Yesterday, our church had a "Dinner on the Grounds" as part of our 100-year celebration. For those non-Baptists, or people under the age of 30, a "dinner on the grounds" is really a picnic where the church provides the fried chicken (or some other meaty entree) and the church members bring sides. Our organized picnic assigned salads, sides and desserts by last name so we'd have a more even distribution and not end up eating nothing but chips and dessert with our fried chicken. And everyone was tasked with bringing a 2-liter, so the drinks were plentiful. It was hot. Maybe if you were under a tree somewhere it wasn't, but if you were out long, you couldn't miss the heat. I was privileged to serve the chicken in one of the serving lines and found myself sweating so much I thought my eyes were watering. A good time was had by all, and the food was plentiful. I did learn that KFC-provided serving tongs are not very sturdy. I broke two in a matter of an hour.
This morning, I was interviewed by Anne Bogel for her podcast, What Should I Read Next. I was so excited about this opportunity and consider an item on my bucket list checked off. I've listened to her podcast for a while and it adds fuel to my already obsessive love of reading. Though it might sound stalkish, I would love to discuss books with her regularly. The one thing I realized from the podcast (which I'll link on my blog when it's live), is what I thought would be the theme of the books I love was way off from reality. I won't give away the content of the podcast, but after analyzing I came to realize and had confirmation that I love historical fiction (what!?!) and stories with a female protagonist (not as surprising). I left wanting to spend the next three days in a bookstore.
Pokemon Go is the newest craze in the world these days. I'll admit I've played the game and it is kind of fun, though I'm out of Poke Balls to continue play right now. Being in technology, this take on augmented reality will forever shift the paradigm. Now, everyone "gets" augmented reality and businesses can reach consumers with that technology, maybe easier than they could have before Pokemon Go. To let you know how much it has infiltrated the world, I was driving down a main road the other night and a local church had on their sign "We're a PokeStop, so feel free to stop by." I give them credit for creativity and engaging the culture.
Monday, August 01, 2016
Monday, July 18, 2016
The Gospel According to Zootopia
I recently saw Zootopia and absolutely loved it! I loved it so much that the Shakira song, "Try Everything" is now my ringtone. The movie has gotten a lot of flack because of the supposed underlying message of the liberal bent in our country. Ok, I'm about as conservative as they come, but people, please. Can we not look at every movie for some political agenda that will warp our children and turn them into raging entitlelists? Granted, Hollywood is saturated with left-wing thinking, but I prefer to look at movies - especially animated ones - through the eyes of the gospel. Our country is divided enough these days.
The story begins with Judy Hopps, a vivacious, energetic bunny with big dreams, wanting to leave the comfort of her family's carrot farm to pursue a life as a law enforcement officer in the land of Zootopia. Zootopia is that big city for animals - the Los Angeles or New York City for creatures - where dreams come true. Although her parents hate to see her go (even though they have a passel of her siblings still remaining), she heads to Zootopia and does indeed become a law enforcement officer. I'll save ruining the plot, but Judy comes into her own through a complex situation between Mayor Lionheart and his assistant mayor Bellwether, a lamb.
In a world where chaos seems to be happening all around us, this little flick truly waves the flag of "All Lives Matter." From Judy Hopps to the Mayoral Lion, everyone was important. Nobody cared if Judy was a tiny rabbit, she was a great policewoman! And her life had a plan. There may be no better verse in Scripture that screams "All Lives Matter" than John 3:16..."For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that WHOSOEVER (emphasis mine) believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." God loved ALL lives so much, He gave His only Son for us.
I applaud Disney on many fronts. Yes, they are a secular company so they aren't weaving Christian themes in every movie, but they are hitting home runs with their recent movie messaging. Inside Out...a child struggles with a major move and life change and we see her real emotions, realizing that Joy and Sadness go hand in hand. Finding Dory....a fish with a short-term memory can still make a difference, displaying that a child with special needs is still very valuable. And, now Zootopia, where a small bunny never gives up on her dream and makes a big difference in the world of Zootopia, meaning every life matters.
In this movie, all animals co-habitate with each other, even those that would normally eat each other in the real world. One day we will live in a new world where the lion will lay down with the lamb, and it will not only be Zootopia, but it will be Paradise, with Jesus in complete control as we live in this New Earth. Until then, let's all remember all lives matter....because they matter to God.
The story begins with Judy Hopps, a vivacious, energetic bunny with big dreams, wanting to leave the comfort of her family's carrot farm to pursue a life as a law enforcement officer in the land of Zootopia. Zootopia is that big city for animals - the Los Angeles or New York City for creatures - where dreams come true. Although her parents hate to see her go (even though they have a passel of her siblings still remaining), she heads to Zootopia and does indeed become a law enforcement officer. I'll save ruining the plot, but Judy comes into her own through a complex situation between Mayor Lionheart and his assistant mayor Bellwether, a lamb.
In a world where chaos seems to be happening all around us, this little flick truly waves the flag of "All Lives Matter." From Judy Hopps to the Mayoral Lion, everyone was important. Nobody cared if Judy was a tiny rabbit, she was a great policewoman! And her life had a plan. There may be no better verse in Scripture that screams "All Lives Matter" than John 3:16..."For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that WHOSOEVER (emphasis mine) believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." God loved ALL lives so much, He gave His only Son for us.
I applaud Disney on many fronts. Yes, they are a secular company so they aren't weaving Christian themes in every movie, but they are hitting home runs with their recent movie messaging. Inside Out...a child struggles with a major move and life change and we see her real emotions, realizing that Joy and Sadness go hand in hand. Finding Dory....a fish with a short-term memory can still make a difference, displaying that a child with special needs is still very valuable. And, now Zootopia, where a small bunny never gives up on her dream and makes a big difference in the world of Zootopia, meaning every life matters.
In this movie, all animals co-habitate with each other, even those that would normally eat each other in the real world. One day we will live in a new world where the lion will lay down with the lamb, and it will not only be Zootopia, but it will be Paradise, with Jesus in complete control as we live in this New Earth. Until then, let's all remember all lives matter....because they matter to God.
Monday, July 11, 2016
A World With No Color
The news in the last week has been disheartening and sad. It doesn't matter who you are or the color of your skin, if you've watched the deaths at the hands of law enforcement and the deaths of those retaliating those actions continuing to split the country by color, you should feel sad.
I have best friends that are black, and I have friends who are police officers. I love them both. I don't agree with the actions we've seen in the past week and feel like I want to just live in a world without color. But how boring would this world be without color? Yet, if we were all green, then maybe all of this would stop, and the issues at the heart of this would be addressed. We're sinful people living in a fallen world. We all need a Savior.
This past weekend, I spent a lot of time with my church family, and as I reflected on the activities I did, I was reminded how "colorless" my world is, or rather, how I don't "see" color. Saturday morning I celebrated with a woman at our church about to become a Mom for the first time. This precious little girl is being born to a sweet couple that will raise her to love the Lord and to not see color. I left that baby shower and headed to a "farewell" gathering for one of my great friends who is heading westward to take on his dream of teaching at the college level. It just so happens, that great friend is black. I don't see him as black. We all hugged him and will miss seeing him regularly, and see him as family, not black. Both black and white will miss him terribly and thanks to technology can keep up with him much easier.
Last night, our church family had a building community night, which means to us, fun times after the evening service. We had organized kickball games between teams of young 'uns and old folks, a bluegrass band, and Steel City Pops which seem to be life altering, but I'd say it takes two for that change to occur. Our church is blessed to have many members of law enforcement as part of our family, and our congregation - black and white - love and respect them. I couldn't help but look around at all the colors I saw, too. Families who've adopted children from Africa and Ethiopia. A church family full of all sorts of "color" of people and, again, I didn't see color. I did see the cutest little bluegrass dancers and Popsicle eaters around. By the end of the evening, I'd almost forgotten the way the rest of the world operates.
If you're like me, you're sick of all the hate, violence and division you see in this country. I've decided that we need to adopt a new song that this country needs to sing...and the lyrics go something like this....
Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Jesus doesn't see color. Nor should we.
I have best friends that are black, and I have friends who are police officers. I love them both. I don't agree with the actions we've seen in the past week and feel like I want to just live in a world without color. But how boring would this world be without color? Yet, if we were all green, then maybe all of this would stop, and the issues at the heart of this would be addressed. We're sinful people living in a fallen world. We all need a Savior.
This past weekend, I spent a lot of time with my church family, and as I reflected on the activities I did, I was reminded how "colorless" my world is, or rather, how I don't "see" color. Saturday morning I celebrated with a woman at our church about to become a Mom for the first time. This precious little girl is being born to a sweet couple that will raise her to love the Lord and to not see color. I left that baby shower and headed to a "farewell" gathering for one of my great friends who is heading westward to take on his dream of teaching at the college level. It just so happens, that great friend is black. I don't see him as black. We all hugged him and will miss seeing him regularly, and see him as family, not black. Both black and white will miss him terribly and thanks to technology can keep up with him much easier.
Last night, our church family had a building community night, which means to us, fun times after the evening service. We had organized kickball games between teams of young 'uns and old folks, a bluegrass band, and Steel City Pops which seem to be life altering, but I'd say it takes two for that change to occur. Our church is blessed to have many members of law enforcement as part of our family, and our congregation - black and white - love and respect them. I couldn't help but look around at all the colors I saw, too. Families who've adopted children from Africa and Ethiopia. A church family full of all sorts of "color" of people and, again, I didn't see color. I did see the cutest little bluegrass dancers and Popsicle eaters around. By the end of the evening, I'd almost forgotten the way the rest of the world operates.
If you're like me, you're sick of all the hate, violence and division you see in this country. I've decided that we need to adopt a new song that this country needs to sing...and the lyrics go something like this....
Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Jesus doesn't see color. Nor should we.
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
A Round Tuit
He'd make conversations at gatherings by throwing the coin on a table and asking the person if they knew what it was. This was a puzzle that could go on for hours and he found it comical to finally have to explain it if they gave up. I miss his Dad humor.
On Sunday, my friends and I went to Zeggz for lunch/brunch after church. A quick aside - this restaurant is apparently a competitor for a local favorite, Wild Eggs. After my first experience, there is no comparison. Wild Eggs is clearly better, starting with the fact that you have to order off a wall at Zeggz. (I'll save "ordering off a wall" rant for a future blog post)
As we were eating, I saw a man come in the door that quickly reminded me of my Dad. His salty gray hair was slicked back, and he was in a suit that was snappy and a bit progressive for a man who looked to be in his 80s. My Dad had gray hair with touches of his jet black still visible and wore it slicked back. He also could pull off a stylish suit coat like a champion, wearing pink, yellow and green ones on occasion.
It was a bit surreal, even though this man didn't look a ton like my Dad, there were things about him that reminded me of him. That's happened a few times and a flood of memories come back, and I miss him so all over again.
While we were finishing our meal, he came over to our table and said, "Now this table looks like a fun group of people" and he gave each of us a yellow Round Tuit. He and his wife smiled and walked out of the restaurant. That was about the coolest thing I've had happen in a long time. I'm now keeping my Round Tuit in my car console so that every time I get in, I think of my Dad.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Traffic Violation
I've had my driver's license for 33 years and haven't read a driver's manual in about 34 years. You may be far removed from studying for those tests as well, so let's have a pop quiz, shall we?:
If you are driving down the highway and see a policeman who has pulled someone over on the right, off the highway, and you are traveling in the right lane, are you required to merge to the next lane over?
I'll give you time to think on that.
Yes you say? Bravo because you are right and kudos for you knowing that. I would have answered no, and not only am I wrong, but I now have a traffic date in court.
While I was traveling home the other night, I was almost to my exit that takes me home when I saw the above mentioned scene ahead of me. I looked to see if the right lane was blocked or obstructed, and it wasn't. Since my exit was just past this scene, I didn't want to get over unless absolutely necessary. It was about 9pm and the sun was setting in my rearview mirror causing some glare. As I approached this scene, I saw the cop on the side of the road throwing his arm to the left like he had a charlie horse in his elbow. I took that to mean "get over" though I didn't get it, but I checked the ability to merge left, and then did. Shortly after, I merged back to the right lane since I was about to exit. And that's when my night went south.
I see his flashing lights behind me. I first thought, "Did I swerve? Do I have a tail light out?" Seriously, I had no idea why I was getting pulled over. It crossed my mind I didn't merge left fast enough so I expected a stern talking to and a pass on a citation. Au contraire, mon frer. Not the case.
He came to my window and asked for my driver's license, insurance card and registration. Praise Jesus I had all those things and knew where to find them! He was gone for a while, apparently making sure I wasn't on the lam from some high stakes murder ring. The police officer returned, handed all my paperwork and IDs and said, "Here is your court date." I asked, "Officer, can you explain the offense?" He said, "Sure, you didn't observe right of way for an emergency vehicle. Did you see me motioning you to get over into the next lane?? Did you see my flashing arrow?" I said, "I didn't see a flashing arrow..." Interrupting the officer said, "Well it was flashing." I continued, " I saw you motioning and I got over as soon as I could." Mr. Policeman said, "No you didn't. You didn't get over." I replied as calmly as possible, "I did get over. But I got back in the right lane because this is my exit." He replied, "Ok, so you got over, but it was past me." And he walked off.
It took all the grace of God to keep me from going off. I'm a pretty level-headed, calm person, but I was furious. Not only did I not know this was a violation, this citation was court only. No pre-payment to avoid court, or traffic school as an option. Given it was June 28, I can only think my citation was to help meet his monthly quota.
I plan to plead at my court date that I had no idea of this law - friends have told me it's fairly new - and that unless those types of laws are communicated, I can't abide by them. If we are supposed to get over in the next lane, put a barricade in the right lane and there will be no question. I know ignorance doesn't stand up in a court of law, but maybe my southern charm will help.
If you are driving down the highway and see a policeman who has pulled someone over on the right, off the highway, and you are traveling in the right lane, are you required to merge to the next lane over?
I'll give you time to think on that.
Yes you say? Bravo because you are right and kudos for you knowing that. I would have answered no, and not only am I wrong, but I now have a traffic date in court.
While I was traveling home the other night, I was almost to my exit that takes me home when I saw the above mentioned scene ahead of me. I looked to see if the right lane was blocked or obstructed, and it wasn't. Since my exit was just past this scene, I didn't want to get over unless absolutely necessary. It was about 9pm and the sun was setting in my rearview mirror causing some glare. As I approached this scene, I saw the cop on the side of the road throwing his arm to the left like he had a charlie horse in his elbow. I took that to mean "get over" though I didn't get it, but I checked the ability to merge left, and then did. Shortly after, I merged back to the right lane since I was about to exit. And that's when my night went south.
I see his flashing lights behind me. I first thought, "Did I swerve? Do I have a tail light out?" Seriously, I had no idea why I was getting pulled over. It crossed my mind I didn't merge left fast enough so I expected a stern talking to and a pass on a citation. Au contraire, mon frer. Not the case.
He came to my window and asked for my driver's license, insurance card and registration. Praise Jesus I had all those things and knew where to find them! He was gone for a while, apparently making sure I wasn't on the lam from some high stakes murder ring. The police officer returned, handed all my paperwork and IDs and said, "Here is your court date." I asked, "Officer, can you explain the offense?" He said, "Sure, you didn't observe right of way for an emergency vehicle. Did you see me motioning you to get over into the next lane?? Did you see my flashing arrow?" I said, "I didn't see a flashing arrow..." Interrupting the officer said, "Well it was flashing." I continued, " I saw you motioning and I got over as soon as I could." Mr. Policeman said, "No you didn't. You didn't get over." I replied as calmly as possible, "I did get over. But I got back in the right lane because this is my exit." He replied, "Ok, so you got over, but it was past me." And he walked off.
It took all the grace of God to keep me from going off. I'm a pretty level-headed, calm person, but I was furious. Not only did I not know this was a violation, this citation was court only. No pre-payment to avoid court, or traffic school as an option. Given it was June 28, I can only think my citation was to help meet his monthly quota.
I plan to plead at my court date that I had no idea of this law - friends have told me it's fairly new - and that unless those types of laws are communicated, I can't abide by them. If we are supposed to get over in the next lane, put a barricade in the right lane and there will be no question. I know ignorance doesn't stand up in a court of law, but maybe my southern charm will help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)