Every so often, I find words coming out of my mouth that I have not fully processed.
Often when it comes to breaking up a fight between my young children.

For instance:
“Well, if you know that you’re right, then you don’t need to argue with her! Just know that you’re right and leave her alone.”

“If you don’t obey quickly, you’re not really obeying.”

“etc.”

The point I’m trying to make is that I say these words, and then realize they’re probably just as applicable to MY life as my kids, if not even more so.

I especially have been thinking on the one about arguing.
Do we really NEED to argue with people when we know we’re right?
Most of the time, the person we’re arguing with doesn’t want to know the truth, they just want to argue.
Of course if there is a genuine desire to understand each other’s point of view that’s different. And at that point I’d consider it a lively discussion, not so much an argument.

Thoughts?

I’m no Bible scholar, so I figured, why not just throw some stuff out there to the interwebs and see what answers come back?

Okay not really. What I was thinking, though, is that I have a lot of swirling, unprocessed thinking going on in my brain and what better place to deal with it than on my blog? You know? Maybe I’ll get some feedback, and maybe I’ll figure a few of my own questions out as I put figurative pen to paper.

So here’s a bit of a rant that’s been going on in my mind recently:

Why do people do big “church” gatherings?

Why are there these monstrous buildings, large crowds, and corporate singing times?

You might say, “It’s the way you learn to be a better Christian!” or something more vague like, “I don’t know, that’s just how we do it…” or maybe something totally different. See the comment button below.

I’m sitting in one of these corporate gatherings, in a large building, surrounded by people singing the same song together, and I just feel…alone. I feel dwarfed, I feel judged (not b/c anyone is, that’s just usually how I feel around a lot of people I don’t know) and I feel kind of like I’m wasting my time.

What IS all this? What is the point? And what is really being accomplished that can’t be accomplished in other ways, cheaper ways (how many times have you heard an offering taken because “It costs a lot to keep the lights on here!”) and in ways that don’t make people feel all alone in a huge crowd?

As far as I can figure it, Jesus really loves us, and pursues us, and when He really gets to us, we realize how awesome He is, we love Him back, and the primary way we do that is by loving other people.

So.

If life is about loving Jesus, and loving people, then to me…that seems pretty simple. It seems like the best way to do this would be:

a) hang out with people

b) live normal life together, share meals, share Jesus, share birthdays and good times and bad

c) grow together. Actually practice positive confrontation and tough love.

d) help each other. In real, practical ways. Yes, praying & making music together is good stuff, but also teach someone how to make bread and babysit their kids and let them bring you a meal when you’re sick.

My point being, it’s all about relationship. Relationships built on real life, and daily interactions, and going through real crap together.

I feel like the corporate image of church in America has just gotten in the way of the pursuit of the real community required to make disciples (people like Jesus).

And it’s way past my bedtime, so I’m going to just leave this blog post dangling here, unfinished and rough as it is… I’ll have to do a “take 2″ next time.

I’ve been reading some pretty awesome stuff recently…

Have at it:

1. The Tunnel of Parenthood. This article is from a Catholic author (I’m not Catholic) and references Natural Family Planning several times, but that’s not really the point….the most encouraging thing I found in the article was just the perspective that the first 5 years of parenthood are the hardest…be not discouraged, oh my soul!

2. A funny one, this momma blogger. Jess Clark puts a hilarious spin on “mom guilt.” I honestly hadn’t been able to articulate WHAT was stressing me out until recently, when I realized I was just heaping way too much guilt on myself for silly stuff like not going for enough walks or eating good or what not. I’d rather be relaxed and make some mistakes than uptight and STILL making mistakes. If that made any sense.

3. Lastly, a bunch of thoughts from Jess Craig on being a mom and being a whole person. Lots of thought provoking stuff here…I’m still processing.

It’s way past my bedtime! Goodnight.

I’m being a cheapskate when it comes to clothes this fall….but I don’t want to totally give up on trying new outfits and stuff so….

a) thrift stores!

b) alterations!

This outfit is a little of both. I already owned everything except for the shorts, which I bought for less than $3 at a thrift store yesterday and altered some.

So here’s me trying to be “hip and with it.” Riiiiiiight.

Okay but I do love clothes. And fall. So here goes:

Jack wakes up…snuggly. Nursing him to sleep and snuggling him when he wakes up like this are a couple of super awesome parts of my day.

1. pumpkin. anything.
2. beanies.
3. explaining fall to isaiah and zoe.
4. grabbing branches from the yard and putting them in vases around the house. cheaper than flowers, still green & alive.
5. chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
6. tights with shorts….
7. FALL CLOTHES

I’ve recently been MAJORLY inspired by Pinterest…which is this super fun social network of inspiration boards. Basically you have your own “page” and you title your “boards” and then start “pinning” anything you find to them– pictures, graphics, video, etc.

It’s a really simple and *awesome* way to keep track of things you find online that you think you’ll try “one day” or even things like gift ideas for husbands (shhhh!) or wedding reception inspirations!

I could go on and on…

ANYWAY, here’s what I did today…

(click to see step-by-step instructions)

This is on my “me & clothing” board– how to tie a scarf into a turban. I have lots of scarves so….WIN.

And here’s my first attempt:

(bonus! a view of my messy kitchen counter!)

Let me know if you’re on Pinterest and we’re not following eachother yet (oh yeah: the “social network” aspect of Pinterest is that you can follow your friend’s– all or just some of their boards– and re-pin anything cool you find there onto your boards.

Happy Thursday!

So I’m not a big fan of jarred baby food. At all.
But I have bought a few for Jacky boy just because it’s simpler when you’re in a rush and I’ve never really “made” baby food because my other kiddos didn’t eat much until they were old enough to eat pretty much everything.
Jack is on a strict “anti-constipation” diet, so things are a little more complicated…
All this brings us to today’s handy-dandy helpful idea list of:
REAL FOOD THAT IS BABY FOOD.
1. Hummus (homemade is bestest!)
2. Guacamole (ditto)
3. Oatmeal
4. Rice (make enough for leftovers. quick & easy out of the fridge.)
5. Sauerkraut (for some reason babys tend to like sour things, I think it has to do with their underdeveloped taste buds)
6. Salsa! (super mild, obviously. or simple homemade.)
7. Beans (again, make a lot, have leftovers, easy!)
8. Almost any fruit– cut up small or smoosh (I know you’re thinking, duh. just had to throw that in there since *I* don’t always remember.)
9. Mashed potatoes (and don’t forget sweet potatoes!)
10. Frozen peas and corn (also nice for teething babies.)

So the Bible tells this story of the first couple on planet earth…Adam and Eve.
There’s a lot more to it than that, but here’s one observation for today:
When Adam and Eve did something stupid and God asked them why, they both pointed fingers.
But they still lost out in the end for what THEY had done, not how someone else had failed them or whatever.

My point? If you’re a jerk, or sad, or lonely or scared and you’re tired of letting it rule your thoughts and actions and people pushing you away (or ignoring you) then how about this–
GET HELP.
ASK FOR HELP.
And don’t be too proud to do whatever it takes to get all of the help you need.

And I say that because so many people *don’t* get help in the following forms, even when it could really be what they need:
Professional Counseling
Group Therapy
Support Groups
Etc.

Don’t spend your life blaming other people or circumstances or lack of opportunity to do something about your problems.
It’s your decision and no one else’s.

So there’s a little bit of my angst from my soap box.

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It isn’t a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for.”
Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays (revered President of Morehouse from 1940-1967 and the mentor (as well as eulogist) of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)