Sunday, September 28, 2008

Don't be fooled.

Don't let these nice breezes and mower-free weekends fool you, winter is approaching! It is sneaky, it comes just when you think you want a break from the heat. My kids were walking past the pool yesterday exclaiming "I love winter" "I can't wait for winter" and other such foolishness.

If everyone was so danged excited about winter then why don't people flock to places like Alaska and Iceland, building houses in the middle of snow drifts, renting houses buried in snow in zero degree weather for more money that they spend in 2 months on their mortgage? Oh, that's right, that's what they do at the beach - in the hot weather - BECAUSE SUMMER IS GOOD AND WINTER IS NOT!

Don't be fooled. Winter is sneaking up and we'll all be huddled around our heaters wishing for those endless days of balmy sun. We'll wonder how we could have ever been so foolish when it's zero degrees and DARK at 5:30 PM.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Skinny me

So I'm participating in WeightWatchers online. It's a pretty good thing, easy to use, and full of promise. Till now my weightwatching has been by looking down and - voila - there is my weight. Which is why the new leaf is turning over.

The program is simple. You count points. It is a lot like counting calories except the numbers are smaller. Very simple numbers. I get 30 a day. A caramel apple is 9 points. A 4 pound tomato is zero points. So the deal is - the better something tastes the more points it has. Buttered popcorn (about a thimblefull) - 3 points. Popcorn with nothing added to make it edible (about a bucketful) - 1 point.

It is worth it, though. It promises that I will regain my youthful good looks. At least my youthful weight. (Part of the regaining of the good looks would require either a weave, transplants, or magic hairgrowing salve).

When I look down I won't have to look past my weight to see how light I am.

Did you know if you rock back a little on the scale you are actually a little lighter?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Listen carefully

It's pretty sad that our country is now listening to a large voice which says "suspect a political candidate who looks to God for guidance, one who prays to God that what we are doing pleases Him, who asks for His will versus our will."

I wonder who's voice that really is.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

The narrow mind of Christ

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life; No one comes to the Father except through me."

This quote of Jesus from John 14:6 is a pretty narrow definition.

Not much wiggle room.

"No one".

I pondered that in church this morning. The preacher talked some about how, no matter what we as humans try, we can't fix the world with government, with taxes, with policy. The real fix is through our Creator.

Seems to me that means none of us can claim an exemption. I can't. He said "no one". I can't reason "I don't believe that". If I don't believe, does it change any facts?

I can only choose to accept the fact or reject it.

And live with the result. (or die)

Seems it makes sense to make a decision like that fully informed.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

What's behind that smile?

It is true that the ultimate leadership starts when the alarm goes off at 6AM. It goes off then so that she'll have time to read and pray before the little rascals wake and the endless routine starts over. Her head hurts, she was awoken 3 times during the night, and she already knows what the morning will be like. Her 3AM call was a blood curdling scream of dream terror, not as easy as a head of state.

She gets up anyway.

When the first one toddles down she looks like she was waiting up for her. She holds her arms out, and the tired, soft, warm little one moves in slow motion into her arms, resting head on shoulder and comfortable knowing that mommy has her.

Fact is, her head still hurts, the excedrin migraine hasn't kicked in yet and there are more feet pitter pattering. She never got to finish the Bible verse. But, the prayer list has been the same for a long time so she can scan that with the eyes inside her head and the Lord knows - He's been listening for as long as she's had the list.

On it goes through the day. At around 8PM, the last one is tucked away, she can put her feet up and sigh. Waiting for the alarm to go off at 6. She'll get on her own pillow about 11.

A new generation will get launched by that leadership. One little one at a time there will be a generation who learns that there is no red or blue. Instead, the most real thing is the love that starts that first day when the strip says "Yes you are" and the delicate little one first attaches itself inside her That sacrifice is true leadership.

It takes 20-30 years for the excedrin to really kick in.

For the best, it probably never will.