WOW!!!

Posting two days in a row! How 'bout that!!!

Really, I have nothing to say.

Merry almost Christmas!

What's With the Long Posts?

I just noticed that two of the three (not counting this one) posts I've just done are pretty stinkin' long. Sorry 'bout that. Guess when I've been away for a while, it all just comes spilling out. I know. Blogging regularly could help me avoid this. Can you say "hiatus"?

Noodling

I'm thinking about my 2009 goals. Pastor's about to launch into a new series that will somehow include fasting. I haven't regularly fasted in ages. In my head, I figured I shouldn't fast because my motives wouldn't be entirely pure, since I'd look at is a weight loss opportunity rather than a spiritual exercise. Total cop out. I know. But it worked for a long time in my head. I'm really eager to hear what he has to say about fasting once this new series starts. Especially since I'm getting the feeling that regularly incorporating fasting into my spiritual exercises needs to somehow make it onto my 2009 goal list.

I'm thinking that social stuff needs to somehow also make it onto the list. Not quite sure what the concrete manifestation needs to be on that. I'm lousy at maintaining friendships. I totally stink at true openness and vulnerability with other people. It's risky and uncomfortable. And Husband and I have gotten so comfortable in our patterns and habits, and they generally just don't really include anybody besides the two of us. And yet I know I'm missing out on some great relationships by not being open or actively pursuing them. Thing is -- I LOVE entertaining at home, cooking a big dinner, sitting around and playing games or talking. We actually used to do this a bunch, years ago. But I can't even remember the last time we had friends over for dinner. And this would seem like the perfect combination -- a way to really pursue and cultivate great relationships that gives me an outlet for cooking and hosting people I care about. Yet we just don't do it. Now, this one will include Husband, so I need to talk to him about it before I just launch into a goal. But I'm thinking I need to be the driver on this one. Also SERIOUSLY need to pray over what exactly God wants me/us to pursue in this particular area. But I'm feeling convicted about it in general, so it may get a temporary placeholder on th 2009 goal list.

Reading more and the fitness/healthy eating stuff both need to stay on my goal list. Maybe as maintaing, maybe as bumping up another notch. Maybe 15 books. Maybe lose the second half of the weight I'm chipping away at.

I'm not sure more than 4-5 goals for the year is a good idea -- if there are too many, I may feel overwhelmed and get discouraged. I want to make sure they're achievable, but that they'll also push me to whatever next level God wants me aiming for. And if He wants me aiming for something I think is unattainable, so be it -- I'll aim.

Anyway, the one goal I'm aiming for to finish out 2008 is to finish Christmas shopping for Husband! He bought himself his big gift this year, just like he did last year. 2007 was a Roomba (which he named Ronnie.). 2008 is a new shotgun (which he's already taken out for a spin). But I do want him to have a couple of little things to unwrap from me for Christmas.

One More Thing...

The gap between Sept. 25 and Dec. 17 is inexcusable. So yes, the hiatus still holds. Maybe I should change the name of the blog to "Hiatus." Or perhaps "Some of the Answers Some of the Time." Or "Periodically, Some of the Answers." Or "Some of the Answers, but Maybe Not Right Away." Or I'll just leave it as is and maintain the "hiatus" status. Hmph.

2008 Goals Update

I'm not even going to discuss the passage of time or the fact that it's December 17. It's crazy.

I had 4 goals that I outlined in January, things I really wanted to beef up or accomplish this year. And I believe I've made all four of them. As a refresher:

* Goal: Beef up my prayer/journaling time and at least maintain my Bible reading every morning. Result: Bingo! Part-way through the year, I doubled my reading -- I was aiming for a minimum of a chapter a day. I've been consistently reading at least two a day. And I've gotten much more consistent on weekends and time away from home. When I'm in the work-day routine, it works great, but non-work-days have gotten pretty consistent. And the prayer/journaling is going great. God's been absolutely amazing and faithful. Now to pray about goals in this area for 2009...

* Goal: Maintain exercise of 3 1-hour classes each week and add in puppy walking. Result: Got this one too. And added in Weight Watchers in May. Have lost about 30 pounds and I'm feeling a ton better. I'm a better steward of the body God put in my care and I'll be more physically healthy and capable for fulfilling whatever He leads me to in the future. It'd be awful if I short-circuted His will for me by poor stewardship and I undermine my capabilities and I'm not physically able to complete what He calls me to do. So with His strength and guidance, I'm taking care of this body.

* Goal: Read at least 10 books. Result: Done!
1. Surrounded by Geniuses
2. The Romanov Prophecy
3. Ana's Story
4. Caesar's Way
5. The Purpose-Driven Life
6. The Screwtape Letters
7. Economic Facts and Fallacies (this was dense and took a while)
8. What Remains
9. The Fair Tax Book
10. Somebody's Gotta Say It
11. Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Extra 1/2: The Basset Hound

Woo-hoo!

* Goal: Make at least 3 new recipes each month. Result: Did it! Too many to list here, but especially since May, I've been trying out a ton of new WW recipes. I think there've been three I've had to pitch -- a potato soup one, an oven-baked omelet, and "Git yo man chicken," (from foodtv.com). Most of the others were at least mediocre, if not darn good. I think some of my favorites have been:

- feta-stuffed chicken burgers
- roasted butternut squash soup
- green beans with carmelized shallots
- pan-fried tilapia (with flounder instead)
- spicy shrimp soup
- slow-cooker lasagna
- 3-bean and pork slow-cooker chilli
- hungry girl's chicken alfredo
- diet coke chicken

There've been a lot of good recipes this year, and I've really enjoyed cooking them.



On another note, I'm so relieved that I'm not two weeks from the end of the year and scrambling to meet the goals -- that so much progress happened consistently over the course of the year, and I got much further than what the goal was in so many areas. I'm pleased. But now is no time to rest on my laurels. No, sir. Now is the time to start working on setting the goals for 2009. Should make it into a future post. No promises of when...

Stormy Ocean

Oh, it's just gorgeous! We're in a townhouse with Mom, Dad, my sister, her husband, and their 3 1/2 year old. Ocean front. And it's in the mid-60s with high winds and rough surf. It's simply beautiful. This grey and white ocean with tints of green in it here and there. The sky is all misty. It's definitely a sweatpants kind of day. And even though we were hoping for a day of crabbing or hanging out on the beach, this is wonderful, too. A reminder of God's power.

Fall's a-Comin'

The weather is just getting wonderful. A little bit of crispness in the air in the mornings -- just the way I like it! Husband got me a pink "Team Palin" t-shirt. It's awesome. I'm still struggling with the possibility (probability?) of having a woman a breath away from the presidency, though. Call me old fashioned, but it just doesn't sit well. I've got a tremendously strong preference for keeping men in leadership roles and having women in more support type of roles. Now, if I have to choose between an absolutely awful and unacceptable man and a woman who's qualified, competent, bright, and more-than-able? I reluctantly go with the woman. Let's be frank. I'm uneasy with the potential of a woman who may be going through the "life change" making decisions about the country going to war and such. I just don't think hormones should factor into it. YES, I know that a woman will bring a different set of psychology and such to the position, and some of that would be positive. But there's just this uneasiness in the pit of my stomach about it. And don't give me any nonsense about men and women not being different. We are. Very diffferent. Very similar, too. But also very different. Psychologically, emotionally, physically. Lots of differences. That's how God created us. And I also believe that God designed us for different roles -- not one superior to another, but complementary -- and that men are generally better suited for head or leader roles.

All that being said, if we eliminate gender from the equation and look simply at issues and experience, it's a super-easy choice for me come November. Adding gender back in, it's two men running against a man and a woman, where the man is in the primary leader role, though the woman is set up to step into that should something happen to him. Having a woman on the ticket make me a bit uneasy, but it's still a fairly simple choice for me. Obama is such a far-left liberal socialist -- if I didn't vote McCain/Palin, I'd write somebody else in, abstain, or vote Libertarian (and I just can't see myself doing that -- there are too many disqualifying issues for the general Libertarian platform). Anyway, we'll see if I suffer any convictions in the coming 6-or-so weeks til the election (I seriously doubt any of those possible convictions would push me toward voting for the rock star). But either way, I still like my pink Palin t-shirt.

Still Around

See? This is why the hiatus still holds.

Goodness, it got busy there. Work is crazy busy, but it's good. Good busy. Penny puppy is great. Husband is good. Church is wonderful -- so glad Pastor's back. Choir was super-great this weekend. I love when we're presenting. It leaves me a strange combination of drained and filled up. But I usually need a nap. Which was interrupted today by Husband calling after orchestra rehearsal to ask me to pick him up at the garage cause his car had a coolant leak. Ugh. We can easily manage with just one car for the next two days. We'll see what the garage says about how long the repairs will take and whether or not we'll need to get a rental. It'll all be okay, though. God's got it taken care of. Husband remained tremendously unruffled through the whole thing so far -- I started to stress just a little bit, but then he brought me back down. It's all good. He's good for me.

I was listening to a conversation among a few guys this afternoon about how husbands and wives complement one another, and one asserted that marriage is (can be? not sure exactly of his word choice and I don't want to put words in his mouth) a purely economical situation that has a tremendous benefit for men. Funny how it aligned with the Male-Female Facts and Fallacies chapter I was just finishing in Thomas Sowell's "Economic Facts and Fallacies." So I jumped in. It was a fun conversation. I was the only woman there at the time, which was interesting.

BTW, I'm really enjoying Sowell's book.

I also finished Neal Boortz's "Somebody's Got to Say It." (Or is it "Somebody's Gotta Say It"? I'm not sure.) It was entertaining and interesting, but I certainly can't say I bought into the whole thing. There were full points where I parted with him at the very beginning of his logic. I understand his arguments, and most are generally pretty logical. But some are missing a key point -- like his positions on evolution vs. creation, homosexuality, and abortion, to name a few. I did enjoy it, though. It was a fairly quick read and kept me entertained. And I did learn a few things. That's always good.

I'm also stil working through Isaiah again. I love how each time I read a book, chapter, or verse, God shows me something new or different, or He's given me experiences since the last time that put the passage in a different light. He's so faithful and good. Even, and sometimes especially, when I'm not. At one point this weekend, I was just overwhelmed with how far I fall short and how much I don't deserve to be serving Him, to be serving with so many faithful Christians. God is just so good, and His mercy and grace are overwhelming.

Moses and Isaiah

What a contrast. I'm reading Isaiah right now, and in 6:8, God asks, "Whom shall I send?" And Isaiah just says, "Here I am. Send me." No "what for?" Or "where?" Or "for how long?" He just said, "I'm in -- send me." And when I read that, it brought to mind the contrast between the responses that Isaiah and Moses gave God when he called them. When God called Moses in Exodus 3, He gave a whole bunch of the details -- I've heard my people crying out to me, I am concerned about them, and I want you to help me free them by going to Pharaoh and leading them out of Egypt. And instead of saying, "okay," Moses said, "wait a minute -- I can't do this. Who am I that I should do this?, and what if Pharaoh says this, and what if Pharaoh says that..."

Now, before I get all critical of Moses, the information God gave them before they responded was different. All Isaiah got was, "who am I going to send?" But Moses got a bunch more detail -- "I need to send you to Pharaoh to set my people free and lead them out of Egypt. And I'll be with you the whole way." So Isaiah was responding to what sounded like a more general call, and Moses was responding to a very specific one.

The day I read the passage in Isaiah, I prayed that I would respond to God the way Isaiah did, in obedience, pure and simple, available to God for whatever he decides to do with me. But I'm suspicious of myself. If I'm really being honest, I'd probably respond a little more like Moses. "God, I can't do that. I'm not ready. I'm not equipped. I'm not good at that. What if they laugh at me?" And to a similar point, I'm not sure how I'd respond given the different sets of information provided -- Hey, who's with me? vs. Hey, I want you to do A, B, C, D, and E. Are people in general more likely to respond positively to a general call, or one with much more detail? I'd suspect the general. Seems that more people get on board when something is more conceptual or general, and when they start to learn the details, a lot of excuses come up -- I can't go talk to Pharaoh cause I'm not a good speaker. God, if you'd ask me to just be a shepherd, I can do that. If you'd ask me to blah blah blah, I can do that. But I can't do specifically what you want me to do how you want me to do it when and where you want me to do it because of all these excuses I'm coming up with... Would Isaiah have balked at the call if God told him all the details? Would Moses have volunteered or gotten on board if God had just said, "Hey, I need somebody to do something for me -- you in?" Obviously, only God knows.

I'd like to say that I'd respond like Isaiah did no matter how the call comes or how much information it includes. I can't put limits on my obedience to God. He holds everything -- every single detail of His plans for us. Are generalities scary? Are all the details overwhelming? Maybe. But God is good, and His plans for us are better than anything we want for ourselves. It's like Peter walking on the water -- if we keep our eyes on Him, the circumstances don't matter and we just follow. If we focus on the circumstances, we lose sight of him and stumble.