It was difficult to get pictures of them in the Easter clothes. One or the other had to do something silly in each picture. :)
Egg hunt pictures:
Monday, April 25, 2011
Easter
Easter turned out nice. It was a long day since we went to the early church service. The late service was having 5 baptisms which is a bit much to ask the boys to sit through. The weather was a bit chilly, but at least we were able to have the boys outside for much of it since all their toys in their baskets were outside toys. They ate way too much candy and hardly touched their dinner. Eh, what are you going to do?
It was difficult to get pictures of them in the Easter clothes. One or the other had to do something silly in each picture. :)
It was difficult to get pictures of them in the Easter clothes. One or the other had to do something silly in each picture. :)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Holy Week Reflection: 10 Commandments
I said before that the Bible wasn’t just about morality. Even as a child the Ten Commandments did not set right with me, not just because they are hard to keep, but because the seemed weirdly simplistic and overly concerned about coveting. Walter Brueggemann’s lecture made this finally make more sense to me by showing that the point of the Commandments was to set up a society that reflected God and was not concerned with personal morality.
Let’s go back to Egypt, the bread basket of the ancient world. Remember that the Jews went and offered themselves as slaves because they were desperate. Egypt had food; they did not. Food becomes the weapon wielded to control others. I doubt the Jews grew up and said, “You know what I’ve always wanted to be? An Egyptian slave!” But they were left with few options. Pretty much starve or become a slave because Egypt was not running a food pantry. And it’s not like Egypt just naturally controlled the only food. They used the might of their empire to control resources.
People become anxious about not having enough. So we hustle to accumulate more and your neighbor becomes your competetor. In this race to get more, we lose our sense of compassion and justice. We are exhausted by our anxiety and can no longer have energy to worry about common good.
An empire is no different. It’s just a larger scale. Pharoah was fearful about scarcity as well. Which leads to the need to accumulate and control more and more. But the thing about the anxiety of scarcity is that the more you have, the more anxious you become. It does not really bring peace of mind. We have a greater fear of losing what we have and we never do feel like we have enough. This is the system the world offers us.
Like the Jews who had to journey through the anxiety and accept God’s plan, we too have to journey through the wilderness and trust God’s plan is greater than the need to accumulate. When we see the Commandments as our guide for a more just society we might be surprised to find the great abundance of God’s grace. Truly, it takes a great act of generosity to break the grip of anxiety.
The Commandments are not rules of morality, but rather guidelines for creating a viable and sustainable neighborhood in which people are fully engaged. A quick review:
I am the Lord your God, you will have no other gods
You should not make idols
You should not take the Lord’s name in vain.
Keep the Sabbath
Honor your mother and father.
Do not kill
Do not commit adultry.
Do not steal.
Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Do not covet your neighbor’s posessions or family.
So, here’s a different way to look at the Commandments. The 1st-3rd mean that we should not try to harness God to our pet projects. God is not “useful,” and we should not use God to make the world in our image or make God our partner. In particular makes more sense to view the 3rd commandment in this light. I don’t think God’s in the business of smiting people for swearing. I do think he is deeply disappointed when we claim our actions for personal gain are in his name.
The fourth is more important than we give credit for in modern times. Yes, we all need rest, but more than that the Sabbath applies to all because at rest everyone is equal. Because it is God’s command, you do not earn rest by being more productive, rest is granted because you are neighbor.
The 5th-9th Commandments remind us that neighbors (meaning all those with whom we live, society in general as Jesus himself defines neighbor) are Ends and Not Means, meaning they are to be honored and treated with respect. And not only that, but we are to protect one another.
The 10th commandment is really not about petty envy. It’s much more. It’s a curb against acquisitive economics and a hustle to accumulate more and more. And a curb against the aggressive actions we take to get more.
Pharoh’s system of scarcity and controlled scarcity is alive and well. Those at the top have more than enough, but yet they fear it will never be enough. So they offer a system in which we can give up more and more of what we have to try to buy some security. But this system never buys security. It is time to depart. As Christians we should be guiding people on the journey from Pharoh’s system to God’s system. We can be fed by the mystery of God’s abundance this Easter season.
Each Sunday, most of us going to church relive the great drama of abundance in the Eucharist. Just as Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to his disciples, so God takes our life, blesses it, breaks it open and gives it back multiplied.
We do not need to fear leaving the system of scarcity. God is with us. The abundance he provides is enough for all. It should bind the community together rather than isolate us. The truth is we will never feel like we have enough and will forever want more. There is no obvious time where we will feel like we have enough and can break from the cycle. The invitation is to take the step we can, to keep taking the next step. God’s people in the Old Testament were willing to dispute with worldly powers and even God on behalf of the neighbor. We, the church, need more of this.
Let’s go back to Egypt, the bread basket of the ancient world. Remember that the Jews went and offered themselves as slaves because they were desperate. Egypt had food; they did not. Food becomes the weapon wielded to control others. I doubt the Jews grew up and said, “You know what I’ve always wanted to be? An Egyptian slave!” But they were left with few options. Pretty much starve or become a slave because Egypt was not running a food pantry. And it’s not like Egypt just naturally controlled the only food. They used the might of their empire to control resources.
People become anxious about not having enough. So we hustle to accumulate more and your neighbor becomes your competetor. In this race to get more, we lose our sense of compassion and justice. We are exhausted by our anxiety and can no longer have energy to worry about common good.
An empire is no different. It’s just a larger scale. Pharoah was fearful about scarcity as well. Which leads to the need to accumulate and control more and more. But the thing about the anxiety of scarcity is that the more you have, the more anxious you become. It does not really bring peace of mind. We have a greater fear of losing what we have and we never do feel like we have enough. This is the system the world offers us.
Like the Jews who had to journey through the anxiety and accept God’s plan, we too have to journey through the wilderness and trust God’s plan is greater than the need to accumulate. When we see the Commandments as our guide for a more just society we might be surprised to find the great abundance of God’s grace. Truly, it takes a great act of generosity to break the grip of anxiety.
The Commandments are not rules of morality, but rather guidelines for creating a viable and sustainable neighborhood in which people are fully engaged. A quick review:
I am the Lord your God, you will have no other gods
You should not make idols
You should not take the Lord’s name in vain.
Keep the Sabbath
Honor your mother and father.
Do not kill
Do not commit adultry.
Do not steal.
Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Do not covet your neighbor’s posessions or family.
So, here’s a different way to look at the Commandments. The 1st-3rd mean that we should not try to harness God to our pet projects. God is not “useful,” and we should not use God to make the world in our image or make God our partner. In particular makes more sense to view the 3rd commandment in this light. I don’t think God’s in the business of smiting people for swearing. I do think he is deeply disappointed when we claim our actions for personal gain are in his name.
The fourth is more important than we give credit for in modern times. Yes, we all need rest, but more than that the Sabbath applies to all because at rest everyone is equal. Because it is God’s command, you do not earn rest by being more productive, rest is granted because you are neighbor.
The 5th-9th Commandments remind us that neighbors (meaning all those with whom we live, society in general as Jesus himself defines neighbor) are Ends and Not Means, meaning they are to be honored and treated with respect. And not only that, but we are to protect one another.
The 10th commandment is really not about petty envy. It’s much more. It’s a curb against acquisitive economics and a hustle to accumulate more and more. And a curb against the aggressive actions we take to get more.
Pharoh’s system of scarcity and controlled scarcity is alive and well. Those at the top have more than enough, but yet they fear it will never be enough. So they offer a system in which we can give up more and more of what we have to try to buy some security. But this system never buys security. It is time to depart. As Christians we should be guiding people on the journey from Pharoh’s system to God’s system. We can be fed by the mystery of God’s abundance this Easter season.
Each Sunday, most of us going to church relive the great drama of abundance in the Eucharist. Just as Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to his disciples, so God takes our life, blesses it, breaks it open and gives it back multiplied.
We do not need to fear leaving the system of scarcity. God is with us. The abundance he provides is enough for all. It should bind the community together rather than isolate us. The truth is we will never feel like we have enough and will forever want more. There is no obvious time where we will feel like we have enough and can break from the cycle. The invitation is to take the step we can, to keep taking the next step. God’s people in the Old Testament were willing to dispute with worldly powers and even God on behalf of the neighbor. We, the church, need more of this.
Holy Week Reflection: God and the economy
With Easter approaching, I can’t help but think what would Jesus say to us right now? I can’t help but feel like he’d be pretty disappointed in us. When he rode into Jerusalem, it was a challenge to the empire, just not quite what people thought, but it was a challenge in life as well as in his death. I often hear that as Christians we are not to be “of this world.” Usually people take that to mean that they can close themselves off from society and that somehow they have risen above. But I don’t think that’s what it means. We have to be both in this world and apart. God is clearly interested in working with and within humanity. So why would Christians need to pull away from the rest of humanity? I think the confusion happens when we see the Bible strictly as a book of morality. It’s not. Well, not just that. It is a book about identity. But, perhaps, most importantly, the Bible contains God’s vision for community. Unfortunately, it’s this part that is most often ignored. But this ignored vision is exactly why Jesus rode into Jerusalem before that fateful Passover.
We live in a society dominated by the belief that more is better and the ends justify the means. This leads to extravagant greed and selfishness. It’s not the first time in history. Isaiah was dealing with the same problem. Even King Hezakiah had the same “what-do-I-care-about-the-long-term-consequences-of-my-actions-because-I’ll-be-dead-before-we-have-to-face-that” attitude that is so prevalent in our leaders today. So what can be learned from Isaiah?
God tells us that what he is offering is more reliable than the failed vision of our society. He tells us not to be afraid because he is with us. Empires rule by fear because frightened people will not take initiative. But God says to us we can refuse the fear of the empire. When we refuse to despair we can maintain the energy to do something to help our greater neighborhood. So Jesus stands up to the Roman Empire; he shows that the we do not have to live by fear of the empire and that God has a better plan. Our society has been described as military consumerism. We have to maintain a large and expensive military to protect our desire to consume more and more. And really the implication is that we have to have military because we are consuming more than what is rightly ours. Most of our worldly military conflicts are directly related to a desire to take; we have just become very good at rationalizing our role in various conflicts. But truly, when was the last time worship of military consumerism has made you safe? Has made you happy? And make no mistake, when we have gone beyond simple pride of nation to belief in exceptionalism, we have begun to worship something other than God.
So just as Isaiah told the Jews, we must also hear again that we can depart (not physically, metaphorically) from the empire, give up our fear, and relinquish that which keeps us most anxious. “We can depart from the myth that more is better.” (Walter Brueggemann) But we must be careful to understand that this departure does not mean seclusion. Seclusion and faith as only a personal endeavor does not require full engagement. And, although, the empire promotes ways of distracting us from full engagement (most notably social media and television, which I enjoy but not without remembering the inherent dangers), God wants us to engage. God placed us in a society of many, not of the individual. Our calling as Christians is to be the mediator of need and resource to make connections. Israel had forgotten its call to be a light to all nations, we learn in Isaiah. But we also learn that reconstruction is possible.
The book of Isaiah presents the debate on how to create a humane society. First is discussed who belongs. (We still discuss this today.) The only requirements are to participate in the public economy (not individual) and keep the Sabbath. In reality, the boundaries of community are broken open. But what are we saying by public economy? We are not saying that everything is pooled together and everyone has the exact same. But we are talking about an understanding of the overall health of a society, village or neighborhood. Israel was expected to embrace the neighborhood in compassion and generosity. Some people would say that if you DO, you get to know God or if you know God, you DO, but perhaps what God wants us to understand is that in the action is the knowing. God is the connection between the people who have bread and the people who need bread. (And read bread as literal bread, and as a metaphor for more.) We are cautioned against putting on a face of piety in worship all the while engaged in actions that are killing our neighbors. Isaiah 61 proposes that the economy be organized not to serve the market, but to serve the neighbor. It reads: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Isaiah 61 is interesting because it both looks forward to Luke 4 and backwards to Leviticus 25. (Although, backwards may be a stretch since Leviticus and Isaiah were probably written around the same time.) Leviticus 25 is where we find the Jubilee Year, also called Year of the Lord and Year of the Lord’s Favor, which is when at the end of fifty years, all debts are canceled. It’s like an economic blank slate. This idea undermines all conventional notions of economies so therefore, sadly, you rarely ever hear it preached in church. When we look forward to Luke 4, we see that Jesus is the enactment of Jubilee (he reads Isaiah 61 in the synagogue and proclaims it fulfilled. And lest you think I am jumping to economic conclusions, read Mary’s Magnificat, it’s there too:
And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever, even as he said to our fathers."
Isaiah 61 is a center point for the Bible’s most dangerous teachings because it undermines all notions of power. It undermines the notion that the economy should be for the sake of the market and wealth. God always had a different plan and we need not fear to live it.
To not be of this world, we need to disengage with the gods of the economy represented in greed and selfishness. But we remain in this world by fully engaging in God’s plan, an arrangement that looks toward care of neighbor because Jesus’ resurrection did not negate our responsibility in this world, but rather it reminds us that we are set free to live out our calling to be the connection for all people.
[This is a reflection on a workshop with Walter Brueggemann, and written based on my notes from that session. If I have mistakenly quoted Brueggemann without proper credit, my sincerest apologies. ]
Thursday, April 14, 2011
One of those days...
I keep having those days where I love being a mother and I wouldn't trade my kids, but I'd sure like to give them away for a few days. They have been so moody. So then I'm moody which I'm sure is creating a vicious cycle. Gabe has been particularly moody and I never know what I'm going to get. One minute he's laughing, then next he's dissolved into tears over something small like a broken cracker, and then next he's being mouthy and yelling at us.
I'm trying to get too many things done in too few hours. I get exhausted and give myself a break, and then the stress cycle starts again because I slacked off. Mostly because I'm basically going into business, but I hate thinking about business. I'll explain that more in a minute.
First, I am not applying to the art therapy program. At least not this year. I have been able to talk to someone who is in that program and she let me know that the things that I saw as red flags were truly something to worry about. She's been doing this "3 year program" for 4.5 years. So that also bothers me. And it's not just her; her whole cohort is having these same problems. In fact the head of the Michigan Art Therapy Association cautioned me against this program, so it just doesn't seem like the right thing to do.
But I'm in a bit of catch 22; I think I am more suited to working outside the home. Seriously, more power to the women who want to stay home. No judgements here, I'm only talking about me. But no one needs a youth director around here and my degree, not having been used, this far out of date, is pretty much useless. So, I have applied to the MA in History program at Central Michigan University. Technically, I have the number of hours in history or history related field, so I hope I will be accepted, but since the majority of my history course work was in art, and it being 10 years ago, I just don't know. With a loaded schedule, it would take 2 years to complete and then I would be able to do things like adjunct/lecture at a community college or even university. I think I would enjoy that. So, I've sent everything in and we will see where that goes.
I will be opening an Etsy shop. That's an online mecca for all things handcraft and art. I'd have my own little shop in which I could sell my art and the tee shirts I've been painting shirts with bleach, using it like watercolor (which I'd never seen anyone do, but suddenly the blogosphere is filled with knock-offs of my work. I'm trying to be flattered, but they aren't giving credit where credit is due so my feelings aren't exactly charitable right now. Plus mine are way better.) I will let you know when the shop is officially open. I keep putting it off because I want more product ready and because I'm nervous and don't want to deal with financial end of things. I'll have to get over it.
The other sort of business-y thing going on is my other blog, Domesticated Nomad. You may have noticed that I put the Google AdSense on there. The trouble with it is that you make next to nothing on it unless people click on your ads, which I'm not allowed to solicit clicking for clicking's sake or click them myself. And I only make a penny for every 40 something views. I have A LOT of page views, but my traffic alone isn't enough to make money. Also, if I don't get to $100 in three months, they can just drop me and I don't get paid. I have to have earned $100 to actually see a cent. They don't tell you any of this until you are in and I've seen no blogger fess up to what it's like. So there it is. Now you know. I can't be sure if telling you that much breaks the contract, and I really don't care. So, I have begun to solicit sponsors (the only real way to make money from a blog) but back to the whole worrying about finances when it's not really my thing. I never really expected the blog to take off like this, and I still don't know if it will make "beer and pizza" money. I'm not looking for a full on income. But I figure I'm already doing projects, so why not try.
How can you help? So glad you asked. :) Since I can't ask you to click on ads just to click on them, I will ask you to be sure to click if it appeals to you and not just go directly to the advertisers website another time. And I know you check it out, but please consider becoming a "follower" of the blog. The more followers I have, the more likely I can get sponsors. Following requires no actual commitment from you, no money, and next to no information. It's not really a big deal; it's like a public bookmark.
Matt's car isn't running again, so I have to go take him to work now. I sound down. I know I do. I'm actually really excited about things, and content with life right now. It's just that I'm tired. And a bit stressed.
I'm trying to get too many things done in too few hours. I get exhausted and give myself a break, and then the stress cycle starts again because I slacked off. Mostly because I'm basically going into business, but I hate thinking about business. I'll explain that more in a minute.
First, I am not applying to the art therapy program. At least not this year. I have been able to talk to someone who is in that program and she let me know that the things that I saw as red flags were truly something to worry about. She's been doing this "3 year program" for 4.5 years. So that also bothers me. And it's not just her; her whole cohort is having these same problems. In fact the head of the Michigan Art Therapy Association cautioned me against this program, so it just doesn't seem like the right thing to do.
But I'm in a bit of catch 22; I think I am more suited to working outside the home. Seriously, more power to the women who want to stay home. No judgements here, I'm only talking about me. But no one needs a youth director around here and my degree, not having been used, this far out of date, is pretty much useless. So, I have applied to the MA in History program at Central Michigan University. Technically, I have the number of hours in history or history related field, so I hope I will be accepted, but since the majority of my history course work was in art, and it being 10 years ago, I just don't know. With a loaded schedule, it would take 2 years to complete and then I would be able to do things like adjunct/lecture at a community college or even university. I think I would enjoy that. So, I've sent everything in and we will see where that goes.
I will be opening an Etsy shop. That's an online mecca for all things handcraft and art. I'd have my own little shop in which I could sell my art and the tee shirts I've been painting shirts with bleach, using it like watercolor (which I'd never seen anyone do, but suddenly the blogosphere is filled with knock-offs of my work. I'm trying to be flattered, but they aren't giving credit where credit is due so my feelings aren't exactly charitable right now. Plus mine are way better.) I will let you know when the shop is officially open. I keep putting it off because I want more product ready and because I'm nervous and don't want to deal with financial end of things. I'll have to get over it.
The other sort of business-y thing going on is my other blog, Domesticated Nomad. You may have noticed that I put the Google AdSense on there. The trouble with it is that you make next to nothing on it unless people click on your ads, which I'm not allowed to solicit clicking for clicking's sake or click them myself. And I only make a penny for every 40 something views. I have A LOT of page views, but my traffic alone isn't enough to make money. Also, if I don't get to $100 in three months, they can just drop me and I don't get paid. I have to have earned $100 to actually see a cent. They don't tell you any of this until you are in and I've seen no blogger fess up to what it's like. So there it is. Now you know. I can't be sure if telling you that much breaks the contract, and I really don't care. So, I have begun to solicit sponsors (the only real way to make money from a blog) but back to the whole worrying about finances when it's not really my thing. I never really expected the blog to take off like this, and I still don't know if it will make "beer and pizza" money. I'm not looking for a full on income. But I figure I'm already doing projects, so why not try.
How can you help? So glad you asked. :) Since I can't ask you to click on ads just to click on them, I will ask you to be sure to click if it appeals to you and not just go directly to the advertisers website another time. And I know you check it out, but please consider becoming a "follower" of the blog. The more followers I have, the more likely I can get sponsors. Following requires no actual commitment from you, no money, and next to no information. It's not really a big deal; it's like a public bookmark.
Matt's car isn't running again, so I have to go take him to work now. I sound down. I know I do. I'm actually really excited about things, and content with life right now. It's just that I'm tired. And a bit stressed.
Friday, April 8, 2011
I say it's my birthday
It was a good day. The boys took me to dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. It was Gabe and Chi's first time. They liked it. Chi was really tired so he was grouchy at first, but then he got his bowl of rice and he pronounced it "good." He refused all the food except for the rice though. Part of the meal was a choice of green tea ice cream or sherbet at the end. Matt and I choose the ice cream and the boys choose the sherbet, no real surprise. The green tea ice cream was very good and boys liked it better than the sherbet and they both wound up taking over our ice cream, the turkeys!
They got me a guide for Photoshop Elements because I was struggling to remember how to do things and getting stumped when something was different from my memory of Photoshop. So, I'm excited to get somewhere on some projects. Gabe also picked a pair of earrings for me. They are very nice, but it's almost just nicer to see his pride in picking out something he thought I'd like.
This week we had International Night with Gabe's class. The kids all had to learn about a country and present their country (Gabe did Italy) and we brought food from our country to taste. We made Italian style pizza. But surprisingly people did not eat as much as we expected so we have lots of pizza leftover. Oh, well. It's in the freezer, and it's good. Perhaps I don't say it enough, but Gabe is a good kid. :)
Chi was silly today. He wanted to use his little flashlight to look in my mouth and up my nose and in my ears. Then he started shining it on himself. Mouth, nose, ears, hands...and then down his pants. "Chi, you don't need to do that," I said. "No, Mom. It's dark," he informed me. Oh, of course. It's dark inside your pants. Duh? :) Just exploring, I supposed.
I was happy just to have a nice day with all my boys. And thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. They were much appreciated.
They got me a guide for Photoshop Elements because I was struggling to remember how to do things and getting stumped when something was different from my memory of Photoshop. So, I'm excited to get somewhere on some projects. Gabe also picked a pair of earrings for me. They are very nice, but it's almost just nicer to see his pride in picking out something he thought I'd like.
This week we had International Night with Gabe's class. The kids all had to learn about a country and present their country (Gabe did Italy) and we brought food from our country to taste. We made Italian style pizza. But surprisingly people did not eat as much as we expected so we have lots of pizza leftover. Oh, well. It's in the freezer, and it's good. Perhaps I don't say it enough, but Gabe is a good kid. :)
Chi was silly today. He wanted to use his little flashlight to look in my mouth and up my nose and in my ears. Then he started shining it on himself. Mouth, nose, ears, hands...and then down his pants. "Chi, you don't need to do that," I said. "No, Mom. It's dark," he informed me. Oh, of course. It's dark inside your pants. Duh? :) Just exploring, I supposed.
I was happy just to have a nice day with all my boys. And thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. They were much appreciated.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Let's get this party started!
The boys have begun building the model train railroad. I thought you'd enjoy seeing the progress.
They began laying it out so that they could cut the board to the proper size.
They diligently checked the book.
Chi got in on the action. He was uber helpful as you can imagine.
So, that's day one.
They began laying it out so that they could cut the board to the proper size.
They diligently checked the book.
Chi got in on the action. He was uber helpful as you can imagine.
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