Deep Social Change

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=11050

I don't have a whole lot to say about this at the moment because I'm busy but do check it out.

Home (warning: LONG and rambling!)

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the concept of "home". I am sure that everyone probably has a different definition of what home is, but to me it has always been something very important and very much at the forefront of my mind...I think largely because I have had at least 14 homes (in the structural sense of the word). Growing up, home was a safe space, an intimate space, where my family and I could be together. (My dad was in the Air Force and being together as a family was something that I cherished very much!) Do you have more than one place that feels like home? I do, and they are not always physical buildings. My house in Auburn has never 100% felt like home, maybe because it is mobile ;-), I don't know. Nor has my parents house in Virginia ever felt 100% like my home (Mom- if you read this don't be sad, I always feel home whenever I'm with our family no matter where it is!). I lost the last physical place that I really felt like was "home" after my in laws sold their house in Wetumpka. My parents house there had always seemed "home" but they moved 4 years ago. My house in Nashville seemed like home but again, I haven't actually lived there in almost 4 years. After getting married it takes a while to go from saying "home" in reference to where your parents live to saying "home" in reference to you and your spouses house. Being with Jason always makes me feel at home. Being with my close friends makes me feel at home...even if we are in the middle of a very public space. When I am at church I feel at home. I guess all that to say is my definition of home is that it is not just a physical dwelling, but the space where you share your life with those who are close to you! However, I think the memories made in a physical dwelling often tie us to that dwelling in a way that makes us miss it when we are no longer there. There are several reasons I have been thinking about home lately. One of which is that Jason and I are selling our mobile home and (many prayers needed on this one!) hopefully buying a house here in the Auburn area. Another reason I have been thinking about home is that I am reading the book A Search to Belong (Rethinking Intimacy, Community, and Small Groups) by Joseph Myers. This is an awesome book that I would recommend to anyone who has ever been involved with a small group! In it the author examines the relationships between four types of spaces: public, social, personal, and intimate. Great, great, amazing, thought provoking book. Read it, seriously. You can borrow mine if you want. However, today I was reading about how in our country the definition and expectation of "space" has changed (from front porches and picket fences, to pre fab houses and strip malls). Just thinking about how our culture is so disconnected (and also feeling guilty that I don't know any of my neighbor's names but 1) I am wondering what my definition (and societies) of "home" will be in 10 years....20 years. How will all my huge, life changing decisions in the next few weeks and months (job, house, etc) effect my definition of home once again. I love being home. Having my home be a calm, safe space away from the crazy world is important to me. But I also want my home to be a calm, safe space to others as well. There really is no deep point here, only that I wonder about all you in blog world and what you think about the concept of "home". One thing I am sure of and glad I know...heaven is my REAL home and this earth is only temporary (on some days I am SO happy to remind myself of this fact!).

Saving Thumper

We do a lot of prescribed burning where I work...I mean A LOT. I will usually be involved in burning anywhere from 10,000-20,000 acres per year. I enjoy the work but it gets old very quickly since it takes 2-3 months of burning 2-5 days per week. That's a lot of smoke for one person to inhale.

Yesterday was kind of a slow day at first so on the first block we burned I didn't have much to do except watch the lines. We were burning around the horse pasture & dog kennels so I was standing on the line between the fence and the burn talking to one of the other guys on the crew. All of a sudden we heard this squealing sound coming from the fire. At this point the fire is pretty calm with flame lengths of only about 2-4 inches so we're within 10 feet of the fire. It turns out the squealing sound is a baby rabbit getting burned by the fire. We both saw it about the same time so I reached down and grabbed what you can imagine was a quite disoriented & scared little bunny. I had seen the momma rabbit run out of the fire right after we lit it but never considered that there were babies in there. So I picked it up and wiped off as much of the ash and char as I could but it still had some small burns on its leg and head - nothing that really broke the skin or should be fatal for the little guy. After I wiped him off I held him for a minute or two trying to decide what to do with him. He nudged his way into my elbow between my arm and my body and calmed down. I put him in a little patch of thick grass that we didn't burn so hopefully the momma rabbit found him last night.

I tell this story because in our society guys are supposed to be tough and thick skinned and not really care about things like baby rabbits. I love my job and I realize our burning does kill some animals but by and large it improves habitat and provides food for those animals that would otherwise not be available. I looked at that rabbit in that fire and without a thought or hesitation I reached right in and grabbed him. I didn't get burned but I never even thought of that until now. I don't know if I had my gloves on or not, it didn't matter. It needed my help and only me pulling it out of the fire would save it. Its mother had left it and it was lost and confused in the fire. It would've stayed there writhing in pain until it died.

I think of saving that little rabbit and it reminds me of what God has done for us - He has pulled us out of the fire and our suffering. He looks down and sees us writhing in pain, burning and struggling, and he picks us up, wipes off the char and soot and protects us. Even when we are abandoned by our families, friends, society, country, whatever, He is there to pick us up. He picks us up, cradles us in His arms, and gives us a new life. What a wonderful savior!

"It's Gonna Be a Bright (Bright) Bright Bright Sunshiny Day!"

I just wanted to say HOORAY! for the warm weather (70+ degrees today)!!! I have never despised winter so much as I have this year (has it been colder? am I just getting wimpier about the cold the longer I live this far south?) and I am so So SO happy to have warm days and sunshiny weather! Usually February seems like the coldest winter month, but I am glad that weather.com is predicting 60's and 70's the rest of this week! Join me in rejoicing in the warm weather and go frolic in a field somewhere! ;-)

Ouch, are you ready for gameday?

Bringin' pain in the name of the Lord!


Of course the original idea came from this commercial. This has got to be one of the best Super Bowl commercials of all time. I just wish they had done more of them.

By the way, the Super Bowl commercials this year were definitely sub-par. The E-trade baby commercials were good and one of the Doritos commercials was good. It seems like there was one other that was kinda funny but nothing that really made you fall out laughing. I guess it's the economy, but c'mon folks, we expect funny!

View from the Top of the Mountain

As I've expressed here before I am very happy that I am done with classes and that my time in graduate school is coming to an end. For several weeks now I've had it in my mind to write this blog but just now decided to sit down and write it (feeling moved to write after listening to Josh Agerton talk on Sunday about our continuing efforts to move our lives from self centered to God centered). Last semester was stressful and busy and I was angry and disappointed with myself for letting the craziness of school interfere with my relationships with my friends, my husband, and most importantly my relationship with God. Last semester I felt like I was in a valley, in darkness from the shadow of a mountain that was impossible to climb. In this low place it was hard to see why I was there. I knew that there was a reason, but it is hard for me to be patient. Now that I have made it out of the valley and to the top of the mountain that was grad school(not by my own strength, though!) I can see more clearly all the work God was doing in me, even as I was having trouble making time for Him. If God was like grad school He would have failed me miserably in my efforts last semester, but instead, just like in every other facet of my life, God loves me no matter what and uses the bad parts to grow me! God's love is so amazing to me! I do not think we can ever fully comprehend the depth of His love for us, and I find it hard to put into words how it feels to be loved in the way that only our Savior can love us. I think all I can say it HALLELUJAH! It is amazing that I am actually able to be thankful for last semester now! Standing atop this mountain I know that there will be many more valleys but I also know that no matter how deep a hole I go in my Creator's love will reach!

No shoes, no shirt, no format

Ok, so it occurred to me this morning on my drive into work that I have no idea what I really want to do with this blog. Of course it's not just up to me because it's from both Meredith and I, but I have no set format here, no set topic, no set schedule. It really just happens as I feel like writing something about anything. I thought for a little while I would really commit to keeping this thing up on a regular schedule but that's not happening and it probably won't. So yeah, if anybody is actually reading this don't give up on it. I'm not resigning by blog authoring authority but I am admitting to myself that I can't/won't keep this thing up on a regular basis. Yeah, so, enjoy all that.

Meredith - your turn for a blog post! (PS - I think everyone is bored with mine)