Prompt: 5 of my absolute worst pet peeves...
1. Facebook statuses about the weather.
I'm 32, and over the course of time, I've noticed that every single year, it gets hot in the summer. It gets really hot. Like I walk outside and sweat. Can you believe it? But eventually, we have 2 weeks of nice weather, and then it gets cold. Like break out the fur-lined ear muffs cold. Freaking, who-would-have-thought-it-would-ever-get-this-cold-6-months-ago? cold. And we all swear that we will never complain about the sun again. But first, we endure the rain of spring. The grass gets mushy and nice days are too few before this whole cycle starts over again. EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. Okay? Every year. So, really... do we all need to put up a status update about it?
2. Cars that stop when I'm waiting to cross the not-busy street with my 3-year-old.
I'm trying to be a responsible parent and teach my child not to cross when there are cars in the road. This makes it very difficult as he is not really able to tell that you've slowed down enough for me to cross. If you would just politely continue driving, I will cross the street after you pass... you know, the way I've told my child we should do it.
3. When I correct my child and someone else then encourages the behavior again.
I can't think of an example, but trust me, it happens.
4. When I have to drag Billy to bed, and then he gets ready faster than I do and covers his face with the comforter, as if the light in the bathroom is just soooooo burdensome.
Ummmm... you wouldn't be in bed if it weren't for me, so you could at least just hang out and wait for me like a normal person. (Of course, then I couldn't get back at you by sprawling across the whole bed and not letting you in when I get there first.)
5. When people talk bad about their spouse in public.
I would not have said #4 about Billy except that we joke about it all the time. And it's not really that big of a thing. But I really hate it when people are constantly tearing down their spouse. It's very unbecoming and destructive.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Billy
Labels:
Writing Workshop
Prompt: Describe your significant other's most attractive quality (on the inside).
It's funny, because I'm the details person. I'm the one that gets uber focused on something and can't let it go until it makes sense. I'm the one that wants everything to line up, to be consistent and void of cognitive dissonance.
But when I think about Billy's most attractive quality, there's something that I know I can count on. Billy points me to Jesus.
The Gospel of Jesus has taken a hold of his heart in amazing ways, and I get to witness it every day. I get to watch the way he leads our small group through hard conversations. I get to see when he impresses on our children the truth that nothing they do can change their standing before God. Nothing. Nothing good they do can earn God's pleasure. Nothing bad they do can take it away. God smiles at Jesus in them, and their actions do not affect their standing before God.
Sometimes... okay... most of the time, when I'm in the middle of my own mental and emotional turmoil, it's hard to hear Billy's Jesus talk. It's hard to have him ask me to stop and think about what I'm not believing about the Gospel. I tell him that I don't like to think of it that way. I don't want to always look at my whining sessions as sin. I just want to get it out of my system and move on.
But that doesn't deal with the real thing, and Billy knows it. Getting things off my chest so I can feel better is a cop-out. Something else will eventually come along that gets me all hot and bothered. I mean, sure, just getting it out there releases some tension, but it doesn't deal with why things really bothered me in the first place.
But God uses Billy to show me that when I feel offended by something someone else said or did to me, it's typically because I was putting more stock in what they think of me than what God thinks of me. In that moment, I'm not believing that God thinks I'm beautiful regardless of whether someone else understands or respects me. When I fly off the handle with my kids, it's usually because I am not believing that God has given me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4), including patience.
When I feel like a failure, it's because I've forgotten that I'm more than a conqueror in Christ (Romans 8:37)
When I feel impressed with myself, it's because I have forgotten that all my righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
Billy spurs me on to keep the Word of God as my authority in life. He shows me everyday that I need Jesus.
He reminds me that I am nothing without Jesus, but that with Jesus, I am beautiful royalty. Without Him, I was a slave to sin, but in Him I am the righteousness of God.
It's funny, because I'm the details person. I'm the one that gets uber focused on something and can't let it go until it makes sense. I'm the one that wants everything to line up, to be consistent and void of cognitive dissonance.
But when I think about Billy's most attractive quality, there's something that I know I can count on. Billy points me to Jesus.
The Gospel of Jesus has taken a hold of his heart in amazing ways, and I get to witness it every day. I get to watch the way he leads our small group through hard conversations. I get to see when he impresses on our children the truth that nothing they do can change their standing before God. Nothing. Nothing good they do can earn God's pleasure. Nothing bad they do can take it away. God smiles at Jesus in them, and their actions do not affect their standing before God.
Sometimes... okay... most of the time, when I'm in the middle of my own mental and emotional turmoil, it's hard to hear Billy's Jesus talk. It's hard to have him ask me to stop and think about what I'm not believing about the Gospel. I tell him that I don't like to think of it that way. I don't want to always look at my whining sessions as sin. I just want to get it out of my system and move on.
But that doesn't deal with the real thing, and Billy knows it. Getting things off my chest so I can feel better is a cop-out. Something else will eventually come along that gets me all hot and bothered. I mean, sure, just getting it out there releases some tension, but it doesn't deal with why things really bothered me in the first place.
But God uses Billy to show me that when I feel offended by something someone else said or did to me, it's typically because I was putting more stock in what they think of me than what God thinks of me. In that moment, I'm not believing that God thinks I'm beautiful regardless of whether someone else understands or respects me. When I fly off the handle with my kids, it's usually because I am not believing that God has given me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4), including patience.
When I feel like a failure, it's because I've forgotten that I'm more than a conqueror in Christ (Romans 8:37)
When I feel impressed with myself, it's because I have forgotten that all my righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
Billy spurs me on to keep the Word of God as my authority in life. He shows me everyday that I need Jesus.
He reminds me that I am nothing without Jesus, but that with Jesus, I am beautiful royalty. Without Him, I was a slave to sin, but in Him I am the righteousness of God.
Friday, August 12, 2011
I Wanna Dance with Somebody
Labels:
Writing Workshop
Prompt: What was the first CD (or record or cassette) you ever purchased? Write about the way that particular album made you feel then. Write about how it makes you feel now.
I'm not sure how old I was. Looking back, it seems like I was just in 1st or second grade, but I can't be sure of that. There's nothing that I recall to tie it into, as I normally do to remember things from so long ago. I seem to have a small recollection of living in a particular house that we moved from when I was 8, so I'm going with it.
My sister was into Whitney Houston, and really... what little sister doesn't want to emulate their older sibling? So, somehow, I bought the record single of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." I can remember the cover vividly. Whitney on the front with untamed hair, a white tank top and tight jeans. Her thumb is tucked around the hem of her tank pulling it up to show her stomach. I thought she was so cool.
And I thought I was grown up. To have my own record of real songs. I'd had kiddie stuff before. I can recall some of the things that I had from childhood just as if it were yesterday, pulling from my mental file of relate-able lyrics, and singing them when the timing is right (a wonderful ability I got from my mom, which my sister possesses, too). Things like Cabbage Patch Kids and Psalty.
So, this Whitney Houston thing was a big deal. I had songs by a grown up that was for grown ups.
Looking back, it's funny to think of how I used that album. I put it on my Fisher Price record player, got my toys out, and made Barbie give concerts to the other dolls. I also did this with my American Tale record. I was still a kid.
It's funny how you grow up and think that things are such a big deal. Yet as I look back, I can see that this record did little to truly comment on the reality of my state. I was still a kid, with or without that record.
When we're little, it seems that we think some outer source can contribute to our identity. I don't think that I thought, "I'm grown up, so I should get this record." It was more, "I want to be grown up, so I should get this record."
I guess I realize that while I can look at my record and see that it wasn't the catalyst for growing up, I'm not sure I always can look at things around me to see that now. Sure, I've grown in that. But sometimes, maybe I still think "I want to be ___________, so I should get _________."
Maybe sometimes, I still want to be something I'm not, and I still think I will become that by turning to something material outside of myself.
Right now, I want to be someone artsy. There have been times in my past that I have pursued arts much more than now. I guess I'm starting to see that as I approach that desire to regain my creativity and personal style, I need to investigate who I am before I rely on a method, an object, or a persona to simply carry me down a path of self-delusion.
I'm not sure how old I was. Looking back, it seems like I was just in 1st or second grade, but I can't be sure of that. There's nothing that I recall to tie it into, as I normally do to remember things from so long ago. I seem to have a small recollection of living in a particular house that we moved from when I was 8, so I'm going with it.
My sister was into Whitney Houston, and really... what little sister doesn't want to emulate their older sibling? So, somehow, I bought the record single of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." I can remember the cover vividly. Whitney on the front with untamed hair, a white tank top and tight jeans. Her thumb is tucked around the hem of her tank pulling it up to show her stomach. I thought she was so cool.
And I thought I was grown up. To have my own record of real songs. I'd had kiddie stuff before. I can recall some of the things that I had from childhood just as if it were yesterday, pulling from my mental file of relate-able lyrics, and singing them when the timing is right (a wonderful ability I got from my mom, which my sister possesses, too). Things like Cabbage Patch Kids and Psalty.
So, this Whitney Houston thing was a big deal. I had songs by a grown up that was for grown ups.
Looking back, it's funny to think of how I used that album. I put it on my Fisher Price record player, got my toys out, and made Barbie give concerts to the other dolls. I also did this with my American Tale record. I was still a kid.
It's funny how you grow up and think that things are such a big deal. Yet as I look back, I can see that this record did little to truly comment on the reality of my state. I was still a kid, with or without that record.
When we're little, it seems that we think some outer source can contribute to our identity. I don't think that I thought, "I'm grown up, so I should get this record." It was more, "I want to be grown up, so I should get this record."
I guess I realize that while I can look at my record and see that it wasn't the catalyst for growing up, I'm not sure I always can look at things around me to see that now. Sure, I've grown in that. But sometimes, maybe I still think "I want to be ___________, so I should get _________."
Maybe sometimes, I still want to be something I'm not, and I still think I will become that by turning to something material outside of myself.
Right now, I want to be someone artsy. There have been times in my past that I have pursued arts much more than now. I guess I'm starting to see that as I approach that desire to regain my creativity and personal style, I need to investigate who I am before I rely on a method, an object, or a persona to simply carry me down a path of self-delusion.
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