Candlelight

I'm listening to The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket while I do my cooking today. The villain, Count Olaf, is brilliantly described! Even his accessories are wicked. Here's the description of his candle:

His candle gave off shadows.

You'd think that a candle would give off light, but this candle is described by its shadows. I love it! Good writing, Lemony!

Remodel

I'm itching to remodel my blog. Something fall-ish. But it's still summer down here in the South. Also, I haven't scanned in any of my own photos yet.

It's coming, though. Just in case you were wondering.

Come to think of it, what DOES my credit card say I own?

There's a banner ad on my email page asking me "What does your [credit] card say you own?" Then it shows a picture of a businesswoman being strong and powerful. She owns her business. There's a picture of a yuppie. He owns a comic book. A young couple. They own a crib, a changing table, a beautifully painted nursery.

The ad writers got the question wrong. It should say "To what extent does your credit card own you?" Businesspeople, ok, they may need credit cards. But comic books? Spifftastic (and extremely trendy) expensive baby furniture? They own you, people.

Ironic, eh?

Oh, the irony. At least click to see the headline!

Hunger

I'm hungry right now. I can feel tightness and emptiness, that odd hot-but-not-burning sensation in my entire gut but centralized in my stomach, and the general discomfort of hunger. My stomach hasn't started growling yet, but it's getting ready to.

I haven't ever been really, really hungry. Never starving. But I feel it right now.

Pop quiz, everyone: describe hunger when you're not hungry. Or describe a headache when you're not headachy; or sciatica when your legs feel fine; or (not that I've ever felt this pain either) a broken bone when you're fully intact; or anything else when it's not urgent.

How can we do it?
How can we describe faith when the urgency of need isn't there? How can we explain to somone, "Well, I figured out that my soul is eternal and that my sin sets me at odds with God, the Just Judge of eternal souls, and I knew something had to give, and I asked God to do what he promised me--I asked him to save me," when they don't feel the pressing need like we do?

Last Names

Am I the only one that thinks that it's a little odd that two women who grew up together now have totally different last names?

I mean, I've been married three years (+), and I've pretty much gotten used to the whole different-name-different-identity thing, but it just hit me again: my sister and I have different names now.

Awesome/Not Awesome

Awesome: the weather wasn't killingly hot today.
Not Awesome: the days are getting shorter and winter is creeping our way. :(

Awesome: we had a superfun weekend with my sister-in-law!
Not Awesome: it's a two-hour drive away and the weekend is over.

Awesome: Ian had a good day today in his InService.
Not Awesome: School is starting, and that is a grind.

Awesome: I submitted about 10 job applications today.
Not Awesome: I need to be working (and getting paid) now.

Awesome: Job applications can be submitted online (thus less gas burned).
Not Awesome: Spending all day on the computer is hard on a recluse like me.

Awesome: I have all this time! I can visit friends, hang out and read, blog all day,...
Not Awesome: I can't afford to drive anywhere unnecessary or buy anything non-vital.

Awesome: Deeper, truer knowledge that God Provides.
Not Awesome: The painful side of sanctification.

Out of Town

We're going to Atlanta this weekend. My sister-in-law lives there. It's been a while since we've seen her. So off we go.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Post-Camping Thoughts (these are the deep ones)

So, we went camping last night. It was very fun! I enjoyed it so much...except that I didn't sleep all that well. Oh well, I've got a real bed tonight, right?

Anyway, here are some thoughts I thought as we camped:

:::We camped lakeside. Our campsite was waterfront, and it was beautiful. I sat and watched the lake and listened to the little waves splash and thought about what I learned in high school physics about wave motion. I thought more than I will say...but I'll at least say that the water may look turbulent when it's moving up and down, but the water molecules themselves are still in comparison to each other. That's how I should be, right, with waves and turbulence looking like they're ruffling my surface, but actually at peace.

:::There was a duck family that lived in our little bay. They swam around and around the inlet, getting handouts from all the campers. Fortunately, I had some extra graham crackers (from the s'mores, of course), and I fed them. I tried to feed them all equally, but they fought each other and snapped at each other to get each bite I threw them, even though I had so many crackers and was feeding each one a fair amount. How many times to I fuss and whine because I think that God, my provider, is being unfair and feeding others more than he feeds me? He himself is the perfect provider, so I should trust his feeding hand...but I'm just like a stupid duck, panicking and fighting because I want more.

:::It's really nice to get away. I haven't been myself lately, and it's nice to be able to be away and relax, even just for an overnight.

:::Water, and trees, and ducks, and all that while camping are beautiful. It's really, really beautiful in the world. God is a wonderful creator.

Sunday's Coming

I want to meditate on a passage to move my heart towards the Lord. His day is important, and his table is important. May my heart be filled with love for him, instead of with...self-centeredness and apathy! And so, I have chosen Isaiah 12, a passage that has a history with me (or I have a history with it):

You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

"Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation."

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And you will say in that day:

"Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.

"Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."