The Hiding Place July 10, 2011

BY: CORRIE ten BOOM

 Well, it was round two for our book club and there were only three of us.  But I refuse to let this deter our monthly meetings.  I was telling a girl at work about our book club and she asked what we had read so far, “Atlas Shrugged and The Hiding Place,” I said and she responded, “Wow, so you’re actually learning things!”  Maybe that’s all that needs to be said about the book club.

Regardless, for those who like to read, I would highly recommend Corrie ten Boom’s personal account of the Holocaust.  Her insight and wisdom is powerful.  Set in Holland, Corrie is raised in a Christian home with a clockmaker father who confronts every challenge with eloquence and wisdom.  I desperately long for his use of metaphor when facing a difficult situation.  The Beje (ten Boom home/shop) became a refuge for many Jews, but eventually they were caught.  Corrie re-lives the tragedies that she and her sister faced in prison and concentration camps.  Their steadfast faithfulness in the stench of evil and the face of death is convicting and inspiring to say the least.

Let’s cross our fingers for next month: This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Is there anything left to say? July 8, 2011

There are so many ways that I can be connected to the globe, I’m sure that if our ancestors could come to earth today their heads would swirl from Facebook, email, newspapers, internet, twitter, blogs, cell  phones, skype…I mean the list goes on and on.  I even wavered about whether or not to start this blog.  I’m not trying to market a company or sell a book…yet here I am writing into the bottomless pit of internet data.  In my mind, I imagine an overflowing stack of papers, books, and pictures floating through space and the only way to sort through them is to ask Google, but even Google cannot tell you if the information you’re compiling is worthy to read or not.

So we have millions of people update the world every time they take a bite of food (as if anyone really cares, and yet people are reading the tweets) and with the help of social networking, stalking has become some people’s part-time job.  Warning: You know it’s become an addiction when you learn an event from someone’s life through Facebook and then you talk about it with them before they have shared that detail with you.

Currently, I’m reading On Writing by Stephen King and though his life is really messed up (which I think we all figured based on the types of novels he writes) he had a profound thought that I have never considered before.  The book was published in 2000 and as I sat in bed reading it last night in 2011 our minds connected in thought and imagery.  As if the words on the page transcend time and King’s thoughts from 11 years ago as he typed at his desk in Maine became my thoughts as I sat propped up in bed straining to read by my bed side lamp.  As someone who longs to be a writer and novelist, it really struck me that my thoughts and words meet the minds of my readers (ha, what readers?) regardless of the time and place.  Now the problem lies in originality.  With the hundreds of blogs being posted every second, magazines and books galore, how can anyone have a unique idea?  Whatever I say is most likely recycled information that I have read, reworked with my personal experiences and regurgitated from a different throat.  I mean if I see one more Cinderella story I’m going to gag.

For now I’m not giving up all hope that I could have an original idea.  I’ll keep reading and thinking about the connection to the author’s inner thoughts.  I’ll keep writing into the void of WordPress.  Maybe just maybe, I’ll have something to say.

His Stamp of Approval June 29, 2011

This morning on the Today show they featured a father and daughter with a special relationship.  The father had read aloud to his daughter every day for the past ten years.  Their bond was obviously strong and the two of them appeared inseparable.  After the clip, Al interviewed a couple of women who are experts on father/daughter relationships.  One of the women scoffed exclaiming that girls should not need the approval of their fathers, and couldn’t understand why incredible women always sought the attention of their dads.

I was, am and will always be a daddy’s girl.  Even now at 24 years old, when I can see my dad for who he really is a man with passion and pitfalls, he can still draw out the deepest emotions of success and disappointment within myself.  I guess I could view this as a great weakness that I allow another person, a family member at that to dictate my self – worth.  But I disagree with that expert woman (maybe she needs her dad’s approval).  Growing up my dad instilled in me to be an independent and intelligent woman.  I think having that modeled in a mother role is important, but it’s just as important for the man in a girl’s life to want that for the women in his life.

The day I realized my dad wasn’t perfect was crushing.  But this father/daughter relationship translates perfectly into my faith.  My dad is an incredible person that I love and respect, but he cannot carry all of my burdens, solve all of my problems or be the steady constant throughout my life.  My heavenly Father is all of those things and more and I desperately seek to please him in all I think, say and do.  He is enough for me, but I am blessed to have a great dad who believes in me and has pushed me to reach my potential.  Where would we be without that person in our life who we desperately want to please – a parent, teacher, mentor…God.  I recognize fully that I am not where I stand today because of myself, but because I had a family that supported me, teachers that challenged my thinking and a Creator that equipped me with my values and talents.  So yes I am asking, dad/Father, have I measured up to all that you wanted me to be?

And I hope to hear when I stand before the throne some day, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

 

Let’s Catch Up June 27, 2011

 I can’t believe that June is wrapping up, summer nights are here and I haven’t blogged in months!  It’s time to catch up.  As I chirp away on my posts I feel as though I have a relationship with my blog.  We’ve spent much time together thinking and creating the right words and thoughts worthy of publishing.  I’ve neglected her and it’s time to get caught up.

 

Calling all readers!  Are you out there?  Do you exist?  In attempt to find meaningful conversation on literature, politics, history and religion my best friend and I have started a book club.  You wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve asked who have responded with “I don’t read much.”  Our first meeting consisted of 5 people in which we tangled with the question below – Who is John Galt?  Instead of reviewing the book, I’m just going to say - read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.  It will be worth every 1069 pages.  What really baffles me is the amount of people I have met who do not read books.  I just cannot understand this.  The moment I fold back that first page and run my finger down the black print, the spine cracks open to reveal the inner thoughts of brilliant minds, the troubles of a historical figure and the faraway places never to be seen and never to be journeyed except by the imagination of the reader.  If there is one thing I do as a teacher someday, I hope it is to inspire children to love the world of literature and the unlimited knowledge to be acquired through reading.

What does the doctor think? January 24, 2011

 

 If there’s one thing that can really get me worked up it’s politics.  Most of the time, I find it wise to keep this subject off-limits except with a close group of family and friends.  At the end of the day, it’s not worth arguing, offending and losing friendships over.  I’m breaking my own rules and posting this video because it discusses the new healthcare bill according to a surgeon’s perspective and I think that’s worth considering.  It really disturbs me that the majority of congress consists of lawyers.  An attorney has an important role in our society, but it is only ONE role, to uphold, advise and practice law.  A community cannot function without laborers, teachers, doctors, firefighters etc.  so to have such an unbalanced display of lawyers in congress frustrates me because they do not represent the whole of our country.  I would love to see my neighbor travel to DC to discuss issues that we both uphold.  But it really seems that it always boils down to money.  Money to campaign, bribes, favors, earmarks… Holding a position in public office calls for a self-sacrificing person; this is not a virtue that many Americans are familiar with.  I am certainly in no position to judge, but are we required to just stand by watching the news as complete strangers make decisions on our behalf before we even know what’s going on?

Focus on Gifts January 18, 2011

I am so tired of seeing my own dreams and the gifts of others wasted.  It is the most disheartening thing to hear someone refuse to think about how to face the challenges around the world because they are too big to make any difference anyway.  I am so grateful for people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa who are not tainted by that cynicism and refused to let that infection of defeat keep them from their purpose.  But those are just two examples, many people in my own life serve with their whole heart, sing with a voice that would bring tears to your eyes, and love so deeply it makes you want to try to do the same in your own life.  

About a month ago, I took my two little brothers to pack meals for Feed My Starving Children, an organization which sends food scientifically prepared for children on the brink of starvation to Haiti and all around the world.  One of the great aspects of the organization was that they had use for children and physically challenged people where you could sit in a chair and make labels or kids could stand on a stool and scoop rice.  It was a great service project and I wanted my brothers to see that they are part of the small privileged group in the world that does not have to worry about when their next meal will come.  Every child is egocentric, but through serving others their minds can begin to see the depravity many people around the world face daily and be grateful for what they have received.

It is so easy to feel instantly overwhelmed after watching a slide show of African orphans with swollen bellies or even just watching a movie like Blood Diamond which illuminates the role of our consumerism in fostering the conflicts in Sierra Leone.  This afternoon I began reading Community: The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block and he highlights John McKnight’s notion to focus on the gifts of an individual rather than their weaknesses.  It sounds so simple, but I really think it’s profound, especially pertaining to our role in serving our local and global community.  God has equipped each of us with a unique gift, maybe we haven’t honed in on it yet or it needs fine tuning, but it’s there. 

I really hate those applications where you have to list your three strengths and weaknesses, I get that it’s introspective and insightful to the company, but isn’t it always easier to come up with your three weaknesses!  Here’s the point, if we boldly affirmed our gifts in each other and ourselves, maybe we would find the courage to utilize them.  One person is not going to save the world, but by emphasizing our gifts, talents, and abilities we can say yes to helping more often instead of saying woof to the whole notion because there’s too many problems in the world to do anything about it.  My nine-year old brother’s two hours of service made an impact not only to another child in Haiti, but hopefully in his own heart.  It may seem like a little thing, but in fact it was great.

Martin’s Big Words January 17, 2011

Today many kids are watching cartoons late into the afternoon and on their third bowl of Lucky Charms because it’s MLK day.  Maybe this is my future cranky teacher self speaking, but would it be terrible if kids went to school for even a half day devoted to learning about Martin Luther King Jr.  Few people have walked a life of peace and reconciliation like Dr. King and what a better time to learn about his life than on his day.

                                     

Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Bryan Collier is a magnificent picture book on the life of Martin Luther King Jr.  Collier uses collage beautifully to place children right in the moment.  I absolutely love this book and the way it teaches freedom, peace, and the history of the civil rights movement through art. 

Yesterday morning at church, the pastor focused on the responsibility that the community has on raising and teaching children, alongside the parents.  Teachers, neighbors, and coaches all significantly shape the way a child will make decisions.  It really convicted me to live a life that models life-long learning, forgiveness, love, and most importantly obedience to God for my little brothers and future students.  The integration of history, reading, art and virtue in Martin’s Big Words is a great launching board for research and discussion on the injustices that we still witness today.

Nestled January 11, 2011

Sometimes I cannot believe I have a blog.  I do not tweet or update my facebook status on the simple principle that no one honestly cares what I’m doing at every moment of my day.  The blog serves a different purpose for me however, it’s more of an expression of my constant and racing thoughts.  So even if I only get one view a day, I want to try to keep up with this endeavour for myself. 

Anyways, I recently joined a twenty somethings transitional I don’t know what my future will hold but I really need you group at church.  There were two new members this week who had the exact same thoughts as mine the previous week: I’m stuck at home with my parents and I need a community of people my own age, quick!  Is it just our generation of the late eighties babies that are all moving home after college?  And if so, why?  Of course we can blame the economy, the dream job is not to be found and with the price of tuition rising, the student debt is rising, naturally leaving home as a great alternative.  I must say it is an awkward transition to behold: dinner with your parents every night, chores, constant worrying from your mother…anyone who has done this will commiserate with me here.  So do we just need to get kicked out of the nest or is there something deeper to address?

My sophomore year of college the pastor at Muncie Alliance Church challenged the students to retain their friendships post college by staying together, living close, and utilizing each other’s talents in their community.  It would require sacrifice for some but the end result would take the deep bonds established over four years of living in the dormitories together and channel that energy to impact each other and a community.  By encouraging one another and edifying the group they could have a greater force in their work and ministry.  Of course as a sophomore this was idyllic and my friends were going to set out to do just that!  But after senior year, reality sets in: some cannot afford to live on their own, some cannot find jobs, some want to go on to graduate school…Now after a year and a half, I wish I had listened more carefully to Guy’s advice and put more effort into the idea.  I think from the outside this could sound weak and pathetic.  After college you are supposed to fly from the nest on your own and plant yourself in unfamiliar territory to test your adult skills, see if you can make it.  But what’s so wrong with needing people, finding comfort in familiar faces, and learning to grow with people who are there to support you. 

I’m very pleased to be making new friends and finding a new community.  But how many twenty something I still don’t know what’s next for me’s are out there feeling isolated?  Many of us are in the same boat and I think my suggestion would be that it’s not weak to need friends, family, and community to pour into your new stage of life.  In fact I think everyone’s soul desperately needs to be known and loved.

Vita, Vega, What?? September 16, 2010

Still to this day I have never seen Bambi.  I think that my parents realized I needed to be banned from all animal movies when I cried watching AirBud.  Probably for my entire life I have considered that I should become a vegetarian, but to be honest I love biting into a juicy burger.  About once a month or so I have an insatiable craving for smoky, barbecue ribs.  (Honestly, my mouth is salivating just writing this) So it’s always been hard for me to imagine that I could actually sustain a vegetarian diet.  I hadn’t given it serious consideration until I was sucked in by this silly title: Skinny Bitch.  I’m still undecided on how reputable I think the authors of this book are, but what I will give them is that they really made me ponder the humanity of how we raise and slaughter our meat and also the nutritional aspects of going Veg.  This one little book has now plunged me into a stack of books to figure out what exactly are the facts. 

So here’s the titles: The China Study, T. Colin Campbell; The Omnivore’s Dilemma & In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan; Slaughterhouse, Gail A. Eisnitz

I’m not making any decisions right now!  But I am going to spend some time becoming informed.  One of my dear friends, a fellow meat lover, made the point that God placed animals on earth for our use and I agree with that.  So I am going to approach this research from two sides: the humanity of how we raise and slaughter the animals that God has placed here and the health benefits of meat versus veggies. 

One thing that I am certain of: I do not want to become obsessed with food and eating.  Life is more than food, life is more than how we look.  So I think we can make informed choices in the grocery store without worrying over every morsel. 

As long as these books don’t tell me I have to start taking Vitameatavegamin every morning for breakfast, I’ll keep updating what I find out!

My Heart Belongs to the City September 8, 2010

I think you know you belong in the city when your heart skips a beat as you step off the train and your legs take a mind of their own as they maneuver through the crowds and skyscrapers.  It was the perfect day for Chicago last weekend, breezy as usual but sunny.  So the most important part of a trip is typically food, and eating is definitely the best part of Chicago, so here’s what I ate:

This sweet little boutique is completely out of place on Wabash.  It’s a tiny little place, but once your lips squish into their cream cheese frosting, you’ll forget where you are for that delicious moment.  If I am going to indulge in sugar bliss, I have to have the perfect setting.  You can’t just eat the perfect cupcake while walking down Wabash, so I relocated to Millenium Park with my first pumpkin spice latte of the season and let me tell you, my heart was happy.  I tried the Cinnamon Carrot and Red Velvet cupcakes and I can’t even describe them, you just need to go and try them for yourself.  And if you’re wondering if my only plan when I arrived downtown was to try these cupcakes, you’d be right.

After perusing the bookstore which is the perfect use of time on a Sunday afternoon, I went to the LuxBar on Rush.  Now, I have been to this restaurant before with my two best friends, but it was January.  So the experience in September was perfect with outdoor seating and perfect margaritas.  Now if you’re on a diet, these truffle fries are worth cheating for.

 

I kind of feel silly spending a whole post just salivating over my food, but then again I recently read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and she has captivated the masses, including myself with her time spent with Italian food and the Italian language.  So at the end of the day, maybe by simply putting our food cravings in the proper setting whether Rome or Chicago, we can enjoy not only the food but satisfy our heart in the simple pleasures of life.