Daily Blogs

Leave a comment Posted on Business Sense, Character Corner, Daily Blogs

Labor Day Learning

Happy Labor Day!

I hope you ate some tasty food. 

We had barbecue (my personal favorite) and sang America, the Beautiful. 

Did you know that Labor Day’s been around since the 1800s? 

The holiday was and is about celebrating all the laborers who work hard, building and maintaining America’s varying infrastructures. 

 

This is the closest I’ve ever come to being a lumberjack. Happy Labor Day!

 From homes and offices to highways and bridges–and everything in between–America would look a lot different without the hard work of tradesmen. 

I encourage you to read up on the history of Labor Day. Google that junk, as my friend Bethany would say. 

Yes, there is more to the holiday than simply enjoying a long weekend and eating barbecue (though I want to know when National Barbecue Day rolls around). 

Put down your fork for 5 minutes and learn something. 

History is all around us. It’s not confined to a dusty textbook. And it can only be ignored for so long. 

I don’t want to be a mindless zombie when it comes to holidays. 

I want to take the time to celebrate each one by honoring its unique history. 

3 Comments Posted on Book Nook, Daily Blogs

Must Read: All Over but the Shoutin’

All Over but the Shoutin‘ is one of my favorite books. I read it just about every year. 

  My high school librarian, Ms. Laurie Dunlap, recommended the book to me. 

(Now that I think about it, she introduced me to many of my favorite books.  I need to take her out to lunch one day to say thanks.)

Rick Bragg is a natural born storyteller. 

He has a way of finding the light in the darkest of stories, but he’s also not a liar, which is refreshing. 

This book is a biography that focuses on his mom’s sacrifices to provide the best life possible for himself and his brothers, Sam and Mark. 

This is the first book that made me cry. I was sitting in math class and I couldn’t stop the tears. 

If you enjoy biographies, I highly recommend this book. 

Leave a comment Posted on Character Corner, Daily Blogs, Family

A clean perspective 

Today’s post will be short and sweet because I’m tired. 

I spent the day cleaning house with my family. We wanted the house to look nice when my stepmom and sisters arrive home this Tuesday. 

We had a lot to do but my battle plan worked! 

Okay, it wasn’t really a battle plan…it was only a list. The list, though, held me accountable. 

The little people were a great help too!

Caleb and Selah put all their toys away. 

Courage did a great job of unfolding clothes and taking toys back out of the toy box. His cuteness was a nice distraction from the tediousness, so we forgave him each time. 

Cleaning house isn’t glamorous but I was reminded today of my family’s many, many blessings. 

We have nothing to complain about and God has given us more than we need. 

(I spent all day cleaning up that more, which is how I know.)

So, yeah, cleaning house isn’t always fun, but it’s good to keep things in perspective: I have a house to clean. I have food to eat. 

I’d say I have it made….

1 Comment Posted on Daily Blogs, Faith Journeys

Lessons from the War Room

I watched War Room yesterday. It is, by far, the best Kendrick Brothers film to date.

Here’s the description, taken from the official movie website:

Tony and Elizabeth Jordan have it all—great jobs, a beautiful daughter, and their dream house. But appearances can be deceiving. Tony and Elizabeth Jordan’s world is actually crumbling under the strain of a failing marriage. While Tony basks in his professional success and flirts with temptation, Elizabeth resigns herself to increasing bitterness. But their lives take an unexpected turn when Elizabeth meets her newest client, Miss Clara, and is challenged to establish a “war room” and a battle plan of prayer for her family. As Elizabeth tries to fight for her family, Tony’s hidden struggles come to light. Tony must decide if he will make amends to his family and prove Miss Clara’s wisdom that victories don’t come by accident.

Facebook/War Room

Facebook/War Room

Here are 5 lessons I learned by watching War Room:

  • I need to pray more.
    • As Christians, we’re told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). I always have time to chat, but I find that God gets scraps of my attention.
  • I need to be more intentional.
    • It’s easy to get caught up in the “Dear Lord, please be with ______” kind of prayers. I need to be more specific as I pray, taking my time instead of sending up emergency flares.
  • I need to pray the Scriptures.
    • This is pretty self-explanatory, but I want to start praying scripture passages, especially as I get more intentional in my conversations with God.
  • I need to pray more with other Christians.
    • Praying with others is not only a part of “bearing each others burdens” (Gal. 6:2) but also an important part of connecting in faith about a specific request.
  • I need to praise God when my prayers are answered.
    • I don’t praise God enough when a prayer is answered. Not doing so is selfish and reveals an underlying attitude of ungratefulness.
Leave a comment Posted on Daily Blogs, Faith Journeys, Family

The confusion of neutrality

I was asked to share my thoughts on gender neutrality, so here I go.

If Bob identifies as Sally, it’s wrong to not allow Sally into the ladies room. It’s also wrong to not call him a her.

The confusion and tension around these issues is palpable.

Universities now have whole departments dedicated to educating students on gender diversity. The University of Tennessee’s department made headlines for encouraging the use of gender neutral pronouns.

This year at registration, Harvard asked students to give their names and the pronouns they want to be identified by. This is to aid professors and create inclusivity in the classroom. Students at the University of Vermont have the same options.

You can even be considered “genderqueer” which is a term that indicates you fluctuate between masculinity and femininity.

Online dating sites and Facebook allows users to customize their genders. There are over 50 options to choose from.

Yes, many feel that gender is not limited or confined to sex. Gender is a continuum and each individual falls somewhere within the spectrum.

Parents are joining the war for gender neutrality by asking Target to remove gender signage. Little Jimmy wants to play with Barbies and Little Susie wants to play with Nerf guns.

I did a lot of reading for today’s post. My brain is about to explode….

I find it hard enough to be a heterosexual female in today’s world and if you read yesterday’s post, you know that it’s an even bigger challenge to still be a virgin.

Now I have to ask my friends for their name and preferred pronoun.

I could think John Doe is a cute guy one day and the next day he’s wearing a skirt.

There are no absolutes anymore.

All of these changes are supposed to make life easier for everyone, so why does it get more confusing by the day?

Gender is a subject that can never be made neutral–no matter how many pronouns we add.

For your consideration:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/gender-neutral-pronouns-when-they-doesnt-identify-as-either-male-or-female/2014/10/27/41965f5e-5ac0-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html

http://wjhl.com/2015/09/02/ramsey-threatens-action-after-ut-post-on-gender-neutral-pronouns/

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2015/09/01/lawmaker-senate-should-investigate-ut-pronouns-post/71529306/

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/09/03/harvard-allows-students-register-with-gender-neutral-pronouns/IM40t3nOzXT8kcvN40RHeO/story.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/education/edlife/a-university-recognizes-a-third-gender-neutral.html?_r=1

https://corporate.target.com/article/2015/08/gender-based-signs-corporate

http://time.com/3990442/target-gender-based-signs/

Leave a comment Posted on Character Corner, Daily Blogs, Faith Journeys, Family

Don’t fall in the muck hole

IMG_1566When did being raunchy become the new standard?

The filth that spews out of music and television….

Trying to find a decent comedian to listen to or a movie to watch is nearly impossible.

And then I read up on the Miley Cyrus incident. (Need I say more?)

Sometimes I think we’re living in the time of the cavemen. People behave like they have to respond to their every feeling and impulse.

“I’m an animal with no self-control!” is the new mantra.

For a culture that’s supposedly “civilized” we enjoy muck a bit too much.

Our obsession with sex is out of control.

What I find ironic is that no one wants to get married but everyone wants to hop into bed.

This craziness has seeped it’s way into Christian circles too. (Though no one is willing to talk about it.)

Today, it’s almost like you have to make a choice:

A) Be as crude and vulgar as you possibly can.

B) Be a Puritan.

I’m neither brazen nor puritanical in nature.

I just don’t want to abuse a gift from God.

I’ve had more single friends tell me, “Oh! It’s so cute you’re still a virgin.” or “Loosen up. You’ll never find a guy who’s a virgin anymore.”

Since when did the concepts of virginity and purity become “cute”?

It’s time we stop believing the cultural lies about sex because these lies are leading us to a dangerous place where even the most “civilized” and “evolved” among us can’t reason their way out.

Leave a comment Posted on Character Corner, Daily Blogs

Eating with gratitude

Today I ate a grape salad.

It’s not that I wanted a grape salad or even that I particularly care for grape salad….

A new friend wanted me to try something she really enjoyed.

I’m not a super picky eater. The list of foods I don’t like is very small.

I consider this a gift because being weird about food, especially in America, is quite common.

We can be as picky as we want. There’s food everywhere.

Don’t like KFC?

Try Popeye’s or Church’s or Bojangles.

thanksDon’t like McDonald’s?

Try Burger King or Rally’s or Five Guys or Jacks or Wendy’s.

We have so much food that we throw a lot of it away.

You can eat as healthy or unhealthy as you like too.

So many choices and yet there’s a high level of ungratefulness.

This is what bothers me.

People die of hunger every day.

There’s no need for that.

In America, eliminating wastefulness would solve the hunger problem.

Around the globe, we can teach people how to grow crops more effectively.

The answers are all around us!

Countless ministries and nonprofit groups are leading the way. All it takes is a little bit of creativity and a whole heap of generosity.

It’s time to quit being so ungrateful.

Many of us have never known the pangs of hunger.

Suck it up, okay?

Eat a grape salad every once in a while–even if you don’t care for it.

Because the person sharing it with you has a lot less than you do….

*Disclaimer: Do not eat foods you’re allergic to just to be nice. Doing so doesn’t make you nice, it makes you stupid.*

Leave a comment Posted on Character Corner, Daily Blogs

Celebrating a great teacher

Yesterday was bittersweet for me.

Rose Sunday is one of my favorite traditions, but another event followed it: Dr. Hokanson’s memorial.

Saying goodbye is hard–even if you know someone’s a Christian.

ChrisHokansonDr. H’s memorial, though, was the best one I have ever attended. I know that’s a weird statement to make, but it’s true.

We focused on the lessons Dr. H left us, lessons that are very much alive and well.

Dr. Hokanson’s brother, Charles, gave the greatest eulogy I have ever heard.

We learned more about Dr. H by listening to his brother share precious memories with us. 

I walked away from the memorial with two thoughts:

  1. Am I using the gifts God’s given me?
  2. Am I encouraging others to do the same?

Because Dr. Hokanson did both of these things quite well.

And that’s all we talked about, really.

These two themes that made up Dr. H’s every day life.

The memorial was brimming with hope, with life.

Yes, I’m still a little angry that cancer took away such a great man too early.

But I know Dr. H is in Heaven, hanging out with Jesus. The pain is softened when I think about how much fun he’s having.

Plus, if Jane Austen’s there (I’m sure she is) he’s probably having tea with her right now.

His scones were the best too!

Leave a comment Posted on Daily Blogs, Family

Rose Sunday Adventures

Selah and I had a great time at Rose Sunday! What a privilege to be a part of the 100th celebration of such a special tradition. 

Selah added an extra element of joy because I experienced one of my favorite traditions through her eyes. 

 

Selah standing outside Jewett Hall

 I want to share my top 5 highlights of the day with Selah:

  1. “This place is as pretty as a church, but it’s really a school.” (Comment as we walked around campus.)
  2. “I’m glad the ivy is good ivy because all the girls would be itchy right now if it was poison ivy.” (Comment upon seeing the girls hold up the ivy chain.)
  3. “Is this where all the girls in beautiful dresses live?” (Asked as we stood outside the freshman dorm.)
  4. I enjoyed racing Selah around the hockey field. 
  5. Selah and I playing “car-nado” on the ride home. (Rolling all the windows down as we drove down Highway 5.)

Selah loved the butterfly garden

Our sister day was a huge success. It was fun showing her around my old stomping grounds. 

Tomorrow I’ll share about Dr. Hokanson’s memorial service. 

Now, to crash after this long day…

Leave a comment Posted on Daily Blogs, Family

Saturday Shenanigans

I hope your Saturday was awesome!

My dad and I took the kiddos to the Rick and Bubba Outdoor Expo. 

It was our first time going to the event and I give it two thumbs up! 

Here are some pictures from our day: 

 

I met Pumba’s great grandpa.

  
 

In honor of Canada we kissed a Canadian moose.

 

The kiddos wanted a picture in front of the “birthday party car.”

 
 

I won a prize (a nice bottle of wine) ! Now, to grill some steaks…

 
Be on the lookout for more pictures tomorrow. 

Selah and I are headed down to Judson for Rose Sunday. Our beautiful dresses (Selah’s words) are all picked out and ready to go!