heresy

With all the UNC football scandal, I've been reminded of one thing: I don't totally "get" football.
I think if I were in charge of a school that had a football program, the school would either a) have to cancel the sport or b) pay a lot of fines because I don't think any sport should have so many rules about off-the-court stuff that it would take at least a 3" binder to fill them.  Really people?

Granted, I think all these extra-specialized, non-job enhancing departments (one or two classes is okay, but a WHOLE department?) on things such as women's studies, gay studies, African-American studies, angry white male studies (okay, I just made that last one up), are ridiculous and a waste of tax-payers money.  They're not helping our economy nor the sense of unity in our country and therefore don't do a whole lot towards the betterment of individuals or our nation's job force. BUT, having said that, since such departments do exist, I do think the department heads should be able to hire the people WHO ARE QUALIFIED to teach the classes, regardless of any football rules.

Mr. Nyang'oro at UNC's hiring of a summer teacher who was more than qualified for the position has now cost him his position of department head (which was making an obscene salary of $159,000....REALLY?) because....get this...the man he hired had a part-time job as a sports agent. 

In my non-athletic mind, that's comparable to saying someone can't teach a class on religion because he's an attorney for the state.  There may be some valid concerns about a sports agent attempting to recruit or manipulate athletes, but the same could be said for any professor attempting to recruit or direct a student to their way of thinking or lifestyle or job field.  We don't penalize them.

I don't think we should do away with sports or football, but they should have absolutely no role or bearing in the classroom.  I think UNC and the NCAA have all shown to the world just how out of touch they are with reality. This whole fiasco goes to show how warped and misguided America's priorities truly are.  Pigskin and pads are fun to watch, but that's it...it's just fun. Let's put it where it belongs and quit making it oh so much more.

scrappy

In the beginnings of my entrance to the world of quilting, I kept hearing/reading this saying, "If you find a piece of fabric that you REALLY like, buy a yard.  If you LOVE it, buy at least two."  I did that with a piece or two, but then started abstaining.  If I did that every time I saw fabric I liked, we would be both broke and our home would be over-run with fabric.
But this week I've thought about that saying. I'm racing a deadline to complete a quilt top (hope to post more on that by the end of the month), and there's a piece of fabric I've seen in the past that would work perfect in two of the blocks. I've been to two stores recently, and neither one of them had it. I don't remember which shop had it, if they still carry it, and don't really have the time or gas money to drive around looking for it. If I had followed the "rule", it wouldn't be an issue.
And actually, considering that our ancestors didn't buy fabric for quilts, they simply used what they had, I think it'll make this quilt a little more creative (bizarre?) if I don't have it. I'm a little nervous about this one anyway. So many times in design work the image I have in my head doesn't translate to the computer screen very well, and I'm afraid that might turn out to be the case with this quilt. With quilting that could be costly, both in terms of time and fabric.
So meanwhile, I'm still cutting and mixing fabrics, hoping everything will line up correctly in the next few days.
Onward, ho! :)

:) progress

After a LONG day in training with the Board of Elections, I had an appointment to give blood last night. Bear in mind that with my long-standing fight against iron deficiency, it is not unheard of for me to be unable to give blood because my iron count was too low. Yesterday it 42! (It has to be over 12 to give, but a "normal" reading is over 35.) I was so happy! And my bp was in a very healthy range, not bordering on too high.  So even though I'm not losing all the weight I want, all my exercise IS paying off in other ways!

I will never be rid of my freckles, will never grace the cover of a magazine because of my beauty, will never have a man do a double-take when I walk by, BUT it is very nice to be heading in the right direction for a healthier self. Who knows? I might actually have more energy by the time I reach the big 40 than before I hit it! Hey, a girl can always dream.

I just might pop

Last Sunday I had the following conversation with one of my little friends who was being VERY still in a chair:

Me: How are you this morning?
B: Both good and bad.
Me: Really?  Tell me what's good about this morning.
B: shrugging, mmm, Life's just good.
Me: Okay, what's so bad?  expecting to hear he just got in trouble for running at church
B: My stomach hurts.  Clearly NOT what I was expecting!
Me: That is bad.  Is it a "I ate too much" hurt or an "I'm hungry" hurt?
B: looking very serious, Well, I did eat half a bowl of cereal this morning. 
Me: uncertain as to whether he's full or not and holding jr church candy: Would a piece of candy help?
B: sitting straight up in his chair, NO! That would make me hurt even worse!!!

I guess I certified myself as crazy, offering candy to someone with a hurt stomach.  Doesn't Mrs. Monica know ANYTHING?  While I've laughed to myself some over that interaction, I've thought about it quite a bit these last two weeks in other ways.

These last two weeks have been both good and bad. It's been a great time of reflection and thanksgiving, of rejoicing over the growth and baptisms of new converts in our church, and simply enjoying life. But in the midst of all that there's also been reflections on situations beyond our control. Sometimes it seems like my life is this neatly bundled package, and I'm interacting with people whose packages aren't so tidily put together. I know what Scripture says, and what the morally correct thing is, but sometimes I fear others only focus on our package and not the One who wrapped it. They want the pretty package, but they don't want to hand over the ripped paper or strings to the One who can take ripped things and tape them or tie them in ways only He can do.

And I hurt for them. But in the midst of it all, I'm reminded again of John 6. After performing miracles and speaking truth, many of Jesus' disciples quit following him. They just up and quit. They didn't like what he had to say.  Jesus turns to his 12 and asks "Are you going to leave, too?"  and they respond "Where would we go?  You've got the Words of Life."  In the midst of hearing people say, "I don't like this; I don't fit in; this isn't for me; I don't want to believe this" I am comforted by the fact that the words of life have not changed, and the WAY has not changed. No matter how many quit or leave, it's a bit comforting to know there's nowhere else to go but to Christ. And even if He decides to decorate my life's package with methods that aren't pleasant to me, I can rest assured that He's in charge of the tape and the scissors, making things as they ought to be.

And in the midst of all these rambling thoughts, a friend of mind posted a VERY challenging post on prayer, reminding me that my greatest duty to these friends is not so much what I say TO them, but FOR them. And so I continue to feel like that pop rock candy we ate as kids: popping with too many thoughts, feelings, and emotions, both good and bad, but SO thankful I can talk to the one who has the power to say, "PEACE...be still."

getting ready for Irene

It's coming.
We had an earthquake on Tuesday, which had almost everyone all excited.
Friday/Saturday Hurricane Irene will make her presence known, though of course no one really knows how much.

So today's list is my hurricane prep:

• cutting grass (because it needs it BEFORE it rains)
• adding some roofing to the chicken house
• bringing in the chairs and hammock from the pond
• taking down what is still remaining of the old goose pen
• buying batteries
• stocking up on water

and that's it. At times like this I am very thankful I don't have a place at the beach to worry about. I can simply go about my normal life and not have an extra house to weatherize or clean-up. :) Although I have to admit, I did tell Bobby it would be REALLY cool to head to the beach after church Sun AM and spend the night so we could get shells churned up by the storm on Sunday night and Monday morning. Unfortunately, I don't think that is going to happen.  But it's nice to dream.

an exciting august

This month is not even over, and so far it's held:

• an earthquake felt here in NC, prompting Bobby's building to evacuate
• a snake in the hen house
• two mice in the house, one of which managed to eat all the bait off the trap without being caught for 3 nights running (and Bobby watched it do it the first night!)
• a chicken who laid about 10 eggs out in the field before we could find her nest, prompting us to pull out the incubator
• the beginning of Christmas shopping! :)
• some major cleaning in the Bryan household
• a 24 hr stomach bug
• a new great-nephew, born Sunday am
• some interesting discussions with friends

Before the month is out, we'll have also faced a hurricane, election training and interviews, a football game, and weather permitting, a baptismal service. And I thought August was going to be a quiet month!

grace

Today while waiting at Duke Eye Center for a friend to have surgery, I was able to read To Fly Again by Gracia Burnham.  Her testimony, recorded in the book In the Presence of My Enemies, challenged me like few books do.  Today's book was a much easier read, though just as thought provoking.

Maybe because last night's Bible study was from James 4, [dealing with how God's grace is bigger than anything we face, and I realized I don't always (okay, seldom is more like it) actually live my life that way], but it was like God was gently reminding me of last's night lesson in a different format. I told Bobby on the way home that so many times I focus on the problem, the sin, or the temptation, and not on God's available grace to see me through. Is that a lack of faith, perspective, doubt, or what?

Gracia ended her book on the same note. After her husband's death, she said she was living her life in survival mode, as if the best of her life was over. Only after a fellow Christian in ministry, who had also suffered, challenged her on this point that she realized "the best" in life is not over. That's a radical change in mindset.

This whole concept is not new. I've applied it in other areas of life: singleness, childlessness... but have never applied it to more personal areas such as weight or emotional issues. Sometimes it's easier to say, "Oh, but this is bigger than me."  And the problem is.  But it's never bigger than God's grace. And while that's a very humbling thought, it's a comfort as well.