Fighting...

I love that after (just over) 10 years of marriage, we can have a HUGE fight....I mean HUGE, walk away and an hour later apologize and things are back to normal. I think we've learned (finally) how we both deal and then allow each other to do just that.

He's hot headed & I'm stubborn. What a pair!

Good & Evil

I've been sent this story many times and it once again has landed in my inbox. If you haven't read it....it's worth the time!


A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil.

"The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer.

"Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees." "Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word." "In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought." "It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it." "Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?" The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean." The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir." "So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith." "Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

South Bend Schools

The South Bend Indiana school district had the opportunity to host Democratic candidate and former first lady Hilary Clinton for a visit. They declined. A portion of the community is in uproar over the ordeal.

Should they have said yes? Why?

Were they right to say no? Why?

Dancing with the "stars"

I emailed DC Curry over a week ago to ask him if the rumors of his new hobby were true. He didn't respond, but I got confirmation (other than my secret source of course)today.

He seriously has the best female partner in our area. Good luck DC - Can't wait to see what happens...and it's all for a great cause.

Works for me Wednesday

I have 3 little girls at home and one of the things that worries me is a house fire. We all sleep on the second floor (at least for now), and I worry about them getting out quickly. Of course we have a plan and a meeting place, but I still worry about them getting out safely.

One of my main concerns is the fact that they're wearing next to nothing and have bare feet. My solution is to keep a pair of slip on shoes under their bed. Keep them a little large so they are easy to get on. This is really easy for those of us with all the same sex children....hand me downs are the best!

I make sure they aren't really cute ones because then they'll want to wear them all the time. I feel better knowing that if something were to happen they could slip them on quickly, and run downstairs or climb the window ladder safely without stepping on something hot and burning their precious feet.

Check out Works for me Wednesday for more great ideas!

Too conservative?

I know it's important to be conservative. One of our pastors (can't remember which one) spoke about how men have a mental rolodex of women's images in their mind. Remember - the Home Depot girl story?

I see a lot of young girls wearing really short skirts or really low rise jeans. Although they have the body for it, most are inappropriate in my mind and should be outlawed for those over 29 no matter how fit they are.

Swimsuits are another area whre modesty tends to be thrown out the window. Last year at Disney there was a girl with VERY low string bikini bottoms on. I swear I saw crack several times. And her top was only as big as an eye patch. As Heather would say "I saw pepperoni!"

I started to think that maybe I'm too conservative. Then I saw this. I can't believe people buy these things. I'm all for modesty, but not when it intereferes with comfort or activity level. And seriously...are the women in the ad smiling? For real? If you look closely do you see them on the verge of laughter. Yeah, I think you do.

It's viral...

We missed Easter Service at GCC last year because we were at Disney World. This year we went and were not disappointed by any means. We played Simon. It was really fun! Mark Beeson said they would put the completed video on youtube and we could go viral. Here it is...

Real Worship

I love these posts by Heather Whittaker and her husband Carlos Whittaker. What a remarkable way to spend Easter. Amongst those who truly love Jesus.

I love the Beatles

I really, really do. I've mentioned before some of my favorite Beatles (group or solo) songs.

I have to say that I was absolutely bored with the American Idol shows this week. And that's saying a lot for a die hard Beatles fan. I only sat through 1....yes 1! entire song. Gotta love tivo.

David Cook rocked, David Archuletta was cute, Brooke White is consistent, Carly Smithson sang a great song...the rest can go as far as I'm concerned. How many more weeks do we have of this?

Vegas Baby...

DC Curry posted this on his blog today. He's traveling across country visiting HS ministries!

Hey ... what happens in a women's restroom STAYS in a women's restroom, or something like that.

Girls just wanna have fun...

I was so excited to move to Indiana 2 years ago. Who wouldn't want a chance to start over again? It's really quite fun, now that I've done it.

The one thing I've loved is cutting loose of some old, toxic friendships. Some of my OR friends are great. They understand the life of a SAHM, others do not. Some get the fact that you are trying to grow up and have new inspiration in life, others do not.

I guess I haven't been great about meeting new people. Well, I guess I've met a lot of new people, but haven't really connected with many new people. It's something I've been praying about.

Today in the soda aisle of Wal-mart I met Michelle. She is the SAHM of 4 girls....Yahoo....4 girls! This is a match made in heaven (I don't necessarily enjoy boys). She lives a few miles away and attends GCC! I am so excited that my prayer was answered so quickly. I got her number and I WILL be calling her for a playdate with all 7 girls. Now THAT will be fun!

I miss rednecks

Ross & I were talking a few days ago about how much we miss our redneck friends. There's nothing like a big barn dance and some Chris Ledoux to feel like home! Well, I've found the next best thing. A blog hosted by a redneck. Enjoy!

Works for me Wednesday

I absolutley LOVE Disneyworld. We had such a blast on our last trip in April. The kids were 7, 4, and 1.

We purchased our package with the dining plan. It was so worth it, but it would have been easy to waste all that food. My tip? In your extra suitcase (don't we all bring one for souveniers) pack with you a box of snack size plastic baggies and a bunch of Mickey Mouse paper party plates (Walmart). Each kids' meal comes with an entree and 2 sides (grapes, carrots etc) dessert, and a drink. It is way too much food. Sometimes our little ones can all 3 share a meal. I use the paper plates in this situation. That way they each get a cute plate! They don't take up much space in my day bag and it sure saves me credits (or $) over the period of a week.

The baggies are great for carrying those grapes or carrots around for a later snack.
Hasn't it happened where you are in line at It's a small world and a kid says "I'm hungry"? Pull out your baggie of grapes and keep your precious spot in line.

The 2 things have made our trips to Disneyland & Disney World cheaper and much more enjoyable.

Want more tips on...well, life? Head over to Rocks in My Dryer.

I'm so busy

Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. My serious apologies to those 3 or so daily readers...

Nothing exciting has been happening, just general busy-ness.

Girl Scout activities are ruining, uh I mean running my life right now. Last night was the Sock Hop. We rented the local skating rink and had cake and skating. It was really fun except I always get to be the bad guy. We had several parents try to get in a not pay. They weren't skating, but we still had to pay for them to get in. We charged $5 per person. The roller rink charged us $4.50 per person. The other $.50 would cover cake, punch, napkins...you get the idea. Not to mention each girl receives a patch that is $.85 each. I offered for each girl to be dropped off and picked up if adults did not have the funds to stay and watch. Why didn't they take me up on it?

The thing that really angered me was that I had parents call me the day of the event. Never mind the fact that the deadline for signing up was last week. They called at 3:00 (event was at 6:00). I called and pulled strings, paid extra...AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP!

I seriously considered stepping out onto the rink hoping to be killed (at least mangled severely) by a pig tailed girl wearing a poodle skirt. Then I could tell the parents "It's just too much right now to have a troop. Especially while my legs are broken and I'm undergoing re-constructive surgery. I'm sure you all understand." Problem being - there would be a few parents who still showed up on Tuesdays hoping for a meeting.

God help me...

I'm sitting in my office listening to Kenady make up songs. They are so cute. Some lyrics are about being grumpy, or being a good friend and praying. BTW - they are all to the song "umbrella". Weird - I don't know where she heard that song.

The praying one reminded me of something she said several days ago. She was having a rough time making a choice. I suggested she pray about it and let God help her.

She said "Praying doesn't work. I always pray for God to help me clean my room and he never does."

This girl makes me laugh constantly.

Don't hit the boob

Kenady was dancing in front of my bedroom mirror yesterday. She had Cheetah Girls rockin' so loud! I came into the room and she says "I don't like the part that says "Hit the boob. Kids shouldn't do that to their Moms or they'll get in trouble."

Um...What? "Let me hear the song.....Kenady, it says hit the groove."

She couldn't stop giggling.

The Christian Bubble

Some of you who live in Granger or follow the sermons posted on gccwired.com might remember this service. Corey Mann got up and filled the stage with bubbles. He talked about how some Christians start only hanging out with other Christians. Some will only shop at Christian owned stores, or Christian run restaurants. Some will only read books by Christian authors or listen to music by Christians bands. When this happens, he says we are trapped in The Christian Bubble.

I have a few friends in OR who used to be great friends, but I feel like we're drifting apart. I finally put my finger on the problem. THEY are in The Christian Bubble. The conversation is about Church, missions, baptisms...which (don't get me wrong)are all wonderful things. Conversations turn negative and are full of gossip when you try and discuss something else or have met a new friend who doesn't attend church or have a different political view (or even just your own). Heaven forbid that you may actually need to talk or vent to a friend about something other than church activities.

Honestly, I don't remember Corey's entire sermon...but it was good. It helped me today (a year later) recognize something in myself. I'm not in the bubble, and that's a good thing.

Cleaning my office

After reading Terrace's thoughts on clutter, I decided to tackle my office once again.

Ok, the truth is I can't find 2 very important documents.
1. Kenady's birth certificate so she can start school.
2. Passports.
Arghhh...what could I have done with them? I have a vital records file folder, why isn't it bursting at the seams with vital records?

I hate to rebuy the birth certificate ($15 each), but the passports are almost out dated so that's not such a big deal. Plus I'm not heading out of the country anytime soon.

I am however DESPERATE to send a kid to school!

My Sister In Law

I must say that Jennifer and I haven't always gotten along. We were civil....for the most part. =) But, there was always something standing in the way of us having a great friendship. Well there is nothing standing in the way anymore. We talked & talked (and laughed) for quite awhile today. It was fun.

We found it hilarious to make fun of a new business venture by referring to an old one! I know that doesn't make sense to any of you, but it does to us.

I got that C - A - B - I enthusiasm.....

Beautiful Post

I am a Google fanatic! I Google EVERYTHING! Seriously.



This post I found is making me think long and hard about my Google usage.



Am I trading one "all knowing" for the other? It would be easy to do. Think about it; you have a question or concern, Google gives you the answer in seconds. Is it just feeding my "need the answer now" mentality? Just something to consider.