Words and Meanings

Happy Birthday, C. S. Lewis!!

Today, (November 29, 2007) one of my favorite authors would have been 109! In celebration of his birthday, I googled some C.S. Lewis quotes. Here's one of my favorites:

"Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."

I love this quote because it applies directly to me :) I am forever using humongous, gargantuan words in place of teeny tiny normal (and rather dull, I must admit) ones, because I, being the crazy homeschooler that I am, loooove vocabulary :) However, Mr. Lewis is entirely right. But really, this whole phenomenon of stripping words of their true value is something that really bothers me. When we use strong words in situations when we don't really need them, their meaning becomes less and less intense. And slowly, throughout time, we begin to get desensitized to the true meaning of some amazing words.

Take love, for example. We have so over used love that it has lost so much of its meaning. "I LOVE chocolate!" or "Have you watched American Idol this week?! I love that show!" are exclamations we hear all that time. But what does "love" mean? Well, that could be a rather long, off-topic post, so let's check dictionary.com:

Love (v): to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for someone

So, as much as you might enjoy, savor or appreciate chocolate, or your favorite TV show, chances are, you probably don't feel "profoundly tender, passionate affection" for either of these things. (If you do, well, then you really need to get out more!!)

Love is a powerful thing. Love is what, more then anything else, characterizes our relationship with God. Through love for us, He sent His Son. Through love for us, Jesus took our place and died. Through love, we are forgiven -- over and over again. Through love, we have a place in heaven -- a place we do not and can not ever deserve. We cannot afford to lose the meaning of love, because it defines so much of what we believe in. Never forget John 3:16:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that we may not perish, but have eternal life.

That's a pretty powerful love, if you ask me!! Something far more powerful then that which could descibe chocolate or TV :)

Now, please know that I'm not saying you should strike the word love from your vocabularly in order to preserve its meaning. All I ask is that you really consider what love means. We can see love whenever we look at God; we can learn about love whenever we read the Bible; we can experience love through our relationships with Him. Bear all this in mind -- because this is the true meaning of love.

With that being said, just remember to think about the meaning of the words you're using.

So, once again, Happy Birthday C. S. Lewis!

And, just a thought: even if you've all read "The Chronicles of Narnia", I highly recommend you read the series...or at least, the first two books...again. They just get better every time! Also, The Screwtape Letters is one of my all time favorite books -- a must-read!

"We're busy, busy, frightfully busy..."

Well...Thanksgiving is over! The long weekends, holiday breaks, and vacations are over, and life is starting up again at top speed! Suddenly, my days of staying up late, sleeping in, reading cozily for hours and ignoring my to-do list are over, and have now been replaced by deadlines, school projects, committments, work and volunteering, chores, resposibilities, etc, etc, etc... And, I'm thrilled, frankly! I get too bored when things are slow and relaxing; I much prefer the crazy hubbub of my life. I like to be busy busy busy; indeed, I THRIVE on being busy!!

However, there is, as much as I hate to admit it, such a thing as being *gasp* TOO busy. Can you believe that??? But we live in a society that encourages busy-ness, packed schedules, full calendars, and running a million miles a minute in order to do everything. Sometimes, when this is the message we're receiving from every single angle, it's hard to hear God's voice through it all:

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me." -- John 9:4a

My best friend said it perfectly: "Our society loves over-achievers. Nobody goes around saying, "hey! I didn't do a single thing yesterday. Isn't that great?" But everyone will tell you they can drive down the road while talking on the cell phone and making a grocery list at the same time... it's an addiction. You start to thrive on chaos and rushing and you begin to need to fill every second with three things or you are "not doing enough." There is a poster I have from a long time ago with two cardinals sitting on a snowy tree branch in a snow storm. Underneath it says, "What is life if, full of care, we have no time to sit and stare?" And it's true. God didn't make all of these amazing things so we could fly right by them with no time to appreciate them."

This goes back to what I said about snow, but it's worth repeating. God created this amazing world, and He gave us copious time to appreciate it and marvel at it.

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!" -- Psalm 118:24

So why do we insist on filling that time with things that can't -- and won't -- make us truly happy? How can we praise God for all He's given us if we don't even notice all the blessings we have?

Look at the song "Spending Time" by Stellar Kart:

Just so happens that my schedule is empty
But still there's no room for You
The time has come and gone
Things have come along that take me away from you

Don't take this the wrong way
You're so perfect
And everything tells me
You're so worth it

Spending time with You
Not a moment goes by that You're not by my side
Spending time with You
You're all that I want life is so hard to do

When we first met I remember
I'd do anything for You
But as the years go by
I let my attentions slide
And I'm pulling away from You

Don't take this the wrong way
You're so perfect
And everything tells me
You're so worth it

Spending time with You
Not a moment goes by that You're not by my side
Spending time with You
You're all that I want life is so hard to do

And, as if the act alone of filling up our time, to the point where there's no room for God, wasn't damaging enough to our relationship with Him....the things themselves that we busy ourselves with can bring us EVEN FURTHER from God.

My all-time favorite music group, Casting Crowns, also sums it up well in their song "American Dream":

All work no play may have made Jack a dull boy
But all work no God has left Jack with a lost soul
But he's moving on full steam
He's chasing the American dream
And he's gonna give his family the finer things

Not this time son, I've no time to waste
Maybe tomorrow we'll have time to play
And then he slips into his new BMW
And drives farther and farther and farther away

So He works all day and tries to sleep at night
He says things will get better;
Better in time
And he works and he builds with his own two hands
And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand
But the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands

His American Dream is beginning to seem
More and more like a nightmare
With every passing day
"Daddy, can you come to my game?"
"Oh Baby, please don't work late."
Another wasted weekend
And they are slipping away

Cause he works all day and lies awake at night
He tells them things will get better
It'll just take a little more time
So he works and he builds with his own two hands
And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand
But the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands

He used to say, "Whoever dies with the most toys wins"
But if he loses his soul, what has he gained in the end?
I'll take a shack on the rock
Over a castle in the sand

Now he works all day and cries alone at night
It's not getting any better
Looks like he's running out of time
Cause he worked and he built with his own two hands
And he poured all he had in a castle made with sand
But the wind and the rain are coming crashing in
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands

All they really wanted was You
All they really wanted was You
All they really wanted was You

When the world is telling us to "Go, go, go", to "Do it all and work hard and fill your time with everything", we need to take a moment and thing about what we're filling our time with. And our motives. What are our goals? Why do we do the things we do? What are we gaining out of all of our busy-ness?

I deal with this every single day in my own life. Do I really need to do that research project right now? Or is it more important for me to spend some time in prayer? My friend just called and she really needs to talk -- do I listen, or cut the conversation short so I can go finish my monsterous to-do list? I have other committments on Sunday morning -- but, in the long run, are they more important then going to church?

And more importantly -- are all the things we are filling out time with bringing us closer to God, or taking us farther away from Him? We've got to look at our priorities -- are we furthering God's kingdom with all that we do? Or are we putting it on hold?
It's OK to be busy. Just make sure you're busy for the right reasons, doing the right things.

One final song, and I promise, it's short :) look at this song from VeggieTales. It's aptly named, the "Busy, Busy Song":

I'm busy, busy, dreadfully busy
You've no idea what I have to do.
Busy, busy, shockingly busy
Much, much too busy for you.

We're busy, busy, dreadfully busy
You've no idea what we have to do.
Busy, busy, shockingly busy
Much, much too busy for you.

'Cause we're busy, busy, frightfully busy
More than a bumblebee, more than an ant.
Busy, busy, horribly busy
We'd love to help, but we can't!

Is this the message that we want to be sending to the world?!?! I don't think so! Make room in your schedule for God today. Spend some time in prayer, read a passage from the Bible, or just listen to what He's telling you. You'll find that all those things you thought you had to do suddenly become less important, when you realize what is truly important.

This Generation

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young,
but set an example for the believers
in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
--1 Timothy 4:12

This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE Bible verses EVER!!

This world is, whether we like to admit it or not, fond of the saying, "Children should be seen and not heard". (We're not allowed to vote, for one thing....) And, there are so many people out there who have told me that "someday" I'll make a difference. That I'll be someone extraordinary...when I grow up. That I have "bright future ahead" of me.

Well, I'm an incredibly impatient person. I don't want to wait until "someday" or "when I grow up" or "the future" to make a difference -- I want to do so NOW!! And that's where this Bible verse comes in. Paul isn't echoing the age old seen-at-not-heard attitude towards kids and teens. He's challenging it. He's saying, "Don't wait! You can live for God NOW!" Paul is, in affect, saying that we as teens are an important part of society; capable of great things, and that we shouldn't have to wait until we get older!

And Paul is absolutely right. We don't have to wait until we're 21 or 35 or 47 or however old we think we have to be to truly make a difference. We can start making a difference RIGHT NOW! We can write letters to congresspeople, make speeches, protest what we don't believe in, raise funds, go on mission trips; the possibilities are endless!

So...why wait??? We are capable of changing this world right now, just as we are. We can show the world that we as teens know what we're doing. We can live for God, spread His Word, and be living proof of what we believe in. "Set an example for the believers..."...That is Paul calling us to lead by example. We can set an example for everyone of every age by heeding His call and following His direction in our lives. God will use you; have no doubt about that -- He just needs to know You're ready and willing.

I was recently talking to an older woman at our church. She was telling me that "my generation is just messing everything up. It's going to be YOUR generation that comes in and saves this world from all the evil." Well, sure...that would be nice. But if we stand up and start being leaders RIGHT NOW, maybe by the time we inherit the earth, there won't be any evil left to save the world from. It's worth a try.

In our Sunday School class last week, my amazing youth leader posed the question: "Does your church treat the youth as though they are the leaders of tomorrow...or the leaders of today?" It was a great question, and it applies to all areas of life. Do you see yourself as a "leader of tomorrow" or a "leader of today"?

Are you ready to change the world? God's ready for you -- just tell Him, and listen to where He leads you!

Happy **** Birthday???

I walked into CVS today with a mission -- I had three birthday cards to buy, for friends’ upcoming birthdays. I made a beeline for the colossal aisle dedicated to cards, and was happy to find that a significant portion of it was dedicated solely to birthday cards. I figured with all these choices, I could easily find “the perfect card”. (Now, I don’t particularly LIKE birthday-card-shopping, because I can never find, in my opinion, “the perfect card”. But like I said -- there were SO MANY choices here!)

Hours later (OK, not quite, but you get the point), I still had nothing. But you would be amazed at some of the things I found. Apparently, birthday cards NOT containing curse words are in the minority. It’s awful! Now, call me naïve, but I’ve always assumed that cursing is something we should AVOID, not sanction by using profanity in birthday cards! Have we, as a society, become so used to and therefore immune to the effects of cursing that we don’t even notice the fact that foul language has permeated nearly every part of our lives? TV shows and commercials use cursing all the time. Even many PG movies contain a curse word or two; I’ve even stumbled across a few G movies that have questionable language!! Books, music, talk show hosts, websites; every form of media possible -- and now, even in birthday cards. It finally got to the point where I‘d found a card that said, “Happy **** 13th Birthday”. Did you see that? 13th birthday -- this card wasn’t even geared toward adults! At that point, I’d had enough and I left the store.

I wish I could say that maybe it’s just this particular store; that not all birthday cards are that bad, but the truth is, this is the fourth store I’ve been in that is packed with inappropriate cards. Personally, I find it absolutely revolting.

“…bless and do not curse.” -- Romans 12:14

I absolutely, positively CAN NOT STAND profanity. And there are so many reasons why…I think that use of curse words makes you look like you are an uneducated individual who is unable to come up with a more fitting and appropriate word to describe whatever situation you’re currently in. I think in some cases, cursing is just a bad habit (in which case -- break the habit!!). But, I also think cursing is often used simply as a way to “fit in”. Whether we intend to or not, our society sends the message that using curse words makes you special, important, even “cool”. We need to do our best to fight that image, and declare to the world the profanity is simply unacceptable.

The first step in doing this is obvious: Don’t allow yourself to indulge in the temptation to use curse words. But this alone is not enough. Edmund Burke once said, “All that is require for evil to triumph is for a good man to stand by and do nothing”. Are you standing by and doing nothing? Or are you ready to stand up for what you believe in? You must also make it clear to your friends that you will not listen to inappropriate language.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” --Romans 12:21

Don’t kid yourself, and pretend that cursing isn’t that big of a deal, or that God doesn’t really mind, or that if you only do it once in a while, it doesn’t matter. The fact is: it matters. God states it pretty clearly in Leviticus: “Do not misuse my name. I am the LORD your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name.”

There are so many GOOD things we can do with our speech -- God didn’t give it to us so we can curse! God clearly states what he expects of us in Ephesians:

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen…Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” --Ephesians 4:29; 5:4

I never did find those original three birthday cards, but that's OK -- God had a plan there, too. I ended up calling each of my friends to really wish them a Happy Birthday, and the resulting conversations were wonderful!!

Speaking of birthdays, today happens to be my brother's birthday....Happy Birthday, J! Love ya!

Lessons from Littlest

My cat, Littlest, is pretty creative. She sleeps with me most nights, and finds a new way to wake me up each morning. Now, you'd think I'd be thrilled to have such a cute, sweet, fuzzy, cuddly, creative personal alarm clock, right? Theoretically, I would. Except that she doesn't wake me up when I want to be awoken...she wakes me up whenever she feels I should feed her her breakfast, which can be anytime after 3am. One night, she accomplished this by knocking over my guitar case...the resulting CRASH was enough to wake me up, even in the total darkness which only comes at, well, 3am! Another night she sat at my (closed) bedroom door, meowing, repeatedly, waiting for me to open the door. Had it been a little later...or a little bit lighter...I might have opened the door a lot sooner. As it was, it was about 4:30, and I was rather slow getting out of bed. Then there was the first morning she slept with me, when I awoke to her hissing at her reflection in my mirror...Today she let me sleep in until almost 6am, which was nice! But today's method of waking involved her attacking my toes...clawing, pouncing, chewing....ouch. I'm going to have THOSE scars for awhile...She can be sweet, though, when she wants to be. One day she woke me up by licking my nose!

But honestly, the thing I really love about Littlest is that she is so happy and excited about EVERYTHING! She loves to play, and it's so great to watch her apparent joy and excitement when she plays...even when she plays with the same toys, over and over, she's still totally thrilled. The exact same ball of red yarn...she plays with it every day, sometimes for hours at a time! Or something as simple as a little ping-pong ball...she loves batting it around and chasing after it. Littlest doesn't need brand new, exciting toys to play with to make her happy -- she is completely content with what she's got. She doesn't lose interest in things after a day or so; instead, every morning she wakes up and plays with her toys with the same enthusiasm as the day before. I guess you could even say she's thankful for what she's got!

Littlest teaches us an excellent lesson about materialism. Especially around this time of year, we as a society are consumed with the need to make wishlists -- I want this, I want that, more more more more more more!!!!!! Every store does their very best to convince you you just can't live without this item...same with TV commericials -- "Think how easy your life will be if you just buy this product!" We've become people obsessed with owning things and stuff and gadgets and gizmos, because we are, in a sense, convinced that will make us happy. Does it?

Did you ever get exactly what you wanted for Christmas, that one thing that you knew you just had to have? Sure, it was probably exciting for a day or two; maybe a little longer. But was that it? Did that one thing make you so happy that you were totally content with your life, or did you still want more, more more, bigger and better things, etc, etc, etc? Years later, did that original item, the one you thought would mean the world to you, still make you happy?

Check out what the Bible says about materialism:
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." -- 1 Tim. 6:6-11

Nothing destroys the attitude of thankfulness like materialism. If we are always consumed by a need for more, how can we be grateful for what we've got? Indeed, by convincing ourselves that we need this new item or that new toy, it's almost like saying that everything we have already isn't good enough.

A ping-pong ball and a ball of red yarn -- Littlest is, in her own way, thankful for these two simple toys. They make her happy; they bring her joy, over and over again! She doesn't need new, improved, special, amazing toys -- she's thrilled with what she's got.

So, as we all celebrate Thankgiving this year, just keep in mind all the little things to be thankful for. Sure, we're all grateful for our family and friends and food and our houses, and that's important, obviously! But find little things to be grateful for, too -- clean socks, tissues, an umbrella when it's pouring down rain....

And as we go into Christmas, keep it up -- keep looking for the little things to be thankful for. If we can find joy in the little things that we've already got, we won't be consumed by the need for more. If we're content with what we already have, we won't ruin the Christmas season with materialism and "stuff". And when you're not obsessed with getting, it really frees up your mind to concentrate on what Christmas is really about -- Jesus. The ultimate gift of love. Now THERE'S something that can make you truly happy!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Becoming

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."
-- e. e. cummings

I just recently stumbled upon this quote by e. e. cummings, one of my all time favorite poets. Think about it for a moment...

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."

Courage. It takes courage to grow up...I never thought about it that way before. "Growing up" has always been something inevitable; something that has to happen, something that I have no control over. But think of it this way -- "It takes courage to grow up..."... e. e. is acknowledging that, yes, growing up is a scary thing! It's uncertain and challenging and confusing and crazy and scary and wonderful and exciting all at once -- and it sure does take a good dose of courage to manage it!

Look at the second part of this quote: "...and become who you REALLY ARE." Well. How many of us teens are still trying to figure out who we "really are"? *raises hand* That's the scariest part of growing up, if you ask me: being thrown into a world of adulthood, and expected to navigate your way around all by yourself. To know what you believe, why you believe it, how to act and how you feel about any given thing. To realize what you want, what you need, what you like and what you don't. To find a purpose for your life, a goal for the future and a way to realize those dreams...sheesh. And in the world we live in today, we are expected to grow up, and to grow up quickly! Anyone else getting exhausted just thinking about it?!? I guess that's where the "courage" part comes in. "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."... Not who you are now, or who you were in the past, but "who you really are."

Well. I don't know about the rest of you, but do you ever feel like that courage is failing you sometimes? Or that you don't have any courage to begin with? *raises hand again*

Check out Deuteronomy 31:6 :
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Wow...how's that for reassurance?? As we all go through this scary time of our lives, when we are faced with all kinds of decisions and choices, and as we begin to learn and grow and become "who we really are", isn't it comforting to know that God is always with us? He will grant us the courage we need in those moments of uncertainty and doubt, because He will "never leave nor forsake" us!!

Best Books to Read: Classics!

Ever been to the "young adult" section of a library or bookstore? I try to avoid it at all costs. Given, there are a few contemporary authors I love -- Lois Lowry, Stephanie Meyer and J.K. Rowling. But for the most part, I find today's authors to be shallow, whiny, and unskilled. Inevitably, most of the books will center around the same few themes (with a few minor variations in a pathetic attempt to be "different"). Usually, you've got the whiny teenage "love" affairs (more on my take on teenage "love" and dating in another post) -- "My boy/girl friend left/cheated on me, how on earth will I ever survive?!?!". Or, you've got the stereotypical, "I hate the world and the world hates me" point of view. This bothers me quite a bit -- no wonder teens have such a negative stereotype in our world today! We're always portrayed as angry, shallow beings, and books like this just encourage that view. If you do manage to find a book not relating to these kinds of themes, it will more likely then not be filled with immorality of all sorts -- cheating, lying, stealing, drugs, sex, you name it; all because somehow, young adult authors have gotten the idea that this is what appeals to teens!

Obviously, nobody asked me.


Because of all this, when I walk into a library or bookstore, I always gravitate towards the "Classics" section. I feel much more at home among the rows of the works of Shakespeare, Poe, and George Orwell then I ever would among the contemporary young adult "novels".

Now, admittedly, many of us have read these books in school. But I strongly encourage you to read them again, on your own time, for no reason other then exploring them and enjoying them. I've found that often when reading a book for an assignment, I race through it in order to complete it on time and often miss the meaning, and the "magic" (yeah...I know...that sounded corny. But it's true!).

And so, here is a list -- though most definitely not a complete list, because there are millions of great classics out there! -- but a list nonetheless of 10 great classics that everyone should read -- or re-read, as the case may be:

• Animal Farm, by George Orwell
• 1984, by George Orwell
• War of the Worlds, by Orson Wells
• Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
• The Lord of the Rings Triology, by J. R. R. Tolkien
• A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare
• Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare
• And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie
• Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Attitudes on snow

It snowed here the other day. You know, snow is really a remarkable thing...it's amazing how many different reactions there are to it, and how many things influence those reactions. Personally, I find it sad that so many people are annoyed at the thought of snow. So many people see it as a chore or a curse, which is such a travesty!

Take age, for example: It's funny. Declare, "It's snowing!" to a roomful of five-year-olds, and you will be greeted by cheers and "Hoorays!"; grins and giggles; immediate plans to build snow forts and snow people, and whispered prayers for "a humongous storm!". But mention the word around a group of adults, and you'll experience a very different reaction. Most likely, there will be groans and eye-rolling; someone will comment about last minute items that need to be picked up at the grocery store and the fact that the plows never come soon enough and oh, great; now I have to spend tomorrow morning shoveling my driveway when I'd much rather be doing....you get the idea. And don't even think about mentioning snow to my grandmother -- you'll be in for a two-hour rant about how hard it is to clean off her car and how awful ice is and why can't we just have a perpetual summer, anyway? While there are some exceptions, obviously, for the most part, our reaction to snow changes with age. That depresses me. I mean, just look how those five year old reacted -- total, utter joy at this fun and unexpected blessing. They didn't think about the extra work snow causes, how cold and wet they'll get playing outside and how much longer it will take to get dressed, thanks to all the extra layers, coats, hats, boots, gloves, etc... they were just happy. We can learn a lot from them! I honestly think it's a devastating thing when our childlike joy turns to griping and groaning.

Although, the time of year affects our views on snow, too. If a meteorologist mentions "snow" on October 1st, most people are shocked. A few months later, say around December 24th, and you'll probably find half the country praying for snow; in hopes of having a fairy-tale "White Christmas". But by the time February roles around, most people are sick of snow; mention
"snow" in April and you might very well be shunned.

And when you think about it, snow is a pretty special substance....it really does deserve to be celebrated; looked at with awe and wonder, not complained about! It's really the only type of weather that is more less confined to one season -- winter. We don't get this stuff all the time, folks...we should enjoy it while we can! It's such an incredible thing! There is absolutely nothing like walking through fresh snow and hearing that wonderful "crunching" sound. And, admit it -- who doesn't love catching a snowflake on their tongue once and a while? And have you ever noticed how quiet and peaceful everything seems when it's covered with snow...the proverbial "blanket" covers and muffles everything. And then there's snowflakes themselves; I could go on forever about how much I love the individuality of snowflakes or the way they sparkle, but I'm sure it's all be said before.

What I love about snow is that it wields such power over our emotions. Snow has the power to completely stop us in our tracks, and just gaze at it's indescribable beauty. Snow has the power to just make us smile and sigh happily. Snow makes us think of all kinds of good things -- hot chocolate, warm fires, Christmastime and memories from other winters. And regardless of how annoying it can be and how much a sudden snowstorm might mess up our plans, when snow melts away, it does leave behind a somewhat depressing feeling, doesn't it? I think everyone sighs sadly at some point, as they notice the inches of fluff turning to nothingness and leaving the mud and cinders behind...and pine trees just looked better when capped with snow....

So next time you see snow, are you going to sigh in digust or sigh in wonder at God's beauty? Will you notice the glorious sparkle of the tiny flakes or just the fact that you have to shovel your sidewalk? Will you listen to your crunching footsteps or just think about how cold your toes are? Will you smell the snow, or just wrinkle your nose at it?

I just love snow :)

Here we go again...!

Greetings, all!

Well...as many of you know, I used to have a blog. I used it as my online journal; mostly a place to rant and rave and tell the world of every solitary thing going on in my life. But, lo and behold, as life got busier, blogging sank lower and lower on the priority list...*sigh* But I have to admit, in the year or so since I've posted on my old blog, I have missed it...So, when my friend Anidori more or less demanded I get a blog, I thought, "Well...it couldn't hurt to try...!"

So here begins a renewed attempt at blogging. The posts will be sporadic and random; about whatever thoughts are consuming my head at the moment. Who knows what will end up here...maybe some poems, maybe some stories, maybe some musing, maybe some quotes, maybe some arguments; most likely, a good mix of all of the above.

Enjoy!