Black and White and Read All Over

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You know the old riddle, don't you? I think it's for 3rd graders plus or minus.

What's black and white and read all over?
A nun falling down the stairs.
A zebra with diaper rash.
A newspaper.

A few days ago, I was waiting to get my feet x-rayed.

X-ray. Doesn't that sound really retro? Like x-ray glasses. X-ray gun! At one time the epitome of high tech. Now when you look at those clunky metal film cartridges and the cross beam, it all seems so Dr. Who-ish.

I was contemplating what socially redeeming book to take with me but remembered there would be tattered, Pig Flued copies of People and Sports Illustrated in the waiting area. It's amazing how immersed I can get in the gossip about celebrities.

And there are fewer and fewer that are familiar to me. Because most of them are young enough to be my kids. Hey you - Kleinblower and McAuldy - it'll happen to you too, so don't sit there all young and cute with a puzzled puppy look on your face.

So I get there and it's a choice between golf, housekeeping and - angel choir voices and bright lights - EBONY.

I have never picked up a copy of Ebony. In fact, I looked in the racks at my local grocery today and didn't find a copy of Ebony. Or Essence. Not even O. So why the angels and lights? Because I read it. And liked it. Then an interesting thing happend. I'm lost in the articles and and there's this little tinging in the back of my consciousness that everyone. Everyone. In this magazine is black. Except for the one white man contributor. And some women in a tampon ad. And I thought.

Everybody should read Ebony.

If you're not black, do you ever think to pick up Ebony? And yet, blacks are expected to read Glamour or Cosmo or Good Housekeeping like it's "normal."

Pick one up somewhere.

Get immersed. . . .

Get a glimpse of the world from another side.

I now realize how ture it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts people from every nation who fear Him and do what is right. - Acts 10: 34,35

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" - Revelations 7:9-10

Who's In Charge?

Remember being a kid? You're at home. Your dad calls you. You answer. You do! Or if you're a sullen teen, you decide deliberately to NOT answer. Which in itself shows your lack of control.

You're at work. Your boss calls you into his office. How long do you think about it? Not long, I'd venture to guess. You go. Yeah, you could walk out. This is a free country 'n all. But you go.

Your parents. Your boss. Maybe even your friends. They have power over you. Even though you have free will - and you may not think of it this way - but you cannot not answer them.

Now get this. God Almighty. Maker of Heaven and Earth. With a glimmer of a thought, His will is accomplished.

God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. - Genesis 1:5

Let's say He calls you.

And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified. - Romans 8:30

Do you picture an impotent, Love & Peace God of No Intentions or Plans holding out The Gift, waiting for you to come take it if you want it? Do you think He's hanging out at the street corner, waiting for you to walk up to GOD ALMIGHTY and take The Gift - like some celestial pamphlet?

That is not the God of the Bible. His word is His will. His command IS. He is the I AM. He calls you? You're going to answer. You have the free will to pick out your outfit, but there's no free will whether you're going to answer God Almighty.

Wise Guy

ORIGINALLY POSTED OCTOBER 19, 2008

". . . LORD God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have
made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me
wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern
this great people of yours?"

God said to Solomon, "Since this is your
heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the
death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for
wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king,
therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.

And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have."

2 Chronicles 1: 9-12 (NIV)

Do you wish you were more wise? That you knew more? That, in itself is wisdom and knowledge. To me, there's nothing more foolish than thinking you know everything.

I need to remind myself to look on Solomon's prayer and act on it:

". . let your promise to my father David be confirmed . . "

I am to call upon His promise, because His promises are sure and true.

". . You have made me king . . "

I must acknowlege that He has control over all things. King. Wife. Mom. Clothes picker-upper. Child picker-upper. Disciplinarian. Bible study leader.

"Give me wisdom and knowledge . . "

I need to pray for wisdom and knowledge, not just patience!

". . this great people of yours?"

Do it for Him. Do it with love so as not to be a noisy gong. If the sacrifice you present is without love, He will not be pleased. It is for Him.

"And I will also give you wealth . ."

God doesn't say "Because of your prayer" or anything that relates to what Solomon has done or said. Giving wealth is at His discretion and not a result of Solomon's actions or words. Don't believe those people who say good deeds and prayers and giving will result in riches. It is at His discretion and nothing you do will make you "deserve" it.

Enjoy! Rest! on this day that the Lord gave us!

Coming Out

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

You know who you are! I see you on my live feed but you don't leave any tracks! Prrrrr - please leave me a comment! We bloggers live for comments. The respectful kind.

P r r r r r r r r

I love animal print.

In the right proportions to the garment and to my body.
In a good colorway - meaning subtle variations of tone and nothing in garish colors.
In the right amounts - one item at a time.

Animal print seems to come and go. These days, it seems to have come back. It's a "go."

I like prints that are relatively small. I mostly have leopard-like prints, but I'd go for a zebra if I could find one at the right scale. I don't want a shirt or pants (gag!) that are life-size stripes! As for the leopard prints, I prefer a color palette that has browns and black. That gives me the flexibility to pair it with either browns, tans or black.

BELOW:
Necklace made especially for me by artist Jessica Buchtel. Velvet scarf (and gloves) by Ann Taylor.
I think animal print shoes should be very conservative in style. That avoids the Laverne (by Cher) trap. I mean unless you're going for the Gwen Stefani look. My flats are by Steve Madden. Mine, I love. The current versions I think are tacky.


























This great tunic top is by Newport News. This is not a brand I go to but I love the multi-scale print and the subtleties of the tans, browns and black. It creates an illusion that is thinning on me. I was surprised by the selection of really great animal prints on their website: a coat, a towering wedge, flats, a denim jacket! even a beach cover-up.











At this small scale, this print fits my criteria. This is my most causal piece that I throw on with jeans at home or to the grocery store.

The black & gray sweater is my current fave. I already wrote about it here. It is actually not a sweater at all but a cotton knit. By Rafaella.

I like to keep to one animal print per outfit. I don't combine my ballet flats with a scarf. Or even an animal print necklace with an animal print earring.

It's a simple way to add pizzazz!

On Identity Beyond our Sexuality

I'm glad somebody so clearly and lovingly stated what I exactly believe:

"Statement on Homosexuality

The Village Church feels compelled to apologize, on behalf of the Church at large, for the demonization of homosexuality and the shunning or rejecting of any individuals for their same-sex desires. We affirm, in the strongest possible way, that those of us who are heterosexual in desire are not more righteous or more entitled to the grace of Jesus Christ than those of us who are homosexual. Nor are heterosexuals in less need of that grace.

The Village Church stands against any form of evil, including prejudice, bigotry and violence. We believe that moral disagreement is not a license for slander or harassment of any contrary group.

The Village Church also highly esteems the marriage covenant. This gift from God has been given to us to learn of God’s love for us, for our enjoyment and for procreating His image-bearers to fill the earth. Along with the clear teaching in the Sacred Scriptures, we affirm that this gift, which pertains to our lives’ most intimate relationships, is to be expressed through a union that is life-long, monogamous, and across the genders. The importance of gender in defining the marriage covenant is affirmed throughout the Bible, including the specific teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ himself (Matthew 19:4-6). In short, Christian marriage is given to be between one man and one woman.

Among the manifold blessings of marriage is sexual intimacy. Sexual activity outside of this sacred covenant, otherwise known as fornication, is sinful (Mark 7:21-23, Galatians 5:19). Hence, Jesus’ alternative to heterosexual marriage is celibacy (Matthew 19:10-12). Though we repent of any needless pain caused by the Church to those who struggle with same-sex desires, and though same-sex unions may supply some of the benefits, such as pleasure and companionship, which God, in His common grace, bestows on us through relationships, we cannot affirm same-sex unions as God’s will for followers of Christ. Homosexual acts are not more deserving of condemnation than any other sexual acts that disrupt this covenant design.

Furthermore, the Village Church is committed to celebrating gender, the deeply Biblical reality of our identities. We believe that it is dehumanizing to compel anyone to found his or her identity on sexual desires. So we resist efforts to coerce people into labeling themselves as “gay” or “lesbian” just because they have same-sex attractions. We harm people when we make the nature of their sexual attraction their identifying characteristic. Rather, all of us can find healing and direction through more deeply understanding and affirming our genders as women and men.

Finally, the Village Church vehemently resists the denial of choice to those seeking change. The process of change takes different forms for different people, but we pledge to walk beside those with unwanted same-sex desires, who wish to take the Scriptures, and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, seriously. God always makes a way for us, wherever we are in our life experience. So we invite all to find the freedom of obedience to Christ here alongside fellow sinners made new. The church is here to provide an environment of grace that allows failure alongside the challenge to growth, whether in this area of behavior or in any other."

For Sandy, Who I Never Knew

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She was 42.
Was.

She leaves behind a husband. They were married 12 years. She leaves behind twin girls. They are 8. Her blood poisoned while the poison flowed in her to kill the errant cells.

How sad. How tragic.

Is it more of a tragedy for a young person to die than an old person? Of an old person, she's lived a full life, I say. She saw her grandchildren grow.

Aaah, but what if you were meant to live eternally? And now, after the Serpent tricked us, we only live 80? Not only that, we were meant to live eternally in a lush garden, filled with beautiful fruit, animals in coexistence keeping us company, you and your husband in complete unity. And your completely loving, completely just, completely all knowing and powerful Father, residing with you? Not the one that didn't play with you, or the one who drank too much. Not the one that hit you or your mother or much worse. You know what a good father is, even if you never had one.

Instead, you only get to live 80 paltry years, full of joys, full of growth. Thank God. But also full of tears. Wrinkles. Aches. Petty grievances.

And watching your 42-year old only child writhe in pain, but never complaining. Unrecognizable in her hospital bed.

Return to the Garden, through Jesus the Son. He is the way back to the Garden. No more tears, no more pain. And no wrinkles.

Body Parts

If you're a teacher of 7 and 8 year olds, and you have a choice, why would you insist on saying Your Anus intead of Yurunnice??

Name Meme

I'm playing with incognito mom and musings mom today.

1. Do you have any cultural or religious naming traditions?

My husband's family does the mother's last name as the middle name or first name WASPy thing. My bifurcate monosyllabic family name wouldn't have made a good middle name and certainly not a first name. Johns Hopkins would have had nothing on us.

Koreans generally have two-syllable (first) names. One of the syllables is what is called the "doll-lim," the generational character that is shared by all the boy cousins on the father's side. So I'm the daughter but we kept that tradition anyway have another way to tie our Boo into our family. It falls in a certain order that has something to do with a Confucian poem. So my dad gave us Boo's name, which means "Bright Metal." The Metal is like tin, or solder, and I like that concept of someone who is humble and binds things together.

His first name is Biblical. I wanted one that represented an obedient man that stood up against the ridicule of his neighbors. HH wanted the warrior that fit the battle. I gave in.

But he goes by his middle (Korean) name. Heh.

2. Did you or your partner come to the marriage with pre-selected names?

I came into the marriage not even wanting a kid, let alone a name.

3. Did you consider the sound of the first and middle and last names together? Did this make any sad eliminations?

HH's Mennonite last name, sadly, sounds like an aluminum can being crushed. Combine that with a Korean name and it wasn't going to be pretty. We concentrated on the first and middle names sounding okay.

4. Did you have veto powers?

Of course. We both did.

5. Did the baby naming cause arguments?

In our own way. Which is to maintain our opinions and be conspicuously quiet about it. As I said, I gave in. Wives, submit and all that.

6. Do you think it is easier to name boys or girls?

It depends. I like unusual names but HH wasn't having that for a boy. Girls, we would have had more flexibility, but then too many options!!

7. Did you eliminate names because of people from your past or present who you don’t like or because a certain image comes to mind?

I love the name Sophia but it's associated with a goddess movement.

8. Did you / would you survey your children to get their thoughts on the name?

We have an only. Future perfect tense.

9. Did you tell people the name or possible names before the baby was born or were they “in the vault”?

Hmm, I don't remember! It was sort of a blurry time!

10. Did you use baby name books?

Yes, but seeing the different definitions for the same names I decided they were mostly bogus.

Drumroll please … What did you name your kid?

Those of you who are allowed to know, know. And if you know how to read this, you can know too!

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Play along! Let me know so I can read your kid’s naming story.

Potent Thoughts

I was reading my own post about what it took to become a mom. I was so overwhelmed with emotion, I wanted to take the opportunity for some luvvin. I went to Boo, held him in my arms and said, "Boo, I love you so, so much. I know it was sad for your tummy mommy to lose you. . ."

"Mom? I have to poo."