Born To Resist

Oh hey, blog. It’s been awhile. I had a big weekend. What to write about?? I’m not too sure at this point. Maybe that I finished reading Vintage Jesus. That’s a feat in and of itself. I finished a book. It’s amazing what a weekend to yourself will do. I also bought a book. The Year of Living Biblically. It’s not a Christian book. It’s written by a agnostic/secular Jewish journalist who decides to keep all the laws (and suggestions) from the Bible for a whole year. This includes things like not wearing clothes of mixed fibers, rising at midnight to praise God, not speaking ill-will of even the biggest jerks, not sitting in a chair that his wife has sat in while on her “special lady time” and buying a live chicken, having it killed in front of you and giving it to the poor. It’s a really interesting look at faith & ritual from the other side. From the perspective of someone who believes in God, it’s been sad for me to read at times. I just can’t imagine going through life with religion and not relationship. It’s mostly when A.J. (the author) isn’t sure of how to pray. It’s uncomfortable for him. He stands in his living room and raises his hands and recites a Bible verse. Over the course of the book he starts to realize that prayer isn’t for him, but for God. Which is true, but he hasn’t found the solace and hope that prayer gives us because it’s a two way conversation.

It’s made me thankful for the torn curtain in the temple through Jesus. I am not good at keeping the same schedule two days in a row, much less remembering all the laws and keeping them. This very secular book has made me glad for Jesus in a whole new way. I think it’s also made me look at communion and Baptism in a new light, too. Personally, I think it would weird a lot of people out to see a bunch of people taking communion or being baptized. But, I think that the “ritual” of it is worthy of our time and that God wants us to have a time-out for him. Whether it’s the solemn communion or the joyous Baptismal service.

I’m not done with the book, yet. But when I am I’ll let you know how it goes. It is an excellent read. It’s made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions.

If you’re interested in the book here is the link: http://www.ajjacobs.com/books/yolb.asp

What the what? Another decade just zipped right by me. I could have sworn Y2K was still a concern. I can’t believe how fast 10 years goes by. I was just a teenager in the year 2000 (the future, Conan?) and at the end of the decade, I’m a married mother of 2. BOING. That just happened. I could write a thousand lists about what went down in the last 10 years, but I won’t. Instead I will let you all know what’s on my heart for this new year/new decade.

We just got back from a trip to Lake Havasu to visit our friends, The Bairds. Nichole and I were roommates in Bible College and have stayed connected. We both got married the same year, had our kids at the same time (Josiah and Micah are 12 days apart, Mae and Seth are 12 days apart), and basically enjoy each other’s company. Her husband, Adam is a very laid-back guy who gets along with my laid-back guy, Cameron. Our kids are buds and look forward to whenever we get together. While I was at their house, I picked up Nichole’s copy of Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I read that book in Bible College (it was actually Nichole’s copy) and I felt like I had found a Christian book for me! Woohoo! Picking it up again, I realized that I hadn’t really been reading very many Christian books. I’m not terribly fond of pink and floral designed book covers that are all about being the woman God made you to be. That’s just not my type of reading. Chalk that up to my inability to properly use coasters or make crafts with silk flowers. Reading Blue Like Jazz made me yearn for a good Christian read. Reading that book 5 years ago made a huge difference in my walk with God. Now I know in this decade, I have to continue that growth. Obviously the only place to find real food is the Bible. I have been going every week to Harvest’s Women Bible Study (there’s a little bit of that lace and doily nonsense, but I deal with it to get to the meat and potatoes of God’s word) and it’s great to have weekly Bible homework that digs deep. I think that for me, a life-long Christian, you get this delusional idea that you know everything about God’s word because you’ve been surrounded by it your whole life (FLANNEL GRAPHS TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT THE BIBLE). I am so very wrong in this thinking. I heard a couple of sermons about the book of Proverbs and the pursuit of wisdom. Not knowledge my friends, but wisdom. I want to ask questions of people about their hobbies, their spirituality, their families, their marriages, what good books they’ve read, etc.  I’m going to stop assuming that I know everything about Jesus and live a life that is all about learning and knowing more. That’s one of my New Decade resolutions. Chasing God the way He’s chased me.

If there is a verse that haunts every Christian bride to be, it’s Proverbs 31. I MUST BE MORE VALUABLE THAN RUBIES!! We sort of wear it like a banner or we fear it because we don’t know if we live up to being a wife of noble character. This year I want to make it practical to be a wife of noble character. Maybe a little bit at a time I’ll go through the verse and see what I can come up with in a very modern, every day way. Here’s a few of my ideas for being a good wife worthy of the title (and priced high above rubies):
-Be Frugal. I think quite a few of us are on our way, but let’s be wise with the money. (“She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.”- I saved money on grocery bill’s yesterday by driving to three stores…)

- Be Generous. How do I teach my kids to give back? By being generous myself. The best time to give is when you feel like you don’t have enough. Give your money, your time, your kid’s toys that they don’t need. Just GIVE. (She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.)

- Be Prepared. My friend Nichole that I spoke of earlier, is the most prepared person I know. She is intense. She is stocked up on everything that she needs in her house because she plans ahead. I really love that about her, she inspires me to not be last minute Leigh. (When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.)

-Be an encourager of your husband. When you first met your husband, weren’t you his biggest fan? I know I was totally captain of the Cameron Cheer Squad. So what happened? Did the reality of it all make you leave the cheer squad?  I would say to all of you wives: Squeeze back into that skirt and be a Cheerio again! Pardon my Glee reference. Trust me. It feels a lot better to talk well of him in front of friends and with girlfriends than to complain about him. (Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.)

-Be Funny. I enjoy a good sense of humor. Women- are you all listening??? Don’t get caught up on “keeping sweet” and not having a good time. You will keep the rest of life in perspective if you have a good sense of humor about it.  (she can laugh at the days to come.)

-Be a Mom. Relish your blessing. You were given a gift and a person to take care of by God. Make everyday count and don’t sweat the small stuff. (Her children arise and call her blessed;)

Really, if you look at all of these concepts in Proverbs 31, they all tie together. To be frugal you must be prepared, to be generous, you must be frugal in other areas of your life. To encourage your husband you have to often have a sense of humor.

Alright kids… Happy New Year, Happy New Decade, I have stuff to do.

I’m really good at following rabbit holes into internet Wonderlands. Today I was searching for a good quote about a character in THE STAND. I know it’s nerdy, I know I’ve blogged more than once about this book, but if you read this book you’ll understand why I love it so very much. I have other books that I love, like East of Eden, Sweet Thursday, The Lovely Bones, Lullaby… but it’s really easy to walk out into the internet world and find crazy Stephen King fans. I did that today. I found this little gem:

You see, someone out there is pretending to be Randall Flagg (the head bad guy in THE STAND) and has a blog & a Twitter account. I wasn’t terribly impressed by it until I found this picture of Mother Abigail (the head of the “good guys” in the book). It made me laugh, it just seemed like a little bit of post-apocalyptic propaganda against the Free Zone. I was a little miffed  though that Randall Flagg does have internet access after the world has fallen apart… picky picky me.

UPDATE: Apparently this whole “acting out THE STAND on Twitter business isn’t new. There were even articles about it in WIRED: (http://www.wired.com/geekdad/tag/the-stand)

There are several people playing all the prominent characters. Interesting.

I went to the Corona public library and received my library card. I still love the idea of having a library card. As soon as I was old enough I made sure that I had my own. None of this using my mom’s library card business! I still have a few of my college cards and maybe one from good old Yucaipa Public Library on 5th Street. Library cards are like a credit card without buyers remorse. I spent a great deal of time in YPL as a kid. We would leave with piles of books. More than enough. Always willing and ready to read whatever we had found. I hadn’t been to the library in awhile and finally went today while I was sans Josiah. I had a goal to find a couple Stephen King books: Danse Macabre and On Writing. They aren’t fictional horror. Actually, they are more like textbooks or autobiographical reflections and instruction on writing. I must have looked like a strange mix of “fanboy” and crazy mom. Lugging Mae around in her carrier (the stoller was not in the car), wearing a Foo Fighters hoodie and carrying a pile of Stephen King books (not even the fun ones!). I lobbed us into the Children’s section to find a few good reads for Josiah. Mostly plucking from the tops of shelves seeing as I was not totally mobile. The library was packed to say the least. It’s a great spot- a beautiful salt water aquarium and book shaped fountain by the entrance. Kind librarians. Perhaps Madame Librarian? Miriam?
Walking into this place and taking intellectual property with me for free made me appreciate our country. Our ability to access literature of our choosing is remarkable. (Of course some would say not everything can be found in the library… perhaps it would be more appropriate out of the reach of children?) What a strange idea actually. How often have I taken this privilege for granted? How many dimes have I paid in a pittance for my forgetfulness? How incredible to reach out and find what you are looking for! A building for nothing but learning and experiencing *except that COSMO on the magazine rack*.
To boot I had seen an interview with Mr. King and he said that literature should above all be accessible to all. Not just intellectual fodder (I’m paraphrasing). I couldn’t agree more. Everyone should have the right to sit down and read. To enjoy that moment when everything else fades away and you become a part of the story. Right now I’m a survivor of a superflu epidemic and waiting to see if Good trumps evil. Don’t worry- I’ve survived through epidemics before- I read I AM LEGEND. I’ve been a princess, a southern belle, a wife of a time traveler, a concubine, a doctor, a soldier, a drunk and so many others. I’ve put on those lives simply by cracking the binding. I owe so much to so many authors. Not just fiction either. Want a life change? Read Messy Spirituality or Blue like Jazz. Want to read true romance? I love You, Ronny. I found a new hero in Johnny Cash’s autobiography. What to Expect while you’re Expecting is a bedside companion while with child. Even the second time around.
I just suggest sitting down and reading. Enabling your mind to expand in order to let yourself become a better person. That’s why I’ve been writing more often. I’ve been reading more. One art leads to another. Not that blogging is an art.

“Books are a uniquely portable magic”
- Stephen King