I am a rule girl. I follow the rules. Yes, there are times when I like to push the boundaries of the rules (especially, these days, when it comes to understanding God, the Bible and Christianity) but I am a hard wired, follow the rules kinda girl.
One rule that I have been told all my life, and that has spawned many a fantastic sitcom episode, is that tasting food in the supermarket is forbidden. You cannot pick up a bag of grapes, open the bag and taste one and then not buy the bag of grapes. There is no taste testing in supermarkets...
Except yesterday, I was in the supermarket and I was looking at the grapes, and the lady working in the produce section looked at me and said, "taste one before you buy it." WHAT?!?! I know my face showed my complete lack of disbelief as I said "Are you serious?" "Absolutely," she replied, "we want you to. In fact, if you want to taste an orange, I'll go over and cut one open for you." I looked around for the candid camera. Not kidding. I thought maybe an alarm would go off and the produce police would come out and fine me but I reached into the bag of grapes, with the produce person watching and tasted a grape. No alarm bells, no produce police and no grapes. They were sour, even the red ones.
I'm not sure how I feel about this change in rules and I honestly don't know if it's all supermarkets or just this one in town that wants us to taste test the produce before purchasing but I'll tell you what, I certainly appreciated not spending $4 on sour grapes yesterday. As for the orange, well, I don't really like them anyway so I didn't take her up on the offer. It is nice to know, though, that some rules are made to be broken.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
The car phenomenon redux
When I was in youth ministry I used to be amazed at the power held by the front seat of the car. Not just those annoying squabbles that would start the moment the car came into view about who got "shot gun" but the power the front seat had to turn the quietest kid into a veritable fountain of words. It was not the wisest decision to drive teens places by myself, I recognize my naivete looking back, but those moments driving kids home were precious and so important.
Of course, the car phenomenon also occurred when other teens were in the car but it took on a different twist. The adult driver, whoever they were, ceased to be a person with ears listening to the conversation. I learned more about the youth in the youth group I was leading driving on a 2 hour car trips than I did at youth group nights for two months. Only the shrewdest of youth members would remember that I was driving the car, but usually it was like I wasn't in there or suddenly couldn't understand their language, the fountain of words would just flow. I would pipe in from time to time with a comment, especially when the conversation got a little too iffy for a youth group trip, or burst out laughing at the most absurd parts of the conversation just because I could not contain the laughter any more. Those conversations are why we had monthly youth group excursions to places at least a half hour away.
A few former youth members, whom I now call friends, and I headed out to the Big City this past weekend. It was about an hour and a half car ride. The topics of discussion were varied and fun and we reminisced about the days of long youth group car trips. They are at a point now where they are the adults taking youth group members places and they experience what I experienced. It was awesome.
But the moment that clinched the whole day for me came in the 10 minute car ride from dropping one person off to the other persons house. I was driving, they were in the back seat (too tired to move) and the power of the back seat was immense. The fountain of words began to flow, so much so that we sat in their driveway for 10 minutes just talking. I looked in the rear view mirror at this former youth member, who I now call friend, and tried really hard not to cry. For sitting looking back at me was an adult, but also a teenager I had shuttled home for years, and there I was listening to them share their heart all these years later.
While much has changed, the phenomenon of the car remains.
Of course, the car phenomenon also occurred when other teens were in the car but it took on a different twist. The adult driver, whoever they were, ceased to be a person with ears listening to the conversation. I learned more about the youth in the youth group I was leading driving on a 2 hour car trips than I did at youth group nights for two months. Only the shrewdest of youth members would remember that I was driving the car, but usually it was like I wasn't in there or suddenly couldn't understand their language, the fountain of words would just flow. I would pipe in from time to time with a comment, especially when the conversation got a little too iffy for a youth group trip, or burst out laughing at the most absurd parts of the conversation just because I could not contain the laughter any more. Those conversations are why we had monthly youth group excursions to places at least a half hour away.
A few former youth members, whom I now call friends, and I headed out to the Big City this past weekend. It was about an hour and a half car ride. The topics of discussion were varied and fun and we reminisced about the days of long youth group car trips. They are at a point now where they are the adults taking youth group members places and they experience what I experienced. It was awesome.
But the moment that clinched the whole day for me came in the 10 minute car ride from dropping one person off to the other persons house. I was driving, they were in the back seat (too tired to move) and the power of the back seat was immense. The fountain of words began to flow, so much so that we sat in their driveway for 10 minutes just talking. I looked in the rear view mirror at this former youth member, who I now call friend, and tried really hard not to cry. For sitting looking back at me was an adult, but also a teenager I had shuttled home for years, and there I was listening to them share their heart all these years later.
While much has changed, the phenomenon of the car remains.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Friends
I received a text message this morning, complete with picture, that left me in tears...tears of laughter. One minute I was working on the Monday Morning Message that didn't want to be manipulated the way I wanted it manipulated and the next I was laughing, loudly, in the office with tears rolling down my face.
I firmly contend that we all need someone, or a few someones, in our life with whom we can share the nitty-gritty details about daily living. People with whom you can pour out the depths of your soul and know, for absolute certain, they are not judging you, nor are they laughing AT you. People that you know your deepest darkest secrets can be unveiled and they won't tell another soul on earth. People who have seen you at your worst and they still call or text or email.
I am grateful to have a few of those kinds of people in my life. I am grateful, too, that it isn't a one way sharing street. I can send the text that tells them about my latest adventure in being me and they will reciprocate...though usually not on the same day.
Here's to all those friends with whom we can bare our souls and know that we are safe!!! And to text messages that make us laugh so hard we cry. :)
I firmly contend that we all need someone, or a few someones, in our life with whom we can share the nitty-gritty details about daily living. People with whom you can pour out the depths of your soul and know, for absolute certain, they are not judging you, nor are they laughing AT you. People that you know your deepest darkest secrets can be unveiled and they won't tell another soul on earth. People who have seen you at your worst and they still call or text or email.
I am grateful to have a few of those kinds of people in my life. I am grateful, too, that it isn't a one way sharing street. I can send the text that tells them about my latest adventure in being me and they will reciprocate...though usually not on the same day.
Here's to all those friends with whom we can bare our souls and know that we are safe!!! And to text messages that make us laugh so hard we cry. :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Acronym's in my life
There are moments when I have to stop and just laugh at the absurdity of the world in which I reside.
In my job as an Administrative Assistant for District____ of Rotary International, I have had to learn a whole new lingo. There is the District Governor, who can also go by DG. The District Governor Elect or DGE. The District Governor Nominee or DGN. Now we have the District Governor Nominee Designate or DGND. They, as a whole, are also known as the Governor String or the G-String. I do not make this up.
There are a whole slew of people with the title of PDG or Past District Governor. There are AG's who are Assistant Governor's for Area's...which completely confused me for the first six months where I kept calling the Assistant Governor's the Area Governor's. The acronym still worked!
We also have the PE's aka President's-Elect and the PN or PEN (President Nominee or President Elect Nominee depending on the club).
My personal favorite, though has got to be the Rotary International President or RIP. Can anyone blame me when I see RIP John Henry and immediately wonder when I missed the memo that John Henry died? PRIP confused the heck out of me to until I finally figured it out Past Rotary International President. My head is spinning.
Now, I have only just grazed the surface of the acronym's that I must be familiar with to speak Rotary. There is TRF and PHS, not to be confused with PHF (I think I made that one up) and SARs, which is not a disease in the world of Rotary, it's the Semi-Annual Reports which also means it's time to pay your dues.
Rotary speak should not be confused with text speak, which is a whole world unto itself, especially if you are my Grandmother where "r dressing waiting fr u. hgs" means "Ranch dressing waiting for you. Hugs". I get ROFL (rolling on floor laughing) or LOL (laugh out loud), though I don't think people should actually use those acronyms when they are speaking...you know who you are. If you actually have to say "LOL" instead of laughing out loud, then things must not really be that funny. BTW is pretty well known as "by the way". FML had me stymied for a little while (Sorry, my mother reads this blog, I'm not interpreting). Once I figured it out though, I realized how incorrectly people use that one. Does a hang nail actually deserve something so severe as an FML? I hereby declare that the 2nd most over used acronym, right behind the ever annoying LOL.
I remember using FYI on a paper for the youth group one time and the youth couldn't figure it out. It's like they had never seen an episode of Murphy Brown in their life...please, you don't need to remind me that they probably hadn't. (FYI=For Your Information, if you were wondering). TGIF was made famous by the food chain. But probably my most favorite acronym comes from a bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun character...Tigger.
TTFN--Ta Ta For Now!
In my job as an Administrative Assistant for District____ of Rotary International, I have had to learn a whole new lingo. There is the District Governor, who can also go by DG. The District Governor Elect or DGE. The District Governor Nominee or DGN. Now we have the District Governor Nominee Designate or DGND. They, as a whole, are also known as the Governor String or the G-String. I do not make this up.
There are a whole slew of people with the title of PDG or Past District Governor. There are AG's who are Assistant Governor's for Area's...which completely confused me for the first six months where I kept calling the Assistant Governor's the Area Governor's. The acronym still worked!
We also have the PE's aka President's-Elect and the PN or PEN (President Nominee or President Elect Nominee depending on the club).
My personal favorite, though has got to be the Rotary International President or RIP. Can anyone blame me when I see RIP John Henry and immediately wonder when I missed the memo that John Henry died? PRIP confused the heck out of me to until I finally figured it out Past Rotary International President. My head is spinning.
Now, I have only just grazed the surface of the acronym's that I must be familiar with to speak Rotary. There is TRF and PHS, not to be confused with PHF (I think I made that one up) and SARs, which is not a disease in the world of Rotary, it's the Semi-Annual Reports which also means it's time to pay your dues.
Rotary speak should not be confused with text speak, which is a whole world unto itself, especially if you are my Grandmother where "r dressing waiting fr u. hgs" means "Ranch dressing waiting for you. Hugs". I get ROFL (rolling on floor laughing) or LOL (laugh out loud), though I don't think people should actually use those acronyms when they are speaking...you know who you are. If you actually have to say "LOL" instead of laughing out loud, then things must not really be that funny. BTW is pretty well known as "by the way". FML had me stymied for a little while (Sorry, my mother reads this blog, I'm not interpreting). Once I figured it out though, I realized how incorrectly people use that one. Does a hang nail actually deserve something so severe as an FML? I hereby declare that the 2nd most over used acronym, right behind the ever annoying LOL.
I remember using FYI on a paper for the youth group one time and the youth couldn't figure it out. It's like they had never seen an episode of Murphy Brown in their life...please, you don't need to remind me that they probably hadn't. (FYI=For Your Information, if you were wondering). TGIF was made famous by the food chain. But probably my most favorite acronym comes from a bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun character...Tigger.
TTFN--Ta Ta For Now!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
On wrestling
Genesis 32: 22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone,and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[h] and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.
This passage of Genesis has fascinated me for a long time. I've read it with different lenses, first reading in awe of a God who would come to earth and wrestle with Jacob. Another in awe of Jacob who doesn't back down but continues to wrestle and demand a blessing. Another reading had me shaking my head at a God who needs to "cheat" in order to make a point. I don't fully understand this story in many ways and yet, on a soul level, this story brings me hope.
The wrestling part of the story is what brings me hope. I have a hard time with the belief that questioning, wrestling, doubting and struggling with God is a bad thing. As I have grown in my faith and my belief in God, I have gone through many, many moments of questioning, of doubting of struggling and wrestling. My faith not only has remained, in most cases it has gotten stronger. I need to know that God not only honors my struggles of faith but meets me right where I am and loves me anyway.
This last week, I sat talking with a friend...okay, honestly it was more like I walked in the door, he said "how are you?" and for the next 1/2 hour I shared way more than that one little question warranted...and had a few things pointed out to me, by my friend and by God. Things I needed to hear, that needed to be realized and now that they are out in the open (what? you think I'm going to tell you what they are?? Sorry, this space used to be a safe zone...it is no longer.) I can clearly see that I've been wrestling with God. Not willing to back down but demanding the blessing while I'm wrestling...and I am going to have a limp for awhile because, well, sometimes God "cheats".
This last week, I sat talking with a friend...okay, honestly it was more like I walked in the door, he said "how are you?" and for the next 1/2 hour I shared way more than that one little question warranted...and had a few things pointed out to me, by my friend and by God. Things I needed to hear, that needed to be realized and now that they are out in the open (what? you think I'm going to tell you what they are?? Sorry, this space used to be a safe zone...it is no longer.) I can clearly see that I've been wrestling with God. Not willing to back down but demanding the blessing while I'm wrestling...and I am going to have a limp for awhile because, well, sometimes God "cheats".
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Milestones
January 2, 2013 was a record making day...the race car officially turned 100,000 miles. It's been 11 years since I bought the race car and it had about 9,000 miles on it when purchased. I was thinking about where the car has been in 91,000 miles. Seeing as how I had a 6 mile round-trip commute for the majority of that time, the miles came mostly in the form of trips...
To Redding for weddings and to visit cousins and their kids...
To Ashland for plays...
To LA for conventions and conferences...and Disneyland...
To San Diego for a wedding...and a stop at Disneyland on the way home...
To Tahoe many, many times...though never during the regular snow season!
To San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento and places in-between...
To Monterey...
To Pismo Beach...
To Solvang...
To Lake Shasta for a Houseboat trip...
The beach...
Most of the long trips, I had company. The conversations that car has heard! Many conversations were short and happened after youth group as I took one or two different kids home. Those are my favorite memories in that car, bonding over songs (I wanna talk about ME!), talking about hard stuff in life, laughing uproariously about stuff that wasn't that funny, getting pelted with apples...wait, that was a different car! A baby seat and a toddler seat took up residence in the backseat for a few years, even though the kids who occupied those seats weren't in them but once a week. And there were some trips that were silent, where the point wasn't to talk but to just be with the other person as we processed the events in our lives.
There are scars on the race car. Some have been repaired...the front bumper that I tore off trying to get out of a tight parking space...the hood where Papa Bear backed into the race car with his truck. Some haven't been repaired...the back right fender where I backed into a light pole in the midst of grief that tore my soul apart. Dings where someone opened their car door too fast and hit the race car. There's a new/used drivers seat that doesn't quite match but actually sits straight up.
100,000 miles in 11 years isn't all that much but the memories those miles and years hold are huge. One day the race car will be replaced...but in the meantime I look forward to putting more miles on that car and creating many more memories. For the race car isn't just a vehicle, it's been a part of the ministry God has worked out through my life and there is still a lot of ministry left to do.
To Redding for weddings and to visit cousins and their kids...
To Ashland for plays...
To LA for conventions and conferences...and Disneyland...
To San Diego for a wedding...and a stop at Disneyland on the way home...
To Tahoe many, many times...though never during the regular snow season!
To San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento and places in-between...
To Monterey...
To Pismo Beach...
To Solvang...
To Lake Shasta for a Houseboat trip...
The beach...
Most of the long trips, I had company. The conversations that car has heard! Many conversations were short and happened after youth group as I took one or two different kids home. Those are my favorite memories in that car, bonding over songs (I wanna talk about ME!), talking about hard stuff in life, laughing uproariously about stuff that wasn't that funny, getting pelted with apples...wait, that was a different car! A baby seat and a toddler seat took up residence in the backseat for a few years, even though the kids who occupied those seats weren't in them but once a week. And there were some trips that were silent, where the point wasn't to talk but to just be with the other person as we processed the events in our lives.
There are scars on the race car. Some have been repaired...the front bumper that I tore off trying to get out of a tight parking space...the hood where Papa Bear backed into the race car with his truck. Some haven't been repaired...the back right fender where I backed into a light pole in the midst of grief that tore my soul apart. Dings where someone opened their car door too fast and hit the race car. There's a new/used drivers seat that doesn't quite match but actually sits straight up.
100,000 miles in 11 years isn't all that much but the memories those miles and years hold are huge. One day the race car will be replaced...but in the meantime I look forward to putting more miles on that car and creating many more memories. For the race car isn't just a vehicle, it's been a part of the ministry God has worked out through my life and there is still a lot of ministry left to do.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Restless
I have 9 posts in "draft" mode on this blog. I'll start something, get part of the way through it, then hit save and move on to something else. Some people call it writers block, some call it ADD, I recognize it as the feeling of restlessness.
This restlessness is nothing new, it is, however, scary as all get-out. For in the restlessness of my soul there is another rumbling, a voice calling saying "Change is on the way" and I don't like change. I preach change. I don't like change. I know I need change. I don't like change. I deal with it. I don't like it. My not liking change, ironically, doesn't change the fact that it is still coming. I don't know what it is, I don't know how big or small or significant, I just feel it. I know it's there, waiting for the right moment to appear. This restless feeling will one day give way to content...but not before change happens.
Writing this all down I was reminded of one of my favorite songs from West Side Story...Somethings Coming...the Barbara Streisand version. :) Not going to link to Youtube but I know you can find the song there!
Could be!
Who knows?
There's something due any day;
I will know right away,
Soon as it shows.
It may come cannonballing down through the sky,
Gleam in its eye,
Bright as a rose!
Who knows?
It's only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Under a tree.
I got a feeling there's a miracle due,
Gonna come true,
Coming to me!
Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something's coming, something good,
If I can wait!
Something's coming, I don't know what it is,
But it is
Gonna be great!
With a click, with a shock,
Phone'll jingle, door'll knock,
Open the latch!
Something's coming, don't know when, but it's soon;
Catch the moon,
One-handed catch!
Around the corner,
Or whistling down the river,
Come on, deliver
To me!
Will it be? Yes, it will.
Maybe just by holding still,
It'll be there!
Come on, something, come on in, don't be shy,
Meet a guy,
Pull up a chair!
The air is humming,
And something great is coming!
Who knows?
It's only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Maybe tonight . . .
This restlessness is nothing new, it is, however, scary as all get-out. For in the restlessness of my soul there is another rumbling, a voice calling saying "Change is on the way" and I don't like change. I preach change. I don't like change. I know I need change. I don't like change. I deal with it. I don't like it. My not liking change, ironically, doesn't change the fact that it is still coming. I don't know what it is, I don't know how big or small or significant, I just feel it. I know it's there, waiting for the right moment to appear. This restless feeling will one day give way to content...but not before change happens.
Writing this all down I was reminded of one of my favorite songs from West Side Story...Somethings Coming...the Barbara Streisand version. :) Not going to link to Youtube but I know you can find the song there!
Could be!
Who knows?
There's something due any day;
I will know right away,
Soon as it shows.
It may come cannonballing down through the sky,
Gleam in its eye,
Bright as a rose!
Who knows?
It's only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Under a tree.
I got a feeling there's a miracle due,
Gonna come true,
Coming to me!
Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something's coming, something good,
If I can wait!
Something's coming, I don't know what it is,
But it is
Gonna be great!
With a click, with a shock,
Phone'll jingle, door'll knock,
Open the latch!
Something's coming, don't know when, but it's soon;
Catch the moon,
One-handed catch!
Around the corner,
Or whistling down the river,
Come on, deliver
To me!
Will it be? Yes, it will.
Maybe just by holding still,
It'll be there!
Come on, something, come on in, don't be shy,
Meet a guy,
Pull up a chair!
The air is humming,
And something great is coming!
Who knows?
It's only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Maybe tonight . . .
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