Finding Nemo

It's about time for me to watch "Finding Nemo" again. I just love that movie. And now, we will be the proud owners of our very own Nemo-fish! Jerod talked me into setting up a saltwater aquarium, or a "marine reef aquarium," as it will have "live rock," corals, sponges, etc. It took some talking to, as any hobby like this is a little pricey to get started, but the Tall One had done his homework. Craigslist, as always, came through and delivered the aquarium and a bunch of its trappings for a teeny little pricetag compared to getting everything new. We spent the better part of the evening getting everything set up. I was covered in salt water a few times while trying to fill a jug to pour in the tank.
Once the water clears, and stuff starts to show off, I'll have some pictures up of the progress. According to the textbook Jerod bought (yes, he's that serious about it), we have to wait a few weeks to everything cranking. We are definitely getting a clownfish, and I already informed him that we will have to watch our copy of "Finding Nemo" when we do...so the clownfish will be happy and feel at home. Now...what should I name a clownfish?

Practicing the Presence of God

I have been thinking a lot lately about staying in the presence of God. Not just that feeling when you get the goose-bumps when the choir hits the high note or when you hear a story about someone's being rescued by an angel...
But really believing that God is always by my side...always listening and always speaking. Giving him the smallest parts of my day, and remembering to offer him the large things as well...instead of trying to devise my own solutions and run to him when things don't work out.
I want to learn how to just BE with Him.
And in a short time of reading some scriptures, I realize that for me it's my mind and mouth that tend to steer me into an abyss.
I also realize that I need to spend some time meditating on the Scripture to fill my mind with good, honorable, and praiseworthy things (Phil. 4:8) and learn to love the law as David writes about in the psalms.
This is a short post about a much longer dialogue I'm having in my journal. But I want to REALLY live out the verse that says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, Oh Lord, My strength and my redeemer." A verse I quoted every week for years and years.
I don't want sarcasm and judgmentalism to choke out the growth in my soul. I want my thoughts and words to be pleasing to God. I would love not to even think some of the things I think. For now, I will try to discipline my tongue to filter what I think, and hope that I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind.
When I think of the truly Godly people I know, they are often the ones who are slow to speak...but say such good things when they do. I like to fill a room with the sound of my voice all too often.
So, here, I shall stop and think awhile. Think about God's things and God's people...and seeing the characteristics of God in His people, rather than making His people the object of my jokes or judgments.
Breathe in the presence of God. Breathe out your prayers.

Randoms

So, taking a break from the more serious topics...I love to read about peoples' quirks. Quirks are what make the world go 'round. Think about it, there really would be no good reality TV without quirky folk. Some of you are now thinking, "There's GOOD reality TV?" To which I can only respond, "American Idol, Audition Rounds," among other reality shows I secretly enjoy.

With the proliferation of the facebook lists, "25 things about me..." I am doing a blog post. I do not know if there are 25 things yet. I am going to think of them as I go.

1. I don't like to eat the top crust on loaf bread. It seems like a barrier between me and the sandwichy goodness. I have to remove it.
2. I also can barely tolerate eating anything with bones in it. It's just too real. I need my meat to be bone-free. I keep considering giving up meat, but there is magic in a good burger.
   
3. I very often dance while in the kitchen...usually when I'm waiting for something to boil or cook. There doesn't have to be music. It ranges from ballet to hip hop to interpretive movement. I wonder if my neighbors have seen this.
4. I am a human jukebox. I literally will go from "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna to an apple commercial jingle to a worship song in about 30 seconds flat. But I never know all the words. Maybe that's why I jump from song to song!
   
5. I would like a signal on my car that calls other drivers out for picking their noses. Maybe just a nice light that flashes, "WE CAN SEE YOU!" ugh.
6. I would like to hold a world wide webcast for all the English-speaking world on the usage of apostrophes and the difference between using an apostrophe and making a word plural. There is a difference between "the apple's color" "the apples' color," and "the apples in the orchard." It's not as hard as it looks, people!!! Plural means more than one. Possessive means it is the property or a quality of something. Ugh.
   
7. I still have my high school bookbag. It has seen a lot of love. It is teal. Go 90s!
8. I majored in Political Science for one semester. I still don't know why I thought it was a good idea. I am far too honest to be a politician or even to study politics.
   
9. I often wish I had stayed with piano lessons and could enjoy sitting down to play.
   
10. I also wish that guitar playing had come more naturally to me. My fingers and brain just would not coordinate, despite lots of practice and lessons. It is a true tragedy.
11. I think mushrooms are the worst texture ever known to man. I do not understand how people keep them in their mouths while eating. If I get even a little piece of one, my body sends an EJECT signal that cannot be disregarded.
12. I think God was just showing off when He made zebras. They are amazing in the wild.
13. I really struggle with wanting to hate racist people. It's my most real irony in life.
    
14. I would be distraught if I had to have the same haircut for more than two years. I have gone from well-below my shoulders to ear-length in one cut on several occasions. I love to change it up.
15. I am fascinated by Spring. Things that look so dead suddenly become fuzzy, growing, and green...prompted by an Unseen Force who is the embodiment of creativity. Spring alone could constitute a faith in God to me.
16. I could eat pizza every day. Twice.
17. I am intrigued by analytical people. I am not one. I take everything in life at face value and rarely have regrets or grudges or re-think my days. I am trying to be more contemplative and see the things that are not obvious.
    
18. I used to be very argumentative and far more frank than I should have been. The Lord has knocked off a ton of rough edges. People who know me now would hate the me I was 10 years ago. I'm thankful for grace and for realizing that I am not the center of the universe.
19. I love to make lists. Mostly of practical things, not like my "top ten power ballads of the 80s."
20. It took me about 28 years to figure out that my taste in things is far different from most people I know...not better or worse (I hope not worse). But I will always tend toward bold, graphic, geometric, bright, funky over delicate, flowy, flowery, and muted.
    
21. Number 21 will be short.
    
    

Justice Project Week

We've been processing what all of this means...here's where it started on Monday. (click here) Join the conversation!

Community and Justice

Part of our "mission" in the Justice Project is for our small group to adopt two people/families to get to know and be a resource for help. Of course, as I am an optimist, I assumed they would greet this pack of strangers with open arms and we'd all go running through the neighborhood park having picnics every Saturday, singing songs, and hugging.
Yeah. Um. Not yet.
One of the ladies, we'll call her Alice, wouldn't answer the door when some of our group came over. When we found her outside later in the day, we had a great conversation, but even yet, she was not quite comfortable giving us her phone number. (She did have a phone we found out) Of course, this is FINE, as she has no good reason to trust the random folks who showed up on her doorstep. The challenge: Alice listed lots and lots of needs on her communication card.
The other lady does have a phone and we've spoken to her briefly, but she listed only one need. Certainly, we hope to build a relationship with her in any case. I'll call her CeCe.
What we don't want to happen is for us to come parading into town like Saviors with deep pockets. We are neither saviors nor wealthy. We will learn how to minister the love of God, though, as we will not be able to do anything on our own timetable or agenda. These initial challenges are reminding me that this is God's work. He knows the hearts and needs of Alice and CeCe. He knows their hurts, their sins, their families, their needs. We have to listen to Him to proceed.
Our small group (you know, the "Fort Rock Stars") is beautifully working together to this end. Brings a whole new meaning to the idea of "community" service.

Wordless Wednesday: Justice Project Block Party

Justice Project, Messy

(This is the second in a series...go back to yesterday's post if you haven't read it yet.)

I am an optimist. I am trusting. I always assume people tell the truth about everything. I am black-and-white--meaning, I see the world as clear-cut, with right and justice falling on one side of a line and wrong and injustice falling on the other. Even the line is between them is usually straight in my head.

That's kind of a fast-track version of the way I see the world. I'm wired that way. Life has taught me, however, that (1) many, many people DO NOT see the world this way and (2) life has a lot of gray areas and (3) I am usually oblivious to gray areas, not because I'm insensitive and don't care...I just don't see gray naturally...it has to be pointed out to me.

All of this to say...social justice is a big ole BALL OF GRAY. Wait, lest I fail to portray it correctly...a big ole ball of sticky gray twisted up yarn that will take generations upon generations to untangle. Or, in my worldview...an overwhelmingly daunting task that looks fine from afar and in theory, but is messy, get-your-hands-sticky, confusing, and well...GRAY. It is not clear-cut. It's not a neat package. It is people. And people are messy. (That's why I still prefer to deal with automated customer service most of the time)

Messy in a good way. I'm still learning.

"Help the poor."
Great. Where are they? And how do I get to know them? Help them with what, really? Help them not be poor? What if they're ok with being poor? Didn't you say that the poor are blessed? By you? Or by people like me? Help. Help me help them. Lord. Help me. What do I do? What if they reject my help? Why have I made this about me again, Lord?

I talk myself in circles trying to figure out what to do.

Justice Project. Concentrated effort in ONE neighborhood for NINE MONTHS. Now, friends, that is clear-cut. Right? Two people with a list of needs. Eleven people willing to help me help them. Now, let's do it.

Do what?
Well, so far, our main objective is to get to know them. And, I gotta say, it would be so much easier if that weren't the goal. If my goal were to march in and work on a list of tasks, I'd be much better suited for this. I can plant flowers, hammer nails, and buy groceries all day long. I am very good at serving with my hands. I am not at all good serving with my heart. It's difficult. It's...messy. It's unpredictable. It's scary. It's vulnerable.

And it's our calling. All of us. God's hands and feet won't get very far unless we have His love to back it up. Messy or not...here we come.

The Justice Project...a starting place

Well, I should have at least introduced you by now. Blog readers, meet Justice Project...Justice Project, meet blog readers.
I am going to chronicle at least some of our journey here on the blog...since it's a Jesus-sized undertaking. I need somewhere to write all of this down. Join me in a divine experiment!

What is it?
A group of people in Charlotte, NC, (our entire church being among that group) have adopted a neighborhood that is listed as "fragile" in terms of crime rate, teenage pregnancy, drop-out rates, etc. It is a poorer neighborhood near downtown Charlotte (off Clanton Rd. if you're from around here).
Why?
We believe that God has called ALL Christians to serve the poor, fight for the marginalized, and provide for the widows and orphans. Particularly through Isaiah 58: 6-9"This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once.Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' (THE MESSAGE)
Of course, this is certainly not the only passage that calls us to help the poor. I was amazed just the other day to read in Galatians that when some of the Apostles were determining HOW to move forward, they agreed on this: they needed to take care of the poor among them. (Galatians 2:10...) Paul says "They [James, Peter, John] only asked us to remember the poor--the very thing I also was eager to do."
Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. [YIKES!]
I won't go on and on here. No one could really refute the notion of Jesus' preference for the poor, as God's heart is laid out all over the Scriptures on this point.
But the tough question becomes...so, what do I do about it? Well, a sharp answer would be, "Something."
A kinder answer, would be, ask God to show you, and meanwhile...raise your awareness of the needs in your own backyard. Look at people as people, and don't label them as "lazy," "unemployed," "shiftless," etc. When you ask God to show you, look for the answer. It may well be the "beggar" you see on the street corner...and you may NOT know what he'll do with a handout. But you might just be Jesus' hand reaching out to him, giving him a cold bottle of water and a sandwich or a hard-earned five dollar bill.
So, it's not really just about writing out checks. It's our attitude that we must check at the door of Godliness.
We officially started our journey last Saturday; but really, it started a while back. And for the record, this is NOT "hey, pat me on the back because I'm doing something good." I am trying to sort out what this all means as I go, too. I don't know many homeless people, and am not going to be giving out my guest bed anytime soon...I don't think. Just trying to figure out how to trust and obey...and get over myself.

More on these topics throughout this week...

Really?

I took this picture at a recent store closing in Charlotte. Ironically, the one thing we wanted was the item with the small white sign on it in the background...Perhaps not the very best placement for the giant poster...?

Let us not confuse the two...

I'll just let these words speak for themselves. Or slap. Or sink into the heart.

"Service flows out of worship. Service as a substitute for worship is idolatry. Activity is the enemy of adoration."

From the chapter on Worship. p. 161, A Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

Stinkin' Funny

Tonight (we celebrated Valentine's last night, ok?):

Jerod is in the den watching a nature special on skunks...
{Barley poots}
Jerod: "Barley just farted! It's like watching this in 4-D!!"
Shelley is ROTFL.

Uptown Girl?

I lived in Charlotte for eight years. Various parts, from Matthews to Providence/Sardis to Sedgefield (near Dilworth). I liked that there seemed to be hub-bub everywhere. Interesting people. Restaurants of every nation, tribe, and tongue. Stores filled with whatever I might want. And friends. Friends who lived 8 miles away, and yet it took 40 minutes to get to their houses.
So I met a boy (re-met, but that sounds weird), and he owned a house in Rock Hill. Rock Hill! I went to school there for four years, but never considered it home. Charlotte was home. Newnan, GA, was home. Rock Hill was a pass-through. Full of small-town politics...you know people who considered themselves VERY important, but outside of the city limits, no one really cared or knew who they were?
Rock Hill. An Applebee's, a Cracker Barrel, a few McDonald's, and a college. Big softball park. Four bazillion dollar statues declaring it as the "Gateway...to somewhere...or from somewhere." I never got the full story on that. A charming downtown district with old buildings and few tenants.
A far cry from my bright lights and big city.
Now, Rock Hill probably isn't technically a SMALL town. Last I heard, we were the 4th largest municipality in South Carolina...behind Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 70,000 folk. But it still has that stink, er, charm.
All of this set up to say...I like it here. I do. I like to think to think of myself as a big city girl. I don't like to concede to the notion of suburbs. But here I am.
When I most like Rock Hill is days like Thursday. I had a series of errands to run for my job. I was in and out of several very local establishments. I exchanged actual pleasantries and genuine conversation with people who know my name because I do business with them. It seems very "Leave it to Beaver" or something, but I admit...it's nice. It's nice to get to know people, even the self-important people, who have family and stories and businesses. I could go a week in Charlotte without anyone outside of my church calling me by name. The store clerks gloss over you there...especially in certain parts of town (SouthPark, anyone?) if you're not dressed just so or driving around in a fancy car.
So, I'm only 25 minutes from downtown Charlotte, but I almost feel like a have a great secret. The place we called "The Thrill" while in school. I can get to a friend's house in five minutes. I can get to Target in 8, work in 8 and downtown Rock Hill in about 10. We're not bustling. But life is good here. I have a sweetie. A cute little house. Nice neighbors who borrow the occasional cup of sugar and who rescue us when we need a teaspoon of baking powder halfway through the cookie recipe. It's the Hill, people. It's the Hill.

Time is ticking away, tick-tick-ticking away!

In another mini-confessional, I must say that I have a lifelong struggle with time. And really, who doesn't? We are either at odds with it, never using it wisely, wasting it on frivolities...or we think we have mastered it...never late for anything, planning and planning to save it by being better-organized and mapping our routes to save five minutes since we're missing that traffic light or railroad track.

But what if time is not at our disposal at all? What if it isn't even OURS to waste or to master? How about instead of fighting it, pushing against it, and even looking back at it with regret or feelings of success...we give it to the Lord.

The Lord told me pretty clearly recently that "All of your time is Mine."

To which I inwardly replied, "Excuse me?"

And the impression came again, "It ALL belongs to ME."

Not just the wee times I carve out for prayer, reading, singing, giving...but every minute of every day is HIS.

What does this even mean? I'm still trying to work that out with Him. It mostly means that I am listening to Him and relying on Him to let me know how to best use my minutes and hours. If it's His, He can certainly direct me on how to use it. In the process, I become less frustrated with my failure to master it...and less willing to waste it on things that will not further my mind, heart, and His Kingdom. He will allow time for rest. He will not allow for impatience, because that usually involves my heart being at unrest with someone else seemingly "wasting" my time or energy. Letting my time belong to Him will reduce frustration with traffic lights, slow people, long meetings, never-in-a-hurry husband, and a whole host of other things that seem to put me in a tailspin of evil. And may I disclaimer while I'm here (yes, I did just make disclaimer a verb, sue me)...I attempt to be ON TIME to events where there are other people because it is a community-minded thing to do. It is out of love for one another that we respect each other's time as THEIR gift from God, too.

And in the words of that wise Dan Wilson, "Whatcha gonna spend your free life on?"

Happy Groundhog Day!

Just a few things that make me smile. No, I am not Oprah; but there are a few favorite things...I won't be doing a grand giveaway to the bloggy audience (I wish I could!). Here's my list-in-progress.

1. Groundhog Day. (today!!) An underrated holiday. We pull a sleepy groundhog out of the ground and are intrigued about his weather-telling abilities. Punxsutawney Phil must be a morning groundhog. If this were me in groundhog form, I'd be biting this guy, for sure. Especially after staying up late watching the Steelers win. (surely, he's a Steelers fan, as he lives about an hour out of Pittsburg) Prediction this year, BTW, is for six more weeks of winter.

2. Dansko shoes: I have owned these shoes for about a month. They are amazing. Comfortable, stylish, tall enough to wear with dress pants, and foot-worthy for the longest day of walking about. When you have foot problems, cute shoes and comfortable shoes are often not compatible terms. These shoes marry the best of both worlds. I'm saving my pennies now for a brown pair and some sandals for summer.

3. Brooke Fraser's Albertine: Fraser is known for her contributions to Hillsong Worship in Australia. This is her solo album...it has been in near-constant rotation for me lately. Like Plumb and Christy Nockels combined: Click here for a music video.

4. I saw a sign outside of our neighborhood last Friday that said "Yard Cell." That makes me smile all over.

5. Photoshop. It will do so much. It's a powerhouse. Here is just a silly little example of its awesomeness. Just a little tweaking to make a dull picture far more beautiful. Note the subtraction of the stoplights, too. I could spend hours and hours discovering the intricacies of the Photoshop.

Silence

(a thought I wrote down last year about this time...)

I can hear the storm blowing in.
It does not take me by surprise
The rustle of dry leaves
Alerts me
That soon it will be here
One of the many virtues of Silence
I am ready for the storm


Solitude and Silence are close to God's heart. They draw me close to Him and allow space in my mind and heart for Him to draw close to me. Life without these close friends is no life at all.

MLK, Jr. Day

I was blessed to have been raised in Georgia among people of all colors. My classes have always been well-mixed. It astounds me when I remember that my own parents did not attend school with people of color. It boggles my mind to think about a world where a black man or woman could not vote or testify in court. We are really just about two generations removed (technically) from the Civil Rights movement. We have come a long way. But we have a REALLY long way to go.
Gaps in education and opportunity still abound. We need to work on the problem from all sides. The Lord still needs to heal some hearts in the area of racism...on both sides of the color line. There are no ready answers, but be sure the questions are myriad and deep.
I struggle with what I perceive about African-American "pop" culture...the media and art that comes from the most famous African Americans right now is violent, degrading to women, and unworthy of the rich artistry and history of African Americans. But it comes from people who have long been fractured, hurt, oppressed and who have had their families units ripped apart. How can we expect them to heal as a people in such a relatively short period of time? God alone can solve these questions...but he needs our hearts and hands and feet to do the dirty work of restoration, rehabilitation, and renovation. As we reach out across racial lines, our own hearts will mend, too. I have a dream, indeed.

Publish.

Something of the DNA of January seeps into my blood and winds its way around until I almost must dream of some tangible thing that can be accomplished in the given year.
I am going to love well.
I am going to clear out some clutter.
Those are more ways of living than things to DO. Certainly healthy threads with which to weave my days.
But this year, I'd really like to PUBLISH. Something. Besides a blog for four people (thank you, four people!!) I have a finished young adult book (co-written by Tall One). I have ideas. It might be a story in our local yocal newsmagazine...where "news" is a flexible term and the emphasis might be on "yocal." I have no lofty goals, just a kernel of a dream. To write something that gets published or that I get paid to write.

Love. Peace. Publish. 2009
Sounds like a good idea for a tee shirt. :)

Compelled to Post

Mondays are a little like mini-new-years, and I feel compelled to post something. Like I have a clean slate and need to do the things I want and need to do.
My exciting weekend consisted of:

• Having 7 friends over for a casual dinner and spending the entire time in the bathroom with a stomach bug. (extra fun)
• Sitting on the sofa, hungry and thirsty, but afraid of solids and liquids. (super duper fun)
• Watching the Panthers lose a football game that they should have won, while wondering if my soup would stay down. (mega fun)
• Running down the hall to the restroom 82 times in one day. (more fun than I will tell you about. Really.)
• Missing church (NO FUN!)
• Missing two good days for working out (would have been fun)

Tall One is still afraid of me and hugs me with his elbows. He doesn't want to catch my fun. I don't really blame him. However, I did conquer both a sandwich and tacos today, and am starting to feel like myself again. I am inclined now to be more OCD about touching public things, since I don't actually know anyone who had the fun this week and could have given it to me. I either picked it up at CVS or Target.

Because it's been such an event-filled weekend, I'll also report that my scrolly-ball-thingie on my mouse doesn't seem to be working properly. It scrolls down but not up. (decidedly not fun)

And, I have to admit to watching "The Bachelor." It's that train wreck phenomenon. Can't. Look. Away. I am fascinated by self-centered drama girls and wierdo dating situations. This is the secret I carry. At least with my handy DVR, I can start watching it about 30 minutes in and skip commercials, which leaves more time for reading important things NOT centered around fantasy dates and swimming pools. Oy!

And those are my deep thoughts for today. I haven't any stored up, since my weekend was so dreary. We shall hope for a brighter week. And pray for healing for my scrolly ball. Now, Iris, go read the LOST blog. It's almost time!!!

Midnight Musings

It seems a cruel fate that I have to be at work at 8:30 am. Let me throw in the "I'm extremely grateful to have a job...that I like..." disclaimer and proceed with my thought. My creative time is about 9 pm - 2 am. I do my best thinking then. I have energy and juices are flowing. It's the day-to-day that drags me down into sleepy-land and kills my late-night dreams. When I'm on vacation (as I just was for two full weeks), my body reverts to Owl mode.
I am struggling to shake Owl mode as I get back into early bird mode. I have never been an early bird. I care nothing for worms. Who ever wanted a worm?

I lie in bed (like just now for 45 minutes WIDE AWAKE) thinking of great things to design, emails and blogs to write, songs, plays, etc. then fight falling asleep...then fall asleep, and feel that my best ideas get trapped in the neverland between conception and drool. Like just now. Had a great idea for something that I will do this year. Practical. Cute. Inexpensive. And I'd like to get started right now, at 12:15 am, thank you very much. (But there are worms for me in the morning if I go ahead and go to bed, right?)
I also laid there thinking about how to best reorganize my hall closet. I rearranged my den bookshelf in my head according to book color. I prayed. Prayer will sometimes lull me into a state of relaxation, and sometimes sleep. But tonight I crossed the hall to the big glowing screen and here I sit.
To reference my previous post, I had the oddest thing happen tonight. I am reading "A Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster (if you haven't read it, order it on Amazon today--I'll wait--it's that good). So the crazy thing is, the next chapter for me to read was on the Discipline of Simplicity. SIMPLICITY. OK, Holy Spirit...you trying to get my attention? Foster even mentioned the fallacy of gadgetry and the time-sucking traps that gadgets can lure you into. Yes, gadgets. (and as a side note, I did spend another hour and a half working on the wireless router that will not allow me to password protect AND actually use it wirelessly at the same time--arg! This was after an hour on the phone with my friendly Indian IT helper. So, free Wi-Fi hotspot at the Joneses! I will get it protected...but I need a tech breather for now.) Back to the disciplines. You see from this entire post that I must be in need of discipline in general. :) Simplicity. This practice is one that may well be the hardest for me to do. I see shopping as a challenge, an adrenaline rush, a problem to be solved. Jerod sees it as spending money we don't have for things we don't need. And usually, he's right. Jesus talked a lot about simplicity, too. He and his friends traveled pretty lightly. So, I really will be using those furlough days to clean out closets, reorganize, and reprioritize the place that "stuff" has in my life. I am tired of my stuff and the way it sits around lazily, occupying space and begging for attention. I am not taking a vow of poverty or anything, just really evaluating what I have and why I have it. And not just with pieces of wood and glass and plastic...what "stuff" is in my schedule and my life that is leeching my time and attention from the Kingdom of God? It needs to go out the door, too, so my home can be restored to order. Goodbye Stuff. Hello Life.

2008: The Year of the Gadget

We Joneses were not in the habit of "keeping up," per se. Trying to live a wee bit more frugally, we had not purchased a digital camera* (thanks to a hand-me-down that was working brilliantly), an ipod*, a DVR/Tivo*, and a number of other gadgets considered essential by most folk under 40. However, the year 2008 turned the tide.
The camera* was our Christmas gift at the end of 2007. Enjoyable to be able to record the most random or memorable moments. Now if I could just get all those photos backed up on the external hard drive* that's been in the package since September...
I started Jonesing for a DVR* after visiting Paul and Michelle's pad for Oscar night. I had heard of such things as pausing live TV and recording shows on a device other than a VCR (Free-vo!), but I hadn't EXPERIENCED the joy that is DVR*. Of all the devices we stumbled upon this year, DVR* has changed my life for the better. TV is now at my beck and call rather than my feeling tied to certain times when a fave show is on...and no more missing LOST because the VCR didn't comply with my wishes! Think what you might about my adoration for the DVR, it has freed up my time in a lot of ways. There is no love lost on the VCR that was a mostly faithful companion for 14 years.
The ipod* was the most suprising addition. It came free with the computer we got in the Fall, otherwise, I had few plans to add one to the family. I really thought it would change my life. Everyone I know has one. It seems to be the center of their universe at times. I always felt left out of discussions about downloading music and building playlists. Like I was the hairy, overweight uncool kid on the playground standing around picking my nose. (maybe I am!) An unfortunately busy Fall shattered my dream of ipod* glory. I have barely had time to add all those awesome songs I've been saving for a rainy day. I did manage to get a good Christmas playlist going, but aside from "Shelley's Holly Jolly," I haven't gotten my ipod* up to life-changing status yet. It's handy. But it ain't Jesus, you know?
Funny that the year AFTER the year of the gadget, I am yearning for simplicity. And after last night, when my fiddling with the wireless router for over two hours caused all manner of wireless confusion, I am STILL CRAVING simplicity. Gadgets never quite work for you the way they're supposed to. I will spend some time on the phone tonight with a NETGEAR representative explaining how I effectively cut off internet access to both computers, even though my cable modem is working brilliantly. I will be thinking of all the other things I could be doing. I will hopefully not cuss. I will try to wrap my NETGREAR customer service representative in the love of God. :) And I will never mess with my router again once it gets working.
Thus I march on, with a love-hate relationship with buttons, glowing lights, and microchips, fancy texting phones, bluetooths (teeths?), DVR, cable, internet, itunes, podcasts, and all adobe products. They don't define me, but they surely can try me and bring out a whole host of responses. Odd that gadgets play such a prominent role in our day-to-day.
Here's to 2009: The Year of Simplicity