{Meet - Ethan}

This little guy is my 5-almost-6- year-old brother, and he's simply a joy to count as one of my siblings!

Last night, some of the little people decided they were going to camp out in the backyard.  We kept the windows open so we could listen for all those "just in case" instances.  Dad and I were in the study having a very weighty conversation when all of a sudden, through the open window drifted the giddy sound of this little guy's laughter!  Dad and I paused, listened, and laughed in response!  You just can't help but laugh when Ethan gets going!  :D

He's very protective of his little sister, and is constantly looking out for his little brother.  It's so neat to see!  The maturity that my brother has at this age is utterly astounding!  I am SO glad that God decided to place him in my family.  :)

-- And I just noticed that he, Clairy, and I all smile the same way, with one eye half shut!  :P

Change in Values

{photo credit}

I have an interesting American literature class this semester.  "Interesting" refers to the various things we discuss in class and not necessarily the material we cover.  Anyway, we've been reading about Benjamin Franklin and some of the founding fathers of our country.  My professor flashed these questions up on the screen and had us answer them:

How important to contemporary America are the ideals of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness?  Have we lost sight of them?  Or are they still elements in our society?

Those are interesting questions to ponder.  After all, our country was founded on those ideas, and the American people did cling to them as rights that they were entitled to.  However, I came to the conclusion that while America still says that she values these things, they're really only valued on the surface.

It is my belief that those terms and ideas are now defined by the government where once they were defined by the people.  There is so much regulation on everything now, including the Patriot Act of modern day America. Sure, it was put into action under the guise of "We're doing this for the good and protection of the American people" when really, how many American people care to be spied on?  Isn't that kind of infringing on our Liberty just a little bit?

My point is that, yes, I do think that America has lost sight of those ideals.  We say that we still operate on the rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, but they aren't necessarily the driving force behind our actions anymore.  The main drive is now whatever whims the government may have.

There's also the issue of how we as Christians define those rights and how much power we think the government should have, but that's another discussion entirely.  :)

Anyway, food for thought...

The Foundations of Youth

Influence upon the private character late in life, is not only an influence late in life, but a weak influence.  It is in youth that we plant our chief habits and prejudices; it is in youth that we take our party as to profession, pursuits, and matrimony.  In youth therefore the turn is given; in youth the education even of the next generation is given; in youth the private and public character is determined: and the term of life extending from youth to age, life ought to begin well from youth; and more especially before we take our party as to our principal objects.

-----Benjamin Vaughan

What Do I Know of Holy

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

Oh how often this is my cry to heaven.  Do I really fear God?  Do I really view Him as being the Almighty, the Creator of all things?  How often do I forget just Who it is that I'm talking to?  How often do I doubt that He's even listening?  Oh to be past this faith-without-sight phase and to move on to the place where I will finally be able to behold my Savior's beautiful face!

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life "its" name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

~Addison Road's "What Do I Know of Holy"

Skewl

I tend to find science labs utterly boring, and I decided that in order to enjoy myself, I would have to make it fun (this term is used loosely).  We had to look at a ton of specimens under the microscope (I loathe microscopes!  They're such a pain!) and then draw what we saw (something else I loathe) and write down observations.  Let's face it, for a nonscience person, there's not much you can observe from a glob of algae, and there aren't really observable differences between 20 such globs.  I decided that in order to keep my sanity, I would identify them by other things in the world that I was familiar with.

My most entertaining descriptions:

• Euglena: It is a green algae that looks like a miniature manatee
• Closterium: It looks like a mix of a pickle and a leech.  It's green and oblong
• Spirogyra: Green, moving somewhat.  I looks like a glorified spaghetti noodle
• Polysiphonia: It's a red branchy thing with pink splotches
• Sargassum: Greenish-brownish seaweed that looks more like a holly sprig than anything else
• Kelp: It's got a long "spine" with "tentacles" growing out of it

While I wouldn't necessarily call it a "fun" lab, I was able to make it more enjoyable for myself.  Now only 10 more labs to go!

Siblings are the Best!

And that's the truth!

Pictured are some of my best friends

With these two people I have shared heartache, laughter, inside jokes, deep conversations, arguments, good times, embarrassing personal stories, and lots of great memories.  Yep.  My brother and my sister are pretty much amazing.  :)

Letting Go

"Alex, you just need to learn to let go!"
"My whole life over the past 2 years has been learning to 'let go', so don't you tell me about 'learning to let go', buster!"

This was the argument I had with an unnamed sibling this afternoon.  And what I said was true, but maybe I shouldn't have been as upset as I was ... or should I?

It seems like every time I turn around, I have to let go of something or someone else.  Not again, is the thought that usually circulates through my head nowadays.  It just feels like I've had to give up so much over the past 24+ months!  And that's not even counting having my van in the shop, getting a flat in the truck, driving the toyota around (which I really like, actually), having a broken oven, and dropping a class ... which all happened over the past 10 days or so!!!

What you need to understand is that I live solidly under the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" policy.  Quite honestly, life was perfect the way it was, and there was no good reason for it to change.  NO.  GOOD.  REASON.  PERIOD.

I got several comments about my "George Bailey" feeling yesterday, and I'm going to try to explain it today.

Every time I turn around, it seems like my friends are the ones who get to expand their horizons, meet new people, see new places, and experience new and exciting things.  Meanwhile, I'm the one who still hangs out with the old friends (who I LOVE, mind you, DON'T GET ME WRONG), works at the same job, and goes about the same old activities.  I have a simple, mundane life, the one I've led for 18 years, that hasn't changed much at all ... until now.  But even then, the only thing that has changed about it are the people who move out of my small, little world.

I get the "yeah, well life is hard" comment a lot, but hearing it doesn't make it any easier.  I miss the way life was 10 years ago with a passion!  In a way, I'm glad life is painful right now because it means that I've developed strong relationships with others and have come to love them very much.  But on the other hand, I'm not really one for pain.  :P

And so, I thought I should explain myself.  :)  I know life will all of a sudden seem wonderful to me again, but I'm still waiting for that moment.  In the meantime, I'm going to stop moping about and look for joy in the little things.

God bless!

Dare to Dream

"15, there's still time for you

Time to buy, and time to lose

15, there's never a wish better than this

When you've only got 100 years to live"

 ~ 100 Years by Five for Fighting

Isn't it remarkable at how much we spend our time in daydreams when we're little, but then try to "grow up" and face reality as the years go by?  Why is it that little kids always get the bad rap in school for being lost in the clouds?

Picture a world of gray.  The sky is always overcast, and the general mood depressed.  There is no laughter and no sound of children playing or running around.  The people are plain, wearing drab clothing, their hair unkempt and knotted.  In your amazement of how absolutely dull everything and everyone is, you don't watch where you're going and run into someone.  As you apologize and help her back to her feet, you notice something in her eyes.  An emotion is evident, but this emotion tears at your very soul.  What you see mirrored in her eyes is the murky cloud of despair.

If the world was devoid of dreamers, the world would be lacking in ingenuity, creativity, and motivation.  It wouldn't have the motivation to build skyscrapers, start family businesses, or make movies.  Without proper motivation, nothing would get accomplished because it would all be purposeless!  There would be no reason to continue on in life and try to make something of yourself if there was no reason to do so.


What motivates people?  Dreams.  A glimmer of what they know can be if they set their minds to it.  If they work hard, picking themselves up from the dust whenever they fall, not taking failure as a final answer, they know that much can be done.  They realize that they have the chance to make their lives whatever they want them to be, and so they are going to dream up such a dream that will give them the best life.


Don't be afraid of dreaming because of the pitfalls along the way.  Don't be afraid to stand out and do something different, breaking from the tide of the repetitiveness that tends to hold the world back.

Remember the child-like dreams you once held onto?  Do you remember those dreams spurning you on to adulthood with thoughts like:  "I can't wait till I grow up because then I can be the judge!" or "When I get old enough, I'm gonna join the army and fight off the bad guys!"  Sure, when we were little we didn't see how rocky the path would be in getting to our destination of choice, but that only allowed us to dream all the more!  And with dreams strong enough, the hard parts won't make us back down because we'll be able to see the end goal.

Dare to be different.  Dare to dream!

I love this word picture!

They say there's a place where dreams have all gone

They never said where, but I think I know

It's miles through the night just over the dawn

On the road that will take me home

~ Mary Fahl

Simplicity: Where Hast Thou Gone?

Lunch was over, therefore She would be on the prowl soon.  I had to hide.  But where?  Quickly and as quietly as possible I darted behind the sofa.  This was the perfect spot!  She would never find me here!  All of a sudden, with lightening quick movements, She scooped me up from behind and dragged me off to my bedroom where I was to take a nap.  I hated naps.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was my daily routine for 5 short years.  Everyday, as soon as I finished lunch, I would invariably be sent off for my afternoon nap.  I remember the terror that seemed to pierce my very being as I would hide in hopes of avoiding this little ritual that seemed so important to Mom.  The thought of being enclosed in my bedroom for hours on end seemed like torture to me!

Oh to go back to those days.

I miss getting to curl up with Purple Dolly (my name for my purple doll [how original, I know]) and stroking her silky smooth exterior as I gently drifted off to sleep.  I miss being forced to drink a cup of milk before bedtime.  I miss not being able to touch the floor of the car once I was strapped in.  I miss my sack-of-potato rides on Dad's back.  I miss playing dress up with my little sisters.  I miss being able to play make-believe without feeling dumb.  I miss having to drag a chair over to the counter every time I wanted to help Dad make his famous cheesy biscuits.  I miss the family walks we would do after dinner back in Florida.  I miss chasing fuzzy yellow ducklings around our backyard.  

I miss being in first grade.  I miss being at home all the time with my family.  I miss that scavenger hunt that my parents made for me, the year I got my first bike.  I miss "sledding" down our neighbors driveway in pizza boxes every time it iced over.  I miss my old, yellow, flowery comforter ... the one with the lace around the edges.  I miss getting buried in my mound of stuffed animals and then jumping out to "surprise" Mom and Dad.  I miss playing hide-and-go-seek in the bathroom. I miss the football games we used to play out back. I miss, I miss, I miss.  I miss so much about my little kid years.

The simplistic way of life I once lead is now gone.  I have to make lots of my own decisions now that I'm an adult.  You know what?  Life at 4 was a whole lot nicer!  I had no cares in the world other than playing, eating, and sleeping.  There were no responsibilities yet, and I could practically do what I wanted!  Why do little kids want to grow up?  Don't they know that they've already reached the easiest part of their lives?

But you know what?  I love life.  God has been good to me, and I have enjoyable memories to look back on.  Life is good.

p.s.

I love naps!  :)