Monday, June 11, 2012
Messy Mondays - Dragonflies
Messy Mondays where I share what God has been showing me through the
messiness of life. It is my personal belief that this walk isn't
clean and crisp and straight or narrow. It's wide and twisted and
mucky and messy. It's about the ups and the downs, but through it all
God is there with us.
Are you parched? Are you searching? Have you accepted that water?
I am linking up with Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood this week.
Two weeks ago, my husband and I went to Phoenix, Arizona for a week of rest and relaxation (meaning, without the kids). We toured many of the sights in and out of Phoenix. One of the places we toured was the Heard Museum. It is a museum celebrating the Native American Culture of Arizona.
While walking through the exhibits, I saw a write up about the Navajo tribe and dragonflies. The Navajo believe the dragonfly symbolizes pure water. When I saw the symbol for the dragonfly, I knew they were right.
Water is very sacred in the desert. It can mean life and death. I experienced this while walking around Phoenix and driving the Apache Trail. For miles around there is cactus, dirt and rock. When you are around water you can tell immediately. You smell the earthy smell that appears at the start of a spring rain. You see the lush oasis like settings by rivers. Without water, you become parched. You can't live without it more than 2 days.
Through this, I was fully able to appreciate that Jesus is the pure water that we need. Without Him we cannot survive. When we are close to Him, all our senses are awakened. We are focused on Him. We long for Him. We crave Him. Only through His cleansing water are we washed clean and renewed. Without Him we are dead. We cannot truly exist without Him. We are dead.
The woman at the well understood this when she met with Jesus.
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans). Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” (John 4:4-15 NIV84)
She knew after talking to Jesus that she needed the water that only He can give us. That when she drank from that water, she wouldn't need to look for it anywhere else. We can search for relief from thirst in many things and in many ways, but we will continue to search and search. Until we acknowledge where the pure water is from we will continue to thirst and not be filled. Jesus offers us relief from the heat. He offers us eternal life in the water He provides.
Are you parched? Are you searching? Have you accepted that water?
I am linking up with Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood this week.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Caffeinated Randomness - If you can't say something nice.....
We all remember that line. It's the one that Thumper's mom asks him what his father says, after he makes fun of Bambi - If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. I'm sure we all heard this growing up in some form or another. Most of us abide by this today. Sometimes we let things slip. I'll admit I do, especially when people are rude or line jump. But the one place I have noticed that people are not following this rule is on the internet.
This week I read some of the most disgusting comments ever. Not on my blog, but on Bristol Palin's blog. For those who have been living under a rock, Bristol Palin is the daughter of Sarah Palin who during the presidential announced her unplanned teenage pregnancy. Part of the reason was because people were claiming that Sarah Palin's youngest son was actually Bristol's (turns out people still believe this). Bristol is now a single mom, going to school, working full time and supporting her son. She is a remarkable young woman of Christ.
I was first introduced to her blog by my husband who had read a news article regarding one of her posts. It was about the call Obama made to Sandra Fluke, the young woman Rush Limbaugh called a S***! Bristol wanted to know when she would receive a call. She has been slandered maliciously and unprovoked by comedians and the media for years. I felt this post well written and well warranted. I, however, did not read the comments at that time.
Last night, I was playing and decided to "pop in" at her blog. I saw a post regarding President Obama's decision on gay marriage. There were 3,063 comments on this post alone. Most of them were not nice. They were horrible and offensive. As I read some of them I thought about the amount of hatred people had for someone they didn't even know; that they only heard about through the media. Most threw stones at her being a single teenage mom who promotes abstinence (of course a teenage mom would, they know the actual consequences for premarital sex). Some called her ignorant and stupid, with all the atrocious grammar that only someone who is ignorant could use. Most of the negative comments came from people who are on the "left." Those same people who within hours of her mother being named vice president candidate, questioned her decision not to abort her youngest son, Trig, who has down syndrome (I was so disgusted, you can imagine who I would have voted for right there and then). I have gone back to her original blog I read and discovered just as many disgusting comments.
Bristol, however, did the right thing and wrote a blog about the bullying. That is exactly what it was and is when we use words to take down people.
Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it. (Ephesians 4:29 Amp)
What is worse is when we hide behind our computers to do it. The victim cannot retaliate. The victim cannot confront the bullier. When I read people who bully through comments and Facebook, I always want to question them. I want to know why they would use words and actions that they wouldn't use in public (at least I hope they wouldn't). I was taught the same words that Thumper was and I believe they apply to social networking world as well. We need to stop cyber bullying, no matter who the victim is. It is wrong. When we see it, we need to stand up for the victim. We need to support them. We live in a society that calls for freedom of speech, however, only when it supports their side. This needs to stop! Everyone has the right to speak, as long as it is not harming another person. Doesn't matter if we agree with them or not. Nobody has the right to make someone feel less than they are. We are called to lift others up with our words, not tear them down.
If you don't have something nice to say, don't say nothin' at all. Wise words. Something we need to start reminding people of.
Have you been a victim of cyber bullying? What are your thoughts of commenting on social media?
Friday, June 1, 2012
Caffeinated Randomness - Restaurants
Food. One of the absolute necessities for our whole well being. I love food. The size of my clothes can attest to that.
I love going to restuarants. I don't have to clean. I don't have to prep. I don't have to do anything but sit and look at the menu and decide what I want to eat. There are very few foods that I don't like. I can't even tell you what my favourite food is. I can tell you what I won't eat - salmon and coconuts. That leaves so much to try. I've eaten sushi and sashimi (which are different). I have tried Indonesian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Southwestern, French, English, German and, of course, Dutch. Everywhere I go I love to try something local and new.
This last week I have been in Phoenix, Arizona. I have tried some authentic Southwestern at this little cafe in Tortilla Flats. But what I'm super excited about is that I got to try Chick Fil A, Cracker Barrell and Cooperstown. I know they aren't very exotic but we don't have any of them in Canada.
I first found out about Chick Fil A on Twitter. Beth Moore is constantly posting that she's at Chick Fil A. If it's good enough for Beth than it's good enough for Michelle. I ordered their original Chicken Sandwich. It's not fancy, but it is yummy, especially with their Chick Fil A sauce. However, I have to admit that I love their fries more. They were the best waffle fries I had ever had.
Cracker Barrell. What can I say? It was love at first sight. Now, I know this may sound funny, but where I am from Cracker Barrell is a brand of cheese, not a restaurant. My hubby had heard of this restaurant from a co attendee of a conference that he went to a few years ago. He enjoyed it and wanted to go on his Birthday, which we did. I had the Sunday Night Chicken Special with mac and cheese and coleslaw. I love their mac and cheese. I found a copy cat recipe that I will be trying as soon as I go home so that I can relive the experience. I'm hopeful this recipe is close to what I had on Sunday. I'm hoping before we go home to go back and try the hashbrown casserole. I have heard that it's just as good as the mac and cheese. Oh yeah, the chicken was amazing as well.
Now Cooperstown. This isn't a chain restaurant. It's where rock and jocks meet. It's a sports bar which is owned by Alice Cooper. Now before you get excited I have to tell you that No we didn't get to meet Alice. It would have been exciting. I would love to know what book of the Bible he is teaching at his Sunday School class and because I'm doing the Good Morning Girls study on the Proverbs 31 Wife, I would like to know his thoughts (bet you didn't know he was a Christian?). Beside all that, this was the best place to eat. Hubby and I shared the potatoe skin appie. One of the best potatoe skins I have had in a long time. Then I had the cuban sandwich. It was so yummy and I couldn't put it down, even when I knew I was full. But then just to top it off I had the funnel cake fries sundae. Yum O!!! I ate it all. I'm surprised I could eat all today, but I made room for lunch.
The other thing I like about restaurants, especially, those far away is when you get home and try to recreate the recipes. I have been inspired here and can't wait to see what I can copy cat at home.
What is your favourite restaurant when you're away?
Come and share your randomness today with the Caffeinated Junkies! (Just thought of this name for us. How do you like it?)
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- Michelle
- Alberta, Canada
- I'm a 39 year old (oh yeah I'm telling you my age) Stay at Home mom. A former Bad Girl now reformed sinner, I'm married to my Y2K guy and raising 3 great children from God. Proudly Canadian, however, missing the West Coast, I currently live in the prairies watching the farmers fields produce as I learn how God produces the fruits in me.
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