Books are my love

Seems like every spring I rediscover my love of classic lit. Winter is spent doing the crochet things - blanket making keeps one much warmer than the pages of a novel.

As the spring winds start blowing once more, my mind begins to dream once more of sprawling English gardens, budding trees, blooming flowers, long strolls with nothing better to do than find a great patch of sun (or a handy bench) and just sit.

Sure its yet another form of escapism - and I love every minute of it.

So what makes a good novel? A story that's engrossing, characters that are engaging, and has at least a few notes of unpredictability. The best novels are the ones where I'm pretty sure I know how it will end - but I keep reading because I just have to know how characters get from point A to point B.

This week that meant A Room with a View. I love Lucy Honeychurch - she's such a typical girl! Her struggle between what her culture desires and what her heart cries out for is beautifully written, creating a sympathy within the reader that understands her "muddle". The book describes numerous views - and Forester writes so vividly that I can perfectly picture Lucy standing in a field of violets, watching George Emerson enjoy the Italian countryside.

The book gently urges its reader to examine the "why" - to not simply accept what has always been done, but to search for what truly makes them happy and go for it. What a great way to begin my spring/summer rediscovery.

bring on the sun

Okay, so these hints of spring are making me a bit crazy. Midwestern weather has a rep of swinging to the extremes, but you have to admit that there's also a bit of pendulum-ness too. These last couple weeks we've had gorgeous warm weather followed by chills and even snow.

what the heck.

This winter I realized more than ever that I run on solar power. I spend as much time as possible soaking up the summer sun. Pool time, lunches in the park, swinging in the hammock. Its very much like charging a battery against the coming cold and gloom of winter. Snow - ugh.

This year it seems like cold/gloom have dragged on longer than in recent memory. I'm sooo ready for summer sun and all that comes with it. Outdoor theatre, bbqs, playing in the yard, pool, wadering around th Plaza - just the joy of being outside. Bring on the sun, baby!!

About that dissertation

In the last few weeks I've had several people ask me what I wrote my Shepherd School dissertation about. How this became the hot topic at work is beyond me - thought I must confess I'm a bit curious. Its odd to think that people talk about me/what I think when I'm not around. I mean, obviously we do - i just never think about it. Am I really that interesting?

Apparently so . . . or at least the way that I think seems to be.

My dissertation is called Biblical Feminism. The title was obviously designed to get people think, and I received two very distinct reactions when it was mentioned. 1 - There's no such thing; that's an oxymoron. 2 - Interesting; can I read it?

Feminism has gotten a bad rap - especially in religious circles. If you were to truly study the concept, however, you would discover that God was the first feminist. The Bible is chock full of examples, illustrations, and real life situations where women were given positions of power and authority within God's structure.

Anyway.

So why is it (me?) a topic of current conversation? I propose that it is because our church is in an time of transition.

The question is not if women fit - the question is how/where women fit.

Not only is this an important topic - its a culturally relevant topic.

I'm convinced that one of the greatest reasons for a decline in my generation's attendance and participation in the local church is that there are limited opportunities for their involvement outside specific parameters (historically childcare is a women's best option). The world offers - and encourages - women to pursue a variety of interests.

The church should be leading that change - just as it has historically fought for change in a myriad of social structures.

The Truth about Busyness

As I read Miles Stanford's The Green Letters this morning, I came across a profound thought. So many times we see busyness as evidence that we are doing the work of God - in reality, busyness is a way to prevent growth.

Amazingly enough, I'd never really thought about why I keep myself busy or the problems that it can cause. But the more I thought about what Stanford penned, the more I saw its truth. Nothing grows while its moving - growth happens in stillness. That's when roots can grow deep, searching for nourishment and creating a strong foundation. Busyness prevents reflections.

Busyness is such a product of American society. We've created so many facets of technology and modern conveniences that are supposed to save us time. Rather than use that saved time for relaxation, building relationships, exploring new friendships, I find myself working more and relaxing less. I've saved time so that I can do more work - how in the world is that logical.

So I'm making efforts to be more prayerful, more selective about the things I do. God's created me as a specific being with specific talents and abilities. If I do everything, not only am I not doing what I'm intended, I'm actually preventing others from using their gifts and busyness. And that's the truth.

Random Thoughts

So the last few days I've had some really random thoughts on a variety of subjects . . . here goes.

1. I don't get why people are willing to complain/talk about what is wrong with (or lacking at) church, but unwilling to do anything about it. If you don't have a solution to the issue - why are you talking? Why haven't you spent time in prayer to see how God would have you move?

2. Women want to be seen as unique - but everywhere I look I see the same thing. If you don't figure out a way to set yourself apart you'll keep blending into the background. Cookie cutters are consistent but lifeless.

3. Jim talked about submission today - always a pleasant subject (you heard that sarcasm, right). I was so encouraged to hear him talk about mutual submission - seems like you never hear that in church. The coolest bit was most definitely when he said that if you have to tell someone to submit to you, the problem lies with you and not them. People naturally submit to good leaders - but that's a whole other thought.

4. What happened to all the men? All I see are little boys, complaining about what they don't have or wish they did, or how their life doesn't look like they thought it would. Get over it already! God didn't promise us a pleasant perfect world here - the Bible is quite clear that our sin nature has led to some awful things. It goes back to the problem or solution side of things. Are you going to sit and dwell on your past or are you going to suck it up and move on? That's the only way you'll progress.

I suppose the running theme is 'leadership'. So many people talk about wanting to be leaders or desiring some sort of power within the church. Leadership isn't something you get elected into - its something that just is part of who you are. You can't force people to follow you or listen to you - but if you speak truth and live honestly people will be drawn to you. Jeff talked about this idea today.

Anyway. Just needed to get a few things off my chest. I feel better now.

Do I really have time for this?

It seems like everyone I talk to is amazed that I don't have a blog. While there are several reasons I've never started one, I suppose the primary reason is that I feel its a somewhat narcissistic format.

I mean, seriously. Isn't a blog really just a way for me to share my thoughts and opinions? By blogging, I'm assuming that someone actually cares enough about what I think to hit this page on a regular basis to see my pearls of wisdom.

The secondary reason, and one I commonly provide when asked to do something new, is that I'm just too busy. All that phrase really means, though, is that I don't think its important enough for me to invest my time and effort into it.

But I sat waiting for my co-workers at Benetti's this morning, I began to wonder if there might be more to blogging than meets the eye. Instead of viewing it as something more to do in a day, I began to see it as a way to get things out of my brain - which is definitely much healthier than thinking about the same things over and over and over and over and over . . .

So here we go. Coffee, thoughts and my take on the world at large. This should be interesting. . .