Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Fog


I love some foggy mornings when it makes my commute seem so eerie. I’m cautious to put on my car lights and slow down when visibility is poor. Sometimes it seems to attack my windshield and suck onto it so that I have to use my wipers.   90 days after a fog there will be moisture (rain, snow, etc).  So I'm told.

Did you know that there are many different types of fog? Steam fog, precipitation fog, radiation fog, ground fog, advection fog, upslope/hill fog, valley fog, ice fog, artificial fog, hail fog, garua fog and freezing fog.

As far as I know, there is no mention of fog in the Bible. Clouds, rain and even snow; but no fog. Fog is basically a low cloud near the ground….so that being said I did find in Matthew, Mark and Luke a reference to when “a cloud enveloped them.”

In the Matthew 17:5 version as follows during the transfiguration:

1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.


4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

To get side tracked on this awesome scripture, I’m going to go down my “fog” cloud path. While I understand there is so much more to this passage that theologians dissect, I simply love the cloud reference. I love that God used that. That he spoke from it. So, back to my foggy commutes – it leaves me appreciating the fog not as a nuisance causing dangerous conditions of driving, but rather for its beauty and knowing that God can use it in such a cool way - to talk to me.

We were talking miracles this past Sunday, and one thing the writer commented on was we are skeptical when we hear of “miracles” but yet alone we all pray for them at one time or another in our lives. True. So….God COULD talk to me in that fog….I think I’ll open my window when I pass through fog from now on….I’m listening, are you?

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Catfish skulls on poles

I drive by 4 telephone poles on my commute created by guys who catch fish, then nail the catfish skulls onto their nearby phone/electric poles. Took me quite a while to figure out what they were – they’ve been up for years, slowly moving on to the next pole in a migration of their own. It is one of the stranger things I’ve seen – but it humors me. They are creating quite the trophy until a storm takes out a pole or the energy company shows up to remove them / replace the pole.

My father-in-law LOVES to fish. He fishes weekly as long as the weather holds. It is his retirement therapy. I’ve a brother who loves to fish too and has an unbelievable amount of lures.

Luke 5 – The Calling of the First Disciples
1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a]with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.
3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down[b] the nets for a catch."
5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

The New Testament has many examples of stories with Jesus and fish. The feeding of the 5,000, etc. but I like this Luke 5 scripture when he calls Simon Peter, a fisherman to go out with him. The son of a carpenter, now teaching others – telling a fisherman how to do his job - ironic if you think about it. But Simon Peter listens and obeys. Jesus “fished” in his disciples in these ways, but not much has changed today in that he is still calling to us “fish” today to join him, follow him and be his humble servants. As with Simon Peter, the message here is we don’t need to be perfect to come to God, rather, we need to trust God and let him do his work in transforming our lives.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Floor Floppers


Playing in a box….happy as can be. These two spend more time on the floors in our house than any of us. Not sure what my 12 year old is thinking – he often flops on the floor….Soph just flops by him or on him. Their bond is strong. I love that.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Band Day at the Fair w/Q time with Tobias

It was Band Day at the Kansas State Fair.  Anthony played with the Jr High band - they did great and I'm so proud of them as  they looked confident and did their thing. 
Tobias hung with me as we walked about the Fair doing a small scavenger hunt.  It was "Q" time with him and when one on one he talks non-stop - was good to listen!  Fun day....later had Q time with Courtney as well.  Here are some Band pics!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Rude Recently Rules

Ok, with the Kayne’s recent outburst against Taylor Swift at the MTV awards and Serena Williams cussing out a line judge at the US Open, these have been lesson learners for the kids. We talk about this stuff. It is important if we want to raise children who are polite that they learn from the mistakes of others. It is sad both these people had their shining moments tarnished and the attention drawn away from the item of victory to something else.

Anthony was having his Jr High football practice earlier and overhead the High School coach cussing out the players for fumbles and making them do push-ups after cussing them for their mistakes. He came home and told me about it so I know it affected him to wondering if he’d want to play under a coach that cussed like that. (Not to mention it raised my hairs to know a tax-payer employee is talking that way to kiddos in public school. Rant: Do teachers accept that language from kids? I hope not and doubt it. Soo….double standards? Would that coach be happy if parents talked to him that way?)

We don’t use that language in our home – now I’m not a holier-than-though person and admit to the occasional cuss under extreme duress. That being said, I don’t want my children to make it apart of their everyday-normal conversational talk. The Serena Williams example of being fined $10,500 for swearing at someone in the way she did is such a “teachable” moment. Besides her three attempts at getting a decent apology out, which you know only came to protect her from her “handlers” – oh sponsors – are you watching? Good grief, even Sophia, age 2 knows to say “sorry” after at timeout.with sincerity (cutest thing too when she says it spontaneously). I’ll give that to Kayne that he has been attempting to apologize via Jay Leno, etc but Taylor Swift said he hadn’t said it to her in person. People, people, people. Don’t you get that you should apologize TO THE PERSON harmed directly for it to be a sincere apology! We recently had a situation in our church where wrongs happened on BOTH sides, I’m proud to say my kiddo DID apologize while the other party DID NOT, nor to this day will they talk to us about it, yet they can talk to EVERYONE else behind our back! OK – sore subject.

Now I can purge this from my insides…thanks for listening.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. Psalm 37:8

Maybe my estrogen is low….for what it is worth….this is my blog, my thoughts, my feelings….at my moment today, here and now. Phew, I think I’ll go find chocolate!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Kansas State Fair

 Oh the American tradition!
This is what 1,275 pounds of butter can do if you play with it!
A fun time was had by all!













The coolest thing was this elderly couple came up to us as we stood in line for tickets to enter the fair and they gave us two free childrens' tickets!  What a great way to start a fun afternoon at the fair!  Nothing beats the corn dogs, cold root beer, train ride, walking through exhibits, kettle corn, taffey and the list goes on.

People watching is amazing at the fair!
I wouldn't recommend this one for the weak of stomach!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Thank you Dee!


Thank you Dee
It's wonderful as you can see.
a Doodle de Dee, Doodle de Daa
arrived from a far!

It made my day, it made my week,
just when things seemed so bleak.
A friend from another state
reminding me to go through a gate
of gratitude, prayer and hope
I won't foget with this token...nope!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?????

Jr High first football game was this week. See that “little” 83 – that is my guy! He LOVES football and we peel him off the ceiling every evening when he comes home from practice. Ok, maybe except when he gets cleated…but even then he shows us his wounds with pride.

(Yes he is the smallest one there!)
I have a confession. I don’t understand all the rules of football. In Canada we don’t have football as a part of the school program. Now, let’s talk hockey and we’ll be doing better. So I don’t know many football rules. Example: I was telling Steve “Anthony did a good job staying on that one guy.” Steve just smiled at me and said “Anthony was on the offense, the other guy was guarding him.” Oops.
OK, my learning curve might be larger than I thought. I’m just happy watching the flow of the color matched boys going up and down the field, breaking apart, coming back together in a movement that is strangely pretty when I don’t think of them getting hurt!
Mostly I’m keeping an eye on Sophia that she doesn’t fall off the bleachers and whack her head, listening to Courtney whine that it is boring and she only wants to run around with her friends in some odd social posturing and listen to Tobias the bottomless pit tell me he is hungry and thirsty after just eating supper. So no wonder I don’t stand a chance to actually watch fully attentive and learn the rules better.

Then I wondered are we like this with God? We have the Bible. Do we know the “rules” of the game? Are we listening or absently distracted with a superficial flow of life, never delving into the real “rules” he has given us? All of life’s distractions getting in the way of finding that time and space to read his word and KNOW the rules in our heart, soul and mind. So while I don’t know that I’ll read a football manual for dummies to learn all the rules, I can be content to watch and support my son by being there while seeing the beauty of the sport through a mother’s eyes.

Dear Heavenly Father,
May I commit to read your word more. Fill me with your knowledge, guidance and wisdom for this life path I am on. Help me to grow and be a better example of what you have set forth for us in your word. Amen.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130

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