we are

It was my last day of school at Jardine in Wichita. The kids knew every teacher was killing time until 3:10. I gave a quiz, but this one was supposed to be fun. A 20-question true/false quiz about the teacher - Ms. Hartter, given orally. "True or false...I grew up on a farm." "True or false...My mother was born in Germany." "True or false...My great-great-great grandma was the daughter of a Belgian prince." The last question on the test was, "True or false...I go to church." A snicker came from Taylor Murphy's side of the room. He looked at me, laughed, and said, "Yeah, right!" Now, Taylor Murphy was a big, squirrely eighth grader who often got in trouble, but he taught me an unforgettable lesson. Even after spending at least 30 minutes each day with him for 10 1/2 months, he would've never guessed that I was a church-going person.

Who are we? We call ourselves Christians, but do we act like it? Do we even talk like it? At Jardine, I had apparently done neither. Pray for us - that we would walk as faithful believers. Pray for boldness to seize every opportunity to spread the Word. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7).

words

A few days ago, Isaac sat on the pot grunting and pushing. Moments later he looked into the toilet bowl and exclaimed, "THAT was as big as a LINCOLN LOG!"

The things that pour out of kids' mouths are said with no reservation, no hesitation, no prior analysis. I have this problem too, saying too much and not thinking before I talk. Surprisingly, this is the exact opposite of what's going on in my head right now. When it comes to blogs, I get a little intimidated by other bloggers' creativity, wit and wisdom, especially when this blog doesn't fit into a "real blog" category.

We are here in Texas, having done the same thing this week that we did last. It's a good thing to have routine, but in a faithful blogger's life, you need something to write about. I do not have anything new to tell you today. Thus, you come to a boring blog entry. The blog topics for today are/could be so numerous. I could choose to rant and rave about controversial topics, but my opinions would probably make somebody mad or I'd say the wrong thing in the wrong way that is not at all politically correct. I could write about something, acting like I know a whole bunch about it, but the truth is - I know a whole bunch about a lot of nothing. So what good would that do? Some real bloggers try to entertain their readers. I am not a "real" blogger. Ree at The Pioneer Woman is considered a "real blogger." I cannot and will not do that.

When I think I know something or have any wisdom at all, I quickly realize my own lack of knowledge. My only words of wisdom and over-the-top great ideas are not my own words at all. So, instead of trying to come up with some ground-breaking knuckle-bustin' proverbs on today's blog post, I'll just tell you where you can find unlimited knowledge, wit, and wisdom. The Word of God. That is better than any blog. Try reading that everyday.

Those are my thoughts for today. So, how did I go from Lincoln Log discoveries to challenging you to read the Bible daily? I do not know. And the great thing is - it doesn't really matter because I have not claimed to be a true blogger. or a writer. or a profound thinker. So there you have it. :)

Also related to this blog: Proverbs 12

blog purpose

What is the purpose of blogging? That was Jared's question to me the last time I started a blog.

Oh, there are so many good blogs out there. I'm a faithful reader of only three: passage, intensely trivial, and holy experience. I encourage you to check out those blogs, but realize that this blog will be somewhat different for the following reasons:

1) My knowledge and wit are limited.

2) I am not a writer.

3) Blogging is not something I'm really passionate about.

I deleted my last blog a few months ago because it was a chore to update, and I didn't really have a reason to blog. What wisdom do I have? I would rather spend time with our kids than sit at a computer thinking of things to write.

This blog has a different purpose.

Starting this week, our family will spend six months in San Angelo, Texas. Jared has training at Goodfellow Air Force Base. We decided our family would go on an excursion and move down there with him. This blog is for grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, sisters and brothers, and friends to keep up with what we're doing. It's exciting to think about a six-month "vacation," but we will dearly miss every one of you, I know that already.