What Makes Us Human
When I was in Washington a couple of weeks ago, I was there for a specific reason, outside of sightseeing. However, I had one afternoon free, and decided to go see one memorial that I had not seen before: The US Holocaust Memorial Museum. I've always been interested in the events surrounding WWII. The rise of Hitler has always fascinated me in a completely disturbing way, and looking through the exhibit only deepened my conviction that, if we aren't a careful, watchful people, history has a way of repeating itself. Something I've found in my own reading over the years, has been the incredibly touching stories of people who endured the camps and survived. In the face of such horror,...
A Woeful Farewell
It ended last night. On the heart-wrenching strains of Auld Lang Syne, the picture panned away from a snow-covered Downton Abbey, and the story of the Crawley family, as we know it, came to a close. I cried. I know it's ridiculous, but tears fell as things worked out for a reformed Thomas, a tragic Lady Edith, beautiful Anna and her sweet, but mysterious, Mr. Bates, and we even saw the bloom of compassion in a newly happy Lady Mary. All of them really, upstairs and down, walked into the rest of their lives on a good note, and it was a wrap up to the story that my heart craved. But I'll miss them, those Crawleys. I'll miss their decorum and manners. I'll pine for their beautiful...
His Words about Voting
It came to my attention that 25 million evangelicals who were registered to vote in the 2012 presidential election DID NOT VOTE. The margin was 5 million. I thought it might be interesting to see what God has to say about voting. Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads. ~ Deuteronomy 1:13 ESV Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with...
May I Have Your Attention Please?
We were in line at Chick-fil-A, Brody and I, getting ready to place our order. When it was our turn, I stepped up and started listing it off to the cashier. Just as I'd finished telling her that Brody would have a 6-piece nugget meal, he placed his hands on my cheeks and turned my face toward his. "I don't want fwench fwies, Mimmie. I want fwuit pwease." He let go and I ordered fruit. Then she asked what he'd like to drink. Again, with the hands on my face. "I don't want milk today, Mimmie. I want yenomade pwease." He let go, and because I was pretty tickled about the whole discourse, I relented and let him have lemonade. He's been doing the hand-to-face thing a lot lately. If he...
When the Rubber Meets the Road
I'll tell you what, I've been struggling (as evidenced by my last two posts), with thinking about anything other than the election. It's wormed its way into every thought and conversation (unless I'm talking to the kids), and has effected my mood and overall demeanor. And you know what? It needs to stop. I told you I was trying to think about rainbows and kittens yesterday, but, truthfully, I wasn't very successful. This morning I sat in front of this screen for a good 20 minutes trying to think about something - ANYTHING - else to write about, and couldn't. Then I got a notification on my phone that my "On this Day" was available on Facebook, so I looked at it. And there, from...