'll post on the bearded ladies conversation tomorrow.

February projects

January was a nice, calm month, and February has blown in like a whirlwind! Thanks to Mary Booth and her get-together Saturday, I did get all the pieces for the baby quilt cut out and I have two strips sewn, so that's progress. Maybe tomorrow night I can sit down with the sewing machine and finish off the top. The baby shower has been planned for the end of Feb instead of in March, so that means I really have to get busy! It might be later in the week before I post pictures, though.
Also on the agenda for this month is a nesting area for the geese. The boards I painted last year have now been somewhat assembled, but I'm just waiting for a semi-nice day to dig out a spot for them (don't want the wind blowing them over!). The fence I think I'm going to need help with. That's one part I'm not looking forward to. Hopefully this will be the year that they can successfully hatch their own and we won't need our incubator. But I have this dreadful feeling that I'll go to all that work and trouble and they'll still lay eggs in the middle of the yard, though they did better last year at hiding their nests.
I'm trying not to think about the next month, and the next, but focus on each week and month as it comes. Maybe that way I'll get more accomplished and be a lot less stressed about things. I'd like to say it worked for January, but our calendar this month already has just as much, if not more, on it. I think my strategy should continue to work, but we'll see. Redeeming the time...though some days I feel more like I'm just reviewing it.

1/12 check-up

It's here. God has graciously brought us through the first month of 2009! And as we embarq on the second phase of this year, my heart is heavy for a dear, small friend as she begins yet another battle at the hospital today. Her name is Lauren, and she's a feisty but feminine child facing another surgery in her fight with spina bifida. Our prayers are with her and her family. Two weeks ago today, I passed Lauren and her friend in the hallway at church and they stopped talking. They looked up with wide eyes as if they were in the middle of a conspiracy. Lauren sweetly smiled and said, "We're talking about MOVIES. I'm telling her about Prince Caspian, 'cause there's two girls, and in the end of the movie the big girl..." and at that point I started thinking "Oh, no...she's going to talk about the kiss." when she continued "...had on the most beautiful dress. It was white and had little gold ropes here and here and had a flower..." and I'm standing there dumbfounded. I've seen that movie twice, and I couldn't tell you what any of the characters are wearing ANYWHERE in the movie. Yet that little munchkin new every single accessory and every cut and tuck of that dress. One of these days I'll probably be buying the Lauren brand in Belks. If she doesn't go into nursing, that is. She and Bobby were both in the hospital around the same time last April. Bobby's hand was still recovering and bandaged from his IV backup, when Lauren came into church with her band-aids on each hand from her IVs. She wheeled up to Bobby, looked at his bandage, and without saying a word, held out both hands and struck a pout. Had she not tugged at our heart strings so much, I think we both would have laughed at her expression. My prayer is that when I post on March 1, I will again be rejoicing in God's faithfulness and mercy, that he will not only have brought Lauren through another ordeal, but that she will also be well on her way to regaining her strength and using her walker that she is proud of.